Ch.256Epilogue. Like a Cat (4)

So, in other words, Yuu’s house is now a newlywed home.

I’m not exactly sure how long the “newlywed” period is supposed to last, but it’s certainly not as short as half a year. Probably somewhere between one and two years? Usually, couples planning to have children would conceive within that timeframe.

However, the Yamashita couple has been married for less than a month. If they have desires for each other, I imagine this would be when those feelings are at their peak.

After the fantasy about each other fades… wait a minute.

Could there even be any fantasy left at this point?

If Miho Mori was like a sister to Yuu, then naturally her relationship with Mr. Yamashita would have been like that of a father and daughter.

At first, since they weren’t blood-related family, there might have been awkward aspects they didn’t want to show each other, but after a few years, they probably reached a point where they’d shown pretty much everything. Well, except for the sexual aspects.

Moreover, the two of them had postponed their marriage under the pretext of waiting until Yuu graduated high school, delaying their… relationship, but in reality, they had been living essentially as a married couple. They lived in the same house, the same room.

If you think about it, they’re a sexless newlywed couple by circumstance. A newlywed couple that’s been abstinent for three years.

After understanding that much, I tried my best not to think about it any deeper.

To me, Mr. Yamashita was just Mr. Yamashita, and truthfully, Yuu was more like a friend than a cousin, but even so, imagining my uncle’s marital relations wasn’t particularly pleasant.

What would it feel like if it were your sister and father?

“…There are plenty of empty rooms.”

“…Any room is fine.”

When I spoke with a complicated expression, Yuu responded with an equally complex look.

“But then, what about the other people who live in that house…?” Kagami asked somewhat cautiously.

Yuu replied with an expression that seemed to be holding back a sigh. “The men stay in the annex. Since the corridor is separate, they probably wouldn’t hear anything.”

It would also be awkward for Yuu to go sleep in the annex.

After all, it’s a yakuza house, isn’t it? I don’t know the details, but there could be conflicts and such things. And it’s not like they could remove everyone from the annex.

“…I was planning to live on my own when I started college.”

Yuu said this somewhat defensively, as if aware of the situation.

Well… it’s true that when looking for a place to live independently, you sometimes end up quite far from home.

Since the university Yuu attends is also within Tokyo, staying here shouldn’t be a problem.

When I looked at Kagami, she nodded her head like the doting parent she is.

“I’ll pay rent.”

“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”

Kagami smiled in response to Yuu’s words.

Obviously, Kagami wasn’t accepting because she needed the money. Rather, she was treating Yuu as an adult since that’s how Yuu had framed it.

Though various circumstances had forced Kagami to become an adult before her inner self had fully matured, that didn’t mean she was completely ignorant about society. In fact, she probably knew more about the darker aspects of society than most people.

Though it might be awkward to consider us family now, blood is still blood, isn’t it?

“If you have a preferred room, please let me know.”

Kagami had prepared the other rooms so they were immediately habitable. Over the past few years, as Kagami lived here, she had made repairs and brought in equipment, so while the exterior might look somewhat old, the interior had become quite livable.

Unfortunately, the soundproofing leaves something to be desired, but at least until now, since we’ve been living by ourselves, it hasn’t been a major issue.

Yuu chose the room next to ours.

Considering the soundproofing issue, leaving the middle room empty might not have been a bad idea, but it seems she thought having people in the adjacent room would be more reassuring.

After unpacking Yuu’s belongings in her room, we gathered again.

And then I asked the question I had forgotten until then.

“By the way, Yuu, do Mr. Yamashita and Ms. Mori know about this?”

For a moment, I almost said “parents,” but it seemed a bit too early to use that word, so I called them by their names separately.

“…”

Yuu remained silent.

I rubbed my forehead again.

“…Let’s call them first. If they come to pick you up, we’ll explain the situation properly.”

If Yuu had run away recklessly like last time, I would have called Mr. Yamashita right away, but I sympathized with her reasons this time, so I decided to handle it differently.

Besides, she was even offering to pay rent, so how could I refuse?

In the end, Yuu nodded reluctantly.

*

[I’m sorry about this.]

Mr. Yamashita seemed to have some idea of what was going on.

When I handed the phone to him, after some serious contemplation, that’s what he said.

But his voice was also filled with concern. The fact that “worry” came before “relief” showed that he was truly a father who loved his daughter.

After hearing his apology and exchanging a few words, I passed the phone to Kagami, and the two of them seemed to have a more serious conversation than we had.

“Yes, yes. We’ll discuss the duration and such later. With Yuu.”

Kagami made that clear as well.

Perhaps because she’s been raising two daughters for several years now, Kagami has become somewhat accustomed to dealing with people my age.

It means she’s developed the ability to speak to others as they wish to be spoken to, rather than treating them like babies.

Thinking about how Kagami, who initially seemed so devoid of humanity that she could have been a foreign messenger, has grown this much, made me a bit emotional.

Kuro jumped onto Yuu’s lap as she listened to the conversation with a nervous expression.

“Meow.”

And rubbed his cheek against Yuu’s hand, as if asking to be petted.

Yuu, who was familiar with Kuro from frequent visits to our house, scratched behind his ears with practiced ease.

Click.

Meanwhile, Kagami finished the call and closed her phone, handing it to Yuu.

“The conversation is over. You can stay as long as you want.”

“…Thank you.”

Yuu said, receiving the phone with both hands.

“Well then…”

Kagami looked up at the clock.

It was well past lunchtime, but still quite a while before dinner.

“You didn’t bring any food, did you?”

“I could eat out…”

“You could do that a few times a week. But I don’t think your pocket can afford to do that every time, can it?”

At Kagami’s words, Yuu momentarily forgot what to say.

Indeed.

It seems she doesn’t plan to rely solely on her father’s support. Well, if she came all this way intending to live independently, she must have planned to support herself. Plus, she offered to pay rent.

“Then, let’s go check the pantry. We’ll need ingredients to make meals for one more person. Do you have any favorite side dishes?”

“Ah, I, I…”

As Yuu stood up following Kagami, she stammered unusually.

“You probably don’t know how to cook anyway.”

“…”

Yuu was completely at a loss for words.

“Your body will deteriorate if you only eat delivery food or instant meals. In various ways. Let’s have meals together for a while.”

When Kagami said this in a gentle voice, Yuu stared blankly at her for a moment before nodding.

She still seems unaccustomed to this version of Kagami.

Well, in terms of frequency of meetings, they’re more like “occasionally seen relative” than the “mother and daughter” relationship I have with Kagami, so she probably hasn’t seen much of Kagami’s maternal side.

Though Kagami occasionally showed her doting nature in front of friends, in such situations, her unique character traits were more noticeable than her maternal instincts.

In the end, Yuu was drawn by Kagami’s inexplicable power and came along with us to go shopping.

*

“The way you look at me is a bit different from usual.”

Kagami said with a somewhat proud expression.

“…I do see you in a new light.”

Even among doting parents, there are different types.

There are those who only think about their own children and don’t care about others at all, earning the resentment of those around them. Conversely, there are parents who care about others’ circumstances and situations while loving their own children.

Kagami had never shown the former behavior, but seeing this side of her is still somewhat moving.

To think that a person can change this much.

“That’s something I sometimes think when I look at Kotone too.”

“Let’s agree not to talk about that.”

Kagami laughed softly at my words.

Her hands moved quickly, preparing the food. The movements were now completely familiar.

“Should I learn to cook someday too?”

“…You probably should.”

Kagami replied to my question.

Frankly speaking, even if we were to live together for our entire lives, Koko and I would likely outlive Kagami.

If I were to consider independence, that time would be even shorter.

“I’ll learn later.”

Kagami nodded at my words, as if proud.

This too is something that has changed. Changed, and changed again.

Back in high school, the mere thought of such things would bring tears to Kagami’s eyes, as if it made her sad.

While Kagami cooked, Yuu fidgeted behind her.

If I said it directly to Yuu, she’d get angry, but honestly, her fidgeting was a bit cute, so I couldn’t help but laugh.

And the ambiguous expression she gave me, not quite daring to glare at me, was cute too.