No matter what, Setsu seems to have affection for her daughter.
If he wasn't interested, he wouldn't be talking about them so much.
"Hime's physical age is not in line with her mental age. When I realized that, I decided to send her to school. I thought it would be easier to get along with someone of the same mental age... I knew someone at the school overseas who was doing business with her, so it was easy to get her to enroll."
"Hime... you've been skipping grades since you were little."
"He enrolled at the age of four. Fortunately, he seemed to enjoy learning, so he didn't mind going to school. Well, he didn't talk much to people, though."
I've always been curious about Hime's past.
I wanted to know what the circumstances were that led to him skipping a grade, so I found Setsuki's story very interesting.
"What were you doing at that time, Sei-san?"
"Sei was also at the same school. He came from Japan to a foreign country to take care of Hime."
"Huh...huh? Hijiri-san, did you live overseas for a while?"
Despite that, my English grades weren't very good.
Apparently, she is also a returnee, just like Hime.
"I went to a school where a lot of Japanese people went and where Japanese was spoken. So, I spent my time there speaking Japanese."
Can you read my thoughts?
He explained exactly what I was worried about. I was grateful, but it was also kind of scary. I couldn't help but feel like he was exposing all my thoughts.
"But that said, Hijiri only went to the same place as Hime at the beginning... By the time they turned five, they were in different schools. Hime skipped a grade... I think she spent a lot of time alone while she was overseas. Both my husband and I were always away from home working."
"Now that I think of it, you two don't still live in this house, do you?"
It sounds like they lived together overseas.
If that's the case, why isn't it the same in Japan?
"In the end, because of work, even though I'm in the same country, I don't get to go home very often. I often travel abroad."
"...is that so"
"Ufufu. You look like you want to say something."
Well, it's obvious.
After all, we're family... It's true that we may not spend as much time at home, but I still think it's better for us to live in the same house.
Not for Segura and her husband.
I'm sure that the presence of their parents must be very important to Hime and Kiyoshi.
That's what I think, having grown up in an ordinary life.
"Living together can have a negative impact on our children. Of course, I understand your feelings, Youhei. They're not wrong... but you don't realize that my husband and I have serious flaws as human beings."
The Hoshimiya couple are people who live in a special environment.
That's why there seem to be some aspects of it that I, who live a normal life, can't understand.
"Plus, a few years ago I was at my busiest point... I didn't have the time to be nice to my daughters. I'm immature as a person, and a failure as a parent."
"But I think they'll be happier if their parents are there."
"Yes, I know that."
After all, I do understand.
However, despite that... I chose not to live together.
There must have been a big reason for that.
"So, it's fine if you hate me. I'm sorry that I can't shower you with love, but... in return, I've decided not to restrict their future. Issues regarding the succession of the family and inheritance of assets will remain a matter that doesn't concern Hime and Hijiri."
See, I thought so.
It seems that Segetsu has something firmly decided in his mind.
"I don't want them to become twisted people like us. That's why I'm making preparations now, so don't worry... That's also why I'm a little busy. We're arguing about the company handover and the division of assets. We'll resolve that by the time they become adults, so don't worry."
To be honest... as a commoner, I don't really understand the circumstances.
However, it is something so important that Setsuki is willing to sacrifice his relationship with his daughter to achieve it.
That determination was clearly apparent.
After all, he must care about my daughter too... That's why I don't think of him as a cold person.