Chapter 168: Fourth trinity (2)

“…What?”

I felt a strange sense of unease from the surname of the child my two daughters had recently befriended. Not their gender, but their surname… it was ‘Nishizono’.

“Ah… wait, Nishizono…?”

A sudden dizzy spell hit me, and I weakly slumped towards the sofa. Nishizono… I couldn’t forget Nishizono-senpai. She was the senpai who persistently tormented me at every retreat under the guise of being an alumna throughout high school.

“Kids, did you really… become friends with a child from the Nishizono family?”
“Yes!”
“She’s nice… Is there a problem?”
“No, no… The grudge from the parents’ generation shouldn’t affect you.”

Even Aya felt hostility towards them, so you can imagine how bad it was. In the end, for the sake of our worried children, a meeting between the two families’ parents was arranged. We were all in our mid-thirties by then, but our appearances were almost identical to when we first met in high school. Everyone was taking the anti-aging serum Aya developed, so perhaps that was to be expected. Of course, the children weren’t brought along, in case anything went wrong.

I stood beside Aya, my expression tense. Then, Nishizono-senpai unexpectedly spoke.

“Shouldn’t we… put an end to this old grudge?”

The person who used to speak informally was now, surprisingly, speaking formally, almost subserviently. I had prepared for a big fight, so I was a little surprised by her opening remark. I’d heard that the Yukikawa family, having developed the anti-aging serum, wielded great power in Japan… but I hadn’t expected this much.

“…Pardon?”
“I’m truly sorry for tormenting you back then. I arranged this meeting today because I wanted to apologize. I… was very young and immature back then.”

She continued, bowing deeply to us, sincerely apologizing. She bowed so low it was almost a dogeza, and Aya had to stop her and help her up. And I… never dreamed that after all these years, I would receive such a heartfelt apology. The fact that Nishizono-senpai, who seemed so proud, bowed and apologized herself… was hard to comprehend.

Anyway, we accepted her sincere apology and promised to ensure that the past animosity wouldn’t affect our children.

****

After that incident, the children asked us about ‘the Trinity’.

“Were our mommies part of the ‘Trinity’ with Chairman Mizuki?”
“Yes, we were.”
“Wow! I had no idea something like that existed!”

Who would have thought our daughters would become the ‘Trinity’ with a child from the Nishizono family at Takamari? As we chatted, fascinated, Hanae delivered another shocking piece of news.

“Mommy, guess what… our homeroom teacher talked about our mommies!”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! Ito-sensei remembered our mommies!”
“Oh my…! Don’t tell me your homeroom teacher’s name is…”
“Yes! It’s Ito-sensei!”

Goodness, the very same Ito-sensei who was our homeroom teacher in high school is now our children’s homeroom teacher.

This… means we’ll have a parent-teacher conference with him, right?
“Ahaha…”

I was already worried about the conference date, even though it hadn’t been set yet.

****

The birth of the fourth Trinity brought immense vitality to Takamari Academy. Hanae, Hazuki, and Yuuki immediately became the center of everyone’s attention. As if they were truly the idols of the academy, whispers of envy and admiration naturally followed the Trinity wherever they went.

Despite being only first-year middle school students, the three of them responded to all this attention with composure. Perhaps it was because all their mothers were former Takamari beauties, or perhaps it was because they had grown up in the spotlight. The three children always met everyone’s gaze with confident, bright smiles.

Hanae, in particular, stood out in the student council with her natural leadership and refined appearance. Hanae, resembling Aya, voiced her opinions confidently during the first student council meeting, impressing even the older senpais.

“How can a first-year be so confident?”
“As expected of the Yukikawa family… their level is different.”

Hazuki, who remained by her side, also attracted attention within the academy. Hazuki, with her calm and elegant demeanor and sharp analytical skills, truly shone during the spring festival, where her planning idea was chosen as the main event.

“Did you see Hazuki’s spring festival plan?”
“That was made by a first-year? Really?”

Finally, Yuuna shone with a different charm from the other two. Her bright and friendly personality, and her ability to get along with anyone, made her an instant star within the academy. In particular, she became the emcee on the day of the festival, and her natural smile and lively hosting captivated everyone.

“Wow, Nishizono is so cute, isn’t she?”
“Yes, no one can resist that smile.”

The three of them went up on the central stage of the academy on the day of the festival and greeted everyone. Amidst the cheers of countless students and parents gathered around the stage, they waved to everyone with confident, bright smiles.

“Trinity is the best!”
“Hanae! Hazuki! Yuuna!”
“Waaah~!”

And we, watching from below…

“It reminds me of the old days.”
“I know, it’s a relief that our daughters are doing so well.”

I leaned on Aya’s arm, enjoying the festival. This time too, wearing yukatas, we strolled around, watching the children busy with student council work from a distance, and playing with Nonoka, who was trotting along beside us. Then, in the middle of the festival, I saw a piano. A piano anyone could play. Nonoka pointed at the piano and said,

“Mommy! Can I play that?”
“Hmm… maybe?”
“Perhaps? I’ll go ask.”

Aya went somewhere and came back, saying anyone could play the piano. Nonoka walked confidently to the piano, sat down, and began to play. Nonoka’s small fingertips gently touched the piano keys. Perhaps it was a good piano, but as the soft melody spread, the bustling festival atmosphere instantly quieted.

The confidently played melody spread through the spring festival like a gentle breeze. Passersby stopped one by one, gathering in front of the piano to listen to the beautiful performance.

“Who is that child?”
“She plays so beautifully…”
“This… it reminds me of… the genius girl who caused the tragedy of Takamari back then…”

Whispers rippled through the crowd. Perhaps a generation had already passed, but some were recalling the tragedy left by Yukikawa Reina, the genius of Takamari’s past. The story of how her incredibly talented sister was framed and destroyed still lingered as a deep wound in many people’s memories.

But Nonoka’s song was not one of sadness, but one overflowing with warmth and hope. The small child, playing each note clearly and precisely, was enough to ignite a spark of hope in people’s hearts. After the performance, a quiet silence lingered. And soon, applause and cheers erupted.

“Truly amazing!”
“I’ve never heard such a performance…!”

I watched, my hand trembling slightly, covering my mouth. Aya immediately ran towards Nonoka.

“Nonoka, you did so well!”

Aya lifted the child into her arms and held her tenderly. Nonoka smiled shyly and hugged Aya tightly.

“Mommy… did I do well?”
“Of course, you did. You were amazing.”

I watched them fondly, my eyes welling up with tears as old memories resurfaced. The tragedy of the past wouldn’t touch our child. Amidst the applause, our daughters, who were emceeing the stage, came over. They didn’t run and hug us like before, but watched us from a slight distance, smiling awkwardly.

“Hanae, Hazuki, you’re here too?”
“Yes, Mommies are here too.”
“Of course, Takamari events are like local festivals.”

And so, the spring festival continued, filled with laughter.

****

A long day passed, and we returned home. The children, tired from the festival, fell asleep early. Hanae and Hazuki had been busy with student council work all day, and Nonoka, still a baby, fell asleep quickly.

After checking that the children were sound asleep, I was sipping tea alone in the living room when I heard soft footsteps approaching.

“A thief…?”
“The children have grown so much already.”
“Well, Aya was the only one who would move so quietly in our house.”
“I know… We’ve changed a lot too, haven’t we?”
“But there’s still so much that remains the same, right?”
“My love for Aya?”
“Rina, you’re the one who tempted me.”
“Yes, come here.”

I held out my arms and embraced Aya. Aya, smiling, held me in her arms again.

“It’s strange… So much time has passed, but when I hold Aya, it feels like nothing has changed since high school.”
“Me too. Even though the children have grown so much, I still feel as excited as I did at the beginning. Is this also because of the anti-aging serum?”
“Maybe…? So, let’s keep living like this, forever.”

I buried my face slightly in Aya’s ample chest and whispered softly. Aya hugged me even tighter.