An after school affair with an unattainable flower - Chapter 3 (Cleome): Part 5
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“——So, he finally proposed. Of course I accepted. From there, we greeted each other’s parents, held a wedding ceremony, got married, and eventually Ayane was born.”
The story finally arrived at the point where my stepsister came into the world.
However, a slight shadow pierced my stepmother’s face after that.
“…But. In the same year Ayane was born, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. He only had three years to live.”
That was the first time I heard about my stepmother’s ex-husband death.
“At first, I resented Kami-sama for this cruel fate. But when I saw him trying his best, desperately resisting his own fate and help daughter for the time he will live, my thought changed into, ‘if I have time to resent Kami-sama for this cruel fate, let me also help him in whatever way as well.'”
“But,” she continued her story.
“Desperate resistance was all in vain, and just as he was told, as Ayane turned 3 years old, he took his last breath as well. Ayane was still young, so she didn’t seem to understand what it meant for people. Even though I was sad at the time, I was prepared. It was just that I was more worried about Ayane’s future than mine. After he passed away, he asked me to take care of Ayane for him.”
That was the truth which I finally learned after 10 years since she became my stepmother and a part of her family.
“For a while after he passed away, I was busy discussing matters like inheritance and alike. But more than money, I was worried about Ayane not having a father. While I was working my best, trying to give her a proper upbringing, I heard from my relatives that there was someone who they want to introduce to me, and that was when I met your father, Amane-kun.”
It seemed we were finally out of her sad story.
I was really taken aback learning that her ex-husband’s parents and my father knew each other.
And after looking at me like that, my stepmother gave a soft chuckle.
“He was crazy. The first thing he said after meeting me was— ‘My son needs a mother. Marry me.’— I would be troubled if someone suddenly said that to me, so I replied, ‘I can’t do that if you ask me all of a sudden, so let’s start with dating.’”
“Dating?! Didn’t you think of refusing him?”
“Hmm, I could sympathize with him since my child also needed both parents, and given that I was introduced to him by my ex-husband’s parents, I couldn’t refuse him outright. Then again, I can’t just entrust my daughter to a man I just met. So I decided to go out with him for a while, and see if he’s trustworthy or not.”
“I see, so after that…”
“That’s right. We dated each other for a while, and I came to understand the personality of Tsuyoshi-kun. He’s a tough guy, but he’s also a serious person. I came to think that, if it is this man, I can entrust my daughter to him. You are also a lot like Tsuyoshi-san, fufu~.”
“Haha, I’m aware…”
“That’s how I got married to Tsuyoshi, but as soon as I was relieved that Ayane had a father now… Tears welled up immediately. The fact that my husband passed away, the sadness that was held back till now flooded me over. How should I say this? I wonder if it was like, I finally had the time to grieve after getting remarried.”
“Stepmother…”
“But once I cried, I felt all relieved. I had to become a mother of two now, and I was determined to live strong. But hey, it was harder than I thought it would be to have a son who is not related to my blood. Even though I wanted to love both of them equally, my love unconsciously became one-sided. Maybe Amane-kun also realized that, since you started maintaining a distance from me back then.”
It was the first time I realized that my detached attitude was in fact hurting my stepmother.
“But I think Ayane was more happy to have an Onii-chan than I thought, and seeing her get so easily attached to Amane-kun, I got a little jealous too, fufu~. When I saw the two of you getting along well, I started thinking that you two might actually become more real than real siblings, and that was the start of when I started thinking of Amane-kun as my real son. I wonder if it was the same case for Tsuyoshi-san as well.”
“…Stepmother went through a hard and difficult life, didn’t you.”
“Ara~ that’s right. But then, there’s no individual who doesn’t go through a hard time in their life. Doesn’t Amane-kun also have a hard time convincing Tsuyoshi-san about your passion?”
“Ugh, that’s…”
“Because you can’t go on with that passion if you don’t overcome this hurdle, so do your best to persuade him, I’m rooting for you. Wait, you didn’t want to talk about this matter in the first place was it. Amane-kun, you have some troubles about your love life. Right?”
“…I don’t know if it’s love, but there’s someone I want your advice on.”
“Go ahead.”
Looking at my stepmother’s gentle smile that I had seen ever since I was a little boy, I started talking about that one girl that had made my mind worry constantly.
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“… …, Amane-kun, I think you know it quite clearly, that’s love.”
For me, who was trying his best to think that it was not the case, continuing to look away from that fact till now, my stepmother instead went and said that out as blunt as she could.
“Nn- No, I mean, it’s true that I felt happy when I found my novel to be praised by that girl, but at the same time, I don’t feel that well around her.”
“Not feeling good around her, and a heart in love doesn’t contradict each other. Doesn’t Amane-kun feel nervous just to not show your uncool side in front of that girl… So, what kind of girl is she?”
“…Well, to put it simply, she’s like the school’s Madonna…”
“Ara~, I wonder if Amane-kun gets easily attracted to looks now?”
“N- No, I didn’t mean it that way…”
“Ara~ Ara~, the always quiet Amane-kun is now looking troubled. But from what I’ve heard from you so far, if she feels attracted to you for some of your eccentric behavior, don’t you think there’s a possibility that you have there with her.”
“Some kind of eccentric behavior…”
『I just like looking at the surprised face of Shiranui-kun.』
That line repeated itself in my mind as if it was a given.
“It would be great if Amane-kun could take this opportunity to get a girlfriend. For Ayane’s sake as well.”
“Nn? Why Ayane all of a sudden?”
“Why you ask; you know, that girl, even though she’s at the age, she’s still so attached to Amane-kun after all. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being on good terms as fellow siblings, but when I start thinking of the age Ayane is in, and how she is still so inseparable from her ‘Ani’, it becomes something to think about. Nonetheless, I think it’s a normal development for children of her and your age to rebel against their parents a little.”
“I… see.”
“Well, you don’t have to go out of your way to push her aside by yourself, Amane-kun. But I do have the thought that it would be nice if you could get a girlfriend, and as a result she will also get distant from her brother for a little while. Eventually, she will change for the better.”
“Now”, saying that, stepmother stood up.
“We talked for quite a long time. It’s about time I get the dinner ready. You also have a test tomorrow, right? It’s okay to pursue your dreams and fall in love, but you must be careful about your studies as well, okay?”
“Yeah…”
I completely forgot about the final exam tomorrow.
“I’ll call you when dinner is ready, so study until then.”
“I understand. Thank you stepmother, I am glad I consulted you.”
“You’re welcome”
Love.
Have I really fell in love with her ——–
Then there’s myself who was still trying to deny that.
Admit it already.
Isn’t it okay till the fact that I have fallen in love with her
——– But… …
As such thoughts repeated itself throughout my mind, it goes without saying that I was unable to concentrate on my studies thereafter.
END OF CHAPTER 3: CLEOME