"When will Aqua and Ruby be back?"
"They'll be back soon. School must be over by now, and neither of them said they were going anywhere else, right?"
Ai and I were sitting in the living room, watching TV and leisurely waiting for Aqua and Ruby to return.
On TV, a drama featuring Ai and me was playing, and of all scenes, it was one with the two of us.
[I don't want to be with you anymore.]
[Wh-what are you saying? We promised to be together forever....]
[I can't keep up with your pace anymore. Let's end this.]
[...No.]
[What?]
[No! No! No!... (she screams endlessly)!!!!!!!!]
[Wh-what now!?]
On TV, the scene of Ai and me arguing played out, and after I rejected her, the Ai on TV pulled a kitchen knife from her bag.
[No, you can't leave me... We have to be together always.... We said we'd stay together forever...!]
[What are you doing! Put that knife away now!?]
[If you're going to abandon me... I'll kill you right here and then myself...!]
[Wha... wait...!]
The me on TV collapsed after being struck by the knife Ai swung, and as I lay there.
[Ah... hahaha...... Ahahahaha...... Kyahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!]
[You're mine. No one can take you away....]
[We'll be together forever, you know...]
[No one can interfere with us anymore....]
With those words, the drama ended. Our appearance in this episode was the last one.
In the plot, both of us were supposed to have died, right?
"We definitely shouldn't end up like that, should we?"
"It's not like that would ever happen in the first place."
I said that and glanced at Ai, who was on my lap. Her gaze was fixed directly on me. But.
"A... Ai?"
There were no twinkling stars in Ai's eyes—only darkness so deep it could be described as an endless abyss.
Because of that, an inexplicable pressure weighed heavily on my body, and I could only stare at her blankly.
"Of course. Yume and Ai are a match made in heaven, right? We're the kind who can never be separated. So if... if...."
"If you ever leave me for another woman, it might not just be in a drama, you know?"
"Uh... yeah..."
I couldn't say a word until Aqua and Ruby returned. Why?
Obviously, because Ai on my lap was too terrifying.
"Papa~ Mama~ We're home~!!!"
"We're back."
"Ruby, Aqua, welcome back~"
"Welcome home, Ruby, Aqua."
You kids saved your father... thank you!
Hearing the children's voices, I set Ai down and rushed to the entrance as if fleeing, not seeing the amused expression on Ai's face as she watched my retreating back.
"Papa~!!"
"Ruby!"
I spread my arms and hugged the running Ruby, then lifted her up as usual. Seeing Ruby's happy face made me feel happy too.
Is this why people raise children? I think about it almost every day, but I never get tired of it.
"Aqua, aren't you going to hug me?"
Your father's embrace is wide, Aqua?
As I thought that and looked at Aqua, he made a horrified expression.
"No way. Wouldn't you rather hug Ruby?"
He said and went inside first.
I knew it, but Aqua, being a boy, really had no撒娇.
Following Aqua inside while still holding Ruby, I saw Ai in the kitchen, apparently about to start cooking... huh? Cooking?
"Ai!? Wait a minute!?"
"Huh, why, Yume?"
Rushing into the kitchen to stop Ai, who was naturally about to cook, she looked at me with eyes saying 'Why?'
I mean, you never touch cooking normally, so why suddenly?
"I'll handle the cooking, so Ai, you rest in the living room with Ruby and Aqua."
"Ehh~? I can cook perfectly fine~!"
"And when was the last time you succeeded?"
For the record, the dish Ai is best at is hard-boiled eggs.
Even that's only somewhat okay now; when she first tried making fried eggs, most of them ended up as charcoal.
So, whenever there's cooking to be done, I only ask Ai to help with setting up or making simple salads.
But since the whole family was together for the first time in a while, we decided to have nabe for dinner.
"Papa, what's for dinner today!?"
"Since the whole family is together after so long, we're having nabe. Of course, I put in lots of meat."
"Yay~!!!"
Ruby happily raised her arms at the news of nabe for dinner, Aqua didn't say much but seemed quite期待, and Ai, of course.
"Meat!!!!!!"
"Ai, keep it down!?"
She lay on the sofa, flailing her arms and legs as she shouted. Ruby and Aqua looked at her like she was some adorable creature, but I'll leave it at that.
"Ruby, go to the living room and keep Ai entertained, will you?"
"Yes! Hoshino Ruby, on the move!!!"
"Kyah~!? Ruby, you~?"
"Hehe~ I'm going to protect Mama in her embrace!"
"Sigh...."
Aqua, watching the wrestling(?) between Ai and Ruby in the living room, let out a small sigh and focused on his smartphone. The sight of the whole family together after so long looked harmonious.
"Everyone ready? Come to the kitchen slowly~"
"Yes~"
"Yeees~"
"Yes."
They're all saying 'Yes,' but what's with this overwhelming difference?
"Let's eat."
"Let's eaaat~!!!"
"Let's eat!"
"I'll enjoy the meal."
It felt like a harmonious family meal time after a long while.
"By the way, Aqua, Ruby, you didn't cause any trouble or act rudely at the senior's house, did you?"
Both of them are smart kids, so it probably didn't happen, but still.
Just in case, I asked what happened while they were with the senior.
"Hmm~ we visited Papa's company!!"
"Hmm~ I see. How was it, Ruby? Our company is pretty spacious, right?"
"Not pretty spacious—it was huge, Papa!?"
"Haha, really?"
By ordinary standards, it might be big, but we don't think it's that spacious... well, people have different perspectives, so what can you do?
"So, what else happened?"
During the meal, Ruby talked about what had been going on, making the dinner very lively.
After finishing the meal and doing the light洗碗.
"Father."
"Huh? What is it, Aqua?"
Aqua, who had been behind me the whole time while I washed dishes, cautiously approached.
"Do you have a moment?"
"Sure, Aqua. As much as you want."
I took Aqua to the balcony on the roof of the house, and after gazing at the night sky, he turned around.
"....I heard something from the senior."
"Something? What did you hear that made you call me aside to talk?"
Aqua closed his mouth for a moment, then slowly opened it to speak.
"....Helping with revenge is for the top two executives, and me and Ruby and Mother are... to keep Father human."
...........
"I see. Did the senior understand to some extent?"
Listening to Aqua, she must have said other things to him before that.
[The revenge I'm seeking is a path to destruction. The revenge Aqua seeks is just rightful revenge for family.]
Of course, it has to be different, right?
Even so, I can't give up. No, I must not give up.
Even if I'm gone, we need absolute 'safety' so no one can harm my 'family'.
That's what this revenge is for. That's what this destruction is for. That's what this...
[Death is. Kamiki Hikaru. With your death, our family can be safe.]
"Father?"
"...Oops, I got too focused."
At Aqua's call, I swallowed the thick killing intent rising in my heart.
"The senior isn't wrong. It's true that if I go on like this, my revenge might lead to destruction."
"Then!?"
"Even so."
I cut off Aqua and continued.
"Someone has to do it. It's impossible to eliminate 'evil' from this world. So at least."
[If I go beyond that, is it impossible to eliminate 'evil' in Japan?]
"Ahaha... well, you might not understand, but Aqua."
I slowly approached Aqua and hugged him.
"What this father wants is your safety and a happy future."
".......Who asked for that?"
Aqua grumbled slightly at my words, but then slowly patted my back with both arms.
"At least if we do it... we do it together. Father."
Aqua looked at me with straight eyes and spoke—yes, just like.
"Hehe... you really are Ai's son, Aqua."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"No, it's nothing. Come on, let's go inside. Want some ice cream for dessert?"
"Häagen-Dazs again, I bet."
Yes, 'now' I have 'family'. So.
[I can endure.]