Chapter 4: "Amusement Park Date with Ex-Girlfriend"

"Well... hopefully, we can have a proper talk..."

After school, I made my way to Murakumo-san's residence.

Naturally, I had called ahead during lunch break to secure permission for the visit.

Thinking it might put her at ease to have a former classmate there rather than just a stranger of a homeroom teacher, I had invited Kamijo-san along, but she had flatly refused. Well, given her personality, I'd known it was a long shot anyway.

"Yes?"

"Hello, I'm Shirasaki, the homeroom teacher of Rumi-san's class."

I pressed the intercom, introducing myself the moment a voice responded from inside.

"Ah, I'll be right out...!"

Just as she said, Murakumo-san's mother opened the door immediately.

"Hello, Sensei. Thank you so much for taking the time to come all this way."

She gave off a very gentle, soft-spoken impression.

When I was investigating Murakumo-san's files, the vice principal had mentioned, "Her parents aren't the demanding type, so you can just leave them be." She certainly didn't look like someone who would raise a fuss with the school. That quiet nature was probably exactly why they had felt comfortable ignoring her...

But still, with a student refusing to attend school, there's no way a veteran vice principal didn't even suspect bullying.

"Is Rumi-san home?"

"Yes... she won't leave her room..."

The mother looked deeply worried. She didn't look completely emaciated, but the mental toll was clearly visible. I wanted to resolve this as quickly as possible.

"May I come in?"

"Of course. Please, come inside."

She welcomed me in warmly. As expected, there didn't seem to be any domestic issues at play.

"However... Rumi has always been extremely shy... And lately, she won't even respond when her childhood friend, Sayaka-chan, comes to visit... So..."

"Yes, I understand. For now, let's just try speaking to her and see how she responds."

If she had shut herself away due to severe bullying, retreating from human interaction was only natural. On top of that, she had been abandoned by the teacher she trusted last year. She probably didn't know who was safe to trust anymore.

"Hello, Murakumo-san. I'm Shirasaki, your homeroom teacher starting this year."

I introduced myself standing outside her bedroom door. Then—

"...Sensei...?"

A small, youthful voice drifted through the wood. The mother and I instinctively locked eyes. She responded...!

But our hope was short-lived.

"...I don't have... anything to talk about... Please go home..."

Murakumo-san flatly refused to speak with me.

"R-Rumi! That's incredibly rude to your teacher...!"

"..."

Her mother frantically scolded her, but only silence followed. Well, it was entirely understandable. After being abandoned by the previous teacher, she wasn't going to open up to a stranger who claimed to be her new homeroom teacher.

"I want to help you. If you're willing, could we just talk?"

"..."

No matter how much I pleaded, she remained silent. Was it because her mother was standing right there, or did she genuinely want nothing to do with me? Either way, forcing my way in would only backfire. I had to wait until she was ready to open her heart. This was going to be a long game of patience.

"I'll head home for today. I'd love to try talking with you again."

"Oh..."

As I made moves to leave, the mother looked completely bewildered. She probably hadn't expected me to back down so easily.

However, considering she was highly defensive against a stranger—and a schoolteacher at that—lingering outside her door would only worsen her impression of me. Furthermore, it risked placing a heavy emotional burden on her. For today, a simple greeting was enough.

"Could we speak in private for a moment?"

I wasn't actually planning to just walk away. Even if I couldn't speak to Rumi-san, there was still another source of information available.

"Ah, yes... Please, follow me to the living room..."

Whispering, I made the request, and she nodded compliantly before leading me to the living room. We sat opposite each other at the dining table, and I got straight to the point.

"From your perspective, is there any reason you can think of as to why Rumi-san stopped leaving the house?"

While the cause was almost certainly bullying, I needed to gauge how much the mother actually knew. If I revealed my suspicions, it might feed her a bias—locking her mind onto that single track and potentially closing off other vital details she might have recalled. Thus, I avoided mentioning the word "bullying" and kept the question broad.

"...No, none..."

She paused to think, then shook her head, looking down. This suggested Rumi-san's behavior had suddenly changed after returning home one day.

"Just to be absolutely sure... you mentioned she doesn't leave the house now, but was she always a homebody even when she was still attending school?"

"Well... she was never the type to go out on her own much, but she would go shopping if there was something she wanted... And Sayaka-chan used to invite her out to play all the time, so she actually used to go out quite a bit."

"So she hasn't just stopped going to school—she's stopped leaving the house entirely..."

If that were the case, there was a chance external factors were involved. But...

"Around the time she stopped going out, did she say anything to you?"

Even the smallest detail could help. Right now, I desperately needed any clue that could lead me to the culprits. While speaking directly to Rumi-san would be the most efficient route, her current state made that highly unlikely.

"No... she suddenly became very quiet around that time... She was always shy and introverted around strangers, but she used to talk a lot when she was at home..."

It was highly probable her silence stemmed from deep emotional trauma. Having been betrayed by someone she trusted, she might have lost faith in everyone, including her own family. If so, it made sense why she had ignored her mother's scolding despite sounding like a gentle girl.

"Though... yes, she kept saying she didn't want to go to school... But that was probably because I was pressuring her to go every single day back then..."

As I turned the situation over in my head, a specific detail in the mother's words caught my attention.

"Excuse me, did she specifically say she didn't want to go to school?"

"Y-Yes... I'm positive..."

Faced with my intense confirmation, she hesitated slightly before nodding firmly.

I see. Just as Kamijo-san and I had suspected, her trauma was entirely tied to the school itself. The culprit was definitely on campus. If the abuse had originated outside, she wouldn't have focused her avoidance so fiercely on the school environment. The fact that she had confided in her homeroom teacher already pointed to this, but now I had absolute confirmation.

"Thank you. I'll take my leave for today, but would it be alright if I visited again over the next few days?"

"Are you sure...? For a busy teacher like you, wouldn't that be a massive burden...?"

"Not at all. I haven't had the chance to speak with her face-to-face yet, but Rumi-san is still one of my precious students. Naturally, I don't want to disrupt your family's personal time, so I'll only visit on weekdays."

I wasn't sure about the mother, but the father likely worked, and having a schoolteacher intrude on their weekends would prevent them from relaxing. By dropping by briefly after school during the week, I hoped Rumi-san would slowly grow comfortable with my presence.

"Sensei... thank you so much..."

Her eyes welled up with tears as she bowed deeply. I panicked, waving my hands frantically.

"P-Please, stand up! I haven't actually accomplished anything yet. Acting on behalf of my students is simply my duty as a teacher...!"

Despite my protests, she bowed repeatedly, murmuring her gratitude. She had likely reached out to the school administration in the past, only to be completely dismissed. Knowing the vice principal's dismissive attitude, it was all too easy to picture.

If a parent was aggressive and demanding, the administration might have taken some action just to quiet them down. But Rumi-san's mother clearly wasn't the type to aggressively press an issue.

I'm just doing my job. There's really no need for this much gratitude...

I returned home that evening. And just as expected, when I visited her house again the following day, Rumi-san still refused to speak to me.

　◆

"Phew... What am I going to do?"

Another weekend had arrived.

I was sitting on the park bench waiting for Sana-chan, staring up at the sky once again.

By the second day of my visits, Murakumo-san had already stopped responding to me.

I planned to keep visiting her house on weekdays next week, but I was at a complete loss as to how to get her to open up to me.

"...Hm?"

As I was staring blankly at the sky, I suddenly felt a weight on my lap.

Looking down, I saw—

"Ehehe... Onii-chan, mornin'!"

—Sana-chan, sitting right on my lap with a cute, beaming smile.

She had apparently sneaked up on me while I was lost in thought and made herself right at home.

As free-spirited as ever.

"Morning, Sana-chan."

"Mm...!"

When I returned her greeting, she nodded with a highly satisfied look.

She really was an adorable kid.

"Staring blankly into space again, I see?"

Naturally, where there was Sana-chan, her guardian, Misuzu-chan, was sure to follow. She was looking at me as if she had a bone to pick.

"Ah, morning..."

"Good morning."

Returning my greeting with absolute nonchalance, she slid onto the bench right next to me.

To be honest, it wasn't like Misuzu-chan and I had reconciled yet; our relationship was still incredibly awkward. Just being near her made me a little tense.

"Sana, didn't you have something you wanted to say to Onii-chan?"

Whether she was oblivious to my inner turmoil or simply didn't care, Misuzu-chan addressed Sana-chan in a casual tone.

At her words, Sana-chan's face lit up, looking exactly like a cartoon character who had just had a lightbulb pop up over her head as she remembered something.

"Mm!!"

As if to say, "That's right!", Sana-chan nodded vigorously at Misuzu-chan.

Then, she looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Uh, what's up?"

This kid was notorious for making the most outlandish demands. She'd extract promises to play in the park every single weekend, drag me to her house to eat together, and even make me promise to have dinner at Misuzu-chan's place every holiday. It was enough to make me instinctively brace myself.

Honestly, without a single doubt, she had been the one pulling my strings the most over the past few years.

Not that I minded, of course. I found Sana-chan absolutely adorable.

But things were incredibly awkward between me and Misuzu-chan.

Plus, Kamijo-san, who absolutely doted on Sana-chan, had been giving me some terrifying glares lately because she felt I was stealing her little sister away.

As I sat there bracing myself—

"Sana wants to go to the 'musement park with Onii-chan...!!"

—Sure enough, she dropped an absolute bombshell of a request.

If I actually agreed, it would basically look like a family date with my ex-girlfriend whom I broke up with ten years ago. Shouldn't she be asking her guardian, Misuzu-chan, for something like this instead...? I couldn't help but wonder.

"An amusement park? How come...?"

Despite the chaotic thoughts swirling in my head, I swallowed them down and asked Sana-chan for clarification.

Perhaps my response sounded like a rejection to her, because Sana-chan's face instantly fell.

"I wanna go to the 'musement park..."

"——?! O-Oh, right! Let's go!"

Seeing the tears beginning to well up in Sana-chan's eyes, the words escaped my mouth entirely on reflex.

Ah, there I went again...

I really was utterly defenseless against a little girl's tears.

—Though, to be fair, any complete stranger would panic if a child that young looked on the verge of crying, let alone their parent.

"Really...?!"

The moment she heard my response, her face lit up with radiant joy, just like before.

She was so ecstatic that if I tried to say, "Actually, let's not go," now, she would probably burst into absolute hysterics.

"One of her friends at preschool went to an amusement park with their parents last weekend. Ever since Sana heard about it, she's been begging to go too."

As I gently stroked the head of the overjoyed Sana-chan, Misuzu-chan filled in the details on her behalf.

So she heard her friend boasting and wanted to experience it herself.

With Sana-chan happily nuzzling her face against my chest, I leaned in close to Misuzu-chan's ear.

"But isn't it a bit risky for me to go with you...?"

I whispered quietly enough that Sana-chan wouldn't hear, implying, "Isn't it bad for a teacher and a guardian to go out together...?"

After all, depending on who was looking, we would easily pass for a couple on a family date with their kid.

If anyone we knew spotted us, it would be a total disaster.

In my case, if anyone from the school caught wind of this, they'd accuse me of having an inappropriate personal relationship with a student's guardian. I'd probably be forced to resign from my new job before I even got settled.

No matter how I looked at it, going to an amusement park with them was an incredibly high-risk move.

However—

"Once she gets like this, Sana won't listen to reason, so we have no choice... To be clear, "It's not like I want to go with you." I am only going because Sana wants to."

—She made a very pointed effort to emphasize her reluctance before declaring that we had no other choice.

I see... So because Sana-chan wanted me there, Misuzu-chan was reluctantly tagging along...

But then why were her cheeks turning so red?

And why was she turning her head away with a pout?

Well, as much as Misuzu-chan's behavior baffled me... I couldn't bear to make Sana-chan cry, so it wasn't like I had a choice anyway.

"For your information, I did invite Marin, but she said she didn't want to come."

As I wore a strained smile, Misuzu-chan added that little detail.

Well, of course she didn't!

I thought to myself, but since I couldn't risk making the little girl on my lap cry, I had to keep the retort to myself.

That extreme siscon of an older sister would normally jump at any chance to play with her little sister at an amusement park. The only reason she'd refuse was to avoid any misunderstandings if we were seen, combined with a healthy dose of "as if I'd ever hang out at an amusement park with my teacher."

Honestly, if Sana-chan hadn't been on the verge of tears, I would have turned it down myself...

During our journey to the amusement park—

"A-muse-ment park! A-muse-ment park!"

—Sana-chan, holding hands with both Misuzu-chan and me right in the middle, swung her arms energetically as she skipped along in high spirits.

She looked so blissfully happy that anyone passing by would undoubtedly mistake us for a family.

Well... as long as she was happy, I suppose it was fine...

I just had to make absolutely sure nothing inappropriate happened between Misuzu-chan and me. That was the only way I could look my student, Kamijo-san, in the eye.

That was the only way I could justify this to myself.

Toddlers really are the ultimate powerhouses, aren't they...?

◆

Since going to an amusement park was best done by car, I had initially suggested heading to the parking lot of my apartment complex. However, since Sana-chan needed a child safety seat, we ended up taking Misuzu-chan's car instead.

What on earth am I going to say if Kamijo-san comes out? I was still agonizing over this when we arrived at their house. Perhaps having heard Sana-chan's voice, Kamijo-san was already looking down from the window, wearing a malicious smirk that practically screamed, "Must be nice for some, isn't it?"

As usual, this was completely out of my hands.

Honestly, she should be the one taking Sana-chan to the amusement park... I couldn't help but think.

"—So you're sitting in the back seat instead of the front?"

After strapping Sana-chan into her car seat in the back, I walked around to the other side to get into the back seat as well. But as soon as my hand touched the door handle, Misuzu-chan stared at me, clearly wanting to say something.

In fact, the very fact that she had gone out of her way to walk over to the passenger side suggested she was about to complain.

Her cheeks were slightly puffed out, and her eyes had a distinctly sulky look...

"Ah... I assumed your insurance wouldn't cover me, but if your policy allows other drivers, I can take the wheel?"

Feeling put on the defensive, I quickly offered a polite smile and volunteered to drive.

However—

"I believe I asked why you weren't sitting in the front passenger seat?"

—She shot back, her tone loaded with the implication that nobody asked you to drive.

Well, yes, that was true... but wait, what?

If she isn't mad about the driving, why on earth am I getting scolded here?!

I was utterly flabbergasted, completely unable to fathom the reason behind her irritation.

"Well, if you prefer Sana's company that much, I suppose I don't mind."

—She huffed, looking entirely displeased with the arrangement as she stomped back to the driver's side.

Was that it?

Was she telling me not to get too clingy with her niece, or to be more mindful of personal space?

Well... even if she had taken an extreme liking to me, she really was practically glued to my side, so I could understand why Misuzu-chan might feel that way.

In any case, having realized that Misuzu-chan didn't appreciate me sitting in the back with Sana-chan, I decided to take the passenger seat instead.

—Though, yes, it was incredibly awkward.

That was exactly why I had tried to sit in the back in the first place...

"Sana, we'll be at the amusement park soon, okay? Once we get there, you can play all you want."

"Mm...!"

I had worried Sana-chan might complain if I didn't sit next to her, but her mind seemed completely occupied by the amusement park. If anything, she was in a stellar mood after Misuzu-chan spoke to her right as we set off.

Personally, I would have preferred it if Sana-chan had thrown a tantrum about it, but alas—life rarely goes according to plan.

"—Shhh... shhh..."

"Oh, did Sana-chan fall asleep?"

Barely after the car had started moving, I heard a cute little breathing sound coming from the back. Turning around, I saw Sana-chan fast asleep, her head resting against the car seat.

She had been bouncing off the walls just moments ago, and now she was suddenly dead to the world, as if her batteries had run out of charge.

"Young children always fall asleep the moment they get into a car. I suppose she's just recharging her batteries since she's going to be running around at the park."

Clearly used to this, Misuzu-chan kept her eyes on the road, a helpless but gentle smile gracing her lips.

Her profile looked like that of a fully-fledged mother.

We had been completely estranged since high school graduation, but just as my life had its share of ups and downs, she must have gone through a lot as well.

As the man who had failed to make her happy, I felt that as long as she was happy now, that was all that mattered.

"Is it exhausting having her cling to you so much?"

"Huh?"

Just as I was feeling a bittersweet sense of relief watching her peaceful, happy expression, Misuzu-chan asked an unexpected question.

"Your job as a teacher must be incredibly taxing, and yet you're spending your precious days off babysitting Sana. You've always had a habit of hiding your true feelings behind a blank face. What do you actually think about all this?"

Misuzu-chan cast a brief, sidelong glance at me.

Hiding my true feelings...?

No, I was pretty sure I didn't do that...

I was fairly certain my face showed joy when I was happy and excitement when I was having fun.

Granted, I probably didn't wear my anger or displeasure on my sleeve, but then again—I had never felt those kinds of negative emotions around Misuzu-chan back in high school.

Even at school... well, depending on the situation, I rarely harbored any truly dark thoughts. Why was she under such a strange impression?

Though the thought lingered, I shook it off and put on a bright smile.

"Sana-chan is adorable, and there's no way I'd be unhappy about such a sweet kid clinging to me. I never had a little sister growing up, so it feels like I've gained one. It's really fun."

Misuzu-chan was a kind, considerate girl, so she probably felt guilty about me spending my free time entertaining her niece.

With that in mind, I chose my words carefully to reassure her.

In reality, my feelings were closer to doting on a daughter than a little sister, but I figured that might sound weird, so I stuck with the sister comparison.

However, the moment we stopped at a red light—

"A little sister...? Isn't the age gap a bit too extreme for that...?"

Misuzu-chan shot me a deeply skeptical look.

I knew exactly what she meant.

I know, okay?! But there's no way I can look her guardian in the eye and say she feels like my daughter, can I?! I couldn't help but yell inwardly.

◆

"Sana-chan, we're here. Wakey-wakey."

We arrived at Toyland—the amusement park we had chosen specifically for younger children. I gently patted the shoulder of the peacefully sleeping Sana-chan.

And then—

"You naturally took over the parent's job, didn't you...?"

"Huh? Ah..."

Misuzu-chan offered a wry chuckle as she watched me try to wake Sana-chan.

She was right; that was typically the guardian's responsibility.

Since she had done all the driving, I had thoughtlessly assumed I should be the one to wake her up, but perhaps I had overstepped.

"Mnn..."

As I stood there frozen, the gentle stimulation finally reached Sana-chan, and her eyes began to slowly flutter open.

It seemed she was starting to wake up.

But her eyelids refused to stay open.

She was still locked in the clutches of sleep.

"Sana-chan, can you wake up?"

"Mmm... sweepy..."

Sana-chan shook her head weakly and buried herself back into the car seat.

She had completely lost the battle against her drowsiness.

"We're at the amusement park, you know?"

"Mm...?"

If she fell back asleep now, our entire trip would be pointless, so I tried dangling the magic word to coax her awake.

"'Musement park...?"

Exactly as planned, she reacted to the word. Rubbing her eyes sleepily with the backs of her hands, she struggled to wake up.

She was clearly putting in a valiant effort.

"You wanted to come to the amusement park, right? We're here."

"Mm..."

I unbuckled the harness and gathered Sana-chan into my arms.

The moment I did—

"Ah..."

—Misuzu-chan let out a soft groan that practically translated to, "Oh great, he messed up..."

"U-Uh, did I do something wrong?"

"Incredibly wrong. If you hold her now... see?"

Misuzu-chan pointed at Sana-chan, who had already rested her chin on my shoulder, wrapping her arms around me.

And indeed—

"Shhh... shhh..."

—She had drifted right back to sleep, breathing peacefully.

"She fell back asleep..."

"Of course she did."

Her dry smile practically screamed, What did you expect when you picked up a drowsy kid?

I had no choice but to return her wry grin with a helpless one of my own.

Ultimately, we bought our tickets and managed to successfully shake her awake by persistently calling her name as we entered the park.

◆

"Carry me...!!"

The moment she was fully awake and I set her on the ground, thinking she was ready to walk, her cheeks puffed up like a balloon as she glared up at me in utter betrayal.

She flung her arms wide open, demanding to be picked up.

"Fufu... looks like you've spoiled her. You can't say no to a little girl's request, you know?"

For some reason, Misuzu-chan seemed to find this highly amusing.

While I was glad she was in a good mood, I couldn't help but worry about the precedent this was setting.

Is this really okay...? I wondered.

Well, yes, picking her up when she was half-asleep was entirely my fault. I accept full responsibility.

"—Ehehe..."

The moment I scooped her up, Sana-chan happily rested her face against my shoulder.

She even began rubbing her cheek affectionately against mine.

She really was incredibly attached to me...

"What do you want to ride first, Sana-chan?"

"Hmm...? Everything...!!"

I quickly changed the subject before Misuzu-chan could tease me further, only for Sana-chan to shout her answer directly into my ear.

Ouch. My eardrums would really appreciate it if you toned down the volume a bit.

"Everything, huh?"

Since it was the weekend, the amusement park was naturally packed.

With so many attractions and long lines, riding literally everything was going to be a tall order.

Besides, this park had plenty of other kid-friendly exhibits and play areas apart from the rides... This was going to be tough.

"Onii-chan can do it...!"

"Right, where is this blind trust coming from...?"

For some reason, the little girl was staring up at me from point-blank range with a smug grin.

I'm not a superhero, you know...

And you're the one riding them, so if you get tired, it doesn't matter what I can do...

I thought about pointing that out, but explaining the concept of queue times and physical endurance to a toddler seemed futile, so I kept quiet.

To start off, we queued up for a miniature train ride near the entrance, which had been around since I was a kid.

I figured children always loved trains.

However—

"Onii-chan likes these kinds of things...!"

—For some reason, Sana-chan assumed we were waiting in line because I wanted to ride it.

I could guess why she thought that.

Probably because it was the very first line I chose.

But wait, didn't you just say you wanted to ride everything? Have you already forgotten your own demand...?

I desperately wanted to tease her, but held back.

Misuzu-chan's profile as she giggled softly beside us was deeply memorable.

◆

"Onii-chan, look! I wanna ride that!"

As we walked through the park, Sana-chan pointed at a massive swinging ship ride.

It was a pirate ship ride, the exact same kind I used to enjoy when I was a kid.

"Do you like rides that swing around a lot, Sana-chan?"

"Mm...!"

As fitting for a bundle of energy like her, Sana-chan seemed to prefer thrilling, dynamic rides over quiet, gentle ones.

And so, we joined the queue.

"Is it our turn yet?"

"Just a little longer. Be patient, okay?"

"Mm."

Sana-chan shifted her weight eagerly as if to say, Hurry, hurry! but she didn't throw a tantrum.

She clearly understood that causing a scene would trouble the people around us.

"Sana, stand still, please."

However, Misuzu-chan seemed to view her behavior differently.

To her, the mere act of Sana shifting around in my arms was unacceptable.

In response, Sana-chan puffed up her cheeks in a pout.

"Moo!"

"Pouting won't work either. You're going to bother everyone."

"Okaaay."

Though she had tried to protest by pouting, she instantly complied when Misuzu-chan corrected her with a gentle but firm tone.

She really was a remarkably good, well-behaved child. It spoke volumes about how well Misuzu-chan had raised her.

She's definitely going to grow up to be a very reliable person, I thought.

When our turn finally came, Sana-chan sat right next to me.

"Mm...!"

For some reason, she looked up at me with another smug expression, but she was too cute to resist, so I just smiled and nodded.

And as the pirate ship began to swing—

"Waaaaah!"

—Sana-chan screamed in pure, unadulterated delight.

Most kids her age would have burst into tears, but she was incredibly brave.

"Did you have fun?"

"Mm...! I wanna go again...!"

Sana-chan beamed with absolute satisfaction as we disembarked.

She had clearly fallen in love with the ride.

"We'll come back and ride it again later, okay?"

"Mm...!"

Sana-chan nodded vigorously.

But she wasn't done yet.

"Carry me...!"

She held her arms wide open toward me.

I had seen that coming.

Personally, I loved how much she relied on me, and there was no way I could refuse her.

"Fufu..."

Seeing Misuzu-chan watching us with a warm smile, I felt everything was just as it should be.

◆

"Onii-chan, what's that?"

The next thing that caught Sana-chan's eye was a drop-tower ride featuring seats painted with frog patterns.

I could tell it was a ride that launched people straight up a vertical tower.

"It's a ride that goes way up high and then drops you down."

"Is that really the best way to explain it...?"

My blunt explanation earned me a dry smile from Misuzu-chan.

I knew what she was getting at, but unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with a massive vocabulary, so describing things elegantly wasn't my forte.

In my defense, when it comes to rides, it's all about the feeling anyway.

Though if I said that aloud, she'd probably scold me for saying something highly unbecoming of a schoolteacher.

"Onii-chan, let's ride that...!"

While I was struggling to find better words, Sana-chan tugged on my sleeve, pointing eagerly at the frog ride.

I had a feeling she wanted to try it the moment she looked at it, and my instincts proved correct.

"Are you riding too, Misuzu-chan?"

"Well... I think I'll sit this one out and watch."

She probably figured it was a ride strictly meant for young children.

Though adults could ride it too, perhaps she thought it was best to let Sana-chan go on her own.

"Go on, Sana-chan."

Since there was no line, I gently set her down and pointed her toward the ride operator.

Instantly—she looked up at me with the most heartbreakingly lonely eyes.

"..."

"Ugh...!"

"Well, obviously... Sana obviously wanted to ride with the Onii-chan she's so attached to..."

As I stood there completely paralyzed by Sana-chan's watery eyes, Misuzu-chan let out an exasperated sigh beside me.

If you knew that, you should have stopped me before I set her down!

And didn't you say you were going to watch? Are you really going to act like a bystander now?!

I wanted to complain, but Sana-chan's sadness was entirely due to my refusal to ride, so I suppose Misuzu-chan wasn't the target here.

"Onii-chan, you aren't riding with me...?"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry! Let's ride together!"

Panicked by her sorrowful expression and trembling voice, I quickly reassured her with a bright smile.

With that, her face lit up instantly. Instead of demanding to be held, she reached up and squeezed my hand.

Since the ride was just a few feet away, she probably figured holding hands was enough.

Every single gesture she made was so incredibly adorable that even though I had almost made her cry, my heart swelled with affection.

Thus, thoroughly healed by Sana-chan's sheer cuteness, we went on a few more rides. Before we knew it, lunchtime had arrived.

◆

"I'm hungwy...!"

"Right, I bought some udon. Let's eat."

We took a seat at a picnic table inside the park. When Sana-chan enthusiastically declared, "I want to eat!", I placed a bowl of udon in front of her with a smile.

Sana-chan stared at the steaming noodles for a long moment, then slowly turned her silent gaze toward my face.

Her silent demand was all too easy to read.

"Just a second, Sana-chan. I'll get it ready for you—"

"Sana, it's udon, so you should eat it by yourself, okay?"

Just as I was about to snap my chopsticks apart, Misuzu-chan handed a split pair directly to Sana-chan.

"How come...?"

You always feed me, Onii-chan, so why do I have to eat on my own today? That was the unspoken question behind her pout.

"Because it's udon, sweetie. If he spends all his time feeding you, Shirasaki-san's noodles will get soggy and cold. It won't taste good anymore, so let's eat on our own, okay?"

Misuzu-chan explained gently, her voice full of maternal warmth.

She made a perfectly valid point, but honestly, I didn't mind in the slightest. If anything, I actually wanted to feed her...

"Okaaay..."

Since Sana-chan was a surprisingly considerate kid, she accepted that she shouldn't ruin my meal.

Despite her young age, she handled the chopsticks with impressive dexterity and began to eat. But she was only taking tiny, half-hearted bites, looking completely drained of energy.

"..."

Watching her, Misuzu-chan's expression softened into a frown.

Even though she had been the one to insist, seeing little Sana-chan so dejected clearly tugged at her heartstrings.

The real issue was that whenever I was around, Sana-chan flatly refused to let Misuzu-chan feed her. She only wanted me.

If she simply enjoyed being fed, she could have just asked Misuzu-chan instead of struggling alone. But she refused.

Apparently, Misuzu-chan fed her just fine when I wasn't around—so she must have had some very specific, stubborn rules in her little head.

By the way, Kamijo-san occasionally got a turn as well, and she apparently did so with absolute glee.

Which meant her chances were incredibly rare, explaining why she harbored a slight resentment toward me for monopolizing the privilege every single weekend.

—But well, putting all of that aside.

"Sana-chan, let see your chopsticks."

"Mm...?"

When I reached out, Sana-chan tilted her head, still looking entirely downcast.

"Shirasaki-san..."

Unlike the toddler, Misuzu-chan immediately realized what I was planning and cast a remorseful look in my direction.

I simply smiled and gave her a reassuring nod.

I'd much rather eat soggy noodles than see Sana-chan lose her bright smile.

Especially since this trip was entirely for her benefit, so I wanted every single moment of today to be a happy memory.

"Is it really okay...?"

Sana-chan looked up at me tentatively.

Now that she understood why it was a bad idea, she was hesitating to ask.

For all her free-spiritedness, she was a remarkably empathetic child when it mattered.

"Of course. I want to feed you, Sana-chan."

"..."

When I smiled and nodded, Sana-chan cast a quick glance toward Misuzu-chan.

Since Misuzu-chan had been the one to set the rule, she was worried she might get scolded.

"I'm sorry, Sana. Go ahead and let Shirasaki-san feed you."

Having understood both of our feelings, Misuzu-chan gave her permission with a beautifully warm smile.

With that, Sana-chan's face lit up with a brilliant, blindingly joyful expression—

"Mm...!"

—and she happily offered her chopsticks and bowl of udon to me.

　◆

We went around to various other attractions after that.

Perhaps because she was still so young, Sana-chan was bursting with curiosity; she hopped from one ride to the next without showing even a hint of fear.

Having fully recharged her batteries during her nap in the car, she ran around with boundless energy and enjoyed the amusement park to the absolute fullest—until, just as the sun began to set, she crashed and fell fast asleep again, as if her battery had suddenly run out.

Yes—right before the firework display she had been looking forward to so much...

"Sana-chan, if you don't wake up now, the fireworks are going to start without you."

"Zzz... Zzz..."

No matter how many times I tried to wake her, Sana-chan remained dead to the world.

She had been playing with such explosive energy earlier that she must have completely exhausted herself.

"Once she gets like this, I don't think she's going to wake up," Misuzu-chan said with a wry, helpless smile.

"You've got to be kidding me..." I groaned, offering a strained laugh in return. "We only stayed until sunset because she said she really wanted to see them..."

In truth, if the little girl hadn't insisted on seeing the fireworks, both Misuzu-chan and I would have headed home long before dusk.

But, true to form, I just hadn't been able to say no to a child's earnest request, which was how we ended up staying. Well, there was no helping it now.

"Should we head back, then? It shouldn't be too crowded yet. If we wait until the fireworks are over, we might get caught in a massive traffic jam."

A lot of people seemed to be here specifically for the show; despite the sun having set, the park was still teeming with crowds.

Once the display ended, this massive horde of people would all try to leave at the exact same time, making the journey home an absolute nightmare.

That was why I suggested leaving early, but—

"......"

—for some reason, Misuzu-chan glared at me with half-lidded, disapproving eyes.

In fact, I could swear her cheeks were slightly puffed up in a pout.

"Uh, is something wrong...?"

"You really haven't changed a bit, Shirasaki-san."

"What do you mean...?"

"Just how de—never mind. It's nothing."

Clearly, something was bothering her. Misuzu-chan huffed and turned her face away.

Your words and your attitude are completely contradicting each other, you know...

But if I actually voiced that observation, I would almost certainly set her off.

"You wanted to see the fireworks too, didn't you? Let's stay and watch for a bit."

The fact that she seemed so displeased at the prospect of leaving meant that she must have wanted to see the fireworks just as much as Sana-chan did.

Looking back on our high school days, she had always loved beautiful things.

If so, it was only natural that she'd want to stick around for the show.

"You really haven't changed..." Misuzu-chan murmured, still seemingly unsatisfied.

Yep, she's definitely still sulking.

Honestly, I had no idea what she was unhappy about.

She hadn't been this difficult to read back in the day.

She used to be so bright and cheerful, always smiling...

As I stood there feeling completely lost, a massive boom echoed through the park, and a brilliant flower of light bloomed across the night sky.

More and more bursts followed in rapid, relentless succession, and my gaze was drawn upward almost instinctively.

"Beautiful..." she whispered.

"Yeah, it really is," I replied with a warm smile, answering her quiet murmur.

How long had it been since I last watched fireworks?

I had never had the chance since joining the workforce, and even during my student years, I hadn't had much to do with them.

I think the last time was when my parents took me and Akari to a local festival back when we were in elementary school.

Come to think of it, back in high school...

"—Back in high school... we never did make it to the amusement park, in the end... Who would have thought that we'd end up coming here together as adults... long after we broke up...?"

As I was reminiscing, Misuzu-chan murmured almost the exact same thought aloud, as if our minds had synchronized.

I couldn't help but look at her. She wore a nostalgic, fragile smile—one that carried a faint trace of deep-seated loneliness.

'In the end'—those words might have carried a hint of blame directed at me.

When we were dating, we had promised each other that we would visit an amusement park together.

But before we could ever fulfill that promise... we had broken up.

I certainly never imagined a day would come, ten years later, when we would finally make good on that promise.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Feeling a wave of awkwardness wash over me, I could only offer a weak, noncommittal agreement.

The reason we never kept that promise was entirely due to my own inadequacy.

If only I had been more appealing—if only I had been a man worthy of standing by Misuzu-chan's side—maybe I could have stayed by her side all through those ten years.

...Maybe it was all my fault for trying to act so grown-up and stretching myself too thin back in high school.

"—So, what exactly is bothering you?"

Just as I was wallowing in memories of my pathetic younger self, Misuzu-chan, who had been staring up at the fireworks, turned her gaze to me.

Wait, did she notice...?

But then she continued:

"You've got something on your mind, don't you? Today, and even the other day at the park, you had this deeply troubled look on your face. Consider this my thanks for putting up with my daughter's selfishness today. Go ahead, talk to me."

Misuzu-chan offered me a warm, gentle smile—one that vividly brought back memories of her high school self.

She had asked me about it when she was drunk the other night too. It seemed that, despite being her ex-boyfriend, she was genuinely worried about me.

Bringing up Sana-chan was undoubtedly just a convenient excuse to make it easier for me to open up.

To be honest, discussing a student's personal matters with an outsider wasn't something I should be doing, but as things stood, there wasn't a single sign of improvement.

Misuzu-chan was highly intelligent and incredibly perceptive; perhaps she might be able to offer a fresh perspective. With that in mind, I decided to lay out the situation, making sure to omit any identifying details like names.

Thanks to the thunderous booms of the fireworks echoing around us, there was no danger of anyone else overhearing.

"I see... So you've been thrown right into the deep end at your new school..."

Misuzu-chan rested a hand against her chin, adopting a thoughtful expression, though she didn't seem nearly as surprised as her words suggested.

She had probably already deduced the broad strokes.

"I really want to hear her side of the story directly, but she won't even speak to me yet. I know my only real option is to keep trying until she opens up to me, but..."

In all honesty, it was a battle of sheer endurance.

If I gave up just because she refused to talk to me, this issue would never be resolved.

I had been convinced that I simply had to persevere until Murakumo-san finally decided to speak.

But—

"Is that really the case...?"

—Misuzu-chan seemed to harbor doubts about my assumption.

"Huh?"

I double-took at her, completely caught off guard by her skepticism.

In response to my blank look, Misuzu-chan slowly parted her lips.

"Perhaps... it's not that she can't speak, but rather that she won't."

She had proposed an even more unexpected theory.

"Well, I suppose so... Since she's actively choosing to give me the silent treatment, saying she 'won't' speak is technically more accurate than 'can't'..."

Currently, Murakumo-san was deliberately rejecting any teacher who approached her.

Even if the root cause was psychological trauma from being abandoned by a homeroom teacher she had trusted, it was still her own conscious decision.

However—Misuzu-chan shook her head.

"No, that's not what I mean. Even if she was let down by a teacher once before, you're her new homeroom teacher, and you're trying to tackle the bullying head-on. Even if there's no trust between the two of you yet, if she truly wanted the bullying to stop, wouldn't it make sense for her to at least name her tormentors? She's currently cooped up at home; exposing them wouldn't make her situation any worse than it already is."

Staring straight into my eyes with a serious gaze, Misuzu-chan explained her logic with perfect clarity.

She was absolutely right. I couldn't see how things could get any worse for Murakumo-san.

If she kept skipping school like this, she wouldn't be able to advance to the next grade, let alone graduate—she'd have no choice but to drop out. Even if I made a massive blunder, it was highly unlikely that the bullies could do anything to her while she was locked safely away in her house.

Unless they literally broke into her home, but it was hard to imagine perpetrators of such insidious, covert harassment doing something so brazenly self-incriminating.

Once she pointed it out, the logic was undeniable.

"So her silence means... she's actively choosing to protect her bullies? But she tried to confide in her previous homeroom teacher, didn't she...?"

While I agreed with Misuzu-chan's reasoning, a glaring question remained.

If she wanted to protect them, why would she have tried to tell her previous teacher in the first place?

"Since you've only visited her twice, I can't say for certain... It's possible she simply lacked the courage to speak up during those brief visits. But if she continues to keep quiet no matter how many times you go back, you should probably consider the possibility that she's shielding them. As for why she tried to speak to her former teacher, I can't say for sure either. But... is it possible she felt some kind of guilt herself, and had initially resigned herself to the bullying? Perhaps she tolerated it at first, but as it escalated, she reached her breaking point and turned to her teacher for help. And if she was cruelly rejected when she finally reached out—if she was plunged into absolute despair—it would make sense for her to flee from the bullying by locking herself in her room, entirely consumed by her own perceived faults..."

Misuzu-chan cast her eyes down, her expression tinged with a delicate sort of pain.

She had such a kind heart; even though she had never met Murakumo-san, she was putting herself right in the girl's shoes.

With a heavy tone, she spoke once more.

"It wasn't bullying, but... I've had a similar experience. I tried to force myself to accept that it was all my fault, and I gave up at first. But later on, I realized I couldn't accept it, and... even now, I'm still burdened by those unresolved feelings."

It seemed Misuzu-chan was drawing from her own past to present this hypothesis.

Of course, what she was suggesting was merely one plausible scenario based on the details I'd shared.

Even so... it was far too convincing to brush off as 'just overthinking.'

The fact that she was casting a slightly accusatory glance my way pricked at my conscience. Perhaps she thought I should have figured this out on my own.

Still, it made incredibly good sense...

"So the bully is someone Murakumo-san feels indebted to or guilty toward... and maybe, when she finally reached her limit, she actually did tell her former homeroom teacher about them..."

"The chances of that are highly likely. In fact, if she was desperate enough to seek help, she must have wanted a resolution from the bottom of her heart. It would actually be more unnatural if she didn't provide a name. And as for why that female teacher—who was supposedly so kind and beloved by her students—would coldly dismiss her cries for help, perhaps..."

"To that teacher, Murakumo-san looked like the one in the wrong, rather than the person doing the bullying...?"

As we pieced the puzzle together, Misuzu-chan gave a small, firm nod.

That was it... 'The victim is also at fault' was a phrase teachers often used when dealing with bullying, so I had simply assumed it was the lazy cop-out of an irresponsible educator.

But what if she hadn't been trying to avoid extra work? What if she said those words literally because she had looked into the matter?

What's more, if it was her, she would certainly be capable of orchestrating a campaign of harassment entirely under everyone's radar...

Like finding the final piece of a puzzle, all the inexplicable mysteries suddenly fell into place, revealing a single, cohesive picture.

Of course, this was still just a theory.

But the pieces fit together far too perfectly to ignore.

At the very least, through my conversation with Misuzu-chan, a clear profile of the primary culprit had finally begun to emerge in my mind.

Misuzu-chan looked up at me with a satisfied expression.

"I don't know any of these kids. This is strictly speculation based on what you've told me. Ultimately, what you do with this information is up to you—but if you ever find yourself in a tight spot, don't hesitate to rely on Marin. She's easily misunderstood, but she has a genuinely kind heart and is extremely observant of her surroundings."

Misuzu-chan clearly placed immense trust in Marin-san.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to tell me to lean on her.

To which I replied—

"Oh, actually, I'm already leaning on her quite a bit. She's been a massive help. In fact, the only reason I even found out about this bullying issue in the first place was because Kamijō-san—sorry, Marin-san—pointed me in the right direction."

—beaming, I answered almost purely on instinct.

I had fully expected Misuzu-chan to be pleased by this... but...

"......"

For some baffling reason, she shot me an incredibly icy glare.

"Huh...?"

With absolutely no idea what I had done to deserve such a cold look, I instinctively took a step back.

But Misuzu-chan immediately closed the gap, stepping forward without a moment's hesitation to reclaim that single pace.

"Y-Yes? Is there something else...?"

Overwhelmed by her silent pressure, I found myself stammering in polite, formal speech.

And then—

"You had better not lay a single finger on my daughter, Shirasaki-san. If you do, I will never, ever forgive you."

She pressed in even closer, radiating an absolute, non-negotiable intensity.

Her beautiful face was so close I could feel her breath, causing my throat to tighten as I swallowed hard.

Yet Misuzu-chan didn't seem to care—or perhaps she wasn't even aware of how close we were. She simply stared, waiting for my nod.

At point-blank range, of course.

"I-I would never do that... If I laid a hand on a student, I'd be fired on the spot..."

Granted, the same risk applied to getting too close to a student's guardian. Coming to an amusement park together like this would look incredibly bad if anyone caught us, but since we couldn't bear to make Sana-chan cry, it had been an unavoidable necessity...

"You're promising me, right?"

"Y-Yes..."

Despite my explicit denial, she exerted even more pressure, forcing me to nod almost entirely on autopilot.

Thankfully, she seemed satisfied with that, finally turning her attention back to the fireworks. Needless to say, the atmosphere remained incredibly awkward for the rest of the show, and the drive home was an exercise in pure, excruciating tension.

I almost wished Sana-chan would wake up and completely shatter the mood... My chest ached that badly.