My father died.
Not long after I’d finished dealing with Matsui Tadaomi, in the scorching heat of early August.
While I was on my way to a photoshoot early that morning, I got a call from the chief secretary for the first time in nearly ten years.
He said my father had died in the early hours of the morning.
I wasn’t especially shocked, and I wasn’t especially sad either. But when you hear unexpected news, curiosity is only natural.
When I asked how he had died, I could feel him hesitate for a moment.
He said, "He died of a sudden myocardial infarction after drinking wine and sleeping with his mistress at the villa."
That mistress didn’t seem to be the same woman who had tempted him into buying the villa in Mt. Tanzawa about ten years ago.
In any case, the police were still investigating whether there had been any crime, such as the mistress using poison, but they hadn’t found anything suspicious and said it was probably just a sudden illness. That was added on as well.
When I heard that the police had arrived at the scene and found the mistress so panicked by my father’s sudden death that she had even wet the bed sheets, I couldn’t even laugh.
It was almost funny, in a sick way, that the bastard who was my father had gone to his eternal rest buried under the smell of his mistress’s urine.
I canceled the photoshoot, went back home, and explained everything to my wife.
Even after hearing the shocking news of my father’s death, I was still explaining it with the same detached tone, as if it had nothing to do with me. The child instead felt the sadness I should have shown, and held me in her arms while patting my back.
"...Kaoru."
"......"
There could be no more miserable death than a child not shedding tears for a parent’s passing.
Even now, in my wife’s arms, what hurt more than my father’s death itself was the fact that the child was looking at me with pity and sorrow.
It had been the same when Hikaru died, and I swore I would never repeat that failure.
"Ai."
"Kaoru."
I held her tightly, unwilling to let go.
"...Grandpa... died?"
"Grandpa?"
Not only little Ame, but Aqua and Ruby had never met my father or mother. Judging by their expressions, they didn’t even seem to know they existed at all, let alone their names.
Especially Ruby, unlike Aqua, tilted her head in confusion the moment she heard the word "grandpa," looking back and forth between me and her brother.
It seemed my wife, who knew about my past life, hadn’t told the children much either.
At Hikaru’s funeral, the media had tried to dig up and report my family background, but my father had already pulled strings, so it never became a major issue.
I didn’t know the details—whether that was a shred of paternal affection for his only remaining child, or because of the 30 billion yen project that was being carried out inside the company at the time.
After that, I never spoke to the media about my family, and the many outlets already in my father’s grasp never made any independent attempts to investigate, so perhaps it was only natural that even my wife and children didn’t know.
"Mm... yeah."
How should I explain this?
For the first time, I stopped speaking in front of the twins and had to focus on keeping my expression in check.
As the son informing them of their paternal grandfather’s death, should I, as a father, really be sad?
Maybe someday—when Aqua and Ruby were high school students or around that age—I could think about telling them. But right now, it wasn’t appropriate to explain the full circumstances.
Smiling, I held back my words and patted the twins on the head.
"This is your first time at a funeral, right? I’ll teach you what to do. That way, Grandpa will be happy too."
"Yes."
"Okay!"
Father.
Now that you’ve closed your eyes, I’m only relieved that you’ll finally get to meet your grandchildren.
That you died without ever seeing my children’s little performances and smiles.
That you never once got to hold my lovely children in your arms.
As your one and only son... I’m truly relieved.
"You don’t have to stay at the funeral home. Ai. More than anything, I don’t want you to. I can handle things just fine on my own—"
"Kaoru."
"......"
The child’s starlit eyes fixed on me as if they could see straight through me.
Then she lowered her gaze, gently straightened my collar, and neatly tied my black tie with her small white hands.
My wife’s warm hand brushed my cheek.
"We promised we’d always be together. Happy or sad. I want to be there for you. Ai is... yes, Kaoru’s [light], right?"
"...Okay."
After embracing my wife and sharing my true feelings, my family and I headed to the funeral home.
The reporters were already camped outside.
We weren’t quite at the level of the top conglomerates known as the "seven major trading companies," but since we were still considered a sizable, respectable general trading company in the industry, people from all walks of life—especially business figures—had come to pay their respects.
Of course, more than that, most of the people there were reporters who had come to cover me, the last blood relative of Chairman Kamiki.
As soon as we entered the funeral home, the chief secretary asked my permission and instructed the staff to guide my wife and our three children.
Then he took my hand and walked with me, speaking in a low voice.
"Young master."
"......"
"I’m deeply sorry to have to tell you this."
"Is it about an illegitimate child?"
The classic spark that ignites endless legal disputes is the owner’s illegitimate child.
Even for me, who felt not even a gram of attachment to my father’s company, the issue of his illegitimate child carried enormous risks in the media, separate from ordinary management, stock, or inheritance matters.
As if he had already anticipated my question, the chief secretary shook his head.
"Thankfully, it’s not that matter."
"Then what is it?"
"We received word from the New York branch that your mother boarded a flight to Tokyo from the airport..."
Given the nature of a general trading company with multiple overseas branches, the movements of the owner’s family were also monitored and reported.
In this situation, why was I hearing that my divorced father had died, and why was the person who had even sent a proxy to Hikaru’s funeral suddenly coming in person to pay respects...?
"She’s coming to see me."
I was the target, not my father.
"Yes. Legally, she’s an outsider when it comes to the inheritance, but... I imagine she expects some degree of ‘sincerity’ from you as blood relatives..."
"......"
Having lived both a past life and this one, I knew that the end usually wasn’t good for people with such thick skin.
I slowly turned my head and looked at the child, who had already taken the twins and was greeting relatives and mourners in my place.
I couldn’t leave my wife alone when she was doing her part so steadily, even without me there.
I nodded to the chief secretary to say I understood, then went back inside and stood beside the child.
"Kaoru."
"President. Miyako."
President Saito and his wife, who had rushed over after hearing the news, offered their condolences.
"Sob... Kaoru!"
"Brother, don’t cry. I’m not crying, so you shouldn’t cry either."
"Sniff... Right. Stay strong. May the deceased rest in peace."
Not only Rentarou, who was already in tears, but President Toshiro also came, and Director Gotanda showed up after shaving and tying back his long hair.
Director Tsukasa, with whom I had worked on a film, senior Aragaki Satomi, and even senior Kurosaki Takuya came to pay their respects.
Friends like Tomoya and Shohei also came by.
"Takamine, Nino!"
"Hehe, Ai. Kaoru. I’m sorry."
Many of Ai’s acquaintances, including the members of B Komachi, also visited.
The funeral was held in a quiet atmosphere, with black wreaths sent not only by alumni from my high school and university, but even by the prime minister himself.
To the condolences of friends who sincerely comforted me and mourned the deceased, I could only nod and keep repeating my thanks for coming.
Because all I could do was watch their sincerity being wasted on my father’s death, after he had died suddenly while drinking with his mistress.
I turned away, forcing down my complicated feelings.
Aqua, Ruby, and even Ame were... much more composed than I expected, staying in place with admirable calm.
"Are you tired?"
"No! I’m fine, Dad."
Aqua said brightly, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Ruby’s fine too~!"
"Haha. What about Ame?"
"Uh~ Ame’s fine too because I’m playing with big sis~!"
I smiled and stroked Ame’s chubby cheek as she hugged her sister tightly.
Of course, by evening I planned to ask Miyako to take the children home.
This wasn’t a good place for little kids to stay for too long, and it was physically hard on them too.
To be honest, even I felt uncomfortable being here, so I was projecting some of that feeling onto the children as well.
As time passed and it became 7 p.m., the lawyer arrived and immediately disclosed the will.
The lawyer announced that all of the inheritance would be left to me.
"...Ahem..."
"......"
"Hm..."
In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned toward me. I knew exactly what countless emotions were mixed into those gazes.
The eyes of relatives and executives I had never even met gleamed strangely. I couldn’t possibly miss the true meaning behind them.
On paper, there was a board of directors, but the one who always held the absolute upper hand in stock ownership had apparently been my father.
And yet, even after receiving all that clear hostility, the reason I could sit quietly here now wasn’t because of the huge block of shares I had inherited from him.
It was simply because the child beside me was holding my hand, her brilliant starlight eyes fixed on me.
On me, who had been swept along by circumstances beyond my control.
She was lighting me up like the morning star that drives away the darkness.
"..."
Even at the moment the inheritance was announced, the hand holding mine never moved.
Because my wife had no interest in inheritance or the company or anything like that.
I interlaced my fingers with her small white left hand. Whatever decision I made, my wife would believe in me.
"Ai. I have something to say."
"Mm."
Holding my wife’s hand and meeting her starlit gaze head-on, I slowly opened my mouth.
About the choice I was about to make...
"Kaoru."
"...Mother."
Late in the evening, a blonde woman walked into the funeral home.
It had been a very long time since I’d last seen her face. I had only heard news about her; this was the first time I had seen her in person since graduating middle school.
Wearing a black designer suit, she turned her blue eyes toward my wife beside me.
The child, visibly tense, quietly folded her hands together and bowed politely.
"I-I’ll introduce myself. Mother. I’m Kaoru’s wife, [Hoshino Ai]."
"Yes. Nice to meet you."
Even though this was the first meeting between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, she brushed past my wife’s greeting with a cynical smile and looked at me instead.
"Where are the kids?"
"I sent them home first. This isn’t really a good place for a family reunion, is it?"
"......"
She looked like she had a lot to say.
So did I, but I didn’t bother saying it out loud.
Instead—
"Father wrote a will leaving all of his inheritance to me."
"Hoho. He really was sentimental in that way. In the end, all parents leave behind is one child, after all."
Her eyes were completely different from when she had greeted my wife.
With a detached smile, I said quietly, "So I’m planning to give up management rights and switch to a professional management system. I’m going to sell off all of my father’s assets and either establish a foundation or donate them, then dispose of everything completely."
"...W-What?"
Her brow furrowed as if she had heard something she couldn’t believe, and the blue eyes that had been filled with disgusting greed began to shake.
The way her face twisted miserably, like a rat in a gutter, was proof that the expectations she had harbored were nothing more than foolish fantasy.
She bit down so hard it looked like she might chew through her own lip, then said to me in a trembling voice, "...Who did you consult? Does Chief Nakamura know too? It’s your father’s company."
"Does that matter?"
"I’m your... ‘mother.’ How could you make such a huge decision all by yourself, without consulting me...!"
"This is a decision made by the rightful heir after consulting my wife."
Her face turned red in an instant. It was obvious she was looking for a way to let her misplaced anger explode in the wrong direction.
"Cut the nonsense! What the hell are you talking about— You! What kind of weird things have you been saying to my son—"
"She is my [wife]. Watch your words."
I warned her in a cold voice.
Her outrageous words were neatly cut off, and she shuddered hard from the backlash, glaring at me without saying anything.
When I gently took the child’s hand, I could feel it trembling faintly from shock.
I could feel my wife’s emotions completely. Someone who wasn’t used to this kind of situation would obviously find even standing here and facing her mother deeply stressful.
But—
"I’m okay, Kaoru. Mother’s just really surprised, that’s all."
The child, her brilliant starlight eyes shining, stayed bravely by my side without running away, even though she was afraid.
In the fleeting succession of moments, as if one second had been split into hundreds of fragments—
I, who had become entranced by the unique aura spilling from her small frame, quietly steadied my breathing.
I had to admit that the most rational and composed person in this situation was not me, but the child.
Anger distorts a person’s judgment. It makes them lose reason and explode over the smallest trigger, ruining everything.
There was only one thing I needed to do: not let myself be swept away by anger.
And that naturally brought out a cold, resolute firmness, almost like magic.
"Don’t ever show your face in front of my family again."
At my declaration, she blinked stupidly.
Ignoring her, I continued in a flat voice.
"I know you remarried in America, and that you have two younger children. I also know that your business problems were conveniently solved by Hikaru’s insurance money.
But you shouldn’t be hoping for that kind of stroke of luck again. That was purely your business, Mother."
"......"
"Besides, I have no reason to show my children to a mother who wouldn’t even know their birthdays. So please leave quietly.
I’ll have the chief secretary arrange a first-class ticket to New York for you... Consider that my final courtesy as your son."
That was the end of it.
My mother left the funeral home like she was fleeing, unable to say another word.
No one stopped her. She was only ever that kind of existence.
A few hours later, the chief secretary, who had actually tried to deliver the plane ticket, informed me that she had already left the country.
It was no longer my concern.
Late that night, after we got home, sprinkled salt on each other at the front door, and came back inside, I confirmed that the twins and Ame were asleep, then sat alone on a kitchen chair.
It had been a very long day, the kind I hadn’t had in a long time.
While my wife went to the bedroom to change clothes for a moment, I stared blankly at the dark living room and suddenly thought of alcohol.
But I didn’t drink.
All the alcohol in the house was just the wine we’d been given as gifts.
"..."
What a "parent" is.
It isn’t someone who obsesses over wine and insurance money.
A "parent" is... that kind of thing.
Aqua’s and Ruby’s faces kept flickering before me.
Even though they were sleeping right there in the next room, I wanted to check again and make sure they were sleeping soundly.
I felt a compulsion deep in my chest, as if I might wake them right now and hold them tightly in my arms.
Aqua’s composed smile, Ruby’s affectionate smile, Ame’s adorable laughter.
I was so afraid that all of it might vanish and scatter like a mirage in an instant.
"Kaoru."
"......"
At some point, the child had come to my side and gently wiped my cheek with her thumb.
When I lifted my head to look at her, the child’s starlit eyes seemed to blur like someone looking up at the surface of water from beneath it.
She wrapped her arms around me as I sat there, and her warm hands settled softly over my head.
"Ai."
The reason I exist. That reason was giving me strength from within my own arms.
Not a fake family, but my real family.
Someone precious who always worries about me. The only person who gives me love without asking for anything in return. My person, who stands on my side.
"You’re our babies’ dad."
When I heard her gentle, sweet voice filled with maternal love, the countless layers of emotion I’d been holding down inside me surged up all at once.
Whether it was the joy of being freed, the laughter of relief, the tears of grief, or something else entirely...
In the child’s arms, I poured out emotions I myself couldn’t even understand. For a long time. I poured them out.
That was the only thing I could do.
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