Chapter 4

After parting ways with Daiki and the others, I headed home.

To add a note here, by home, I don’t mean the house I’m currently living in, but the Nanami household where Kaname-kaasan and the others lived, where I was staying at the time.

After losing both parents at once, Kaname-kaasan took in my younger sister and me, who had no relatives. However, our family register wasn’t transferred, so it might be more accurate to say we were lodgers.

So naturally, my feet were heading towards the Nanami house.

It had only been a year and a half, but seeing the familiar scenery brought a surge of nostalgia.

By the time I arrived, the sun had completely set, and lights were beginning to flicker on in the houses.

Thinking they must be worried about my sudden disappearance, but also feeling anxious about whether my existence had been forgotten, I pressed the intercom button below the nameplate that read “Nanami”.

『Yes.』

A familiar voice came through the intercom. Ahh, it was Tatsumi-ojisan’s day to be home.

At the Nanami house, both parents work, so usually one of them is home during the day. At this time, Kaname-kaasan probably hasn’t returned from work yet, and the two are likely not home due to club activities.

But they should be on their way home soon.

「It’s me. Shougo. Tatsumi-ojisan.」

I heard a sharp intake of breath. Well, it’s not surprising since someone who suddenly disappeared has just returned.

『…The door is unlocked. Come in for now.』

I remember thinking his voice sounded slightly suspicious.

But at that time, I thought it was natural to be doubted, and that they would believe me once they saw me, so I didn’t think too deeply about it.

I pull the lever-style door knob and enter the entrance.

Tatsumi-ojisan had already come to the entrance, and upon seeing me… he let out a sigh-like breath.

「Tatsumi-ojisan, I’m ho──」

After greeting him with a return home, I was about to apologize for my sudden disappearance and explain everything that had happened.

「What are you doing coming back now?」

「…Eh?」

Cutting off my words, Tatsumi-ojisan said that. Was it anger that was in his eyes? He glares down at me, being taller than I am.

「You disappear suddenly without a word, and now you come back on a whim without any contact. Did you think you’d be warmly welcomed after doing that?」

「N-No, I have circumstances.」

「Circumstances, you say. I see. But were those circumstances more important than your family?」

He allowed no room for rebuttal. Every word I tried to say was thoroughly rejected.

「It seems you don’t understand. You may have had your reasons, but we have our reasons for finding it hard to accept you back. Do you know how much we, Natsuki, and Hinata suffered when you disappeared?」

「T-That’s…」

If Daiki, Asaki, or Hikari were here, they would probably defend me, saying it was too unreasonable. In fact, I didn’t disappear because I wanted to.

After surviving an unreasonable phenomenon and an unreasonable world, finally returning home. Yet what awaited me was unreasonable rejection.

Perhaps neither side is to blame for this. But to not even be allowed to discuss it, how is that fair?

「T-Then please let me talk to Natsu and Hina. If they still can’t accept me, then──」

If everyone rejected me, I might be able to give up. Thinking so, I plead.

「No.」

「Why not!?」

Another rejection. The reasoning was so one-sided that I couldn’t help but ask why.

「I can’t let an untrustworthy man near our daughters.」

「That’s… But Hina is!!」

「Her family register has already been transferred. She is now Nanami Hinata, our daughter.」

「…Eh?」

「And the same goes for Natsu. Do you know what happened to Natsuki after you disappeared?」

「Did something happen?」

I was told that Hina had already been adopted by the Nanami family. That alone was shocking, but apparently there’s more.

「After you disappeared, things became noisy around Natsuki. Recently, she even had a stalker.」

「That’s, then you should call the police immediately!!」

「It’s not for you to worry about. A friend of Natsuki’s already caught the guy. I hear they’re quite close now. So──」

「…So?」

I shouldn’t ask. My heart rings warning bells, telling me not to, but I can’t help but be curious and urge him to continue.

「You’d just be in the way. You understand, don’t you?」

「That’s…」

I knew he would say that. I knew, but to hear it so clearly from Tatsumi-ojisan, whom I thought of as family, leaves me stunned.

「Ahh, your house has been properly maintained. We have an obligation to your parents, after all. You have the key, right? Here is the bankbook and cash card your parents left behind. We’ve only used them for tuition and living expenses, so you shouldn’t have any trouble living on your own.」

Saying so, Tatsumi-ojisan hands me the bankbook, seal, and cash card.

I hesitated to accept them, but he held them out to me without any sign of pulling them back.

And he didn’t seem inclined to let me past the entrance. We both remained motionless, and only an awkward atmosphere continued to flow.

──There’s no point in staying here any longer.

To Tatsumi-ojisan, I must have no value, having failed to protect Natsuki when it mattered most, not being there for her. I looked at Tatsumi-ojisan’s expression once more, but his eyes were filled with hatred, as if looking at an enemy.

I see. I’m an enemy.

Then fine. Fortunately, I’m used to loneliness from that crazy world, and if he wants to be adversaries, I’ll accept it. Once I switch my mindset like that, the affection I had for the man in front of me dissipates like mist.

I take the bankbook and other items thrust at me, turn my back, and leave, having no more business here.

「Wait. Don’t you have anything to say?」

Anything to say? Ahh, does he want me to apologize? Like, I’m sorry for making you worry. Is that it? How laughable. After rejecting me so thoroughly.

Once I start to hate, all sense of propriety disappears from my mind. Besides, after being told off this much, I was getting pretty fed up too.

Not knowing anything, not even trying to know.

「Anything to say? Ahh, perhaps I should ask if you’re satisfied after spouting your one-sided circumstances?」

I don’t intend to cause harm, but I sarcastically put a bit of murderous intent into my words as payback. I don’t think the relationship can be repaired no matter what I do now, and I no longer feel the need for it.

「Wha…!!」

「Ahh, it’s okay, you don’t have to force yourself. Your knees are shaking. Don’t worry. I won’t have anything to do with you anymore. ──So don’t say another word. Don’t involve yourself with me.」

With those words, I leave the house. Looking up at the sky, the sun had already set, and the moon was faintly visible.

「…For now, I guess I’ll go home.」

I mutter to no one in particular and head towards my parents’ house. Although I haven’t visited in a long time, there’s no way I could forget the home where I was born and raised.

At that moment, a slightly strong wind blew. In hindsight, I think I shouldn’t have looked in the direction the wind was blowing.

In the direction I turned, there were a boy and a girl in familiar uniforms──

──The boy’s face is approaching the girl.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, all I could see was the girl’s back. So they shouldn’t have noticed I was watching… probably.

In front of the Nanami house, a familiar back, and a boy’s face approaching it.

Just from that situation, it would be harder to mistake who was doing what. From the conversation earlier, I can somewhat guess who the other person is. And their relationship too…

For some reason, I took a step back, and in the quiet space where the wind had stopped, the sound of my shoe scraping against the gravel echoed.

By the time I thought it was bad, I was already running backward. I don’t know if that sound reached them, but I prayed it hadn’t as I ran.

I reached my house as if fleeing. Soon after, a sense of frustration overwhelmed the nostalgia I felt for that back, and the familiar pain attacked me.

And this pain began to attack me every day around this time. That’s how it was.

「──That was about a month ago… Um, Kaname-kaasan?」

After finishing my story from my return until today, I looked for Kaname-kaasan’s reaction, but she remained motionless with her head down.

Maybe she fell asleep because the story was too long… I thought, but.

「That… idiot husband!!」

「Hii!」

She seems to be extremely angry. I told her not to get mad though…

「That man didn’t understand anything… The only reason we adopted Hina-chan was because she would return to being siblings with Shougo after a few years, and we even kept Shougo’s dishes as they were.」

「U-Um, Kaname-kaasan?」

「And Natsuki too, what is she thinking? I don’t know what she pretends, but acting like she’s really dating him… I said I wouldn’t accept any son other than Shougo.」

I hear various concerning words. But I couldn’t tell if they were important to me now or not, so I said nothing.

「Ahh, really!! I was thinking of forcibly bringing Shougo back home!!」

「Um, I appreciate the sentiment, but…」

「I know. I didn’t think that man could be such an idiot… I’m sorry, but Shougo should live in this house.」

「Well, that was my intention.」

No one would be happy if I suddenly moved into the Nanami house now.

「Instead, I’ll make sure to come check on you from time to time. As for meals… I was worried, but it seems you’ve learned to cook somehow.」

「It was necessary.」

I smile wryly. Honestly, it was about the only thing I could do.

「Anyway, you should meet Hina-chan at least once. She sent a message saying she was going to eat dinner with new transfer student friends who were watching club activities today, so it might have to be another day.」

「Ahh, I see. By the way, it’s rare to transfer schools at this time, isn’t it?」

I can’t really talk, but transferring in May of the first year of high school isn’t common, is it?

「Yeah, there must be some circumstances. But they seem like good girls. Their names are Asaki-chan and Hikari-chan, and they’re very cute, I hear. I told her to bring them home next time, so Shougo will… What’s wrong?」

Hearing Kaname-kaasan’s report, I unintentionally lost strength and banged my head on the floor.

「Um, Kaname-kaasan. Which high school does Hina attend?」

「Kujou Academy. She worked really hard to get into the same high school as Natsuki!!」

Of course. I mean, can coincidences really be this biased?

「Um, you know the story about the other world I mentioned earlier?」

「Yeah. It was surprising, but I believe you.」

「Ahh, thank you… No, that’s not it. Um, Asaki and Hikari are the two who were summoned with me. To be more precise, they’re the Hero and the Saint.」

Who was it that said, “Fate works in mysterious ways”?