--I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know.
However, I felt uncomfortable prying into other people's affairs, so I pretended not to be bothered.
They never bring up the topic in front of the Hoshimiya sisters, and even if it does come up, they avoid delving too deeply into it.
I'd like to know, but I don't need to know.
And if I found out...I was scared that I wouldn't know how to face the Hoshimiya sisters.
...No, that's not it.
Maybe I just didn't want to face it.
-Hoshimiya family.
About their family circumstances.
I had been pretending not to see it until now.
But I understand.
Ever since I first heard about their family backgrounds, I had realized that something was wrong.
After all, the topic of "parents" rarely comes up in their conversations.
The Hoshimiya sisters' guardian is their maid, Mei. They don't like to talk much about their parents.
That said, it wasn't a taboo subject. Although it wasn't frequent, the two would occasionally talk about their parents. However, even when they did, it was only a word or two, and the topic never continued.
So, all I know is that the Hoshimiya sisters' parents are working overseas.
It may not be surprising that this situation could be seen as child abandonment.
Well, it's a relief that they don't seem to have any such intentions. I feel like if I ask about their parents, they'll probably answer. As always, it feels like I'm just worrying about them.
There can't be anything so profound about it.
But I still found myself feeling scared to find out.
Naturally, the Hoshimiya family situation is not something I can do anything about. It's not something I can sympathize with.
It's not like I can maintain a good relationship with the Hoshimiya sisters even if I don't know.
The fact that they don't want to talk about it is also proof that they don't think there's any need to talk about it.
In that case, leave it as it is.
...And so, I escaped into maintaining the status quo.
I was afraid to take a step forward and just stood there.
I was spoiled by the comfort of that place.
But it seems that this was only permitted until today.
"--Sorry for calling you out of the blue. Today was the only day I had time."
The next day, I went to the library.
Suddenly, Hime contacted me and asked me to come to the Hoshimiya house. Since I had nothing else to do, I agreed, and Mei-san immediately came to pick me up in her car... As soon as I arrived at the Hoshimiya house, I was shown to a room in the back.
The Hoshimiya sisters were not in the room.
However, there was a woman of a certain age there who reminded me of the two of them.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hoshimiya Setsuko... and you?"
She is an adult woman who looks great with her long black hair.
She was wearing a loose-fitting dress, so it was hard to tell what her figure was. It was also hard to tell her age... She looked younger than her sister, but perhaps because of her calm demeanor, she also appeared older, which was strange.
Well, it's only her appearance that makes it hard to tell her age, but it's certain that she's actually older than her sister.
After all, this person is--
"Oh? Are you nervous? Ufufu... There's no need to be so on guard. I'm Hime and Hijiri's mother, so there's no need to be on guard."
--She was the mother of the Hoshimiya sisters.
It would have been better if someone else had done it, as I wouldn't have been so nervous.
If anything, being a mother of two made me even more nervous.
"Of course, I know you're Ozora Yohei. But this is the first time we've met... I'd like to hear you introduce yourself."
"...My name is Ozora Yohei. Nice to meet you...Setsu-san?"
"Ufufu. You don't need to be so formal."
She smiles.
Her expression was a little different from Hime and Kiyoshi's, it was a meaningful one that seemed to contain something... She was staring straight at me.
"Is it okay to call you stepmother?"
"--!"
With that one word, sweat suddenly began to pour out from my forehead.
I feel like this person probably understands the relationship between me and the Hoshimiya sisters.
Maybe he heard it from Mei. If so, how should he handle this?
(...That's too sudden.)
Just a moment ago, I was lazily playing games and enjoying my summer vacation.
I never thought I would encounter the biggest crisis of my life.