Because We’re Together

The boring opening ceremony ended. I rejected Ellie’s offer to have dinner together, saying that the club members were waiting, and returned to the club room.

But when I actually returned to the club room, the members hadn’t come back yet.

We didn’t make a promise to have lunch together, so they might have gone to eat without me.

As I was sitting on the sofa wondering what to do, someone opened the door and came in.

“Ross…! I knew you’d be here.”

With a happy smile, Luna came running, dododo- with small steps, and I hugged her.

As always, she smells nice, making me feel comfortable.

“Where are the others?”

I asked, wondering why no one was following, and Luna carefully raised her head from my arms.

“They’re at the restaurant already. Everyone thought Ross-ssi would be eating with Ellie. I came to check just in case. I’m glad I did.”

If it weren’t for kind-hearted Luna, I would have waited quietly and ended up filling my stomach with bread.

I thanked her and stroked her head, and Luna smiled hehe- and took my hand, heading to where the members were.

I thought they had already found a spot, but it seemed to be a famous place, as the members were still waiting in line.

“What, weren’t you going to eat with Ellie?”

Aria, who was eating bread covered in chocolate, tilted her head. Lacar and Kane also seemed surprised to see me, and they looked happy.

“There’s no rule like that anywhere, but aren’t you guys being too much? Abandoning your club president?”

I narrowed my eyes and spoke as if I was dumbfounded, and quick-witted Lacar immediately turned his gaze to the menu board installed at the entrance.

“We just assumed you’d eat with your partner. You’re competing together soon anyway.”

Kane said in a light voice, as if it was nothing, and turned his gaze to Luna.

“I guess Luna is the only one who takes care of Ross.”

Ignoring Kane, who was nodding, I stood behind Lacar. Lacar, who was subtly watching me, explained.

“This place is famous in Ludwig for its steak. We rushed here right after the opening ceremony, but there was already a line. Aria guarantees the taste.”

If it’s guaranteed by Aria-sensei, the glutton who makes harsh evaluations when it comes to food, it’s worth trusting and eating.

About 20 minutes passed, and as it was almost our turn to enter the restaurant, someone called my name.

“Oh my, Ross-ssi?”

I turned around at the familiar voice. When I turned to look, I couldn’t help but be greatly surprised. It was a face that was unfamiliar but unforgettable. It was Ross’s parents, whom I was seeing for the first time in almost six months since our first meeting.

“That’s good. I was worried because the line was long.”

They said that and took the front spot without any explanation to the members, making me feel heartburn for the first time in a while.

As the members, who suddenly had their spot taken, gave me bewildered looks, the employee happened to guide me and us into the restaurant. There were 5 to 7 people, but fortunately, there seemed to be no problem with the seating.

My parents sat down and scanned the menu with a haughty attitude, and the members, who were the original owners of the spot, subtly looked at me. I was speechless at their audacity.

Aria, who had been singing while looking forward to the steak, had been keeping her mouth shut since a while ago. Feeling sorry for the members who were caught up in the awkward atmosphere, I sighed and introduced my parents.

“…These are my parents.”

Only then did the members, who realized the identity of the uninvited guests, greet them with awkward smiles.

“H-hello.”

“Hello….”

My mother, who was looking at the menu, raised her eyes, glanced at the members, and turned to me.

“Oh my, are these your friends?”

I nodded, suppressing the rising emotions at my mother’s question, as if she was being sarcastic, with a surprised voice.

“Yes. They’re my friends. They’re also members of the Messiah club.”

My father frowned at my words.

“…That club you said you made?”

“Yes.”

I never told my parents about the club. It seems that Roel told them how I was doing in school through a letter. How kind, I’ll be sure to repay this debt.

“Really? Ross, you only had Ellie as a friend since you were young. Even if we told you to get along with other kids, you couldn’t because you had such a bad personality. It’s a relief that Ellie is kind and is friends with you. And you’re even the club president?”

I could feel Luna, who was sitting next to me, not knowing what to do. What am I feeling right now? It’s not anger yet. I haven’t felt the urge to blow my parents’ heads off yet.

“It just happened that way.”

I answered, but my parents had already lost interest in me and were looking at the menu again. Only after the employee came and took my parents’ orders did we receive the menu and order what we wanted to eat.

As soon as the employee left the table, my mother opened her mouth.

“You’re Luna, right? I heard about you from Roel. Ross’s girlfriend?”

My mother looked at Luna with a gaze that seemed to be assessing her worth. It was such a blatant gaze that I wanted to look away.

“Ah, y-yes… N-nice to meet you. I’m Luna Grace….”

My father, who was watching Luna fidgeting and bowing deeply, asked my mother in a blunt voice. It was an act that lacked any consideration.

“The one who’s not well?”

My mother smiled and nodded. Luna flinched and carefully sat back down.

As I clenched my fist, Luna grabbed my hand and shook her head. Her smiling face, as if saying it was okay, made my stomach churn.

Noticing that the atmosphere had become strange, my mother smiled gently and said.

“Nice to meet you all, I’m Ross’s mom.”

The members greeted her again and nodded, and my mother immediately turned to me. When our eyes met, she frowned and spoke to me in an annoyed voice.

“Why don’t you send a single letter? Did you leave home and forget the grace of raising you? Shouldn’t you come to us first, instead of us coming to find you? Roel said we were coming, how old are you that you still don’t know that?”

The gazes of the surrounding tables were focused on me because of her loud voice, not caring about her surroundings. Lacar was quick-witted, but he didn’t know what to do now and was just fiddling with the glass in front of him.

“Still, your brother paved the way well, so you even became the top student, which doesn’t suit you, and somehow even got into the triathlon. You’re really blessed with family luck.”

Yes, I think I know for sure what I’m suppressing. It was embarrassment. I was embarrassed by my parents’ pathetic gaze towards me.

“When he was young, he acted nicely like his brother, but as he grew up, he became more and more twisted, and sigh, now he doesn’t even pretend to listen to his parents, right?”

My mother stopped her sarcastic remarks and drank water, and my father spoke in a low voice, as if it was his turn.

“Don’t act recklessly and just do what your brother did. If there’s anything you don’t know about the triathlon, don’t think on your own and ask your brother. But don’t hold your brother back. Remember. Roel’s success is the most important thing in our family.”

“How can you say such-.”

Aria tried to argue, but Kane raised his hand and covered her mouth.

I quietly exhaled.

I shouldn’t cause a commotion before the competition. I was about to tell them to stop.

But the tongue in my mouth swelled up, and words didn’t come out.

I don’t know why. Just like I feel strange emotions towards Ellie, maybe I can’t argue with my parents.

Or maybe it’s because I’m so angry that I want to shut their mouths by swinging my fist, even though I know they’re Roel’s parents and Ross’s parents.

Meanwhile, Luna, who had been looking down, slowly raised her head.

“Ross… is working harder than anyone else at the academy. He’s the second strongest among the first years, and he’s a club president who leads us in the right direction. Instead of worrying, Ross-ssi is doing well, so can’t you just support him now…?”

As Luna spoke in a pleading voice, my mother scoffed as if she was dumbfounded.

“Ha, of course I support him. He’s my son! I’m saying all this for his own good. Why would I try to block my son’s future?”

Luna pursed her lips at my mother’s attitude, who was rather getting angry.

“But….”

“How many times do I have to tell her to understand? He’s not the type to listen even if you tell him once. Do you think I don’t know as his mother?”

My mother turned her head, and my father nodded as if agreeing. Is that why they’re a couple? My mother’s words continued.

“You guys may not know, but he’s been hopeless since he was young….”

“Roel comes home every year even during vacation and helps with work. You should remember what happened last year. You’re only one year younger than your brother. But you’re so immature that you’re being compared like this….”

“Ellie has suffered so much for being friends with him….”

“Don’t let me hear any strange noises. Behave yourself and don’t go around saying you’re Roel’s younger brother….”

As I listened to them putting me down, my head naturally lowered. More than anything else, I was afraid of what kind of eyes the members would look at me with.

The employee placed the dishes with food on the table, but none of the members picked up their utensils.

I could hear the sound of my mother loudly cutting the steak, the knife scraping against the plate. I sighed deeply and raised my head to look at the members.

“What are you doing, let’s eat quickly.”

As I spoke in a calm voice, pretending to be nonchalant, everyone started eating with awkward expressions.

The silence was long.

Even after my parents finished eating, gave me one last scolding, and left first, no one opened their mouth.

I cleared my throat for no reason and opened my mouth.

“…It’s embarrassing. You guys found out about my pathetic past.”

As I said that as if muttering, Aria, who had been glaring at the steak, suddenly raised her head and looked at me. For some reason, her eyes were full of tears. The teary eyes ran down Aria’s cheeks and fell with a tuk-.

“W-what’s embarrassing! Ross-ssi is my proud friend! He’s the cool club president of our Messiah club…!”

Thankfully, Aria’s tearful voice was full of sincerity.

“No matter what kind of past the club president’s parents talked about, I really respect the current club president as a man. We all know that you’re training and working harder than anyone else. So there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Lacar also looked at me with teary eyes and said that. Telling me not to be embarrassed after saying such things is a difficult request.

“That’s right, Ross’s parents don’t know anything! How crazy our Ross-ssi is. He’s the guy who burned down the deserted island, which was the test site. They don’t even know him well….”

Kane, who was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, seemed to have become choked up at the end, and he looked at me with reddened eyes before slurring his words and lowering his head.

Strange emotions stirred in my chest. It was different from the emotions I felt a while ago. I vaguely realized that this was an emotion that would remain in my memory for a very long time.

“Ross.”

Luna called me. I turned my head and met her gaze. Contrary to my negative expectations, Luna smiled with tears in her eyes, with a look full of affection.

“Thank you, for growing up so well.”

My vision wavered. The suppressed emotions surged up.

A hollow laugh came out, and my shoulders shook.

I lowered my head for a moment to let the emotions flow, then raised my head to look at the members who were crying with me.

I smiled playfully.

“…If we go out like this, the restaurant’s promotion will be guaranteed.”

The members burst into laughter at my words.

I also wiped away my tears with my hand and laughed out loud.

People around us looked at us strangely, but for some reason, I wasn’t embarrassed anymore.