Reunion and Apology

"Ugh…"

"Yuuki-san!!"

I slowly open my eyes. My vision is blurry, and I can’t make out much… but I can faintly tell it’s Yuki-san’s face.

"Yuuki-san! Are you okay?"

Come to think of it, what happened to me? I can’t quite remember…

"I’m so glad… You suddenly lost consciousness, Yuuki-san."

"I see…"

That’s right, I think something happened, and I passed out. But wait, what’s going on now? This soft sensation on my head, and Yuki-san’s face directly above me… Could this be…

"A lap pillow!?"

"Yuuki-san? That’s not okay."

I try to get up, but for some reason, Yuki-san holds me down, preventing me from moving. What kind of embarrassing situation is this?

"You’re not fully recovered yet, so just lie down and rest for a while."

"This is… so embarrassing."

"Please bear with it. Besides, Yuuki-san, there’s someone here who wants to greet you."

"Greet me?"

Now that she mentions it, I feel like someone else came…

"…It’s been a while, Yuuki-kun."

Hearing this voice, everything comes rushing back to me. Shino-san is here…

"It has been a while. So, what are you here for after all this time?"

I deliberately ask in a harsh tone. I can’t forgive her for suddenly disappearing that day. Call it petty, but back then, Shino-san was my everything.

"…Are you still angry?"

"Of course I am. Back then, your kindness meant the world to me. It supported me, made me happy. So, I can’t forgive you for leaving without even saying a word. And besides…"

I hesitate to say it. It’s too late now, but I need to get it off my chest.

"…Yuuki-kun?"

"I wanted you to take me in, Shino-san. At that time, I’d lost everything… My mom and sister were gone, and my relatives turned a blind eye to me. But you gave me warmth. That’s why I wanted to become your family. But that didn’t happen, and you left without a word. It made me think… I don’t have anyone on my side, and I’m destined to be alone forever. So I decided—if family just disappears, I don’t need one. And if I fall in love, I’ll just suppress those feelings."

"…"

Shino-san looks down, saying nothing. That’s fine by me. I don’t care if she hates me after this. I’ve already resolved to live alone.

"…I wanted to help you, Yuuki-kun. But I realized something—I wasn’t capable of truly helping you. Even if we became family, I wouldn’t have been able to lighten your darkness. It would have been nothing more than mutual consolation."

Though I can’t see her face, I can hear the tears in her voice.

"…I’m sorry. That’s why I left. But afterward, I resolved to help kids like you in any way I could. I studied psychology and became a counselor."

"I see. I’m glad I got to hear the reason. It’s cleared up a lot for me."

"…I’m sorry. I should have prioritized helping you, Yuuki-kun…"

"Don’t worry about it. I’ve learned to live on my own, and I’ve accepted the past, so it’s fine."

Tears begin to stream down Shino-san’s face. Honestly, her crying in front of my sick self is troublesome. And why is everyone gathering around me when I’m trying to rest?

"Hmm… is it okay if I speak now?"

"What is it, Hinata-san?"

Hinata-san gently strokes Shino-san’s back, trying to calm her, before beginning to speak.

"Watching Yuuki today, I’ve come to believe… you’re struggling to do it all alone, aren’t you?"

"It’s just because I’m sick right now. Normally, I’m fine."

"Is that really true? I do admire your independence—you handle cooking, cleaning, and everything else on your own. But surely you’re pushing yourself too hard sometimes?"

"…That’s not true."

Even as I deny it, I know Hinata-san is right. I’ve had to push myself at times, but there’s no one else to do it, so it’s all on me.

"Still, I hope you’ll realize this one thing."

Hinata-san moves closer and gently places her hand on my cheek.

"There are people who care about you, Yuuki. Myself included."

"Me too, Yuuki-san."

"…Me as well."

It feels nice to know people care, but my awful past makes me think it’s better if they don’t get involved with me.

"I don’t need—"

"Yuuki-san, please tell us about your past. We’ll accept it and won’t leave your side. So, please."

The sincerity in their eyes convinces me. Maybe it’s better for them to know. It might even save them from unnecessary worry.

"Alright. I’ll start from when I returned to this house. It was back in March…"

And so, I began telling the three of them about my past, up to the events that led to me working part-time at Yuki-san’s place.

---

Author's Note:

Next time: Yuuki’s Past Arc begins.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

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