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Chapter 266: A Daughter's Silent Wish
🕑 Added 2025-04-05 09:27:14 +0000 UTC(TL: Music Recommendation: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QzwwCAtRWI" or
『僕の心のヤバいやつ』メドレー[全4曲フルver])
....
There is a saying—
"Funerals are for the living, not the dead."
Minami had always agreed with that.
Because the deceased are already gone.
No matter what the living do—
They won't feel it.
They won't know.
Slowly—
He set down the cushion before the small memorial altar.
And placed it in front of the portrait of the girl who had once been his Satou.
"…So this is how you looked when you grew up, Satou."
He gently brushed his fingers across the picture frame.
His gaze softened as he looked at Matsuzaka Satou's face.
She was no longer the smiling, soft-spoken pink-haired girl he once knew.
The woman in the photo was expressionless, staring at the camera with empty eyes.
The liveliness of youth—
Gone.
Her once delicate, fair skin had taken on the tiredness of middle age.
Her lips, once soft and warm, were now thin and colorless.
Her pink eyes, once bright and full of life, still held their size—
But the light within them had dimmed.
Minami could no longer feel her warmth.
He could no longer see her smile.
Even in the photo, her brows were slightly furrowed—
Just as Shio had described.
She always seemed to be thinking about something.
Always lost in thought.
Never at peace.
No expression.
No emotion.
Just a cold, distant gaze.
It was no wonder.
The photo wouldn't move.
It wouldn't smile.
It wouldn't show emotion.
Minami's chest tightened.
Even after using 1,200 Heartthrob Points on "The Girl from the Future" route card—
He still couldn't save Matsuzaka Satou.
Even in middle age—
Even after death—
She hadn't even been able to afford a proper grave.
Her ashes—
Trapped in a small, lonely box.
Kept in a tiny memorial shrine inside this home.
Where do people go after they die?
Minami didn't know.
But he was certain of one thing—
Satou had been alone.
She had lived alone.
She had died alone.
And now—
She remained alone.
His fingers traced the edges of the frame.
He sat there in silence for a long time.
Then—
He finally placed the portrait back onto the altar.
He reached for the small wooden hammer beside the incense burner.
And gently—
Ting—
A clear, pure sound rang from the bronze bell.
A soft humming vibration followed, resonating through the quiet room.
Following Matsuzaka Shio's instructions—
Minami opened the bottom drawer of the altar.
He retrieved a few long incense sticks.
Lighting them carefully—
He stood before Matsuzaka Satou's portrait.
And with a small bow—
He placed the incense in the burner.
Once everything was complete—
He finally sat back down on the cushion.
His gaze met Matsuzaka Satou's frozen image.
And in a soft, even tone—
He spoke.
"I'm here, Satou."
His voice was calm.
As if he were simply talking to her.
"As you can see, I met our daughter."
He gave Shio's hand a light squeeze.
The girl beside him remained quiet.
Obediently sitting next to him, saying nothing.
"I'm happy," he continued, "because you've raised such a wonderful girl."
"But at the same time…"
"I'm also shocked."
"Because I can't even imagine—"
"How much pain you went through, alone in Tokyo, just to raise her."
His voice softened.
Many people thought—
Tokyo was a city of opportunity.
That it was a place where dreams could come true.
But Minami knew better.
Living alone in Tokyo was harsh.
It was cold.
Cruel.
And for a single mother—
The world was even harsher.
Just imagining the kind of prejudice and struggle Matsuzaka Satou must have endured…
Made his heart ache.
She had never been good at expressing herself.
She wasn't heartless.
She just didn't know how to show it.
Minami sighed.
"Don't worry about our daughter anymore."
"I'll be the father I should have been."
"I won't let her suffer any more than she already has."
Hearing those words—
Matsuzaka Shio turned to look at him.
Her lips parted slightly.
Because deep down—
She still couldn't let go of everything.
She had been left alone for 20 years.
She had suffered so much.
Even if she could finally call him "Father" now—
There were wounds that couldn't be erased.
But the knot in her heart—
Wasn't something that could be untied so easily.
Yet…
Faced with her father's words, and her mother's portrait before her—
The words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.
A long silence passed.
Then, as if making some kind of decision, she finally opened her mouth and spoke to Matsuzaka Satou's portrait.
"…Yes, Mother. You don't have to worry anymore. From now on, I will live with Father."
She didn't say much.
But when she squeezed Minami's hand back—
That alone said everything.
People who remain trapped in grief—
Have no future.
And cannot take a single step forward.
Once, it had been her mother who stayed by her side.
Now…
It would be her father instead.
That was what she told herself.
Side by side, she and Minami gazed at the small household shrine before them.
The incense burned silently.
And the living—
Had to continue moving forward.
...
[Returning Home]
After completing Matsuzaka Satou's memorial service, Minami didn't hesitate at all—
He immediately decided to take Matsuzaka Shio home with him.
The reason was simple.
This rented room was far too inhospitable.
It was one thing for it to be freezing in winter—
But at night, drunken salarymen and homeless people would often loiter around.
There was no way in hell he was leaving Shio here alone.
His decision was quick.
But—
Matsuzaka Shio hesitated.
Her lips parted slightly, an uneasy expression surfacing.
Minami's decision…
Was too fast.
Even though she had agreed to live with him in front of her mother's portrait—
She hadn't expected him to actually take her away right now.
The pace of everything made her feel overwhelmed.
She hesitated for a moment—
Then nervously lifted her gaze.
"Father… Are you sure?"
She asked in a small voice.
Was this really okay?
It wasn't just about her own lack of mental preparation—
What about her sisters?
What about her father's wives?
Had they even prepared themselves for this?
Suddenly gaining another daughter.
Suddenly adding a new family member.
Wouldn't that feel too abrupt?
Wouldn't that be hard for them to accept?
Because of everything she had gone through with her mother—
Matsuzaka Shio had matured far earlier than the Minami sisters.
She was painfully aware that, in the Minami household, she was an outsider.
Even in a normal family—
If one day, your parents suddenly brought home a stranger your age, and told you:
"This is your new sibling. From now on, you need to get along."
Wouldn't that be awkward?
Wouldn't that feel forced?
She hesitated.
She wavered.
And yet—
Minami simply waved a hand.
"It'll be fine, Shio."
"My kids—how should I put this? They're the type that get along with everyone."
"And that includes my wives, too."
It was true.
Whether it was the Kessoku Band members—
Or Shinjo Akane and Futaba Rio—
None of them would reject Shio.
As for the Minami sisters…
Those brats were constantly nagging for more siblings.
They'd probably be thrilled to have another sister to mess around with.
Feeling awkward?
Feeling out of place?
Maybe in other families, sure.
But in the Shouji family—
That would never be an issue.
Under Minami's repeated reassurances—
The uneasiness in Matsuzaka Shio's chest gradually faded.
And in the end—
She gave in to her father's insistence.
She agreed to move into the Shouji household.
But—
She had a few conditions.
(If they could even be called conditions.)
Shio's Three Conditions
First:
Matsuzaka Shio wanted Minami to also bring Aunt Sayuri with them.
That woman—once a mess in her youth—
Had completely changed after Minami scolded her.
She had worked alongside Matsuzaka Satou—
Helping raise Shio as if she were her own daughter.
Without Sayuri's support, Shio never would have grown up so healthy.
But…
No one could escape aging.
Sayuri was already in her fifties.
Years of hard labor had drained her.
Her health was already declining.
Shio refused to let her only remaining relative—
Wear herself to death.
Minami didn't even hesitate.
Even if Shio hadn't asked—
He would have invited Sayuri to live with them anyway.
So, of course—
He agreed to the first request.
Second:
She wanted Minami to find a proper grave for her mother.
A burial site—
Somewhere in a temple cemetery in Tokyo.
She also wanted time to sort through their belongings before leaving.
This rented home held so many memories of her mother.
She couldn't just leave them behind.
This, too, was reasonable.
Minami had no reason to refuse.
So he agreed.
Third:
She wanted to keep the surname "Matsuzaka."
For Shio—
Her name was her mother's final gift.
The last legacy she had left behind.
This—
This was her one selfish request.
Her one act of defiance.
One final piece of rebellion.
But…
"This request…"
"…is a little unreasonable, isn't it?"
Even she knew that.
Even before she had spoken, her fingers had trembled slightly.
She feared—
Minami would reject it.
Some people believed—
That not taking the family name was a sign of disrespect.
And the Shouji family—
A prestigious household, deeply tied to a successful business empire—
Wouldn't her refusal to change her surname be inappropriate?
She had already mentally prepared herself.
If Minami became angry—
If he forced her to change her name—
She would accept it.
But—
"It's fine."
"I respect your wishes."
"If you want to keep the name 'Matsuzaka,' I won't stop you."
"If your mother knew how much you treasured what she left behind… I think she'd be happy, too."
"…Eh?"
No anger.
No disapproval.
No forceful demands.
Instead—
Minami simply smiled.
And with the same gentle touch as before—
He softly ruffled her hair.
"Father…"
Feeling his warmth.
Meeting his kind gaze.
Matsuzaka Shio suddenly felt… ashamed.
She had expected the worst.
She had been so defensive—
But in the end…
He had accepted everything.
She lowered her head slightly.
She had doubted him.
And that made her feel guilty.
Minami, of course—
Saw right through her.
But he didn't say anything.
He simply smiled.
And stayed by her side.
For the first time in her life—
Matsuzaka Shio felt warmth in her heart.
A warmth she had never known.
A father's warmth.
Time passed.
Day turned into night.
Packing up the Matsuzaka household didn't take long.
The moving company arrived.
Carefully, they packed up everything that held memories of Satou and Shio.
Then—
Minami took Satou's urn into his arms.
Holding them firmly.
The preparations—
Were finally complete.
As the night sky spread above them—
Before stepping into the car—
Matsuzaka Shio paused at the doorway of her old home.
It was falling apart.
But…
It held every memory of her childhood.
From birth.
To learning to walk.
Then to the middle and high school years when she didn't understand her mother.
"In the end… now that Mother is gone…"
The cramped, old apartment—
Had carried too many memories for the young girl.
But—
"People still have to move forward."
Matsuzaka Shio whispered the words softly.
Her black eyes shimmered faintly with unshed tears.
"Thank you."
She wasn't sure who she was speaking to.
But she bowed deeply—
Toward the small, worn-down apartment that had been her home.
Minami stood by her side.
He also gave a small, respectful nod toward the building.
And with that—
It was time to leave.
Minami gently took her hand in his own.
Father and daughter walked away—
Leaving the apartment for good.
The engine rumbled softly.
The car pulled away from the curb.
Matsuzaka Shio rested her cheek against the car window.
The neon lights outside blended together—
A kaleidoscope of colors washing over the city streets.
And in the midst of those dazzling lights—
The apartment she had shared with her mother…
Faded into the distance.
"Goodbye."
She whispered the words quietly.
Then, without realizing it—
She rested her head against Minami's arm.
And fell into a deep sleep.
It was a wonderful dream.
A dream where—
Her mother and father had always been together.
Where she had grown up—
Under the watchful eyes of both her parents.
