The Most Beautiful Girl in School Has Become a Mother

Eating delicious lasagna, giving Shuri a bath, and putting her to bed──if I were to say it was the same as always, it was indeed the same as always.

However, perhaps because the satisfaction from eating something delicious was greater, when I read Shuri a picture book to put her to bed, I ended up falling asleep alongside her.

When I regained consciousness, it was already past 1 AM.

“Oh no… I completely fell asleep.”

I hadn’t even done the dishes or the laundry yet, and this was bad. At least I should do the dishes──thinking that, I slowly got up, trying not to wake Shuri.

After confirming that Shuri was asleep, I simply turned off the nightlight and quietly left the room, heading downstairs.

It was when I reached the first floor after descending the stairs that I noticed something unusual in my ears. I heard the sound of water coming from the kitchen.

──Wait, did I forget to turn off the water!?

Thinking that, I hurried to the kitchen, and there was a man clattering away, doing the dishes.

Of course, it was my dad, the rightful owner of this house. I just noticed now, but I can also hear the sound of the dryer running from the laundry room. Apparently, he did the dishes and laundry that I had let pile up.

──He doesn’t have to worry about that, just pay attention to something else a bit more.

I let out a sigh internally and glanced at my father’s back.

The back of my dad doing the dishes looked unusually small.

In the past, he seemed more reliable, with a strength that made me believe he could solve anything. But now… that back looks quite small and unreliable.

“Oh… Isaki, you were awake?”

Dad noticed my presence and turned around.

I felt like he looked more tired than the last time we met. No, should I say he looked more lifeless?

“Dad… I’m sorry, I fell asleep while reading Shuri’s picture book. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“It’s already done.”

Dad said that and turned off the faucet. Then, he started wiping the dishes with a cloth.

Glancing at the living room table, I saw a container from a 24-hour bento shop. It seemed this was his dinner.

“Was it… lasagna today?”

My dad asked while wiping the dishes.

“Huh? Oh… ”

“You’re making complicated dishes now? So you’ve improved your cooking skills without me noticing.”

Despite being my blood, he wore a somewhat resigned smile.

“I’m still bad at cooking, as always. It’s because of your blood. I had a classmate who was good at cooking and taught me how to make it.”

Suddenly, Miori’s face came to mind.

The girl who has been bringing smiles to me and Shuri lately. A girl like an angel or a saint.

“I see… I wonder how long it’s been since I last ate lasagna. Maybe the last time was when Mom made it for me. Do you remember the lasagna Mom made? It was really delicious, wasn’t it?”

“Ah… yeah. I can’t remember the taste anymore, but I do remember it was delicious.”

It’s another story from the past. I didn’t even feel frustrated anymore.

Even when I talk to my father at night like this, it only leads to conversations like this. That’s why I always avoid talking to him.

──How long is he going to live in the past?

How many times have I wanted to shout this at him?

However, if shouting could solve the problem, Dad wouldn’t have ended up like this. Both sets of grandparents had scolded and encouraged him many times. But Dad didn’t change. He continued to turn a blind eye to this family that had lost his beloved wife.

And… even now, in the midst of memories, I continue to seek Mom. Surely, even at this very moment, just the word “lasagna” sends me back to the past.

“Ah, Isaki. About the living expenses.”

Dad started speaking in a slightly brighter tone, which was rare. How many years had it been since I heard him like this?

“Dad, even in this recession, you’re getting a raise. I’ll increase the living expenses I send you by about twenty thousand starting next month.”

“That much? No, that’s more than enough. I can’t even use it all now.”

Utilities, internet fees, and even my smartphone bill are automatically deducted from my dad’s account. Additionally, my dad has somehow been paying for Shuri’s daycare fees without me realizing it.

The use of money is mostly for food expenses and daily necessities. Other than that, it’s just Shuri’s toy expenses, but those aren’t that costly either.

“When you’re in your second year of high school, there are various ways to spend money, right? Going on dates with your crush, hanging out with friends, enjoying fashion──it’s a time when you want to do all those things──”

“If Shuri were here, it wouldn’t be possible. You know she doesn’t get attached to Grandpa or Grandma, right? I have to take care of her.”

I interrupted my dad’s words.

Surely, if I had been an only child, it would have been a happy word. If he had said, “Here’s some pocket money, go have fun,” I would have surely been delighted. But in our house, that’s not the case.

“I see… You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Dad tilted his head.

Yes, no matter what I say, Dad only apologizes. He doesn’t yell at me for being cheeky, nor does he hit me. He just looks apologetic towards me.

“If it’s money, then this is enough for now, so Dad, use it for yourself. Eat something good, or go to a place with young women. I don’t really care about that stuff, and if you’re thinking about Mom all the time, then that’s fine──”

When I said that, he slammed the cup he was wiping onto the kitchen counter. His hand gripping the cup was trembling.

“Don’t say something ridiculous…”

A low, groaning voice leaked from the kitchen.

Hearing that voice, I was suddenly overwhelmed by guilt. After all, this is something I shouldn’t have said.

“…I’m sorry. I chose my words poorly. I didn’t mean it in that way.”

I shrugged my shoulders with my palms facing the ceiling.

Dad suddenly realized and loosened his grip on the cup, weakly smiled, and shook his head.

“Still… Isaki, could it be that something good happened?”

After finishing the dishes, I opened the refrigerator and took out a can of beer.

“Huh? No… why?”

“You’re unusually talkative today. You’d normally say a word or two to me and then head upstairs.”

Dad chuckled softly in the back of his throat, opened a can of beer, and took a sip.

Now that he mentioned it, it was true. Since starting high school, this might be the first time I’ve had such a conversation with Dad.

“It’s nothing… I just woke up at this hour, so I’m wide awake.”

For a moment, I thought about telling him that Miori has been playing the role of “mom.”

Thanks to her, Shuri has been smiling more than usual and has been able to eat delicious food.

However, it wouldn’t change anything by telling him. It’s a story that has nothing to do with him.

“By the way, Dad, there’s a school camp next month. It’s a two-day, one-night trip, so at least one of us has to pick up and drop off Shuri. Can you handle it?”

I intentionally didn’t mention asking the grandparents to do it.

I wouldn’t normally ask like this. Besides, I know he won’t respond to that request anyway.

But still, I dared to ask him this way. It’s probably because Miori mentioned, “Why don’t you ask dad?”

“Ah… Then, I’ll ask our side.”

Dad replied after taking a sip of beer and closing his eyes.

Our side refers to my paternal grandparents. It seems that it’s difficult to get in touch with my maternal grandparents, so it has become customary to ask my paternal grandparents for such requests.

He thinks that mother died because of him. He cried alone all night, believing that if he hadn’t wished for a second child, mother wouldn’t have died. That’s why he can’t face his maternal grandparents.

I clicked my tongue in my mind.

I knew he would answer like this. I knew it, but somehow I was still hoping, which makes me even more angry.

As I turned on my heel and headed towards the stairs, he called my name.

“…I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

At those words, I couldn’t help but clench my jaw tightly.

If he thinks that way, I want to shout at him to stand up to it. I want to shout, but I know that it would be cruel and impossible for him.

So, I can only nod and say, “It’s fine, I’m used to it now.”

“But, you know… Shuri is already five years old. Next year, she’ll be in elementary school. No matter how much time passes, there’s no way to completely hide the fact that she doesn’t have a father. She already understands that she doesn’t have a father or a mother. Even though she knows, she doesn’t say anything. Do you understand how painful that is…!”

Shuri is suffering enough to have to pretend her brother and his classmate are “dad” and “mom” to alleviate her loneliness.

Perhaps, because Miori senses Shuri’s feelings somewhere, she is helping her this much.

“…I’m sorry.”

At my father’s words, I shook my head.

I should have known he would respond that way.

“Then… don’t drink too much.”

I said, and then returned to the room where Shuri was sleeping.

When I entered the room, Shuri sat up and asked, “Big brother… where?” with sleepy eyes.

It seemed I had woken her up with the noise.

“Sorry, sorry, I was in the bathroom.”

She is lying down next to me. Like a spoiled cat, she called out “big brother” and hugged me. And in the next moment, she was asleep.

──Stupid old man… What are you apologizing to me for?