The Most Beautiful Girl in School Has Become a Mother - Chapter 56

From what I heard earlier, the two of them were united by their own desire and entered into a marriage. Although both families opposed it, they even eloped. It almost seemed like they were hoping for children.

According to Miori, the two have come to the renewed realization that they want to live their married life with the full recognition of both families.

Since they truly love each other, living with a sense of guilt is not right. There is nothing to feel guilty about; they got married precisely because they love each other. They decided not to ask for blessings, but to sincerely plead for recognition.

And, in reality, Miori’s father went to his parents’ house to seek their understanding.

However, their wishes did not come true. The father’s parents were furious about them registering their marriage without permission, and as a result, the father’s mother──Miori’s paternal grandmother──suffered a heart attack from the shock.

“Eh, they passed away?!”

“No, it seems like it was dangerous, but they managed to save their life. However, it became necessary to get a pacemaker because of that.”

They say that after that, they couldn’t sustain life without machines in their bodies.

And then, Miori’s parents felt deep guilt about it. They thought that if they hadn’t brought it up, if they had lived quietly, this situation might not have happened.

I can somewhat understand that feeling. When it comes to a heart attack, it was truly a matter of life and death. Thankfully, she survived, but it was because of their prayers that someone was caught in the balance between life and death. It’s not surprising to feel guilty about it.

And then, just at that moment──

“My mom’s pregnancy was discovered.”

Miori smiled with a resigned expression and said that.

The timing is the worst. Surely, if it had been before that plea, the two of them would have been able to genuinely rejoice in having a child. However, it was discovered that they were expecting a child after someone almost died because of them. Of course, they couldn’t possibly mention the pregnancy. If it were a healthy time, it would be different, but the father’s mother is in a state where she can’t live without a pacemaker. If they were to report that they were having a child at

As Miori’s father, he couldn’t just abandon such a mother. However, it was impossible for that mother to back down.

At that point, Miori’s mother realized that “there was no choice but to separate.” Gradually distancing herself, she brought up the divorce at the time of Miori’s birth.

At that time, she didn’t know what kind of exchanges took place between her parents. They must have had a fight. In the end, Miori’s mother insisted on the divorce and left the house with the newborn Miori. Thus, the marriage, which was supposed to be a happy one for the two of them, came to an end.

From there, it was just as I had heard before. Miori’s mother tried to raise Miori on her own, but in the end, she fell ill and was bedridden.

Her father returned to his family home once after the divorce, but upon learning of Miori’s mother’s death, he ended up leaving the house again. It’s easy to imagine how much trouble there must have been even then.

Miori’s father… Surely, he must have strongly resented his family home. He must have hated it. Perhaps because I am a man too, I felt like I understood those feelings somehow.

Since then, it seems that her father’s whereabouts have been unknown. Perhaps her grandparents know, or maybe they even tried to take her in, but they might be deliberately hiding it from her.

The saddest part of this story is that, despite everything, the two of them never once considered the option of giving up on the child in the womb. It illustrated how genuine their love was and how much they desired the presence of Miori. Yet, that very presence led to their separation.

“Hey…? It’s my fault, right?”

When she finished speaking, Miori’s voice and shoulders trembled.

“If I hadn’t been born, Dad and Mom wouldn’t have separated. If they hadn’t separated, Mom would probably still be alive now, and they both might have been happy… because of me, because I was born. It would have been better if I hadn’t existed.”

The moment she uttered those words, tears welled up in both of Miori’s eyes. She hurriedly covered her face with both hands, but it was too late.

At that moment, I felt like I discovered a new side of the girl named Imiya Miori.

A top student and the most beautiful girl in school, a girl everyone admires… However, she herself cursed her own existence as something abominable.

My hand was hesitating to embrace her shoulder as she sat next to me and was still wandering in the air. I pathetically didn’t know what to do.

I wanted to say no, and then hug her. I wanted to tell her that she was wanted, that it wasn’t her fault.

However, no matter how different it is, she will probably only see it as a mere consolation.

Moreover, I knew very well that those feelings were “not different.”

──As I thought, Miori and Shuri are…

Well… although their positions and circumstances were vastly different, Shuri found herself in a situation very similar to that of Miori.

If it weren’t for Shuri, my family would have been completely different from what it is now.

Mom is still alive and would have been gently watching over me. Dad would come home every day and wouldn’t have lost so much vitality. That house must still exist as a symbol of Dad’s happiness.

If only Shuri weren’t here──this is something I absolutely must not think about. So, I didn’t think about it.

However, it was probably a feeling I had deep down in my heart. I think I had unconsciously thought about it at least once somewhere. Now, the fact that I have somehow accepted what Miori said seems to prove that.

No wonder. Living every day centered around Shuri, I’ve half-abandoned my duties as a student. When I was frustrated, exhausted, or struggling with parenting, I must have unconsciously thought about it. While deceiving myself into thinking I wasn’t considering such things.

“Shuri-chan… isn’t she the same as me?”

When Miori glanced over here while sobbing, she muttered softly.

Hearing these words, I can’t help but think, “I knew it.”

The mother, who lost her life due to the younger sister’s birth, the father, who hardly ever returns home afterward, and the high school brother who struggles alone to take care of his young sister. From that situation, it is easy to infer that the family became dysfunctional because of Shuri.

Perhaps, when Shuri learns all the facts, she might feel the same way in the future. Maybe Miori sensed this somewhere. Considering that, I felt like I could see a bit of the reason behind Miori taking care of us.

Tears continue to flow endlessly from her eyes. Do I have the right to wipe those tears away? Do I have the right to soothe her trembling shoulders?

Even me, deep down, Shuri…

──What am I even saying?!

For a moment, I denied the words that came to mind.

Indeed, there might have been times when I unconsciously thought that way. No, if I had continued to take care of Shuri alone, those feelings would have only grown stronger.

But now it’s different. Now I’m not alone.

“No, that’s not it. Not at all.”

Taking a deep breath, I made a certain decision and gently pulled Miori’s trembling shoulders closer.

“Shuri, she is here. I am here too. It’s just a pretense, but she has a proper ‘dad’ and ‘mom.’ It’s not the same.”

Besides, I continued.

“You too, right? There’s absolutely no way you think it’s better without Miori.”

“But because of me──”

“Thanks to you being here, Shuri is able to laugh so much and have such a good time.”

Interrupting Miori’s words, I clearly state that.

I won’t let her say it would have been better if she didn’t exist.

“I don’t know what your parents were thinking… but even in that situation, they had no choice but to keep you, right? As a result, you were born and are living well now. There’s no way you weren’t wanted…!”

With a firm tone, I tighten my grip on her shoulder slightly.

I held my head in my hands as if to comfort my crying younger sister, stroking her glossy black hair.

She buried her face in my neck, stifling her sobs. Gripping the hem of my uniform, she was crying as if trying to hold something back.

Feeling her hair’s scent and body temperature, I look at the tank above.

The fish in the tank swam gracefully, despite us having a serious conversation.

Are these guys also enjoying watching us?──Thinking about such things, I ponder over Miori and Shuri.

Now that I’ve heard this story from Miori, it somehow feels like everything was inevitable.

Why did Shuri seek out Miori? Why was Miori drawn to Shuri? And why am I in the middle of it all? Hearing this story made it all seem inevitable.

That’s because I can handle it. No, I have to take care of these guys.

I can’t let Shuri bear the same kind of suffering that Miori did, and I have to deny the sadness that Miori is holding onto.

If I am Shuri’s brother, her father, and if I wish for Miori to be by my side, then it is no longer just my duty.

“Besides… I want that too.”

“Huh…?”

Miori pulled her face away from my neck and looked up at me.

With eyes red from tears, she looked bewildered.

“…I can’t do without you by my side.”

After saying it, I became so embarrassed that I felt like my face was on fire.

Not wanting her to see my flushed face, I held her head again and gently pressed it against my neck.

Since she was holding on tightly, she let out a small scream, but soon after, a sigh of exasperation could be heard.

“Hey, Isaki-kun.”

Sniffling, she called my name in that position.

“Hmm?”

“Um… can I hold your hand?”

As if to answer that question, I spread my left hand, and Miori hesitantly placed her right hand over it. Then, just like that time in the national park, we firmly intertwined our fingers alternately.

“Isaki-kun…”

She called my name again in the same position and continued like this.

“Thank you.”

I didn’t say anything and responded by gripping Miori’s hand tightly. In response, she also gripped my hand tightly.

For a while after that, her sobbing continued.

In the meantime, I felt a certain warmth from her palm and kept watching the fish swimming above us.