Chapter 61 - Ako's Love
(1)
Relatives had gathered today because of me.
I can more or less guess the reason.
Since it's about me, they could have just left me alone.
That's how it's always been, right?
Why are they making such a big deal out of it this time?
"Ako-chan, does the other person know?"
Toya-kun's parents asked.
"They don't,"
I answered, and nothing more.
If they knew, they'd make a scene, wouldn't they?
I can't cause trouble for that person.
"Well, as long as your studies don't suffer, I don't mind..."
Father says.
Right, I thought Father would say that.
Since he's been a person who was only interested in Big Brother since a long time ago.
"There's no way that's okay! Ako is only fourteen!"
Mother screams hysterically.
A person who isn't satisfied unless everything goes her way.
Even though it's about me, the discussion is taking place outside of my presence.
Is this enough already?
However...
"Should we take Ako back home?"
When I heard those words, I suddenly lost my temper.
"It has nothing to do with you, Father! Why don't you just keep caring only about Big Brother like you always have!!"
I shouted that and shut myself in my room.
Father and the others pounded on the door.
"Come out, let's talk properly."
There is nothing to talk about.
I didn't leave my room for the rest of the day.
I had locked the door.
I lay on the bed, covering my ears with a pillow, and slept.
When tomorrow comes, I'll be liberated from these depressing consecutive holidays.
And I'll be able to see that person...
(2)
It was decided that I would return to my parents' home for the first anniversary memorial.
Airi came to see me off.
Ako is at my parents' home.
That's probably why she's worried.
"I'll be back soon,"
I told her, and headed toward my parents' home.
"By the way, what happened at the family meeting?"
I asked Father.
It was something that had been on my mind for a while.
"Well, Ako-chan was a bit..."
Ako again.
"Toya, haven't you heard anything?"
Mother asked me instead.
"No, nothing in particular?"
"I see..."
"Did Ako do something?"
"It's nothing that has to do with Toya."
You ask and then say that...
And that was the end of the conversation.
When I arrived at my parents' home, Grandmother greeted me.
Ako remained shut in her room.
After some brief conversation, I changed into my uniform and finished the memorial service.
Once the service was over, I changed again and it was time for dinner.
And then Katsuya's boasting began.
Since listening to it was a pain, I made my way to a fast-food restaurant.
I wonder if Airi would get mad if she were here.
My uncle followed me, and Ako followed too.
Ako seems kind of lifeless.
"What's wrong, Ako? Did something happen?"
I had expected to be shouted at with "None of your business!!", but it was unexpected.
"Toya-kun is lucky. The person he fell in love with is the same age."
Huh?
"Did Ako fall in love with someone?"
I asked while stuffing my first hamburger into my mouth.
"You're happy, right? Because I won't be clinging to Toya-kun anymore."
"That's not what I meant."
"...I fell in love with my teacher."
I almost spat out my white grape juice.
"Are you serious!?"
"You say the same thing as my parents."
"I mean, there's a limit to how much older someone can be!"
"Am I not allowed to fall in love with my teacher?"
"...Does the teacher know about this?"
Ako shook her head.
"If I let them know, they'll avoid me, right?"
She's surprisingly calm.
"...Isn't it painful?"
"...Toya-kun, was it never painful when you fell in love with Airi-san?"
"There were times."
"Then, you can tell without me saying, right?"
Well, I can imagine.
Even if she falls in love, she can't convey her feelings.
If she conveys them, the other person will certainly avoid her.
Those around her would probably be vehemently opposed.
It must be painful.
Then, why did you fall in love with such a person?
"Do you need a reason to fall in love with someone? ...I guess."
Someone said that once.
"I do have a reason. Because they are more mature than my classmates, they are kind, and they accept everything."
I see, she wanted someone she could depend on.
The younger sister of the heir.
Not even looked at by her parents.
She strove to get them to look at her even a little, and as a result, she became an honor student.
But they still wouldn't look at her.
She was kept at a distance by her classmates.
In the midst of that, the only reliable person was the teacher.
Is that how it is?
Even if it was someone she would eventually have to leave, she wanted to cling to them, huh?
"That's tough... Ako."
"Toya-kun is only kind at times like this. Is that how you won over Airi-san?"
"I don't know the reason why Airi fell in love with me. But to me, she was an object of admiration."
"I see..."
Just as I finished my third hamburger, my uncle said, "Shall we head back soon?"
I head back while eating onion rings.
"I wonder if I should have fallen in love with Toya-kun after all."
I choked.
"Are you okay?"
My uncle rubbed my back.
"It's a joke, I'm seriously in love right now."
"Good luck."
That's all I can say, right?
"Thank you, Toya-kun is the only one who says that to me."
I feel like it's the first time I've seen Ako smiling.
Illuminated by the moonlight, it was something beautiful enough to make my heart skip a beat.
(3)
"Hmm, I see, I see~"
Airi was listening while twirling her mechanical pencil.
Kanna didn't come today because of her part-time job.
"Falling in love with a teacher, huh~ I never had that~"
"Really?"
"In my case, the teachers treated me like I was something fragile to be avoided, and they didn't do anything for me even when I was being bullied."
"What about when you were in kindergarten?"
"Nothing at all~"
"I see..."
Airi has a look on her face as if she wants something.
In this case, would it be more correct to say she has a look as if she wants me to ask something?
The conversation won't move forward if I don't ask, and it would be troublesome if she gets sulky again.
I threw a question at Airi to which I more or less knew the answer.
"...Who was Airi's first l..."
"Toya-kun♪"
I knew you'd say it.
But you know, they say first loves don't bear fruit, right?
"Airi, first loves usually don't bear fruit, you know?"
Was that a bit too mean?
Airi is angry, puffing out her cheeks.
"That's not true~ What? Does Toya-kun prefer it if it doesn't bear fruit?"
"Of course not!"
"Then don't say things like that!"
"Sorry."
"So, who was Toya-kun's first love?"
...Should I answer that it was Airi?
"It was Airi."
"Liar! I've heard the story properly from Kanna."
"...I wonder if that can be called love?"
"Eh?"
"I just thought I had to save her, and I thought I was crying because I couldn't save her."
Now that it's mentioned, I feel like that was my first love.
"...Why did you think you wanted to save her?"
I answered Airi's question as if I had been waiting for it.
"Do you need a reason to save someone?"
That might be the line I wanted to say the most.
Silence falls.
"...Is that the reason?"
Airi looks blank.
"No, I mean..."
The feeling that I've messed up is immense.
"Toya-kun, it's probably a line from a movie or manga, but let's stop quoting things like that."
I really messed up, didn't I...
"Anyway, since I'm not a handsome guy, it doesn't have any persuasiveness when I say it."
"It's not that. I want to say don't mess around when someone is talking seriously."
"I'm not messing around! I intended to answer quite seriously."
"Do you really think no reason is needed?"
"Yeah, I thought so unconsciously."
"Isn't that just because the other person was Kanna?"
"That's not it."
"Why?"
"I saved you too, Airi, didn't I?"
"Did you save people other than me?"
"You save people who are in trouble, right?"
"Then, does that mean you might have fallen in love with someone other than me?"
"At that time, I admired Airi... so I was only looking at Airi... ah!"
"You finally noticed..."
So that's how it was.
Then, in Kanna's case too?
Is that why I cried?
"It's true that I cried for no reason with Kanna. It wasn't because I couldn't save her, but I just felt lonely for some reason. Ah, so this is what heartbreak is."
"See?"
"Sorry."
With a shout of "Ei!", Airi gives me a chop to the head.
"I told you before. 'Stop apologizing when you haven't done anything wrong.'"
"That's right, sorr..."
"Do you want your mouth covered again?"
Airi says with a smile.
Rather, does she want to cover it?
"You said the flirting happens after the studying is finished, right?"
"Uuu... you remember only the convenient things so well~"
Airi pouts, saying that.
"Let's finish the studying quickly."
I say it as kindly as possible.
"Yeah!"
Airi replied with a bouncy, energetic voice.
(4)
Afterstory
In the end, it was decided that I would return home.
I will leave this school at the end of the first semester.
I've finished saying goodbye to everyone.
Finally, I go to the staff room.
"...Teacher, do you have a moment?"
"What is it? Inoue."
"Thank you for everything until now."
"Yeah, be well over there too."
"The reason I could be well here was thanks to you, Teacher."
"...Inoue?"
I handed a letter to the teacher.
"These are my feelings. I know I'm too childish. But I don't want to have regrets. I've put my feelings into words. Please accept it."
Saying that, I left the staff room.
This is fine.
This was for the best.
Around the time summer vacation began.
I was preparing for the move.
Since I had told my friends, they came to see me.
It's the final goodbye.
"Well then, goodbye."
"Wait, Ako-chan."
One of my friends handed me a letter.
"This... is from the teacher."
"Thank you."
And so, I get into the car.
"See you later~"
Even though there is no "later"...
I look at the letter.
It was a reply to the letter from the other day.
Things were written that were exactly as I expected.
With this, my first love has ended.
"Ako?"
Mother calls out to me.
I was crying.
Even though I had decided not to cry.
"You'll meet a good person again, ya,"
Father says. (T/N: speaks in dialect)
The person who actually tore me away says it as if it's someone else's business.
I didn't let it show on my face.
I knew it wasn't Father's fault.
I knew it was an unrequited love.
This was for the best.
Believing that I can meet a better person next time.
I will look toward tomorrow.