V2 Epilogue: From now on
Translator: Soafp
I’m home alone.
And now I’m relaxing on the sofa in the living room.
I’ll be leaving this house soon.
The apartment where I lived with my mother… I’m going to be separated from her soon. However, my new house is rather close by, so I can see her anytime.
This is not a sad goodbye.
And mom and Mai are busy preparing for the wedding reception. Apparently, there are preparations that only women can do, which I, as a man, don’t understand.
I felt very alienated, but even that was fun for me now.
But thanks to that, I don’t have anyone to talk to, and I have a lot of free time on my hands.
“…… Let’s go out for dinner.”
I was thinking about this when I felt someone coming in through the front door.
The person who comes in without ringing the doorbell is only one person other than my mother and Mai,…….
“……Mo~m,……Ah, big brother”
It was Nagisa who came to the living room, as I expected. From the way she was talking, it seemed that she had something to do with Mom, but unfortunately, she wasn’t home right now.
“…… something you need from her? If you have a message for her, I’ll pass it on when she comes home, okay?”
“…… Yeah, she wants me to go look at kimonos for the coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Speaking of, you’re 20 years huh?”
“……… yeah.”
An awkward silence ensues.
And since she was sitting next to me, it was even more uncomfortable.
I silently turned on the TV.
There were no particularly interesting shows on…… so I might as well go out for dinner as planned.
“Nagisa ……, if you’re free, do you want to go out for dinner?”
“….?! I-I’ll definitely go!”
“S-sure”
Well, I’ll buy her a drink once in a while.
I mean, Nagisa and I haven’t gone out alone since junior high school.…… What kind of food does she like?
After leaving the door, I lock it and ask she asks me something.
“U~n………Just the way my brother likes it!”
“That’s the most annoying answer I’ve ever heard. Hmm …… Well, let’s go to a family restaurant then, shall we?”
“Yes! Let’s just do that!”
I got into the car I bought with my part-time job and headed to a family restaurant with Nagisa. I sat in the driver’s seat, and Nagisa sat in the passenger seat as if following me.
I don’t often have people in the passenger seat.
Mom, Mai, Usui-kun……and Nagisa make the fourth person in the passenger seat. I never thought I’d be taking Nagisa on a ride and going out alone with just the two of us……4 years ago.
“Nagisa, don’t you want to have a boyfriend?”
“Eh? …..I haven’t really thought about it.”
“I see.”
“Yeah.……… I-I want to eat hamburger steak.”
“Actually, me too.”
“……The same heh~”
“……well, I guess so.”
“…………”
“…………”
“Would you like to go to a movie after dinner?”
“…..I’m not busy, so sure.”
I have no reason to say no because I really do.
I’ve been told not to tell anyone about my bridal gown until the day of the wedding.
─ ─ We arrived at the family restaurant and the waitress was at the entrance to serve us.
“Before I show you to your seat, please disinfect your hands with alcohol.”
“……”
“………”
“……Eh? Did I say something strange? All I said was to disinfect your hands with alcohol, but you look so sad!?”
─ ─ After dinner, I went to the movies with Nagisa.
After that I went back to my room and took a nap.
“Well~, it was beautiful, right?”
It was the day of the wedding. I was looking forward to seeing Mai in her bridal gown. There is a senior who is trying to get on my nerves, but I’m going to ignore her.
Ruiko Himekawa.
We met again by chance and started talking again. At that time, she was having a hard time…well, I don’t think she has problem right now.
“Then I’ll come check on Mai-san! Take it easy too, okay?”
“…… Are you bored of me?”
Himekawa-senpai, who was wandering around, was laughing …… like she was having so much fun.
After not seeing each other for a while, I feel like she’s gone through a breakthrough.
The most changed person might be that person,…… of course, but in a weird way.
It’s someone’s wedding, so please be mature about it.
“Please take care of Mai from now on.”
“Yes!”
I nodded vigorously at Mai’s father’s words.
I was so taken aback by her beauty that I came back to myself with a word from my father-in-law.
Then Mai spun around and showed me her outfit. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen her wearing it,…… but I think it’s more beautiful than any jewelry that exists in this world.
“D-do you like it?”
“Yes,…… you look really beautiful.”
I answered honestly, of course.
I was admiring Mai, and before I knew it, the people around me had taken the liberty of leaving us alone. I want to tell her how I feel now that I’m feeling so excited.
“……Mai, you were the reason I made it this far. ……Thank you.”
“Hm? Ryosuke?”
“I didn’t think I had the right to be happy. Instead of entitlement, I thought I was deprived of the right to be so. But now I’m convinced that’s not the case.”
“……… Fufu, why?”
“Because ……… I’m happy to death. …… Well, that’s how it was.”
I looked through the doorway into the hall.
Of course, this action was just to hide my embarrassment.
“Well well~?”
Mai similarly peeks through a crack in the ceremony hall.
—Uncle Kotaro, who was drunk and happily making a lot of noise.
— Dr. Takamiya, the director of the hospital, who rushed to the hospital in spite of his busy schedule.
—Himekawa-senpai and Nagisa who sincerely apologized to me.
—My one and only best friend, ……Usui-kun.
Many other people have also gathered, including my mother and Mai’s parents.
I was so moved by everyone’s warm congratulations that I didn’t even notice my father sitting in the family section.
“Ryosuke!”
“Hmm? What’s the matter, Mai?”
“I want to thank you… for being by my side.”
“…..I love you”
“Of course I love you too!”
We stepped into the reception hall where everyone was waiting for us, arms linked.
“Fue~……”
I was visiting a smoking area by myself, because I was craving for some fresh air.
I’ve never smoked. So it’s been a facility I’ve never been associated with, but …… not today.
I borrowed a cigarette and a lighter from Uncle Kotaro’s pocket as he got drunk.
Actually, I’ve been longing for cigarettes for a little bit,…… because my uncle Kotaro is so cool when he smokes.
Besides, now I have the help of alcohol. It’s a chance to try something I wouldn’t normally do.
I thought so and tried to light up a cigarette.
Giii—
I hear the door to the smoking room open behind me. I was worried that Uncle Kotaro had come to take it back, but when I turned around, there was no one there.
I thought it was just my imagination and tried to light up a cigarette again.
{Tobacco is bad for you body}
“……Eh?”
The cigarette I was supposed to be holding in my hand disappears.
If it were true, I would have been perplexed by the sudden psychic phenomena, but for some reason, my mind remained calm in the face of bizarre phenomena.
I didn’t have a cigarette in my hand from the beginning…….Okay, let’s go that route…….I drank a lot of alcohol, too.
{Ryosuke}
I sat back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling.
I’m going to go back to the venue after I calm down.
Usui and many of my friends and loved ones are waiting for me at the venue.
That’s why I was scared.
I was afraid that my happiness would collapse in time.
What am I thinking at a time like this …… No, I’m really afraid of losing the present because I’m so happy.
“But I mustn’t be afraid,……I must trust everyone to the end……!”
{That’s right}.
Let’s not think about the repercussions of this happiness. Think of it the other way around: …… the unhappiness of the past was a test for the future happiness of the future.
The first time you see a person with a bad situation, you will know that they are not the only one who has been through it.
“I’d better get back.”
{I see….That’s good}
I light up a cigarette to try it again …… and it still goes away.
It may be a suggestion from heaven that I should spend my life without cigarettes.
{Being healthy is the best thing you can do.}
I open the door to the smoking room ……Yeah, this is going to be the last time I go in and out of here in my life.
{I am sorry for hurting you all this time. In the end, I would like to apologise to you, but you won’t hear me out}
“……………”
I don’t know why I am crying. I’m not sad about anything, but the tears just keep flowing.
“…………”
I looked back at the smoking area one last time, but there was still no one inside.
Eventually, without knowing the reason for these tears, I decided to return to the reception hall.
{—I wish you nothing but happiness.}
End of Volume 2.
TL: The main story ends here but the author is going to write some sidestories.
The schedule is as follows
- Sister’s point of view who is no longer recognized
2. Reunion with Kirishima and the student council president
3. The end of the criminal who falsely accused Ryosuke (brief)
4. Reunion with classmates
5. Revenge against his father
butchigers
November 30, 2022 at 1:30 amAs much as I hate the eldest sister, I really feel sad for her this time around since it would have been better if Ryosuke would notice her and hate her but unfortunately, she doesn’t exist in the eyes of Ryosuke which means that she can never be forgiven.
karnal0z
November 30, 2022 at 1:46 amAt least the big sister doesn’t seem to be a psycho anymore.
DECADE
November 30, 2022 at 2:10 amWith Nagisa at least they found a common ground.
With Kaede, there is no longer hope to fill the gap. :(
Granted she made the whole situation worse time and time again.
But being forgotten and ignored is the worse feeling I dare not give to anyone.
I hope one day the siblings can reconcile. Even if MC does not forgive her, at the very least they can have communication.
ionlyfollowweebstuff🔞 (@ionlyfollowwee1)
November 30, 2022 at 3:53 amNeat ending, but not wholly satisfying, i was expecting some more twists.
riotpls
November 30, 2022 at 4:15 amThank you for translating the main story so quickly. I was skeptical with the first few chapters because it felt super edgy with his inner monologues, but I’m glad I stuck around. Looking forward to the side stories now!
Gatts
November 30, 2022 at 4:54 amThank you for the chapter !
someloserweeb
November 30, 2022 at 5:01 amEven though it ended on a happy note
, the whole situation is still f****d up. A f****d up story from start to end.
SirCunferencia
November 30, 2022 at 5:13 amThank you for the translation! Let’s wait for the extras!
Mr K
November 30, 2022 at 5:20 amAlthough it is the end, it seems that things did not end well, although he was able to marry Mai, his relationship with his younger sister is still uncomfortable and he can’t even see his older sister anymore (literally) it was a story with some interesting concepts thanks for translate
KureoZen
December 1, 2022 at 3:58 amEverything might not have end well. But I think this is the best ending for all the parties involve. And at least MC can actually have a normal life he’s looking for again.
tehkranger
December 3, 2022 at 5:12 pmThank you very much for having translated this story. As someone who HAS been through some traumatic family s**t when I was a child, I pushed myself to read through this all in one sitting. As someone who deals with PTSD from my childhood trauma, and thankfully NOT schizophrenia, I can STILL empathize with the MC as the world around him falls to pieces. As someone who has also HAD to cut off a family member due to their toxicity, a brother, who to this day still does not recognize the damage he has done, I GET IT! I see a lot of pity parties being thrown for older sister, but cut it the frell out! SHE was broken BEFORE the False Accusation got thrown his way! SHE was even more upset at the idea that he might have attacked some OTHER WOMAN instead of HER! Right up to the end, she was willing to do whatever it took to make him HER’S! This was never about anything other than HER satisfying HER SELFISH DESIRES! She was always a YANDERE! Even WITHOUT the excess crazy he heard in his delusions, she was willing to BREAK HIM to KEEP HIM! That’s NOT LOVE! That’s OBSESSION! “Forgive her because she’s family!” F**k that bullshit! She was psycho, and willing to turn on any and EVERY female that looked in his general direction! She was literally OKAY destroying his psyche to keep his body, so his mind destroyed all traces of her existence to save his sanity, even going so far as to make it impossible for him to recognize her PHYSICAL PRECESNCE! Do you have ANY CLUE what kind of safe guards your mind has to make to create such precautions?! I do! ALL of his senses ignore her, yet he cried, because his mind was disturbed, the 6th sense still picked up on her. Keeping toxic people in your life is NOT healthy! Saying they are family as a reason to keep them in is bullshit, and will continue to destroy your sanity, I would know, because at 48, it has taken me THIS long to “clean house”! As it is, I am looking forward to the next 5 extras, so that I can see how the author handles the rest. Really glad that the main story was completed when I came to read, because it is deep, and opens up a lot of doors…
Mitaka
December 4, 2022 at 5:09 pmDunno why I read the whole comment before me but damn man
David
December 5, 2022 at 2:59 pmUltimately a good ending for Ryosuke. I don’t feel bad for any of the others. Across many cultures, the main selling point of “family” as a concept, is that they have your back when no one else does. This remained true for his mother (a real one), but no one else. Even Nagisa got away easy, imo. None of them will ever suffer anywhere close to what Ryosuke suffered. The fact that Nagisa wanted to mend things even before the false accusation came to light doesn’t change much in my eyes. It’s easy to feel bad about screwing things up, but she kept justifying herself until the end and despite her intentions, she never actually apologised to him (before the reveal), as she said, it was too little too late for an apology.
Anyway, aside from how easily everyone turned their back on Ryosuke, which to be fair, had to happen for the plot to exist, the characters were believable as humans, yes, even Kaede, which I really enjoyed. The story also had a clear message to convey, i.e be there for your loved ones when they need you and listen to their side, plus reach out to others when you feel you can’t take it anymore. Decent read.
Akirei
December 8, 2022 at 9:50 pmAwkward! The relationship between Ryosuke, Himekawa-senpai, and Nagisa is really awkward. However, I somehow expected it. There is still time ahead for them to heal a little bit of the wounds in their relationship. I am not sure of what the extra chapters will present us, but at least in my heart, I want to believe that there is that possibility. That was a beautiful ceremony and a splendid final scene of Ryosuke moving forward to live happily. And it’s strange, I hate Kaede, I really do. But now, I also feel she is no longer the monster we saw that time. I won’t know until the extra chapter is realeased, but I can see that she was able to reflect on her actions over the years. This can allow us to finish the main story releasing some of the heavy feelings we had, just like Ryosuke was able to do so. Now I am at peace with the story and its end. I am happy for reading such amazing novel.
Strawberry Milkshake
January 9, 2023 at 8:22 pmThis such a beautiful sadness chapter.
Especially the older sister scene to the ending.
I’m tearing up you know.
xson1995
April 4, 2023 at 10:52 pmI can’t but feel like author made Kaede the scapegoat.