“Wait... Facial structure?” an embarrassed Kisaki-san said as she suddenly raised her head and looked at Orihara-san. “Hime-chan, have you met Shigeru-san?”
“Oh... Y-Yes. But not as Momota-kun’s girlfriend! When I hurt my lower back, I went to his family’s chiropractic clinic as a regular customer.”
“I see. So Shigeru-san still doesn’t know anything about this, after all. Of course he wouldn’t. If he’d known, there’s no way he would have allowed it.”
Slightly, yet surely, her voice lowered, and she said, “Hime-chan.” Then she gave Orihara-san a serious look, and in a cold voice, she said, “Break up with Momota-kun right now.”
The shock I felt upon hearing that was surprisingly minor. In fact, there was even a part of me that had accepted it. In a way, it was the reaction I had expected. It was natural, quite natural.
The reason we’d kept our relationship hidden is because once it becomes public, people would naturally be opposed to it. I’m a fifteen-year-old high school student, and Orihara-san is a twenty-seven-year-old adult. That kind of romantic relationship between a man and a woman is discouraged in this country. That’s why we’ve continued the way we have been, running away from the reality that we would have to face one day...
“N-No! Why?” Orihara-san shouted.
“What do you mean why? You can’t be allowed to have a relationship with a minor,” Kisaki-san said firmly. Orihara-san sounded like she was about to cry.
Kisaki-san then let out a deep exhale and said, “I’m shocked too, you know? I thought my little sister had finally gotten a boyfriend and that he was a nice young man... Who would have thought that he was a high schooler? And here I was rooting for the two of you...” Her words tinged with sadness made my heart ache.
That’s right. I deceived Kisaki-san. In other words, I betrayed her. I trampled on the feelings of the person who was cheering for us as a couple.
“I-It’s certainly true...that I lied to you, Onee-chan. But that doesn’t mean that everything was a lie,” Orihara-san said in a weak voice.
“...”
“Momota-kun and I are serious about our relationship. That much is true,” Orihara-san said, her voice shaking but resolute. Kisaki-san furrowed her brow like she was troubled.
“...Even if that’s the case, it’s not something that’s socially acceptable. Even you understand that much, don’t you?”
“I-It’s not like I’m paying him money to go out with me, okay? It’s not like it’s prostitution or I’m his sugar mama. Momota-kun and I are in a serious relationship.”
“Even if you’re serious, it’s an issue legally.”
“I-I looked it up, and the law in this prefecture says that as long as no money is exchanged, it’s a proper relationship, and if the minor’s guardian gives permission, then it’s okay.”
“But you didn’t get permission from Momota-kun’s father, Shigeru-san, right?”
“Th-That’s...”
“In that case, this conversation is over. Back off before you cause any more trouble for Momota-kun—no, the Momota household.”
There was no more sound argument, and it crushed Orihara-san. Unable to say anything back, Orihara-san faced the ground. She looked like she was desperately holding back tears.
“Momota-kun,” Kisaki-san said as she shifted her gaze to me. “You understand, don’t you? Your and Hime-chan’s relationship...isn’t something that’s socially acceptable.”
“...”
“If it came to light that Hime-chan was dating a boy in high school, there’s no telling how she as an adult and a member of society would be frowned upon by the public. Without a doubt, she’ll become a target of prejudice and curiosity. It would probably affect her position at her company. And not just Hime-chan: our entire family would probably be looked down upon by society.”
“...”
“Of course, it wouldn’t just be her. I think it would negatively affect your future as well. More than anything, I don’t think that Shigeru-san would be happy about a kid like you dating a twenty-seven-year-old woman.”
“...”
“So... I want you to end it with Hime-chan. Momota-kun, you understand exactly what I’m trying to say, don’t you?” she said in a kind voice, gently persuading me. “You understand, don’t you?” She repeated her words like she was adding emphasis to the question.
She was probably doing this because she trusted me. Before she found out our secret, Kisaki-san supported our relationship and acknowledged me as her sister’s boyfriend.
It may be conceited of me, but I think she thought well of me as a man. Of course, her evaluation of me had probably been backed by my false title of “The rising star of an IT company.” Still, I think she acknowledged my character and my humanity at least a little bit. So that’s why she was pleading with me. She trusted that I understood what she was saying, and she was questioning my sense of decency and common sense.
“It’s common sense, isn’t it?” she said.
“...” I grit my teeth and strongly clenched my fists, and deep wrinkles formed on my pants.
I knew from the beginning that this is how it would end up. There’s no way that the forbidden love of a fifteen-year-old high schooler and a twenty-seven-year-old adult would be celebrated by the people around us. If our relationship were to become public knowledge, Orihara-san would be the one who suffered the consequences. From an outsider’s perspective, it would probably be viewed as a situation where an adult had seduced a child. Having a relationship with a minor is more than enough reason for an adult to lose their social standing. That’s why, more so than my family, someone from her family would be opposed to it. No one wants a criminal in their family.
What Kisaki-san is saying is correct. There’s no sounder argument than hers. Perhaps the time has finally come for us to wake up from our dream. From the beginning, our relationship was dangerous, like we were treading on thin ice. We’ve only focused on the present as we’ve dated, and we’ve diverted our gaze from the future. It’s almost as if we had both realized somewhere inside of our hearts that we’d one day break up. We’ve nurtured our forbidden love fleetingly, cherishing only the current moment.