(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 136.2 - The Mothering Sea - SIDE Aoyama Setsuna

[Yeah, what?]

“…Did you maybe go to the sea with Mizuri?”

Please have gone!

Maybe my prayer got through, because after thinking a bit, Takeda-kun—

[—Yeah, we went.]

Yes!!

“Where?!”

[The sea… the sea in Kanagawa!]

Kanagawa.

Considering the time she disappeared, it wasn’t an impossible distance.

When Mizuri left, there were still trains running.

It was late night now, and the trains had surely stopped.

“Maybe Mizuri is at the sea!”

“The sea…? Come to think of it, she said something like she didn’t hate it… wait, no way.”

Takeda-kun sounded serious, as if he had realized something.

“Ayaka-san, I need you to head to the sea right now!”

“We’re getting contact now too. Apparently she was caught on surveillance cameras boarding a train toward Kanagawa.”

For some reason, I could hear Shiraishi-sensei’s voice from behind the phone.

I had endless questions, but that didn’t matter now.

“Can you pick me up? I’m at school right now…”

“We can.”

Since the phone was on speaker, Shiraishi-sensei answered for some reason.

I had endless questions, but now wasn’t the time to ask.

“I was thinking of asking you anyway. Surely only Aoyama-san can touch Tachibana-san’s heart.”

“Wh-why?”

To my confused voice, he said matter-of-factly:

“Because you two are best friends.”

“…!!!”

“Then wait there, we’ll come right away!”

That’s right, we are best friends.

Takeda-kun’s words somehow encouraged me.

They must have been nearby, because they arrived in just a few minutes.

As soon as I got in the car, I noticed—

“—Takeda-kun?! What happened to that?”

When I saw him in the car, he had bandages around his head for some reason.

He was apparently injured.

“Haha, I bumped it a little.”

“Huh.”

Takeda-kun smiled wryly as if deflecting, and Shiraishi-sensei sighed for some reason.

Was this related to Mizuri?

“More importantly, it’s about Tachibana-san now. She said before, ‘Why do people live?’ So…”

Why are people born? I don’t know.

I don’t know, but that sounds like—

“…No, she wouldn’t do such a thing.”

I brushed away the imagination that crossed my mind.

I told myself that, but I couldn’t shake my anxiety.

“Mizuri…”

Both Takeda-kun next to me and Shiraishi-sensei driving had stern expressions.

Faces that showed they were terribly worried.

The hour to the sea felt incredibly long.

I had never felt an hour so long.

The time that seemed eternal ended, and—

“Let’s split up and search! I’ll go that way.”

“Then I’ll go that way.”

Takeda-kun burst out energetically.

Speed unthinkable for an injured person. That’s how worried he was.

Sensei followed after Takeda-kun. A judgment that she couldn’t leave an injured person alone.

I ran in the opposite direction from the injured Takeda-kun and Shiraishi-sensei.

“Mizuri…”

Where are you?

I continued calling her name with all my might.

I just kept running on the sandy beach.

Searching for her trace.

And when I found her, this time I would properly say it.

That I’m your friend.

So.

“Come out quickly, Mizuri!!!”

It didn’t matter if my voice became hoarse.

I continued calling her name with all my might.

The night sea was pitch black and almost nothing was visible—this was truly what they meant by “darkness an inch ahead.”

Even after running for more than 10 minutes, I couldn’t see any human figure.

Suddenly the night clouds broke and moonlight illuminated the sea.

Beyond the breakwater.

I caught a glimpse of a small figure sitting on the blocks.

“…Mizuri?”

I felt an atmosphere like she might disappear at any moment.

The moonlight was soon blocked by clouds. But it didn’t matter—I had found her!

“Mizuri, Mizuri!!!”

My voice became hoarse from shouting too much.

My voice still wasn’t reaching her.

But I kept calling.

Running and running on the concrete, she suddenly stood up.

…What are you trying to do?

It was fine if my throat broke.

Thinking that—

“Mizuri!!!!!!!!!”

Her shoulders jerked and trembled.

Good, it finally reached her.

I found her!!

I kept running to where she was.

I had been running so long my lungs hurt, my throat hurt.

Rather, my whole body hurt.

But it didn’t matter.

I finally reached a position where I could see Mizuri’s face.

My feet naturally stopped. She turned toward me, sweaty and out of breath.

Even in the darkness, Mizuri slowly turned her face toward me.

“…Sets…u…na.”

Moonlight illuminated us. There were no more clouds.

Nothing blocked us.

The face I saw in the moonlight was terrible. Well, mine probably was too.

Not her usual composed, refined face, but crying, yet wearing her usual contrived mask-like smile.

But it wasn’t perfect—it was distorted.

She had a face mixed with various emotions.

Even so.

We were able to meet again.

────────

SIDE Tachibana Karen

There was no contact from my daughter.

If this succeeded, my husband could come back… then we could have family gatherings like before.

“The four of us like before…!”

Unbearable severe pain suddenly ran through my head, and I crouched down involuntarily.

It’s okay, this is usual.

If I sit, I’ll manage somehow.

It calmed down after a few minutes.

“What am I saying, four people? Our family only has three people to begin with.”

I make such mistakes sometimes.

A little haziness remains in my heart, but well, it’s because of the headache.

Just a little more, just a little more, and the family gatherings like before will return.

With that person there and Mizuri too. A warm home like before.

“She’s late.”

Good news should come soon… no, if she and he advance a stage, it can’t be helped if she can’t contact me right away.

It might be better if there’s no contact, I was starting to think that way.

While thinking such things, my smartphone vibrated.

It was an email notification.

“I hope it’s good news…”

Looking at the sender, it wasn’t from my daughter.

[The daughter failed… torment her, we’ll blame Takeda Kyo for the rest]

My grip tightened on the smartphone.

“…! That child, really, at such an important time! When it’s a chance for the family to be together!! …I’ll have to punish her.”