The Most Beautiful Girl in School Has Become a Mother - Chapter 54

The next day, even after waking up in the morning, I didn’t talk to Shuri.

She woke up earlier than I and was already getting ready by herself. She washed her face by herself and changed into her kindergarten uniform by herself.

“…Good morning.”

I tried to strike up a conversation, but all I got was a “…Hm” in response, and there was no further conversation.

We don’t even make eye contact, and we don’t exchange words.

After changing into my uniform, I brush my teeth, toast two slices of bread, and put yogurt into a container.

We finished breakfast in silence, and without saying anything, we left the house at the usual time.

──I’m in trouble.

I was letting out big sighs over and over in my heart.

Come to think of it, Shuri and I have never had a fight like this. Shuri has never been selfish, and I have never raised my voice in anger.

The hands that usually hold, walk without holding.

Shuri had tried to hold my hand a few times out of habit, but I noticed and quickly pulled my hand away.

──Ah, at this rate, Miori is definitely going to find out.

I didn’t want to make her worry anymore, so I was hoping that when I woke up, her mood would have improved, but it was worse than yesterday.

Before long, we reach the meeting point with Miori.

Miori noticed us and waved her hand, trying to say “Good morning,” but as soon as she opened her mouth to say “go,” she must have sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual. She lowered her hand and walked over to us.

“Good morning…?”

As if gauging the situation, she hesitantly compared me and Shuri before greeting us.

At the moment I replied, “Good morning,” Shuri walked up to Miori and tightly hugged her around the waist.

Miori asks with just her gaze, “What happened?” but I shrug my shoulders, avert my eyes, and let out a small sigh.

“What’s wrong, Shuri-chan? Did you have a fight with your brother?”

“Hmm…!”

Shuri didn’t say anything, she just hugged Miori.

Miori looked at me with a troubled expression and patted her head, but I, too, didn’t say anything. No, I couldn’t say anything.

To explain this situation, I will inevitably have to talk about yesterday’s events.

That is something that could potentially hurt Miori.

“…Shall we go to the daycare together, Mom?”

Miori crouched down to meet Shuri’s gaze and said that, to which my younger sister nodded.

To be honest, I was also annoyed by Shuri’s attitude.

Yesterday, she said something about a real mother, and it was as if she was denying the “dad” and “mom” we had been to her.

Even so, I wonder if it’s right to ask Miori for “mom” like this. It doesn’t make sense. Of course, I understand that we shouldn’t expect logic from a kindergartener.

In the end, Shuri only held hands with Miori and headed straight to the nursery.

When I entrusted Shuri to Kijima-san in front of the nursery, she, being a professional, seemed to notice something unusual. After taking Shuri inside, she immediately returned to me.

“Is it a parent-child quarrel? Or is it more of a sibling quarrel?”

Kijima-san whispers softly, as if to confide in me.

“Maybe it’s the siblings, I guess.”

I sighed and answered, and then Kijima-san let out a sigh of exasperation.

Miori was looking at me with concern from the side.

“Well, even if there’s an age gap, you’re still siblings. I think there will be various things, but… if it seems like we can take care of it here, we’ll do it.”

“Excuse me, please.”

When I bowed my head, Miori followed and bowed her head slightly.

Shuri would usually come and say, “Dad, Mom, have a good day!” but today, she wasn’t there.

“…What happened?”

As soon as we left the nursery, Miori asked.

As for her, even if she was concerned, she probably couldn’t ask in front of Shuri.

“Nothing in particular.”

“There’s no way there’s nothing, right? Anyone can tell just by looking.”

In the face of such an obvious opinion, I couldn’t utter a single word.

Moreover, I already mentioned that there was a sibling quarrel in front of Miori earlier. It would have been unreasonable to pretend nothing happened.

“You know… I kind of scolded her too harshly. I usually don’t do that, but I ended up yelling… and since then, it’s been like that.”

For now, I’ll just vaguely gloss over the content without touching on it.

“That’s unusual. Isaki-kun is scolding someone…”

“Yeah. Shuri is usually a good kid, so I’m not used to scolding her. I was a bit on edge yesterday, and I ended up raising my voice… I scared her.”

I said it without looking into Miori’s eyes.

I don’t think I was lying. It’s definitely true that I was irritable and raised my voice, which scared her.

“…So? What did Shuri-chan do to get scolded?”

Miori stopped and looked at me with a serious gaze. It was as if she wanted to say, “Stop with the lies and excuses.”

Even Miori has been meeting with Shuri almost every day for nearly a month. She understands that Shuri is not the type to play silly pranks, and she knows that Shuri doesn’t do anything bad enough to warrant being yelled at. And she also knows that I don’t get angry like that.

It’s not like she became a “mom” for nothing. It was impossible to pretend otherwise.

“That is…”

I mumbled.

Is it okay to say this? It might hurt Miori, and if I say this, our time together and the memories we’ve made might all come to an end. Such fears have taken root, and I can’t say anything more.

My throat is getting dry, and it’s hard to breathe.

Miori looked at me with a troubled smile.

“Hey, Isaki-kun. Since we only have morning classes today, should we skip school?”