CH 65

(POV Kaito)

In the early morning, I dressed in casual clothes and drove the car. The slight intoxication from the small amount of alcohol I had drunk the previous night had already faded away, and I was able to smoothly reach my destination without being troubled by a hangover.

Last night’s phone call was a bit unexpected. I knew Chiaki could be a spoiled child, but I didn’t expect her to go as far as calling me. I honestly find her spoiled nature cute, and I was happy that she had grown quite attached to me.

Yet, deep down, I can’t shake the feeling that constantly catering to the girls’ every need and desire might hinder their personal growth.  But the fact remains that I can’t just leave the girls on their own, and it’s only natural that I can’t disregard Chiaki’s wish for me to come.

To put it simply, I… I didn’t know what the best course of action was.

――Well, in the end, here I am, behaving like a doting parent, despite everything, and I’ve ended up at the location of the school trip.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

There was a certain inn. It wasn’t too big, nor was it too small. It was a modest inn surrounded by nature. As I looked around, I made my way towards the entrance. I hesitated to enter all the way, so I decided to wait there for a while.

Yesterday, only Chiaki called me, but I wonder how Chiharu, Chinatsu, and Chifuyu are doing.

“Oh! Kaito!”

While I stood there, pondering with my arms crossed, the entrance door swung open, and Chiaki, dressed in her gym clothes, rushed towards me. It was becoming chilly in this season, and she was wearing a red long-sleeved jersey and pants.

“Chiaki, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yeah!”

“I see…”

Beside Chiaki was the homeroom teacher. We offered each other brief greetings, exchanging pleasantries and mild thanks. What I realized from our interaction was that this person was quite used to things like this happening.

I had assumed that the homeroom teacher would give me those judgmental looks, like I was some crazy, overbearing parent or an extreme helicopter parent. But it wasn’t like that at all. The teacher treated me just like anyone else. The teachers were aware of the situation in each household to a certain extent, but this person was responding to my actions as if it was nothing to worry about.

I wonder if there are more parents like me…? No, it’s probably extremely rare.

“Kaito, I want to go home already.”

“I see… So, until what time does the school trip end today?”

“Well… After having breakfast at 12, we’ll have a lunch break and then leave.”

“Is that so… Hmm, I see…”

“?”

It was currently 7 o’clock. Five more hours to go. Should I encourage her to hang in there or should I just take the four of them home right away?

“Chiaki, can you hold on for just a little longer?”

“…Huh? Why? I really want to go home, Kaito…”

“I understand… But can you hang in there a bit longer? I’ll be here, and if you really can’t bear it anymore, I’ll come to pick you up right away. So… hang in there, Chiaki.”

“…I got it. But when we go home, I want to ride in Kaito’s car, not the bus.”

“Alright.”

Chiaki was led back to the inn by the teacher, who held her hand. I couldn’t forget the sadness in Chiaki’s eyes, but somehow, I felt like I should give her a little push. I didn’t have much evidence to support my decision, but that’s just how I felt, so I went along with it.

Hang in there, Chiaki.

■

After seeing off Chiak, I sat in the car, waiting for the lunch break to pass. I hadn’t had breakfast, but I wasn’t particularly hungry. Alone in the car, I pondered a few things.

I recalled the conversation I had with Onono Imoko yesterday. Everyone carries their own burdens. What lies ahead? The other three might also face similar struggles. And what if the protagonist ends up being involved with them romantically… What would happen then?

In this world, same-sex marriage is recognized. Love takes on various forms. This world is based on the game “Resonating Hearts”, where same-sex marriage exists. In the game, there were even storylines where the four characters and the protagonist formed a harem or where the latter chose only one girl.

However, not everyone in this world accepts same-sex marriage. While I didn’t know who Chiaki and the others would end up with, if they end up with the protagonist, it could become a same-sex marriage. But in this world, male-female marriages seem to be the most common.

People like me, the office I work at, and maybe even the teacher I talked to earlier might accept it with an open mind. However, there will be those who don’t. They might give disapproving looks or treat them as outcasts. If that happens, it will be tough for the four of them…

Well, maybe I’m overthinking things.

However, I believe that this world is based on the premise of the game. I know that in games, there are things that shouldn’t exist, things that are unseen. Everything I see right now is good, but there might be bad things lurking in the unseen.

There are online criticisms, slander, and such. I don’t want to make the four of them suffer, so I want to minimize and eliminate those negative aspects and show them the right path… but if I push too hard, I might hinder their growth.

…No good. My mind is tangled like a never-ending loop of thoughts, like a complex string figure. Things aren’t going smoothly.

Maybe I shouldn’t overthink… It’s important to look ahead, but looking too far ahead is not good either. Moderation… No, I can’t be moderate when it comes to thinking about the four of them. I need to think quite a bit, to a reasonable extent.

I decided to cool down my overheated thoughts for a moment.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

At the inn, we sat on chairs around the table in the dining area. Breakfast adorned the tabletop: white rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and seaweed.

There were students dressed in gym clothes around us. Today was the last day of our school trip. At the beginning, many students were making a fuss about not wanting to go back, but now they were saying they wanted to go back early to play games or because they couldn’t sleep well since the inn’s pillows didn’t fit with them.

There were many students saying, “I want to go back”. Chinatsu, Chiaki, and Chifuyu had been saying it since yesterday.

However, our morning took an unexpected turn when Chiaki was nowhere to be found, causing quite a commotion as we worried she had left on her own. 

But Chiaki was quickly found, so it didn’t become a big deal, but we were wondering why she had disappeared in the morning. Chinatsu questioned her, slightly angry because she was worried.

“Aki, where have you been?”

“I went to the entrance.”

“Hmm… huh? Why the entrance?”

“Kaito came to pick us up.”

“Eh? Kaito-san came to pick us up?” Chifuyu asked.

“Yeah.”

Perhaps, the answer Chinatsu and Chifuyu anticipated was completely different from their expectations, but their initial anger was quickly brushed off.

“Sorry for worrying you…”

“Sigh, it’s not a big deal.” Chinatsu said.

“Please let us know next time.” Chifuyu said.

“Yeah… Chiaki, if something happens, tell Onee-chan first, okay?”

“Okay…”

Chiaki nodded in agreement. She seemed a bit down. She couldn’t really bring herself to eat breakfast, and it seemed like she still wanted to go home as soon as possible. She didn’t eat much during dinner yesterday either, now that I think about it.

It wasn’t just Chiaki; even Chinatsu, who usually goes for seconds, didn’t eat much.

Chifuyu also complained about wanting to go home…

I should give my little sisters a comforting hug about now…

“Haru, just don’t do anything weird, okay?”

“Huh? Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know; I just felt a strange vibe.”

Chinatsu has a keen intuition. Even though I wanted to give her a hug… I felt a little disappointed, but I thought it would be okay since I could always do it later, and I quickly bounced back.

Today’s schedule included hiking after breakfast, followed by free time, and then we would head back. So it was important to have a proper breakfast and replenish our energy.

Everyone understood that, which is why they ate their breakfast with a tinge of sadness, knowing it was different from their usual meals, as they moved their chopsticks.

◆◆

(POV Sakura)

My name is Sakura Kitano, and just like everyone else, I was an ordinary elementary school student. And I, too, had thoughts about wanting to go home early. 

I longed to see my adorable little brothers as soon as possible. Or rather, I simply wanted to have a normal family reunion. It’s only natural for elementary school students to yearn for that, I suppose. 

“Hey, Chiaki, looks like your father came to pick you up. How lame,” 

“Are you still in kindergarten?”

During the last moments of our school trip, while I was pondering such things some, boys started bothering Chiaki, the younger sister of my best friend. At this age, they probably wanted to somehow engage or talk with her, but Chiaki completely ignored them and sat on the bench, looking melancholic.

The boys who teased Chiaki were met with a fierce, hawk like gaze from Chiharu, who was nearby. They got scared and quickly dispersed. Normally, Nishino would be among those who scattered, but this time he didn’t even bother teasing. Perhaps what I said on the bus ride here had an impact on him.

Well, regardless, my actions so far have only resulted in negative impressions. No, to be honest, Chiaki probably doesn’t have any impression of me at all. It’s not a matter of liking or disliking, but rather of liking or being indifferent. Such feelings are something I’ve only observed in those four sisters.

I was treating them in a cautious way, because I knew If I made a poor judgment, I may just step on a landmine. But if such a thing happened, what would the future hold? Those four sisters seemed like they all carried explosive secrets, and I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if they were to detonate.

Lost in my thoughts, I noticed Nishino glancing at Chiaki from a nearby tree. What’s he up to?

I couldn’t resist the urge and approached him, 

“What are you doing?”

“Woah! W-what’s up? Don’t startle me like that.”

“Well, it’s pretty obvious you’re acting like a stalker.”

“I’m not!”

Ah, so he’s worried about Chiaki, who seems a bit down. He may not be rotten at the core, but he gives off the impression of not having fully grown. Yet, there’s also a sense that he’s trying to grow.

“Why don’t you try cheering up Chiaki since she’s not feeling well?”

“I’m disliked… so it would probably have the opposite effect.”

“Ah, you’re aware of that.”

“Shut up…”

“Alright.”

After a few seconds of silence, Nishino suddenly started sharing his thoughts.

“…I’m actually transferring to another school soon,” 

“Oh, really… That’s going to be lonely… I guess? Well, to some extent,”

“…That’s why… I’m thinking of confessing before I leave,” 

“…Oh, I see. That’s interesting,” 

“Regardless of the outcome… I want to express my feelings before I go…”

“Hmm… Well, good luck,” 

“…You’re so indifferent. Seriously,” 

“Well, I’m not particularly close to you, Nishino, and if anything, I kind of dislike you. So, I guess it’s natural to be indifferent. The reason I approached you earlier was just to make sure you weren’t doing anything weird to my best friend’s sister,” 

“…”

I might have been a bit harsh in my words, but it was the truth, so it can’t be helped.

“Well, anyway, I won’t make fun of you or anything. Just do your best in your own way. Well then, that’s all.”

Having done what I wanted to confirm and said what I wanted to say, I left Nishino’s side.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

The clock struck twelve, indicating that the school trip was drawing to a close. From inside the car, where I patiently waited, I observed a considerable number of students forming a line by the inn’s entrance. It seemed like their final gathering before expressing gratitude to the inn staff and boarding the bus.

If that were the case, it was about time for Chiaki and the others to return after their hard work. To be honest, I had considered letting them ride the bus all the way to school, but there were other parents waiting for their children as well, so it shouldn’t be a problem for the five of us to return home from here.

After finishing their greetings, Chiaki greeted the teacher as well and ran towards me at a quick pace.

“Kaito! I-I did my best!”

“You did a great job.”

“Ehehe… Keep your promise of two hamburgers!”

“Ah…..”

Huh? Did she just say two? Well, if Chiaki said so, it must be true. As I gently caressed Chiaki’s head, Chiharu and the others approached us.

“We’re back… Onii-san, you came all the way to pick us up.”

“Well, yeah… Welcome back. Well, for now, hop on. Let’s talk about various things on the way back, shall we?”

I loaded the girls’ luggage into the trunk, and Chiaki took the passenger seat. Chiharu, Chinatsu, and Chifuyu were seated in the back, and once I confirmed that everyone was on board, I started the car.

I had planned to listen attentively to each person’s story, but…

“So, you know what? Mary brought this really long-titled book!”

“R-Really… Oh, and Chiha—”

“Oh, and, and! The food at the inn was just okay! You’re better at cooking, Kaito!”

“Oh, thanks… Uh, Chih—”

“What did you eat yesterday, Kaito?”

“Um, I had yakitori and karaage…”

“Lucky! I want some!”

“Yeah… I’ll make it for you next time, Chi—”

“Oh! Kaito! I want to stop by that convenience store over there! Let’s get some ice cream!”

“Oh, okay…”

Chiaki seemed really eager to talk. She kept talking to me non-stop, like a dam bursting with conversation. Because of that, I couldn’t divert my attention to the other three. I caught a glimpse of Chifuyu pouting like a pufferfish in the rearview mirror, so I couldn’t just let things continue like this.

It’s not like Chiaki was doing it intentionally, but the timing of her continuous chatter left no room for me to speak as I wanted. And although it didn’t make me uncomfortable, I sensed something indescribable in Chifuyu’s gaze from the back.

I’ll talk to everyone when we stop at the convenience store. Alright.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

On the way back home. We stopped by a certain convenience store and looked at the shelves filled with products to decide what we wanted. Chiaki and Chifuyu were talking back and forth with Onii-san in the ice cream section. As for me and Chinatsu, we were at the snack section.

“Seriously, Aki talks too much. It’s like she’s constantly buying tickets for a bank queue with all the nonstop talking,” Chinatsu said.

“Well, I guess she just has a lot she wants to talk about,” 

“Yeah, I suppose. But she’s such kid, not as mature as me. If we were to say who’s the oldest daughter among us, it would be me,” 

“That’ right…” 

Inside the inn and now. Chinatsu’s energy level was clearly different. Even though she had a gloomy face earlier, wishing to go home quickly, now she was all cheerful and cute.

“Ah! Th-this, it’s the Magical Girl Secret Five’s Weapon gashapon … t-to come across it in a place like this… i-it’s 478 yen… quite expensive,” Chinatsu said.

“Do you want it?” 

“W-well… not really. I just… I just thought Aki or Fuyu might want to play with something like this,” 

“I see.”

Chinatsu really likes those things. But she can’t say it because she’s embarrassed.

But you know… everyone notices. When she’s alone, she secretly imitates the magical girl, saying things like “I’ll punish you in place of the sun” or dancing to anime ending songs.

“But, you know… if we all play together and split the cost, it’s just a little over a hundred yen per person… Yeah… I’ll ask Kaito-san for it…”

With the gashapon in hand, Chinatsu ran towards Onii-san.

The three of them were talking in the ice cream section. I happened to gaze at Chiaki. Then, I was suddenly reminded of her behavior in the car earlier.

…The way Chiaki was talking in the car.

Could it be… she intentionally expressed herself so that Onii-san wouldn’t talk to us?

That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly dismissed it. It was probably just me overthinking things.

More importantly, I need to choose something too. Something that would help Onii-san not get sleepy on the way back home.

Maybe I should go for some caffeine-infused chocolate…