Chapter 31: Hitori Is Never Confident Enough
Hitori's room could be described as bare and spartan, completely devoid of any girlish charm, with plain walls. Even Ren's room had some bookshelves as decorations on the walls.
"..."
After following Ren's gaze to survey her own room, Hitori was left speechless, as she had transformed into a slime and was wriggling on the floor.
"Big sister is having another episode. She's always like this—sometimes she even giggles or screams randomly."
Futari was already accustomed to this. At six years old, a significant reason for her maturity beyond her years was precisely because Hitori was so peculiar.
"So what should we do in situations like this?"
Ren looked at Futari with mild interest. After spending some time with her, he had formed a hypothesis.
Although Michiyo and the others hadn't neglected Hitori, it was quite possible that Futari was their "second attempt" after they felt Hitori had turned out flawed.
It seemed this second attempt had been very successful—Futari's personality was practically worlds apart from Hitori's.
"Just let her crawl around for a bit, and she'll be fine. Brother-in-law, what do high schoolers do at school?"
Futari had plenty of experience dealing with such situations. Normally, she would have left with Jimihen, but since Ren was here today, she stayed in the room to chat with him, curiously asking about high school life.
To her, it was a distant world, and she was also curious about what Hitori was like at school.
"Attending classes, making friends, maybe joining club activities?"
Ren replied somewhat uncertainly but went on to talk about high school life. Though mundane, Futari listened with great interest.
By the time Hitori snapped out of it and returned to normal, she saw Ren and Futari being affectionate with each other. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak, then shuffled over to Ren's side, tugged at his sleeve, and looked at him pitifully.
Why was it that at her own home, Ren was the one ignoring her?
"Be good, Futari." Ren smiled at Hitori's aggrieved expression, then patted Futari's head and set her down. Right in front of her, he pulled Hitori into his arms and said amusedly, "Are you really jealous of your little sister?"
"But you weren't paying attention to me, Ren. Is it because my room is too plain and disappointing?"
Hitori said sadly. They were supposed to be the couple, but Ren seemed to get along better with Futari, making her feel like an outsider.
"But haven't we been together all day at school? Besides, a plain room isn't a bad thing. We can decorate it together and make it beautiful. Wouldn't that be great?"
Holding Futari was fun—she was small and adorable. But holding Hitori was comforting, and having his girlfriend in his arms felt more reassuring.
As he held Hitori, Ren gently dispelled her subtle insecurities. A simple room meant it had potential; decorating it together would create beautiful memories they'd cherish forever.
"Mmm..."
This method proved quite effective. The feelings of inferiority Hitori had been harboring due to the simplicity of her room improved significantly. Though the room was modest, being able to decorate it together with Ren felt like a fair trade-off—losing some pride but gaining shared memories.
After that, Futari stopped pestering Ren for hugs and left the room with Jimihen. She was well-behaved and knew when not to be willful.
In the evening, after Michiyo finished preparing dinner, Ren—who had been cuddling with Hitori in her room while browsing on their phones—came down to the first-floor living room.
There, he met Hitori's father, Gotou Naoki, who was both warm-hearted and open-minded. Not only did he not oppose Ren's relationship with Hitori, but he happily brought out his treasured liquor, disregarding the rules in his eagerness to drink until they were both drunk. In the end, Michiyo stepped in and stopped him.
After the meal, Ren had won the approval of every member of the Gotou family. He was quite satisfied with the outcome. If a relationship wasn't headed toward marriage, he figured, one might as well seek amusement elsewhere.
Ren didn't stay at the Gotou house for too long afterward. No matter how strong the bond, personal space and time were still important. Hitori had band matters to attend to and guitar practice to focus on—if he stayed, he would only distract her.
Once back home, Ren started browsing online shopping platforms. It had suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't brought any gifts during this visit; next time, he would have to make up for it. Naoki and Michiyo might say it wasn't necessary, but he couldn't skip giving presents.
And then there was Futari—his future sister-in-law. Building a good relationship with her was definitely the right move.
After some thought, Ren decided to buy Futari some plush toys. If he could fill her bed with them, making her feel like a princess, she would probably be delighted.
As for Hitori, he had already given her a guitar. Continuing to give gifts might backfire, but he couldn't give her nothing either. For now, he settled on buying two sets of matching couple outfits.
Scrolling through his screen, Ren pondered what else to buy. There was also Anon—he had promised her a guitar before. Though she had refused at the time due to his financial situation, now that she knew he had money, it would be best to follow through. Anon wouldn't hold it against him if he didn't, but giving the gift was preferable. After all, his relationship with Anon was far from bad.
Over the years, the Chihaya family had taken good care of him too. Since he was getting something for Anon, why not prepare gifts for Hinata and Miyako as well?
Before he knew it, Ren's shopping cart was overflowing with items. It dawned on him: no wonder he had struggled with social connections before—he simply hadn't had the money.
Going out cost money, holiday gifts cost money—everything required funds. Without money, it really was hard to get by.
After finalizing the gifts, Ren took a shower. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he glanced in the mirror and noticed something odd.
"Have I grown taller again?"
After a moment of careful consideration, he pinpointed the change: previously, he couldn't see the top edge of the mirror frame, but now he could.
It made sense—he was still a teenager in his growth phase, so getting taller was inevitable.
Back in his room, Ren didn't forget to exchange goodnight messages with Hitori. And so, another leisurely day came to a close.
...
The next day, Ren once again drove Anon to school before picking up Hitori . While others were still happily cycling to school, his car already carried a tear-free Hitori.
Today, Ren brought the fully charged hair clippers to school, intending to trim Hitori's bangs. It was truly a shame to keep such beautiful eyes hidden all the time.
Moreover, becoming cuter and gaining recognition from classmates might help Hitori develop a bit more confidence.
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan