Seven

“Kake-jii!” A shrill cry went up the moment that I opened the door to the house with my key. Even before I could announce that I was home, I had a pair of arms thrown around my legs and sobbing filled the entryway. While this shocked both Hiro-san and I into freezing up, my brother just stood there and shook his head in exasperation. Even Kaori-nee peeked around the kitchen doorway, greeted us and disappeared back inside. The little one, however, was practically pouring her heart out to me.

“What happened? How come you’re crying?” I pat her head as soothingly as I could in my confusion. Hiro-san too crouched beside me and looked at her closely.

“Hey, Aki-chan. What happened? Did your father get angry at you?”

“Why is this my fault?” Hikaru-nii asked, coming over and trying to pull Aki-chan off my legs but to no avail. “Aki, you’re getting Kake-jii’s pants dirty. Give him some space. He just got home.”

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to let Kake-jii go! Uwah!” She bawled, squeezing my legs even tighter.

‘I don’t want to let Kake-jii go’… “Ah! Hikaru-nii, you told her?!” I asked. I had wanted to talk to her about it myself and ease the news to her. It looked like she had already found out though.

“She was playing in her room. I was talking to Kaori in the kitchen. We didn’t notice that she had wandered over.” He shrugged. “Sorry that she got to know that way but… she had to know sooner or later.”

That was true but… what do I do now?

“How cruel, Kakeru. You have broken this young maiden’s heart.” Hiro-san commented and looked at her gently, his grey eyes filled with warmth. “Come here, Aki-chan. Let’s talk to Kake-jii properly first, okay?”

“No! No! No!” She shook her head vigorously and cried. “I-I won’t let you go! Kake-jii…”

I sighed. I swear, this girl was probably the only one I could cry over too. “Aki-chan.” I bent to pick her up. She put up a fight at first but, probably because I was still holding her, she let me pick her up. Soon after though, she clung to my neck and sobbed.

“Don’t go, Kake-jii! Please! Please, don’t go!”

Oh boy…

“You’re dearly loved, aren’t you?” Hiro-san chuckled, patted my head and went in.

…Why was I the one receiving a head pat?

“Come in.” Hikaru-nii said, gave me a wry smile and followed Hiro-san in.

…And why did I get the feeling that both Hikaru-nii and Kaori-nee were letting Aki-chan cry for the sake of the two of them as well? Or was that just wishful thinking on my part?

Either way, I’m not going to fall for it. I’ve steeled my resolve.

I stroked her back as I carried her in. “Aki-chan, listen to me. I am not going anywhere far. I will be near here. I will come for dinner and to play with you so often that you won’t even know I am not living here anymore.”

“No! I don’t want that either!” She yelled, clinging to me all the more. “I want to sleep together!”

I heard Hiro-san let out a small laugh at my expense. I was flummoxed, really. I didn’t quite know what to tell her. Seeing her cry like that, I was barely keeping myself together.

“I c-can stay over once in a while too.” I offered up. “And you can come over to my place whenever you want to see me. In fact, I will need you to help me at home. You can come and give me company and help me decide what goes where and… you know? You can come hang out any time you want. You’ll have one more house to play in.” I was desperate to get her to stop crying.

“No… One house to play is enough…” She groaned.

“Aki-chan, you will have a new place to run to and hide when Otou-san gets angry at you.” Hiro-san added.

What? Why would you tell her that?!

She pulled herself away a bit and looked at me with moist brown eyes so pained that I wanted to curse myself for being the reason for it, even though I did make me a little happy to know that I was so loved. “…Really?”

Wait. THAT worked?!

Hiro-san laughed at that. Hikaru-nii gave him a disapproving look and I could hear Kaori-nee laughing in the kitchen. I was put in quite the spot but I couldn’t refuse those earnest eyes at all. “A-Ah. You can, if you want to.” Then, on second thought, I added. “But only if you promise to make up with your parents later.”

“Mm.” She nodded, then went right back to hugging me, still crying a little. “But… Kake-jii will still come every day, play with me, eat with me and Aki can go over whenever. Okay?”

Ah… Why do you have to make it so hard, Aki-chan? “Yes.”

“Promise?” She held up a pinky finger to me, not lifting her head from my shoulder.

I intertwined our pinkies and gave her pudgy little knuckles a kiss. “It’s a promise.”

“Hiromitsu, you are the worst.” Hikaru-nii commented and sat on the couch next to his friend. “I love my daughter. Very much.”

“Aki loves Otou-san too.” Aki-chan said, sticking to me again. “Aki loves Otou-san, Kaa-chan and Kake-jii most!

“What? What about Hiro-jii?” Hiro-san pointed at himself and smiled.

“No… Hiro-jii showed Kake-jii new house…” She grumbled.

“Hey! How am I the bad guy here?” Hiro-san was genuinely horrified. “Aki-chan!” I’m not the bad guy! I’m the good guy!”

We laughed. Aki-chan refused to yield and was merciless towards Hiro-san but it worked to dispel the damp mood.

She refused to let go of me the whole evening, eventually falling asleep soon after dinner even before Hiro-san left. All that crying must have tired her out. I felt like a very cruel person all of a sudden though. To that little soul, this house and this family were her entire world. My leaving probably sounded like her world would shatter to her. It was no wonder that she was so heart-broken.

“That got you good, huh?” Hiro-san commented, standing beside me when I finally lay the sleeping girl in her bed and parted from her for the first time since I came home that evening.

“You think?” I let out a breath, stood straight and stretched my back a bit. “It’s not like I want to leave her either.”

He placed a hand on my head, which surprised me. “You’re a good guy, aren’t you?”

I gave him an interrogative glare at that. “You did this earlier too. Who are you trying to comfort?”

“You, obviously.” He shrugged. “You’ll probably cry to me about this the next time you get drunk anyway. This is in advance.”

“I am not calling you even if I’m drunk out of my senses. Geez.” I swatted his hand away. “Who do you think you are anyway, you old geezer?”

“Ah. That’s hurtful, you know?” He pretended to be wounded by my words.

“Shut up.”

“Hm. Not cute. You were so ready to apologise at everything when you were drunk.” He followed me out of the room.

“I thought I forbade you from ever bringing that up?”

“I never agreed.” He grinned. “Ah, Hikaru, Kaori-chan. I’ll be leaving. Thanks for having me as always. I don’t know what I would do without you two.”

“You’re welcome here whenever, Hiromitsu-san.” Kaori-nee smiled. She was always the most hospitable.

“Thanks. Well, then.” He messed up my hair again and proceeded to the entryway before I could offer protest.

‘You, obviously.’

… That promise earlier to Aki-chan was probably more for my own sake too.

Ugh. Pathetic. Just how dependent had I become?