The first turning point was when my parents passed away.
You could say that my life full of trials and tribulations started just then.
From that time, I lived with the person who could count as my only relative, my sister, living a life of destitution.
…… No, that might be too much.
My sister, Yuri, who raised me, was a very reliable person. Though we had to live a rather frugal life, she never let me feel any obvious pressure in finance.
And because of Nee-san’s efforts, I could still have a personality that was said as optimistic by my friends, even with my upbringing.
The second turning point in my life was probably when I chose to live alone after Nee-san married.
To me, who did not undergo too much hardships because of Nee-san’s protections, that might have been the first time that I had to directly face the ferocious waves of the society.
And I could only tide over all these difficulties with my newly acquainted friends and senpais.
The third turning point—
Was a significant incident that had the most impact on my life full of trials and tribulations.
In a certain day of summer, I became the father of three girls.
Three months after that—
”You can’t open it!”
Early in the morning, the voice of a girl rang in the peaceful residential streets in a corner of Ikebukuro.
As most of the residents here seemed to have lived here long ago, and coupled with the fact that most of them were rather wealthy, it was unexpectedly peaceful here even though the residential district was near the famous Ikebukuro downtown, and the public security was fine as well.
It is now dawn, and the neighbors could probably hear the piteous cry quite clearly.
The person who noticed me walking out of the room and gave out an ultrasonic scream is the eldest daughter of the Takanashi family, Sora-chan. It’s rather unbelievable that she has such an amazingly loud voice though her body is so slender.
Though it was still at the crack of dawn, Sora-chan’s brownish hair that reached her shoulders were already neatly combed, the ribbons that could almost be said as Sora-chan’s trademark were already tied on her silky hair.
Though the middle school girl that would be deemed cute in the eyes of eight or nine people out of ten isn’t related to me in blood, she is a person that could count as my ‘niece’.
And I am her guardian at the same time. However……
”Sora-chan…… What……?”
Even though the ringing in my ears did not fade yet, I still tried to inquire.
”Onii-chan! You can’t open that door!”
”Eh……? Err, but…… Isn’t it more like the door that can’t be opened in the first place?”
I looked at the door before my eyes.
I had no intention of opening the door, it’s just that the door came into my view when I walked near it, so I naturally took a closer look. Even so…… When we moved in from Hachiouji, the door was deemed the ‘door can’t be opened’, even though it was actually Nee-san’s room. Sora-chan probably took the clothes from that room when she borrowed Nee-san’s clothes before this as well.
And because of that, it made me curious of what the room contains……
”T- That’s right! Because we lost the key!”
”That’s why I asked if we should get a locksmith before this.”
”I- It’s okay! You don’t need to go to such troubles! There isn't much that can be used in the room anyways!”
Sora-chan said while forcefully pulling on my arm, trying to drag me away from the room.
Hmm…… This is just too suspicious. With such a heated response, it would make people think that something is inside instead…… Oh?
”…… Hmm……”
”What is it? Why are you making that strange noise?”
Sora-chan raised her head, looking at me in displeasure, but actually I already got used to her stern expression no.
Also, though Sora-chan is much cuter when she is smiling when compared to now, she is still a bishoujo even when she is frowning.
She tugged forcefully on my arm being at an extremely short distance from me.
And naturally, my arm felt like it was tightly hugged in Sora-chan’s arms, her small but growing breasts sticking close to me, while of course I couldn’t tell that to Sora-chan. If I spoke out, I would definitely be scolded as a pervert.
With my stand as ‘Papa’, the happy but troubling feeling really made me have complicated emotions.
As a guardian, it would really give me a headache if Sora-chan becomes even prettier in the future…… I couldn’t help but think that in my heart.
At the same time that I was thinking about all these in my mind, the ‘door that can’t be opened’ already slipped from my mind.
I walked to the kitchen from the living room and opened the fridge. After taking out the PET bottle of a beverage, I took a sip, enjoying the refreshing morning that I exchanged with the life of waking early that doesn’t fit the life of a college student at all.
”Phew— That’s nice.”
”Ah! I bought that, planning to drink it!”
But just at the next instant, I heard Sora-chan’s second scream of the day. Her voice was startling, as usual.
Sora-chan’s gaze fell on the bottle in my hands.
Whoops, it seems that I haven’t changed the habits from the days when I lived alone.
”Err…… Sorry. But I just had a sip……”
I extended my hand, planning to hand Sora-chan the open bottle, but she walked backwards with a greatly shaken expression on her face for some reason. Sora-chan’s gaze shifted from the bottle to my face for a few times. And then, her face turned completely red like a kettle.
”H- How can I ever drink this! Onii-chan, you huge idiot!”
”Huge idiot……”
You really don’t need to say that.
”Oji-san, you’re really lacking in tact.”
The person who said that is the second daughter in the Takanashi family— Miu-chan.
With a bottle of mineral water in her hands, she sat on the sofa, watching a morning talk show.
Her blonde hair inherited from her mother was tied into pretty twin tails, presenting a dazzling lustre as usual.
The idol-leveled bishoujo that ten people out of ten would doubt that we’re related in blood, is actually my niece that isn’t related to me in blood in reality as well.
”Miu, are you still drinking that?”
”Oji-san, do you want to try it? I bought a whole box.”
Though I couldn’t comprehend why she specially bought plain water, but according to Miu-chan, drinking a cup of mineral water each morning seems to be the secret behind her beautiful skin.
Well, since Miu-chan bought it with her own pocket money, I don’t have anything to say.
”Oi-tan! Hina too, Hina too!”
A young girl sat by the dining table before me, repeatedly shaking her chair self-importantly. The part of her hair tied into a ponytail swaying with her body looks unbearably cute.
”Hina, do you want milk? There’s orange juice as well.”
”Uuu~ Hmm~ …… Milk!”
Hina raised her hand, saying loudly.
I would ask Hina the same question every day, while she would ponder in the same manner everyday, but the final answer would always be: “Milk!”
Though about five out of ten people would believe that she is my niece, people who knew her mother would definitely say ‘She looks just like her mother’
Takanashi Hina, the only daughter that my sister Yuri left, is the only niece that I am related to in blood.
After the little princess in our family took the glass filled with milk, she hurriedly drank it all in big gulps. Just seeing her frantic expression would make a smile surface naturally on one’s face.
The three year old was always so serious no matter what she does, she’s so cute.
”Miu, stop watching the television and come here. We’re having breakfast now.”
”’Kay~”
Miu-chan switched off the television, and sat by the dining table along with her sister.
”Itadakimasu.”
After I finished saying that, the three sisters said at the same time: “Itadakimasu.”
During breakfast, we always try to have it together, and wouldn’t forget to say ‘Itadakimasu’ and ‘Gochisousama’.
It’s a routine matter that we do every morning.
Apart from that, the job of preparing breakfast is done in turns.
By the way, it’s my turn today.
”Really, you cooked it for far too long.”
Sora-chan said while taking a piece of bacon.
”Eh…… Really? I think it’s tastier when it’s crispier like this……”
”I think it’s better when they’re softer as well.”
Miu-chan complained after her elder sister finished speaking.
”So hard~”
Right after that, even Hina said that. Hina who was trying to chew on her bacon fell into a bitter struggle.
”…… I’ll take note next time.”
At these times, I have no other alternative but to apologize.
”Ah, that’s right, Onii-chan, you forgot to take out the rubbish last week?”
”Eh……? I did.”
Even if nobody reminded me about this, I remember that today is the day when they collect flammable rubbish. Though the weather is rather cool nowadays as it’s late fall right now, letting the rubbish like food waste and the likes pile up at home is an unwise action for anyone. Just last week, Sora-chan did not forget to order me directly: “Remember to take out the trash.”
”I’m telling you that you’re doing it wrong.”
”Eh!? How so!?”
”You must take it out before eight in the morning, and you must tie up the garbage bag properly, and you must cover it with a net as well. The Onee-san who lives opposite to us complained about this to me after helping us do it. It’s really embarrassing for me.”
That was Sora-chan’s explanation. That’s quite embarrassing, indeed.
It seems that even taking out the trash follows strict rules at a district near the center of the city.
”Please remember today. If you do it too badly, the neighbors would complain to us.”
”…… I’ll take care.”
And this time, I have no other choice but to apologize as well.
”Oji-san, you seem to be apologizing quite often.”
”Oi-tan, were you a bad boy?”
”Yeah, Onii-chan is so clumsy.”
”Oi-tan is cwumsy~”
The cute three year old toddler said happily while clapping her hands.
Hina’s smile made me feel relieved.
From the time when the plane that Nee-san and Shingo-san was on went missing, less than half a year passed. The life of living together that we started from that time is gradually stabilizing.
Ever since we moved out from the rented room from Hachiouji, we lived together in this building for about a month now. As you can see, though I’m guardian with little say in anything, seeing that Hina is able to smile naturally again, that made me smile in relief as well.
”I’m off~”
Miu-chan energetically said that and walked to the other side of the alley.
No matter how you look at it, the bag of a primary schooler doesn’t match her mature demeanor.
”Sora-chan, be careful on the road as well.”
”…… Hmph!”
As for Sora-chan, she gave a humph in displeasure, and left rather quickly.
Sigh…… It’s all because of me making her angry early in the morning. I must remind myself to take care tomorrow.
”Nee-tan, bye bye~”
Hina said while waving her hands repeatedly, while Sora-chan turned around and waved at Hina with a gentle expression on her face.
Why are especially stern towards me, Sora-chan? Is it because I’m too unreliable!?
However, I didn’t have the time to reproach myself, as I had another task to complete. I must send Hina to the kindergarten.
”Well…... Let’s go.”
”’Kay!”
At the moment when I held Hina’s hand and was about to move—
”Hmm……?”
It was an inexplicable feeling.
Though it’s physically unreasonable, however…… I indeed felt someone’s gaze.
”Oi-tan, what’s wrong?”
”Ah…… No, nothing. Okay, let’s go.”
It must be my imagination. After telling that to myself, we set out.
When I think about it, my attitude of lacking awareness might have been the start of all those troubles.
Even so, it was already hard for me to take care of my duties of being a college student and the father of the three sisters, so I didn’t have any energy remaining for me to perceive this truth.
The girl looking outside from the curtains looked very troubled.
The house that was still full of laughter during early spring changed after a certain day.
The doors were tightly locked, and not even a shred of laughter could be heard.
After asking around, she found that some relatives of theirs had an accident.
Though she wasn’t a neighbor that was too close with them, thinking that she couldn’t see the happy family anymore, an indescribable sorrow welled up in her heart.
However, some time before this, laughter returned there once more.
It seems like the news of the accident might have been her own misunderstanding, and they probably just went for a long vacation.
When she thought about that, she finally stopped worrying.
However……
The person living together with the three sisters right now is neither the gentle father nor the cheery young mother.
It was a man, a young man that gave her a frivolous and unreliable feeling.
”Strange…… This is just too strange……”
The girl muttered to herself in the room that was dark because of the closed curtains.
Though she wasn’t sure of the suspicious man’s identity, she was certain that the three sisters must have been lied to.
The proof is, piteous cries could be heard from there almost every morning.
”It happened two times today, two screams in a row…… There must be something wrong.”
And it was a scream that spread through the whole town.
What kind of abusive treatment was the three sisters put through?
Abuse of children? No, it should be more terrible…… That’s right, the teachers in school once taught that ‘When you see men, you must treat them all as wild wolves’, it’s that kind of horrible…… Dirty…… Thinking about that, the girl hurriedly flung out the delusions in her mind.
”Things might not be so, but……”
She might be the only person who noticed the dangers surrounding those girls.
Though she is only a high school student, even so—
I must find out about the truth, protecting the innocent beauties from the wolves’ claws.
At that moment, the heart of the young girl who swore to herself in her heart was like the female lead in the TV drama that she watched yesterday, full of courage.
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