Naruhito (22)
Sister, I don’t know that word, but Nijou Mihane seems to be a person’s name. Is she sad because that person died? Why is she sad? Everyone dies eventually.
When is it sad when someone dies?
“Is Nijou Mihane someone you like?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
“Are you sad?”
“I am not.”
“Why are you crying?”
Otoha lifted her body a little away from me, but her hand remained on my shoulder.
“Why… If I died, Mihane might have been saved… because I cherished my life, Mihane died. It’s like murder.”
If it’s not someone you love, then there’s no need to sacrifice your own life, right?
The vows of marriage are not to die easily and not to give up on living, aren’t they?
The promise with the person you love the most, Hitachimaru, is more important.
I removed Otoha’s left hand from my shoulder, showing her the wedding ring on her hand.
“Live together for a long time.”
Otoha blinked.
“You made a promise with Hitachimaru. It’s not good to die.”
Otoha stared at ourher wedding ring.
“Did you make a promise like that with Master Hiiro, Naru?”
I nodded.
“Live together for a long time? Not good to die?”
“Don’t give up on living. It’s a vow of marriage.”
Otoha, with widened eyes, smiled after thinking for a moment.
“Have I kept my promise?”
Yes.
“My family calls me a murderer. They say my sister died because of me.”
“Did your sister die because of you?”
“Illness.”
“…?”
“If I had offered something from my body for treatment, she might have survived. I gave it twice. The third time, I was told I would die.”
“No way, then.”
“… Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
I looked at Otoha who muttered, “I see.”
If it’s not good to die, there’s no way she can give it. What are those family members talking about?
“What is a family?”
Though her eyes were moist, Otoha looked at me with eyes that had completely stopped shedding tears.
“People connected by blood.”
“If you are not connected by blood, are you not a family?”
So, am I without a family? What does blood connection mean, anyway?
Otoha shook her head.
“Spouses are also family. Even if there is no blood connection, people who live together and love each other are family.”
“Spouses?”
“A married couple.”
“Are Hiiro and I a family?”
“Yes.”
People who live together and love each other.
“Is Otoha also family? And Gramps, too?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
Otoha clapped her hands.
“Hitachimaru, Doctor Ikumatsu, Yoshino, Murakano, Hirosue, Saisan, all of them.”
We looked at each other and laughed.
“A family.”