Chapter 72: Family Time

During the Daihaseisai, it’s customary for Tokiwadai students to stay in a hotel rather than their dormitory.

That way, they can share a room with their parents and enjoy a brief moment of family bonding. Think of it as an expanded version of those short lunch breaks when students reunite with their families—just on a bigger scale.

Naturally, we weren’t an exception either────

Chapter One: No Winds for the Cooper’s Shop – Psicopics.
Episode 61: Family Time – Families.

"Reicia!!!?!?"

Bang!! The door flew open as Father barged into the room.
…In hindsight, maybe we should have anticipated his reaction a little better.

"Father,"

"Are you alright!?"

Before Reicia could even get a word out, Father grabbed her shoulders with a sharp whap!! and leaned in close, frantically checking her over.

…Well, it makes sense when you think about it from a parent’s perspective. His own daughter had supposedly attempted suicide. That kind of worry goes far beyond something as simple as “stop pushing yourself during the festival.”

…Yeah. The fact that we completely forgot to factor in Father and Mother’s reactions? That alone means we owe them an apology here.

"F-Father, r-really, I’m fine…"

"Gilbert. This is exactly why your daughter dislikes you…"

Ah, Mother’s voice.

"…Ugh, my apologies. I lost my composure there for a moment."

Father took a sharp body blow from Mother and stepped back, regaining at least some of his calm.

…Aahhh, I’d been so caught up thinking about how to deal with the rumors and how to punish Nurikae that I completely forgot about Father and Mother. What now…? Not to mention, they already know about me. Actually—everyone in the whole world does at this point.

……………………Yeah, this is kind of nerve-wracking.

"Reicia. And… you’re Shiren, right?"

"!"

The moment he called my name, my body stiffened.
Before I could even process the emotion behind his tone, Father continued,

"Thank you!"

──And then, he hugged me.

"??? Father…?"

"It was you who scolded me earlier today, wasn’t it? You’re the one who saved Reicia. Truly, thank you!"

No, I mean, I get the logic. I get it, but… huh? This isn’t the reaction I expected at all.

I didn’t think he’d reject me outright, but the sheer enthusiasm of his acceptance? This is way too much. Honestly, I thought it’d be awkward—especially after what happened earlier today.

Never did I imagine he’d thank me by name and hug me on top of that…

"Shiren. Father is──a doting parent above all else. He doesn’t care about things like multiple personalities. As long as it’s a part of his beloved daughter, he’ll love it. That’s just who Father is."

…It wasn’t like I didn’t know there was love there. Of course I knew.

But to this extent… I never imagined.

"…Ah, where are my manners. Nice to meet you properly, Shiren. I’m Gilbert Blackguard. I’m your papa. And this is your mama, Loretta… though I suppose you already knew that."

"…Yes. Father."

"No need to be so formal. We’re family, after all. You can just call me Papa if you’d like."

"Father, Shiren is just startled because you closed the distance too suddenly. You need to match her pace a little better."

"…Hmm. I-I see… That’s… difficult…"

Ugh…! Even Reicia’s looking out for me now. And the way she phrased that—she’s totally referencing the fight she had with him earlier, isn’t she?

"Shiren. How much of your old memories do you still have…?"

Suddenly, Mother was sitting right beside me, asking that question as if it were the most natural thing. …That’s the distance of real family right there.

And Mother’s direct too! But somehow, it doesn’t feel forced or like she’s walking on eggshells. There’s no awkwardness, no “tiptoeing around a fragile child” atmosphere at all.

"Uh, um… None, really…? Not before I became conscious, at least… Reicia hasn’t told me much about the past either."
"Because there’s nothing worth telling."

"That’s not true, is it? There are plenty of things. Reicia, do you remember the night before you left for Academy City? You were so sad about being apart from Papa that you insisted on sleeping in the same bed…"

"I have no memory of such a thing! Father, I hate you!!"

"Ghhkk!?"

Ah, and down he goes, face-first onto the bed.

…Wow. Parents who visibly take that much damage just from their daughter saying “I hate you”… those really exist, huh.

"Now, now, Reicia-chan. Honestly, I’d like to hear about those things too… After all, you hardly ever talk about the past. Even the whole broken engagement—I only learned about that after your Level 5 power stabilized…"

"Well, you see… back then, I had a lot going on, and none of it was the kind of fun story worth telling."

"Ahh… I see…"

…And I really did see. Wait, no, isn’t that rude of me!?

"……I’m sorry."

The words slipped out quietly.

In the middle of the lighthearted atmosphere that had finally settled in, Father suddenly spoke those words.

"I wasn’t watching over you like I should have."

"…,"

"I only learned from the news that Reicia had thrown herself into the river. About your split personality, about becoming a Level 5 esper…"

"No, Father, we deliberately kept those things hidden, so—"

"Even so, Shiren."

I rushed to soften the blow, but Father stopped me gently, with a calm expression.

"Knowing wouldn’t necessarily mean I could’ve changed anything for the better. If I claimed otherwise, you two would probably be angry with me, wouldn’t you? I watched your match earlier today. I understand."

But then…

Father connected those words with a reversal.

"Even so, if I still want to call myself your parent, then I have to say this: I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you in your hardest moments, Reicia. …From now on, I’ll never let you go through pain alone again."

"…I’m sorry, Reicia. I’m so sorry, my Reicia…"

The two of them embraced Reicia-chan.

It felt like they were confirming her very existence just by holding her close.

…Of course. Their daughter had been exposed to the malice of the crowd, had confessed both a suicide attempt and her split personality before countless eyes. Of course, their hearts must have been in pieces.

They must have felt regret, anger, sorrow—all of it.

And perhaps, deep down, they even felt like scolding Reicia for burdening herself alone and choosing to throw her life away. Honestly, that would’ve been a normal parental reaction.

But they didn’t choose that. Instead of treating what happened as a tragedy, they chose to apologize—not for her actions, but for not being there with her. That, I think, was their truest expression of love, shaped to meet Reicia-chan’s heart as fully as possible.

…If this had been them earlier today, I don’t think they could’ve expressed that subtlety.

That it came across now was thanks to that speech during the match. In that sense, maybe I can already say, “It was worth it.”

"It’s fine. By the way, Father, I’d like a company of my own."

"You idiot!!!! Reicia-chan!!!!"

Idiot! Utter idiot!? You just ruined everything!!

"I-It was a joke… I-I’m sorry…"

Thanks to my desperate scolding, Reicia-chan stumbled and then corrected herself.

Right. There are times when you can joke, and times when you absolutely shouldn’t. This was a time for honest words. They’d just laid their raw feelings bare for her—she needed to do the same.

"Sigh… The truth is, I don’t even know how to respond to an apology like that. Back then, yes, I was hurting. But I’m not hurting anymore. If you’d apologized when I was in pain, I probably would’ve had plenty of complaints and bitterness to throw at you…"

Complaints and bitterness, huh.

I sighed a little, but Reicia-chan smiled warmly and went on.

"But now, I truly don’t feel that way. So if there’s anything I should say, it would be… ‘I’m sorry for making you worry.’"
"I’ll say it too. Father, Mother, I’m sorry for worrying you. You must have been so shocked…"

"Yes, well… Loretta even fainted for a few seconds."

…Ah. I knew it…

"But it’s fine. I understand now. Sure, we’ll always be endlessly worried about you two… but that doesn’t mean you need to shrink yourselves because of it."

"Yes. After all, you have friends who can accomplish such incredible things with you. In that case, it’s best to go out and live to the fullest… to have adventures."

"Father… Mother…"

Hearing their words, I found myself bowing my head naturally.

"Thank you. For raising Reicia-chan… for accepting me."

…The only reason I’m standing here now is because Reicia-chan’s heart stayed true.
If the person waiting at the end of all those painful burdens hadn’t been her, then maybe… I wouldn’t be here either.

So when I said earlier that "it was Father and Mother’s fault," the truth is, the flip side of that coin is that it’s also "thanks to Father and Mother."

"…Haha. Stop that. Having my own daughter thank me like this makes me a little embarrassed."

"Shiren, compared to Reicia, you’re rather more straightforward, aren’t you…"

Father turned his face away at my words, while Mother smiled softly. …Well, yeah, Reicia-chan does have a habit of not being honest.

Sensing the conversation was about to turn her way, Reicia-chan rather forcefully diverted it.

"…More importantly. Father, Mother. There’s something you seem to be forgetting, isn’t there?"

"Hm? Forgetting something? …Ah! Don’t worry, we’ve already thought of something for your Level 5 celebration!"

Ohh, a Level 5 celebration. What could it be… maybe a mansion with a garden? Nah, too much. A bit more realistic… a new game console would be nice.

"That’s not it. I’m talking about Shiren’s birthday present."

"Ah!!"

Wow, that sound came out of me before I knew it.

…Wait, my birthday present? But my birthday isn’t for a while yet… Oh, right. Not my birthday from my past life—my birthday as Reicia Blackguard’s personality.

True, with everything kept secret until now, I’ve never once celebrated a birthday in this world. Well, aside from a "welcome back" celebration.

"D-Damn it…!! That’s right, we need to throw Shiren’s birthday party! I’ll arrange it at once—"

"F-Father! Please, there’s no need to trouble yourself… this is so sudden…"

"Hmm… but still…"

"I won’t feel at ease unless we do it properly…"

See, the thing is… I’m basically just a commoner at heart. When I think of some kind of fancy rich-people party, I just feel out of place. Something modest would be enough, really. Yeah, I know, I literally just said I wanted a game console, but still.

Like, we could just grab a few shortcakes from a department store bakery, pick up some fried chicken, and eat together while having fun. That’s more than enough of a feast for me.

《But Shiren, don’t you think it’s better to get used to parties now? My birthday parties are bound to be quite grand affairs. And as a newly recognized Level 5 esper, you’ll surely be in high demand from here on.》

《…Come to think of it, Reicia-chan, when is your birthday?》

《December 24th.》

Christmas Eve!? Wow, Reicia-chan, you’ve really got the luck for this.

…No, focus! Still… she’s right. Now that I’m a Level 5, there are official duties and appearances I won’t be able to avoid. I can’t keep hiding behind being "just a commoner" forever.

"Well, if we suddenly went all-out like usual, Shiren might be overwhelmed. So I’d like to keep it a little more modest this time. We’ll invite the GMDW members too. Let’s call Kamijou, Index, Misaka, and the others."

"Yeah, yeah. I think that’s a great idea. Let’s invite lots of friends and make it a lively party."

"Then… how about sometime after the Daihaseisai ends?"

Feeling a little embarrassed, I threw in my own small request.

…A birthday party, huh. In my previous life, once I started living alone, I’d stopped having them altogether. During my years stuck in the hospital, I had maybe two, but with all the dietary restrictions, they never really felt like proper parties.

Thinking about it now, the last real birthday party I had was probably back in high school.

"…And one more thing."

That was when it happened.

The somewhat mild, unreliable gaze Father had been wearing until now sharpened in an instant.

His expression remained gentle, but his eyes were piercingly straight. I instinctively straightened my back.

"The public reveal of your Level 5 status. Be honest with me, Reicia. That wasn’t part of the plan, was it?"

"………No. It wasn’t."

The man standing before me wasn’t just my father.

He was the head of the Blackguard Conglomerate—a seasoned veteran who had survived the battlefield of the adult world.

"I’ll admit, it wasn’t the worst choice. In fact, it might’ve been the best you could do in that moment. But the fact remains that the ‘Level 5’ name recognition has come before your foundation was fully built. That means danger. Do you already have countermeasures prepared?"

"…Not really. At best, I thought of using the debt we created with Tokiwadai’s higher-ups this time to secure some backing."

"……Tokiwadai’s upper management… If I recall, that would be one of the Board of Directors. That’s a move, yes, but whether they’ll bite is another story."

Wait—seriously!? The head of Tokiwadai Middle School is a Board member!? That’s news to me… Does that mean in the novels we’ll eventually get to meet Tokiwadai’s top? Now I really want to.

"In that case, use the Blackguard connections. We have ties with a few private security firms based in Academy City. They can provide cover, at least until you and Shiren are ready to stand on your own."

"Father…"

"…Honestly, I’d rather help you in some warm, fatherly way. But right now, what you need most is this kind of support. …Good grief, I wonder who you take after."

…Yeah, I get it now.

This is his natural state. Cool-headed. A little dry, even.

That’s why, when dealing with his children, he doesn’t know how to hold back. If he stays natural, he comes off too dry. So in trying to show affection, he overcompensates, and it ends up awkward and a little off.

Ahh… yeah. That’s exactly what makes him Reicia-chan’s dad. It fits him perfectly.

"By the way, Reicia, Shiren."

Father suddenly turned the conversation toward us again.

"…That boy who came to cheer you on earlier today. Just who is—"

—And that’s where the fool of a father blundered into maiden territory without thinking… only to be thoroughly and mercilessly beaten down by his wife and daughter.

Oh, and one more thing came out of this whole exchange that totally floored me: turns out Kamijou’s dad and Father are actually friends.

Small world, huh.