Words That Didn’t Come Back
“Yuuki.”
“What is it, Dad?”
“Do you have anyone you like, or someone you’re interested in?”
Holding my father’s hand, which was bigger than mine, I walked beside him.
I didn’t know why my father was asking something like that, and I didn’t really understand what he meant by liking someone or being interested in them.
“Hmm, I don’t really know.”
“I see. So you haven’t found someone you really love yet.”
“Yeah, maybe?”
“I see, I see.”
My father often said that he really loved my mother, and I knew that. I’d heard him say it many times.
But I’d never actually felt what it was like to truly like someone.
“If you ever do find someone you really love or care about, make sure you never betray them and always support them.”
“Why?”
“Because that person won’t betray you either, just like you didn’t betray them. Just like how effort never betrays you, the person you come to love will properly return everything you did for them.”
“Okay, I understand.”
When Yuuki woke up in the morning, instead of the wood-grain ceiling from yesterday, he saw the plain white, unpleasant ceiling.
“She never gave anything back, Dad.”
Yuuki, who’d been dreaming just moments before, muttered that as he sat up.
Compared to sleeping here as usual, he’d slept much more deeply yesterday, so his body felt fine, but the contents of his dream made him frown slightly.
No matter how much you support someone, no matter how much you don’t betray them, no matter how much you stake everything you have on them, it doesn’t always come back the same way. Yuuki had learned that painfully well after his blood-related father died.
Even so, Yuuki didn’t resent his father.
To Yuuki, his father was someone he truly loved, a warm and gentle person.
He stretched, quickly washed his face, and got himself ready.
As he slipped his arms into his uniform and glanced out the window, he wondered how long she’d been there. Yume was already standing in front of the house, waiting for him.
He hurriedly grabbed his bag, ran down from the second floor, and changed into his shoes at the entrance.
Maybe because he was rushing around so noisily, the living room door opened and his mother, Aika, looked at him with a worried expression.
“A-Are you okay?”
But Yume, who was waiting outside, was far more important to him than Aika, so Yuuki ignored her like always and went outside.
“Ah, good morning, Yuuki-kun.”
“Good morning.”
Yume smiled warmly as she greeted Yuuki, then gave a polite bow to Aika, who was watching from the front door.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Yuuki wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, so he was grateful for those words.
“I’m sorry for making you wait.”
“No, Yuuki-kun, don’t apologize. I was the one who came too early on my own. I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry.”
“That’s not right. You and Father were worried about me, so you decided you’d come pick me up and walk with me.”
Yuuki didn’t back down as he said that.
“I understand. Then I’ll make sure I come exactly on time from tomorrow on, so can we end this conversation there?”
To Yume, even the time spent waiting for Yuuki was precious, and she’d simply come early on her own. But she thought it wouldn’t be good if she kept rushing him like this, so she made that suggestion.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Okay. Then, here you go.”
As usual, Yume handed him a lunchbox, and Yuuki accepted it.
“Thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome.”
And with that, the two of them finally calmed down and started walking toward school together.