Chapter 52: 52

“Rei-chan! There is no one absolute truth! The truth as Fuki-san tells it, and the truth as you tell it, though they might have parts where they coincide, there are also parts where they don’t!”

 

Katsuragi-sama had drawn a Venn diagram on the memo pad on the table. There are two circles on it, with “Fuki’s truth” and “Rei’s truth” written on them. And he had shaded the part where the two overlaps.

 

“Kaoru, what’s that? If it’s Audi’s logo you’re going for, you still need two more circles.”

 

Of his own accord, Shiroyama-sama adds two other circles. I no longer get what the picture is supposed to represent. I don’t even know what to say anymore.

 

“Anyway, you should ask Fuki-san too! If possible, it would be nice to be able to hear what Shirasagi Mari-jou has to say too, but she’s in heaven, eh! She was really my type!”

“Katsuragi-sama sure has peculiar inclinations. Your age gap amounts to around 85 years. My tears have dried on its own.”

 

In my mind, I picture Katsuragi-sama kneeling down in front of the elderly Mari-sama. So ridiculous is the picture that all the sadness I had previously felt are gone. I had thought that Comrade Yoshio’s taste in women was something, but it turns out that he does not even compare to Katsuragi-sama!

 

“Oi, Rei-chan! My type is the Mari-jou in that photo! Don’t misunderstand!”

 

Unusual as it is, Katsuragi-sama hurried to clarify. Still, to me, I can only think of the elderly Mari-sama. The proud elderly Mari-sama and the childish prince Katsuragi-sama. I’m certain that Mari-sama will hit Katsuragi-sama with her bamboo ruler repeatedly. And Katsuragi-sama will accept them gladly. Such perversion indeed.

 

“I am not so uncouth that I would find fault with someone else’s preferences.”

 

With much pity in me, I smile.

 

“Rather than Shirasagi Mari, I like Kujoin Reiko better.”

 

All of a sudden, Shiroyama-sama joins in the conversation.

 

“Shiroyama-sama likes my ‘playing’ better than Mari-sama’s ‘playing’? I am honored.”

 

Shiroyama-sama uses way too little words. I wish Madenokouji-sama had come with the two of them too. The two of them together are too much for me to handle by myself.

 

Takanashi-sama and Yuuki Miu-san are at a loss, they do not appear to grasp the situation. While unfortunate, I have grown accustomed to their strange behavior.

Takanashi-sama is finally coming back to his senses.

 

“Katsuragi-san, I don’t get what you’re trying to say. What can you, who have never been abused, possibly know! Kujouin-san was abused. Even so, she’s still hoping for Fuki-baachan’s love even now. She’s pitiful!”

“I was abused? Why do you think so? I do not recall having ever been abused. Though indeed Mari-sama’s method of discipline was rather harsh. If that constitutes abuse, then yes, perhaps I may have been abused.”

 

Takanashi-sama looks as if he both pity me and is exasperated with me at the same time.

 

“Fuki-baachan abused you! Admit that!”

“… In the first place, Fuki-san was never under any obligation to raise me. Why are you getting so angry?”

“I hate pitiable people like you with no self-awareness! I was also abused by my mother! Shit!”

 

With his own fist, Takanashi-sama hits his knee.

 

“You were abused by your mother?”

“She’s not fit to be called a mother, that old hag.”

 

Takanashi-sama starts telling us about himself.

As the only daughter of the Takanashi household, Takanashi-sama’s mother was raised a lonely child. They say that Takanashi-sama’s grandfather’s stepmother was the side piece, and due to her own unpleasant experiences, she wanted to raise his mother to be a chaste woman.

 

“Grandpa’s real mother is Fuki-baachan. Grandpa was a kid, Fuki-baachan was driven out of the house because of the side piece. After which the side piece took her place.”

 

Takanashi-sama’s grandfather begat one daughter after getting married: his mother. Takanashi-sama’s mother strayed from the right path in middle school, and she ceased to come home. During which, her mother – that is, Takanashi-sama’s grandmother – died of worry.

After, Takanashi-sama’s mother got pregnant in her first year of high school. She was pregnant with Takanashi-sama. In his rage, Takanashi-sama’s grandfather disowned her.

 

“My father was one of those delinquents who would hang out in groups in Shibuya. He and my mother got married and lived normal lives for a while. He was a drug dealer. He seems to have had a fair amount of money.”

 

Takanashi-sama has now fully switched to a sulky tone of voice.

Anyhow, the two young parents set about giving birth to and raising Takanashi-sama.

 

“What a nice story.”

“Which part? A drug dealer gangster father, and a mother who got pregnant at 16. How low class, no?”

“My own father was the kind of trash to hand me over to my grandmother soon after my birth, and never paid a single cent to my education. To add, he even made an attempt at my life the other day. As for my mother, she died at birth. Though they may be young and must have had difficulties of their own, they did not abort nor abandon you and instead made an attempt at raising you with their own hands, did they not?”

“There’s no meaning if they ended up not doing it!”

“Well, that certainly is so. To you, it may have been but an annoyance. However, to me, as a child who had not only been abandoned but also used as a tool of revenge, I feel a significant difference there.”

 

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Takanashi-sama clicks his tongue and continues speaking.

When he was four, Takanashi-sama’s drug dealer gangster father was killed by the yakuza. All because he was dealing in the yakuza’s territory without their permission. Since then, Takanashi-sama was left with his mother, just the two of them.

 

“We were poor as dirt. And that hag of a mother was never at home, always working in hostess bars. I did not even go to kindergarten, you know?”

“My, what a coincidence. I did not go either. Though going to kindergarten is not mandatory, and there was no problem at all in not going.”

 

By the time Takanashi-sama entered elementary school, his mother had mostly ceased to return home.

And when he was in his fourth year of elementary school, a report was made to a child welfare’s center, and Takanashi-sama was handed over to their protection.

 

“Then, Grandpa took me in. He was so nice to me. I don’t know what that hag mother of mine is doing about now. Before coming into Grandpa’s care, I didn’t realize I had been under abuse. Because to me, that was what normal was. That’s why I always get so irritated everytime I look at you!”

 

I can’t help but look at Takanashi-sama coldly.

 

“As I have repeatedly said, Fuki-san never had even the slightest bit of obligation to raise me. Even so, she never let me starve, and allowed me to lead a decent life. She also taught me how to do chores. Even if I had been abused, I do not mind. Rather than abuse, it is the reality that I had not been loved, that I had been ostracized that hurt me more.”

 

My head was hung down. It is painful for me to be hated by Fuki-san. She did not love me.

 

“I look like an idiot now…”

“You truly are an idiot, Takanashi. You blamed your hurting Rei-chan on your grandfather, Fuki-san, and your mother. The one who hurt Rei-chan was none other than you.”

 

To Katsuragi-sama’s cold words, the room fell silent.

 

“Takanashi-sama has gone through a lot, have you not? For me, rather than suffering, I am at a loss on what to do now… But I harbor no anger towards you.”

 

I have nothing against Takanashi-sama. Enough of that.

 

“Takanashi-sama, it would be good for you to read Kamui and Barefoot Gen. They are my bible. When I read them, little worries of mine just seem to fly away!”

 

I say this while smiling. For some reason, Yuuki Miu-san comes to me with a distorted expression on her face. I wonder what she will say next. But contrary to my expectations, Yuuki Miu-san lowers her head down.

 

“Kujouin-san, I am sorry. I understand that all is not well just because I have apologized. Everything was but my prejudice. My own mother was a young wife who was not treated well, and well… I am sorry. I just assumed that you were belittling me, since you belong to the upper class.”

“You did not quite like my conduct and the way I speak, did you? I carry myself this way only because of the training I have received since early childhood; it is not something I do consciously. It does, after all, hurt to be whipped by a bamboo ruler. But if my behavior has caused you any discomfort at all, then I apologize.”

 

Yuuki-san shakes her head no.

 

“I am sorry. At first, I was determined to make it work in that academy. But the stance against the outside students was worse than I had thought, and… I thought it strange, given we were all students in the same academy. At such a time, Sakurada-sama showed me kindness…”

 

Though it can said to be deserved, I get fed up whenever Sakurada Yuria-sama’s name comes up. I look towards Katsuragi-sama.

 

“Katsuragi-sama, I leave everything related to Sakurada Yuria-sama to you. I do not wish to have anything to do with her any longer.”

 

Katsuragi-sama nods while smiling his refreshing smile.

 

“Leave it to me, Rei-chan!”

 

Yuuki Miu-san and Takanashi-sama look as if they have no idea what is going on. I am sure that Yuuki Miu-san knows nothing about the otome game in Sakurada Yuria-sama’s head. She must be so surprised if ever she was to hear that she is the heroine.

It may be obvious, but Sakurada Yuria-sama did not come to visit. She probably thinks of my current injuries as the ending befitting me as the villainess, for the heroine Yuuki Miu-san has already succeeded in capturing Takanashi-sama and therefore reach a happy ending. I truly cannot understand her. There is no correlation between the two events here.

 

“Now, Takanashi and companion, time to go home! You too, Mihael!”

 

In a hurry, I call out to Takanashi-sama.

 

“Thank you for today. Even if I am hated, I want to see Fuki-san. Would you mind if I do?”

 

Surprisingly, Takanashi-sama nods, though without saying a word. And just like that, Katsuragi-sama and all the rest of them leave.

 

I have decided that once discharged, I will go to meet Fuki-san.

Fuki-san must be tormented by pangs of guilt right now. I should go tell her that I think nothing of it. Though I had hoped to be loved, there is nothing I can do about it. After all, love cannot be forced.

 

That night, I watched “My Neighbor Totoro”, which was being broadcasted on the television. Though it was past lights out time, the nurse was kind enough to have looked the other way.

 

Ah, everyone here is admirable; how lovely!

Totoro too! Though I do wonder if their breath does not smell fishy? Also, the parasites… No, since Totoro is fictious, they’re clean! Such a wonderfully perfect world!

Watching My Neighbor Totoro reminded me of Hanaoka Town and I found myself feeling sentimental. Kanta’s grandmother reminds me of the landlady. Though of course, since the landlady is beautiful their appearances do not overlap, but the kindness they show is one and the same.

How I had longed to cross over to Totoro’s world.

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