Chapter 7 | “Coincidences Overlapping into Inevitability”

“—Wait, Charlotte-san, you met Kanon-san…?” I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

The discussion had wrapped up, and we’d moved to Kanon-san’s room, where Charlotte-san dropped a bombshell that left me reeling. By the way, Kanon-san had stayed behind, saying she still had matters to settle with President Himeragi. We’d made sure the agreement was properly signed, and with Kaguya-san by her side, everything should be fine. So, it was just me, Charlotte-san, and her mother who arrived at Kanon-san’s room first.

“Yes,” Charlotte-san admitted softly, her eyes downcast. “I didn’t want to burden you further, Akihito-kun, so I kept it hidden…”

I gave a wry smile. “Well, considering what I did first, I’m hardly one to complain.”

So that’s what Kanon-san meant when she said we were even. If I’d brought Charlotte-san along, I might’ve noticed the connection between her mother and Kanon-san. Likewise, if Charlotte-san had told me about their meeting, I could’ve pieced it together. But even if we’d realized it then, I doubt the situation would’ve improved much. Kanon-san probably hid it to teach us what happens when we don’t communicate properly. I’m just grateful we caught it before it spiraled into something worse. Truly.

“From now on, let’s not keep secrets from each other, okay?” I said gently.

“Yes… I’m sorry,” Charlotte-san murmured, her voice small.

“We’re even, so no need to apologize.”

With that, the matter of Charlotte-san’s hidden meeting with Kanon-san was settled. I wouldn’t bring it up again.

“Mhm, mhm, keeping secrets is no good, right?” Charlotte-san’s mother chimed in, nodding with a satisfied air.

Charlotte-san shot her a half-lidded glare. “…I think it’s weird for you to say that, Mom.”

It was a rare expression from her, sharp and unguarded, and I couldn’t help but want to capture it in a photo. Her mother, unfazed, tilted her head. “Well, that’s true, but we had our own circumstances, you know.”

Circumstances she was about to explain, it seemed.

“Onee—Charlotte-san’s mom, where’s Emma-chan?” I caught myself mid-slip, nearly calling her Onee-san like I used to, before asking about Emma-chan. Charlotte-san had mentioned leaving her with her mother, so I was curious why she wasn’t here.

“Onee-san is fine, you know?” her mother teased, smiling playfully.

“I don’t like it, so please stop,” Charlotte-san cut in sharply.

Her mother tilted her head with a grin, but Charlotte-san’s firm rejection made sense. It’d be awkward if her boyfriend called her mom “Onee-san.”

“Lottie, that’s harsh, considering you’re so young yourself,” her mother pouted.

“It’s not harsh at all,” Charlotte-san retorted, her casual Japanese striking me as refreshingly new. I wished she’d use that tone with me sometimes.

“Haa… I’m fine with Onee-san, but since Lottie’s so noisy about it, I guess I have no choice,” her mother sighed, then straightened. “I don’t think I introduced myself properly before, so let’s try again. I’m Sophia Bennett, Lottie and Emma’s mother. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yes… Then, is it okay if I call you Sophia-san…?” I asked cautiously.

“If you want, you can call me Okaa-san, too, you know?” she teased, eyes twinkling.

“Mom!?” Charlotte-san’s face flushed bright red, her voice a mix of shock and embarrassment.

It was a bold thing to say, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “What? No need to shout like that,” Sophia-san said, unfazed.

“But that’s way too soon…!” Charlotte-san protested, her cheeks still burning.

“Is it, though?” Sophia-san tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. Charlotte-san’s natural airheadedness clearly came from her. “…Ah, I see. Right, you two haven’t quite clicked yet, have you?”

She seemed to reach her own conclusion, leaving me wondering what she meant by “clicked.” Before I could ask, she pivoted. “Oh, I didn’t answer Akihito-kun’s question. Emma’s sleeping in Kanon-chan’s bed.” She pointed to a luxurious bed draped with white curtains, where a small lump under the blanket revealed Emma-chan, nestled snugly and breathing softly.

I carefully lifted the blanket to confirm. There she was, sleeping peacefully, her tiny chest rising and falling. Relief washed over me—President Himeragi hadn’t done anything to her.

“Let’s let her sleep like this,” I said quietly.

“Right,” Sophia-san agreed. “If she wakes up, we might not be able to talk.”

As she noted, if Emma-chan stirred, we’d have to entertain her, so it was better to let her rest comfortably. Sophia-san rested her chin in thought. “Now, where should I really start…”

“I’ve got a ton of things I want to ask,” Charlotte-san interjected, her pointed look betraying her complex feelings. Her mother knowing her boyfriend from childhood, being acquainted with the conglomerate member who framed him, and being a president—yeah, she had plenty of questions.

“Right, maybe it’s quicker to go in chronological order,” Sophia-san decided. “I think Lottie’s already figured it out, but I met Akihito-kun when he was little. For a while, we played together every day, like he was my real son.”

Charlotte-san shot me a sulky glance, her lips pursed in what looked like jealousy. Why, though? “We met when I was a kid, so there’s nothing shady about it, okay…?” I reassured her, just to be safe.

“That’s true… but it’s kind of annoying that Mom knows about your childhood when I don’t,” she huffed, clearly miffed that her mother had a piece of me she didn’t.

This girl, honestly… “Lottie’s got some serious possessiveness, huh?” Sophia-san teased, echoing my thoughts.

“—!?” Charlotte-san’s face turned crimson, her eyes wide with embarrassment. Her mother had hit the mark perfectly.

“I-I mean, anyone would want to know about their lover’s childhood…!” she stammered, pouting in protest. It was childish and utterly adorable.

“In your case, you’re just jealous, right? It’s not just about wanting to know,” Sophia-san pressed, grinning.

“Ugh, why are you being so mean…!” Charlotte-san whined, her voice rising slightly.

“It’s not like I’m being mean… But don’t raise your voice too much, or Emma might wake up and throw a fit,” Sophia-san cautioned.

“Ah…” Charlotte-san shrank, glancing at me with a sheepish look, likely embarrassed for showing such an unguarded side. I smiled reassuringly. “You two seem to get along well, so that’s good.”

“Ugh… I’m so embarrassed…” she mumbled, pinching the sleeve of my shirt, her face red up to her ears.

“You two seem closer, though,” Sophia-san observed with a gentle smile. Her tone had shifted, but she was still the same kind person I remembered. “So, back to the topic. Akihito-kun, is it okay if I talk about that promise?”

“The promise…?” Charlotte-san echoed, tilting her head curiously. She’d heard it mentioned earlier, but it hadn’t seemed significant then.

“Of course, it’s fine,” I nodded.

“Thank you,” Sophia-san said, turning to Charlotte-san. “Like I said, I thought of Akihito-kun like my own son. He was the same age as Lottie, after all. But I had a family in England and work, so I couldn’t stay in Japan or take him with me. When I left, I made a promise: when Akihito-kun grew up, I’d come back to welcome him as family.”

Yes, that was the precious promise I’d made with Onee-san. Charlotte-san’s eyes widened. “Could it be… the real reason you came to Japan, Mom…?”

“Yeah, I came to get Akihito-kun,” Sophia-san admitted with a wry smile. “Well, it’s true I’m working at the Okayama branch, though.”

She’d come to Japan for work as a kid, so there must be a branch here. No reason for her to lie. I was overjoyed she’d come for me, but a question nagged at me. “Why didn’t you meet me right away after coming to Japan?”

Charlotte-san had been in Japan for a while, and Sophia-san lived next door. Why the delay? “Hmm, talking about that would require a bit of a detour…” Sophia-san mused, tapping her lips. I found the gesture cute, but Charlotte-san’s pointed glance made me brush it off with a smile.

“Simply put, it was to let Lottie and Akihito-kun get close. I’d have been in the way,” she explained, raising a finger with a smile. Another question surfaced. “In the way… Wouldn’t it have been easier for us to get close if you mediated, Sophia-san?”

“No way,” she laughed. “If I did that, Lottie would’ve kept her distance from you. She’s got this thing where she’s scared of boys, even if she doesn’t show it.”

Charlotte-san awkwardly averted her gaze, confirming her mother’s words. So, Sophia-san wanted us to bond naturally. Which meant— “The first day after summer break, when Emma-chan got lost… that wasn’t an accident, was it? It was orchestrated, right?”

“Eh!?” Charlotte-san gasped, stunned. Sophia-san, however, gave a wry smile, unsurprised. “Why do you think that?”

“I could tell at school that Charlotte-san keeps her distance from boys,” I explained. “That’d likely be the same living next door. If left alone, we’d probably just exchange greetings. I didn’t think you’d stand by and let that happen.”

Sophia-san had set up an event to bring us closer, and Kanon-san would definitely be in on it. They’d ensured Emma-chan’s safety, even if we hadn’t noticed. “More than that, Charlotte-san and I took the same route home, just at different times. Yet she passed by Emma-chan, and I ran into her. That bugged me.”

Emma-chan had been crying loudly, and Charlotte-san’s hearing was sharp. If they’d passed each other, she wouldn’t have missed it. “…That’s amazing,” Sophia-san said, impressed. “You’re exactly right, Akihito-kun. We deliberately sent Emma out to look for Lottie. Of course, we had several people in disguise surrounding her to keep her safe.”

So, the people around when I found Emma-chan hadn’t approached because they were waiting for me, acting confused to sell the ruse. There were even collaborators at school. Beside me, Charlotte-san was visibly upset. She didn’t like that they’d used her little sister. I felt the same—even if it was to bring us closer, using a child left a bitter taste.

But Sophia-san and Kanon-san were like me. I could sense, without words, their struggle with using Emma-chan. They’d likely believed Charlotte-san would only open her heart to someone who protected her sister. Sophia-san’s calm explanation now showed she’d accepted any blame. If so, I couldn’t complain.

“Can I ask one more thing?” I said.

“Sure, ask anything. I’ll answer what I can,” Sophia-san replied.

“Miyu-sensei—our homeroom teacher—when did you become acquainted with her?”

Sophia-san’s smile turned troubled, while Charlotte-san looked confused. “Geez… You ask some tough questions, don’t you? It’s like you’re certain Hanazawa-sensei was involved.”

“I didn’t think much of it at first, but now I’m sure,” I said. “To ensure Emma-chan only met me, there had to be a collaborator at school.” Miyu-sensei had admitted her connection to Kanon-san, and depending on when they’d met, they might’ve cooperated earlier. “What does that mean…?” Charlotte-san asked, puzzled.

“It’s simple,” I explained. “After Emma-chan went missing, you made sure she’d never go out alone again, right?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Exactly. They only had one shot to make Emma-chan meet me, with no room for failure. If it didn’t work, you’d take precautions, and a second attempt would raise suspicion. So, they had a collaborator. That day, Miyu-sensei made me organize the storage room as punishment.”

That shifted my timing from Charlotte-san’s. More than that, Miyu-sensei had seemed to know I’d bring Emma-chan, claiming Charlotte-san had mentioned her missing sister and she’d seen me with a silver-haired girl. But given her personality, she’d have alerted other teachers and gone to Charlotte-san immediately. Instead, she stayed in the staff room—odd. She must’ve known I’d bring Emma-chan, likely contacted the moment I found her, timing her call to Charlotte-san perfectly.

“You asked Miyu-sensei, right? To keep me back and buy time. But she wouldn’t trust someone she’s not close to. So, you were already acquainted, weren’t you?”

Sophia-san studied me, then gave a wry smile. “You’re really something, Akihito-kun… You’ve grown up so well.” Confirming my guess, she continued, “Let me say one thing first. Hanazawa-sensei helped because she knew it’d be good for you, not just because we were acquainted. And another thing—I knew her, but we weren’t exactly close. She’s got her own circumstances. This time, it was Kanon-chan who asked her.”

So, Kanon-san was the link to Miyu-sensei, their closeness evident in her casual use of her first name. “There’s one thing I’m curious about…” I said. “I’ve been with Kanon-san almost all the time since I was little. We were together every day until I returned to the facility. The only time they could’ve met was during the hours I was there, from night to morning—but she never mentioned anything like that.”

“When did they become acquainted…?” I pressed.

“Hmm, well, that’s not something I should casually talk about,” Sophia-san said carefully. “It’s probably hard for Kanon-chan or Hanazawa-sensei to discuss, so I think it’s better not to touch on it.”

There was clearly heavy baggage there. Kanon-san had recommended my high school, claiming it was ideal for meeting quotas and far enough to avoid acquaintances. Akira and Kousaka-san commuted long distances, and few from my middle school attended. Was that a front, with the real reason being Miyu-sensei’s presence? Or was I overthinking it?

“Let’s get back on track,” Sophia-san said, her smile weak. “I know it was selfish to force you two together. But we thought it was for your sake. Please believe that.”

Her words rang true. “I don’t doubt that, but…” I glanced at Charlotte-san, who stared at her mother with dissatisfaction, likely holding back to avoid interrupting.

“Was it also for our sake that you didn’t come home much?” Charlotte-san asked pointedly.

“If I was around, you two wouldn’t be able to hang out at Akihito-kun’s place, right? Especially Lottie—she’s too shy to visit a boy’s room if I’m there,” Sophia-san explained. Charlotte-san’s shyness would’ve kept her away, and late visits would’ve been impossible. Sophia-san had stayed away to avoid revealing the orchestration before our bond deepened, which could’ve driven a wedge between us.

“Sorry for all the questions, but… I think Charlotte-san and Emma-chan must’ve felt lonely,” I said. “What did you think about that?”

Sophia-san’s reasons made sense, but they didn’t account for her daughters’ feelings. Why had she disregarded their emotions? Charlotte-san’s forgiveness hinged on that. “I thought Akihito-kun would fill that gap, and the loneliness would push them to seek something else to fill it,” she answered.

So, she’d calculated that their loneliness would draw them to me. “Why did you go so far to bring us together? There’s a reason, right?”

Their actions felt rushed, as if we had to be together immediately. “The reason I wanted you together was to keep my promise to you,” Sophia-san said gently. “To welcome you as my son, I chose a natural way.”

Her confident smile held no guilt. “Even if it meant ignoring Charlotte-san’s feelings?”

“Of course, I was thinking of Lottie’s happiness, too,” she said firmly. “Kanon-chan kept me updated on how you were growing up. I believed you’d be a support for Lottie and make her happy.”

Her certainty wasn’t a lie—she’d genuinely considered Charlotte-san’s happiness, trusting Kanon-san’s reports. “More than that—” Sophia-san’s expression turned serious. “Lottie’s been suffering because of her father. I wanted you to help her. My words, as someone involved, never reached her heart, no matter how much I tried.”

She lowered her eyes sadly. I’d suspected as much—Sophia-san didn’t resent Charlotte-san but had been trying to help her daughter, who blamed herself for her father’s death. I was relieved Charlotte-san wasn’t just a means for my sake. Glancing at her, she looked bewildered, having believed her mother resented her all this time.

“Mom… you don’t hate me…?” Charlotte-san asked hesitantly.

Sophia-san’s warm, gentle smile enveloped her. “There’s no way I’d hate my precious daughter. And about that accident, I’m proud of your father for protecting you. The one at fault was the car that ran the red light, so you don’t need to feel guilty, Lottie.”

Her loving words melted Charlotte-san’s defenses. Her face softened, the weight of guilt lifting, and she began to cry like a child, tears streaming freely.

I was so glad, truly.