Episode 375: Thank You

「So… they used their connections to start harassing us indirectly. But we found another connection on our end, and that gave us the opening to counterattack Yamazaki and his group.」

「I see… and that was Nishikawa Eri-san?」

「Yes. Actually, my best friend who charged in with me before kept moving independently even after that incident. He was able to get information from someone he met back then, and we realized that Yamazaki’s real target was Nishikawa-san.」

「Ah, so that’s why Sara moved. Even though she transferred, Nishikawa-san is one of the few friends Sara has.」

「The “few” part is uncalled for. I have a policy of being selective with my relationships.」

「Oops, my apologies.」

Well, to begin with, the number of people who could build a relationship close enough to become Sara-san’s friend is probably limited… especially back then… anyway, putting that aside.

「And so you actually made contact with Eri-san, Kazunari-kun?」

「We spent some time gathering info after that. A new best friend I made at my current school helped out too, like making contact with Yuzuha’s group… and then…」

「You reached that conclusion.」

「Yeah. But the scale was so huge that I was honestly worried about what to do. If we attacked that, it wasn’t going to be something that would end on a personal level anymore…」

「I bet. Yamazaki Industry isn’t exactly a small company, and socially clashing with an opponent that thinks nothing of doing illegal things… normally, the risk would be far too…」

「Yeah. I was thinking of it as a personal matter, but before I knew it, it involved their entire company… it reached a scale where it felt like we were pursuing a social evil. But that’s exactly why I thought we might be able to crush him for sure…」

Just how much of a disaster would it be if we actually did it. Thinking about that, it was true that I felt plenty of fear rather than just flinching… but I couldn’t run away.

Plus, Sara-san… everyone told me they would shoulder just as much as I would… that’s why I.

「…Setting aside the guts it took to make that decision, I’m impressed that you were able to overcome a situation like this with just a group of high school friends… I have to say I’m in awe. You really did something incredible.」

「No, but it’s really just thanks to everyone. I didn’t do anything myself…」

I wasn’t just being humble. The biggest factor in handling this was that Yuji and Hanako-san discovered Yamazaki’s weakness.

Plus, it was thanks to Todo-san and Tachikawa-san that I could get in touch with Hanako-san, and thanks to Sara-san and Natsumi-senpai that I could contact Nishikawa-san. The reason I could pull info from Yuzuha’s group was thanks to Hayato, and handling Yamazaki along with his company was only possible with Nishikawa-san’s power.

And above all… the reason I never wavered and could face them head-on until the end was… because Sara-san was always there to support me.

Meaning… I was the only one who did nothing.

「That goes without saying, you know? It’s true that it was the result of everyone playing their part… but who was the one who connected those points into a line?」

「That would be…」

「Yeah. You know it yourself… or perhaps someone has already told you? That’s right, all those elements only came together as one because you were at the center.」

Sara-san and Nishikawa-san had told me this once before.

What each person can do is limited, but by gathering around me, it becomes a single power for the first time.

That was my…

「Everyone has their own role, but moving separately doesn’t lead to anything. That’s why you need someone to bring it together… a person to unite that power and use it. And despite being just a high schooler, you brilliantly embodied that against a social entity like a company. This is undoubtedly your own power, you know?」

「Masaomi-san…」

「So stand tall. The reason this matter reached a resolution was definitely your power as well. And that is one of the big reasons I have high expectations for you. Of course, Chairman Nishikawa does too.」

「Kazunari-san… no matter what anyone says, you are our leader. Every one of us gathered around you, and we are a group that moves with you at the center…」

「Sara-san…」

Masaomi-san’s confident gaze and Sara-san’s unshakeable, direct gaze seemed to appeal to my heart even more than their words.

Right… even if I couldn’t say I was confident, at the very least.

「…I understand. It hasn’t changed that it was thanks to everyone, but it’s also true that I brought it to a conclusion with my own hands.」

「Yes♪」

「Yeah, that’s fine for now. It’s important not to forget your humility too.」

「Hehe… so like Kazunari-kun.」

「I-Is that so?」

Even being told it’s like me, I feel like someone who could be full of themselves after all this would be the weird one… oh well.

「Anyway, I mostly understand the story now. I generally understand the problem Kazunari-kun was dealing with, and I’m happy… though it might be inappropriate to say it that way… that you told us this much.」

「Um… Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san are like another Father and Mother to me.」

「Haha, I see. I’m happy to hear that. And being called Father isn’t bad either. Will you call me that from now on?」

「Ah, Masaomi-san, that’s cheating! Then call me Mother too…」

「W-Whaaa!? No, Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san, you don’t really have that kind of image…」

I can’t explain it well, but Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san definitely don’t fit the image of “Father and Mother”… so I’d like them to give me a break on that.

「Hey Kazunari, what’s that supposed to mean?」

「Right, I’d certainly love to hear about this image of yours?」

「U-Um… S-Sara-san!!」

It’s hard enough to explain, so being interrogated on it only makes it harder to answer!!

So here… I have no choice but to rely on the person they can’t interrogate any further…

「Hehe… Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, that’s just Kazunari-san’s way of showing affection, so please don’t tease him any more, okay?」

「Ugh… if Sara-chan puts it that way…」

「Wh-What is this… she just looks like she’s normally smiling, but I feel a pressure that won’t allow any rebuttal…」

As expected, the two of them (especially my Father) who can’t stand up to Sara-san fall silent in their predicament.

And Sara-san, the main person involved, is happily stroking my head with a full smile… by any chance, was she happy that I relied on her?

「Ha, haha… well, we’ll leave what you call us to you, Kazunari-kun… so, about the story.」

「Yes, that’s mostly the end of my story. Now my Father and Mom…」

「Yeah, I generally understand the situation on this side too. If I think about how you did something crazy and that led to this current matter, then I can be even more convinced by their story…」

「I see. Then…」

「Just one thing… though.」

「…What is it?」

My Father closed his eyes after saying that, looking like he was thinking about something… or rather, like he was calming himself down…

「…The fact that you were carrying all of this and I couldn’t do anything for you as a parent is completely my own failure. I’m sorry.」

And with his eyes closed… that Father of mine bowed his head to me!?

「Hah!? N-No, wait a minute!! You guys didn’t know anything because I was the one keeping quiet in the first place…」

My Father’s attitude was so sincere and so different from usual that I was confused… but even more than that, a sense of guilt welled up inside me.

If anything, I should be the one scolded for not saying anything. There was no reason at all for them to apologize…

「Even so, the fact remains that I could do nothing for you at the time. Not only that, I did nothing to help you stand back up…」

「No, that’s why, I…」

I’m in a bind… I can’t find the right words.

This really was just my fault for keeping quiet, and they didn’t do anything wrong…

「If I may be so bold… the perception that Father-in-law and Mother-in-law did nothing is incorrect. At the very least, Kazunari-san doesn’t think so.」

「Sara-san…?」

「S-Sara-chan… but you see.」

Everyone’s attention gathered on Sara-san’s sudden comment. But she remained with her usual smile…

「It overlaps with what Kazunari-san said earlier, but the foundation for him to start his life here was provided by none other than his parents. Without that, he wouldn’t have even been able to stand at the starting line to recovery, would he?」

「No, that much is only natural…」

「No. There aren’t many parents who would respect Kazunari-san’s autonomy and accept such a request so readily. And because of the kindness of you two, Kazunari-san was able to fight through without breaking until the very end.」

「Sara-san is right. I’m truly grateful to you both. My choice of school that I decided on without consulting anyone, and the matter of living alone, you didn’t just accept it in silence but you even supported me, didn’t you? Plus, because you both always treated me normally, I was at least able to get through middle school without rotting away… so.」

After dragging this out so long and borrowing Sara-san’s help, I felt pathetic and sorry that I only just now found the courage to honestly bare my soul…

But that’s exactly why, if I didn’t say it now, I never would.

「Father, Mom, thank you for everything until now. The reason I was able to overcome everything… the reason I met Sara-san, was all thanks to you. So if you really think you didn’t have anything to do with me standing back up, you’re wrong. It’s true that the one who actually helped me back up was Sara-san… but the one who built the foundation for that was definitely you two.」

「…Kazunari.」

「…u」

「So I’m truly grateful to you both. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk about this until now… but I finally made up my mind. Plus, I can’t thank you enough for giving me the chance to meet Sara-san…」

I was grateful for everything, from the trigger to overcome the past, to being my emotional support back then, and for the practical support including the exams…

But for me, the best part was that it gave me the chance to meet Sara-san.

「…I would also like to offer my thanks once more. Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, thank you very much. Thanks to you, I was able to meet the world’s most wonderful man, Kazunari-san.」

「S-Sara-chan…」

「Haha, this guy is the world’s most wonderful, huh.」

「Hehe… Kazunari-san is undoubtedly the most wonderful man in the world. And as the one who will become Kazunari-san’s wife, I pride myself on being the world’s happiest woman.」

Staring with an unshakeable directness that felt like she truly meant it from the bottom of her heart without any hesitation or joking… into the eyes of my beloved Sara-san, even my Father and Mom couldn’t help but smile.

「Haha… if you put it that way, I guess I have no choice but to say you’re welcome.」

「Yeah. To think they’d both drop some flirting into a talk like this, it’s like “do whatever you want” at this point.」

「No, I wasn’t really flirting…」

「If you aren’t aware of it, that’s even worse. Go explode!」

「Wait!?」

I thought I was having a serious talk, so why did it end like that!?

I only expressed my gratitude from my heart, so this is just too unreasonable… it is, isn’t it?

「I’m glad. It seems things have settled down smoothly.」

「Yeah. The things we were worried about are clear now, and knowing they trust us enough to tell us a story like this…」

「Hehe… Mother-in-law is happy too. Now that it’s come to this, I’m going to dote on my son even more than before…」

「I told you to save the sleep-talking for when you get home!!」

「Sara-chan is so mean!!」

「Haha…」

「Honestly… hehe.」

「Haaa… if anything, this is the part that doesn’t feel real. Why are that beautiful mother and daughter fighting over Kazunari?」

The serious mood shifted all at once, returning to the start… it was a light atmosphere that made me wonder what all that worrying before was about, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Above all, now that I was finally able to tell them everything… I had a firm sense that the last of the lingering feelings in my heart had finally vanished.

「Well, anyway, you’re just gonna have to work hard from now on.」

「What’s that all of a sudden?」

「It’s the path you chose… I can’t back you up from here on. We’re far too out of our depth.」

「Eh? Well, I guess I’ll have to leave the adoption and stuff to Masaomi-san and the others.」

「That’s not what I meant, but whatever.」

「Sara-chan… please look after this guy, okay?」

「Yes, leave it to me. I promise to support Kazunari-san with everything I have.」

Full of confidence, dignified… and proud. Sara-san gave a big nod to Mom’s words and showed me a soft smile.

That’s right, no matter what happens from here on, no matter what’s waiting, as long as I have this smile…

As long as Sara-san is by my side…

「Hehe… let’s work hard, Dear?」

「Yeah… Sara.」

No matter what it is, I can overcome anything as long as I’m with Sara-san. I can walk forward. To me, Sara-san is that kind of existence, and that’s exactly why I was able to overcome my past like this. I can finally stand tall and say that I’m okay.

So now… it’s your turn.

This time, I want you to find someone like that too. I want you to stand back up.

I can’t help but wish for that…

Right… Yuzuha?