Chapter 3

It was the end of March.

Today is a very important day.

After all, it's Kaede's birthday, a significant milestone in her life.

It was just another morning.

She looked the same as always.

Yet, Kaede, who has now reached adulthood and is no longer treated as a child by society, stood there.

I truly felt how quickly time passes.

Wanting to celebrate this special day marking a new beginning, she declined dozens of invitations. Now, here she is, walking beside me.

I want to spend this day, this time, only with Kaede and Madoka. We are the only two who know the pain she has overcome to be here today. She wanted to spend this day only with us.

I left the choice of the restaurant to Madoka, and we planned to meet up there.

Before that, Kaede said she wanted to visit a place, and I accompanied her.

It's not on the verge of collapsing, but it gives off a chilling feeling, as if it could swallow you whole at any moment. The problem isn't its appearance but its past. It has a record of claiming forty lives in a horrific tragedy.

We stopped in front of this old, dilapidated house.

The twilight had passed, and the night had fallen. The light leaking out of the house indicated that someone was living there.

I was impressed that anyone could live in a house known as a haunted spot.

I wondered who the tenant might be.

The only thing I knew was that there were no familiar faces under that roof.

Not even in the surrounding area.

In fact, in this country, that no-good adult was no longer around.

◆

The last time I saw that man was at the airport.

In the international departure lounge, he stood there, waiting silently, having been given no information by Akishin.

When he noticed me, he widened his eyes as if seeing something unexpected.

"Isn't that you, Shit Sister?"

"Who are you calling Shit Sister?"

I frowned at his foul mouth, as always.

"Kurumi, I told you, you don't have to say anything."

It was more a sigh of resignation than disappointment. I hadn't explicitly told him not to say anything, so it was my fault.

Tachimachi was leaving the country. But it wasn't because he had something to hide or was fleeing. It seemed he was starting a new business, invited by Akishin.

For the year after Kaede left that house, he had thrown himself into work. He was given new responsibilities, and staying until the last train was the norm. On his days off, he studied to learn new things. He led a life without any fun.

"Since there was nothing to do at home anyway..."

In just one year, how much can a person really grow? I, who haven't yet entered society, don't know, but he must have felt some progress. He decided to leave everything behind, start anew in a different country, and take on new challenges.

Even if it didn't work out, he could always come back and start over. He seemed to have the confidence and determination to do so.

This is all according to Madoka, who had visited Akishin's shop, unlike us sisters who hadn't seen him since then. It was told by him and Akishin, but how much of it was genuine?

Leaving this place, he must have decided that it was finally okay.

So today, on this day, the day of Kaede's university entrance exam results, he is leaving Japan.

Tachimachi looked around behind me.

After confirming no one was there, he seemed puzzled.

"Kaede isn't coming."

"I didn't think she would."

Tachimachi snorted.

"I'm just surprised you came alone, with Kurumi."

He was surprised that I came alone, not with more people or none at all.

Yes, Kaede isn't here.

She's leaving the country without telling anyone, quietly. Even though she was told she didn't need to say anything, Madoka didn't like it. So she told us about today.

Kaede decided not to come, fully aware of everything.

Not out of consideration for me.

"We promised to meet on the battlefield next time."

So she didn't want to meet like this.

I couldn't understand the meaning behind that promise, but I could feel that it was important and precious to Kaede.

Kaede decided not to come.

Madoka had already said her goodbyes.

That's why I came alone.

"Isn't it nice of you, a shit sister, to come and see off your great benefactor?"

The no-good adult looked down on me from his high perch.

I didn't need to say anything kind to a man like him, but it was annoying.

"I didn't come to do something as trivial as that."

"Then why did you come alone?"

"Because you said so many things one-sidedly. I just wanted to say something back, at least this once."

I didn't come to say goodbye.

I came because there was something I had to say, at least this once.

"You seem to have started working hard, saying it's for a rainy day... But that rainy day will never come."

"Of course it won't. What are you trying to say, acting all high and mighty?"

"I'm not trying to be high and mighty. You once had that rainy day. I don't want to pretend it never happened, and I know my words lack conviction. But... you need to settle your debts properly."

Yes, I still have something to return.

When Kaede ran away from reality, she didn't choose the worst path.

Who helped her return to reality?

Who helped us, Kaede and me, to rebuild our relationship as sisters?

I was made aware of my actions and was given everything on a silver platter. The happiness I have now was created by someone else. I was just sent on my way.

As a resident of this society, as someone who values rules and morals, I had given nothing in return.

Not that he was asking for anything.

Just seeing his face made me angry, so I could have just ignored him.

But it felt very uncomfortable not to return that debt in words. I realized for the first time that I was a serious person in this regard, and it made me feel like I had lost something.

I slightly lowered my head, trying to bring up what I needed to say from deep within. But it was embarrassing, and I knew he would mock me, so it wouldn't come out.

After hesitating for about ten seconds,

"Well, let's go."

Tachimachi turned his back on me, perhaps understanding that I couldn't say anything.

After all the effort to return something to such a person, this was his reaction.

"...There's still time before your flight, right?"

"Yeah. I plan to spend it in a nice lounge, sipping drinks."

"Quite the life, even in the daytime."

"Yeah. I've been on leave, so I've been killing time like this."

If he had that much time, he should have at least tried to understand my feelings and help me sort them out.

Such one-sided thoughts came to me.

"That's why I don't have time to waste on someone like you."

This man is always indifferent to people he doesn't care about, as if I'm not worth his time.

Ah, forget it.

If he said that, I lost the will to return the debt.

So, Tachimachi walked towards the security checkpoint. Once he passed through, it would be the last time I saw him.

"Oh, right, Shit Sister."

He stopped as if remembering something.

Without turning back,

"Don't ever show your face again."

It was an inappropriate thing to say at a parting, but there was no mockery or contempt in his voice.

It was a serious, heavy warning, as if he would never forgive it.

Despite the harsh words, the meaning behind them was clear.

"Even if you didn't say it, I never want to see your face again."

So I also said something that was far from what I needed to say today.

This was the heaviest promise we made to each other. It couldn't be one-sided.

Tachimachi waved his hand and left.

I couldn't see his face, but his back looked satisfied.

He passed through the security checkpoint, and an hour later, the plane took off.

That's how the no-good adult left the country.

◆

This was a story from two years ago.

The reason the no-good adult was no longer in Kaede's memory house.

Currently, this house has a new tenant.

According to Kaede, nothing happened in this house during the years that man lived there. It had a good track record as a haunted house, so it found a tenant quickly.

However, it still intimidates the neighborhood, and the residents still fear it.

This was the first time we visited since we took Kaede away from this house.

Looking at it now, it's just an ordinary house, but it must have some mysterious power.

Kaede, who was protected by it, stood silently, lost in the memories of her time here.

To outsiders, we probably looked like occult enthusiasts who had come to see the haunted house.

I stood silently beside Kaede.

But the time wasn't long.

"Shall we go, Onee-san?"

"Are you ready already?"

"Yes. Thank you for indulging me."

She smiled as if satisfied after just a minute.

Today is a significant milestone in Kaede's life.

Perhaps she wanted to come to this house, where she experienced a major turning point in her life, to sort out her feelings.

Without asking Kaede too many questions, I silently followed her.

As we walked away from the house, a deafening roar pierced our ears. I realized it was an explosion when I turned around.

A bright red flame wiped out the dim world. Thick black smoke rose from the second-floor windows into the night sky.

It was a fire.

I didn't think about the cause of the explosion or the need to escape.

Kaede's newly sorted memories were burning.

I couldn't imagine how she felt, seeing this scene. The pain and sorrow she must have felt made my chest hurt.

"Ha... hahaha."

Looking at Kaede's side profile,

"Ahahaha!"

She started laughing, holding her stomach.

It wasn't because she had gone mad or was in a state of confusion. It was a clear, refreshing emotion.

"Ta-ma-ya!"

She shouted, covering her mouth with her hands, looking incredibly happy.

Ah, it was as if...

She was a child, excitedly watching a beautiful fireworks display.