Flowers of Kotonoha Do Not Bloom There: Something Close to a Trap in the Flow of Conversation #1

I washed the dishes, checked the stove, and headed to the dining room. Nori and Mr. Toribayashi were still chatting, and I stopped at the entrance, captivated by the sight. Nori was actively talking to someone. It was such a rare sight that I almost wanted to record it as a memento.

I should let them talk as long as they like. I'll leave them be. But then again, it was almost 1:30 AM. The bathhouse is open until 3:00 AM. Since the other guests have already finished bathing, there's no particular rush to recommend it, but Mr. Toribayashi might be tired. If he were to fall ill, it would ruin his trip. I should let him know.

As I stood at the entrance of the dining room waiting for a break in the conversation, Nori glanced at me.

"Peeking and eavesdropping are prohibited."
"Huh? No, that's not it! I was going to tell Mr. Toribayashi about the bath."
"I already talked to him about that a long time ago."
"Oh... I see. Thank you."
"Don't mention it, this is part of my duty as the night shift staff."

I gave a small bow to Nori, who wore a smug look that was almost expressionless, and turned my face toward Mr. Toribayashi.

"Well then, I'll be at the front desk."
"Oh, wait a second, Sasaki-kun."

Before I could finish, Mr. Toribayashi lifted himself from his seat and beckoned me over.

Surprised by the sudden summons, I went over to Mr. Toribayashi. He pulled out the chair next to him as if to say, 'Come on, sit down.' As I stood there, bewildered, Nori, who was sitting across from Mr. Toribayashi, gave a single nod. I assumed it meant for me to sit.

"...Excuse me."

When I sat down, feeling intimidated, Mr. Toribayashi turned his body toward me and stared, and I mean really stared, right at my face.

"Ah... yeah, you look like him. Now that you mention it, anyway."

Seeming satisfied with something, Mr. Toribayashi nodded with a smile. What were they talking about? Before I could ask, Nori spoke up.

"I told you my dad and Mr. Toribayashi were classmates, right?"
"Huh?"
"Which means, your...?"
"My...?"
"Mo... ther."
"Oh! I see."

As I found the answer, I also noticed that Nori had changed how he addressed Mr. Toribayashi from [Mr. Toribayashi (sama)] to [Mr. Toribayashi (san)]. Mr. Toribayashi had likely suggested it himself. I had a feeling that was the case.

Mr. Toribayashi drained the remaining catnip tea in his teacup and asked me a question.

"Is your mother doing well?"
"Oh, yes... I believe she is."
"You 'believe'?"
"We don't see each other that often."
"Well, you're a boy, so I suppose that's how it goes. I heard you're living here, Sasaki-kun. It's rare these days to work as a live-in employee. Isn't it hard to secure any privacy?"
"I don't really have much of a private life to speak of... There's a lot I want to learn, and it's more convenient to live here... I feel bad for taking advantage of the master's kindness, though."
"Yoichi has a big heart, after all. He's been popular since he was young. I guess you could say he has a lot of capacity for others. I suppose that's what Harumi-chan was drawn to."

In front of Mr. Toribayashi and me, who were nodding along, Nori muttered.

"He's big in appearance, too, though."
"Noriyaki-kun! I didn't dare say that, but is self-deprecation okay at Inuoka?"
"No restrictions have been issued."

Nori stated firmly. After a beat, Mr. Toribayashi let out a laugh. After laughing for a while and exhaling a long, tired breath, Mr. Toribayashi began to speak quietly.

"Ah, it's been a long time since I've laughed this much... truly."

Mr. Toribayashi leaned back in his chair. It was the first time I had seen such a melancholy expression on him. It didn't feel like he was just tired. I hesitated to ask if something was wrong. Just as I was thinking that,

"Is something the matter? If you don't mind us, we're happy to listen."

Nori said it bluntly. And he included me without asking. Honestly, I'm not good with heavy topics. Well, he probably won't talk about it anyway.

"Ah, no..."

See, just as I thought. Mr. Toribayashi was troubled. No matter how quickly they had hit it off, he wouldn't easily open up about his inner thoughts. Especially if this was a [trip with a reason].

"...Yeah, maybe I will let you listen."

He's going to say it.

My eyes widened in surprise. I blinked to hide it and looked at Nori.

Stay seated.

Nori's eyes were saying exactly that.

Mr. Toribayashi stroked the back of his head with a bitter, awkward smile, then straightened his back and sat up in his chair. It looked like he had made up his mind to talk.

I hadn't shown any intention of listening. But it seemed I had fallen into a situation where I couldn't just walk away. And before I could prepare myself to listen, Mr. Toribayashi began to speak.