NABC Page 66
Page 66
She paused, her tone becoming serious: "But Shoko is different from ordinary girls. Getting along with her requires immense patience and understanding, and I don't want her to..."
“Aunt Yaeko, I understand what you mean,” Yuto Itsuki interrupted her.
He looked directly into Yaeko's eyes and gestured in sign language, saying, "To me, Shoko is not an 'extraordinary' girl. She just sees the world with her eyes and speaks with her hands. There's nothing different about her."
"I cherish the bond I have with her, whether in dreams or in reality."
These words stunned the three members of the Nishinomiya family.
Shoko's eyes reddened as she looked at Itsuka Yuto with emotion.
Yuzuru opened her mouth as if to refute, but in the end she said nothing. She had never heard an able-bodied person speak such words in such an equal manner.
She felt that the boy in front of her, named Itsuka Yuto, was more sincere and more genuine than the Ishida Shoya she had met before.
Yuzuru could tell that Ishida Shoya was only feeling guilty because he had done something wrong; he didn't genuinely treat his sister as an equal from the bottom of his heart.
Moreover, no matter how sincere his apology or how humble his attitude is, Yuzuru will never forgive anyone who has bullied his sister.
Yuzuru believes that one cannot cover up past mistakes by apologizing.
She felt that this Yuto Itsuka was different from the others, and she began to believe that he would truly be good to her sister.
Seeing the sincerity in Yuto Itsuka's eyes, Yaeko lowered her guard.
"...It's best that you think that way." Yaeko lowered her head, concealing the emotion in her eyes.
The atmosphere finally eased.
……
……
[P.S.: If I had to choose my favorite female character from an anime right now, well... to be honest, it's a bit difficult...]
[C.C. votes, Yuno Gasai votes, Sora votes, Kuroneko votes, Shoko votes, Yukino votes...]
If the one about porridge counts too, then I'll give Swire another vote.
[C.C. was my goddess during my chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) period, Yuno was my wife, Sora was my younger sister, Kuroneko... well, I'm an online friend, Shoko was my childhood friend, Yukino was my club president and best friend. Perfect, none of them have the same attributes...]
Volume 1: Chapter 85: Kotori Itsuka in the Real World
"Ah!" Nishimiya Shoko suddenly stood up. "I'll go make lunch! Yuto-kun, why don't you stay for lunch?"
She seemed to want to express her joy through her actions, and quickly walked towards the kitchen.
Nishimiya Yuzuru's expression changed slightly, and she muttered under her breath, "Oh no, my sister's going to cook again..."
Looking at her reaction, Itsuka Yuto had a bad feeling.
“Um, I’ll go help too.” Yuto Itsuka also stood up. “Aunt Yaeko, Yuzuru, excuse me for a moment.”
In the kitchen, Shoko was busily preparing ingredients. When she saw Yuto Itsuka bring them over, she smiled a little shyly.
"Yuto-kun is a guest, how can I let you help me!"
“It’s faster to cook with two people.” Itsuka Yuto washed his hands and skillfully picked up a kitchen knife. “I’ll chop the vegetables.”
Shoko was astonished by the way he slicing vegetables so smoothly; she never expected that Yuto-kun could cook.
Yuzuru quietly followed them to the kitchen door, raised her camera, and captured the two of them working side by side. In the shot, her sister's profile radiated a ease and joy she had never seen before.
"Maybe this guy really is different from those people," Yuzuru muttered to himself as he put down his camera.
The lunch at the Nishimiya family's house was rather simple, but thanks to Itsuki Yuto's "rescue" efforts, it tasted pretty good.
Yaeko's opinion of Yuto Itsuka rose even higher. This boy was not only fluent in sign language and very polite, but he was also skilled in cooking.
"Itsuka-kun, your cooking is really good," Yaeko said, a rare compliment.
“I usually live alone, so I’m used to it,” Yuto Itsuka replied casually.
"Living alone?" Yaeko keenly grasped this information. "Do Itsuka-kun's parents work outside?"
Yuto Itsuka paused for a moment, then calmly replied, "They died in an accident when I was very young."
The group of people eating suddenly fell silent.
Shoko looked at everyone, puzzled, while Yuzuru dropped his nonchalant expression.
Yaeko said somewhat apologetically, "I'm sorry, Itsuka-kun, for bringing up something that hurts you."
"It's okay, it's been a long time." Itsuka Yuto smiled, indicating that he didn't care.
Looking at his nonchalant smile, Yaeko felt a pang of guilt; this child had also suffered a tragic fate…
Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Ding-dong—"
"It must be Aunt Kotori." Yuzuru put down his chopsticks and got up to open the door.
Huh? Aunt Kotori?
Could it be...
Yuto Itsuka's heart skipped a beat.
He never expected that he would encounter his simulated "mother" in the real world, and it seemed that she was still the Nishimiya family's neighbor.
The door opened, and a vibrant voice rang out.
"Hey! Yuzuru-chan! Good afternoon! I made some croquettes and brought some over for you."
"Thank you, Aunt Kotori." Yuzuru took the bento box.
"The house seems quite lively today. Are we having guests?"
As the voices spoke, a figure entered the living room.
She was a well-maintained woman who looked to be in her thirties. She had her hair styled in a gentle, wifely updo, and her pink eyes were filled with laughter. She exuded an approachable charm.
It's really her...
Yuto Itsuka was momentarily dazed as he looked at the newcomer.
Kotori Itsuka—his "mother" in the simulated world—is almost identical in appearance and temperament, except that she looks a bit more mature.
"Yaeko, and Shoko, sorry to bother you~" Kotori Itsuka greeted Yaeko Nishimiya familiarly, then noticed Yuto Itsuka on the other side of the table.
Kotori Itsuka froze the moment she saw Yuto.
Her eyes widened slowly, and the smile on her face froze, replaced by an incredulous shock and...familiarity.
Why does this boy give her such a feeling of closeness?
It seems like I've seen it somewhere.
"And this is..." Kotori Itsuka asked, pointing at Yuto Itsuka, her voice trembling slightly.
“Oh, this is Shoko’s new friend, Yuto Itsuka.” Yaeko introduced, “Itsuka-kun, this is my neighbor and friend, Kotori Itsuka. You can call her Aunt Kotori.”
"Wait, your surnames..."
Kotori Itsuka, who was standing nearby, also noticed this, and her heart suddenly raced. "Itsuka...?"
"Hello, Aunt Kotori." Yuto Itsuka stood up and greeted her politely, but his heart was far from calm.
"You also have the surname Itsukawa?" Kotori's voice was a little tense with excitement.
"Yes."
“What a coincidence…” Kotori murmured to herself as she stepped forward and carefully examined Itsuka Yuto’s face.
The charm in his eyes and brows made her feel dizzy.
"Kotori, what's wrong?" Yaeko noticed her friend's unusual behavior.
"N-nothing." Kotori took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I just feel that Itsuka-kun... no, Yuto-kun looks familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before."
Yuzuru muttered something under his breath.
Shoko couldn't hear the specific words clearly. She looked at Aunt Kotori with a blank expression, and then at Yuto.
Kotori Itsuka sat down on the sofa, but her gaze never left Yuto Itsuka.
"Yuto-kun, how old are you this year?"
"16 years old, first year of high school."
“First year of high school…” Kotori’s eyes glazed over for a moment. “If that child were still alive, he would be about to start high school now.”
"That child?" Yuto Itsuka asked curiously.
Yaeko sighed and explained, "Kotori used to have a son, but he died in an accident during middle school..."
Yuto suddenly realized, but there was a strong sense of déjà vu about this.
Kotori Itsuka, son, died unexpectedly in junior high school...
Isn't this exactly what happened in the simulated world?
In the simulation, he jumped into the river to save Shoko, was swept away by the undercurrent, and eventually drowned.
Looking back now, after he became a spirit because of the system, he stayed by Shoko's side and didn't really consider the future of his parents in the simulation.
At the time, he felt that the simulated world only existed for Shoko and him, and everyone else seemed like an NPC to him.
I feel a little guilty towards Kotori's mother over there...
“Is that so… that’s a shame,” Yuto Itsuka said softly.
Kotori Itsuka looked at Yuto, her eyes gradually reddening.
She fought back tears and said with a smile, "Let's not talk about that anymore, Yuto-kun. Auntie wants to know more about you. Can you tell me about yourself?"
Yuto Itsuka readily agreed. He got up and sat down next to Kotori, telling her about his life from childhood to adulthood, including the accidental death of his parents, and continuing until he started writing light novels in high school.
To prevent Shoko from overhearing his incomprehensible speech, he even used sign language to accompany his explanation.
The other people sat there quietly listening to him speak, occasionally interrupting to ask questions.
After hearing his story, Yuzuru had already let go of her prejudices and felt a strange sense of admiration—a guy like Yuto would definitely be fine with her by her side.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 86: Would you... be my son?
"Yuto, your parents..."
"Yes, they died in an accident a long time ago."
So you're living alone now?
"Well, I'm used to it."
"Living alone must be tough, right?" Kotori Itsuka looked at his thin figure, a strong impulse welling up in her heart.
She suddenly grabbed Itsuka Yuto's hand.
"Yuto, would you... be my son?" Kotori asked, her voice trembling with pleading.
Upon hearing this, Yaeko Nishimiya looked at her friend in shock, Yuzuru was also stunned, and only Shoko looked left and right in confusion.
Yuto Itsuka never expected that Kotori's mother in real life would be so direct.
"Kotori! What nonsense are you spouting!" Yaeko quickly interrupted, "You and Itsuka-kun have only just met!"
"I know, I know this is abrupt." Kotori's tears fell as she tightly gripped Itsuka Yuuto's hand, as if grasping at a lifeline.
“But Yaeko, you don’t understand. When I see Yuto, it’s like…like seeing Shinsuke…”
Shinsuke Itsuka, the name of her child.
"Same surname, similar age, and this inexplicable sense of closeness... I feel that this is fate bestowed upon me by heaven!"
She turned to Yuto Itsuka, took his hand, and her eyes were full of expectation. "Yuto, I know this request is unreasonable, but I really want to take care of you. Ever since your child passed away, my heart has felt empty. If you're willing, I'd like to..."
Yuto Itsuki looked at the woman in front of him, who was in tears. In the simulation, she was a gentle and supportive mother. In reality, she was a pitiful mother suffering from the pain of losing her child.
He couldn't resist those eyes.
However, it was indeed too hasty to adopt him as a godson upon first meeting.