Chapter 14: I've Never Been Hit by My Parents

I've Never Been Hit by My Parents

On the pure white bed, Ijuin gently stroked the cheek that had been slapped.

There is no pain anymore.

In fact, it wasn't that painful.

".....Don't take on too much on your own......"

He ruminated on the words Saotome Otome had said.

Ijuin's parents were strict with their son.

Especially his father.

All he can remember was his father reading the news on an electronic device.　

When Ijuin was in elementary school, he once went to brag to his father about his test scores.

"Dad! I got 80 points in science, which I was bad at!"

"...80 points? You don't have to report anything other than 100 points."

"……yes"

No one paid any attention to it.

The test paper got all messed up because he was clutching it so tightly.

Young Ijuin did his best in his own way.

This time, he even cut down on my sleep to make an effort.

As a result, he sometimes got a fever.

"...Are you okay? Can you eat porridge?"

"...Thank you, Mom. ...what about day Dad?"

"...Dad is working in his room."

It was his mother who took care of him, and his father never even came to check on him.

His mother was also sickly and passed away when Ijuin was in junior high school.

He could no longer tolerate complaints or poor health.

There was no one in this world who could care for him.

Ijuin made this decision even though he was still a junior high school student.

Now a third-year high school student, he served as student council president while maintaining his grades.

He also attended cram school without missing a day.

However, it's going to get even more difficult from here on out.

In addition to regular school grades, the days of studying for entrance exams began.

In addition to classes, he also needed to set aside time to solve past exam questions from the university he wanted to attend.

He couldn't use that as an excuse to neglect his work in the student council.

He looked like he was going to collapse.

But if he didn't do that, his father wouldn't pay any attention to him.

He had to work hard.

He had to try harder, even harder.

His father had always ignored any negative aspects of his life, such as his poor health or pushing himself too hard.

He was treated like he didn't exist.

No one would see him for his effeminate, weak self anymore.

'It was the first time I'd met someone other than my mother.'

Someone who was so worried about him that they even carried him on their back when he was sick.

Someone who got so angry that they even hit him.

Someone who was willing to face him when he was feeling depressed, even if it meant getting emotional.

"My parents were strict, but they never used violence on me."

Ijuin's expression was somewhat ecstatic.

"You were the first person to hit me, Saotome."

Ijuin wasn't angry about being slapped on the cheek.

On the contrary, he was grateful.

He took it as a pep talk for himself.

His cowardice.

His hatred for himself.

The him that no one could see.

He felt like his true feelings, which even his parents had never paid any attention to, were finally being acknowledged.