Onii-chan? What are you talking about?
Mana asks me.
No, Yukino’s right. Misuzu and Ruriko will meet a lot of men so someday, they’ll meet a man better than me. Then, they’ll notice that I’m just a useless guy. Then they’ll part from me What are you talking about. Onii-chan? But, Misuzu and Ruriko are kind, so I don’t think they’ll throw away Kuromori. Of course, they’ll support Mana for the rest of your life. The two of them keep their promises once they said it Onii-chan Mana too, you’re relying on me so much right now. But, I don’t need Mana to devote her life to me. If ever Mana finds a man she likes then you don’t need to feel obligated and disappear when you want to Please don’t say something silly like that
I look up at the ceiling.
I have the resolve to make everyone happy, that’s all. Right now, the family might need me. Mana’s right, I might be the key to this family
But.
In the end, it’s all just for now. Sooner or later, inevitably, everyone won’t need me anymore. When that happens, everyone will outgrow from me and become happier That’s not true
Mana’s desperately clinging to me, rubbing her cheek on my back.
No, but that’s inevitable. I’m just a useless man, inferior to others. Now I may be needed, but everyone’s strong, so they shouldn’t be with me forever. You girls need to find someone more amazing than me There’s no one better than Onii-chan! There is, after all, I’m really a useless man
I have no qualification to be loved.
These girls are all beautiful, smart, cute.
I see, so you know that the girls will abandon you someday
Yukino said.
I won’t! I will remain with Onii-chan forever!
Mana glares at her sister angrily.
Oh, scary! Maika, when women say that, they immediately change their mind when a better man appears I’m not that kind of woman!
Mana shouts. Yukino laughs.
Then what? Either way, you know that they’ll abandon you someday, so you still want to devote yourself to these women? Trying to prolong the time before they leave you even for a bit? That’s quite the effort
She laughs at me.
That’s not it
I said.
I just don’t want to regret it
I look into Yukino’s eyes.
Perhaps, someday, everyone will part from me. Then, they’ll become happy. They’ll probably forget about me. No, they have to forget about me
They’ll erase me from their memory. I have to disappear.
But, I’ll remember them. I won’t forget. I’ll never forget. Therefore, I want to devote myself to the people I loved. That’s what I think
If not, I’ll regret it.
Regret is a nightmare that never disappears.
Hah! I don’t get what you’re talking about. Well, of course, I won’t. After all, you’re crazy. You’re in a world I don’t understand from the beginning. There’s no way I would understand!
Yukino speaks as if spitting out.
Oh, I wonder?
Suddenly, the door opens, and Katsuko-nee appeared.
You and he are very similar, on not trusting people
Saying that; she takes a photo of us.
Take a photo of your family. You’ll forget them someday after all. said Araki-san, A photographer!
Then, she takes another photo.
She snaps a photo of us looking confused.
The argument is approaching the conclusion, so I should go soon, Ojou-sama told me Mana-chan’s approach didn’t work well it seems
Mana’s plan on inviting Yukino to the family has failed.
Now then
Katsuko-nee puts the camera aside.
I can understand why Yukino-san doesn’t trust people at all
She looks at Yukino while saying that.
After all, her father is like that. I also saw what her mother is like. If you’re raised with such selfish people, who look down on people and judge everything out of profit-and-loss, of course, you will grow up like her i!
Yukino tries to object, but Katsuko-nee ignores her and turns to Mana.
In that regard, it’s great that Mana-chan’s raised in her relatives’ house in Shizuoka. So, she grew up as a child who can trust people who can protect her
Yeah, I think that the Shizuoka house was a good environment for Mana.
Better than Tokyo, with her real family.
You’re the one who doesn’t get it
Katsuko-nee looks at me.
We know your past. You grew up ignored by your father and mother, and on top of that, abandoned. In reality, you should’ve grown up as a child with a cold heart and not trust anyone like Yukino
That’s right, I.
Yet, you grew up as a kind child. You had your grandmother who took care of you when you were young, didn’t you?
My Grandma.
Your grandmother has raised you with love, you have that memory, so you grew up as a kind boy. Isn’t that right?
Katsuko-nee looks at me.
That’s right, you’re very kind, that’s for sure. Yet, why do you not believe people? Why do you always assume that everyone will abandon you?
That’s.
There should be a reason inside of you. Talk about it with us
Katsuko-nee.
You don’t want to say it no matter what? Is it something you can’t tell us?
I
That’s not true Then talk about it Yes, please talk about it Onii-chan
Katsuko-nee and Mana look at me.
Agnes too.
Yukino’s looking at me coldly.
Minaho-neesan is surely watching.
My Grandma was really kind. She’s always helping me out. She loved me
I remember Grandma’s smile. Her kind smile.
But, Grandma forgot about me
Grandma on the hospital bed.
Her cold face looks atme.
What do you mean? Could you explain it further?
Katsuko-nee tells me.
When I was in second grade, Grandma has died but. At first, she collapsed at home. In the evening, she suddenly felt sick. Then, she was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. Ah, I’m the one who called the ambulance. Grandma or I am not supposed to use the phone in the house, so I went outside to a public telephone I was scared.
Scared that Grandma might die.
In the ambulance, Grandma held my hand all the time. She told me Thank you, thank you She looks up at me, Grandma back then knows me
But.
When she arrived at the hospital, Father comes from the office in a panic. Then she took emergency surgery, and the operation took hours
I was waiting for the surgery to end at the hospital with Father until morning.
I prayed so hard, hoping for Grandma not to die, to get better. I prayed until the operation was over
I couldn’t forget the chill at the hospital room.
Then, when the operation was over, that day, Grandma didn’t wake up, and she regained consciousness three days later
Then.
When she woke up, Grandma forgot me
Those eyes looking at me saying Who?
Forgot?
Katsuko-nee asks me.
Yeah, completely gone from the memory. She knows Father. She remembers his name. But, she completely forgot my name, that I’m her grandson. She doesn’t even understand when father explained it
I disappeared from her head.
Of course. For Grandma, ever since Father got married, the time since I was born was all just pain. My Mother has treated her harshly
Mother treated Grandma like a slave.
Besides, I was just 9 years old, I haven’t lived with Grandma for ten years. Even if she remembers Father who lived with her for 30 years, she forgot about me
Grandma didn’t even remember that Father got married.
In Grandma’s memory, Father is still single, and the two of them are living together.
Therefore, I don’t exist.
In the end, her stamina has declined, and Grandma died at the hospital. She didn’t remember me until the end
Even though she loved me so much.
I was just.
Therefore, you think that we’ll forget about you too
Katsuko-nee looks at me.
What a sad expression she makes.