A Very Popular Idol Classmate Has Taken a Liking to Me, A Person Who Doesn't Want to Work for My Whole Life
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.Daininki Idol na Classmate ni Natsukareta, Isshou Hatarakitakunai Ore
Src: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2496gr/113/
Act 4 - The Past of The Shidou Family
30-5
"Aww, I lost...!" (Rintaro)
"Yay! Rintaro lost!"
After lunch, we started a card game.
The three kids and I were playing Old Maid, and in the third round, I finally lost.
Well, their faces were so easy to read so I lost on purpose in this round.
At least this way, we could wrap things up nicely.
"Phew...... I lost, so let me take a break, kay." (Rintaro)
"Eh why, you sound like an uncle, Rintaro."
"Hey hey...... I want to keep going, but it seems this high schooler I can't keep up with your energy. So, sorry." (Rintaro)
"Geez, okay then." (Haruka)
With Haruka, the youngest, permitting me, I leave the card game.
The three, still energized, start playing a video game together.
I quietly let out a small sigh, unseen by them, and sit on the sofa.
It's not that I'm terribly tired, but my mind feels more exhausted than I expected.
Given what happened this morning, it's no wonder I'm feeling this drained.
"Thank you for taking the trouble, and I'm sorry for making you take care of those brats." (Kanon)
Saying that, Kanon places a cup of warm tea in front of me.
Then she sits down next to me.
"It's okay, I don't mind at all. It was actually a nice refreshment." (Rintaro)
"Really? That's good to hear." (Kanon)
"But doing this every day must be incredibly tough. I might have underestimated it a bit." (Rintaro)
I might have children of my own someday.
When that time comes, I, a stay-at-home father, will be the main person responsible for raising them.
Babies will surely require even more attention.
Even though I can handle household chores, I'm still a novice when it comes to parenting until I actually have my own children.
In that sense, I'm grateful for the experience and the preparation for the hardships ahead.
And besides――――
"Those three are really good kids... though they can be a little bit, well, quite cheeky." (Rintaro)
"Yeah, they are." (Kanon)
Kanon smiles wryly while watching the kids engrossed in the game.
Kids are best when they're a bit cheeky.
After all, being energetic is the most important thing. ......Does that make me sound old?
"By the way, your father is a real estate agent, right? Is he working today too?" (Rintaro)
"Oh, Papa? ......It seems Rei didn't explain it very well." (Kanon)
"? What do you mean?" (Rintaro)
"Technically, he owns real estate. When people say 'real estate agent,' they usually mean someone who brokers deals, connecting property owners with tenants. But my dad actually owns the properties, so he can choose who to rent to." (Kanon)
"So, your father owns that apartment building......?" (Rintaro)
"It wasn't conveyed properly until now, huh......." (Kanon)
That Rei, you made me look a bit foolish here.
"To be able to own that building... your father must be pretty successful." (Rintaro)
"Well yeah. Papa's main job is being a photographer who travels around the world. He comes back once every three months, around the change of seasons. He takes pictures of beautiful landscapes, people living in those countries...... capturing the 'colors' of different nations." (Kanon)
As she speaks, Kanon pulls a booklet from the bookshelf in the living room.
"And each time he comes back, he compiles his photos into books like this. They're quite popular." (Kanon)
"Really......" (Rintaro)
"Honestly, it's not a very stable job, so he buys properties as investments while he has money. Thus, now he owns several real estate properties."
I flip through the photo book she hands me.
I don't know much about photography.
At my part-time job, my manga artist boss, Yuzuki-sensei, has lots of similar materials for background references, but I'm usually too busy with minor tasks to even look at them.
However, this photo book has something that moves even a novice like me.
The grandeur of nature, the gentle smiles of people living in those regions.
The more I turn the pages, the more I can feel the vastness and mystery of the world through the photos.
I understand, even without expert knowledge, that these photos are different from ordinary ones.
"Wow...... I don't quite understand it, but these don't feel like just ordinary photos." (Rintaro)
"I'm used to being in photos, yet I don't really get these kinds of pictures either. Still, I really like them." (Kanon)
"......" (Rintaro)
Kanon is looking at the photo book with me.
Her face looks somewhat happy, like she's looking at a treasure.
"......What?" (Kanon)
"Ah, it's nothing......" (Rintaro)
I suppressed the question that came to my mind.
But maybe now is the right time to at least ask――――
"Hey, Kanon." (Rintaro)
"......?" (Kanon)
"Do you like your father?" (Rintaro)
"Pardon?" (Kanon)
Kanon looks confused by my question.
But she already knows the situation I'm in.
So she quickly understands what I mean and sighs in exasperation.
"It’s not that I like it or dislike him." (Kanon)
Kanon looks me straight in the eyes as she says this.
"Are the feelings like 'like' or 'dislike' necessary to be family?" (Kanon)
"Huh...?" (Rintaro)
"Family is family. Whether we 'like' or 'dislike' each other, as long as we're children, we can't change the fact that we're our parents' children. I think family ties are stronger than we imagine." (Kanon)
"......" (Rintaro)
Even though I understand that this is a good argument――――or rather, that this is just Kanon's view, I can't find room to argue with it.
Neither do I think I'm convinced with it.
I don't know enough about the concept of 'family' to be able to exchange opinions with Kanon.
That realization makes me a bit sad.
"I know you don't have good feelings towards your father, but have you really felt 'dislike' for him?" (Kanon)
"Wh-what kind of question is that......" (Rintaro)
"Do you know him well enough to hate him?" (Kanon)
"!" (Rintaro)
I'm taken aback.
What did I really know about my father?
He neglected the family, causing my mother to run away.
And now, he's trying to make me his successor to the company――――.
――――Are those really true?
Is my father really trying to make me his successor?
Has he ever even once told me to take over the company?
If I just assumed that based on his attitude and the surrounding environment...... then what on earth have I been doing all this time?
"Hey, wait! Did I say something wrong? Don't just go silent on me!" (Kanon)
"A-ah... sorry." (Rintaro)
Kanon is panicking.
She must have thought she had offended me.
I reassure her it's not the case and think about it again.
Just as my father doesn't really know me, I realized I don't know him very well either.
While I have no desire to interact with him in the future, it feels necessary to get some clarity.
Now that my actions are clearer, I can better understand the situation I'm in.
The real enemy I face isn't my father nor the company, but rather Tenguuji Yuzuka.
She's trying to use me as her fiancé to benefit her company.
And she will likely employ any means necessary to achieve that goal.
(The most probable means would be blackmail......)
By holding something over me, she could make me comply.
Although this is of course a criminal act, the Tenguuji group will not bother to create a situation that would lead to a court.
To counter them, it goes without saying that I'd need the power of the Shidou Group.
But I don't want to owe a favor to my father.
Therefore, I need to ensure they can't seize the material to blackmail me.
(My... weakness......)
I have only one potential weakness.
That is my relationship with Rei from the popular idol group Mille-feuille Stars.
At the moment, only a few people know about it, but if the Tenguuji Group decides to investigate me thoroughly, there's a high chance it will be uncovered.
Given that, what I need to do is――――.
"......Looks like you've come to a conclusion." (Kanon)
"Yeah, thanks to you, Kanon. My head's clearer now." (Rintaro)
"Hmm, if so can you be more grateful, then?" (Kanon)
"Thank you very much, Kanon. You really are a fine girl." (Rintaro)
"Wha......!?" (Kanon)
Ignoring Kanon's embarrassed reaction, I made up my mind.
No matter what happens, I won't allow anyone to use me "Shidou Rintaro" however they like.
That resolve alone is reason enough to take action.
~"(This is a Translation Content of pemudatunawisata[dot]my[dot]id. so, read only on there, kay~)"~
[End of Chapter]
Cya~!
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