Volume 1 - CH 70

The three of us are in bed together, sleeping in the shape of a river. [TLN: Has something to do with the Chinese word/letter for river I think]

My mother, who was beside me looking at the ceiling as I was, began to tell me a story.

It was before I was born.

How my mother and father met, how they started dating, and how they got married.

I had never asked her before, nor had I thought of asking her.

But this is a good opportunity. Let’s take a moment to talk about my mother’s story.

“Let’s see, when I was still in high school, I met Ryuichi. I met Ryuichi at this boarding house.”

Mom began to tell me an old story. The story is a story that she actually experienced, so of course, it is true.

I don’t think she was exaggerating.

She met my father a long time ago when she was still living in this boarding house.

It seems that he was a college student who was taking care of her at this boarding house.

Ryuichi-san doesn’t talk much and looks the way he does, right? He’s pretty much at odds with the other housemates.”

Well, I understand somehow. He is scary when you look at him normally, and even if you think he is smiling, the smile that comes to his face is the devil’s smile.

What the hell, it’s the same now as it was then.

“There was a day in high school when I came home late from school. On the way home, I was in trouble because I was being accosted by a delinquent, and Ryuichi came to my rescue.”

In the darkened room, my mother was telling me a story about the old days.

I can’t see her, but I’m sure she has a smile on her face. The tone of her voice seems to be getting higher and higher.

“What do you think Ryuichi-san said to her at that moment? He said, “Sorry, she’s with me. He’s with me. I came to pick her up. Who are you guys?” Well, that’s an embarrassing line now that I think about it.”

Where have I heard that line before?

My heart beat a little faster than before.

“Then he grabbed my arm and led me straight away away away from the delinquents. Now that I think about it, I think that’s when I fell in love with him.”

Mom never opened up to Dad again and didn’t tell him how she felt until she graduated from high school.

During that time, neither Mom nor Dad had a boyfriend.

“I tried to get her to open up to me over and over again, but he just didn’t notice or answer me at all! He was really insensitive, or maybe I should say dull… But I’m sure Ryuichi was also concerned about me. He never said it himself, he never showed that kind of attitude, but he was always there for me and helped me…”

Jesus, Dad, you’re so insensitive, too. If you were normal, you’d notice, right? The girl you care about is giving you signals, you know?

“I’ve tried crossing arms with him, hugging him from behind, going to festivals, movies, and amusement parks with him, but he never asked me to go out with him or confessed his feelings for me. If we could go back in time, I would have confessed my feelings to him and we would have enjoyed our high school years even more!”

All those years under the same roof, having feelings for each other, not going out, and then going out…

Huh? I’ve heard that story somewhere… Oh, isn’t it the same as that movie?

I don’t remember all the details, but when I saw the magazine, I think it was a movie like that.

Could it be that the hero of the movie, like my father, had crossed paths with the heroine?

“On the graduation day, he handed me a bouquet of flowers and said, “Won’t you go out with me on the assumption that we’ll get married?” That’s right! He bit his lip at the very moment when he was about to say something like that! I was happy, but it was even funnier than that, and I burst out laughing right then and there!”

Somehow, I can picture that scene in my mind’s eye. If my father, that tough-looking guy, bites his tongue in a scene like that, I’m sure I’d be laughing my ass off too.

But I’m sure he’s very serious.

“After a good laugh, I said, “Too late! You are too late! If you were serious, you would have kissed me right here and now.” And Ryuichi didn’t say anything, he just kissed me softly! I still remember that moment vividly…”

Isn’t this a funny story about my dad instead of a simple love story?

But you made up your mind in the end. You didn’t get confused, you told him how you felt…

“Oh, that… Weren’t you embarrassed, like when you and Ryuichi put your arms around each other or hugged? You’re not in a relationship yet, are you?”

Oh, Himekawa is still awake. She had been silent for a long time, so I thought she was asleep.

Well, I’ve been a listener, too, and I’ve said very little.

“That’s pretty embarrassing. But my body naturally started to move. I can do it now! I thought. But I guess you don’t even notice our thoughts, you know?”

“That’s right. Yes, it’s too much. That’s terrible. I think he’s probably the worst kind of man.”

Himekawa spits out a lot of venomous words. The poison is unimaginable from the way she usually uses her words.

“Dad had his reasons. Mom, you were in high school, right? You see, there’s an age difference and stuff.”

‘When I was sixteen, Ryuichi was eighteen and a college student, so we weren’t that far apart, you know? Maybe he didn’t want to have a relationship with the daughter of the boarding house owner. Plus, he had to deal with the other residents.”

“I see. So there were still other people living there at that time.”

“I was still living here, but everyone knew I had the hots for Ryuichi. My mother and father included.”

What’s that? Everyone but my father knew about it.

But in that case, wouldn’t he have heard about it? He knew that my mother had feelings for my father.

“Even under those circumstances, didn’t Ryuichi tell your mother how he felt about you?”

“I guess so. I guess there must have been a rule in my mind. But I wanted to go out with him earlier and have more enjoyable adolescence!

It’s not that it’s better to be early. Not necessarily better to be late.

However, the reality is that the time that has passed will never come back.

It is the same for me and Himekawa. We are spending the same time.

The time that has passed will not come back. Yes, it doesn’t come back…

“Tsukasa. Since you are quite insensitive just like Ryuichi-san, you should properly sense the feelings of other girls.”

“Hmm? Me? I’ll probably be fine. I’ll definitely notice.”

Oh? For some reason, I felt the air become heavier.

Was there something wrong with what I said?

“Tsukasa-kun… can I trust your words?”

“Oh, it’s all right. I’m no more insensitive than my father.”

I think. Maybe…

“I believe your words. I believe you…”

Himekawa’s voice is getting a little faded.

Maybe she’s sleepy?

“Are you sleepy already, Anri? Do you want to go to bed soon?”

“I’m a little sleepy…”

“I see. Well, I guess that’s it for today. Next, we were going to talk about Tsukasa’s first love! What a pity!”

What is that? Talking about my first love?

Who is it? Who’s my first love?　

“Mother-in-law. The night is just beginning. Next, Tsukasa-kun’s love story.”

Hey, Himekawa-san? Didn’t you say you were sleepy just now?

“I like you too, Anri-chan. Okay, then, Tsukasa’s first love is—”

Don’t proceed without confirming my wish!

And so our talk, in the shape of a river, continued until midnight…