After Picking up a Runaway Girl From the Same University on My Way Home From Work, We Started Living Together in Secret

“—Minato, are you there?”

I flinched slightly at Risa’s somewhat muffled voice and answered, “I’m here.”

Even though it was just a simple exchange, it felt like it took away a huge amount of my mental energy, and I quietly sighed.

Risa was in the bathroom.

She had finished washing her hair and body and was probably relaxing in the bathtub filled with warm water.

Meanwhile, I was sitting with my back to the door of the bathroom, which was slightly ajar.

Yes.

The bathroom door was only slightly open.

In other words—Risa was currently taking a bath, and if I turned around, I would see Risa, completely naked.

I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of it, but since Risa insisted on talking this way, I reluctantly accepted it.

As promised, this was how things naturally ended up. Honestly, if the topic hadn’t been what it was, I would have declined.

…I suspect Risa didn’t want to face me while talking.

Given the fragmented information I had heard earlier, it was clear that the topic would be a shocking one.

She probably didn’t want me to look at her strangely or possibly feel disgusted. If we were facing each other, I would inevitably read her expression.

Even so, my mental state was being severely drained.

Naturally, the clothes I had taken off were thrown into the washing machine, and the sound of water hadn’t stopped. It reminded me over and over again that Risa was right behind me.

That said, I had no intention of betraying Risa’s trust by letting any weird thoughts cross my mind… Is this the result of trust?

“Sorry if it’s hard to hear, but can I continue?”

“…It’s fine.”

“Okay. First, let me tell you about my family.”

After a brief pause and introduction, Risa continued.

“My family consisted of my dad, my mom, and me. But when I was in second grade, my mom died in a traffic accident.”

“But, Mr. Sadaomi…”

Risa’s husband killed his wife.

The truth, even if it was a traffic accident, didn’t shock me much.

Maybe she predicted what I couldn’t say, and she responded with a simple, “Yes.”

“My mom’s death was indirectly my fault. We were coming back from buying a birthday present with my mom. That day, I was excited because it was my birthday, so I didn’t notice the car that ran the red light. At the last moment, my mom noticed it and pushed me to try to save me, but she was the one who got hit.”

Risa’s voice, calm and detached, just recounted the facts.

I didn’t know how to respond, and silence fell over my thoughts.

“She was rushed to the hospital, but she died before my dad could get there. So, my dad hates me. It wasn’t just an unfortunate accident; part of the cause was me.”

“……”

“If I hadn’t been so excited, I would have noticed the car earlier, and maybe my mom could have been saved. If it wasn’t my birthday, we wouldn’t have even gone out. To be honest, if I hadn’t been born—”

“No, that’s not right.”

Unable to hold it in anymore, I raised my voice, and the sound of splashing water answered me.

“You loved your mom, didn’t you? Then you shouldn’t say things like wishing you weren’t born. Even if you don’t really mean it, saying it will make you feel like it’s true. You might trick yourself into believing that it’s really what you wanted.”

“…Sorry. You’re right, Minato. But still, I can’t help but think about how things could have been different if I had just acted properly. No matter how much I regret or think about it, my mom isn’t coming back.”

I heard a strange sound as Risa sniffed, almost like holding back tears.

It was unmistakably her regret.

It was a past that she couldn’t change with her own hands, something that was beyond her control.

“That’s why I don’t feel like I belong at home. My only family, my dad, despises me. And yet, he still transfers a generous amount of money for my living expenses every month. It’s like he wants nothing to do with me. If that’s the case, why doesn’t he just kick me out? He just tells me to do whatever I want.”

“…Couldn’t you think of it as Mr. Sadaomi’s way of atoning for his sins?”

Even after only meeting him once, I could tell that Mr. Sadaomi was a difficult person.

So, could it be that he had been harsh in the past, lost the chance to reconcile, and that’s why things had ended up like this?

“Maybe. I don’t know. I hardly ever get a chance to talk to my dad, and he’s never really paid attention to me. But one day, my dad, who hadn’t been home in a while, came back and saw what I was wearing. We got into an argument, and I ended up leaving the house.”

“So, that was the day I met you in the shopping district. But why would an argument start just over your clothes?”

“The birthday present I bought with my mom was a Lolita dress. In a way, it’s one of the reasons I lost my mom. I think my dad hated it so much that he didn’t even want to look at it.”

…So that’s what happened.

I finally understood Risa’s situation.

I now understood the feelings behind Mr. Sadaomi’s harsh words to Risa, why Risa ran away from home, and why she loved Lolita fashion but was afraid to wear it in public, even though she designed clothes.

For Risa, Lolita fashion was an irreplaceable memory of her mother, as well as a symbol of guilt.

For Mr. Sadaomi, it was a reminder of his deceased wife.

“I’ve tried to tell you everything about why I ran away from home, without hiding anything. I don’t care what you think. I have no right to limit that. If you despise me and tell me to leave, then I’ll leave quietly… I don’t want to be hated by you anymore.”

With those words, Risa seemed to be closing the conversation.

While chewing over Risa’s past in my mind, I thought about it.

I didn’t think Risa had any fault or responsibility.

If I had to say it, it was just an ordinary, unfortunate accident where, by chance, only Risa’s mother ended up being the victim.

It was merely a result that Risa survived.

If a car ran a red light and crashed into them, the car would definitely be at fault.

But, perhaps because Risa was too kind, she had convinced herself that she was to blame.

“I can’t find any reason to hate you, Risa.”

“…Really?”

“There’s no reason to lie about something so trivial. It’s hard to prove, but… Anyway, I won’t chase you away or despise you, so don’t worry.”

“…Okay. I’ll trust you, Minato.”

Amid the sound of water, there was a strange sound, like her throat was tightening.

…Is she crying?

Since I was facing away from her, I couldn’t tell, and I couldn’t turn around either.

Even if it weren’t for the current situation, I probably wouldn’t have looked.

She probably wouldn’t want me to see her crying.

“But still, what’s puzzling is Mr. Sadaomi’s attitude. Even I can tell that Risa isn’t at fault, so I don’t believe he doesn’t understand that.”

“…Reason and emotion are separate things. My mom always said that. Dad’s just clumsy.”

“I understand that losing someone important can make you angry, but… does that mean he has to treat his daughter so harshly?”

“That’s different. After my mom died, my dad rarely came home. He was always working, and even when he did come home, it was maybe once a month. He’s never even come to a parent-teacher meeting. The housekeeper came regularly, so there was no trouble with housework. He gave me money for living expenses and my school fees without saying anything. I’m grateful that he raised me. This time, I think it was just bad timing.”

The fact that Risa thought like this seemed to be a form of resignation.

If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed.

By living each day like that, Risa had become used to loneliness.

But after arguing with Mr. Sadaomi and running away from home, she might have realized her loneliness again and started wanting to spend time with someone.

Risa didn’t belong in that house.

If she wasn’t careful, she might not belong anywhere in this world.

If I were the only one who could be the place where Risa belongs…

“What is Risa going to do from now on? Given the circumstances, I can’t really force her to go back home—”

Splash.

The sound of water echoed, followed by the soft sound of footsteps.

The bathroom door creaked open.

“…Sorry. I got light-headed from the heat.”

“Eh?”

Startled by the soft voice, I turned around to see Risa, completely flushed and standing there.

Her skin, tinted a faint red, filled my vision.

There was nothing to cover her body, and I accidentally saw her completely naked.