CH 44

“Naruka……, what’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“I’m taking a walk. I told you, I won my freedom by defeating my father. Now I’m allowed to go out a little bit…”

Naruka, who was so proud of herself, suddenly looked at me and stopped speaking.

Naruka’s expression changed to one of unease.

“…… Itsuki, what’s wrong? Something happened?”

Naruka asks with concern.

I tried to keep my composure, but the feelings coiling in my chest were not something I could hide.

I was lucky enough to have met someone I could trust in this situation.

I slowly told Naruka what had happened when she came up to me.

“Actually…”

I didn’t want to cause any trouble to the Konohana family, so I explained what I had to keep secret.

It was my fault that Hinako had behaved badly in public. I was kicked out of the Konohana house for taking responsibility for that. And… the supervision of Hinako will be strengthened. I told Naruka these three things.

“…… I see.”

When Naruka heard everything, she had a strange look on her face.

“Konohana-san behaved badly in public. ……. I find it hard to believe, but from the looks of it, you seem to be certain.”

I’m not sure if I am being too gloomy or not, but Naruka looked at me with even more concern.

Normally, I’d try to muster up a little energy to keep Naruka from worrying about me, but …… I just can’t do it right now. I just can’t seem to muster up any energy at all.

“Although not as big as the Konohana family, the Miyakojima family is also a big family. So, I kind of understand what’s going on. I’m sure that Konohana-san has been struggling in some way that I don’t know about.”

“…… Ah.”

Even if I didn’t tell her the whole story, Naruka was able to understand the situation.

“What happened to Konohana-san?”

“I don’t know the details, but the way she’s acting, I think she’ll be more constrained than ever. She might not even be able to have tea parties or study groups anymore.”

“Well …… the Konohana family is really tough. How could they bind their own daughter and kick out Itsuki too after just one mistake?”

Maybe Kagen-san doesn’t think of Hinako as his own daughter. At least until now, Kagen’s words and actions did not contain any feelings of importance for Hinako as his daughter.

“It’s all my fault.”

I couldn’t help but reveal my true feelings.

“If only I hadn’t taught her unnecessary things, none of this would have happened.”

Now I have nothing but regret.

I made up my mind to do my best to fill Hinako’s loneliness. And this is the result. I’ve made Hinako suffer more than ever.

“After all, I’m just a common person who doesn’t know how to be polite. If this is what happens, I shouldn’t have gotten involved with Hinako in the first place.”

“That’s not true!”

Naruka said in a loud voice.

I widened my eyes in surprise at the unthinkable fierceness of the usual timid Naruka.

“Itsuki, that’s not true. Itsuki is never wrong!”

“Naruka …?”

“Remember the old me!”

Naruka said, looking straight into my eyes.

“I was once forbidden to go out freely! But Itsuki changed my world! I still remember that day vividly! It made me realize how small a world I had been living in!”

Seemingly overcome with emotion, Naruka continued.

“If it weren’t for Itsuki, I would probably still be afraid of the outside world. I wouldn’t have known how good candy tastes, or how to buy it, or the buzz of the streets, or the quiet atmosphere of the park. This is why I am grateful to Itsuki……. I’m not sure how to put it into words”

Naruka lowered her gaze as she said this.

“I’m sure it’s the same for Konohana-san.”

She muttered sadly.

“We are raised without being taught anything but what we need. It’s a very lonely thing. I’m sure that Itsuki saved not only me……  but also Konohana-san from that loneliness.”

After saying that, Naruka stared into my eyes again.

“You should be confident. That’s what I like about Itsuki, ….so much.”

As soon as her cheeks turned red, Naruka averted her gaze and continued.

“I think it’s amazing …….”

For some reason, Naruka said the last part of the sentence in a depressed tone.

It was like she had compromised the words she really wanted to say and used other words instead, but still, Naruka’s words were enough to touch my heart.

–Well, okay.

For me, it may be trivial.

For me, it may be something ordinary and uninteresting.

But for Hinako and Naruka, it could be something important.

“Thank you, Naruka …….”

As I thanked her, I remembered my days in the Konohana household.

This is not egotism.

Objectively speaking, I can assure you that I’m not wrong about this.

–Hinako didn’t feel annoyed by my presence.

Hinako has a certain amount of trust in me.

Then I want to live up to that trust.

But I haven’t been able to live up to Hinako’s trust yet.

“…… Okay.”

I remembered what I had made up my mind to do someday.

Hinako is carrying a tremendous amount of weight on her shoulders with such a small body.

Someone has to be kind to her.

If neither the parents nor the attendants will do their part, then I, her caretaker, will do it.

“I’m off.”

“…… Where to?”

“Konohana’s mansion.”

I told Naruka, who encouraged me.

“I’m going to go talk to her.”

My gloomy mood was gone.

With the confidence that I had regained thanks to Naruka, I set off for the Konohana mansion.

◆

Itsuki, who had returned to his normal state, ran away from Naruka.

Naruka watched with a faint smile on her face as Itsuki ran into the distance without ever looking back.

“…… Hinako, huh?”

I guess she doesn’t have much time to spare.

In the end, Itsuki didn’t realize he messed up until the end.

“Ah……, I have sent salt to the enemy!”

It is only natural to help your benefactor when he is in trouble.

I have no regrets. But this is a different story.

Naruka held her head.

What kind of relationship do those two people really have?