Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 233: Hanako's Transformation.

Hanako’s Transformation.

After finishing my conversation with Hanako-san, I decided it was time to leave—just as I’d originally planned, so as not to intrude on their dinner. I let Hanako-san know I’d be heading out.

“I see… That’s too bad, but it can’t be helped. Your wife’s probably cooking dinner and waiting for you… Besides, I’m the big sister now. I can’t be the kind of sister who causes trouble for her little brother.”

It was clear that something had changed in Hanako-san. Her emotions were now visible—palpable. Even her voice, while still slightly awkward, had lost that blunt edge she always carried.

I truly believed this was a positive change.

It was a moment that reassured me I hadn’t made the wrong decision.

As I stepped out of Hanako-san’s room, I found Tadao-san and Kayo-san waiting restlessly in the living room. Even if we weren’t technically a couple, it was only natural for parents to worry when their daughter was alone in a room with a boy.

“Ah, um… Have you finished your talk, by any chance…?”

Tadao-san’s speech was, as usual, oddly formal and clumsy. I wondered what on earth had happened to make him so flustered.

“Yes. I’m sorry for intruding for so long. I think I’ll be heading home now.”

“You were invited here by me—please don’t say you were intruding. You’re welcome anytime.”

“!?”

What I intended as a polite formality seemed to strike a chord with Hanako-san, and she reacted far more intensely than expected. Rather than being amused by her reaction, I was more intrigued by her parents’ astonished expressions.

“…Riko, you…”

“Hm? What is it, Mom?”

“!!”

Of course—that’s what it was. They weren’t surprised by what she said, but by how she said it.

There were still a few awkward spots, but for anyone who knew Hanako-san well, the difference in her speech and demeanor would be obvious. And for her parents, the change must have been even more striking.

Still, this was something I felt I shouldn’t point out myself. It would be better if the family had that conversation on their own.

“Thank you again for everything. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“N-No, no! We’re the ones who should apologize. We didn’t even offer you anything…”

In the end, Tadao-san’s speech never returned to normal. But if that’s how he chooses to speak, it’s not really my place to comment on it.

Oh right—I should mention the student council matter before I leave.

“Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to let you know that I personally asked Riko-san to help out with the student council. That means she might be getting home a bit later than usual from now on, but we’ll make sure not to keep her too long. And if it does get late, I’ll always walk her home myself.”

“Th-Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. Please continue looking after our daughter from now on.”

Both of them bowed their heads repeatedly, and from the outside, we might have looked like a comedy sketch. Hanako-san and Kayo-san were watching with faint smiles, clearly amused by the scene.

When Hanako-san offered to walk me out, I gently declined and said goodbye at the front door. There was no need to make a big deal of it—we’d see each other again at school on Monday.

“Alright then, I’m heading home.”

“Yeah. Thank you for coming today. I’m really glad you did.”

The natural smile on her face caught me completely off guard. I never imagined that simply accepting her as a “big sister” would bring about such a profound change. At this rate, I was sure she’d start making lots of new friends soon.

“Okay then. See you at school.”

“Yeah. Wait… hold still, there’s something on your shoulder.”

Her eyes focused on my left shoulder. Was something stuck there? Before I could check for myself, she stepped forward gracefully and, placing her hand on my shoulder for support, gently rose on her tiptoes—

Smooch…

A soft, warm sensation touched my left cheek.

Then, in a whisper beside my ear:

“Big sister’s going to do her best.”

With that, she stepped back and gave me a little wave as I walked away.

As I left the apartment and walked down the street, replaying the events of the day in my mind, I heard footsteps approaching quickly—someone jogging, perhaps.

I paid them no mind until a voice called out, “E-Excuse me! Takanashi-san!” prompting me to stop and turn around.

There stood Kayo-san, slightly out of breath.

What’s going on? Did I forget something? If so, I’d have expected Hanako-san to come instead…

“Kayo-san… Is everything alright?”

“S-Sorry, may I speak with you for just a moment?”

It seemed she had chased after me intentionally.

If she wanted to talk, it was almost certainly about Hanako-san. I didn’t mind, but we couldn’t have this conversation in the middle of the street.

“Of course. Let’s move to a better spot… How about that park over there?”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

The park, located between the shopping district and the station, was a quiet place with few playground structures and not many children around—perfect for a conversation.

Once there, we sat side by side on a bench. A strange situation, really—me sitting alone with Hanako-san’s mother, whom I’d only just met today. Since she seemed unsure how to begin, I decided to ease into the conversation.

“Um… By the way, where’s Riko-san?”

“Huh? Oh, she’s at home. I told her I was going to the convenience store before I left.”

That explained her casual attire.

But if she used that as a reason to leave, she probably didn’t have much time. Since she clearly had something she wanted to ask, we should get to the point quickly.

“You wanted to talk to me, right?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry—time is short, so I’ll get straight to it. Ever since the two of you came out of her room, Riko’s behavior has clearly changed. May I ask what you discussed?”

If she had noticed such a sudden shift, it would be natural to assume I had something to do with it. But the truth was, the topic was incredibly personal—something too sensitive for me to disclose, even to her mother.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not in a position to share that…”

“It’s about her little brother, isn’t it?”

“……”

If I stayed silent, it would be taken as confirmation.

The fact that she zeroed in on it so confidently suggested she already had some idea. And given that she wasn’t wrong, I couldn’t exactly deny it either.

“I see. I don’t have time for a full explanation, so I’ll speak plainly. I’ve known for a while that Riko had a deep emotional attachment to her younger brother. She struggled to make friends, so when I saw her enjoying herself—even just a little—I foolishly thought it was enough. I bear some responsibility for that.”

“Recently, though, she began going out again, saying she had plans with friends.”

So Kayo-san did know.

If Riko was seeking answers about her “brother,” there was no better source than her mother. It made sense that she would have asked her about everything. And if she saw the books in Hanako-san’s room, she might have pieced it all together on her own.

“I began to hope… maybe things were improving. Then she said she wanted to transfer schools. She told me that her friends went to that school, and if it would help her, I wanted to support the idea. But during one of our conversations… she let something slip. Just once, she said: ‘I want to go to the same school as Kazunari.’”

Now that I’d spoken with Hanako-san, I understood—of course she meant me.

Her complaints that her current school was boring… the fact that she didn’t tell me she was transferring… it all pointed to the same truth: I was someone special to her.

“When I heard that, I panicked. I thought she was falling back into that obsession with her brother. And then, just as I was trying to process it all… my husband’s transfer came through, and we had to move.”

Something about that timing felt… off.

The transfer happened just as things reached a tipping point, and the new home just happened to be near mine? That seemed a little too convenient.

…Could it be? Did Sara-san pull some strings?

Well… even if she did, it wasn’t really a bad thing. I decided not to think too hard about it.

“In the end, Riko had no choice but to transfer schools. But after the transfer, she changed—in a good way. Even if she didn’t look much different at first glance, you could tell she had begun to look forward to each day. The shadow of her brother never fully disappeared, but I believe time will heal that as well.”

“……”

“Today, Riko brought a friend home. I was quite surprised—it was a young man. And when I heard his name, I had a feeling… The reason for her transfer, the calm that finally settled after everything with her brother… it all made sense. And just earlier, Riko showed her emotions so clearly. I can’t put into words how surprised I was to see that.”

If she had realized so much already, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to speak a little. Of course, the full story should come from Hanako herself. But honestly, if she already knows this much—what more does she want to hear?

“I only just found out about her brother too. Riko told me that she had been projecting him onto me.”

“Now everything makes sense. I came here today because I wanted to thank you, Mr. Takanashi.”

“To thank me?”

“Yes. Riko’s positive changes… aren’t they thanks to you, for accepting her as she is—as an older sister?”

“……”

Kayo-san turned to face me, her eyes filled with tears.

Then, she bowed deeply and spoke words of gratitude.

“So it really was you… Thank you, truly. Thank you for meeting Riko. Thank you for being her friend. Thank you for accepting her wishes… I’m deeply grateful. It may still take some time, but I believe this moment marks the beginning—perhaps now, she can finally start to heal.”

As she wiped her tears with a handkerchief, Kayo-san bowed again and again. I didn’t know what to say in response to the sight of her.

I didn’t believe I deserved thanks for anything related to Hanako. But after hearing what Kayo-san had to say, I also understood—perhaps there was no avoiding it.

“I understand. But there’s no need to thank me. I accepted Riko of my own volition. Besides, the fact that she changed is because of her own strength. If I played a part in that—as her friend—then I’m happy.”

Even if accepting her as an older sister helped Hanako find peace, emotional healing is ultimately a matter of the heart. Real change has to come from within.

I may have sparked it—but from then on, my role is only to support her.

Kayo-san seemed briefly surprised by my response, but soon she smiled gently and bowed once more.

“…It’s a shame, really. Someone like you…”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing. I should get going, or people might get suspicious. In any case, I just wanted to express my gratitude. Thank you so much—and please, continue to look after Riko.”

With that, Kayo-san left, looking back at me several times as she walked away.

Maybe not just Hanako, but her parents—who had worried about her for so long—were finally finding peace as well…

***

Clack.

“I’m home.”

As I opened the door, Sara-san immediately threw her arms around me as if she’d been waiting all this time. I had no intention of asking a tactless question like “what’s wrong”—she must’ve been worried too.

“Welcome back, Kazunari-san. And… thank you for your hard work.”

Huh. She seems more composed than I expected.

Her cheerful demeanor and the unexpected words “thank you for your hard work” left me slightly puzzled. Not that I’d done anything physically exhausting.

“Hehe… I heard from Hanako-san. She gave me a rough summary of what happened.”

Noticing my confusion, Sara-san added that as an explanation. Apparently, Hanako had already contacted her. That certainly explained everything.

“I see… Did she say anything else?”

“Only the general outline. But I did hear about the conclusion. Still…”

She paused and looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine intently.

“I’d like to hear it from you directly, Kazunari-san. Let’s talk—properly—later, alright?”

“…Got it. I’ll explain everything.”

Either way, there was something I had to confess—no, share—with Sara-san. I’d tell her everything, from the beginning.