Chapter 166: A New Family
“I think you should do whatever you want, Alice. I’m cheering for you.”
When I explained everything that had happened today to Yuna after she got back from school, she reacted exactly the way I expected, and I felt relieved.
“I’m always on your side, Alice.”
“Thanks, Yuna.”
“But if it’s going that way, we’ll need to explain and convince everyone—my parents, Sou-nii, Hisui-nee, and Uncle too…”
We both let out a thoughtful groan.
“Sou-nii and Hisui-nee first, probably.”
“Yeah.”
To convince the adults, we need the right groundwork. Making sure the kids are all on the same page is a basic prerequisite.
I sent a message saying I wanted to talk and would come over, but both of them replied, telling me to stay home and rest—they’d come to me instead.
“It’s kind of weird being treated so delicately.”
“You better get used to it. Your body’s not just your own anymore, Alice. If you push yourself too hard, it’ll affect the babies in your belly.”
“Yeah, I’ll be careful.”
It’s something you hear all the time, but when it’s said to you, it hits differently.
While I was lying in bed, relaxing and trying to stay calm, Souta and Hisui arrived.
Even though they came together, they wouldn’t look each other in the eye—that sibling relationship of theirs hadn’t changed at all.
“So, what’s this important talk?”
“Are you okay, Alice? I mean… could it be…?”
Ah, right. Hisui can see souls—of course she’d sense it.
“Well, there’s another baby in my belly.”
I said as I gently rubbed my stomach, and Hisui winced with an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry. I had a feeling, but I couldn’t be sure, so I…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s not like knowing earlier would’ve changed anything… more importantly, I want to have these babies. And I’d really appreciate it if you two could support me.”
Then I explained the risks of giving birth to twins, how my mom was against it, and how I felt about it all.
“I see… In that case, I need to brace myself too. I’m going to be a father, after all.”
Souta said it so casually after listening to everything.
“W-Wait a second! I’m the one being selfish here—wanting to have them—so you don’t have to force yourself to become their father—!”
“But unlike Alicia, this one’s actually my kid, right? Then of course I’m going to acknowledge them.”
“Y-Yeah, but… if you do that, it might mess up your chances of getting married someday, you know?”
After discussions between our families, we had decided that if I successfully gave birth to the child carrying Alicia’s soul, only my name would be recorded as the parent in the family registry—Souta’s name would be left off. That way, having a kid wouldn’t be an obstacle for him if he wanted to date or marry someone in the future.
“Well, I’ll manage.”
Still, Souta’s attitude didn’t waver.
But I needed to be clear about this.
“Is it because you love me? I’m sorry, but I can’t return those feelings. You’re a dear friend and someone important to me, but… I just can’t think of you as a boyfriend or anything like that.”
It came out sounding a bit harsh, but I was being honest. Leaving behind vague hopes would only lead to pain. It might be fine now, but in the future, it’s Souta who’d end up regretting it.
“Hmm, that doesn’t really matter.”
“Then why are you accepting it all so easily?”
“I’m not, really. But if I didn’t become the father and the kid grew up without one, I wouldn’t be able to look them in the eye.”
“T-That’s…”
“There are all kinds of reasons for families without fathers—sometimes they’re unwanted or just not around. But that’s not the case here, right? This child was born because we wanted them. So let me take responsibility.”
“…You’re right.”
I’d been thinking only about my own convenience, but Souta was already thinking about the child. It hit me that I wasn’t being mindful enough as a parent, and it stung a little.
“…Also, lately I’ve started to realize something. Maybe what I really wanted wasn’t a girlfriend.”
“…?”
“I want to be family with you. A relationship where we can still hang out and act like idiots together, just like always.”
“…Family? I’ve always thought of you as a precious childhood friend, like family already…”
Then what exactly would be different? I couldn’t quite grasp what Souta was trying to say.
“We’re best friends. That didn’t change even when your gender did, and I was honestly happy about that. But if one of us got a girlfriend or boyfriend, things wouldn’t stay the same, would they?”
“…You think so?”
“They wouldn’t. At least, I wouldn’t like it if my girlfriend kept going over to hang out alone at a guy friend’s house—even if they were childhood friends.”
“…Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“So I thought, maybe the best way to keep things the same would be to just date you.”
“Uh… didn’t that feel weird to you? I mean, inside, I’m still me, you know?”
“I was totally into you before I even knew who you really were, and even after I found out, I was surprised at how naturally I accepted it. Just so we’re clear though—I never saw you that way when you were still a guy, not even a little. So don’t get the wrong idea there.”
“R-Right…”
For Souta, liking me as a guy and liking me now as a girl were two completely different things.
From my point of view, it didn’t feel all that different.
“That’s why… once the kids are born, I’ll be their dad and you’ll be their mom. That way, we’ll be a family. And if we’re a family, then we can stay together just like always.”
“Family, huh. Yeah…”
Honestly, I didn’t think it was a bad idea.
The idea of keeping our relationship as-is was tempting. I felt the same anxiety that Souta was expressing.
And then—
“No, you can’t!!”
Hisui suddenly shouted.
“No way, that’s not fair! Being family!? Souta, you’re always hogging everything!”
“…Hisui.”
It was rare to see Hisui lose her composure like this.
“Souta always keeps Ikuto all to himself… He’s always been like that. I wanted to play with Ikuto too! I became his girlfriend because I thought this time we could finally be together forever—!!”
The four of us had been playing together since we were little. But after we started grade school, I ended up hanging out more with the other boys, including Souta, and Hisui and Yuna had often complained about it.
This outburst seemed like the result of all that resentment bubbling over.
“Then how about this—why don’t you become family too? That’s way better than being a forced girlfriend.”
“What!?”
The anger in Hisui’s voice was enough to make anyone flinch—but Souta didn’t show a hint of hesitation.
“Alice is in love with Alicia. No matter how much you push for something else, that’s not going to make her your real girlfriend. You know that too, don’t you?”
“That’s not true! Maybe not now, but someday—”
“If you keep forcing something unnatural like this, it’ll only cause more awkwardness and push you two farther apart. I want to support Alice in any way I can. That’s why I want to become her family.”
“B-But… I don’t have anything. Unlike you, I don’t have any connection through a child or anything…”
“You said it yourself before—my kid is like your kid too, since you’re my twin sister.”
“But that’s just…”
“Then let’s have two moms. I’ll be the dad, and you and Alice can both be the moms. Why don’t we be a family like that?”
“…Alice, what do you think?”
“If I can be family with both of you, I’d be happy.”
That was, in a way, a gentle refusal to continue being in a romantic relationship.
It wasn’t that I hated being Hisui’s girlfriend. But I felt bad that I couldn’t return her feelings properly. I was sorry, but I still loved Alicia…
There was a moment of silence.
“…Okay.”
Eventually, Hisui answered in her usual calm tone.
I’d lost count of how many times I’d had to turn down Hisui’s feelings. And this kind of thing… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
“Yes, yes, yes! Then I’ll become family too! I don’t want to be left out!”
It was Yuna’s cheerful voice that broke the heavy atmosphere.
“…Yuna, you’ve always been part of the family.”
“We’re talking about making a new family together, right? Then I want in! I’ll be a mom to Alice’s babies too!”
…She probably just doesn’t want to be called “Auntie.”
“I’m fine with it.”
The other two didn’t seem to object either, and just like that, the four of us—plus the babies yet to be born—became a new family.
That said, we were all still living in our own homes, and on the surface, not much was going to change. At least until we graduated high school, we’d keep things as they were. After that, we’d figure it out as we went.
“Then let’s have a ceremony of vows!”
Yuna suddenly suggested it. Like some kind of club send-off ritual, we formed a circle and stacked our right hands on top of each other.
“All right, Alice. You give the oath!”
“Eh!? M-Me…!?”
Totally putting me on the spot. Um…
“We will become a family. Even if the paths we take from here on out go in different directions, that won’t change the fact that we are family.”
I put my wish into those words.
“For a while, I think I’ll be the one always being helped… but I hope one day I can return the favor.”
“We’re family. You don’t have to keep score.”
“Exactly.”
My eyes started to sting.
“…Thank you, everyone. And… please watch over the babies, too. As family, as parents—I’d be grateful if you could support them.”
I looked around at the three of them. All of them had such gentle eyes on me, it made me feel warm and ticklish inside.
“Then—here’s to all of us, from now on!”
I pressed my hand down, and we all threw them up together.
“Let’s do this—!”
“Yeah!”
“You got it.”
After that, we went together to tell Mom.
She accepted it more easily than I expected, saying, “If that’s what you’ve all decided,” and gave her approval to me having the twins.
Later, we also got the agreement of Dad and Uncle. And just like that, we became a family.
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