The Happiness That The Shinigami Gave Me - V1 Chapter 23

Volume 1 Chapter 23

“Jeez…” Natsuhara-san said while smiling.

“You were the one who brought me here and now you’re telling me you didn’t bring your wallet?”

“Sorry.”

We paid the bill and left the restaurant. We walked together along the waterway. Above our heads was the clear, starless night sky. A dry breeze struck my cheeks.

When I stormed out of the house, I was in so much of a hurry that I almost forgot to bring my coat with me, let alone other things including my wallet.

And so Natsuhara-san had to pay for our food.

Not only was I still wearing this lame loungewear, I had to make a girl pay for me too. Lame.

But, wait…

“Natsuhara-san, if you had your wallet with you, you shoulda warmed yourself up inside the restaurant on your own instead of sleeping outside like that!”

Or she could buy something at a convenience store to warm up, that could work too.

“Ah… Right…”

She lifted her chin, seemingly unsure of what to say. Her lips trembled a little before she paused and let out a deep breath.

“Sorry, Yamaoka-kun, I lied. Actually, my parents are already home…”

“…What?”

Her words made me open my mouth involuntarily. Then, why was she asleep at that kind of place?

“Yamaoka-kun, do you know what neglect means?”

Once again, I heard words I didn’t expect come out of her mouth.

“Of course. I’m more familiar with it than your average person…”

I nodded.

Neglect was a form of child abuse. It was basically an act of disregarding the child’s wellbeing.

The reason why it was classified as child abuse was because the parents intentionally ignored the child’s needs, both physically and mentally.

I knew a lot about this topic because it helped me to understand my mom’s behavior.

I asked myself, ‘Why did she decide to end her life? Why did she bring me along with her?’

To look for answers, I had to read a lot of articles about abuse at the library and on the internet.

“When I first heard that word mentioned on the TV, something clicked in me.”

White clouds escaped from her mouth. Somehow, it looked painful to me.

“It made me think, ‘Ah, I could relate to that. I’m an abused child, aren’t I?’”

Her cold tone made my fingers tremble.

“Well, my situation isn’t as bad as what they showed on TV. I’ve never had trouble with clothes or food and they give me a lot of money…”

She glanced at the wallet inside her bag. I noticed several bills inside it.

“The bike I always ride was expensive. But when I told them that I wanted it, they immediately bought it for me without a second thought.”

“But that’s all…” She led out a weak sigh.

“They just gave me money. I’d always eat my breakfast and dinner by myself. They never fed me anything; I had to buy my own food at the convenience store. They love their jobs more than me. They don’t care about what I do. I even doubt that they ever acknowledge my existence at all…”

She stared at her own hands as she said that. It was as if she was trying to convince herself that she truly existed in this world.

TL: Iyo

ED: samheart564

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