Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818792436243274039
In an instant, those words echoed repeatedly in my mind.
real father…?
“…Huh?”
“So—Ryo. If that man tries to contact her, stay by Toka’s side.”
Her Mom’s voice was trembling. The cold atmosphere from just moments ago had vanished completely.
“What… do you mean?”
“Didn’t he tell you? That Toka has a biological father.”
My heart leapt.
I had indeed heard that from Toka’s current father. But… I’d been deliberately avoiding thinking about it deeply.
“Why bring this up now…”
“Because we’re in a tight spot, I suppose. Asahina Toka is gone, and Kagurazaka Kaede is transferring agencies…”
Words failed me. My mind went blank, unable to process it.
Her mother’s voice was hoarse. Her eyes seemed to flicker painfully.
“Rena san, would it be okay if you told Ryo kun a little story from the past?”
At her father’s gentle tone, Toka’s mother nodded.
“If you search for ‘Asahina Rena,’ you’ll find out—but when Toka was in belly, it was incredibly difficult. The public backlash was fierce… Even my mother said things like, ‘There’s no way someone like you could raise a child.’”
“real mother?”
“Rena-san’s mother. She’s passed away now. But regardless, Rena-san loved and raised Toka. She was determined to find Toka a bright future in showbiz. She believed it was a truly wonderful industry where everyone could see her and support her.”
Father continued, his gaze drifting somewhere distant.
“During that commotion at the cultural festival, I saw that Toka’s future in showbiz wasn’t ruined yet. At the same time, I knew how terrifying the media could be. So…”
I understood what he was saying. I could see why he tried to do what he did. But that only made me feel even more… why?
“You know, my own mother told me I’d raised her wrong. That hurt me so much. I decided I’d pour every ounce of love I had into Toka.”
Toka’s mother looked somehow lonely. But her eyes were definitely smiling. She could make that face… For the first time, I felt like I saw her true emotions.
“I kept thinking, ‘If it makes Toka happy, if it’s for Toka’s happiness…’ To protect Toka from that person, I deliberately pushed her away. But like you said, I didn’t consider Toka’s own will.”
“…”
“It’s laughable, isn’t it? I should be the one who couldn’t forgive being called a ‘failed upbringing,’ yet I used those very words to hurt Toka. I should be the real failed upbringing…”
Tears welling in her eyes, Toka’s mother’s voice trembled.
“You know, if it weren’t for this person beside me now, I’d be in much worse shape. But I caused him so much worry over Toka, made him lose his health…”
“It’s fine about me. That lingering resentment… Ryo-kun resolved it for me.”
I didn’t do anything. I just gave each of them a little push.
“…Specifically, what should I do?”
“Stay by Toka’s side. Right now, you’re the one she trusts the most.”
“Ugh, Mouu!”
That’s not it!
All sorts of emotions tangled up inside me, and I found myself standing up without thinking. Her true feelings, the story about Toka’s real father, the failure to raise her properly, the mistakes in how she was brought up! You expect me to understand all that now, when I just turned sixteen?!
But there’s one thing I can say clearly right here and now!
“I don’t get it all, but I totally get how you feel! At the same time, I totally get that your methods and your words weren’t right either!”
Look, I don’t get it either, but the fact you came to see me means you acknowledge me to some extent, right?!
“I’ll protect Toka without you telling me to! But I’m just a high schooler! Still a freshman! Thanks to you guys, I know painfully well there’s a ton I can’t do as a freshman!”
So I decided to say what I wanted to say! Packed with all the sarcasm I could muster, I’ll say exactly what I think!
“It’s all because you never properly talked to Toka, isn’t it?! I don’t know what kind of person Toka’s real father is! But haven’t you ever considered that Toka might want to meet her biological father!?”
“Huh?”
“See, that confused look again! Toka’s incredibly lonely. Do you even understand that?! Please talk properly with Toka! The one you care about most… the one you should care about most is Toka, right!?”
The moment I finished saying that, the air around us froze completely. Mom’s mouth hung open in shock, but the next second, she bit her lip hard. Her shoulders were trembling slightly. Dad exhaled deeply and looked straight at me.
“But now…”
Mom’s voice was thin and faint, almost fading away. Her indecisive attitude snapped something inside me.
“Toka’s mother… no, Asahina Rena! If you think you ‘failed’ raising her, then I’ll raise you over again!”
“Huh?”
“For Toka’s sake, I’ll retrain you! If you truly care about Toka’s happiness, you’ll accept this challenge, right?! Just so you know, I’m Spartan about this! First, you need to properly face Toka!”
“Bu-but…”
“No ‘buts’! If you don’t hurry, we might just get married!”
“Haaaaaaaaaaah!?”
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