Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330668994179192/episodes/16818023212281128203
“W-what’s with this money? I can’t accept such a large sum of money !”
It was my mother who raised her voice in surprise before I could.
She had never seen such a huge wad of money in her life, and she was being asked to accept it all.
“I have 100 million yen here. To be honest, even this is not enough, but I thought that if it was too large a sum of money, you might not accept it, so I set it at 100 million yen. Since you saved my daughter’s life, it would not be enough even if I gave you 100 times this amount. Please accept it.”
This time 100 is 10 billion yen, right……?
What is he doing that he can say such a thing so casually?
“No, Eita’s medical expenses have been covered by the insurance, and we cannot accept money from you.”
“Please don’t say that. If you use this money for Eita kun, who saved my daughter’s life, I won’t feel guilty.”
“Eita didn’t save her because he wanted something in return. So I can never accept that money.”
No matter how many times my mother said it, she would not accept the money that Taketsugu san was trying to give her.
Similarly, Taketsugu san did not back down and bowed his head again.
“Please take it as it is !”
“I will not accept it !”
It’s not like my mother refused to accept large sums of money several times as a social gesture, and then later accepted them.
She is seriously refusing to accept the 100 million yen in front of her, which was prepared as a token of gratitude and apology.
If someone other than my mother were put in the exact same situation, the majority of people would probably choose to accept this 100 million yen.
Since her own child has risked his life to save someone else’s child, and has lost consciousness and even broken bones, I think she has a great right to receive the 100 million yen that has been prepared for her.
Besides, I lost my father to illness soon after I turned two years old, and although we are relatively well off thanks to the insurance money, my mother is raising me while working at a restaurant as a single mother, so she must be desperate for the money.
Even so, my mother stubbornly refused to accept the 100 million yen that Taketsugu san was about to give her.
“Why won’t you accept it? I really want to repay you.”
She paused for a moment before answering his question.
“…..Eita’s father, who died of an illness when Eita was young, told him many times that he should become a person who can give a helping hand to those in need at any time, even if he couldn’t even speak yet. That’s what I told Eita as well. As a parent, I feel proud that he has grown up to be such a child, but I don’t want him to reach out to others expecting something in return. That is not true kindness, and I don’t want him to be in a situation like where someone is in danger, he doesn’t reach out to them right away, and I don’t want him to think that if he doesn’t get something in return, he doesn’t need to help them. I don’t want that to happen. That’s why I can’t accept this money.”
I don’t remember my father saying that, and I don’t remember much about him to begin with.
But looking at the family photo in the living room of our house, I’m sure that my father was a kind and warm person who said the words that my mother had passed down to me, and I want to cherish those words.
Therefore, I’m in agreement with her choice not to accept the 100 million yen.
If not, I would not make such a simple request to be her friend when she wants to repay the favor.
Well, the only reason I saved Kohime this time was because I was desperate after being dumped by Sumika, and I did not follow my father’s words.
However, I think it may have been because those words were ingrained in me that I was able to take action on the spur of the moment.
In fact, I have never encountered a scene where someone was about to be hit by a car and I tried to save them, so I don’t know if his words were ingrained in my mind or not.
“I see……. I really wanted you to receive it, but……”
“How about repaying the favor in a non-monetary way then, Father?”
In the face of not being able to receive the 100 million yen, Kohime proposed an alternative plan.
“Non-monetary?”
“Yes. For example, how about taking care of Eita san, who has a broken bone and is in a cast?”
“….I see. It’s a lot less than money, but it’s better than doing nothing–what do you think, Ma’m, at least let me take care of Eita until his body recovers completely. Driving him and picking him up from school, accompanying him to the hospital, etc.”
The story has progressed itself, but in the first place I don’t need anything in return.
But since he insisted, I suggested a simple way to repay the favor: to become friends with her.
So, of course, I don’t need her to take care of me, which she suggested.
So I decided to firmly decline the offer.
“No, you don’t have to repay me in the first place.”
“I said I would not ask for anything in return, but to be honest, your offer would be very helpful. Since I have work to do, the part I was most worried about was picking up Eita from school.”
Eh, Mom?
She said she didn’t want anything in return, but this person immediately accepted the proposal from Kohime, didn’t she?
Where are the words left by my father that she said with a kind and smiling face earlier?
Well, I guess it’s an easy favor to accept compared to 100 million yen.
“I understand. I will do my best to support him. If you change your mind, please let me know. I can always give you the money.”
“I will never ask for money.”
“Thank you very much. Eita san.”
I replied to her simply, and as a way of repaying my kindness, she took care of me while I was in a plaster cast.
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