Even so, we are living in the present

Episode 2 – Family and the Underside of Society

Chapter 9 – Nightmare

After being safely discharged from the hospital, Yuu had started cohabitation in Kyosuke’s apartment. Attending school remained a challenge for him, hence he was recuperating at home. From then on, the indecent act of Reito was classified as a criminal case, and the sentence was passed without any appeal hearing.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Even during the trial, he appealed that he wanted to make Yuu his own property, and despite his lawyer’s insistence, he was not given a suspended sentence after being considered to possess a high rate of re-offense. He will atone for his crime while undergoing psychological treatment in prison.

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A week had passed since the judgment was pronounced on Reito──

3:00 a.m.

This was the bedroom of Saiki’s house. Within the tranquil darkness, Tomoya was dreaming. In front of his eyes, levitating in a dream-like pattern, there was a scene that he had witnessed more than ten years ago. That was when Tomoya had only turned four years old.

The scenery after his mother disappeared──

I don’t want to see it...

The sight he observed through the open door was a profound impact on the young Tomoya, imparting a deep scar on his heart. In a six-tatami mat bedroom, he spotted his father and a woman whom he never knew. The two were in the futon, hugging each other without a stitch of clothing on. The woman was on the bottom. The father was on the top. At the time, he had no clue what they were doing. But now that he was a high school student, he could understand.

I don’t want to see it...

“Tomoya, get out!”

His father, infuriated at being caught in the act, yelled at him. The young boy, frightened by this, shut the bedroom door without saying a word. Tomoya, who was dreaming, simply stared at the scene.

Mom…

Two years prior to her departure, Tomoya’s mother was violently abusive by his father. When Tomoya had turned four years old, his mother left because she could not bear it any longer. He believed that the main reason his father developed a violent temperament was because he was restructured.

“The company is gone, and he doesn’t get paid anymore.”

At the time, his mother taught him that. However, a child has no understanding of such circumstances. All he was aware of was that his mother was being beaten by his father. After that, his father was planted in Tomoya’s heart as a frightening presence.

“… Mom, where are you…?”

Leaving the bedroom, he shed tears as he walked down the hallway. His older brother, Natsume, seeing this sight of him, walked over from the living room and gently patted him on the head.

“Tomoya, you can be spoiled by me, your big brother.”

“Ugh… big brother…”

Reaching out his small arms, he clung to Natsume’s clothes. Even though Natsume called out to him to depend on him, at that time, Natsume himself was only seven years old. Both of them were still in the midst of having their fill of pampering.

This is the worst…

The memories that Tomoya had not desired to recall were dredged up, and the figure, the sound, and the voice of his father and a woman he did not know engaging in sexual intercourse resurfaced vividly in Tomoya’s brain.

I don’t want to hear it!! No, no, no…!!

I don’t want to get hurt anymore…!

“──Tomoya, Tomoya!”

“…!!”

Tomoya was jolted awake by the shaking of his body. It was as if he had been released from the agony – if one were to metaphorically say it, it was as if he had been in a panic when he could no longer hold his breath underwater and had rushed out of the water. Perspiration was drenched from all over his body, and with his mouth open, he was desperately drawing in oxygen. As he wiped the sweat from his forehead and cast his gaze to the side, he noticed Natsume sitting on the bed, staring at him with concern. It was a look so compassionate that he wondered if he could show such a face even though his scary face usually appeared to be constantly on edge.

“… You had a nightmare. What were you dreaming about?”

“A dream? I see, it’s a dream huh… What time is it now?”

He did not answer the question but returned a question. This was because Natsume was wearing plain clothes, not nightclothes.

“Oh? It’s 3:30.”

His voice was intimidating as if he was asking for an answer to a question, but he replied properly.

“Big brother, are you not sleeping?”

“I was planning to go to bed soon, but I decided not to since I was worried about you.”

After telling him this, Natsume covered Tomoya and pressed his lips to his sweaty forehead. Upon being kissed on the mouth without any objection, Tomoya blushed and hurriedly pulled the futon up to his mouth.

“I-I’m fine… I just had an unpleasant dream…”

“That’s why I’m worried about you.”

At the quiet, low, serious tone of voice, Tomoya kept silent slightly.

“… You are a worrywart, big brother.”

“Keep saying that. I’m going to take a shower, after all. Stay awake until I come.”

Tomoya would not disobey when he was instructed in a commanding tone.

“I-I understand.”

Once he answered, he raised his upper body and used the remote control to switch on the bedroom light. Natsume was concerned about Tomoya and was trying to sleep with him. Ever since his mother had disappeared, Tomoya had been crying from loneliness every day, and this was because he had been worrying for her.

When Tomoya was in elementary school, he and his brother were sent to live with his grandparents.

“I’ll come back to get you.”

That was what his father said to him when they parted ways. Nevertheless, he was never to be seen again.

“…”

Being alone right after a dream like that reminded him of unfavorable things. Tomoya heaved a sigh. The clock ticked quietly. Moments later, Natsume entered the bedroom.

“Tomoya, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Mmm.”

Crawling into the same bed as Tomoya, he hugged his cherished little brother firmly.

“I’ll protect you.”

“… Y-Yeah…”

Tomoya’s cheeks flushed red at the straightforward words, and he surrendered himself meekly in the other’s arms.

“You can be spoiled by me, you know.”

“… Thanks.”

After a small thank-you, he put his arms around his muscular body and embraced him, like a young child being pampered.

“I won’t forgive anyone who hurts Tomoya.”

“Yeah… brother, I love you.”

Tomoya never let himself be spoiled. The only time when they were alone and Natsume would let him be spoiled, he would pamper him with no restraint, to the point that his mental age would drop. It was as if he was trying to make up for the times when he could not be indulged emotionally.