Chapter 130: Hisui's Solution
When I returned to the living room, everyone turned to look at me. It seemed they had been waiting for me to come back.
It’s fine… I’m not the same as before when I hadn’t thought about anything.
I sat down in a chair and faced my family.
“So, what are you planning to do?”
Dad wasted no time asking.
“Uh… well—”
I explained to everyone the conclusion I’d come to in the bathroom. Since things could get awkward if it ended up involving someone I knew or making them a father, I’d avoid acquaintances. But I was too scared of random strangers, so I was thinking of asking Aymok or looking for someone harmless on social media.
“Someone you don’t know, huh…”
“I’ve heard from Alicia that this Aymok person is dangerous… I can’t say I agree with that idea.”
The overall reaction from my family was lukewarm. Understandably so, given the nature of the topic.
“Then, do you have anyone in mind you could ask?”
If there was someone I could ask, I honestly didn’t mind going with that. But my parents’ responses weren’t encouraging. …Well, of course. It’s not like there are plenty of people you can just go to and say, ‘Please make a baby with my daughter.’
“In any case, we need seed to bring Alicia into this world. I’m prepared to take some risks if that’s what it takes.”
Hearing me say that, my family fell into thoughtful silence.
“…Hmm, if we hired a detective beforehand to do a background check, we could lower the risk. We could probably trace their identity from their social media posts too.”
Dad was examining my idea, muttering his thoughts aloud.
“A working man with social standing, living far away. Even better if he lives alone… and, well, a lolicon.”
Dad glanced at me and added that last part.
I mean… yeah, I totally get it, but…! Couldn’t he phrase it more tactfully…? Ugh…
As I stewed in frustration over Dad’s lack of delicacy, Hisui quietly raised her hand, asking for permission to speak.
“…Hey, Alice. Can I say something?”
“Hisui? …What is it?”
“Could you let that blockhead take on this role?”
“…By ‘blockhead,’ you mean Souta?”
Why would Hisui say something like that? I couldn’t figure out her intentions.
“Yes, exactly. Wouldn’t that be better than having some stranger do it, Alice?”
“W-Well, I guess… but we can’t burden Souta with the responsibility of raising a child.”
I had just explained those reasons, so why…?
“I’ll take responsibility.”
…Huh?
“We’re technically siblings, and we’re blood-related. So if it’s Souta’s seed, I think it’s fair to say the child would practically be my daughter.”
…No, that logic doesn’t make sense at all.
“Father, Mother, could you allow us to use Souta’s seed to conceive Alicia? As Souta’s sister, I will take responsibility for Alicia.”
While I stood there frozen in shock, Hisui turned to my parents and made her case.
“I want to raise Alicia together with Alice. I’m still a student now, but if I need to show my resolve, I’m willing to quit school right away, start working, and support Alice and the baby.”
Hisui’s tone was so serious there wasn’t even room to suspect she was joking.
“I love Alice. Under the current law, I can’t marry Alice, but if same-sex marriage becomes legal in the future, I’d like to officially register our marriage.”
Eh, eeeeeeh!?
“...Um, Hisui-chan?”
“When did you two…?”
“H-Hisui-nee!?”
Our house descended into chaos at Hisui’s declaration.
“Hi-Hisui… what are you talking about…?”
“I’m reporting to your parents. You accepted my vow to support Alice for life, didn’t you? In other words, you accepted my proposal, right?”
Where was I supposed to even begin objecting to this? M-Marriage…?
“B-But, I… I like Alicia…”
“That’s fine. I also intend to love Alicia as our daughter… Oh, of course, if Alicia rejects it, I promise to end the relationship.”
Uh… um… huh…?
“W-Wait, Hisui-nee…!? When did you two get to that point!? No one told me anything!”
“That’s obvious… it just happened a moment ago.”
“Eh…? And yet you’re already talking about marriage—”
Yuna spoke, sounding clearly overwhelmed.
“How long you’ve been dating doesn’t matter when proposing marriage.”
“B-Besides, I thought Alice was always devoted to Alicia—?”
“That’s right… and Alice still loves Alicia. But I don’t mind, because I love Alice just the way she is.”
“Y-You should mind that part!? How can you talk about marriage when it’s not even mutual love…?”
“Not every marriage is based on love, you know. There are also marriages that start with the formality. Right, Alice?”
“Uh… um…?”
I couldn’t keep up with the conversation. Me and Hisui getting married…? How did it come to this…?
“W-Wait a second!”
Dad pressed a hand to his forehead, while raising the other to stop Hisui.
“...There are way too many sudden developments, I can’t keep up. Let’s sort this out. Hisui-chan, can I hear the details?”
“...Understood.”
Hisui, who had been halfway up from her seat, seemed to regain her composure and sat back down properly, pulling in her chair.
Clearing his throat once, Dad began asking Hisui questions.
“First off, do Mitsuhiro-san and Souta-kun know about this?”
“No, I haven’t talked to them yet.”
“Hisui-chan, you’re a minor, and Mitsuhiro-san is supporting you through school. Plus, there’s Souta-kun’s feelings to consider. This isn’t something that can be decided without your family’s consent, right?”
“...I’ll definitely persuade my family. Once I do, will you accept us?”
“Whether we accept it or not, it starts with confirming the intentions of the people involved—what about you, Alice? From the look of things, this seems like news to you too, right?”
Suddenly thrown into the spotlight, I stammered without thinking.
“U-Um… well… I-I don’t know. I do think of Hisui as someone important to me, but I’ve never thought about marriage… so… sorry…”
Just being pregnant and giving birth was already overwhelming enough—talk of marriage was simply too much to process. My head was such a mess it felt like it was about to explode.
“Since Alice feels that way, could we have a little time to think this over? Hisui-chan, you’ll need time to talk with your family too… it’s already late tonight. Let’s revisit this starting tomorrow.”
“…Understood. However, there’s only a limited amount of time left to save Alicia. I believe it’s best to make a decision as soon as possible so we don’t miss the chance for pregnancy.”
“…You’re right… but this is a major life decision. I don’t think it’s wise to decide something so important based on fleeting emotions.”
“This isn’t about fleeting emotions. I’ve been thinking about Alice—for several years now, for countless days. Marriage with Alice is something I’ve been considering for a long time.”
“…Why are you in such a rush? For someone as thorough as you, Hisui-chan, this seems like unusually sloppy behavior.”
“My original plan was to go through the proper steps. To deepen our relationship while raising Alicia together as Alice’s partner, gradually win over everyone involved… and then propose.”
I felt like Hisui had just casually confessed to a rather terrifying long-term strategy.
“But the idea that some pervert who doesn’t even know anything about Alice might just do whatever they want to her—it made me feel absolutely disgusted. I couldn’t stand it.”
Hisui…
“That’s why I decided to act recklessly, knowing full well it was unreasonable. If it was Souta, someone who truly understands Alice’s worth and cherishes her, then I thought… maybe, just maybe, I could barely tolerate it.”
Hisui clasped her hands tightly as she spoke.
“…Even though it’s because of me that things have ended up like this… and even though Alice, the one directly involved, is going through so much more pain… I’m sorry. I know I’m being selfish.”
“That’s not true. The fact that you couldn’t stand it shows how much you care about me, right? And… honestly, the idea of doing it with someone I don’t know at all really scares me too…”
Since it was about getting pregnant, it wouldn’t just be a one-time thing—inevitably, I’d have to play the role of a lewd girl actively begging to have it put inside.
…That part sounded way worse than just doing it.
“Besides, I’m the one who decided all this about Alicia and you. It’s thanks to you, Hisui, that I can look forward and move ahead like this. So you don’t need to feel responsible.”
Hisui gave a small shake of her head before turning to address everyone.
“Even if Alice doesn’t accept me, I still intend to stay by Alice’s side to help with childbirth and raising the child. That’s my way of taking responsibility.”
“…But wouldn’t it be painful for you, Hisui-chan, to keep loving someone who isn’t looking your way?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not the type to just pray for someone’s happiness from the shadows or think ‘as long as Alice’s happy, I don’t care what happens to me’… I fully intend to win Alice over.”
Hisui said it with a fearless smile.
“I haven’t been watching over Alice since childhood for nothing. I believe I know everything about Alice’s preferences, and I have all the time in the world.”
When someone declares something like that right in front of you, as the person involved, it’s hard to know how to even react.
“I-I see… I understand how you feel, Hisui-chan. As far as I’m concerned, if your family and Alice are both on board, I have no reason to oppose it.”
“Thank you, Father!”
“I used to talk about this with Ikuto-san, you know. That it’d make me happy if Hisui-chan became part of our family—um, I wonder… is it still alright for Hisui-chan to be our daughter-in-law now…?”
“Yes, that’s what I intend.”
“Ehh… Hisui-nee is going to be my sister-in-law? …Wait, but Alice is my little sister, so that would make her my sister-in-law from the other side? This is getting complicated…”
“I’ll be counting on you too, Yuna.”
Ugh… it feels like they’re closing in from all directions.
But… I didn’t dislike this side of Hisui.
There had been countless times where Hisui had resolved the situations we got ourselves stuck in—when Souta and I acted without thinking and Yuna stirred things up.
Usually, she’d quietly follow behind us, but she always observed everything around her, and when it came down to it, her judgment and decisiveness were unmatched by anyone. That’s the kind of girl Hisui was—someone I knew very well.
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