Someone whispered that blood will tell.
“Hey, you two.”
“What’s up?”
“…How do you get popular with girls, I wonder?”
“…What’s with that all of a sudden?”
It was during lunchtime.
One of my friends looked so serious that I was worried, but the words that came out of his mouth were just that. I was anxious that something might have happened, but I felt let down that it was just this.
“We’re already sophomores in high school, you know? Next year, we’ll be forced to either go to college or get a job, and either way, we’ll be busy. In other words, the time we have to enjoy this青春 (seishun – youth) of high school is limited!”
“…That’s true, I guess.”
“Yeah.”
I’ve certainly thought about that before.
In this day and age, even elementary school students are dating. That increases with middle school students, and even more with high school students like us. Among them, we’re a group that has never dated anyone and doesn’t have much of a plan to do so in the future.
“How has it been since we met in high school? Not just holidays, but summer vacation, winter vacation, and spring vacation, I’ve spent them all with you guys. Not that I hate it, it’s been a truly irreplaceable and wonderful time.”
“…That’s right.”
“I can say that with confidence.”
Having best friends is truly a blessing. I’ve been saved so many times by their invitations to go out and have fun when a holiday is approaching. As I was thinking that, he lightly tapped the table and continued, “But.”
“But still, I want a girlfriend, you know? I want to experience sweet and sour pure love, the happy and embarrassing events that are unique to high school!”
What do we have to do first to achieve that? I think we can’t do anything unless we get a girlfriend.
“A girlfriend, huh? I hate cheating… There was that story in the class next door, wasn’t there?”
“…Ah.”
Oh yeah, there was a commotion in the class next door about cheating. I don’t know the details, but it was something about hitting on a girl who already had a boyfriend. The teachers must have been troubled since it was a student matter.
“We just need to find a girlfriend who won’t cheat!”
“…Hmm.”
I feel like finding a girlfriend who won’t cheat is also not quite right. I put my hand on my chin and thought for a bit, then I voiced my opinion.
“It’s true that it sucks to be cheated on by your lover, but isn’t it also necessary to make an effort to prevent that? I think it’s important to firmly capture her heart and make her think that she would never cheat.”
“…That’s true, I guess.”
Well, in the end, it depends on the person.
I’ve never had a girlfriend, and I’ve never met a woman who said she liked me. That’s why I don’t really understand romance, but if I ever met someone like that, I’d try my best to be that way… probably, surely, perhaps.
“…In my case, I’d just be happy if someone was by my side.”
“Ah…”
“Hayato…”
Since losing my father and mother, I might be craving human warmth. It might sound easy, but if someone just told me they’d be by my side, I’d feel like I don’t need anything else.
“Ah, sorry. I made the atmosphere weird.”
“What are you saying? You should say things like that more often.”
“That’s right. Humans tend to hold things in without realizing it. So, throw it all up to us before that happens.”
“Throw it up” is a bit too crude.
Well, but thank you, I told them. Now, as the peaceful atmosphere continued, this topic came up.
“Speaking of which, I heard a rumor when I went to the bathroom. Apparently, Shinjo-nee has finally gotten a boyfriend.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh?”
That’s news to me.
According to what I heard, as soon as Arisa came to school today, she sat down and made a troubled or sad expression. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she looked like she was in love.
“But it seems like her little sister was denying it, so the truth is in the dark.”
“Hmm.”
Ah, so that’s why the guys in their class were a little restless. I sometimes glanced at their classroom during 이동교실 (idong-gyosil – moving class), and I saw the two of them talking happily. I see, so that’s what it was.
I was lucky enough to walk to school with them part of the way, but Arisa never made the expression that my friends just mentioned. She was just calmly answering my words.
“As Aina said, I’ll answer anything, even my three sizes, okay? Come on, Hayato-kun, ask me anything.”
Putting aside the three sizes, she was really calm. She wasn’t embarrassed or anything, and she didn’t seem to have any feelings about it… it was like she was obligated to answer. I told her that she shouldn’t say things like that lightly to guys, but she kept tilting her head. Arisa is definitely a natural airhead.
And then, time passed, and a familiar scene was in front of me.
“Shinjo-san, I like you. Please go out with me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not interested.”
I was watching the exact same confession scene as before, only with Aina replacing the person in it. After school, when I left the classroom, I saw Aina following a guy with a truly annoyed look on her face.
“…Why do I keep running into this?”
“Were you watching like this back then too?”
Ah, I answered Arisa’s question.
Well, this time, I made eye contact with Arisa, who was about to follow them, and I ended up coming along too.
“Aina knew about Hayato-kun from that time. I’m really surprised by her insight.”
“Really. And yet, she was trying to deceive him, so it must have been interesting for Aina.”
While having such a conversation, we continued to watch the two of them. It was a battle between Aina, who was adamantly refusing to go out with him, and the guy, who was desperately trying to get his feelings across. It’s also a surveillance to make sure he doesn’t get desperate and go berserk, though I don’t think that will happen.
“By the way, Arisa, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Do you have someone you like?”
“Why?”
I told her about the conversation I had with my friends.
“So that’s what it was. To answer your question, I don’t have anyone I want to be my lover. That kind of relationship isn’t what I’m looking for.”
“…I see.”
Arisa said she’s not good with men, so maybe that’s part of it. Maybe she has some kind of trauma from the past. The fact that she’s talking to me like this is close to a miracle, but when I think that it’s a connection brought about by that incident, I don’t know whether to be happy or sad.
“…Ah, please don’t make that face… Please don’t, Hayato-kun. It’s not like I have trauma or anything like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I just found something more important than falling in love. I was able to understand how I want to live and how I want to be used.”
…I don’t really understand, but if she says that’s okay, then I guess it’s okay.
“…But, I’m sure I’d be happy if someone needed me, and I wonder if that’s love. Even though I know I’m not needed as a tool, I’m still a woman in that sense.”
She seemed to mutter something, but it was too quiet for me to hear.
Well, the conversation is still going on, but the other guy is really persistent. I feel like Aina’s smile isn’t completely genuine anymore.
“So, Hayato-kun, I want you to meet my mother. I think it’s unfair that only we can thank you and talk to you.”
“…Ah.”
In other words, she’s asking me to come to their house on the weekend.
I’ve never talked to the woman who is their mother, but I’ve seen her before. She had striking black hair and looked like a Yamato Nadeshiko (traditional Japanese beauty). Her features also resembled the two of them, and she looked like their older sister when they were standing together. And I had to look away from her figure, which surpassed even the two of them.
“What kind of person is she?”
“What kind of person…? She’s been with us for so long that we don’t really think anything special, but if I had to say.”
“If you had to say?”
“She’s just our mother who gave birth to us, no matter what.”
I see, so she’s a beautiful woman, I understand.
In the end, the guy who confessed to Aina retreated in a similar way to when Arisa was confessed to. I’m glad nothing happened, but I wonder how I should respond to the weekend invitation.
Shinjo Sakuna, that’s the name of Arisa and Aina’s mother.
She looked so young that it was hard to believe she had two high school daughters, and she could pass for their older sister.
However, the incident that happened a few days ago cast a shadow on Sakuna’s face. The incident in which not only she but also her daughters were about to be harmed, it was terrifying just to imagine what would have happened if help hadn’t arrived.
“I’m so glad… We were saved thanks to that person.”
The savior who appeared wearing a Pumpkin; my daughters were safe because he was there. And of course, so was I. Naturally, I want to thank him. I desperately want to thank him for saving us. No, rather, it’s only natural to do so as a person.
“You’re safe now.”
He placed his hand on Sakina’s shoulder, reassuring her, including her daughters. I can’t forget the feeling of that large hand. Sakina couldn’t get him out of her head. I almost laughed at how much I felt like a young maiden, but it was such an impactful encounter that it’s no wonder I can’t easily forget it.
“…Haa…”
Sakina sighed, looking troubled.
Sakina wasn’t looking at her own expression reflected in the mirror, an expression that was incredibly similar to her two daughters, as if contrasting with her expression as a mother.
I see, you really are those two’s mother.
Yes, something whispered.