Chapter 1

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Ch 01: The Voice

Naoto Tachibana, 26 years old, put his hands in his pockets and get on the escalator, looking up anxiously to the third floor where he was supposed to get off.

“How am I supposed to know what a seven-year-old girl likes? I wish my sister would come with me…”

“Haah…”

He let out a big sigh to cover up his anxiousness.As Naoto gets off of the escalator with heavy steps, a display of children’s clothing catches his eye.

“Wow~ little miss.”

Naoto was also astonished by the price displayed on the mannequin’s feet, which does not look like kids clothes at all!

“As expected of a store in Delighton Plaza.”

Naoto stepped into the renowned children’s clothing section with an anxious look on his face and prepared himself for small talks.The floor was thickly carpeted and well-lit. A row of children’s clothes are hanging on a rack along the wall.They are separated into men and women from left to right, and in the center of the store, fashionable bags and accessories are carefully placed on glass shelves.

“The price is big, but it’s small and cute… Now let’s see which one will suit Yuka chan.”

Naoto took out his hand, which had been closed in his pocket earlier, and approached the hanger rack near the entrance with a slightly serious look in his eyes.Yuka is Naoto’s niece, the daughter of his older sister, Ayaka. Naoto is not good at socializing,he has no idea about what other people like,even if they are family members.Naoto planned to celebrate Yuka’s entrance into elementary school this year with cash, but his niece Yuka personally asked him to pick a gift for her, so he came to this store.

“Um…this?”

He picks up one of the little dresses that are carefully hung on hangers.

“What’s Yuka’s favorite color?haah~”

He stared at the dress for a while and put it back in its place.

“My taste in clothes was never great. Maybe I should ask the clerk to pick one out for me.”

With this in mind, Naoto shifted his gaze from the selection of clothes to the store. Then, suddenly a pleasant, familiar voice ringed into Naoto’s ears.

“Yeah, that’s perfect. That’s my man. Thank you. Thank you.”

When the man said so over the phone,the voice from the other side was rambling with words of labor.

“I’m sorry I left at the most difficult time. I’ll be back as soon as the ceremony is over…. I’m glad you said that… It looks like things are going as planned, so you can call it a day. Have a nice seafood dinner with Mr. Nakata and the others… My treat, of course…”

“Yeah…tell everyone not to be shy. ・・・・ Yeah…well, thanks again for all your hard work. You can call me anytime if you need anything.”

Unconsciously, Naoto’s ears are drawn into the voice.

[This voice… this way of talking…..]

[I love you….]

A gentle voice whispers into Naoto’s ear.

Memories which were left somewhere far away,pain which was buried deep inside his heart, rushed back all together.He turned toward the owner of the voice to see who it was.Naoto huffed and involuntarily covered his mouth with his right hand.After hanging up, the man stared at the screen of his cell phone for a moment, then turned his head to the side as he put the phone in his suit pocket…

Their eyes met.

As if the store had run out of oxygen, both men forgot to breathe,only two heartbeats echoed around the area.Naoto brought the hand that had been covering his mouth back to the side of his body and clenched his fist tightly. He then took one large but quiet deep breath and walked toward the man who was standing there stunned.

“You…”

“Papa!”

The words Naoto summons up the courage to speak are drowned out by a small, adorable voice.A little girl about the same age as Yuka, hugged the man’s leg.But nothing reached the man’s ears, he was still standing there with his eyes on Naoto.

“Papa!”

Unlike her earlier bouncy voice, the girl lowered her tone a little and followed her father’s eyes.

“Do you know him?”

The girl asked, tugging at the hem of the man’s suit jacket.The man, huffing as if he had returned from a different world, finally realized that his daughter had finished fitting and was coming back to him.The man looks lovingly at his daughter, who is hugging him at his feet, and gently pats her head. The little girl happily smiles at her father, and let go of his embracing hand and takes a few steps backward.

“Papa, how am I looking?”

As the girl holds the dress with both hands and squats slightly to show her father her figure, a female voice approaches from behind the girl.

“Miku, you have to put your shoes on properly…”

The woman, who appeared with a slow pace and a wry smile on her face, sensed a strange air around the men. Then she suddenly noticed Naoto standing beside them, looking at them.

“Yoichi? Do you guys know each other?”

The man’s name is Yoichi.They came to buy a dress for their eldest daughter, Miku, to wear at her elementary school entrance party.

“Oh no..”

Yoichi’s words, which came out quickly, pierced Naoto’s heart, who was still standing there.

T/N – MY HEART! T-T

[…Yo san!]

He realizes that the voice screaming in his heart will not reach Yoichi. Yoichi is unable to speak further, as if something is stuck in the back of his throat, Miku puffs out her cheeks slightly and calls out to her father.

“Papa, does this dress look good on Miki?”

When Yoichi finally regained consciousness, his mind having gone blank for a moment, he looked directly at the adorably bloated Miku and smiled softly. Yoichi’s overly kind smile drove Naoto away from the scene.

. . . . .

Raw Provider: Geranium

Translator/Editing: Geranium

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