Chapter 51: For example, Ayana is my daughter and Seina is my wife.
Translator: Soafp
After parting ways with Shu and Iori, I wandered around alone… or so I intended to do.
“….Fufu♪”
Ayana tightly held onto my arm, walking beside me. On the other side, Seina-san was walking. We didn’t link arms like Ayana, but we walked closely together.
I hadn’t planned on spending time with Ayana today, but once we ran into each other, I knew I would see her sad face when it was time to say goodbye. As her boyfriend, I couldn’t bear to see that expression on her. Even if it meant feeling sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to leave… Well, it was only natural for me to be happy being by Ayana’s side as well.
“Shu-kun seems to be doing fine”
“Right. He seemed to be in pain, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
In the past, I wouldn’t have understood, but now that Shu has changed, I believe he’ll be alright. He has a strong determination to protect his little sister as her brother, and he also has Iori as a supporting presence. If Shu ever feels crushed, I’m sure many people will come to his aid. Of course, I would be one of them.
“I believe Honjou-senpai’s presence is also a factor… It’s quite profound”
“…I see.”
“Yes.”
Since I knew that Shu and Iori initially met through Ayana, I couldn’t help but feel a bit strange. They were brought together as a source of revenge for Ayana… but things are different now. She has deviated from the original path, and she is undoubtedly heading in a better direction.
“…I’m glad.”
Those softly whispered words undoubtedly contained Ayana’s kindness towards Shu. Yes, this is also the true nature of Ayana. She is truly kind… really.
“Fufu, Towa-kun’s face looking at Ayana right now… it’s kind of like a father’s face.”
“Did I really look like that?”
I still don’t want to be called a father at this age… well, let’s just acknowledge that it appeared that way from the perspective of a gentle expression.
“Towa-kun being my father huh …… Fumu fumu.”
I had a slightly uneasy feeling as I watched Ayana lost in thought. Whenever she seemed to be thinking about something with a mischievous expression, it usually meant she was plotting something. Whatever scheme she had in mind, I knew that she would never do something I genuinely dislike… or rather, with Ayana as the other party, I would forgive her for anything. Well, that’s just one of the weaknesses of being in love.
Now then, what on earth is Ayana thinking about…
“If Towa-kun was my father, then… yes, there would be no escape from close kinship”
“…………”
Those words came out without any restraint. Ayana looked at me with an expression that seemed to say it was only natural. Hmm… should I come up with a positive response to this?
“Even Towa-kun wouldn’t be able to resist if a girl like me came on to him, right?”
“Well…”
Hmm, I can’t quite understand the feelings of a father, so my feelings as Ayana’s boyfriend come to the forefront… Sorry for being a bit rude.
[I love you, Dad. I truly love you.]
….Well, I guess I’ll just go with it.
I’ll say it again, but the reason I feel this way is because my feelings as Ayana’s boyfriend overshadow everything else… No matter how much I think about it, there’s no world where I become Ayana’s father, so I don’t need to feel guilty about it.
“Ayana, if that were the case, he would have to protect what needs to be protected”
“…Yes.”
It’s only natural for Seina-san, who speaks with common sense, to conclude that way. She put an end to this strange exchange and I chuckled, looking at Ayana’s dissatisfied face. I’m grateful to Seina-san for that… she’s truly a mother.
“If Ayana’s father is Towa-kun, that would mean we are married, right? So if Towa-kun is going to do something like that, it will inevitably be with me.”
“…Ah?”
I felt like a crack appeared in this space with a loud noise. Of course, Seina-san meant it as a joke, but Ayana’s expression was absolutely terrifying. It was even scary enough for me to avert my gaze. Ayana had a look in her eyes that she should never direct towards her mother.
Seina-san, oblivious to Ayana’s gaze, continued to giggle and sway her body… Hey, Seina-san. You were just joking, right? I hate to say it, but I’m a little scared.
“…If such a world exists, I’ll steal Towa-kun away”
How strange… It feels a bit chilly for summer.
Meanwhile, the three of us were enjoying shopping. In the midst of that, I received a message from my mother. It seemed that she and the underclassmen, including Kanzaki-san, were planning to have a drinking party. So she told us to either make dinner ourselves or eat out since she wouldn’t be home in the evening.
“…..Understood”
I reminded them not to drink too much and not to make a mess at home, or else I’d be mad. I received a response immediately, saying they would be careful. I wasn’t really serious, but my mother seemed quite flustered, and there were even some typos in her message, which made me chuckle.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, actually…”
I conveyed my mother’s message, and our plans for tonight were quickly decided. I would have dinner at Ayana’s house and then stay overnight. It’s usually like this whenever my mother isn’t home, but if it’s not a bother, it’s actually quite convenient.
“…………”
By the way, I recalled the scene from earlier.
If Ayana were my daughter… I had a similar dream before and even told Ayana about it. But it’s just a dream, not reality. Despite that, when I think that Ayana might be my daughter, it’s hard to shake the feeling that there might be a world where Ayana, regardless of me being her actual father, would approach me like that.
“No, it’s not about that. It’s about the present.”
“Towa-kun?”
As a lover, the present time when this girl is by my side is more important than anything else.
“Never mind, it’s nothing. I love you, Ayana.”
Her expression froze for a moment, but she quickly smiled and said, “Me too.”
We walked along the twilight street, not paying much attention to our shopping. My mother and the others had probably started drinking by now. Lost in my thoughts, I arrived at Ayana’s house.
Following the two who went in first, I entered through the entrance, even though it wasn’t my own home, and instinctively said, “I’m home.”
“Fufu, welcome back”
“Welcome back”
It felt comforting to hear those words as a matter of course.
Since it was summer, even though we didn’t engage in any physical activity, being outside made us naturally sweat. So Ayana headed to the bath a little ahead of us.
“Would you like to join me?”
It was a tempting invitation, but I shook my head. In our case, if we both entered the bath, it would definitely take a lot of time and tire us out. Ayana herself seemed to understand that as she headed towards the bath with a slightly disappointed expression but still a smile.
“Well then, let’s get ready, shall we?”
“I’ll help.”
“It’s fine. Towa-kun will just sit here. When Ayana is done taking bath, you can go after”
Disappointed once again, I have been turned down. Whenever I stayed over at Ayana’s house, it was almost always the same. I offered to help with household chores, but every time I was smiled at and declined, with Ayana insisting I should rest. It wasn’t that I wasn’t trusted or considered a burden; it seemed to stem from Ayana’s desire to treat me to a meal she had cooked herself.
I sank deep into the sofa, which was already sagging, and decided to kill time by playing with my phone.
(…Come to think of it, it’s kind of late to ask, but what happened to Ayana’s father?)
It had been on my mind for a while, but I never found the opportunity to ask. Neither Ayana nor Seina-san seemed inclined to talk about her father. For Ayana, it was probably simply because she didn’t know, but as for Seina-san… Well, as a child, I’ll refrain from prying into adult matters.
“…………”
Perhaps I’ll come to know at some point, or maybe I never will. Even so, I’m okay with it. It’s not that I’m uninterested or don’t care.
(Fmmfmmm~♪)
Even if there are things I don’t know, as long as Seina-san is there with a smile, I think it’s fine. Ayana doesn’t seem to be concerned about it either, and if that’s the case, then it’s fine.
Shaking my head to forget about the things that bothered me for a moment, I listened to Seina-san’s humming as background music and waited for Ayana’s return.