My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 277

"Trying to treat people like dress-up dolls, and acting all high and mighty...?"

"Isn't it all your fault for not putting any effort into the outfit?"

"It's just a meal, why think so much about it?"

"They booked a fancy restaurant for us, we can't just show up in some old fleece jacket!"

The final exams are over, and the day to meet my dad has finally arrived.

According to what my mother relayed, we'll meet in front of the train station, and then my father will take us to one of those fancy restaurants where adults go on dates. I've never asked much about it before, but does that mean my genetically related father is actually very wealthy?

So, taking into account the TPO principle, I prepared a mature-style winter dress in a sheer material. Mom said Dad would cover the cost, so I essentially got a free dress.

"You two, be careful on the road."

"Mom said to us, who were standing at the door of our house."

"Actually, I should have gone with you..."

"Didn't Dad tell you that you should be 'ashamed of your husband'?"

"That's right. He always makes a lot of sense, leaving me speechless every time..."

Mom smiled, somewhat troubled.

I find it hard to imagine being able to think this way about someone I've been married to for so many years. If Mizuto had another girlfriend, could I put myself in his shoes like that? I think I would feel very conflicted and would definitely not be able to stay calm.

"Then let's go out."

"Yes. The same goes for Mizuto. I know you might find it difficult, but at least the food should be delicious, so just enjoy a good meal."

"OK."

We walked out of the house together.

Although it was still evening, it was almost completely dark. The December wind stung my cheeks. I pulled up the collar of the coat I was wearing over my dress and glanced at Shuidou walking beside me. As always, I couldn't tell what he was thinking from his expression.

Are you nervous?

When I asked, Shuidou didn't even look at me before answering:

"Aren't you nervous?"

Shuidou didn't seem nervous at all. His complexion was normal, his voice was normal, and he walked at his usual pace; he seemed very natural. As for me…

"Maybe... a little."

I don't know how long it's been since I last saw my dad.

In novels and TV series, there are many fathers who regularly meet with their divorced wives or daughters. But I don't remember ever meeting with my father like that.

So I always thought that my dad wasn't interested in me.

And to be honest, I feel the same way... It's been so long since I lived with my dad that I hardly remember anything. When I occasionally hear my mom mention it, it feels like she's talking about a stranger.

Aside from the elementary school assignment of "visiting your father at home," which left me at a loss—if you ask me how much affection I have for my father, I actually don't have much.

So frankly, I don't know what the point of meeting here today is.

Why did Dad suddenly come to find me and Shui Dou? I have no idea, so I'm inevitably on guard and nervous.

Last time, I had a sudden thought of going against Dongtou's classmate and thought I should start by winning over the people around me... but that kind of scheming was scared away long ago.

We arrived at the meeting point without exchanging more than a few words.

We arranged to meet in front of the KYOTO TOWER SANDO, the same place where I had previously met up with Mizuto.

The streets were already filled with Christmas spirit, and Christmas carols drifted in from somewhere. Across the seemingly restless crowd, some people could be seen looking down at their phones to pass the time.

We agreed to contact each other by phone once we arrived. But before I even took out my phone, I noticed something.

A dashing and handsome man in a coat stood there, leaning against a thick silver pillar.

Upon seeing that person's appearance, the memory naturally and quickly returned to my mind.

"Dad—"

"—Uncle Keikoin?"

Before I could even call him, Mizuto spoke first, sounding surprised.

Huh?

The man in the overcoat looked up from his phone and gazed at us.

Then, he revealed a mischievous smile.

My father, Ryōsei Kōjō, said:

"I knew it! Mizuto-kun."

Irito Yume ◆ Direction of her gaze

With Dad leading the way, we arrived at a restaurant on the upper floor of a nearby building. From this restaurant, you could see the streetscape of Kyoto and the Kyoto Tower, a standard spot for taking photos. But my mind was just a mess.

How does Mizuto know my dad?

After Dad took off his coat and sat down at the table, he answered my question:

"A few days ago, when I was giving a speech at a university, I happened to run into Mizuto. I asked him what his name was, and it turned out that he shared the same name as Yui's stepbrother, which startled me."

"Giving a speech at a university...?"

"Hmm? Oh right, I don't think I've mentioned my job to you yet. I work as a producer at a video game company, and occasionally I get invited to give lectures by organizations like art colleges."

Video games… I only guessed that my dad's profession was in some kind of content industry, but I never expected this…

I looked at the water bucket next to me, who was pretending to be clueless.

"When did you start... getting interested in video games?"

"...I'm just going with Isana. She's tired from preparing for exams and wants to relax."

Mizuto explained to me with a reluctant attitude.

Huh? Can you wait a minute? Does that mean... not only Shuidou, but even Dongtou has seen his father? And she even filled in this moat?

I suddenly felt even more lost. But wait, I need to calm down. To be honest, I rarely see my dad anyway, so his treating Dongtou like a water bucket won't affect anything. The moat is too far from the castle.

"By the way, Mizuto-kun."

Dad was wiping his hands with a wet towel while talking to the sink.

"Speaking of which, the third illustration has already been uploaded. You can see improvement in your drawing skills with each new piece. It's truly remarkable that you were able to complete the artwork while taking exams—is that thanks to you as your manager?"

"It's all thanks to her own talent; I was just responsible for urging her on."

...Huh? What? An agent?

"Wha...what do you mean? What are you and Dongtou doing?"

"that is……"

"He was helping a friend with his creative work."

Shuidou was hesitant at first, so his father spoke up.

"He not only has a great eye for talent, but he also has a well-planned approach to nurturing students. It's hard to believe he's only a first-year high school student."

"...Wasn't it supposed to be a tutor?"

I stared at the water bucket. He looked away, feigning ignorance, and seemed a little embarrassed.

"...That was at Aunt Nagira's request. I wanted to be the manager myself."

"I see... I see."

I knew Dongtou was drawing, but I didn't realize it was a career. Indeed, if Dongtou were to pursue creative activities, I think she would need help from others—like Shuidou.

However, from Mizuto's tone and attitude, I seemed to sense some kind of guilt towards me. Did he not want me to know that he and Higashi-kun were engaging in this kind of activity? Why...?

"Okay, everyone, please order what you want to eat. Don't worry about the price; I invited you all here today for personal reasons."

I was shocked by the prices on the menu, but I still managed to order my food with Mizuta. Only Dad ordered wine.

After the waiter took our order and left, I timidly spoke:

"...Uh...why are you asking this today...is it okay?"

It felt strange to use honorifics with my father, but I also felt that we weren't close enough to be so disrespectful, so I was a little unsure how to start the conversation.

Dad didn't seem to mind at all, and said with a gentle smile:

"That's true, let's talk about this first then."

His hands were lightly clasped together on the table. There was no sign of a ring on any of his fingers.

"It was around April, I think. Yui—I'm sorry, Ms. Irito told me she had started a new life. Mainly, she wanted to tell me I no longer needed to pay alimony… but at the same time, she also let me know that Yui now has a brother the same age. She said they're both going through a sentimental phase, but they seem to get along surprisingly well. But—"

Dad tilted his head slightly and said again:

"I'll be frank. You're all very smart, and I can't fool you no matter how much I try to deceive you—but when I heard it, I thought to myself, 'It just doesn't feel natural for a pair of sentimental high school boys and girls to suddenly live together and get along so well from the very beginning.'"

My heart skipped a beat, and I gasped. Mizuto, too, stared intently, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Even if we could get along well, it's unlikely we could do it 'immediately'—no matter how hard we try, we'd have to figure out how to get along at first, and the relationship would be a bit stiff. But Ms. Irido didn't say that. Out of professional habit, I can't help but speculate when I see something unnatural—I tried to think about what the possibilities would be if Ms. Irido was telling the truth. As a result, three hypotheses came to mind—"

Dad held up three fingers and said:

"Firstly, 'the two already knew each other.'"

He bent his ring finger.

Secondly, "the other person is a rather unusual guy."

Bend your middle finger.

Thirdly, "both are true".

Bend your index finger.

His every move was like that of a master detective in a mystery novel, and he was absolutely right. We've known each other for a long time, and Mizuto is indeed quite unique—which is why we were able to play the role of close siblings from the very beginning.

My mother and Uncle Fengqiu, who were directly involved, must have felt relieved to not suspect anything unnatural about us. But my father, being an outsider, could calmly analyze the situation—he knew that there was a relationship between me and Shuidou that went beyond that of ordinary step-siblings.

Just then, the waiter brought the drinks. I was given iced black tea, Shuidou was given oolong tea, and Dad took a glass of red wine.

Dad gently swirled the purple wine in the glass and said:

"Whatever the reason, it piques my curiosity."

He tilted his wine glass, as if moistening his lips with red wine.

"I don't mean to put on airs as a father now, but I still want to know what kind of boy this strange guy is that his own daughter is willing to live with. It's purely out of curiosity—I only wanted to see him once during the school festival, but unfortunately, when I went to your class, it seemed that neither of you were there."

"Huh? You're here at the cultural festival..."

"A friend gave me the invitation. By the way, I also happened to run into Mizuto and Higashito at that time. I just never expected that you would be the boy I was looking for."

I looked to the side in surprise, and Shuidou said, "I didn't expect him to be your dad either." Dad said he also saw Dongtou's classmate, so that must have been when the three of them were browsing the stalls together... I went to the restroom by myself once, maybe that's when we met?

"So I decided to meet you in person. But I couldn't find the time, and it dragged on for two whole months."

……So this is ah.

I think I understand now.

Dad took another sip of red wine, glanced at Shuidou who was silently drinking oolong tea, and then smiled at me.

"Jie Nu, he's a really interesting person. He's calm and collected like a high school student, yet he possesses the opposite kind of passion. He's both a realist and a romantic—that sounds a bit like self-promotion, but I think he's a bit like me."

I feel that this comment seems to capture the core of Mizuto's personality, but it also seems to only scratch the surface.

At least when I was certain of my feelings—when I saw Mizuto gazing up at the fireworks, silently shedding tears—I didn't have that feeling.

"I can understand why Ms. Irito feels relieved. Yui, you'd better cherish this new member of his family."

"……Um."

"Do you already have goals for the future? I heard you have excellent grades in school."

"Hmm—I don't have a specific goal yet... Right now, my mind is all on the student council."

"That's great. Students have the privilege of unlimited choices, so try to find the fun in it."

My father didn't express his thoughts in his attitude or tone. But I could vaguely sense it.

My dad is still the same; he's not very interested in me.