Chapter 134: Two Families
When I told the hairstylist I always ask for that I wanted to cut my hair short, she was so surprised she kept checking over and over whether I was really sure about it.
Each time the scissors snipped, silver strands fell in clumps.
My hair, which had reached all the way to my waist, quickly shrank down to shoulder-length. It felt much lighter, though according to the stylist, even after cutting this much, it barely weighed a hundred grams.
After getting my hair washed, the stylist, Yuna, and I tried out a few different arrangements.
In the end, we settled on a simple style—gathered at the back and tied with a scrunchie. I liked how easy it was to do on my own, and how the little "tail" would bounce with my movements. I couldn't help but think it looked pretty cute.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt like I gave off a slightly more energetic vibe than before.
While we were still at the salon, I got a message from Mom.
She wanted to speak with Uncle Mitsuhiro alone, so I was to go to the shrine first. And after we were done at the salon, I was to eat something and head there.
We stopped by a convenience store for some bread, then made our way to the shrine.
Climbing the stairs surrounded by cherry blossoms in full bloom, we unexpectedly ran into Hisui, dressed in a shrine maiden outfit and sweeping the grounds.
When Hisui saw me, she looked surprised for a second—then complimented my hairstyle, saying it suited me.
She hadn’t had lunch yet either, so I invited her to eat with us.
The three of us sat together on the veranda of the shrine office, which also doubled as the living quarters for her and her family.
The warm spring sunlight and the blooming cherry blossoms gave the whole scene a bit of a hanami-like atmosphere.
After chatting about nothing in particular and finishing our food, Souta came over to call us.
He froze when he saw me, and even after that, his behavior felt stiff and awkward.
He was clearly conscious of me, probably more than he wanted to be. Well, given what we were about to do, I couldn’t blame him.
The guest room was a traditional Japanese-style room, with a square table set in the center. Dad and Mom sat in the far-right corner, with Uncle Mitsuhiro to the left. Yuna and I sat at the near-right, while Hisui and Souta sat at the near-left.
And with that, both the Kisaragi and the Kamishiro families were fully assembled.
Once everyone was seated, I stood up and bowed to Uncle Mitsuhiro.
"I'm sorry for keeping the truth from you all this time, Uncle Mitsuhiro!"
I knew I had my reasons, but I still owed him an apology for hiding who I really was.
"So you're Ikuto-kun, huh? …Even after hearing everything, it’s hard to believe. I mean, you’re such a cute girl now."
"I still remember the karate forms you taught me. My body doesn’t remember them like it used to, but… want me to show you?"
"No, that's alright. Instead, could you show me that magic thing you mentioned?"
True, that would probably be a much better way to prove the frankly ridiculous story I’d told them.
"Understood!"
I moved to the entrance of the room and slid open the fusuma doors so the backyard was visible.
In the center of the garden stood a single cherry tree. No one else was around.
"Alright then. Here goes."
Since I had the chance, I figured I might as well show them something with a little flair.
I constructed the magic formula in my head and activated it.
"Yuki Snow!"
The air around the cherry tree shimmered faintly, and soon after, small white crystals began to fall gently from the sky.
"So pretty…"
The out-of-season snow fluttered down around the pale pink blossoms, creating a fantastical scene. Even I, the one who cast the spell, found myself momentarily enchanted.
After letting it go for about a minute, I ended the spell.
As if drawing the curtain on a show, I slid the doors shut and turned back to everyone. I gave a small bow.
"And that’s about what it looks like."
Well, I guess it’s okay to feel a little proud of myself.
Honestly, I think that went pretty well.
"Goodness… Magic really is something else."
"It was really beautiful!"
As they praised me, I returned to my seat.
"…Alright then. Let’s talk about what comes next."
With that single line from Dad, the discussion began.
"First, Alice. You’re going to carry the soul of Alicia, still residing in your body, and give birth to her as your child. Has your decision changed?"
"No."
"Then, Hisui-chan. You want to marry Alice and support each other—that’s how you feel, right?"
"Yes."
"We want to respect your choices, fundamentally. But you two are still young. For now, you’ll remain engaged and continue living in your respective homes. If, when you both turn twenty, your feelings haven’t changed, then you can be together."
"I—I want to be with her right away! I’m the one responsible for Alice having to go through childbirth and raising a child. Please, let me stay by her side and support her!"
"As her family, we’re glad to have your support. But this was a decision Alice made for herself. You don’t need to feel responsible for that, Hisui-chan."
"But still…!"
Hisui tried to protest, but Uncle Mitsuhiro gently cut in with calm words.
"Hisui, I know how deeply you care for Ikuto-kun. I don’t intend to deny your relationship. But it’s simply too soon to make such final decisions. You're both still too young."
"But… if being students is the issue, then I’ll quit school right now and start working! I’ll support Alice myself!"
"That’s not something you should say lightly."
"I’m not saying it lightly—!"
"Listen carefully, Hisui. Being an adult means being independent, yes—but independence alone doesn’t make you an adult. Right now, you’re still a chrysalis, building the strength to enter the world. If you force yourself to break out and fly too early, your wings might get damaged… and you won’t be able to fly at all."
"But…!"
"Four years will pass in the blink of an eye. Use that time to study hard and broaden your perspective. Simply wanting to live with Alice isn’t enough. You need to think deeply—how will you support her, and what will you do to make that happen? Find your own answer."
"…Okay."
"Until then, lean on your parents. Grow up with their support. And if, after all that, you still want to be with Alice, then I’ll support you wholeheartedly."
"Okay."
Hearing that exchange, I felt a little relieved.
It made me realize Uncle Mitsuhiro was someone who could see where Hisui might falter—and step in to guide her when needed.
"Alice-san, are you okay with this as well?"
"Ah—yes. It’s fine."
…We’re still just kids.
But maybe being able to stay as kids a little longer… is actually a blessing.
"Then, the last thing we need to discuss is about Alice."
"…Me?"
"We’d like for you to graduate high school too, if possible, Alice."
"But… I have to go through pregnancy and childbirth. How would that even work…?"
"It’s true that getting the school to understand a pregnancy during the term would be difficult. So, the idea is this: before your belly starts to show, you take a leave of absence, stay in the Eastern European country listed as your birthplace, give birth there, and once things have settled down after the delivery, return to Japan and re-enroll."
"But… can something like that really be done…?"
Could I really keep attending school while being pregnant?
Would it even be possible to take care of a child and still go to school?
Everything about it felt too far outside my experience. Honestly, I couldn’t even imagine it.
"If it turns out to be too much, you can always quit. Even after the worst of childcare is behind you, you’ll still be young. Graduating high school would open up more paths for you. It’s worth thinking about, don’t you think?"
"If that’s an option…"
Since the moment I decided to give birth to Alicia, I’d already written off the idea of graduating. So just hearing that I might still have the chance was enough to make me happy.
If I actually manage to graduate, it’ll have been five years since I first enrolled as Ikuto. What a far cry from a peaceful and ordinary school life.
"Like I said yesterday, the whole family will support you through the pregnancy and childcare. Don’t worry about money or what others think. Just focus on yourself and Alicia."
"…Thank you. Really, all of you."
The people who accepted my decision—one that could easily be called selfish—and stood by me: my family, my childhood friends… I was overwhelmed with gratitude for them all. The feeling rose from deep in my chest, and I felt my eyes start to mist over.
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