CH 37

Ryuichi Sheds Tears for the First Time in a Long Time

Translated by HamletJr

Edited by HamletJr

“Hey.”

“………”

Ryuichi went outside and picked up the call. To him, his paternal grandfather wasn’t a warm, amiable person, but rather an insignificant person who had always been indifferent to him. There may have been a world in which Ryuichi would have been adored as a grandchild, but at least in this world, he had no family that adored him.

“………”

“What do you want?”

Ryuichi’s grandfather wasn’t saying anything at all. Ryuichi couldn’t understand why he was so silent because he would never bother to call him unless he had something to say, and more importantly, because he only called whenever he wired money to his account.

“I got a call from your school today. From a teacher called Hamasaki.”

“…Hmm?”

Ryuichi clicked his tongue at the mention of Hamasaki’s name, as he knew that this was going to be a troublesome situation. It had only been a few days ago that he witnessed Hamasaki talking with Shizuna during lunch break. He wondered if it might have been about that, and sure enough, it looked like he was spot-on.

“You’ve finally…no, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard from school about you. It just goes to show that, in the end, you are that woman’s son after all.”

“Hah, you talkin’ about me having relationships with women? That’s normal for high schoolers.”

Ryuichi spat those words at him. Being a high school student, it was nothing out of the ordinary to be having relationships with the opposite sex. To think that this was what he had to say after not calling him for so long; it was insignificant to Ryuichi all the same.

“I know I can’t cut ties with you, but it’s so relieving I don’t have to see your face. Because when I do, I remember that woman’s face.”

That makes the two of us, Ryuichi muttered in his mind. He knew that his grandfather disliked him, and he had long passed the stage where it would hurt him to hear his grandfather say such words. However, today, his grandfather finally used strong words directly against him, as if he had reached the end of his patience.

“………”

Even so, Ryuichi still felt nothing. However, he didn’t like the fact that he was constantly being told what to do because he was already an adolescent in puberty at the age of 17.

“I’m your son’s kid, too, y’know? The way I see it, he’s just as much of an asshole as that shitty woman was.”

No sooner had those words left Ryuichi’s mouth than a loud voice filled with indignation rang out from the other end of the phone.

“Don’t you dare lump my son in with people like you! In the first place, if it weren’t for you people, my son…my son! Cough! Cough!”

He started coughing painfully, probably because he’d raised his voice so loudly. It was so bad that Ryuichi almost subconsciously asked him if he was okay. However, in the end, he said nothing to him… Of course he wouldn’t. Why should I have to do something like that for him? he thought to himself.

“Hah… Hah… Hah! You know what, Ryuichi? You are a child with the blood of that bitch. Your very existence was tormenting my son! That is your sin!”

“Tch…”

It was as if he had implied that Ryuichi’s very existence was a sin. He looked up at the sky as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. The sky was beautiful and starry, the exact opposite of the darkness that Ryuichi had come to know as a child.

…Shut up… Shut up, shut up, shut up!

If he’d only been told that he was hated, that he was unwanted, he could brush it off as a slight disturbance in his mind. However, being denied the very fact that he was born would undoubtedly nag on his heart. Because of what his mother and father had said to him, words denying his existence were engraved as a curse in the deepest part of Ryuichi’s heart.

“I don’t want to think of you as my son.”

“You ain’t no son of mine.”

He impulsively tried to cut the call.

“Give it to me.”

“…Huh?”

But before he could hang up, Chisa, who had gotten behind him at some point, gently took the phone from him.

“Chisa…?”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

Then, she hugged him in her embrace. As he slowly let the strength leave his body, he dropped to his knees and buried his face in her chest. She reeked of booze, but coupled with her nice scent, it put Ryuichi’s mind at ease.

“Sorry for the abruptness, but good evening. You must be Ryuichi’s grandfather, right?”

What on earth is she going to talk about? he thought, but he couldn’t move at all. It wasn’t that he was interested in what they were going to talk about; Chisa’s atmosphere just made it impossible for him to interrupt her. With the sensation of Chisa’s breasts on his face, he listened intently to their conversation.

“Huh? The woman Ryuichi’s messing around with…you said? Well, you aren’t exactly wrong~.”

Unlike her usual self, Chisa was speaking in a way that seemed to poke fun at the other party, which was rare. Since the phone was leaking his voice to some extent, he could hear his grandfather’s voice echo clearly with even more fury at Chisa’s appearance.

“Hey, gramps. I know this is sudden, but there’s this very nice boy I know. His name is Shishido Ryuichi.”

“………”

Her hand was on Ryuichi’s head, stroking it gently. It was like a mother calming her child, or a sister calming her brother. Of course, he didn’t know what those two actually felt like, but he could somehow tell.

“He’s great at handling girls, and he’s great at pleasuring them, too. And I’m not the only one; there are other girls besides me who are also deeply in love with him. Oh, that’s right; please listen closely. Did you know that Ryuichi saved two girls from trouble? He saved them from some nasty men.”

Those two girls were likely referring to Shizuna and Satsuki.

“There are girls who have been saved by him, charmed by him, and are now involving themselves with him. In this world where so many people don’t even try to talk to or help others no matter how much trouble they are in, Ryuichi is undeniably saving them.”

“What are you trying to say?” he could hear his grandfather say. He didn’t know what Chisa was trying to say, and he seemed to be irritated that she was talking about something unimportant.

“Don’t you think he’s an incredible boy? I’ve heard that there are fathers out there who don’t care about their own sons and wish they were never born. I don’t mean to compare you with those people, but don’t you think a gentle boy like Ryuichi is such a wonderful child compared to those people?”

Chisa’s face was all smiles the entire time. However, the next face she adopted was filled with anger. Although Ryuichi couldn’t see it, Chisa was definitely angry.

“Well, whatever the old Ryuichi used to be, he’s a changed boy now. He’s younger than me, but he’s extremely dependable, and he’s a really good kid, that Ryuichi.”

Chisa then paused briefly before continuing in a harsher tone. 

“Who do you think that shitty father I talked about earlier is? …I see, so you don’t know? I’m talking about your son, you shithead.”

“H-Hey…”

Chisa’s words didn’t stop there.

“Ryuichi has the kindness to help people, the heart to love people, and the open-mindedness to make people happy. Ryuichi has what your son didn’t have. Your son did not love Ryuichi, did not help him, and did not make him happy!　The Ryuichi now has something important that your son never had!”

“Be quiet! You’re just another slutty bitch; that’s all you are! You’re no better than that whore who stole my son’s happiness! The words of a piece of trash like you mean nothing to me!”

This time, Ryuichi heard his grandfather’s voice, loud and clear. It was so loud that he wanted to tell him that if he were any louder, he would start coughing like he did before.

“I don’t give a shit about what you have to say about me, you old fucker. Whatever, me and Ryuichi have nothing more to say to you. Still, let me tell you one thing.”

Chisa looked at Ryuichi. Her eyes reflected the image of Ryuichi alone, and they were filled with tenderness. She took a quiet, deep breath and continued with what would be her last words for his grandfather.

“Ryuichi is wanted by us. We want Ryuichi. He is absolutely not an unwanted existence to us; to us, he is somebody irreplaceable.”

“—gh?!”

A crack appeared in the darkness that had covered his heart. He noticed that his eyes were growing hot, but he was still too stunned to put his hands on his eyes.

“I’ll say it time and time again. Ryuichi is not an unwanted existence to us; if you all deny him, then we will affirm him. He is, to us, a very important person, and it will stay that way forever.”

And with that, she ended the call.

“…Oh my, fufu… It’s okay, Ryuichi. I know I may have gone a little overboard, but I think it’s for the best that I said all that.”

“…Yeah.”

Perhaps because they’d been on the call for quite a long time, Shizuna and Satsuki were also gazing at them worriedly. Chisa separated her body from Ryuichi’s, and because of that, Ryuichi’s expression was exposed. Shizuna rushed to Ryuichi’s side before anybody else.

“…Sniff… Damn, how long has it been since I’ve cried?”

Ryuichi cried for the first time in a long time, as if something was overflowing from his now full heart. The events just now would likely cause the relationship between Ryuichi and his grandfather to be irreparable, but their relationship was never one that seemed repairable in the first place, anyways.

But Ryuichi was willing to accept that. Even if they denied him, Ryuichi would still have people beside him who would affirm him and want him. Not just these girls, but his other friends as well.

“Ryuichi-kun, we’ll always be by your side. So please don’t cry.”

“…I don’t want to cry. I don’t want to, but I just can’t stop the tears from coming.”

Ryuichi forced a smile. Looking at Shizuna, Chisa, and Satsuki in turn, he continued.

“…Thanks.”

It was a short word of thanks, but his feelings reached them properly. The sky was a starry one, but now Ryuichi’s heart would be clear of the darkness as well. There was no need for him to envy it anymore, for his heart was now covered with light and beginning to shine, too.