Reincarnated as the Protagonist of a Legendary Depressing Eroge – I Paired Up My Two Childhood Friend Heroines to Avoid the Bad End, But Their Possessiveness Completely Broke Through the Limits - Episode 12: A Poem of Rest / Winter

Episode 12: A Poem of Rest / Winter

Two weeks had passed since then.

Tucked away in a back alley, just far enough from the after-school bustle, sits a certain shop.

The Shiori cafe.

It has an old brick exterior and a modest wooden sign hanging out front.

When I opened the door, a cowbell gave a soft ring. Along with the deep scent of roasted beans, a gentle warmth and kindness wrapped around me, blocking out the cold air from outside.

Inside, jazz played at a very low volume.

Someone was already sitting in the booth at the back.

“…Oh, Keiji. Good work today. Over here.”

My school nurse, Takanashi Taeko, looked up from her paperback book and called out to me.

She wasn’t wearing her white lab coat like she does at school.

She had on a calm, navy blue knit sweater and a thin necklace.

With her glasses off and her posture relaxed, she seemed to be radiating the charm of an “older woman” toward me, her student, without even realizing it.

“Sorry I’m late… Tae-sensei.”

I sat down across from her.

I felt a little nervous.

Over these past two weeks, so many things had been changing around me at a dizzying pace.

“It’s fine, I’m the one who called you out of the blue. …Are you thirsty? Go ahead and order something.”

I answered, “A hot cocoa, please,” and looked into Tae-sensei’s calm eyes.

She signaled my order to the owner with a glance, then let her fingertips slide gently over my notebook resting on the table.

“…About Iyo. She officially moved into a facility with her mother yesterday. It’s a very reliable mother-and-child support center that also functions as a shelter.”

Tae-sensei’s voice was quiet, but it was filled with a steady sense of security.

Since that day, her movements had been incredibly fast.

“Right after that, I got in touch with a psychiatrist friend from my grad school days to get a medical certificate written… I did everything I could, and here we are.”

Tae-sensei looked out the window at the twilight sky.

“With this, her mother doesn’t have to go back to working at night anymore. …And Iyo can just go to school like normal.”

She said it so casually, but I could imagine just how difficult that was, and how much passion and knowledge it must have required.

When I talked to our homeroom teacher about it, that person just looked away like it was someone else’s problem, saying, “It’s a family matter.”

The weight of a single document, the depth of a young girl’s despair—that teacher couldn’t see any of it.

“…Tae-sensei. Truly, thank you so much.”

I bowed my head deeply.

“I couldn’t have done anything on my own. …Iyo, her mom… because you were there, Tae-sensei, we avoided the ending I feared most. For saving my precious childhood friend from such a dark place… I’m really, truly grateful.”

As I put it into words, a heat welled up deep in my chest.

All I had been clutching onto was a helpless wish that felt like a prayer.

The one who turned that into reality was the “adult” sitting right in front of me.

Hearing my sincere words, Tae-sensei’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Then, she let out a soft smile, softer than any I had ever seen before.

“…Keiji. You really are a good boy.”

She leaned across the table and placed her hand on my head.

Her hand was slender, warm, and smelled faintly of clean soap.

“If there’s anything I can do to help you, please tell me anytime. I’ll do anything for you, Tae-sensei.”

At my earnest declaration, she gave a little mischievous giggle.

“How reliable. But I did this because I wanted to. I’m not just a regular school nurse, you know. I’ve worked in the field as a nurse and a public health officer, and I’ve seen all kinds of ‘cases that were too late to save.’ …So, if there’s a child in front of me with a chance to be saved, I just won’t hold back.”

Her fingertips gently stroked my hair.

“A good boy gets a ‘head pat,’ right?”

The gesture was like she was doting on a child, but at the same time, it carried the charm of a mature woman, almost as if she were testing me in my adolescence.

I looked into Tae-sensei’s eyes at such a close distance.

I could see the soft curves of her body even through the sweater.

Suddenly becoming aware of her “feminine” appeal, my face grew hot, as if it had hit a boiling point all at once.

“…U-Um, Tae-sensei…”

“Oh my, you’re bright red. …You’re so cute, Keiji.”

For some reason, a painful sort of tightness filled my chest.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is today’s coffee, and for Keiji, a special cocoa with marshmallows.”

A low, calm voice that seemed to soak right into the air spoke up, and a warm steam was placed on the table.

A slender woman had appeared.

Her charcoal-colored hair was tied back loosely, and wearing a white shirt with a deep navy apron, she looked like the very embodiment of the cafe’s tranquility.

“…Th-Thank you.”

With the heat still not leaving my face, I took the cup.

The owner gave me a gentle look, then turned a smile toward Tae-sensei—one that was friendly, yet held a deep, lingering affection.

“Taeko, don’t tease Keiji so much. His face is practically boiled.”

“I didn’t mean to. Keiji is just too pure.”

As Tae-sensei said that, she naturally rested her hand on top of Shiori’s slender fingertips.

Shiori didn’t pull away either; she squeezed Tae-sensei’s hand back in one smooth, natural motion.

The atmosphere between them was so thick and complete that it couldn’t be explained by words like “owner and customer” or just “friends.”

“Keiji, let me introduce you. This is the owner, Shijo Shiori. …She’s my precious best friend, and my partner in life.”

When the word “partner” came out of Tae-sensei’s mouth, my eyes widened for just a second.

But seeing their joined hands and Shiori’s slightly embarrassed yet proud smile, it somehow clicked perfectly in my mind.

“It’s a wonderful relationship. I think I understand now why the atmosphere in this shop feels so kind.”

When I said that honestly, Shiori blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes as if she were being tickled.

Tae-sensei puffed out her chest proudly, and Shiori responded by placing a hand on Tae-sensei’s shoulder.

There are many different shapes of “love” in this world.

The distorted, painful bond that Iyo and her mother tried to protect, and the bond between these two women growing in this quiet place.

They are all necessary lights used to warm someone in this cold world.

As I scooped up a melting marshmallow from my cocoa with a spoon, I felt a strong urge somewhere in my heart to become an adult like these two.

Someone who takes another person’s pain as their own, fights for them, and in the end, can peacefully share love with someone like this—a strong, kind adult.

“…Well then. Keiji. It’s about that time. You’re going home with Iyo tomorrow, right?”

Tae-sensei asked me.

“Yes. I promised to go grocery shopping with her tomorrow.”

“For a girl like her right now, a ‘normal after-school’ like that is the best medicine there is. Make sure you support her. …And if you’re ever in trouble again, just say the word. I’ll help you.”

Tae-sensei gave my head one last little pat.

When I left the shop, the cowbell rang quietly once more.

Looking back, I saw Shiori and Tae-sensei standing close together deep in the counter, seeing me off.

The twilight back alley.

The wind outside was cold, but the sweetness of the cocoa and the smiles of those two stayed warm inside my chest for a long time.