I’m an Introvert, but After Taking Care of the School’s Most Beautiful Girl Who Lives in an Apartment When She Was Sick, She Became Attached to Me and Started Inviting Me Over to Her Place! - Chapter 72

Chapter 72

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“Kaon, what are you going to do at school? Same as before?”

“Hmm~. I’d love to show off that Sora-kun is totally my boyfriend now, you know? But, well… that would put Sora-kun’s life in danger, right…?”

“Ah, so you’re actually being considerate about that.”

“Do I really look like the kind of girl who’d push my boyfriend into trouble?”

“No, no, not at all. …It’s just that I confessed fully prepared to hug you at school if that’s what you wanted. I want to grant my cute girlfriend’s requests as much as I can.”

“~~~! I-idiot! You’re such an idiot…!”

“Ahaha, you got embarrassed.”

“I was supposed to be the one attacking just now…!”

“Sorry, but you were just too cute, Kaon. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Gah! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! Why are you so cool!?”

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“Kaon was really cute yesterday…”

Sora, who experienced a wake-up that was several hundred times better than usual, was tightening his school uniform tie in front of the mirror while replaying yesterday’s events at Kaon’s house over and over in his mind.

No one responded to the words that bounced around his empty room. The time was 6:00 a.m., far earlier than Sora’s usual waking hour, and as far as he could see, none of the lights in the surrounding residential area were on. Carrying a strange mix of loneliness and quiet superiority, as if he were the only one awake in the world, he made his way to the living room without waking Kanau, who was still asleep.

The door closed softly with a click, and he shuffled along in his socks. He opened the refrigerator, microwaved the ingredients he had prepared the day before for about a minute, and while waiting, packed rice into the other tier of the stacked bento box. With a light ding, he filled the box with the steaming ingredients, secured the two-tier bento with an elastic band, and wrapped it in a cloth. Almost at the same time, the living room door opened quietly.

“…Sorato, it’s still six in the morning. What’s going on?”

Mami stood silently by the door, having noticed the sound while leaving the bathroom light on. This was usually the time she was getting ready for work, so she seemed more than a little surprised to see Sora awake when he would normally still be asleep.

“Hm? Morning, Mom. I was thinking I’d try styling my hair today. I didn’t want to mess it up, so I got up early.”

“I see. Then come over here.”

After hearing his reason, Mami didn’t pry any further and gently beckoned him into the bathroom. She picked up the comb she had been using and began loosening Sora’s hair.

“W-what’s up, Mom?”

“Just a whim. It’s rare for you to care about your appearance.”

“Ahaha… I wouldn’t say it’s fashion or anything…”

“Did you get a girlfriend?”

“Bwah!?”

“…If you’re going to hide it, at least try a little harder. The change is way too obvious.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

Sora hadn’t expected his mother to immediately guess both his early rising and the reason behind his change of heart, and his agitation showed plainly. From an outside perspective, the change was obvious, and considering where he’d started putting effort, anyone could guess it was about a girl—but lacking experience, Sora apparently thought he’d hidden it well enough.

“The girl who came to visit you when you were sick recently?”

“Yeah. We’ve actually hung out privately a few times.”

“Let me guess. A silver-haired girl who’s exceptionally cute?”

“Ghk… Correct. How did you know?”

“Because when she came over, she kept waiting for you. Even when she was talking with Kanau, she kept glancing toward the living room entrance.”

“So she really is as easy to read as everyone says…”

Sorato himself hadn’t noticed, but the fact that Mami—who normally avoided getting involved in her children’s love lives—had noticed meant Kaon must have been openly looking for him.

“Treasure her. We didn’t talk much, but I could see her personality in her actions. I’m sure she’s a good girl.”

“Yeah. I plan to.”

“Well, for someone like you who never cared about romance to get up early and do this… you must be pretty smitten.”

“It’s my first girlfriend, after all.”

“I see. …Alright, turn your head to the side.”

“Okay. By the way, isn’t it time for you to work? You don’t need to leave yet?”

“It’s fine. I always arrive twenty minutes early. Being ten minutes late won’t cause any problems.”

“It’s rare for you to fuss over me this much, Mom.”

“…Like I said, just a whim. There, all done.”

“Thanks, Mom. Take care.”

“You too. Enjoy your school life.”

After finishing Sora’s hairstyle in a center part, Mami left the bathroom, picked up her bag, and quickly put on her shoes. As she opened the door to leave, Sora walked her to the entrance and spoke.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Mm.”

Mami replied briefly as she left, the door slowly closing behind her. It was the usual flat, emotionless response—or so it seemed—but somehow, today, her words felt warmer in places.

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Click.

The door closed slowly, leaving behind a trace of family warmth. That warmth quickly cooled in the outside air, returning me to my role as a working adult as I headed to my job.

——— “Did you get a girlfriend?”

——— “Bwah!?”

The conversation I’d just had with my son replayed in my mind. The truth was, it hadn’t been a whim at all. When I heard my son had a girlfriend, I was certainly surprised but more than that, I felt relieved. We’d dragged him around through our lives for so long. Because of our work, we couldn’t spend much time with the family. We couldn’t even take them out on holidays. We’d made them spend lonely childhoods.

Sometimes I talk with him, too, and we both know that the biggest mistake of our lives was the choices we made after the children were born. Instead of staying close, we sought stability. We wanted our precious children to live happily, without hardship—yet we kept inflicting the cruelest emotional burdens on them. And yet, whenever we came home, the children were smiling. Even now, the siblings hold hands and get along so well it still surprises us as parents.

I’m sure they were forced to make painful choices in their daily lives, too.

Even so, that boy—the eldest, who endured so much where Kanau couldn’t see—had finally found something he wanted to pursue for himself.

——— “It’s rare for you to fuss over me this much, Mom.”

——— “…Like I said, just a whim. There, all done.”

As a parent, you don’t need a reason to give your beloved child a push forward.