I no longer want to be a part of this triangle!

[A few days ago]

“Where is your family, Kohana-chan?” Kazuki asked while Kohana was cooking in the kitchen. They were at his place, as usual, and by now, Kohana was already aware of everything in his kitchen.

Kazuki was going through his old photos, of that time when his mother was still alive, which made him wonder about Kohana’s family.

Kohana remained silent for a bit, which made him wonder if he made her uncomfortable and should skip the topic. However, she soon began to tell him,

“My family lives in Osaka and following the family tradition, my two uncles and my father live in the same house.”

“Joint family? That must have been quite…challenging?” Kazuki didn’t know how it felt to live with a large family, as by the age of ten, his only family was his father. That’s why Kazuki thought that Kohana decided to leave that home for an easier life.

However, “Truth be told, Senpai, I don’t have much problem living with such a big family since I have grown up in such an environment. However, sometimes your own people hurt you unintentionally so much, that even the strangers start to seem your greatest ally.”

Kazuki frowned. This matter…was more serious than he initially thought.

Getting up, he turned off the stove and invited Kohana to sit beside him first. Facing her, he held her hand and asked, “If you are not comfortable then don’t force yourself. But if you can, then tell me everything.”

Kazuki wanted to know what could make even such a sweet and ever-smiling girl like Kohana so visibly emotional.

Kohana looked down at their connected hands before she decided to tell her Senpai,

“…I have an older sister, Senpai. She is three years older than me, in her second year of college and aiming to be a software engineer. She has always been determined about what she wants to do in her life. If she decided to develop her skills in sports, then in the next PE, she scored the highest. If she felt that her grades were going down a bit, she became the topper of her class. Not only is she good at conversing with people, even if they are strangers, but she is beautiful and kind at heart as well.”

“In short, she is the perfect daughter which my parents could have hoped for.”

Kazuki’s chest tightened, somehow already expecting what she was about to say. However, he didn’t interrupt her.

“On the other hand, I have always been average in everything. Whether it’s looks or academics. Sports or housework, I never showed a single exceptional trait.”

With a smile that reflected her grief, she added, “And naturally, that gap between me and my sister was known by all; as such, not a day went by when I didn’t get to hear how I should learn from Aiko-nee.”

Heaving a sigh and with her shoulders dropping, she said, “I started to lose confidence in myself, and my grades further declined. That was when my father discerned the problem and suggested that I live alone.”

Kazuki hesitantly asked, “So your parents were also not okay with what was happening in the family?”

Kohana shook her head, “Although Mum didn’t say anything in this matter, I think she also wanted me to live separately….for my betterment.”

Kazuki didn’t say anything after that. Somehow he could imagine how hard Kohana’s life must have become back there when she had to hear the taunts of her family members and be compared to her sister constantly.

Although Kazuki never had a sibling, he had that competitive trait, that always made him feel that he had to be better than the others. Although not as extreme as him, Kohana must have also felt a little envious of her sister.

However, this wasn’t the time to dwell in the past and grieve over it.

“Kohana-chan,” Cupping her cheeks he made her look at him. She did what he wanted before she heard her Senpai continue,

“I know it would sound like I am just trying to comfort you but trust me, I never tasted better food than what you make. Not only that, your handwriting is very pretty as well, to the point I feel sometimes that you should pursue the field. And when it comes to adorableness, then I can even fight God if they say that someone is more cute than my Kohana.”

Kohana couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she looked down and felt her face becoming a little hot.

Kazuki leaned forward and softly whispered, “I don’t know what your family said, and I don’t care about it. For me, you are not only the best girlfriend but a very kind human being as well. So cheer up and forget about what they said. After all, our focus should be on each other, not the world, right?”

Kohana felt her eyes becoming hot with tears as she nodded in assent.

That’s right until her Senpai was with her, she didn’t need to become someone else. She was as good as she was.

******

Now, it has been over five days since that discussion and Kazuki was finally in front of someone from Kohana’s family.

Her mother and sister, to be precise.

Her mother looked like an older version of Kohana with short black hair and droopy eyes, while Kohana’s sister looked sharp and dazzling. Long legs, straight posture, long olive-green hair, and sharp eyes. It seems she inherited her father’s genes.

The mother and daughter sat across Kohana and Kazuki, while the latter two remained seated in seiza.

Kazuki was feeling unnaturally nervous, now that he was finally in front of his girlfriend’s mother. It was almost like he was going to ask for her hand for marriage.

“So…Kohana? Who is he?” Finally, the mother spoke up and asked about their relationship.

Kohana clenched her fist and declared in one breath, “We are dating, Mama. He is my boyfriend!”

Kazuki felt that his girlfriend might have said that in the wrong way. This kind of news should be spelt slowly and while explaining the circumstances. But here, Kohana just blurted everything.

Kazuki was about to say something to assure the lady, but suddenly, the other one said,

“I won’t let you have my Kohana!”

….and no, it wasn’t Kohana’s mother who declared that.

*******

A/N:- Imagine Kohana clenching her fist firmly and shouting those words with her eyes closed and face red. She looks like a hamster in my head XD.