The Greatness of Mother

Standing alone in the entranceway, I felt the silence resonate painfully throughout my body.

My mind was a jumble of conflicting thoughts, chaotic and tumultuous. I couldn’t even begin to consider what I wanted at this moment or what I should do. 

I simply sat there in silence.

I must have made a mistake. 

No, I had been wrong from the start. I had been handling things with Yukine incorrectly all along.

One shouldn’t lightly touch upon someone’s feelings. 

I should have known that, but I didn’t. And so, I made this mistake.

“…What am I doing?” 

As I muttered to myself, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

Turning around, I saw Fuyuko-san standing there with a serene expression on her face.

“Would you like some coffee? I just made a fresh cup,” Fuyuko-san asked.

“Oh…” 

I had completely forgotten, but Fuyuko-san was home today.

That meant she must have overheard my conversation with Yukine earlier.

As I remained silent, Fuyuko-san continued, 

“It’s better to drink it while it’s warm, you know? Warm drinks have a relaxing effect.”

“In that case, I’ll take you up on that offer,” I replied.

I followed Fuyuko-san back to the living room. 

There were two steaming mugs prepared on the table near the sofa. Fuyuko-san sat at one end and patted the spot next to her.

I suppose she wanted me to sit next to her. I complied, sitting down as she indicated, and took a sip of the coffee.

The warmth of the coffee spread gently down my throat, easing the turmoil in my mind ever so slightly.

Fuyuko-san looked at me and chuckled softly.

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble, Kouta-kun.”

“Oh no, it’s not like that at all. If anything, I feel like I haven’t been able to do much as an older brother…”

“That’s not true. You’ve been a good older brother to Yukine. It’s just that Yukine became a bit too attached…”

“Haha…”

“Yukine has always been liked by boys since she was young… You see, she lost her father when she was little, so she doesn’t have much tolerance for men. In fact, she’s almost allergic to them, and used to say she hated them.”

Fuyuko-san reminisced.

“Kouta-kun probably knows this, but Yukine’s refusal to go to school was also related to boys, and she dislikes romance more than normal kids. As a result, she knows nothing.”

Knows nothing.

Well, Yukine doesn’t just know nothing—she actively dislikes it, meaning she only knows the unpleasant aspects of romance.

“So, as a reaction to that, she encountered an ideal boy and developed deep feelings.”

“An ideal boy…”

“Yeah, isn’t that right? For Yukine, Kouta-kun is like a hero.”

Fuyuko-san chuckled softly.

Am I really a hero, as Yukine claims? Is a hero supposed to struggle so much, I wonder?

“As Yukine’s mother, I feel like I want to scold her for causing Kouta-kun trouble! But then again, that’s not something Kotaro-kun desires, right?”

“That’s right! Yukine hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Indeed, Yukine isn’t doing anything wrong.

Even if I am Yukine’s stepbrother, falling in love isn’t a bad thing.

“Besides, as a woman who used to be a girl myself, I can understand Yukine’s feelings.”

“Fuyuko-san…”

“Oh, sorry. It must sound weird coming from someone my age, talking about being a girl before. I’m an old lady now… It’s embarrassing.”

“Hahaha…”

It’s okay, Fuyuko-san.

With her youthful appearance, Fuyuko-san could easily pass for someone in her mid-twenties.

“Anyway, what I wanted to say is, as the mother of both of you, I just want you two to be happy, no matter what happens.”

Fuyuko-san coughed lightly and continued.

“If Kouta-kun wants to be Yukine’s proper brother and needs to be straightforward about it, then it’s okay to hurt her feelings. In fact, it might be better for both of you. Love is like that, and being siblings doesn’t change that. Of course, leave what happens after that to me. I’ll make sure you two are happy as siblings.”

Fuyuko-san’s resolute words resonated heavily in my chest.

“But if Kouta-kun wants to make Yukine happy as a girl—that is, if he accepts Yukine’s love—then there’s no need to hesitate.”

“Huh? But we’re siblings…”

“That doesn’t matter. Because it’s just a step-sibling relationship.”

Surprisingly, Fuyuko-san seemed to have a straightforward personality. It was something new I learned about her.

“We don’t mind. It’s not wrong for you two to be happy together. Absolutely. So, I want you to think about Yukine’s feelings of love with the same sincerity. Yes, that’s what I wanted to say.”

Like the gentle warmth of sunlight, Fuyuko-san smiled serenely.

And before I knew it, I found myself embraced by Fuyuko-san’s arms.

“Fuyuko, san…..?”

“It’s okay, isn’t it? Just like this. We’ve become family, after all. Let me be your mother in my own way.”

After that, Fuyuko-san continued to do so for a long time. I stopped thinking and simply, wholeheartedly, entrusted myself to her, like a child seeking comfort.