Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818622170191727782
It is mid-June, and the cool air from the car’s air conditioner feels good against my clammy skin.
In the passenger seat, Yua chan is looking out the window with her seatbelt fastened tightly.
Outside, a damp breeze ruffles the trees, and the asphalt looks faintly distorted in the sunlight.
On the sidewalk, the laughter of children happily walking hand in hand with their parents echoes in the distance.
I bet she feels as if she was once a slave in a cage, but now she is a bird in a cage.
She wasn’t trapped there by someone with evil intentions.
She is locked up for protection by the kindness of people she can trust.
From the outside, they may look the same, but they are very different.
Slaves were only allowed to live the life of slaves, but now they are given wings and taught how to fly.
Someday, I hope she will able to fly on her own.
Will she be able to fly high in the sky one day?
◇
I look around.
The parking lot near the office is quiet, and only the sound of cars on the road in the distance reaches me.
The police aren’t chasing us…we’re safe.
I stop the car and hurry to drop Yua chan off.
The heat is slowly seeping into my back and my shirt is sticking to my back a little with sweat.
As I pull her hand and hurry to the entrance of the office, a peculiar mixture of cigarette smoke and the cool air of the air conditioner hits my nose.
“Hey, hey, you bringing your kid to work today? This ain’t no day care center.”
A colleague’s teasing voice echoed through the office.
Inside the office, there is the usual bustle, the sound of phones ringing and papers being flipped through.
“I know. I didn’t want to bring her here in this smoky place either.” I reply, knocking on the door of the president’s office.
“Who is it?”
A low voice echoes through the door. “It’s Yamasaka. I brought that girl.” he replied, “Oh, come in.”
When I opened the door, I saw the boss sitting stolidly in a leather chair in a room with a thin waft of cigarette smoke.
He presses a cigarette into the ashtray with his thick fingers and takes one look at me.
An overwhelming aura weighs down the air, and my spine involuntarily straightens.
An old calendar was pasted on the wall, and sunlight was streaming in dimly from outside the window.
“Still not used, huh. There’s no need to be so nervous. I’m lenient with children. Is there anything you’d like to eat or drink?”
The boss smiles a rather stale smile and turns his attention to Yua chan.
“No…I’m fine.” she replies in a small voice, shrinking back to hide behind my legs.
“She seems to like you a lot, ain’t she? I’m relieved. So what? From the look on your face, I’m guessing you have something else you wanna tell me besides the fact that you brought this girl here.”
“In the morning…some cops came to my house.”
“Ah? Cops? Why?”
“Apparently, a neighbor reported this girl coming and going from my house.”
“….What did they look like? Their appearance or somehthing.”
“One was a rookie, tall and a little awkward, but the other was a veteran with a well build. He wore round glasses and had a low, calm voice.”
“The veteran wore round glasses?”
“Eh? Yes…he did…”
The bosssighs deeply and crushes his cigarette butt into the ashtray.
“The way he barges in in the morning…he’s still doing it the old-fashioned way…that old man.”
“…You know him?”
“He’s an old man who has been rumored to be a nuisance in these neighborhoods for a long time. Someone who does dirty things without a care in the world. I think it would be better to hide little missy somewhere else for the time being.”
Yua chan squeezed my sleeve.
Her small hands were trembling, and I could feel their touch on my arms.
“…Looks like it’s not possible.”
“….Right. I’d like to avoid it if at all possible.”
I don’t want to do anything that would reduce the trust we’ve built up so far.
“Well, it’s fine if you stay in this office. There are simple beds and showers. There’s an unused room in the storeroom in the back, so clean that up.”
“Yes…. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Don’t worry about it. You have become a great parent. Parents should do everything for their children.”
So we had a room in the back prepared and decided that Yua chan would stay there that day.
The room was dusty and dimly lit, with only a cot and a small desk.
“…I’m sorry, but can you stay here today? I’ll tell them not to let anyone in here, and I’ll show up as much as I can.”
I’d like her to go with me, but if they see her getting in the car, it’ll just cause trouble.
The safest place to be right now is here.
Yua chan gave a small nod and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Suddenly, the door opened with a bang, and a woman appeared with a sound of pounding footsteps.
“You’re the one who took Senpai away from me, aren’t you? As long as my eyes are red, I won’t let you take him away from me.”
Her flashy red hair caught my eye, and she was wearing a black rock band T-shirt, ripped jeans, and a flashy choker swinging around her neck.
[Illustration.]
https://kakuyomu.jp/users/tanakamatao01/news/16818622170229468628
She zipped into the room and stared at us with her arms crossed.
Yua chan blinks her eyes and stares at her with a surprised look on her face.
The air in the office instantly changed, and the mixture of cigarette smoke and her perfume created a strange tension.
“..Hey. I think it says here that no one is to enter the room, right?” I called out to her, and Aira grinned and shrugged.
“Hey, hey, Senpai. Do you know that rules are meant to be broken?”
“There’s no such things. Get out of here for now, Aira.”
“Hmph ! Come and try ! You’re seriously trying to get rid of me…you like that girl more than me !”
Sasagamine Aira.
I’ve been taking care of her as a trainer.
[Illustration]
https://kakuyomu.jp/users/tanakamatao01/news/16818622170229468628
As you can see from her appearance, she is an indie band fanatic and her trademark is the flashy fashion typical of a band girl.
She glanced at Yua chan and raised an eyebrow.
“What is she anyway? Your kid? An illegitimate child?”
“That girl…is a relative’s child in my care.”
“A relative? Did you have such a close relative?”
“…There was. You should take care of yourself instead of worrying about other people. First of all, get a car license. It’s hard to work with only a motorcycle. Don’t just depend on me.”
Aira’s mouth twitched, and she lightly kicked the floor with the toe of her shoe, whispering, “”..If I get a license, I won’t be with Senpai…”
No…I think I should let her take care of Yua chan today.
“…Stay in the office and work today. Or rather, take care of this girl if you can.”
When Aila makes a blatantly displeased face, I warned her “Hey, don’t make a displeased face.”
“You’re asking me a favor, aintcha? Then, please do me a favor, too.”
“A favor? What?”
“Please go on a date with me next time.”
“…Haa…alright, next time.”
“For real !? Thanks, Senpai ! !”
Aira jumps on me. She hugged me forcefully, and when I pulled her away in a panic, saying “Hey ! Don’t cling to me ! Your chest is touching me !” she laughed and patted me on the shoulder, saying “It’s touching lol I know that guys like this kind of thing ! lol”.
In the end, Aira took care of Yua chan for most of the day.
At first, Yua chan shrank at the edge of the bed like a frightened little animal, but as soon as Aira started to get involved with her using her natural comic ability, she gradually opened up to her.
Aira sat on the floor and joked about something, and I could hear Yua chan giggling.
By the latter half, they had opened up enough to talk happily.
I knew she’d feel more comfortable with someone of the same sex.
They get along a little too well, and I’m a little jealous inside.
I went back home to get my luggage.
Back at the office, as I approached my room, I heard joyful voices coming from inside.
Seriously, this isn’t a game, I thought to myself as I opened the door to find Yua chan standing there shyly in her school swimsuit.
[Illustration]
https://kakuyomu.jp/users/tanakamatao01/news/16818622170266919334
The room was filled with colorful sundries that Aira had apparently brought in, and a fancy towel was spread out on the cot.
“How is it !? Senpai ! I knew that school swimsuits are a man’s dream, right !?” Aira proudly puffed out her chest. Yua chan blushed and turned her head down, her hands clutching the hem of the towel.
At any rate, I gave Aira a smack on the head.
We decided to spend that night in the office. When I talked to Yua chan, she seemed to like Aira a lot.
She said she had made her first friend and made a small smile with a twinkle in her eye.
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