Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818622176203899988
I returned home and explained what had happened today to my parents and Toka. I also told them that I had made a dinner date with Toka’s father for tomorrow.
“What?! Did father really agree to that?!”
Toka collapsed onto the sofa and let out a strange cry. She looked as if she couldn’t believe it was real.
“He’s your own father, so why are you so surprised?”
“Well, it’s surprising, isn’t it? I mean, it’s father! There’s no way he would come to a place like that! Maybe it will snow tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry! Summer is just around the corner, so that’s definitely not going to happen!”
“You answered seriously!”
She seemed to be joking, but Toka’s voice was trembling just a little. It wasn’t just surprise and confusion, but I could sense a faint fluctuation, as if something she had long since given up on deep in her heart had suddenly come back to life.
“Just so you know, Toka, you’re the star of this dinner party!”
“Me!?”
“You’re in charge of all your father’s cooking! You’ve been training little by little, haven’t you?”
“Nooooooooo! I’m definitely going to fail!”
Finally, Toka fell off the sofa.
“No way, no way, no way! I’ll definitely fail!”
“Well, it’s all about attitude. It’s okay to fail, it’s okay.”
“It’s definitely impossible!”
Her rejection was stronger than I expected. Well, even though she says that, her expression is bright, so I don’t think she’s really that upset. Probably.
“Toka, just to confirm, you don’t hate your father, do you?”
“What? Of course I don’t hate him. He’s my father.”
I’m relieved! Now we’ve confirmed each other’s intentions. Things are a little awkward, but we don’t hate each other. Now I can act without any reservations.
“Don’t worry about the cooking. I’ll help you.”
“Ugh…”
“Besides, my mom will help too. She might be a more reliable helper.”
As I said that and looked over at my mother sitting at the table, she smiled back at us.
“Toka-chan, why don’t you take a bath now?”
“M-Mother-in-law…”
“You’ve had a busy day, so you should get some rest.”
Encouraged by my mother, Toka went to take a bath.
Watching her leave, I sat down on the sofa.
I’m exhausted… Today was really tough, both mentally and physically.
“Ryo.”
“Hmm?”
While I was lounging on the sofa, my father came over to sit next to me.
“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”
“Why do you think that!?”
“You’ve always been the type to overdo things once you set your mind on something. If you push yourself too hard, you’ll end up like you did with your knee.”
“Guh…”
“Don’t try too hard to impress the girl you admire.”
My father had completely figured me out.
So much has happened in the last month! Toka’s retirement, the housing situation, my reunion with Kaede Kagurazaka, today’s interview, and the issue with my father. This is too much for an ordinary high school student like me who has no special talents…
“No, I want to look cool in front of the girl I like…”
“I understand! When I was young, I was the same way in front of your mother!”
“I don’t want to hear that!”
Who wants to hear their parents talk about that? I never thought today would turn out to be such torture!
“…Well, I guess I just have to do my best for now. I don’t have any special talents like Toka, so I have to at least try my hardest.”
Perhaps because I was talking to my father and let my guard down, I ended up revealing my true feelings.
“I see. But you still have a long way to go.”
My father patted me on the shoulder. Yes, my father was right. Both Toka and I, and even Toka’s family, still have a long way to go. Everyone is focused on Toka’s child acting days, but I think our lives are still ahead of us.
“Ah, I want to take a long break during summer vacation.”
“Are we going to the beach as a family this year?”
“No way, that’s embarrassing. Yuzuha wouldn’t want to go either.”
“What if Toka says she wants to go?”
“Then maybe I would…”
My father laughed so hard it was annoying, and patted me on the shoulder again.
At night, in my room…
Toka was in bed. I was on the futon on the floor. We turned off the lights and decided to go to bed early today.
“Ryo-kun…”
“I’m tired today, so I’m going to sleep…”
“There’s been so much going on, I can’t sleep…”
“I understand that…”
Toka was tossing and turning on her futon, looking uncomfortable. Until a moment ago, she had managed to get through it all with her high spirits, but now that she was surrounded by darkness, all kinds of emotions came flooding back to her.
“…Dad, do you think he’ll really come?”
Toka’s voice sounded a little subdued.
“It’s okay. I’m sure he’ll come.”
“Yeah… but I still can’t believe it.”
“He looked like he cared about you. I was a little jealous.”
“You’re jealous too, Ryo-kun!?”
Toka rolled off the bed and came over to my futon.
“Come back!”
“Because I’m so happy!”
Toka crawled into my futon.
“Mouu…”
“I’m about to overflow with love again. I never thought Ryo kun would do something like this for me because of my father.”
Toka buried her face in my chest and said that in a muffled voice.
“My love is flooding out…”
“Should I issue an evacuation warning?”
“Ryo-kun, you are my shelter… You are safe, warm, and have a gentle scent… I feel calm.”
Toka clung to me tightly. I naturally ended up with my arm around her. She was small, but her warmth was reassuring.
(She used to do anything to get work.)
Suddenly, her father’s words flashed through my mind. Is it such an attractive industry that you want to cling to it?
“…Toka, don’t you want to go back to show business?”
“Not at all.”
“I see.”
I knew it, but I asked her anyway to confirm. And I felt relieved from the bottom of my heart when she said that.
Is he her real father? I don’t think it’s any of my business, and I don’t think I can do anything about it. But does Toka know that? I can’t ask her that now.
“Hmm… If, just if, Toka wanted to return to the entertainment industry for some reason, I might become her manager…”
I said that while yawning.
“What?”
“The birth of Manager Kuga.”
“Well, I might be Kuga by then! Ryo-kun is the manager of my life!”
“Is that so?”
Before I knew it, I had become Toka’s manager. Or rather, I felt like she had casually said something outrageous.
“No, no, no! I love you! I can’t stop loving you!”
“Make up your mind, do you like me or not…”
“My love is running wild! I can’t control it!”
“You suddenly developed middle school syndrome.”
Toka showed no signs of going to sleep, so I hugged her tightly with my sleepy head. It felt good to have our cheeks pressed together. I’m so sleepy today that my head isn’t working at all.
“Maybe the luckiest thing in my life was meeting you, Ryo kun…”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not exaggerating.”
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