My youth romance is always confusing

The sky outside the door was filled with dark clouds.

It was pitch black, blocking out everything within sight.

Perfect weather for a funeral.

It's unpleasant.

"Are you ready?"

I looked back at Mitsuki who was standing behind me without saying a word.

Today she was not wearing the new clothes that Komachi and I bought for her from the mall, but the one she brought from home.

The gray-black short-sleeved top and her calm face give her a sense of maturity that does not belong to her age.

Mitsuki nodded slightly, then bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before taking Hachiman's hand.

Her palms were a little cold, and she didn't know if it was because she was frozen last night.

I held her hand and headed to the station amidst the crowd.

----------

This time the destination is not Chonggong Residence, so the bus route needs to be slightly changed.

Dad and the others said they were waiting for us at a funeral home near the suburbs.

It takes at least three hours to get there by car from here.

At this time, there are still a lot of people on the tram.

I tried my best to protect Miyue in front of me to prevent her from being pushed by the crowd.

Especially there are a few guys over there who look particularly wretched. Hey, hey, they can’t be perverts, right?

After seeing a few greasy faces similar to the fat and big-eared ones in comics, my nerves became tense and I looked after Mitsuki more carefully.

If I let someone like that harass Mitsuki, I would never be able to forgive myself.

But maybe it's because I've been wearing my tinted glasses for too long. Those people didn't do anything from the time they got on the bus until they got off.

Maybe my nerves are too sensitive.

The tram was heading towards the suburbs, and the fewer people were left on the tram as it went further back.

Thanks to this, Miyuki and I were finally able to find a place to sit down.

But Mitsuki still seemed to have no intention of communicating with me.

It was quiet all the way.

But I can also understand her current mood. I'm afraid this period is the most difficult time for her.

"Om~"

My cell phone, which I had set to vibrate before going out, started ringing in my pocket.

Hmm? Someone is looking for me at this time?

With a hint of doubt, I took out the square smartphone from my pocket.

Form unknown

To Hachiman

【test.】

Test? Is it some new type of electronic virus?

Just as I was frantically preparing to check my phone thoroughly, another text message came in.

FromUnknown

To Hachiman

[This is Yukinoshita Yukino, please reply if you receive this. 】

What? It’s that guy.

But where did she get my email address?

Was it given by Yuigahama?

Although I didn't know what she was doing, I still saved her email address and sent her an email.

FromHachiman

To Snow

[Received, this is Hikigaya Hachiman. 】

Sent successfully.

This time, there was no more information from the other side after a long time.

Maybe it was just a simple confirmation of the email address, but I didn't expect that guy to have such leisure and elegance.

But just as I was thinking this, another text message came.

From Snow Under

To Hachiman

[You didn't come to school today, is there something wrong? ]

Huh? Why is this guy still concerned about my study life?

Oh, that should be it, the director’s attendance record of department members.

The fingers kept jumping on the screen.

FromHachiman

To Snow

[I told Mr. Hiratsuka that it was about Mitsuki-chan. I forgot to tell you that I won’t be going to the club room today.]

Just like a corporate slave finishing explaining things to his boss, the train slowly pulled up to the station.

I walked out of the station holding the silent Miyue's hand. The sky was still gray.

In this weather, it looks like it will rain.

I checked the umbrella in my bag and took her to the agreed funeral home.

After more than ten minutes, we finally arrived at our destination.

The outside of this funeral home looks overgrown with weeds, so it probably isn't doing very good business.

This makes me worried about their ability to do the job.

But my parents chose this place, probably because of the distance issue in addition to work ability.

They are both very busy people, so they will deal with it as quickly as possible.

Besides, it is not a good thing to keep Mr. Chonggong unburied.

I pushed open the iron gate at the door, and the creaking sound reminded me of the window in my hometown in the countryside that could never be closed.

That's the sound its rusty hinge made when I pushed it hard.

When I entered the yard, it was just as I expected.

There is no other customer here except us.

And even on our side, only a few people came.

Mr. Takamiya is an orphan, and most of his wife's relatives have passed away, otherwise they would not have entrusted Mitsuki to our family.

So even though it was a funeral today, the only people present were a few of Mr. Takamiya's old colleagues, his parents, and that aunt.

After all, in such a rush, his students couldn't catch up.

Rather, it might not be a good idea to force those people who hardly visited Mr. Takamiya during his illness to come over.

Hikigaya Kumozo stood outside the door, his haggard face full of sadness, a still burning cigarette between his fingertips.

When the man saw Hachiman and Mitsuki in the compound, his eyes moved and he went to meet them.

"Hachiman, you guys are here."

Sensing that Mitsuki was in a strange mood, Hikigaya Yunzo spoke to Hachiman.

I was startled by my father's sudden words.

"Ah...hmm."

I looked inside the building, but there was no sign of my mother.

I don't know where she went.

Yun San didn't know what to say to the two children. He didn't communicate much with Hachiman, and even less with Mitsuki.

He put out his cigarette with his back to the two of them, then stepped on it with the sole of his shoe.

"Where's mom? I don't think I saw her inside."

Maybe this is why my dad is standing outside alone.

"Your mother? She just went out to look for staff. It seems something is missing inside."

This question-and-answer style of interaction made Hikigaya Yunzo feel very comfortable.

He looked at Miyue, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

He pondered for a moment.

"You two go in first. Mr. Takamiya is... right inside."

Miyuki's hand suddenly trembled, and I felt it very clearly as I was holding her hand.

Sure enough, even if he didn't say it, he cared a lot in his heart.

This can be considered as a child's show of bravery.

"Then let's go in first."

I looked at Miyue who was lowering her head, then took her and walked past my father towards the somewhat empty room.

The space inside the house is very large. In the middle of the room, there is a coffin containing Mr. Takamiya's body.

His face was extremely pale, and his cheeks, which were originally a little yellow, now looked somewhat sickly, but one could tell that he looked happy when he died.

After all, dying peacefully in your sleep is much more comfortable than suffering from illness during the day.

I let go of Miyuki's hand and let her go to see her father by herself.

Miyue walked quietly to the coffin, lowered her brows, and silently looked at her father who had just advised her about family matters.

For a moment, I didn't know what expression to make.

Looking at her thin figure, I didn't know what to say.

Perhaps, only time can heal this pain.

There were still a few guests standing scattered in the hall who came to pay their respects.

One of the gray-haired old men walked up to Hachiman and whispered something.

"That little girl must be Sengoku's daughter, right?"

When a stranger suddenly spoke to me, I was a little confused and could only stammer in response.

"Oh...yeah."

Seeing this, the old man smiled disapprovingly, his slightly hunched back rising and falling as he smiled.

He looked at the little girl's back, feeling helpless and sympathetic.

"That child had such a hard life. He lost his mother at such a young age, and his father also passed away so early."

Although I don't know who the old man in front of me is, I know that since he was able to come to attend Uncle Takamiya's funeral, he must be someone I know, so it's not surprising that he knows Mitsuki's family background.

The old man stared at Mitsuki's back for a while with his eyes narrowed, then turned his head to Hachiman.

"You are the son of that boy Hikigaya Kumozo, right?"

"what?"

I didn't expect that the old man in front of me not only knew Uncle Chonggong, but also knew my dad.

I was a little surprised.

Seeing Hachiman's look, the old man had no idea what he was thinking.

He twirled his beard.

"There's no need to be so surprised. Qianshi is that boy's teacher. Did you know about this?"

"Um, Mr. Takamiya is my father's high school teacher. He told me this."

When communicating with these elderly people, I try to use more polite terms to address each other.

"Well... Actually, Sengoku is also a junior to me. They both look like brats to me."

He spoke with some emotion, and the old man seemed to recall the past years.

"Back then, Qianshi was a new teacher, and I was the principal of that high school. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Sigh."

I don’t know whether the old man was lamenting the passing of time or the fact that things and people have changed.

But those things should be no different to Mitsuki.