My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 300

"If you feel this way, wouldn't you one day be unable to resist touching Dongtou?"

There's still a huge hurdle to overcome for Shui Dou to touch a girl's body right now. Because when we were still dating, I never let him do that kind of thing.

What if this threshold disappears in the future?

The casualness that evolved from habit might be applied to his closest classmate, Dongtou—yes, that possibility definitely exists.

"...I don't know what the future holds."

Mizuto said wearily.

"If we got back together—I mean, hypothetically."

"Well, that's just a hypothetical situation."

"Assuming we get back together, I don't think I can completely deny that in some timeline, I might accidentally cheat on Izana. Even though neither Izana nor I meant it, sometimes people just can be blinded by their own desires."

"……Um."

"Regarding this possibility, there are only two things I can do. Either keep emphasizing 'I won't do anything reckless,' or completely sever ties with Isana."

"........."

"However, I don't intend to make the second choice. Rather than that—"

"You'd rather not date me, right? I understand."

"...That's just a hypothetical situation."

"Well, just hypothetically..."

I don't want to do anything like stealing a close friend from my classmate in Dongtou.

Rather than that—yes, I won't associate with Mizuto anymore.

I don't want to be seen as a narrow-minded person...

"In short, all I can do is keep emphasizing 'I won't do anything inappropriate,' and please believe me. If, in the near future, humanity invents a tool that can detect contact between opposite sexes, you can use it on me. There's no other way to deal with possibilities... Do you understand what I mean?"

"Hmm... I remember this is called something like 'Proof of the Devil'?"

"That's right. Even in the real world, private investigation agencies that investigate infidelity can only investigate the 'fact of infidelity,' not the other way around."

This guy talks a good game about everything, it's so annoying. Doesn't he know that girls don't want solutions, they want empathy? This guy—he dated me before.

"...Then...let me give you an example."

"Okay, let me give you an example."

"Suppose you bumped into Dongtou's classmate by accident, not out of personal choice, but due to unforeseen circumstances—how would you compensate me?"

"...It's just an assumption, right?"

"Yes, it's just a hypothesis."

"Just hypothetically speaking..."

Mizutsu moistened his lips with roasted tea.

"...Then let me ask you, what do you want me to do?"

"No, don't ask me that..."

"Ultimately, this issue boils down to how you can gain forgiveness. Therefore, the punishment should also be decided by you."

"...He really knows everything so well..."

"It's just a hypothetical situation, don't worry about it."

"...If I really have to say it..."

"If you really have to say?"

"Maybe I'd like... for you to touch me the way you touched her...?"

Shuidou blinked several times.

Then he gave a crooked snort, as if he thought I was an idiot.

"A woman with a horny mind."

"No, isn't it said that an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?"

"Is your legal system still stuck in Mesopotamian civilization?"

Mizuto sighed deeply and suddenly looked at his palm.

"...When I went to the manga cafe with Isana—"

"what?"

"I accidentally touched Isana's breasts once—does that mean I have to touch yours in the same situation?"

"Well... well, you could say that..."

As I spoke softer and softer, I tilted my head and murmured, "Hmm?"

"Why does it feel like... you're the one getting the better deal...?"

"That's what I thought too, that's why I asked you."

"Never mind! Forget I said anything!"

"It's just an assumption, don't take it too seriously."

Shuidou rested his elbow on the table, propping his cheek up, and said:

"...If that happens, I will express my sincerity with money and time. Isn't that the appropriate course of action?"

"...Since you already had the answer, why didn't you say so sooner...?"

Money, and time.

Putting money aside... I'm quite happy with the time I've spent.

If he spends the same amount of time as, or even more than, his classmate Dongtou... with me.

...Although it's just a hypothesis.

"Life is unpredictable."

Shuidou looked at the tea that was only half-drunk.

"No matter how you think about it, it will just become speculation based on assumptions. Even so... for me, some things are already certain."

I stared into Shuidou's eyes.

"Now, let's talk about this. Not hypothetical—but real-life issues."

Mizuto Irito◆Siblings' Meeting: About the Future

"You've seen Isana's paintings, haven't you?"

I casually touched the surface of the cup and said to the woman in front of me.

"So, did you learn anything from this? Do you know—what my goal is?"

"...First of all, I have to say sorry."

The woman stared at the center of the table, lacking confidence, and spoke.

"I... overheard your conversation with Dad. So... I know what's bothering you."

“…I see.”

Actually, I had a vague feeling about it too.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so eager to express her love.

"I think at first, I probably didn't want to accept it... No matter what you're fascinated by, I don't want to admit defeat."

"........."

"But... in the end, even if my feelings haven't changed... I still need to know. To know what 'someone' will be sitting in your seat, not me, and not Dongtou-kun."

She wasn't referring to "who," but rather "what."

So that's how it is—the seat I mentioned to Isana back then was reserved for "this".

It's not for Isana, but for her talent and her growth process.

Her story.

"After seeing it with my own eyes, I thought to myself, 'Sigh, I can't beat this—it's impossible for me to beat it.'"

However, the woman then countered with, "But..."

"This doesn't mean I'm worthless. I could never beat that kind of talent, but that doesn't mean I'm worthless. Because—you're so genuinely thinking of me."

After saying that, Jie smiled.

Not out of joy, resignation, or peace of mind, but rather—

"Therefore, I can trust you."

—A trusting smile.

"The immature, insecure, and paranoid person I used to be is gone. I can trust you forever... I think so."

The last, superfluous remark, "Heh," made me chuckle a little.

"Is it okay to lack so much confidence? You're going to be the student council president."

"Huh? W-what student council—why me?"

"Why? Senior Hong clearly had this plan in mind... I talked to her not long ago. She told me about your life in the student council."

“Eh…”

The girl clearly looked like she was in a terrible predicament.

It seems that girls' topics about love really are like Pandora's box.

"Don't worry, she didn't tell me too many details... Her opinion of you is that you're a 'kind and gentle girl'—as if she really admires you."

"...You envy...the president, you envy me...?"

If we're going to categorize them, my type is quite similar to that of my senior, so it's understandable.

Being able to genuinely care about others is a special talent. Especially for egoists like us who are instinctively unable to be interested in others, seeing such a person is truly inspiring.

"I don't know how you judge yourself, but that talented senior admires you so much and even recruited you into the student council. I suggest you take this into consideration and reassess your abilities."

"This...this will put me in a very difficult position...! I don't have the talent of Dongtou-kun, nor am I as smart as the student council president...!"

"I'm telling you, you can do what those two can't."

I braced myself with my hands on the floor behind me to make the position easier.

Then, I remembered the day I first met her—a night at the forest school.

"You should be able to understand, right? The pain of not being able to do things that others can do as a matter of course."

If you used to be too scared to even do something as simple as asking for curry ingredients, you'll understand.

"You overcame that pain. You knew the pain of not being able to do it, and you made it happen. You see, compared to the guys who had no problem doing anything from the start, you're an upgraded version."

"Huh? Huh...? -- Oh, come on! Don't try to fool me with these fallacies!"

"That's not what I meant."

However, calling it an upgraded version might be an exaggeration.

"I've never envied you, and I doubt even Hong-senpai ever wanted to be like you. Even so, I still think your perspective on life is admirable. To put it simply, it's—"

I see, I understand now.

"I respect you very much."

Now I finally understand.

What is the most important condition for birds to fly wing to wing?

Don't be blinded by love.

You don't need to have eternal love.

As long as you have a respectful heart, you will never look down on the other person.