Stealing Spree

“Yeah, you do that. Focus on your goal and… let me deal with the problem on my end.”

Miwa-nee said in a low voice. Since I couldn’t really see her full expression, I could only assume what kind of face she’s making right now.

Most likely, she’s forcing a smile again. There were always times she’s doing this but whenever I would ask her, she would just brush it off as something important.

And because of the issues piled up in front of me, I couldn’t truly focus on her problem.

“There you go again, Miwa-nee.”

Although I said this, I was actually somewhat reprimanding myself, why couldn’t I become more reliable at this time. This time when Miwa-nee and most of my girls needed my help. All I could do at the moment was use my tongue or my strength to solve problems.

True, most of them truly needed that kind of solution but that Nobuo and this current husband of Miwa-nee, my glib tongue or my somewhat excellent physical prowess wouldn’t be able to solve the problem at its roots.

During these times, I could feel my uselessness. Despite my grand ambition of living with all of them, I had no solution for these problems at the moment.

“I’m serious, Ruki. It’s something that I have to do myself. It’s almost a month since we arrived here. To tell you the truth, he’s already asking for us to come back.”

Miwa-nee shook her head and reached for my cheeks. She then put on a reassuring smile to stop me from blurting out what’s on my mind.

“In a month or two, we… we might go back for a while to settle things with him, once and for all.”

“Can I go with you?”

“No. Of course not. You have a lot of things to do here, no? Focus on those rather than waste your time on things - forgive me for what I’m about to say - that you won’t be able to solve by yourself. That’s why stay here and wait for us to come back, Ruki.”

I knew she’s being frank like this to discourage me to whatever it was I would say or do. But I felt something constricting me. That if I didn’t do anything for her with this issue, I would always carry it with myself even after we built that future.

“Is there really nothing that I can do for you, Miwa-nee?”

“I’m afraid there’s none. Your presence here is enough for now. Years from now, you can do more for me than anything you can imagine at this moment. That’s why I want to be frank with you. This time, I will be the only one who can solve my problems. It’s something that even if you’re there, you will not be able to do anything.”

Slowly, Miwa-nee turned her body to face me and like the olden times, she opened her arms and hugged me to her chest while stroking my hair to comfort me. It’s like she’s treating me as the same Ruki as before.

“Instead of insisting on helping me with an adult problem, let me update you just like how you tell me everything that’s happening to you. Is this fine?”

“What other choice do I have?”

“You can hug me tight and make me feel safe tonight while I tell you what’s happening around me. How does that sound?”

She put a hand on my chin and lifted my head to look at her. Seeing a bright smile that was directed to me, I realized how selfish I was to only think about myself and how I couldn’t do anything.

Miwa-nee was just trying not to make things complicated. That's why she kept on being frank with me about her own problems.

It wouldn’t be like with Shio wherein Nobuo was a clear offender and I had dirt that I could throw at him. Miwa-nee’s husband might be called a failure of a spouse but in the end, he didn’t really do anything to hurt her. His silence over the truth that he probably found out was already giving respite to Miwa-nee.

True, he was trying to protect his own reputation but that indirectly helped Miwa-nee and Minoru to live their lives and reach this point without facing any problem.

Perhaps, him asking them to come back was to settle their marriage and to straighten things up.

If that was so then… I truly had no role to do for Miwa-nee.

Besides, it would only make things worse if I go there with her and tell the guy that I am Minoru’s father…

Haa… That’s right. Instead of forcing my selfishness to do something when in fact I have no way to help her, I better just do what’s within the scope of my current ability. It’s to make her feel safe and unburdened for the time they will be spending here.

“That’s a great idea. Thank you for opening my eyes, Miwa-nee.”

“What opening your eyes, don’t think too deeply about it. I love my Ruki. You already know that I’m a sinful woman who turned you into this menace of a guy. However, with you loving me back, I’d bear that title of being sinful. I’m the same as Akane. Someone who only has you in my eyes. Of course, Minoru is a different story, you can’t beat him in terms of your cuteness.”

Miwa-nee stuck her tongue out cutely, something she always did before she married that guy. And upon seeing that, I couldn’t help myself but to indulge with her cuteness. Even though she’s almost the same age as my mom, there’s no doubt that I was totally attracted to her. Perhaps the way she always cuddles me and treated me as more than just her nephew back then developed my feelings for her.

Naturally, if she didn’t do what she did that led to the culmination of my desire, I would surely be forced to pick between the two of them and… Akane would still win by a large margin. That’s how much I was sure about that silly girl.

“I don’t want to be cute in your eyes, Miwa-nee.”

“Then what do you want?”

“To be the man who will walk with you until the end.”

“That’s a great dream, make sure to realize that.”

After saying that, Miwa-nee pulled me up to level my face with hers. With encouraging eyes and smile, she initiated another kiss and this time, we didn’t stop.

However, we were interrupted when Minoru suddenly moved and called for his mother.

Due to that, we had no choice but to go back to our initial position, Miwa-nee hugging Minoru while I was behind her.

And using this moment, Miwa-nee began her story. A more detailed story than what she told me before as well as what happened during these past few weeks wherein she’s not telling me anything about the situation on that side.

Her in-laws nagged at her to show up and meet them, while her husband was deflecting that and pleading for her to come back just to shut that old couple up.

In the end, I got to know how that guy wanted to still keep them just to secure his position that he would inherit from his father who was about to retire.

As for what kind of solution Miwa-nee had in mind when she returned in a month or two of stay in this house, she admitted that she’s still thinking about it.

Well, there’s still a lot of time so I told her that I would think of something with her. Miwa-nee readily agreed without discouraging me like earlier.