The next day after school, Taiyou was riding the train with Akiha. The train was empty because it was before the rush hour, so they were able to take a seat beside each other while leaving a person’s space between them. Across to the two of them, there was a young parent and child, the young child removes its shoes and climbs up the chair, and is watching what is outside the window intently. There, the train slides to a home stop, and an announcement flows inside the train car.

  —-Be careful of the opening home doors.

  「Mommy, what is home door??」


  「It’s the door that opens on the platform’s side. Look, that」


  「He?, it’s really a door right」


  With the kid’s line, Taiyou laughed a little. He do not know on what knowledge that it determines the correctness of a door, but that one line was straight to Taiyou’s laugh spot.

  That appearance of a child saying an innocent line was very lovely. Suddenly, he imagined that he would also someday, bring a child with him like that. But, he couldn’t imagine it clearly.

  「Hey? how was Aoba yesterday?」


  Akiha who was silent all the way the train ride, suddenly asked a question. The question didn’t include the main part of the sentence and so Taiyou tilted his head and asked back.

  「How was, what of her?」


  「If she was quiet, or cute, or unexpectedly smells good, something like that」


  「…..What exactly are you talking about?」


  「Eh, I heard about that time when you sneaked into a woman’s bedroom in order to do a sneak attack you know?」


  「I didn’t do that! I would never creep into a girls bedroom whilst she was asleep!」


  「You didn’t? even though you have a harem and you are so lustful?」


  「It’s not like I am lustful, rather if you think so lowly of me, are you sure you are fine leaving your best friend in a place like that?」


  「Rather than saying that it’s fine, it’s more like giving her shock therapy」


  Akiha said carelessly, it was the usual carefree expression, but those eyes looked unexpectedly serious.

  「That girl’s problem is such a problem you know, if you did something to her, there was a chance that she would have a break through, that’s why. If it was a different guy it’s useless. It has to be you」


  「It’s not like I don’t understand what you’re saying but….」


  Aoba’s situation that he heard last night. It’s true that compared to other guys Taiyou might be the key on breaking through the situation. But that will have big risk that is hidden within it. A deadly poison or a miracle drug. That was Taiyou’s position in relation to Aoba.

  「But, the chances of failing is too much higher right」


  「I think so, it’s a chance like betting in 00 on a roulette」


  「That’s almost surely to fail!」


  「That’s alright, if that happens, it would be splendid as well」


  「What’s so splendid in that?!」


  Taiyou continuously made a loud voice, his voice was cracking a little.

  Is the girl in front of him really Aoba’s best friend? it was becoming doubtful, if Akiha was really worried about her friends wellbeing.

  「But right, if you didn’t to attack her in her sleep, you haven’t heard from Aoba anything at all then」


  「Yeah, after you went home she immediately closed up in her room, she also went to school quickly. That’s why, I still don’t know about anything」


  「Asides from you, what about your brides?」


  「You really pick at every nook and corner don’t you?….. No, they might have heard her story, But even so, I haven’t asked anything from the girls」


  「I see, if that is so, I should probably explain it huh」


  「Weren’t you saying you won’t tell other people’s secrets」


  「The situation is different from then, after getting you involved, not saying anything will be unfair right. You are at the very least 60% involved you know?」


  「What’s with those numbers? …..Well, in any case, if you are going to explain then that would help me」


  「Then…..I’ll just state the most essential part」


  Is there something that Akiha would think twice of saying, the usually unreserved her cleared her throat, and once again, started talking.

  「The thing with Aoba is that――she didn’t know who her real birth mother is」


  「Are you telling me that her birth mother died in child birth? 」


  「That’s not what I meant, I meant that growing up she only knew that she had three mothers and that one of them was her birth mother」


  「…..Wait a second, let me organize this once」


  Taiyou put a hand in his forehead, and raised forward his other hand. His head was on confusion immediately.

  「Her household has an unusual family composition」


  Because being they were in an open place like a train, Taiyou said, changing his words.

  「And in regards to this complicated family situation, she herself doesn’t know too much about it herself, am I getting this right?」


  「Yup, it looks like she wasn’t told on purpose. When she was a child she loved all of them equally calling them all Mommy, but recently, she was being conscious of who was the real birth mother」


  「Well, I guess I can understand it. How did this all happen?」


  「I don’t know, but isn’t it fantastical somehow?」


  「What part?!」


  Taiyou raised his voice, his voice after all, was cracking a little bit. Once again, he organizes the situation he heard in his head There is four adults in Aoba’s house, one man, and three women that are the man’s wife or mistress, that kind of construction. And being born there, although Aoba became first year at high school, she wasn’t told who her birth mother is.

  「Well with that, she would treat me harshly for sure huh」


  Taiyou remembered the times that she was imposing on him. If she were born in such family, despising some reason like “affair”(in Aoba’s criteria), would be a very natural flow.

  「On top of that…..」


  Taiyou said, and looked at Akiha.

  「Yup, this time around, it seems like she’s going to get a fourth mother, don’t you think that’s lovely?」


  「No can you please cut it out with that it’s “lovely” thing. By the way, what kind of person is the fourth mother? …..Don’t tell me that it’s you?」


  「That would be even more lovely!」


  She twinkles her eyes. The terrible part, was that her was eyes were really thinking that’s nice, literally.

  「Unfortunately that’s wrong. That person is Aomori Chitose, 17 years old」


  「Yes?」


  「JK!」(TR: JK=joshikousei/highschool student slang)

  The thumbs up she made was blinding…..In fact, he really feels like he’s going to have a headache.

  「…..You serious?」


  Taiyou holds his hand over his temple. And his mind was about to flow into a place that no human mind should transverse.

  「It is crude tea, but, please」


  The Aoba’s house they’ve arrived at, was something that can be called a little mansion-like building. Inside the exclusive residential area, about at least thirty meters vertically and horizontal breadth of grounds, there stands a western style house.

  It was a structure that can make you feel its history. Taiyou and Akiha was guided to the building’s reception room-like place, and there, a maid brought out tea. It was a little strange but she had elegant gestures and calm way of talking, that made woman feel a graceful atmosphere within her.

  「Thank you, Miho-san」


  Taiyou felt something somehow, with Akiha’s words. And that wasn’t completely unrelated…..to the two women sitting in front of him. If you include the maid they would be “three” of them though.

  「Please excuse me, can I know your name?」


  「I’m Atsuko, Fukushima Atsuko. Nice to meet you」


  「I am called Yamagata Nazuna」


  Towards Taiyou, the two women named themselves. Atsuko who was wearing a celebrity-like clothes has a high pitched voice, and compared to that, Nazuna was wearing a casual wear.

  He was looking at the two, and Miho who was wearing a classic style maid clothes alternately.

  Yesterday, Taiyou heard from Akiha the three woman’s name. Respectively, Junko, Nazuna, and Miho. That means that the woman who was wearing maid clothes has the possibility of being Aoba’s mother, he thought.

  「And then, your name is? Are you only making us say our names?」


  To Atsuko’s question, Taiyou named himself in a hurry, because he forgot to do it.

  「I’m sorry, I am called Natsuno Taiyou. I am a classmate of Miyabi-san」


  「Is that so. It seems like Aoba-chan had made trouble for you, I am sorry for that」


  「No, that’s alright」


  While saying that, Taiyou looked at Akiha. “Did you tell them?” with that kind of question in his sight.

  「I didn’t tell them anything」


  「I am very sorry, we made the investigation on our own」


  Miho who was the only one standing in the room explained.

  「Because she is master’s important daughter, we didn’t want anything dangerous to happen to her」 (Maid Miho)

  「Is that so?」


  「Uhm…..So, how is, Aoba-chan?」 (Nazuna)

  In a different way from Miho, Nazuna asked with a timid way of talking. This time was a worried way of asking about their daughter’s condition.

  「Uhmm…..」


  「You can say it frankly, you must have heard something about the story right」


  Atsuko said that with frank tone.

  「If that’s okay then…..Well, for the mean time she went school. She seems down compared to normal though」


  He said that while remembering her who didn’t impose at him at all today, although sleeping under the same roof.

  「Is that so, I am relieved」


  「But, why did she go to your place? Are you in a good relationship usually?」


  「No, It’s not like…..」


  「Atsuko-san, Atsuko-san」


  Akiha invited her while she leaned over, and whispered to Atsuko who also was leaning over.

  And then, Atsuko’s expression was became of that when one’s having fun.

  （Ah! These two are of the same type women）


  Taiyou realized that in an instance. At the same time, he had a bad feeling.

  「He?, you are also doing “that” huh」 (Atsuko)

  「Uh!!」 (Taiyou)

  「What do you mean by “that”?」 (Nazuna)

  「It means, the same with our household, Nazuna-sama」 (Miho)

  To Nazuna who was the only one who doesn’t seem to get it, Miho explained in a calm tone.

  The situation is becoming awfully strange, Taiyou became vigilant.