Epilogue
"I'm back—!"
Hina shouted the very instant she stepped through the door.
Hina's bright voice that felt as though it was a long time since we last heard it, it was filled with vigor, and was like a lit light, filling the spacious house with dazzling energy in a flash.
We arrived at the house Nee-chan and Shingo-san left us. From today on, the four of us are going to start our new lives right here.
A few days after Parents' Day, Oba-san visited me with Shingo-san's brother this time.
As I thought they were going to discuss the matter about the three sisters with me, I faced them with an uncompromising resolve.
However, I couldn't believe the first words that Oba-san said.
"Here are the documents and the keys, they're owned by Sora-chan as the eldest daughter in name."
"Eh……?"
"Having four people live in this small flat causes a lot of trouble, does it not? And besides, the children will grow up as well, so more complicated problems would arise. Sleeping together with you as a man is inappropriate for their education as well."
"Err…… Oba-san, I'm not really clear about the situation right now……"
After hearing me say that, Oba-san sighed forcefully.
"You have to move into their house. I handled all the procedures and the like."
"Eh—!?"
Shingo-san's brother continued after nodding:
"I can give in a hundred steps and let you take care of the children, but I cannot tolerate you sleeping together in a room! Shingo would have the same thoughts as well!"
After he said that, he fished out a portable shoehorn, looking at me as though he was holding a dagger.
…… This guy is truly Shingo-san's relative.
However, it was a completely unexpected suggestion.
"Moving would mean…… Asking me to move into the house that Nee-san lived in?"
Oba-san nodded silently after sipping a mouthful of tea.
Actually, Oba-san did a lot of negotiation with the Takanashi family for us during the time that the three sisters stayed here. The life insurance that Nee-san and Shingo-san left the three sisters, the accident insurance, and the compensation for the family of the people involved in the accident and so on, all of those procedures were handled by Oba-san.
Those were the best solutions for whoever accepted the responsibility of taking in the three sisters.
Though I didn't know it before this, I found out that Oba-san seemed to have once been an experienced staff of an insurance company.
Though there seemed to have been some problems, Oba-san unknowingly finished most of the procedures before the Takanashi family changed their minds about the safeguards and how much money to give the three sisters from their inheritance.
"When you reach twenty, you can officially become the guardian of the children by law, but at this stage, your official guardian is me; while the official guardian of the three sisters is Nobuyoshi-san."
"That's how things are. This means that as long as I am willing to, I can bring Sora-chan and the others away at any time."
So this person who looks like a civil service worker is called Nobuyoshi-san?
"However, in the family meeting, everyone wishes for the three sisters to live together. And because of this, though I am not willing to, I will give consent that you can live together with them as their guardian. But you have to stay in the house the children grew up in."
Which means, that house officially became the three sisters' home.
To be honest, I, who thought that Oba-san was just a stubborn and fussy old dame, must reflect on myself.
I think that it's probably because these people sincerely planned this for me, that their words were so stern.
Actually, I think that it's a great suggestion. Just like that, I only need to use more time to go to school, and I don't need to pay the house rent as well.
"However, I will check on your living conditions each month. If there are any problems, I will arrange another place to take in the children."
"That's right, if you let the children have a miserable life, we will take over mercilessly."
…… They're really quite stern.
After telling me some necessary matters, Oba-san drank the leftover tea in her cup, and prepared to leave.
"Ah, erm…… Thank you very much!"
I lowered my head and expressed my greatest gratitude to Oba-san who was standing at the entrance.
"Before this…… When your parents passed away…… It should have been me who had to take care of Yuri-san and you."
After hesitating for a moment, Oba-san said that.
"But that time, my husband just passed away as well…… To be frank, I had no leftover energy to take care of you two. Yuri-san probably realized this, so she told me: 'I'll take care of my brother!'."
"Nee-san, she……?"
I never knew about that. Oba-san originally wanted to take us in……
"Yuri-san never shed even one tear in front of the others, and kept trying and trying…… Just like that, she sent you to college…… Your sister is an admirable person. Why would a person like that encounter such an accident…… She even gave birth to a child, and should be able to enjoy happiness."
Oba-san did not cry. However, her gaze was full of sorrow.
"By the way, the two of you are really similar to each other."
Oba-san showed a rare smile, and finally said: "Good luck to you.", and left.
"…… My younger brother as well. He should have been able to attain happiness after truly marrying a good wife."
It was only at that moment that Shingo-san's brother shed some tears in front of me.
"That's right. We handled all the matters about the law. Though it's just an empty coffin…… If you're free, try to find some time to visit the grave."
After he said that, he handed me a map that marked the location of the grave, then left the house.
That night, I had a dream.
In the depths of Africa, at a remote area with some distance from the place where the plane crashed, Nee-san and Shingo-san chatted happily. They were together with the natives, and were dancing together while wearing what looked like straw dresses.
After they jumped with a parachute, it seemed like they were taken in by natives who did not have any contact with the modern world.
Compared to the timid Shingo-san, Nee-san became the focus of the crowd very quickly.
It seemed that that they were living quite well there.
When Shingo-san worried for the three sisters, Nee-san would kiss him, telling him to relax.
Of course, being worried about the daughters is a good thing, but……
Because Yuuta is there, there wouldn't be any problem.
I saw Nee-san smiling while saying that.
I opened my eyes, and I couldn't help but smile.
I feel that the scene in the dream might really have happened.
I picked up the map with the grave marked on it and threw it into the rubbish bin after scrunching it into a ball.
Nobody is lying in there anyway.
To me, Nee-san is my only relative, and is also an existence that is more important than anyone.
And that was also the reason that I was envious like a child for a while after Nee-san married.
But when my important Nee-san passed away, not only did I not give up on myself, I almost never cried. Most of that was because Sora-chan, Miu-chan and Hina were by my side; because there were people that I wanted to protect, so that's how I struggled through the toughest times.
If things weren't so, I might have left college ages ago.
In the end, I originally had the determination to protect the children, but they became an important spiritual pillar to me instead.
Because of that, I have to be the one to protect them this time.
I promised myself strongly in my heart.
After a few days, we moved in immediately.
As we didn't even have much luggage, moving was completed in a flash. Next we probably had to decide which room I was going to sleep in.
But about this point, it's probably better to just go with the flow. This is already our home, after all.
And for some reason, I even felt that I went back to the place that I should stay at.
"Oi-tan, where's Hina's doll?"
"Eh? Oh, I recall that it should be in the box over there…… Errr, wait a sec."
"Mnn?"
"Didn't I tell you not to call me Oi-tan, but Papa?"
"Eh~ I don't wanna~"
Don't want to…… That's quite hurtful.
"Oi-tan is Oi-tan."
"Why…… We weren't like that on Parents' Day…… Didn't we ascertain our family ties or something like that?"
"So Oji-san is actually more hot-blooded than we thought."
"Even Miu-chan…… Err, what are you doing?"
Miu-chan was writing out something on the table seriously.
"This? These are the rules that Oji-san has to follow while living with us."
"Let me see…… 'The washroom can only be used an hour after the girls finish using it', why is it still this!?"
"There's actually a lot more. For example: 'Stay two meters away from the washroom when the girls are using the bathroom.'."
"What is this!? And even the toilet is in the range if things are like that! What do I do during that time!"
"Please endure, or you can go to a nearby convenience store."
That's so hurtful.
At the instant I felt downcast because of uneasiness for the future, I saw Sora-chan drawing out a line with duct tape on the corridors.
"Though I have a bad feeling about this, I still have to ask. What is this used for?"
"Phew…… Onii-chan, you can't cross the line without permission."
"Ugh! It's really true!"
What is this! Isn't this the same as the time we started!
"You girls! Get rid of the strange rules and the boundary line at the corridors! After clearing them away, gather over here! I have something important to announce!"
"Onee-chan, isn't it better to draw it clearer there?"
"Ah, that's right as well."
"Hina is hungry."
They completely ignored my words.
"Ugh…... You girls……"
At these times, I must say things clearly from the start.
As the oldest person here, as the head of the family, and the most important part, as the three sisters' Papa—
"Girls, listen to your Papa!"
"…… What Papa."
Sora looked at the agitated Yuuta who looked rather happy.
"The future is really full of hardships, Onee-chan."
Miu's mischievous expression made Sora feel somewhat displeased. Sora recalled the time she first met her Onii-chan a few years ago.
That time, Onii-chan appeared before her in a situation Sora didn't know what to do as well.
And it might just be because Yuri-san is Onii-chan's sister that Sora liked her so much.
"Ah~ It seems that Oji-san is going to become my first love as well. Hina as well, right?"
"Ugh, ehhh—!?"
Seeing her sister's shocked expression, Miu laughed happily.
"Onee-chan is so gullible~ Hahaha!"
"Miu! Don't tease Onee-chan!"
Even though she pretended to be angry, Sora was quite clear about her flushed expression.
Just at that moment, the electric doorbell rang at the entrance.
It was probably the three from the Road Observation Research Society who said that they wanted to help.
…… Raika-san probably came as well; I feel a bit inferior when facing her, she thought in her heart.
Even so, Yuuta who completely doesn't understand the heart of a girl shouted once again:
"Girls, listen to Papa!"
Sora couldn't help but snap at that moment:
"I definitely won't call you Papa!"
Yuuta…… Calling him that might be quite nice……
However, Yuuta who was completely oblivious of Sora's thoughts and could only feel the dejection from the sidelines—
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