For Some Reason, I’m Almost Locked up by the Most Beautiful Girl in School Who Can Hear My Inner Thoughts

Chapter 12

This was a story from about ten years ago.

It was about a year after I lost my husband.

It happened suddenly.

It came without any warning, so it took a long time to accept. I held the funeral without processing it, and I couldn’t fully acknowledge my husband’s death until the end.

After losing my husband, I think I lived with a face like a mask. Every day, Noa-chan worried about me, but the huge hole left behind was too big to fill by raising a child.

Because he was the only one who truly understood me, a man different from other men, and the person I loved.

Because he genuinely liked me and loved me. My husband was always in my heart, and there were even times I saw hallucinations.

If he hadn’t been there, I can say the current me wouldn’t exist—that’s how important he was.

One day, while living without my husband, an angel suddenly appeared.

I was shopping at a supermarket a bit far away during a break from work to refresh.

I was wandering aimlessly in the food section, not deciding what to make, thinking, “My husband would’ve been happy with that dish,” when someone tugged at my sleeve.

Wondering what it was, I turned around and saw a child, maybe old enough to be in elementary school, staring at me with pure eyes.

“Lady, are you okay? You look scary.”

That child’s face was so pure, and it reminded me of him.

No, it felt like he had been reborn.

Looking back now, I know that wasn’t true.

I suddenly hugged the child and cried. I must have looked terribly pathetic at that moment.

But,

“It’s okay,”

Yuki-kun said, patting my head with his small hands.

Even though a grown woman suddenly cried and hugged him, which must have been scary, he just gently patted me.

I cried for a few minutes in the arms of a little boy whose name I didn’t know. His body was much smaller than my husband’s, but it was warm.

Then, maybe because it caused a scene, the boy’s mother rushed over, saying, “What are you doing!? What happened?” I had to explain everything, and that day, I parted ways with him.

Even when he left, as his mother pulled him away saying, “Yuki, let’s go,” he waved at me with a warm smile, saying, “Bye-bye,” and my heart ached.

From that day on,

I found myself unconsciously going to that supermarket, always looking for Yuki-kun.

Day after day, I searched for him, and when I saw him, I think my face lit up with joy.

But I never spoke to him.

Because I thought if I did, I wouldn’t be able to go back.

Well, but…I just happened to find out what school he goes to or where he lives, so it couldn’t be helped, right?

I think back then, I was probably seeing my husband in him.

Yuki-kun reminded me of my husband in both personality and appearance.

I can’t say for sure it’s not like that now, but because of Yuki-kun, I was able to accept my husband’s death.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“That’s what happened back then, but you don’t remember, do you, Yuki-kun?”

When she said that, I vaguely recalled the memory, but I never thought we had such a connection.

“That’s why I’m so grateful to you, Yuki-kun. And I love you as much as I love Noa-chan.”

Saying that, Yukika-san hugged me again.

I could’ve said, “Please let go,” but maybe because the memory came back faintly or because of her story, I placed my hand on Yukika-san’s head and stroked her smooth, beautiful hair.

Then, Yukika-san’s body trembled.

“S-Sorry. Did you not like that?”

When I said that, Yukika-san looked up and met my eyes.

“No way. Do it more?”

Her face was completely melted, her eyes dreamy.

Instinctively feeling it was bad, I tried to escape, but maybe because I stroked her head, something snapped, and she hugged me tightly with a resolve not to let me go.

While we struggled like that for a few minutes,

“What’s going on here, Sasaki-kun, Mom?”

Noa-san stood there with a face that wasn’t smiling at all.

—

Chapter 13

“Um, please calm down, Noa-san. There’s a lot going on here.”

So much happened that I couldn’t think straight and couldn’t talk calmly.

“Sorry, Noa-chan. But I just wanted to talk to Yuki-kun.”

“…If you just want to talk, you don’t need to hug him, right? Get away from Sasaki-kun now.”

Noa-san stared at Yukika-san with cold, blank eyes.

“Just a little longer. Please, just a bit more? It was getting really good.”

“No way, absolutely not.”

Saying that, Noa-san walked toward the bed where we were and tried to pull Yukika-san off me, but Yukika-san was stronger. The force made Noa-san fall onto Yukika-san, almost like being pushed down.

“Ah… Yuki-kun.”

Yukika-san sent me the same dreamy look as before.

This was really bad, in so many ways.

My bladder was at its limit, Yukika-san was excited, and Noa-san’s cold eyes turned into a murderous glare, like she might kill Yukika-san any second.

My brain was about to shut down.

“Mom, if you don’t let go right now, I won’t let Sasaki-kun come to our house again. I’ll study or hang out with him alone. You’ll never see him again.”

When Noa-san said that, Yukika-san froze.

“Y-Yuki-kun wants to see me, right?”

This was my chance.

With my brain on the verge of short-circuiting, I forced out some words.

“If Yukika-san doesn’t let go, I might not want to see her anymore and might even hate her.”

The moment I said that, Yukika-san let go of me as if nothing had happened and sat properly on the bed.

“S-Sorry. Please, don’t hate me, Yuki-kun. Please.”

Yukika-san said with teary eyes, speaking like a child.

Was saying I might hate someone who cares about me too harsh?

“It’s not too harsh at all, and it’s totally fine if Sasaki-kun hates Mom, you know?”

Noa-san calmed her anger and gave Yukika-san a sullen look as she spoke.

“…Also, Sasaki-kun, you’re calling Mom ‘Yukika-san,’ huh?”