Chapter 49 My Sister's Feelings and My Girlfriend’s Circumstances

My Sister’s Feelings and My Girlfriend’s Circumstances

After meeting Chika, I thanked my sister on the way home.

“Nee-chan, thank you. I feel better now.”

“Un. Chika-chan was so different, wasn’t she? When she came to our house last month to collect empty bottles, she looked like a gorilla.”

“Ah! So the young girl at the liquor store you mentioned before was Chika!?”

“Yes, that’s right. I thought it would be interesting if you two met.”

“Don’t be so amused!”

“Haha. I was just joking. If I really wanted you two to meet, I would have checked to see if she was there, and I wanted to make sure Taichi was okay with it.”

“You’re always so carefree.”

Today, on the way to meet Chika, I asked my sister, “Why are you so sympathetic to Chika? You and Mom were both really angry before.”

“You never know what life will throw at you. There could be an earthquake tomorrow, and we could all die. So I don’t want to live a life full of regrets. And I don’t want Taichi or Chika-chan to live a life of regret either. Everyone goes through different experiences when they’re young. Life is full of mistakes. …But if you keep obsessing over whether to forgive or not, an earthquake might suddenly hit you, you know? …You might regret it on your deathbed. …So I think it’s important how you deal with your failures in your short life. It’s okay to reflect and feel down, but I want you to move forward. Even if you can’t run, I want you to slowly walk forward. …At first, I was angry too, but when I saw Chika-chan, I started to think that way. When I saw Chika-chan trying to move forward, I wanted to support her. Mom probably feels the same way. Even though Mom was so angry, she couldn’t help but worry about Chika-chan now. Well, maybe it’s because you haven’t been home for a while, so she’s worried about you too.”

I know what you mean, Nee-chan.

It’s true; if there was an earthquake today and I was about to die, I would have a lot of regrets.

To be honest, Chika isn’t one of them.

But if I can confidently say that I’ve left the past behind, there’s no need to hold on to hatred.

I think it’s better to face it with a neutral mind.

What would Iroha-san say?

While I was thinking of such things, I went to meet her, and then there was Chika, who had changed so much that I thought, “Who is this person?”

Her hair was shorter than Iroha-san’s, and she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt with no makeup.

She looked so simple compared to the Chika I remembered from high school.

It wasn’t just that she was simple, but she didn’t seem to care about her appearance or her clothes.

She looked like a typical worker.

But her strong personality was still the same.

And she still spoke very bluntly.

So I was able to talk to her normally.

I don’t know if this is a complete return for all the support I’ve received so far, but I think it’s much better than leaving without saying thank you or anything.

Chika was an unexpected event, but I successfully completed my teaching practice and returned to the university.

I returned to the university, but Iroha-san was still away for about a week, so I had to restart my university life by myself.

While waiting for Iroha-san’s return, I completed university reports and assignments on my own.

Of course, I was in constant contact with Iroha-san and knew that she was fine.

But I couldn’t wait to see her face.

There was also the matter of her mother and my future plans after graduation.

I wanted to discuss and decide what to do together after confirming our intentions.

While I was at home, I couldn’t talk to my parents about my plans after graduation.

I hadn’t consulted with Iroha-san yet, and I didn’t want to worry them unnecessarily.

When Iroha-san contacted me and said, “I’m back now. I’m sorry for worrying you so much.” I rode my bicycle as fast as I could to meet her.

When I arrived at Iroha-san’s apartment, I parked my bike in the usual place and rang the doorbell, and when I heard Iroha-san’s reply, [Yes~], I opened the door and hugged her without saying anything.

It was the opposite of the last time.

I hadn’t seen her for a month, so I was the one who really missed her.

I missed her so much that I couldn’t stop thinking about her every day.

To my embarrassment, I cried while hugging Iroha-san and said, “I missed you so much~”

Iroha-san hugged me back and said, “I missed you too. I’m so glad to see that Taichi-kun is okay,” and gently stroked my back.

I stayed with Iroha-san that day and talked about several things.

First, about her mother’s condition.

She was still living at home and going to the hospital regularly, but they were discussing the possibility of hospitalization and surgery.

She said that at the earliest, it would be right after the New Year.

That time would coincide with the second half of university exams, so Iroha-san wouldn’t be able to take care of her mother.

She also told me that she had successfully completed her teaching practice.

Like me, she was encouraged by her teachers at her alma mater to return to her hometown, and she was very happy.

She also told me that she had told her parents about me.

Her mother was happy, but her father was upset.

But Iroha-san said, "Don’t worry about my father. He’s just angry because things didn’t go the way he wanted” and didn’t seem to mind at all.

We also talked about summer vacation.

Iroha-san told me that she would be going back to her hometown for about two months during the summer vacation to help her mother with housework and other things.

When I heard that, I was really sad that I wouldn’t be able to spend the summer vacation with Iroha-san. But I thought I shouldn’t show that attitude to her, so I said, “It’s okay, I’m fine. Take care of your parents.”

We talked about a lot of things that day, but we couldn’t talk about the future after graduation.

I wanted to focus on her mother’s situation first, and I felt that if I talked about my future plans, it would put pressure on her to make a decision.

The first semester exams were over, and Iroha-san went home for the summer as planned.

I saw her off at the station, and just before the train left, Iroha-san apologized to me, saying, “I’m sorry, Taichi-kun.” I forced a smile and said, “Don’t apologize. Take care. Have a good trip.”

During my summer vacation, I spent most of my time working part-time.

Even though my days were boring and I tried to fill them by hanging out with my college friends or going out drinking with my senior at work, I couldn’t stop thinking about Iroha-san.

When the long, boring summer vacation came to an end, Iroha-san finally returned.

I met her that day, and we spent the rest of the short summer vacation together.

Summer ended, fall came, our relationship reached two years, and Iroha-san went home for the winter holidays.

I saw her off at the station, forced a smile, and said, “Have a good trip,” just as I had during the summer vacation.

Iroha-san had said she would come back before the end of the winter break, but she didn’t come back even after the winter break.