Translator: Silver Editor: Namorax

「25」

“h.e.l.lo! How are you doing Mizuki-chan?”

A new visitor arrived two days into my hospitalization.

“Maki-san! Good morning. As you can see, I'm doing well.”

She was a charming, good-looking young woman.

The word “young” carried deep meaning.

She was a master at concealing her actual age.

It was a bit awkward seeing someone in western clothes when they usually only wear traditional j.a.panese clothes.

They were the same as always, but unfamiliar at the same time.

“Ara, that's true. I was told you should never ask an inpatient about their spirits, so that was a bit careless on my part.”

“Ahahaha…… but, why are you here? I only informed the school officials about my hospitalization.”

“My wonderful guest told me you were here yesterday. I had some time on my hands, so I decided to come and see you.”

“Grandfather! That's dirty! He went to Komaki-san's Ozas.h.i.+ki on his own.”

It was mortifying to know that your grandfather visited a geisha parlor in his spare time.

Maki's geisha name was Komaki.

“Ara? Would you like a shamisen lesson?”

I urged Maki to the sofa and began making her a traditional cup of tea.

I was still curious as to why Maki was so eager to be here.

“Ah, let's cancel the lesson today. My generous benefactor had to be hospitalized because he strained his back. I thought I was gonna practice today, but I had a sudden urge to see Mizuki-chan's face and came here instead.”

Maki said that with a wry smile and a shrug.

Although she was already a masterful singer and samisen player, Maki's diligence made her the idol of young geishas.

In this world, geishas were intrinsically tied with traditional arts.

While Noh, Kabuki, and other effect-heavy artforms were prevalent on the big stage, the earnest song and dance of the geisha dominated the small stage.

It's said that the small stage provided a more intimate relations.h.i.+p between the entertainer and customer.

“He has a slipped disk, I hope he gets better.”

“I don't know. I'm pretty sure that's it's a lifelong condition.”

“Eh!? It's not gonna heal?”

“Its dependent on the person. Some say that surgery can solve the problem, but not even that is guaranteed thing.”

“That's serious.”

Maki let out an embarra.s.sed laugh at her ignorance on the matter.

“Ah, that's right, Maki-san. I've become friendly with the heir of the Tachibana family.”

I forgot to tell her the last time I saw her.

“Is that so. Tachibana's Bocchan, you say…. So? What kind of person is he, Mizuki-chan?”

“Hmm…… Let's see. Someone who cares so much about their surroundings that they neglect themselves, I guess?”

“Oyaoya, so blunt.”

She chuckled happily.

Maki was Homare Tachibana's birth mother.

I knew a variety of things about her.

Homare's parents didn't hide that fact from him.

In this world, you couldn't deny the truth that had been placed on the table.

How often did parents neglect their children in favor of work?

Moreover, she'd only had the Tachibana heir for the sake of a friend who couldn't get pregnant.

Not many women want to have a child with a man they didn't love. Deep down, some part of Maki still yearned for the current head of the Tachibana family.

Perhaps Maki had decided to give up on him after helping her friend produce an heir.

My grandfather told me a story once.

It was a story about three childhood friends.

One boy, two girls.

One of the girls had a weak body and was bedridden for most of her life, but her two friends would always tell her things about the outside world.

The three were so close it seemed like they would always be together.

They remained close until they were of marriageable age.

However, the boy couldn't choose between either of the girls.

So he asked his best friend what he should do.

“You don't intend to marry the other woman. However, there's the one you want to protect and the one who will fight by your side. Both are important, but you can't compare them. Therefore, choose neither of them.”

That was his friend's answer.

It was the pinnacle of indecisiveness.

However, the boy was already in trouble because he couldn't choose the better option.

The cheerful girl accidentally overheard the conversation.

“I will always stand by you, so choose that girl.”

She told the boy that and left after patting him on the back.

But the girl with the weak boy held the boy's hand and shook her head.

“I won't live long. I can't even bear a child with such a weak body. So you two should get married.”

My grandfather then asked me a question.

“What would you do in that situation?”

Even as a child, I realized that it was a troublesome situation to be in.

To be honest, I thought so too.

Well, his answer was simple.

Choose neither of them and find someone else to marry.

If, in the end, the boy didn't get married, he could choose his successor from a branch family.

This would fulfill his obligations despite his indecisiveness.

If that wasn't enough, the boy could use a political marriage as an excuse to reject both of his childhood friends.

It'd be pa.s.sing the burden onto his partner, but it was an option available to the next family head.

There were other options, but at the time that was the best I could come up with.

In the end, the boy chose to marry the girl with the weak const.i.tution.

Still, the story didn't end there.

Obviously… They were still midway through their lives, after all.

The girl with a weak body lived an average girl's dream.

She wanted to marry her beloved person and have children with him.

Her first wish was granted.

The doctors vehemently prohibited the latter.

They drove home the fact that doing so would put her life at risk.

Even if she risked it, her body was incapable of nurturing a fetus.

The doctors couldn't allow the wife to go forward with a pregnancy that was dangerous for both parent and child.

Her beloved husband offered to adopt a child from a branch family, but she wouldn't accept the proposal.

She wanted a child by her husband by any means.

After contemplating her condition, she called upon her childhood friend.

“A request! I don't have much longer. Please marry that person and bear him a child.”

“Stop saying such foolish things. I shall take my leave.”

The childhood friend refused the wife's request no matter how many times she was asked.

The wife weakened to the point that she couldn't leave her bed.

The friend reluctantly relented to her friend's request.

“After so many requests, I understand. Just this once, I shall bear a child. However, I won't give birth if you die. Live, and promise me you'll raise the child.”

She looked toward the husband after making that promise.

“I hope you're ready for this. We're fighting together.”

At the time, the couple didn't know of her feelings.

Afterward, she gave birth to a boy and the couple adopted him.

That was the end of grandfather's story.

It was a story which addressed the superficial details.

Various details were left unsaid in the original telling, but you could get the full picture by combing through what was hidden underneath the surface.

Those days had taken a lot out of Maki and the current head.

If the matter hadn't been publicized, everyone would've a.s.sumed the wife miraculously gave birth.

However, the truth protected the Tachibana family in the end.

If they hid the truth, it would've become an exploitable weakness.

The mere threat of revealing the secret might've been enough to consume the family.

It also would've jeopardized Maki's and the wife's safety.

However, by announcing the truth to the world, they managed to swat away any detractors who stepped forward.

While Homare wasn't the legitimate child, he was the head's son.

Moreover, the mother had been considered a marriage candidate at one point.

Those facts insured Homare's and the Tachibana family's safety.

Honestly, it wasn't like I wanted to learn the circ.u.mstances of other houses.

Some people called what happened a sin, but I wasn't one of them.

Homare revealed everything to me when we became friends.

It wasn't as if Homare had wanted any of this to happen.

If his birth was a sin, then it was those who created the circ.u.mstances that should bear it.

The sin belonged to his parents and those who made it an issue.

That's why I only responded to those who made an effort.

“Did something happen? Is there a problem?”

Maki's flinched when she saw my happy smile.

My over exaggerated happiness must've upset her.

What did I think about the parents and child?

“Harsh, you know? This is just the general impression.”

An unexpected wry smile blurred Maki's expression.

“That's not a compliment.”

“It's my principle to praise people for traits they have. I only speak the truth.”

“That's not cute. That's why people call you the girl untouched by love.”

“It's not like I'm really upset by that.”

I grinned at a reluctant Maki.

“I take the facts as fact. Maybe I can't even say I love you to my partner like you, Maki-san?”

“Ahahahahaha…… I love you.”

“Someone said she fell in love at the ozas.h.i.+ki, and that she wanted to put on the best show for that person.”

“I'll remember that.”

“I see. I was surprised when I heard such a thing. Should a professional say they were moved by such a thing?”

“Little girl, aren't you shy?”

Maki gave me a gentle smile.

“No. I just found it difficult to maintain my composure.”

As we spoke, I remembered something I wanted to show Maki and took out my sketchbook.