Learning to Rely On Others
“Hey, Yuuki-kun.”
“Yes, what is it?”
On the drive home, Kyousuke spoke to Yuuki.
Yume must’ve been a little tired from the trip, because she’d fallen asleep in the back seat. Yuuki was sitting in the front, talking with Kyousuke.
“It’s not something that has to happen right away, and I know you’ll need time to prepare, so I just want you to keep it in the back of your mind.”
“Okay.”
What could this be about? Since it was Kyousuke, it probably wasn’t anything bad.
As Yuuki wondered what he was going to say, Kyousuke finally spoke.
“Would you like to live together with us? Of course, I’ll talk things over with your parents too, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
For Yuuki, it was an incredibly welcome offer.
He wanted to say yes right away, but the word wouldn’t come out.
It wasn’t because he disliked Yume.
The awkwardness between Yuuki and Kyousuke, or rather the way Yuuki had been pushing himself because he believed he relied on them too much, had eased somewhat during this trip.
Even so, it was true that he’d depended on them heavily, and more than anything, Kyousuke and the others had always resolved things for him.
So if he were to live with them, he wanted to settle the lingering issues with his blood-related family on his own, at least that much.
Because of that, the words Yuuki said weren’t “yes” but,
“I’ll think about it.”
“Got it.”
“But, um…”
Yuuki got stuck there and couldn’t bring himself to continue.
Seeing that, Kyousuke didn’t rush him at all and simply waited for him to speak.
After hesitating for several minutes, Yuuki seemed to finally sort things out in his head and slowly put his thoughts into words.
“Um… is it okay if I rely on you?”
At last, Yuuki managed to say it.
Hearing those words, a rush of emotions hit Kyousuke. Happiness, relief, and joy at seeing his son grow welled up inside him. He nearly burst into tears, but since he was driving and crying now wouldn’t look very cool, he held it back.
“Of course.”
Kyousuke nodded and accepted Yuuki’s request. He’d never had the option to refuse in the first place. He was overwhelmingly happy that Yuuki had relied on him.
“Yuuki-kun, I’m here too, you know.”
A voice came from the back seat. Yume must’ve woken up at some point.
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“Mm.”
A gentle atmosphere lingered as the car headed toward Yuuki’s house, as if savoring the moment.
But that time didn’t last forever, and they arrived before the sun had fully set.
“Thank you very much, for everything.”
“No, no. Let’s go again sometime.”
“Yes.”
Just as Yuuki was about to get out of the car, he remembered one thing he still hadn’t talked to Kyousuke about.
It might’ve been his imagination, and it could end up being nothing more than extra trouble. Still, if he stayed silent and Kyousuke later regretted it, Yuuki felt that would be a betrayal of the trust Kyousuke had shown him. So he decided to speak up.
“Ah, um. This might just be my imagination, and I might end up relying on you again, but is that okay?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“The other morning, when I was on my way to the place where Yume-san and I usually meet, I felt like someone was watching me.”
Hearing that, the relaxed expressions on Kyousuke’s and Yume’s faces instantly turned serious.
“Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“I think it might be Shinjou Saya.”
“I understand. Yume, can you go pick Yuuki-kun up at his house from now on?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Sorry, I’m always causing you trouble. On my days off, I’ll go instead.”
Hearing their exchange, Yuuki felt apologetic. Still, thanks to the talk they’d had yesterday, it felt easier to rely on them than before.
“Is that okay with you too, Yuuki-kun?”
“Thank you very much. And, um, I’m sorry for everything.”
“It’s fine. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. Thanks for telling us.”
As he said that, Kyousuke gently patted Yuuki’s head. As always, his hand felt reassuring.
“Well then, it’s getting late, so see you tomorrow.”
“Yes. The trip was really fun.”
“Yeah, I’m glad to hear that. Let’s go again.”
Yuuki stepped one foot out of the car.
“Yume-san, thank you for everything too.”
After expressing his gratitude, Yuuki fully got out of the car and stood outside.
Yume still wasn’t used to being thanked so directly by Yuuki, and no matter how many times he said it, it made her incredibly happy.
She rolled down the window and spoke as clearly as she could so he’d hear her.
“Yuuki-kun, thank you for talking to us too. I was really happy. I’ll message you tonight about what time I’ll come here tomorrow, okay? You don’t have to reply if you don’t want to.”
She said it with a smile.
“Okay. Thank you very much. Then, see you tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
“Yuuki-kun, make sure you get some good sleep too. Good night.”
The car carrying Yume and Kyousuke gradually disappeared into the distance. This time, instead of standing there like he used to once it was out of sight, Yuuki turned toward his house.
He still didn’t like it, and it wasn’t a fundamental solution, but emotionally, he felt much lighter than before.