The Lie and What Follows

The Ninomiya Residence.

Calling it a “house” is a bit of an understatement.

We passed through an impressive gate into the parking space. Entering what seemed too grand to simply call a “entrance,” I was greeted by the distinct scent of wood, characteristic of wooden architecture.

“Ninomiya-san. I think there’s a chance the person behind this door might not be your grandmother.”
I ventured a guess, although the likelihood was incredibly slim.

“Don’t be silly. Of course, it’s her. Let’s go in.”

Reluctantly, I followed her, and we entered the study.

“Hello. I’m glad you could come. Thank you for the other day.”

The person who greeted us was a very personable grandmother. It’s clear there’s no case to solve here.

“Ninomiya-san. I can get the tea. Please enjoy talking with your grandmother. I’ll just go buy some tea from the nearest station.”
I offered, but my suggestion was quietly dismissed.

“Sitting in front of me was Ninomiya-san’s grandmother, Hatsune-san, who introduced herself gracefully. I introduced myself as Toru, trying to match her elegance.

“Toru-san… I’ve heard so much about you from Hikari. It feels like we’ve met more than just once.”

I wondered what kind of stories Ninomiya-san had shared about me. Were they about how I’m constantly in need of her consulting services?

Hatsune-san’s playful smile reminded me of Ninomiya-san. I guessed that her mischievous nature must have come from her grandmother.

“I’m really no troublemaker,” I assured her. “Ninomiya-san has been exaggerating.”

Hatsune-san laughed softly. “You’re exactly as interesting as Hikari described. But let me thank you properly for helping her the other day. She’s often out alone, and I was worried when she felt unwell.”

“I was just being nosy,” I replied modestly. “Ninomiya-san has already thanked me enough.”

But Hatsune-san insisted, “No, it’s because of that incident that we could invite you here today. We really are grateful for your help.”

…I wondered what that meant.

“Hikari has been talking about you even before that incident. It’s rare for her to talk about school matters, so I was quite surprised,” Hatsune-san shared.

“Is that so?” I recalled Ninomiya-san’s words at Arashiyama. Perhaps her ‘something precious’ included Hatsune-san.

“I’ve given her everything she could need, but I’m not sure if she’s truly happy now…”

“…”

“When her parents left this place, the cause was a fight between her father and me. She must have been through a lot.”

I inadvertently learned the reason behind Ninomiya-san’s reluctance to engage with others. Was this one of the reasons for her aloof attitude?

Hatsune-san seemed worried. She was probably concerned about whether Ninomiya-san was lonely or unhappy at school.

Ninomiya-san once said, “If you have something precious, that’s enough. It doesn’t matter what others say.”

“…I think she’s doing fine at school. She doesn’t talk much, but she seems content. And she’s always kind to me…”

“That’s good to hear…”

“Do you like Hikari?” Hatsune-san suddenly asked.

“Uh…?”

“Just asking. Thank you for looking after her.”

It was Ninomiya-san who had been watching over me, long before I got hurt.

“Yes.”

Ninomiya-san entered with tea, and we had a pleasant tea time.

“What were you talking about?” she asked.

“Just about you,” Hatsune-san answered.

It was almost time to leave. Ninomiya-san and her grandmother insisted I stay for dinner, but thinking of Haruka waiting at home, I politely declined, promising to visit again another time.

“Come back anytime,” Hatsune-san said warmly.

Ninomiya-san decided to accompany me back home.

As we left, Hatsune-san asked, “Do you know how to play koi-koi?”

I didn’t, but that was a conversation for another day.