Chapter 102: Beyond the White Sky

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Translator: Soafp

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[Miyabi PoV]

As the sun began to set, I was sitting quietly alone in the living room of my house.

In the spacious room, carefully arranged furnishings, blending Western and Japanese styles passed down from my grandfather’s generation, stood in neat order, and there was a somewhat tense atmosphere hanging in the air. Soft lighting was cast on the ceiling beams, blending with the twilight light, creating gentle shadows on the floor. Through the sliding paper doors, I could see the pine trees in the garden swaying, and the sound of the wind reached my ears faintly.

However, within this tranquility, I couldn’t shake the restlessness deep in my chest.

The words I heard on the rooftop yesterday kept echoing in my mind.

——Suz Suzumura. Hajime’s first childhood friend and the girl who was once our friend.

When Konatsu spoke of how Suz’s death might be connected to Mizuki-nii, I gasped. Then, when I was told that her death was “suicide,” a heavy weight sank deep in my chest.

Hajime’s face wouldn't leave my mind. With a pale expression, he stood motionless, unable to say anything. He looked as though he were facing all of his past, his eyes full of something profound.

Since last night, I had been thinking continuously about Suz's death, Konatsu's words, and—what had suddenly crossed my mind—the time when Mizuki-nii went abroad to study.

“Suz passed away… five years ago, Kyoko-san said.”

I muttered, recalling it. At that time, we were just first-year middle school students.

“And Mizuki-nii went abroad to study… that was also around the time we were in first-year middle school.”

I vaguely remembered hearing an adult conversation about how, despite there being no major issues, he suddenly joined an overseas medical program.

That word “suddenly” now stuck in my mind.

I took my tea cup in hand and took a sip of the cooled tea, trying to steady my breath.

But the warmth of the tea could not melt the cold lump deep inside my chest.

Just then, I heard the quiet sound of the entrance sliding door opening. It was my father coming home.

“I’m home.”

His calm, low voice echoed through the house.

Footsteps crossed the hallway, and soon, the sliding door of the living room opened gently.

“Welcome home, Father.”

I stood up and bowed lightly. My father, wearing a gray coat over his white coat, set his bag down and smiled at me.

“Why are you sitting alone? You look so down.”

His words made me momentarily avert my gaze.

“…Just thinking about something.”

Father sat down next to me and poured tea from the teapot into his own cup.

“Ha ha, you're just like your mother—your emotions are easy to read. You're bad at hiding things. Got something on your mind? Why don’t you talk to me?”

His tone carried a soft, affectionate warmth that only a father could have.

Though I usually only saw his strict side as he dealt with the management of the hospital, to me, my father had always been a comforting and caring figure since childhood.

That was precisely why I hesitated now.

Should I tell him what was on my mind?

Could I bring this suspicion—maybe just a coincidence—into the prestigious Amano family?

But…

“Father, there’s something about a girl I used to be friends with when I was little.”

I quietly opened my mouth.

Father furrowed his brow slightly.

“Her name was Suz….Suz Suzumaru She suddenly moved away when we were in elementary school… and I never saw her again.”

I briefly told him about her. How she had been Hajime's first childhood friend, and how she had connected with both me and Aoi before us. How she had died when we were in first-year middle school.

Father listened silently. But there was no reaction when I mentioned Suzume's name.

Then, I steered the conversation toward the main topic.

“The time when she died… and the time when Mizuki-nii suddenly went abroad to study… they overlap. So, it's been bothering me…”

At that moment, my father's hand froze.

I saw him slightly pause the motion of bringing his cup to his lips.

“Why are you concerned about that?”

His voice was calm, but there was a faint hint of tension beneath it. He spoke more carefully than usual.

I decided to speak honestly despite my hesitation.

“I heard it from a girl named Konatsu… about Suzume’s death…”

Father’s eyes widened a little. I continued.

“She said Mizuki-nii might have been involved in her death. Since I heard that, I’ve been wondering about it… And the timing of when Mizuki-nii went abroad, too—whether it's just a coincidence or if there's some reason behind it…”

Father remained silent for a while. His gaze wandered aimlessly as he held his teacup.

I feared that silence, and instinctively leaned forward.

“Father… If you know something, I want you to tell me. I don’t want to just doubt and leave it at that.”

Father furrowed his brows and turned his gaze away.

“…This has nothing to do with you, Maya.”

His words pierced my chest.

“How can you say it has nothing to do with me… If Mizuki-nii did something, I have to face it and understand it.”

I couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger, and I raised my voice a little. Father seemed to sense it, and slowly closed his eyes.

Then, he sighed softly.

“…I never thought such a thing would come up now.”

It was the voice of someone who knew something.

“Father… Do you know something?”

My voice trembled as I asked. Father slowly nodded.

“When Mizuki was fifteen… he caused a problem.”

The weight of those words made me sit up straight.

“To put it bluntly, it was an inappropriate obsession with a minor girl. Your brother… Mizuki's father consulted with me, and before it became a police matter, we settled it through mediation.”

A heavy, damp silence fell over the living room.

“Of course, we couldn't leave him in Japan after that. Your uncle and I decided to send Mizuki abroad for treatment and rehabilitation. The condition was that he would continue counseling. To work in the medical field, it was necessary.”

His tone was calm, but there was a bitter sense of responsibility, and something akin to resignation, lingering in his voice.

“At one point, I thought if Mizuki and Miyabi got married, the Amano family would be safe.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“…What?”

“Of course, I intended to respect his wishes. The reason Mizuki has been coming home so frequently recently is because of that…”

I lost my words. I had indeed felt an odd sensation in Mizuki-nii's gaze at times. But I had no idea it meant something like this.

“Father…”

I asked in a trembling voice.

“Was Suz’s death connected to Mizuki-nii’s past?”

Father was silent. After a moment, he weakly shook his head.

“I can’t say for sure. But… if Suz was involved in Mizuki's past… I can't say for certain that there's no connection.”

Those were heavy words. But they weren't the “certainty” I had been hoping for.

“…He might have done something to another girl…”

Father muttered those words so quietly that I froze.

“Was the treatment… ineffective?”

Father sighed deeply.

“The matter of Mizuki inheriting the hospital is now back to square one. I’ll contact your uncle tomorrow.”

His words carried a decision—a determination to prioritize my safety over the family's reputation. I could clearly feel that resolve.

But was this really the right thing to do? What remained in my heart wasn't just relief. There was still a sense that something hadn't been resolved.

Even so, something inside me still felt restless.

I left the living room quietly and headed toward my room.

By the time I entered, the clock had already passed 9:00 PM. After my conversation with my father, I had eaten dinner, taken a bath, and done everything as usual, yet my heart remained unsettled. I must have been going over the same thoughts repeatedly, as though flipping through the same page again and again. Outside the window, it was already dark, and the trees in the garden were silent.

As soon as I closed the door, exhaustion hit me, but I didn't feel sleepy at all.

I changed into my pajamas and stood in front of the mirror. Under the faint glow of a bedside lamp, I stared at my own face in a daze.

——What I had learned. The reality I might have to bear.

Even when I lay down on my bed, every time I closed my eyes, Suz, the girl who had once been my friend, appeared in my mind. The girl who had been Hajime’s first friend and who had connected with Aoi and me. She might have been deeply involved in Mizuki-nii's past as well.

My chest tightened.

And another face appeared in my mind—Hajime's face.

——He is trying to uncover the truth. He's not running away. I can't run away either.

Before I knew it, the clock had passed midnight, and I had turned over countless times. When I finally opened my heavy eyelids, the world outside the window was beginning to grow faintly brighter.

I stood by the window and slightly opened the curtains. The morning light was quietly beginning to color the sky.

At that moment, my smartphone on the bedside table vibrated.

The display read “Hajime.”

“…Hajime?”

I tapped the call button, and his voice reached my ears.

“I'm sorry, Miyabi, but there's something I need to talk to everyone about. I'd like to gather Aoi, Kagura, Marin, and Ranko if possible—can we meet today?”

For a moment, my chest stirred. But then I answered without hesitation.

“…Understood. I'll contact them.”

“Thank you.”

Eventually, the call ended softly. I could sense from how carefully Hajime ended the call that he had chosen his words thoughtfully, and I found myself staring at the smartphone.

The kindness and determination in his “thank you” seemed to gently seep into my heart.

I tightened my grip on the phone.

…I also have things I need to say. So Hajime… I will move forward with you. No matter what truth awaits us—

I whispered this quietly in my heart, and as I did, the uncertainty that had been twisting inside me began to slowly unravel.