Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818622176203907053
Toka stared intently at her father, who was trying to hold back his tears—and then slowly smiled.
“Eat it before it gets cold.”
“Okay… I’ll eat it.”
With that, her father finally moved his knife. He took a bite of the slightly awkward-looking hamburger and chewed it slowly.
“It’s delicious. It’s the best hamburger I’ve ever eaten.”
“I think you’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not exaggerating. Toka’s hamburgers are the best.”
“Really? Well, I’m glad to hear that…”
Toka replied in a voice that sounded both embarrassed and tearful. Her eyes were also filled with tears.
“Toka-chan, at first she almost mixed up the sugar and salt, but she gradually got better at it and worked really hard.”
“Sugar and salt…”
When my mother said that, Toka’s father smiled softly.
“At first, it was a mess! She only ate instant noodles and convenience store bento boxes.”
“Ryo-kun!?”
Seeing that, I felt truly relieved, so I decided to tell her father everything that had happened. I told him about the messy room, how she didn’t even have clothes to wear when going out, and how she had been late because she claimed she had been summoned by the futon in the morning.
“You didn’t have to say all that!”
“This is what talking to your parents is all about! Learn your lesson!”
I decided to make Toka experience the humiliation I had endured! At first, father looked very apologetic, but as he watched our exchange, he gradually began to smile.
“Toka, you’ve met a really good person.”
“Well, yeah~, he’s my boyfriend.”
Toka pouts her lips to hide her embarrassment. Yeah, yeah, it must be awkward to be told that by your parents! Finally, she understands how I feel…
“Dad, I really like Ryo-kun.”
“Yeah, I think he’s a really good kid. You’ve found a wonderful person to date.”
“Right? Right?!”
No, you don’t understand at all! I’m the one who’s the most embarrassed!
“Ryo, don’t you understand how parents feel when they hear their children talk like that?”
“Huh?”
My parents also had a very complicated expression, about 40% pride and 60% awkwardness.
“Oh, onii chan is blushing.”
“Yuzuha, be quiet!”
The laughter of the entire family filled the house.
Asahina Toka’s re-education plan—I felt like we had finally reached one of its goals. But this isn’t the end, is it? Perhaps the relationship between the Asahina family has finally begun.
—The enjoyable time flew by, and it was already time for Toka’s father to leave.
“I’m sorry, but I should be going now.”
“Yes, please come again anytime.”
Toka’s father bowed politely to my parents.
“Since we’ve been given this opportunity, we as parents would like to support the two of them from now on. We don’t know what the future holds, though…”
My mother spoke in a slightly stiff tone, but she smiled at Toka’s father with a hint of joy.
“Father…”
Toka was fidgeting behind me. She probably still had something she wanted to talk to her father about.
“Toka, why don’t you see your father off?”
I gently pushed Toka’s back. We’re here, after all. They need some time alone to talk.
“Ryo-kun isn’t coming with us…?”
Toka said timidly.
“I wish Ryo-kun could stay too…”
“Ryo-kun!?”
Even her father said that. Isn’t that a bit strange? Plus, he’s using the same nickname as Toka!
“Well, then…”
Feeling a bit uneasy, I followed the two of them. When the three of us went outside, the sky was already pitch black.
“Thank you so much today.”
Her father murmured those words to me and Toka.
“…No, thank you.”
“…”
“…”
Silence fell between the two of them. It wouldn’t be right for me to butt in here… So I decided to cheer them on in my heart! “Both of you, do your best!”
“Can I come again?”
It was father who spoke first.
“…Yes. Actually, I’d be in trouble if you didn’t come. I still have so much I want to talk about.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I’ll get better as soon as possible and come visit Toka a lot.”
father gently placed his hand on Toka’s head. Toka closed her eyes slightly.
“Toka, about the new place…”
“Oh, right!”
“I’ll give you the key. You can use the room freely.”
“Okay…”
“It might be a hassle for Kuga san’s family…”
As he said that, her father shook his head.
“No, I’m worried about you staying at a boy’s house. I’d prefer if you came back at night.”
“You’re worried about me?”
“Yeah.”
I turned my back slightly and looked up at the night sky.
…I wonder why. Even though it’s not about me, my chest feels full. This must mean that the Asahina family’s time has started moving again, right?
“But I feel safe with Ryo-kun. You’ve really found a wonderful boy.”
“That’s right! He’s too good for someone like me!”
The two of them gradually became more animated in their conversation. I felt like I was the main focus of their conversation, but I decided not to worry about that too much right now.
“Well, it’s about time…”
Both of them seemed a little reluctant to part, but they said their goodbyes.
Just as her father was about to get into the car,
“Wait!”
Toka stepped forward and called out. Her father turned around. Toka was holding her smartphone in her hand.
“…Um, can you give me your phone number?”
“Huh?”
“I have a note, but I don’t have your number in my phone yet. I’ve been thinking that maybe I shouldn’t contact you…”
She spoke with a steady voice, though she was looking down slightly.
There was a moment of silence. But the next moment—
“Sure, of course. Thanks for asking.”
Her dad quietly smiled and took out his phone.
“Can I add yours too? I think there might be times when I need to talk to you about Toka or something.”
I jumped in, and her dad smiled with narrowed eyes.
“…Then, maybe I’ll send you a message from time to time too.”
The “parent and child” and “us” connected through the screen. It might just be a few digits, but it was definitely something that brought our hearts a step closer.
“Ryo kun, thank you so much today. I can’t thank you enough.”
“You’re overreacting…”
“No, I can totally understand why Toka likes you.”
Leaving those embarrassing words behind, father left our house.
father’s taillights faded into the night as Toka and I stood silently watching him go. The night breeze blew, causing Toka’s hair to sway gently.
“Actually…”
Toka spoke softly.
“…That man isn’t my real father. I guess you could say we’re not related by blood.”
Those words melted into the quiet night air. Toka’s eyes stared into the distance, as if following father’s car.
“Toka…”
“That’s why I’ve always held back. I didn’t have the courage to contact him or talk to him. But talking to you today, I feel like I’ve taken a small step forward.”
Toka, I knew that. I didn’t know what to say.
“Ah!”
“What’s wrong, Ryo kun?”
“This is the interview Yuzuha recorded yesterday! I wanted to show it to Toka.”
That’s right! I wanted to show this to Toka! I was so preoccupied with today’s meal that I forgot. I gently showed the screen of my phone to Toka.
“I watched part of it too you know?”
“Yeah. But I wanted you to watch this part again.”
I paused the video at a certain point.
[…Why don’t you stop? It’s abnormal to make a high school boy say something like this. Normally, you can’t call everyone and do something like this.]
A man’s voice was clearly heard.
“Looking back, thanks to this person, the direction of the interview changed significantly.”
“Uh, huh?”
“This is Toka’s father’s voice, right?”
Toka took a small breath. She stared at the phone screen with wide eyes. Then, she took the phone with slightly trembling fingers.
“My dad was disguised as a reporter, supporting me… no, supporting Toka. I think he was trying to calm things down as much as possible.”
“Dad.”
“I told him too, but the two of you are so similar! Especially how you’re both so stubborn!”
Toka nodded happily at my words. Her smile shone brightly under the starry sky.
“Dad, he never changed even when I was working.”
“Never changed?”
“Even when someone made a mistake or got scolded, he always smiled as usual. he’s always so laid-back that it makes me relax too.”
“Ah, I kind of get it.”
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be like Dad.”
This might be the first time Toka has ever talked about the past so happily. Watching her like that, I couldn’t help but smile too.
“Toka, do you ever want to meet your real dad?”
In the gentle atmosphere, I suddenly asked Toka that question.
“No, I don’t. I don’t want to meet someone I don’t know. Besides, my dad has always been that person.”
“I see.”
“…But you know, the person I want to be father is right here.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You’re so dense…”
Saying that, Toka turned away and laughed happily.
There are many forms of parent-child relationships, but as long as there is love, they can be connected. Today, I felt like I had rediscovered the meaning of “family.”
――And so, Toka’s housing turmoil came to a temporary conclusion.
But!
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