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Chapter 263: Your Wife ran away pregnant
🕑 Added 2025-04-05 08:55:48 +0000 UTCShouji Mirai and Shinjo Akane actually had quite similar personalities.
If something didn't interest her, she wouldn't bother remembering it.
And she certainly wouldn't have any lasting impression of it.
If Minami hadn't specifically asked her about Matsuzaka Satou, she probably wouldn't have even thought to go through her phone's photo album.
"Yeah… she really does look like Matsuzaka."
Taking Mirai's phone, Minami focused on the pink-haired girl in the picture, her hand resting on the edge of the dining table as she looked up.
The girl had long, soft pink hair.
Pale skin, delicate features, a calm expression, and strikingly large eyes.
But unlike Matsuzaka Satou, whose eyes were a warm reddish-pink—
This girl had black irises, deep and glossy, like black pearls.
Her expression was blank as she lifted her head, as if watching something—or lost in thought.
Minami shook his head.
Just based on looks alone—
This girl did resemble Matsuzaka Satou.
If he had to guess—
She could very well be a child born between him and Matsuzaka Satou.
But if that were the case—
There was no way Mirai wouldn't remember her.
Sure, his daughter was irresponsible and unreliable.
But she wouldn't forget her own sisters.
And more importantly—
How did Mirai, who had never seen Matsuzaka Satou before, instinctively associate this pink-haired girl with her?
Minami glanced at Mirai and asked, "Mirai, you mentioned your coming-of-age ceremony with your sisters… and then?"
This rebellious daughter had stopped her story halfway through.
Now she just sat there, silent.
Impatient, he pressed for an answer.
Under his sharp gaze, Mirai stuck out her tongue awkwardly. "Ugh, Dad~ I'm trying to remember, okay? Give me a second…"
She frowned, trying to piece her thoughts together, before finally continuing:
"That was the day of the coming-of-age ceremony for me and my other sisters. You already know, Dad—I don't just have my mom, I also have a few godmothers… Like Nijika Mama , Ryo Mama , and all the others."
She lifted her fingers one by one. "All of us sisters were born in the same year… Hehe, I have to say, Dad, I really gotta hand it to you—not only did you keep up with Mom, but you also managed to satisfy all my godmothers too…"
Mirai snickered mischievously.
Which, of course, earned her a swift bonk on the head from Minami.
"Stay on topic."
"Ow—! Okay, okay, I was getting to it!"
Rubbing her head, Mirai finally got serious.
"Since most of us sisters were born the same year, our moms thought it'd be nice to hold a big, formal ceremony together—kind of like a special event to celebrate our adulthood."
She plopped onto the couch.
"They even threw a big banquet and invited a ton of guests."
At that point—
Mirai took back her phone, pointing at the pink-haired girl in the photo.
"Honestly, I recognized almost everyone at the party, or at least had an impression of them. They were mostly our friends, or friends of Mom and Dad."
She paused.
"But… this pink-haired girl? I don't remember her at all."
Yes—
Mirai had zero memory of this pink-haired girl who had suddenly appeared at her coming-of-age banquet.
And considering how stunning the girl was—easily matching any of the six daughters of the Minami family—
She had definitely drawn attention.
In fact, Mirai and her sisters had even discussed her among themselves.
But since none of them could recall who she was—
They simply assumed she was a friend's daughter and left it at that.
"That should've been the end of it… but after the ceremony, that pink-haired girl didn't leave immediately. Instead, she gave Mom a letter."
At this point, Mirai turned toward Akane Shinjo.
"Hmm?"
Akane blinked, confused.
"She handed the letter to Mom. And since I was curious, I took a quick picture of it with my phone."
"What was in the letter?"
Minami immediately perked up.
For once, his daughter was proving useful. Without waiting for her to continue, he pressed for an answer.
Then—
"Uh…"
Under Minami's expectant gaze, Mirai opened her mouth—
Then awkwardly lowered her head. "Uhm… I only read the first part. I just got the girl's name… Then, well, I kinda got distracted and went out to karaoke with my sisters…"
"..."
Minami fell silent.
…Yep.
His daughter was still the same as ever.
That momentary hope? Just an illusion.
Still, at least she had taken a picture.
Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Alright. Do you still have that picture?"
"Cough… So about that… After karaoke, we were drinking, you know? Dad, did you know you actually let us drink that night? I mean, wow! I never realized alcohol was so good! Just like Aunt Kikuri said—"
Mirai babbled excitedly.
Minami just raised his hand.
"Uh—"
Mirai's expression immediately turned anxious.
Hurriedly, she backpedaled. "W-wait! Dad, listen! I was really drunk that night, so I don't remember much… But! The letter should still be in my phone…"
Then, after a brief pause—
"…Or, well, I might've deleted it as junk…"
"..."
Minami massaged his temples.
Finally, he let out a deep sigh and asked, "Mirai."
"Mm?"
"…Are you really my biological daughter?"
"Of course I am! 100% certified, no refunds!"
Mirai puffed out her chest proudly.
"…Then why is it that, between me and Akane, you didn't inherit even a shred of our intelligence?"
Minami gave her a deadpan look.
Seriously.
He and Akane were both top-tier students—one ranked first in their grade, the other second.
And yet…
Somehow, Mirai turned out like this?
Shaking his head, he decided to drop it.
No point in dwelling on things that couldn't be changed.
"For now, just check your phone."
His only hope was that Mirai still had the pink-haired girl's letter.
If she had deleted it—
Then their only lead on Matsuzaka Satou's future would be completely gone.
Sensing Minami's serious expression, Mirai finally stopped messing around.
She nodded, then quickly began scrolling through her phone.
One thing about young people, no matter the era—
They always had their own special way of navigating their phones.
Minami watched as her fingers flicked across the screen at lightning speed—
Until, suddenly—
"Found it! Dad!"
"Oh?"
Minami, who had already lowered his expectations, immediately perked up.
Finally—his hopelessly unreliable daughter had actually done something useful.
With this, they might finally uncover the truth about Matsuzaka Satou's future.
With anticipation, he leaned forward, eyes fixed on Mirai's phone screen.
And then—
[Essay Topic: My Dream When I Grow Up]
[Author: Mirai Shouji ]
[My dream is to become Japan's No.1 actress, so I can control everything around me. And, more importantly, to make Japan legalize cousin marriage.]
[Because that way, I can marry the world's most handsome man—my dad!]
[My dad is the best man in the whole world! He's so much more mature than the boys in my class! One day, I will be his bride!]
[To make that happen, I'll become Japan's No.1 actress, then use my influence to enter politics! I'll become Prime Minister and pass a law legalizing cousin marriage!]
[Teacher's Comment: Please have your father meet me immediately. We need to talk.]
"..."
Minami's face went blank.
He slowly turned to look at Mirai.
Then, in a solemn voice, he said—
"Mirai. Given your level of intelligence, I think becoming a famous actress is the best you can aim for. The Prime Minister's office… is out of your league."
"N-no! That's not the right picture! Also, Dad! Don't seriously analyze an essay I wrote when I was six!!"
Mirai had obviously seen what was on her phone screen as well.
Her face turned as red as a steamed octopus, and in a panic, she hurriedly swiped to the previous image.
And finally—
(TL Here: Best to read this with music! [Rubia-Honkai impact 3])
Minami got his first real look at what Mirai had called "the letter left behind by the pink-haired girl."
It was a plain sheet of white paper. No frills, no decorations.
The handwriting was neat, precise, and carried a crisp elegance.
Minami read it, one line at a time.
[To Mr. Minami,]
[Skipping pleasantries.]
[I assume you don't know who I am, nor do you understand why I am leaving you this letter. But if you've opened it, I sincerely hope you will read until the end.]
[Do you remember a woman named Matsuzaka Satou?]
[Perhaps you don't care. Perhaps she meant nothing to you. Maybe you've even long since forgotten her existence. But regardless, there is something I must tell you.]
[My mother, Matsuzaka Satou, passed away last month. And I am her daughter. My name is Matsuzaka Shio.]
"Matsuzaka Satou… is dead?"
Minami's gaze halted.
He hadn't expected this.
Not just in the simulations—
But in a certain future, in a real possible timeline, Matsuzaka Satou had died early.
Yet, unlike in the simulations—
This time, she had left behind a daughter.
"…Matsuzaka Shio."
Minami murmured the name under his breath.
It had the distinct naming style of the Matsuzaka family.
But if Matsuzaka Shio was his and Satou's child—
Why wasn't her surname Shouji?
Why had she continued to bear the Matsuzaka name?
And why hadn't she been raised alongside them?
The questions in Minami's mind multiplied.
He continued reading.
[I never wanted to be here. I never wanted to disrupt your life with your wife and daughters.]
[But I wanted to see you. Just once. Because my mother… she spent her entire life saying your name.]
[To be honest, my mother wasn't a very good mother. Ever since I was born, she rarely smiled. It was as if there was nothing in the world that truly mattered to her.]
[Even when looking at me, she barely acknowledged my presence.]
["Cold" is the only word I can use to describe her.]
[The only time she ever smiled… was when she looked at a photo of you and her together.]
[As a child, I never understood why.]
[But as I grew older, I realized—]
[The man in that photo was the one she had loved for a lifetime.]
[Maybe she loved you too much.]
[Even when I excelled in school, even when I showed talent in sports…]
[She never smiled at me.]
[But I knew she didn't hate me. She simply didn't know how to express her emotions. That's why, even though she never smiled at me—]
[Every time I achieved something at school, a new trendy toy would quietly appear on my bedside table.]
[She was never unpopular. Even with a child, plenty of men asked her out.]
[If she had wanted to, she could have easily found me a father.]
[But she refused them all.]
[I know it was because of you.]
[She never had a stable job. She only worked odd jobs to support me, and even that was a struggle.]
[I once begged her to reach out to you. To ask for financial help.]
[I even fought with her over it.]
[It was the first time I had ever argued with my mother—who never raised her voice, who never showed her emotions.]
Minami closed his eyes.
He couldn't imagine it.
The pink-haired girl who had always carried a soft, serene smile—
Arguing with someone.
[I didn't understand her back then.]
[But now, I think I do.]
[Maybe she didn't want to disrupt your life. Maybe she had never planned to meet you again.]
[By the time I entered high school, her health had already begun to deteriorate.]
[The doctors warned her—years of working exhausting night shifts had taken a toll on both her body and mind. They told her to take a break.]
[But I knew… her real burden wasn't just the work.]
[She was like a balloon, filling with pressure, struggling to hold herself together.]
[I begged her to rest. I told her I could drop out of school and start working.]
[But for the first time ever, my mother looked me directly in the eyes—and refused.]
[She kept working. She kept providing for me. Even as her body weakened.]
Minami let out a quiet sigh.
A single mother.
No stable job.
Trying to raise a child in the heart of Tokyo.
The sheer weight of that responsibility was unimaginable.
He read on.
[Did I ever hate you?]
[I think I did.]
[You were my father, yet you never once looked at me. Never once placed your hand on my head. Never once smiled at me or asked how I was doing.]
[Your other daughters received a proper education. They never had to worry about money. They never had to watch their mother struggle just to survive.]
[But I—your daughter too—never had that.]
[Why?]
[Why did I have to live like this?]
[Like a rat, scurrying around Tokyo with my mother, constantly searching for cheap housing because we couldn't afford rent. Wearing the same old uniform year after year, enduring the stares of my classmates. Being called a "fatherless stray" by the neighborhood kids.]
[Was I wrong to feel resentful? To be angry?]
[But hatred does nothing.]
[My mother passed away last month. She collapsed from heart failure while working.]
[Her employer at the izakaya was kind enough to arrange a funeral for her.]
[But I couldn't afford a grave. I could only keep her ashes at home.]
[In the photo, she still didn't smile. Just as she had quietly come into this world—she quietly left it.]
[Leaving no trace behind.]
[She once told me, while resting at home, that it was her own decision to leave you after you two were together. That she chose to give birth to me on her own.]
[She told me not to hate you. Not to hold anything against you. That it was all her own fault. And as she said that, her face was full of regret.]
[She told me the person she wronged most in this world was me.]
[I will remember her final wish. I will live on.]
[Please don't worry, Mr. Minami. I have dropped out of school and begun working. My wages are nothing compared to your wealth, but with the small inheritance my mother left behind, I should be able to survive.]
[There's still much I want to say, but this paper is too short. So I'll end it here.]
[Your daughter, whom you've never met—Matsuzaka Shio.]
