The Most Beautiful Girl in School Has Become a Mother - Chapter 55

A school of sardines passed right in front of me.

In the large aquarium, which is said to have recreated the ocean as much as possible, schools of sardines, rays, sharks, and numerous other marine creatures swim around. The aquarium is designed to make me feel as if I am walking on the ocean floor, creating an illusion that I am actually underwater.

The ray, with a smile on its belly—though it only appears that way—flaps its fins as if flying and swims overhead.

I felt somewhat mocked by the fish passing by overhead with a triumphant air, and let out a small sigh.

Today is Saturday, but since the museum has just opened, there are only a few people here. There are only a couple of families with children and a few couples, making it almost like a private visit. It will surely get crowded in about an hour.

However, thanks to that, I was able to sit on a bench right in the middle of the large aquarium, which could be called a prime seat, and see the entire aquarium.

I used the glass of the nearby aquarium as a mirror to fix my bangs and looked up again. A different stingray was swimming alongside the shark.

──A couple, huh? I wonder if we look like that, too.

I glanced sideways at the woman sitting next to me.

She gazes at the fantastical world of the aquarium, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

“Since we only have morning classes today, should we skip school?”

It was just about an hour ago that I received such an outrageous proposal from the school’s top beauty and honor student, Imiya Miori. After dropping off Shuri at daycare, I was unable to explain the reason for our fight, and out of the blue, she made that suggestion.

For some reason, I was feeling down about going to school, so I decided to accept her invitation. The thought of getting through classes while still feeling gloomy and then having to pick up Shuri afterward was mentally tough for me.

When I asked if there was somewhere she wanted to go, she cheerfully replied, “The aquarium!” Moreover, she wanted to visit a larger aquarium that was a bit far away.

And so we started walking in the opposite direction of the station where the students commuting to school were passing by (the students from Hijiri High School looked at us with suspicion as we passed by), and we took the train all the way to the aquarium.

The aquarium had just opened, and there were hardly any people inside, making it feel like a private tour. Surely, if she hadn’t suggested skipping school, I would never have experienced this in my lifetime.

“When you sit surrounded by large aquariums like this, don’t you sometimes feel unsure about who is watching whom?”

Miori chuckled softly and looked over here.

When we laughed, our shoulders brushed against each other, and my heart involuntarily raced.

“Hmm, that’s true.”

I say while glaring at the stingray passing by overhead, laughing.

If I say that, I really feel like I’m being watched by this person. Moreover, while being mocked. Thinking about it like that, I get angry and feel like I want to eat stingray sashimi.

“With such a large aquarium, I wonder how they feed the fish? Is everyone getting enough to eat?”

“Certainly.”

“Besides, if they put such a big shark in the tank, wouldn’t it eat the small fish? I really don’t want to see the food chain in action in an aquarium.”

“Certainly.”

“…The name of the king crab family is derived from their habitat overlapping with cod fishing grounds, right?”

“Huh? King crab?”

When I hesitated for a moment and said something that sounded like an answer, she laughed and said, “Correct.”

This is something I learned earlier when I was looking at the crab tank, and Miori told me, “Did you know that king crabs are relatives of hermit crabs?”

“Why, suddenly king crab?”

The conversation was completely disconnected. I thought we were talking about the food in the aquarium or the food chain.

“Because, Isaki-kun, you’ve only been saying ‘certainly’ no matter what I talk about. So, I was wondering if you’d just keep saying ‘certainly’ no matter what I say.”

“I tried experimenting with it,” Miori added.

I see, so that’s why she was hanging up on me. It’s not that I wasn’t listening to her. I was responding with “certainly” after hearing her out. However, it seems she thought I was just giving a casual response.

“I’m really listening.”

Miori seemed satisfied with my answer and smiled shyly, saying, “Then, that’s good.”

I don’t want to miss a single word that comes from her voice──though saying that might be an exaggeration. However, the sound of her alto voice is so comfortable, like some kind of relaxation, that I want to listen to it forever.

“So, why the aquarium?”

Now that it’s too late, I’ll ask anyway.

Miori has never talked about why she chose the aquarium or why she suggested skipping school. Maybe it’s because I didn’t ask, but still, I think.

It seems that this was the first time in her life that she skipped school. We reached the aquarium before the start of classes, and at that time, she happily said, “I skipped school for the first time in my life.”

Except for the time Shuri caught a cold and was bedridden, this is the first time I’ve taken a day off for anything other than my own illness. It seems we’ve both experienced our first act of sabotage together.

“This aquarium… I’ve wanted to visit it for a long time, but I never could.”

“Couldn’t come?”

I wondered what was going on and looked at Miori’s profile. Miori was gazing at the fish in the aquarium and still wearing a gentle smile.

This aquarium, which means she wanted to visit this aquarium. It was she who chose the location. There was actually a closer aquarium, but she said she preferred this one.

“Yeah… this is the place where Dad and Mom had their first date.”

“Huh?”

Unintentionally, I opened my eyes wide.

Speaking of Miori’s parents, they divorced shortly after she was born. After that, her father’s whereabouts became unknown, and her mother passed away from illness.

I thought the feelings she had towards her parents were never good, so I never expected her to bring up such a topic.

“Of course, there have probably been renovations and repairs since then, so I don’t think it’s exactly the same… but I’ve always wanted to visit.”

“So… what do you think after coming here?”

“Hmm…” After thinking for a moment, Miori said, “The aquarium is so big, it feels like being in the ocean,” giving a comment like an elementary school student.

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at that straightforward impression. I thought she might feel a bit more sentimental since it was the place of her parents’ first date.

“My grandfather hated my dad so much that there was hardly anything related to him left in the house… But my grandmother secretly kept my mother’s diary. It mentioned that they went on a date here.”

“…What did it say in the diary?”

“Um, I think it was like, ‘there’s a big aquarium, and it feels like being in the ocean.'”

“It’s the same thing.”

When I laughed, Miori chuckled and said, “Yeah, just like Mom.”

Then she talked about her parents as much as she knew. It was more detailed than when she first mentioned the reasons she couldn’t play the role of “mom.”

It seems that Miori’s father came from quite a good family. Apparently, it was a family where marriage partners were decided by the parents’ wishes.

However, her father fell in love with a certain woman, defying his parents’ wishes. She was Miori’s mother, from an ordinary family. The two quickly became united and nurtured their love.

However, he is from a prestigious family. It seems that his family opposed the relationship and pressured him to break up immediately. They even handed a tea envelope to Miori’s mother, asking her to cut ties with them. Miori’s grandparents, who are currently taking care of her, were furious about this approach and also told her to break up quickly.

However, Miori’s parents pushed through the opposition and left home in a manner akin to elopement. They abandoned their jobs and everything else, and it seems they made a living together through part-time jobs. It is said that they registered their marriage at that time.

In my mother’s diary, it was written that although those days were tough, they were the happiest in her life.

──This is nothing like I expected.

I thought that after hearing Miori’s story.

When they separated shortly after she was born and her father went missing, I thought for sure it was because they had a bad marriage and were divorced.

However, from what I’ve heard, that’s not the case. Despite their difficult life, they seem to be a close and happy couple──at least, that’s how it appeared to me. I couldn’t see any reason for them to separate.

“How did such parents end up separating?”

I hesitated to ask, but I gathered my courage and asked.

I thought the reason she started talking about this was because of what was to come.

“That is…”

Miori was at a loss for words.

Just a moment ago, she was happily talking about her parents’ past, but now her expression is clouding over.

“…Because she ended up pregnant.”

“Huh?”

I was at a loss for words at the unexpected words I never imagined.