Chapter 10
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Protagonist’s POV
I am ashamed to say this, but I am not popular with the ladies at all.
In my past lives, I have fallen in love with many women, but only with my wife, with whom I had a chance to be in a relationship.
She and I had a daughter, Sharon.
I played with her a lot, but I think now that I had less contact with her than with other families.
That is why when I came home, no matter how ill I was or how exhausted I was, I played with Sharon if she wanted, and sometimes I went out with her.
We were so close that my wife called us “stupid siblings”.
Although Sharon became more reserved as she reached the upper grades of high school, I was lucky to be in a foreign country for a long business trip when I was in full-blown puberty.
If Sharon had hated me, I would have had no confidence in my ability to survive.
”I hate you.”
I would have killed myself with that one word.
That’s how much I loved my daughter.
But now―
”Takkun, ahmm!”
”It’s embarrassing.”
”It’s okay. We’re just a couple.”
Tsukasa, as usual, never stops smiling.
When I first came here, I was so afraid of her smile that I could not get used to it, but now, it is nothing.
It’s just a cute smile.
Today, as usual, we are enjoying our lunch on the rooftop.
Lined up in front of me are,
・Rice balls
・A sausage shaped like an octopus
・Salad
It’s very simple, but we are the common people.
Even though we come from a family of doctors, we don’t prefer high-end food.
French food is also served in small portions and the waiting time is unbearable.
The sausage is a little burnt, but not bad.
”Did you put pepper on it?”
”Yes. To hide it. And a little lemon.”
”Thank you. It’s delicious.
”Hehehehe~♡”
Tsukasa hugs me tightly.
”I appreciate your feelings, but it hurts.”
”Ah, I’m sorry.”
She pulled away immediately.
Then she looked at my hand.
”But it’s a little bit playful to hurt yourself again right after your shoulder was bruised in the injury case, isn’t it?”
”Yes, it is.”
The wound I got in the hostage situation is supposed to be “I broke my hand when I stumbled and hit the show-window on my way back from using the public restroom.”
This is a very unnatural reason, but Robinson prepared a medical certificate, so the injury is authentic.
As long as there is a medical certificate, it is a legally indisputable fact.
It is just like a politician or a celebrity who is caught in a scandal, runs to a hospital to be diagnosed to avoid prosecution.
The advantage of a medical certificate is that it can sometimes be misused by the bad guys.
Tsukasa gently touches my bandaged hand.
”Geez, Takkun, you’ve got a bad luck streak, don’t you?”
”Not in a bad year?”
”If it’s a bad year, isn’t it more than just one? I mean, you have a bad constitution on the last time. That’s why I have to protect you.”
”…”
I see. I don’t understand.
But I understand that Tsukasa is worried about me.
I’m glad to hear that.
”Takkun, I love you~♡”
”Yes, yes.”
”Say it for me, Takkun.”
”Are you sure?”
”Don’t. You have to express yourself. Because I’m stupid. So, I don’t know.”
What’s she talking about, a woman of talent?
I let out a sigh,
”Is it OK at the wedding?”
”! Really?”
”Yes. I appreciate the sentiment, but I feel like saying too much might make it less meaningful. I’m sorry.”
”…okay. I’ll looking forward to it.”
In my previous life, I had expressed my love to my wife and children honestly, but after my reincarnation, I guess I am becoming more Japanese in my sensibility.
I am not able to express my feelings as much as I did when I was an American because I feel ashamed of them.
This may be one of the effects of the memory transfer.
”You really mean it, don’t you?”
”Really what?”
”The wedding. I won’t say ‘I love you’ to anyone but Takkun easily enough. It’s not that easy.”
”I know.”
”If anything, I’m a heavy person.”
She’s saying it herself?
I almost lunged at her, but I swallowed my words somehow.
I know from ((Ren))’s memory that Tsukasa overcame Satsuki’s objection and nursed me all night long when I had acute poliomyelitis.
Was it a success or a coincidence?
I have no aftereffects as far as I can see.
Satsuki says it’s a miracle.
Well, maybe we’re really connected by the red thread of fate.
”But I won’t get mad if Takkun falls in love with another girl, okay?”
”Well, it’s my life, isn’t it?”
”Yes. It’s not my intention to drag Takkun into my life.”
”…”
Tsukasa is a heavy girl, but she’s got this kind of thing going for her.
I put down the chopsticks and touch Tsukasa’s head.
Then I untie her knot.
”Aaaaahhhhhh!”
Tsukasa screams out.
She puts her hands over her hair, which is now as thick as an afro, and ties it back up again.
”What are you doing?”
”I think this is the perfect punishment for a fool who is so in love with me that she’s about to start crying and is trying to act all dressed up…”
”!”
Tsukasa wiped the corner of her eyes.
The tears in her eyes must have been unintentional.
”Anyway, I don’t want to let go of such a beautiful woman.”
”Takkun…”
”So, don’t force yourself. It’s okay to be heavy. I’ll take it all in.”
”!”
She hugs me around the neck.
Then, as hard as she could, she shouted.
”I don’t want to let you go! I love youuu!”
She’s not good at sports, but she has a strong stranglehold on my neck.
I guess it’s called “foolhardiness on the fire”.
It’s too heavy for pure love.
No ordinary man could bear it.
”Takkun, I love you so much~♡”
Tsukasa rubbed my cheeks and kissed me.
This is a kind of passion that is rarely seen in Japanese women.
Maybe she’s a Latin girl after all.
”Yes, yes.”
I accept her kisses and eat my rice ball.
…too much salt, too much salt.
What sweetness~
Tsukasa, the queen of the school, is extremely popular.
She says, “Since I started receiving love letters in the first grade of elementary school, there has not been a year when I haven’t received one. The number of love letters has been increasing every year”.
Naturally, the rumor has spread outside of the school district, and even people from other schools sometimes come to see the letters.
But now, even if they come to see her or send love letters to her, their dreams of a relationship will not come true.
Because I’m here.
”Hey, hey, is that criminal still here?”
”Damn. You’re like goldfish feces, aren’t you?”
”That’s right.”
The boys can’t even find the right moment to talk to Tsukasa.
I’m almost always with Tsukasa.
And the place where I don’t go with Tsukasa is,
・Student council
・Restroom
・P.E.
That’s when Tsukasa is not with me.
”How long will you be finished today?”
”I don’t know. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
”Okay. See you later.”
”Yes.”
Tsukasa enters the student council room.
I’m not busy at this time of the day.
The meeting of the student council always takes a long time.
According to the record of the meeting, it once took up to eight hours.
As often seen in light novels and anime, the student council here is very powerful.
They use a part of the school fees collected by the school to fund their policies, and report unpopular teachers to the school board.
It is undeniable that giving this much power to a student council is a bit much.
However, since the student council has never caused any scandal and has kept its promises, this method is probably the best for this school.
(Library, coffee shop, shooting club…)
Now, I’m thinking of ways to pass the time, but,
”Excuse me.”
The door to the staff room opens and a woman comes out.
Our eyes meet.
And instantly, my strength is gone.
”…”
On the other hand, the woman smiles.
”Nice to meet you. I’m Sharon Bradley.”
* * *
Third Person Perspective toward Tsukasa
Tsukasa is in the student council room, surrounded by female students.
It is break time.
Girl talk is the only way to recover from the exhaustion of a long debate.
”Senior, is it true that Ren is your fiance?”
”Yes. It’s true.
”””Hooooooooooooo!”””
Yellow voices are heard.
No wonder the girls are excited.
The queen of the school is in love with the school’s biggest bad boy.
It’s hard not to pay attention.
”Senior, what is your fiancée like? He looks scary, doesn’t he?”
”Not at all. At home, he’s like a househusband.”
”Eh? Ren-senpai does the housework?”
”Yes. That’s right.”
Tsukasa shows a picture of her smartphone.
”””Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”””
This time, they were excitedly breathing through their noses.
In the picture is Ren cutting vegetables with a knife, rolling up his sleeves and showing his arms.
His thin arms covered with muscles without any arm hairs touched the heartstrings of the female students who love thin macho.
Tsukasa is proud to show off his fiancée.
”Isn’t that so? So, senior don’t have to be a housewife after marriage.”
At that time, one of the junior students said to Tsukasa without thinking anything of it.
”But if he can do housework and has such beautiful muscles, he will be very popular, won’t he?”
”Umm…”
Tsukasa is dejected by this undeniable fact.
That’s right.
She is in love with Ren, but there is no guarantee that he can bear her weight.
Sometimes, men who fall in love with older women get tired of their marriages and run after younger women.
Tsukasa is not an older woman, but Ren is a man.
If a woman younger and more beautiful than Tsukasa appears, there is a good chance that he will be attracted to her.
There must be many cases in which a couple expresses their love with their mouths, but as time goes by, they become a married couple under the mask of marriage.
(…Takkun, you won’t cheat on me, will you?)
Tsukasa is filled with anxiety.
* * *
Protagonist’s POV
At the same time.
I was having tea with my daughter at a coffee shop in front of the school.
To be precise, my “ex” daughter.
”Thank you for showing me around the school. Uhh…”
”I’m Kitaoji Ren.”
”Yes, yes. Can I call you by your first name?”
”Okay.”
I try to act calm.
But I didn’t expect my daughter to come to school.
”What grade are you in, Ren?”
”I’m second grade in high school.”
”So young!”
Sharon happily sips her cream soda through a straw.
She has always loved cream soda.
”From now on, I’m coming to this school part-time as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher). Nice to meet you.”
”Even though you’re in the military?”
”Oh, how did you know?”
I thought, “Oh, no, it’s too late.”
Of course, I can’t say that the CIA told me.
”Well, it’s because there are a lot of people in this area who belong to the military.”
For more information on the military personnel, please refer to the following article.
―――
The military personnel protected by the Status of Forces Agreement of Japan refers to the Americans who are employed by the U.S. forces in Japan and work at bases and so on.
However, there is no detailed definition and the recognition has been left to the U.S. side, so there is no limit to the scope.
The U.S. and Japanese governments have issued a joint document, which gives examples of the scope of military service members.
(1) Civilians employed by the U.S. government budget
(2) Crew members of U.S. military vessels and aircrafts
(3) U.S. government employees who stay for official purposes of the U.S. military
(4) Technical advisors and consultants of private companies under contract with the U.S. military
The Japanese government has been trying to establish the U.S. military bases in Japan.
However, the Japanese government does not know the actual status of the U.S. military personnel in Japan.
All that is known is the number of people.
As of March 2016, the number was about 7,000.
This is about 2,000 more than the 5,203 in March 2013.’
―――
Since there is a U.S. military base in Japan near the school, there are, of course, military personnel living in the school district.
People from other places may have a hard time understanding them, but once they get to know each other, it becomes easier to distinguish between military personnel and those who belong to the military.
As for me, I improvise and lie.
”My family lives in a hospital, so people from the military come here. I guessed it on a hunch.”
”I see. By the way, the director of this hospital, Kitasomething, is a woman, right?”
”Yes.”
”She comes to the base from time to time. To study American medicine.”
That’s right.
Satsuki’s a diligent student, sometimes she works part-time at the base hospital.
”Oh, I see. The beautiful doctor’s kid. But, I’m sorry, you don’t look much like her, do you?”
”I’m adopted.”
”Oh, I’m sorry…
”It’s okay. That’s what people often say.”
Sharon seems to regret stepping on a land mine, but her smile returns as soon as she sees that I don’t mind.
She’s always been quick to change.
She’s a positive thinker at the bottom of her heart.
That’s her personality.
”So you don’t know your biological parents?”
”Yes.”
”Similar to me, huh?”
”Yeah?”
”Me too. I knew my mother, but I didn’t get to know my father very well. Though, we used to be close.”
”…”
”Around junior high school, I started to become an adolescent and deliberately avoided my father. And last year, he died in Eastern Europe without ever being able to reconcile with me.”
”…”
There are no tears in Sharon’s eyes.
She seems to have accepted my death.
”I wish I could have made it up to him. Really.”
”…I love you. Even now.”
”What?”
From somewhere she heard her father’s voice.
She looks around, but of course he’s not there.
”…well, did you hear something?”
”No, nothing.”
I clench my hands.
I’m sweating like a hyperhidrosis patient, but I look calm.
”I think your father still loves you.”
”What? Is that so?”
”Yes. The bond between father and child is not so easily broken.”
”…I hope that’s true. But thank you. I feel better. I’ll buy you a juice. Do you want anything?”
”No.”
I look at my watch,
”I’ve got some errands to run. But it was fun. Thank you very much.”
Then I put down 5,000 yen.
”What’s this?”
”It’s for today.”
”What? I can’t have a child pay for…”
”I’m an adult.”
”What?”
Seriously, I’m gonna get the hell out of here.
* * *
Third Person Perspective toward Sharon
”?”
Sharon tilts her head and stares at the 5,000 yen.
After a while, Sharon notices.
(What? Did I tell him what I heard in the hallucination?)
Her father’s words have stuck in her ears.
’I love you. Even now.’
Immediately afterwards Ren said.
’I think your father still loves you.’
Was it just a coincidence?
As he leaves, he says again, meaningfully,
’I’m an adult.
He said, ‘I’m an adult.’
(…is he the one whose memory is transferred?)
Sharon shakes her head.
There is indeed a case of memory transfer, but she doesn’t know if it happened to her father or not.
If it did happen to him, he was well-known in the industry.
Even if it was a different body, his knowledge and experience would make him a sought after instructor.
(…it can’t be true)
As she desperately denies her suspicions with her head, she notices something.
The seat he was sitting on was soaking wet.
(Does he have hyperhidrosis?)
It must be an exciting event for a high school student of that age to have a cup of tea with a beautiful girl, if she says so herself. But,
(…just in case, it’s okay, right?)
Sharon wipes off his sweat with a handkerchief, reciting in her mind a proverb she learned in Japan.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.