The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 29

“I’ve caused trouble for you, so it’s only fair that I explain my circumstances.”

It happened after we got home.

Unusually, Shirafuji asked me to sit across from her and talk, but I refused and instead chose to hold her as we sat, like always.

Look, let me explain.

It’s not that I want to keep holding Shirafuji—no, I can’t completely deny that—but sitting across from her and listening while she’s clearly upset is impossible.

I figured this way would make her feel more at ease.

Facing each other for such a personal conversation would only make her unnecessarily nervous.

I don’t want to make Shirafuji do something she doesn’t want to do, just because I feel like it.

Though she seemed dissatisfied by the arrangement, she eventually settled into her usual spot and fully leaned against me.

The trust she placed in me felt both comforting and ticklish.

“As you might have guessed, Hakuto, I don’t get along well with my family. My father resents me, and my current mother despises me.”

“…Can I ask why? I know it’s a cliché question.”

“Of course. I’ll give you the short answer first. My biological mother and my current mother are different people.”

Her concise response carried enough weight to explain her situation.

Different mothers… So, her father remarried after a divorce?

That itself isn’t particularly uncommon.

But mistreating a child simply because they don’t share the same blood… Unfortunately, that’s also a story you hear often enough.

“I was born to my father and his first wife, making me a half-Japanese child. Since my father is Japanese, my mother must have been from another country.”

“…Do you not remember your mother, Shirafuji?”

“No, I don’t. I have no memory of her voice. I only learned her name and face later. …That’s because my mother passed away from hemorrhagic shock shortly after giving birth to me.”

The truth she revealed so casually left me speechless.

Her past was heavier than I had imagined.

Because, depending on how you looked at it, her situation could lead to the cruel accusation that Shirafuji caused her mother’s death.

…Or rather, was that the actual reason her family relationships ended up this way?

“As you’ve probably figured out, my father resents me for being the indirect cause of his beloved wife’s death, even though it was an accident. I’ve come to terms with it—”

“…That’s ridiculous. Don’t joke about something like that.”

Before I realized it, I had denied Shirafuji’s resigned words.

At the same time, I wrapped her in a hug.

She flinched in surprise but didn’t resist.

With a small sigh, her hand rested on the back of mine, which was around her.

Her hand was colder than usual, almost like ice.

“I don’t know what it feels like to lose someone you love the most. But I can at least understand the sadness if a family member, a friend, or you were to pass away. That’s why I sympathize with him for losing your mother. I also think it was a tragic accident. But… none of that justifies your father resenting you. He’s your father, for crying out loud! You’re his only blood-related family left, Shirafuji—”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it. Or maybe ‘numb’ is the better word. Anyway, that’s why I was raised by a housekeeper my father hired. That probably also explains why I’m hopeless at household chores.”

“…I feel like some of that might just be Shirafuji’s fault, though.”

“That’s possible too. …To get back to the story, even though my father resents me, he still fulfills his obligations as a guardian, so I have no complaints. He even let me live alone without any issue. I suppose for them, it was convenient to have me, the unwanted presence, disappear on my own.”

Shirafuji had resigned herself to her parents’ treatment, as she said, “I’m used to it.”

Believing her absence would solve the problem, she had even pushed for living alone despite not being good at taking care of herself. She had no expectations of her parents’ feelings ever changing.

She mentioned being raised by a housekeeper, too, which made me think she had never experienced the warmth of family. To her, a harmonious family might be nothing more than a far-off dream.

It’s just too cruel.

Yet, at the same time, it felt like a miracle that Shirafuji wasn’t more twisted by her circumstances.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if she hated, resented, or even rejected her parents entirely.

“My father is like that. He resents me but fulfills his responsibilities as a guardian, maintaining a deliberate indifference. My mother, on the other hand, openly despises me.”

“…I can kind of guess why. Is it because she’s not your biological mother, or because of what happened with your real mother?”

“Exactly. ‘Mother-killer,’ ‘child of the devil’… those kinds of insults were part of my daily life. The only thing she never did was physically abuse me. Maybe she enjoyed tormenting me mentally more, or maybe she just didn’t have the courage to resort to violence.”

…This is what it means to be at a loss for words.

Her stepmother was worse than her father in some ways because she caused actual harm.

Even though there was no physical abuse, I know all too well how deeply words can wound someone’s spirit.

No matter how much someone pretends to be fine or says they’re okay, the scars can remain, unhealed, for a lifetime.

“You’re not just pretending to be strong, are you?”

“There’s nothing I can do, so I’ve given up. My current mother is extremely proud. She originally worked as my father’s secretary—he’s a tax accountant—and their marriage was likely for appearances. I doubt there’s much love between them. For some reason, she also seems to have known my biological mother. Whenever she got the chance, she’d hurl cruel insults at me behind my father’s back. Perhaps they were rivals in love. I wouldn’t know unless I asked her directly, but even if I did, I doubt she’d answer honestly.”

She spoke at length, but ended her explanation with, “Well, there’s no point in me worrying about it.”

It seemed she had truly resigned herself to her situation.

Shirafuji’s tone was calm and detached throughout, as though she were narrating a factual report.

Even though she was talking about her family, there wasn’t a trace of warmth in her words.

The more she spoke, the more I felt like I was uncovering only painful, bitter memories. Yet her detached manner of speaking said it all.

“…And yet, my father is coming to this three-way meeting with my teacher. I think I understand why. The school probably requested it. After all, it would seem strange if neither of my parents had ever attended such a meeting. It would practically advertise that there are issues in my family.”

Her assumption seemed reasonable to me.

While the school might show some understanding for students like Shirafuji, who live apart from their parents for certain reasons, it would still raise a red flag if neither parent ever showed up for such an important meeting.

Even for a student like Shirafuji, who excels academically.

“So, what are you planning to do about it?”

“There’s nothing I can do. But I doubt it’ll be anything like what you’re worried about, Hakuto. My father is usually indifferent, so even if my teacher says something, he’ll probably let me do as I like.”

When I asked about her plans for the day of the meeting, that was her answer.

If that’s the case, then there probably won’t be any issues.

Having her father interfere too much might be worse.

“But if possible, I’d like to stay with you the entire day. If I’m alone, I think I’ll feel so lonely I might lose control.”

“That much is no problem at all. Let’s do something fun to lift your spirits.”

I exaggerated a little on purpose, and that brought a smile back to her face.

Sometimes, the best way to cope with painful things is to distract yourself with something fun.

That’s about all I can do for Shirafuji.

“Hakuto, your parents attend every meeting, don’t they?”

“My dad’s busy with work, so it’s just my mom. I’m grateful, though sometimes she goes a little overboard. Remember how she kept bothering you the other day?”

“Of course, I remember. She’s a wonderful mother. Kind, warm, and I could tell how much she cares about you.”

At that point, Shirafuji stopped speaking for a moment.

“…What is family, really? I have no idea. Kindness, warmth, love—none of it makes sense to me.”

She murmured those words with such deep feeling that I wasn’t sure how to respond.

No matter what I said, it would only reflect my own perspective, and I doubted it would truly reach her.

These things only make sense when there’s shared understanding.

So, at the very least, I wanted to stay by Shirafuji’s side after she shared her secrets with me.

“…Hey, Shirafuji. Since we’re on the topic, would it be okay if I told you a story from my past?”

“…You can, but are you sure you want to?”

“I’d like you to hear it. It’s probably not a very entertaining story, though.”

“Understood. Please tell me, Hakuto.”

She accepted my suggestion, perhaps as a way to change the subject.

Then I thought back to where I should start, sifting through the events of my past.

“—There was a time when I seriously thought about ending my life.”

I lifted the lid on a part of my past I’d never truly overcome.