My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 117

"Huh? I don't need it—"

"Do you want to get even thinner? Eat more!"

Hearing that inexplicably forceful tone, I suddenly understood.

He didn't want to go alone.

I grinned and seized the opportunity to tell him:

"I'll do whatever you say as long as you call my name."

“…Hmm…”

Shuidou twisted his face, his eyes momentarily turning elsewhere...

Then, reluctantly, he stood up, looking down at me sitting on the ground, and stretched out his hand with a serious expression.

"Let's go, Yui."

“…Huh?”

I couldn't help but let out a sound like my lungs were leaking air.

A tingling sensation ran down my spine, and for some reason, it made me want to run away.

Mizuto looked down at me and scoffed, "Hmph."

"Okay, you lost."

“…Huh?”

"Let's go, sis."

"What...ah..."

This guy... this man!

You're the one breaking the rules by having to act all cool to get me to call your name!

"...Okay, brother!"

"Oh."

He used to waver when I called him "brother," but now he seems indifferent.

I grasped the water bucket's hand and stood up.

I probably won't have the chance to call him "Irito-kun" again.

He probably won't have the chance to call me "Ayai" anymore.

We have escaped the lingering shadows of memory.

I severed the ugly emotion called attachment and accepted myself as I am now.

...That's how it should be.

but.

As I walked toward our relatives, I thought to myself.

But why—why do I want to hold this hand a little longer?

"The roads in the countryside are dangerous at night, be careful on your way back!"

By the time the barbecue party ended, the sun was almost setting.

Gazing at the fiery red pastoral scenery and the iron tower that had turned into a dark shadow, Mizuto and I walked on the county road where there were no cars.

There was no one else there.

Although several relatives drove over, the seats were full after letting the older generation, Takema who was tired and asleep, and his cousin Madoka who was with him sit in the car.

So the two of us, who still had the energy, decided to walk home.

Shuidou led the way ahead of me.

It was probably a distance of about three large steps.

Without thinking much about it, I maintained that distance and didn't walk beside him, stepping across the cement road under the setting sun.

There really is nothing there.

I said this while glancing to the side.

Although a few houses that look like residences can be seen here and there, the rest are just dry fields, rice paddies, and iron towers with strung power lines. These iron blocks should seem very unnatural in the mountains, but they are surprisingly integrated into the landscape.

Without turning his head, Shuidou said:

"I never find it inconvenient. It's only five days anyway, I can just read some books and it'll pass by."

"...Um, I wanted to ask you—"

To get the words I'd swallowed back out of my mouth, I quickened my pace, shortening the distance by one step.

"—Do you dislike these relatives?"

Two steps remain.

The water bucket got closer to me, but I still didn't turn around.

"I don't hate them."

The tone was very flat.

"To be honest—I don't care about them."

"That's outrageous!"

"There's nothing I can do, I'm not familiar with them. They're all from that side of the village, some are great-uncle and others or something, I don't even know how to address them. To be honest, there are many people whose faces I can't even connect with their names."

"...What about Cousin Yuanxiang? Aren't you close in age? Cousin Yuanxiang even said she's been taking care of you since you were little."

「… … … … … … … … … … 」

For some reason, Shuidou paused for a long time before answering.

"...Indeed, I remember she often cared about me. As far as I can remember...the first time I came here was probably when I was in kindergarten. So she was just a primary school student back then..."

When I was a child, everyone older than me looked like an adult.

He initially thought she was a reliable older sister, but now, looking back, she was just a child. Perhaps that's what makes him feel so deeply...

If that's the case—for Mizuto, his cousin Madoka might be like a mother.

Having lost his mother at birth, Mizuto perhaps only feels a little maternal love from his cousin, Madoka…

"...Eh."

I swallowed hard.

For some reason, my throat suddenly felt dry.

"Just asking casually—"

It takes a bit of courage.

The desire to know and the desire not to know are conflicting.

(Illustration 009)

However, I have already let go of that attachment.

I quickened my pace again, shortening the distance by one step.

"—What kind of person was your first love?"

One step left.

A distance where you can reach out and touch it.

Shuidou still didn't turn back.

"Heh." He smiled, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"In my memory, she was a cheerful person."

Hehehe.

A very distinctive laugh, as if echoing deep within the ears.

“…I see.”

Do you remember, Yuito Irido?

(Illustration 010)

A woman of unparalleled naiveté, with an indifferent attitude that even children dare not cry upon seeing her.

The person I used to be was the least suited to the word "smile" in the whole world.

So this is ah.

You really were in love with Cousin Yuanxiang.

One step, two steps, and the distance widened.

The sun had already sunk halfway down.

The uncertain twilight has passed, and night will soon fall.

Volume 4: First Kiss Declares War - Childhood Sweetheart Goes to the Swimming Pool - "Well Done a Good Job of Hiding It."

This is a truly chilling fact: during my third year of junior high school, I had a so-called girlfriend.

That being said, that guy was actually my childhood sweetheart, and our initial relationship was just a further development of that kind of relationship.

If you really want to know, just think about it and you'll understand.

My neighbor is a woman I grew up with like a sibling, and she even knows my parents! I have to be so worried about bringing a girl home.

So, how should I put it... that's just the deletion method.

From the very beginning, I could only choose that one and only landmine girl—that was my fate, it's that simple.

Or, if we weren't childhood sweethearts.

If they are just neighbors.

Perhaps we wouldn't have had to face such a terrible ending—but it's too late to say that now.

The reality is that the woman was very close to me, and I couldn't abandon her.

Faced with this situation, I'm really angry at my inexplicable caring nature—you know what I was like in elementary school, right?

I've forgotten which grade of elementary school it was. Although I don't remember very clearly, I went to the swimming pool with Xiaoxiao—Xiaoyue. Who was the guardian again? Probably one of my parents or that guy's parents.

We're not going to play in the water. We have our serious reasons.

It was about teaching Xiaoyue to swim.

Although Xiaoyue is now an exceptionally athletic person, possessing superhuman physical abilities as if she ate a muscle-building fruit, surprisingly, she couldn't swim before. In order to prepare for the swimming certification exam that will be held during the summer vacation, I, as benevolent as Buddha and as omnipotent as God, thought of giving my poor childhood friend special training.

I went into the water first and reached out my hand to Xiaoyue, who was timidly peering out at the water's surface.

—Come on, grab me and you won't be afraid.

--Hmm...

Xiaoyue gently took my hand and slowly put her feet into the water.

She actually had that kind of excellent attitude back then, which really touched me. If it were now, she'd probably step on my face and jump into the pool.

—Can you feel the bottom with your feet?

--Hmm, it's alright...

Seeing a girl my age grabbing me and stammering like that, I, who am both physically and mentally insecure, must have felt my self-esteem greatly satisfied. Congratulations! I have no idea how terrible the situation has become due to your incurable need for self-esteem!

I held Xiaoyue's hand and slowly guided her to practice putting her head underwater. Even though I was just a little kid at the time, I knew the steps so well because I'd crammed on a tablet at the last minute. In other words, even though I was still a kid, I was taking this quite seriously.

--Don't be afraid~Relax, relax~

But a kid is a kid. His concentration level is too low.

While I was holding Xiaoyue's hand and helping her practice kicking in the water, my attention had already shifted elsewhere.

A scream followed, then a splash! A large amount of water flew everywhere.