I Promised to Make the Class Honor Student My 'Little Sister'. It Seems She Wants to Be Spoiled a Lot - Volume 1 Chapter 13.2

Me, Running Away from My Family, Finding an Important “Connection”

In a hospital gown, sitting on the bed, there’s me.

And there’s my father, eyebrows furrowed, giving me a sharp look.

Then──there’s Ao, smiling gently like she does at school.

In a room with just the three of us… Ao was the first to break the silence.

“Ryu-kun, how are you feeling? I brought some snacks and a change of clothes for you.”

“Ah… thanks, Ao.”

Despite the palpably tense atmosphere between my father and me,

Ao approached me as if everything was normal.

Facing Ao… my father spoke.

“Miss Kakogawa, was it? I apologize for any trouble my son may have caused your family. I’m truly sorry.”

“No, not at all! There’s been no trouble. My sister and I are Yukari Kakogawa’s… cousins. Our home has always been a bit unusual, like living with just Yukari, my sister, and me. Having Ryu-kun… I mean, Takato-kun come to stay has actually made things really enjoyable for us.”

Unfazed by my father’s deep voice, Ao replied and then handed me the bag with a bright smile.

“Thank you for always being so kind, Takato-kun.”

…I should be the one thanking her.

Even now, that’s the case.

The conversation with my father had almost frozen my heart, but Ao’s warm voice thawed it.

“Children can’t live without their parents──you were saying something like that, weren’t you? Takato-kun’s father.”

“…Yes, I did say that.”

Ao turned her back to me and faced my father.

“When I was in elementary school… I lost my mother in an accident. And in middle school, my father passed away due to illness. Without parents and nowhere to go… my sister and I were almost sent to an institution. But our cousin Yukari said she wouldn’t let us go to an institution and took us in.”

──I’ve been raised in an orphanage since middle school.

──My parents might still be alive somewhere. I don’t know.

I remembered the past Yukari had shared with me.

Although I don’t know the details, I think Yukari, just like me, lives with complex feelings towards family.

That’s why she took in Ao and Kizuna-chan.

To prevent them from experiencing the same feelings she had.

“I no longer have… a father or a mother. But still, I’m alive. Even without parents, I’m living my life to the fullest for both of them… Please don’t assume that children can’t live without their parents!”

Ao clasped something tightly behind her back.

It was──the brown leather passcase.

Tattered but filled with Ao’s family memories… a precious treasure.

“…That wasn’t my intention. If I made you feel uncomfortable, I apologize.”

Seeing Ao trembling slightly,

My father coldly offered a standard apology.

“Like Miss Kakogawa’s home has its circumstances, so does our family. It’s a dereliction of duty to overlook a child’s whims forever. That’s why I──told Ryuuki to come home. That’s all.”

“…Are you referring to Takato-kun’s running away?”

“Of course, that.”

“…You really don’t try to understand Takato-kun at all, do you? Father…”

Muttering, Ao wiped her eyes with her hand.

I couldn’t see her face from behind, but…

Ao’s breath was slightly trembling.

“Ao, my sister, and even my cousin Yukari… Our ‘family’ might have complicated characters. But Ryu-kun tried to understand the hearts of such a difficult trio with complicated circumstances.”

Ao’s words were…

Simply kind, tender… and warm.

“…We’re different people, Ao and I. Born into different families, walking different paths in life… with many different thoughts and feelings. But still──we tried to know each other’s differing hearts! So why can’t a blood-related family’s father… even try to see Takato-kun’s heart!?”

“It’s okay, Ao. Thank you. Really… thank you.”

I gently squeezed Ao’s trembling hand and expressed my heartfelt gratitude.

“Ryu-kun…”

“Ao’s kindness means a lot to me. That’s why… I understood what I need to do.”

Then, I had Ao move to the side of the bed, clearing the space between my father and me.

“Hey, Dad. You said it earlier, didn’t you? That children can’t live without their parents.”

I got down on my knees on the bed.

And being careful not to dislodge the IV in my left arm,

I slowly adopted a formal kneeling posture.

“Eh!? Ryu-kun, what are you doing!?”

Ao’s voice rose in alarm.

After reassuring her with a smile,

I took a deep breath and…

…looked straight into the eyes of my father, whom I despise.

“Running away made me realize. I’m still a kid… and I can’t live without my parents.”