Interlude 3
The Victim of a Safe First Love
“Kaguya-chan”
Kaguya-chan sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and downturned face in the corner of the staircase.
I gently called out after catching up to her.
“Rei-chan”
She looked up with a dark expression.
“Can I sit next to you?”
Her shrinking figure resembled that of a lonely small child.
As I quietly took a seat beside her, she asked,
“Why are you here?”
“I was worried about you, so I secretly followed. I’m sorry.”
“Are you here to take back?”
“No. Why don’t you co ho with instead?”
“You should stay, Rei-chan.”
“Hmm, don’t worry about it. Actually, I also feel out of place here. Hey, why don’t we go for a walk and eat while we talk?”
Kaguya-chan gave a small nod.
I took her to the food court downstairs and bought crepes for both of us.
“Thank you for the crepe.”
“It’s fine, you’re welco.”
The weather was pleasantly clear outside, perfect for eating while walking.
We strolled slowly towards Odaiba Seaside Park.
“Sothing sweet is perfect when you’re not in the mood. It’s been a while since I had a crepe. It’s delicious.”
Kaguya-chan didn’t respond to my comnt. She was silently eating her own crepe.
It’s fine as long as she has an appetite.
“Rei-chan. I’ve been feeling so unstable.”
Kaguya-chan confided as the sea ca into view.
“Unstable?”
“I want Yuu-kun to co back, but there’s a part of that doesn’t want him to beco my Onii-chan…”
“Do you like Yuunagi-kun?”
“Yeah.”
“And that ‘like’ isn’t just as siblings?”
“It’s fine when it’s just the two of us. But when I see Yuu-kun happily talking with other girls, I suddenly get angry, and then…”
“Did you run away because you got jealous of your Onii-chan being taken away?”
“Because I can’t bear it, I end up causing trouble for Yuu-kun again and again…”
Kaguya-chan sank into self-loathing.
At this age, it’s still difficult to control one’s emotions and actions, so people end up making mistakes they never even imagined and then dwell on them.
“It’s impossible to be both a lover and a stepsister, isn’t it?”
Her worries were quite sensible.
This girl was capable of much more mature thoughts than her behavior suggested.
It was precisely because she understood things clearly in her mind that she was troubled.
Nishiki Kaguya was torn between the desire to ‘beco a lover’ and the wish to ‘remain a stepsister’.
Both feelings were genuine. Yet, she could not choose either.
It was a situation filled with heartache and pain.
I understood it all too well.
“I know that Yuu-kun’s affection is that of family. It’s been that way from the beginning, and it never changed, no matter how much I acted spoiled….”
Thinking of Yuunagi-kun, Kaguya-chan was desperately trying to discard one of the two precious emotions.
“Is Kaguya-chan’s affection different?”
When I put it into words for her, she nodded.
“I thought I had cald down while we were living apart. That’s why I decided to go to Yuu-kun’s room during Golden Week to convince him to co back ho… But I just couldn’t see him as Onii-chan when we talked.”
Kaguya-chan murmured in distress.
“I wouldn’t be struggling like this if it were easy to resolve.”
That was sothing I could say about myself as well.
Involuntarily, I found myself identifying with her position.
I knew all too well the pain of harboring feelings for soone you shouldn’t fall in love with.
“I’ve always been alone because my mother died when I was young. I felt secure when I got attention from various people, but it was different with Yuu-kun. Just talking and being cared for wasn’t enough…”
“Even so, Kaguya-chan’s barrage of affection didn’t get through to Yuunagi-kun.”
“Yeah. It didn’t work at all. But he was always so kind…”
“That’s what you call unconditional love.”
“Unconditional love…”
Kaguya-chan repeated as if savoring the words.
Love that gives everything without expecting anything in return.
Even among blood relatives, that’s a difficult thing to achieve.
“Rei-chan, why do you think it didn’t work out?”
By this point, I had my own answer.
“Rei-chan, if you understand, then tell . Please.”
She clutched the hem of my jacket as if begging for salvation.
“Can I speak frankly——even if it’s harsh?”
“I just don’t want to suffer anymore over Yuu-kun.”
Understood.
I’ll harden my heart as well.
“Kaguya-chan, your approach is incredibly self-centered. You subtly guide others to like you, making them feel as if they are acting on their own initiative. Then when things go south, you play the victim and push the responsibility onto others. Just like you divided a family of four into three and one.”
Kaguya-chan gasped.
“Being loved by many people isn’t sothing just anyone can do. It’s a remarkable talent. But I wonder how long that innocent manipulation will be tolerated. Adults should learn discretion.”
I deliberately chose harsh words.
The reason Kaguya-chan could pour out her heart in a confession earlier was probably because she had realized her ultimate conclusion.
“No, but I was serious…”
She realizes as she trembles, albeit belatedly, the guilt of having hurt her Onii-san.
“If you wanted him to love you as a woman, you shouldn’t have been satisfied with just being adored like a child. You should have thrown your calculation away and seduced him enough until he got overwheld by his desire.”
I whisper like a devil with an emotionless voice.
Even I am impressed by my own act.
But the real lacks the resolve to attack or the courage to let myself be attacked.
I despise the adult cunning-behavior of making excuses for one’s own circumstances.
Yet still, I offer up advice that is too raw to be called advice——a poison.
“!? There’s no way I could ever do that…”
Kaguya-chan was frozen stiff.
This girl, too, can’t keep pretending to be the pure innocent angel forever.
But she has enough adult reason not to fall into corruption just because of desire.
Love doesn’t last if you only dream about it.
It’s ssy, troubleso, and not easily resolved.
“You’re an adult enough to know what you shouldn’t do and can clearly see the line that must not be crossed. Most of all, deep down, you’ve long understood that Yuunagi-kun would never do such a thing to you. He is a guy trustworthy enough that you could rely on him and be spoiled without worry. For Kaguya-chan who carries loneliness and solitude, he was a safe first love.”
I knew the strength of Yuunagi-kun’s affection and reason firsthand.
He’s a man who can endure, ensuring not to hurt the other person, even if they are close.
That’s why I can say with certainty.
Yuunagi-kun’s character, his position as an older brother, and the family that was ford through remarriage——all these elents were used as stoppers to ensure that Nishiki Kaguya’s selfish first love would never bear fruit from the start.
“…I’ve always wondered why my first love had to be Onii-chan, but it’s the opposite. Maybe I love him because it’s unattainable.”
Nishiki Kaguya seed to have an epiphany as if a spell had been lifted.
“Hey, Rei-chan. Maybe an unrequited first love is just practice for the real thing.”
“I hope that’s the case.”
Suddenly, Kaguya-chan ran to the sandy beach and shouted towards the sea.
She raised her voice loudly, not caring about the many people around.
It was as if she was trying to expel sothing that had been building up inside her over and over again.
After screaming until she was breathing heavily, Kaguya-chan wiped her face with both hands.
Then she turned around.
“If Yuu-kun was driven away from his family because of , I want to make ands. Everyone in my family loves Onii-chan! That’s why I want him to feel assured and co back ho.”
Kaguya-chan answered firmly with her eyes red.
“Has your heart stopped being ‘unstable’?”
“Not yet, probably… But knowing the cause has made it a bit better. Yuu-kun is a really good guy, a special Onii-chan to , and that’s exactly why we should definitely remain family.”
The smile that appeared was no longer that of a little girl.
“Kaguya-chan, I’m sorry for hurting you.”
“No, it’s okay. Thanks to Rei-chan, I was able to realize the bad things I did.”
The figure standing there was no longer an innocent child.
She’s willful, she’s spoiled, and she gets angry, such is the adorable little sister of Yuunagi-kun.
“Hey, Rei-chan, do you have soone you like?”
“I do.”
“What kind of person?”
“It’s a secret, but we’ve already made an agreent about it.”
“I see… Tell about it soday, okay?”
The younger girl had set her sights on settling her forbidden love.
Then, it wouldn’t be fair if Tenjō Reiyu were to be treated as an exception.
As an adult, it’s important to draw a clear line.
Yuunagi-kun is still a high school student.
If he can live with his family, that’s what he should do.
Kaguya-chan wants that too.
My personal feelings are insignificant, and everything returning to normal is clearly the most appropriate outco for everyone involved.
High school students normally live with their parents, and a teacher doesn’t eat a student’s cooking every day.
Of course it’s better not to have any secrets.
“Kaguya-chan, can you leave the rest to ?”
I’ve finally decided what I must do.
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