The Happiness That The Shinigami Gave Me - V2 Chapter 10

Volume 2 Chapter 10

It was decided that they would drive me home, even though the school was only ten minutes away.

In the car, there was my stepsister, Anna, who was waiting for the rest of the family in the backseat while working on an exercise for her middle school entrance exam. When she saw me, she mouthed the word ‘idiot’ at me.

I gotta agree with her. I was truly an idiot for causing so much trouble to the Yamaokas.

When I got home, I drank some more salty water before going to bed.

I slept soundly that night. I vaguely remember that I had a dream, but I failed to remember what happened in it.

Though, I remembered the part when the shinigami told me something with a dull looking face and I answered that I wouldn’t be dying before I fulfilled my part of the contract.

When I woke up, the date had just changed.

The fact that I was sick before I went to bed felt like a lie. My headache was gone and the only problem I had with my body was hunger. My stomach rumbled like a beast trying to get a reaction out of me. To shut it up, I went to the kitchen to look for anything that I could eat.

“Huh, you can get up already?”

When I passed by the living room, the Yamaoka couple noticed me. They were sitting on the couch, cups filled with coffee lined up in front of them.

“Yes, I’m fine now.”

When I bowed my head to them, my stomach started to make another sound. Hearing the dumb sound echoing through the room, the Yamaoka couple giggled.

“I guess you’re telling the truth. There’s some leftover dinner left, do you want some?”

Uncle Yamaoka was the one who asked me that. I nodded in affirmation and tried to go to the kitchen, but he stopped me before I could take a step forward. He told me to sit down on the couch since I was sick. I told him that I was already okay, but he refused to yield.

He went to the kitchen then came back bringing a plate filled with microwaved food. Then he sat next to me, making me sit down between the Yamaoka couple. 

On the plate were some gingerbreads. They looked delicious, but at the same time, it seemed like they would be hard to eat.

“We were talking about you just now.”

Aunt Yamaoka broke the silence as she made eye contact with her husband.

“We were worried about you when you collapsed, but aside from that, it seems like everything went well. Good job.”

‘Went well?’ Uh, no? Our class was in third place. Above all, I broke my promise to not trouble them ever again. I knew that they were going to scold me.

“I’ve never seen you looking so energetic.”

“I can’t even imagine you becoming the class rep. You made me proud.”

Uncle Yamaoka laughed.

“You’ve changed for the better ever since middle school started.”

“I know, right? You seem to be having more fun these days.”

I felt heat rising to my face.

It felt embarrassing, but it wasn’t the only thing that I felt.

I felt the same feelings as back when I was scolding Suzuno on that cold night.

Warmth came from deep within my heart. What kind of feeling was this, I wonder?

“So, Yuuma.”

Uncle Yamaoka held my shoulder with his hand. His voice was firm, but his tone was gentle.

“Your teacher was right. You should go to high school.”

Ah, so it was about this, huh?

Earlier, Arasaka-sensei went ahead and told the Yamaoka couples that I didn’t have any plans to go to high school.

Before I noticed it, Aunt Yamaoka was leaning forward to look at my face.

“He’s right. Not only high school, you should go to college too when the time comes. I know that you’re thinking you’ll be troubling us, but you don’t need to worry about that. You aren’t troubling us at all.”

No, I would definitely be troubling them. Their money would go to waste since I would be dying soon. They should spend their money on something else…

“You’re smart and you enjoy studying, right? You should go to college. We’ll be rooting for you.”

Why was he treating me like this? I wasn’t even his real child.

When she saw me keeping my mouth shut, Aunt Yamaoka grabbed my hands. The warmth of her hands surprised me, so I involuntarily looked up. Her eyes were fixed on me.

Then, Uncle Yamaoka squeezed out more words out of his mouth.

“I’m going to say this again, Yuuma. Please take care of yourself more.”

His words made my heart ache. After him, it was Aunt Yamaoka’s turn to speak.

“We care about you, Yuuma.”

My back of the nose felt stifling.

I could feel Aunt Yamaoka’s grip on my hand becoming tighter by the seconds. At the same time, I could feel more warmth coming from the same hand.

All this time I’ve been thinking of not becoming a burden to both of them. I’ve been thinking that my presence was something they never wanted.

But…

I couldn’t turn back from the truth any longer.

They never thought of me as a burden, not even once. Even though I wasn’t their real son, they showered me with their love nonetheless.

It was me who refused their kindness. 

They loved me so much, but I never accepted their love.

I felt tears starting to well up in my eyes. I tried to hold them in by gritting my teeth, but it didn’t work. 

“Uncle… Aunt…”

Fearfully, I asked them a question.

“It’s too late for this, but… Can I ask you something?”

They waited patiently for me to say what I had in mind.

“Can I call you… Dad… And… Mom?”

They didn’t answer me.

Of course they wouldn’t. I asked that question out of nowhere, they should be too surprised to speak.

The shinigami was probably laughing at me.

But that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered to me was—

Suddenly, I heard a sobbing voice coming from right next to me.

I fearfully raised my head, only to see the Yamaoka couple looking at me with bright eyes.

“Of course. I’ve always wanted to be your mother…”

A large hand grabbed my left shoulder, followed by a trembling voice.

“Thank you, Yuuma.”

I turned my head around.

That was weird. I should be the one thanking him.

The tears that came out of my mom’s eyes spilled into her warm hands and my dry palms.

TL: Iyo

ED: samheart564

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