Volume 3 - Me, Her, and a Pair of Wings
Chapter 5
We arrived at the hospital room and knocked on the door. Almost immediately, we heard a response, and Chinatsu and I opened the door to step inside.
"Hey, Hajime-kun, it’s been a while."
Besides Suzuka-san, who was lying in bed, there was a middle-aged man in a suit standing by her side. I know who he was.
"Tsukasa-san, it's been a while," I said, bowing my head.
"I came from a family full of lawyers, so they named me Tsukasa, which means 'to administer law'. True to my name, I ended up going to law school and becoming a lawyer. Unlike this guy, I lived quite a predictable life."
He laughed as he referred to my uncle, and then introduced himself as a friend from the best law school in Japan, which my uncle had casually dropped out of. He had been quite a great help to me..
After the family accident, he assisted with the inheritance issues, arranging the house to be in my uncle's name while still listing me as the sole occupant. He also took care of various other legal matters. Though my uncle moved around the globe frequently, Tsukasa-san stayed in touch through calls and emails, often checking in on us. When I reached out about Suzuka-san and Chinatsu's father's situation, he readily agreed to take on the case himself.
"And you must be Chinatsu-san. Nice to meet you. I'm Morita Tsukasa. You could say I'm a relative of Hajime-kun here."
"...Nice to meet you! I’m Minamino Chinatsu. Hajime-kun has been a great help to me!"
Tsukasa-san glanced at Chinatsu gently and then gave me a meaningful look.
"I see. So, Chinatsu-san, may I ask about your specific relationship with Hajime-kun?"
"Eh…? well… um… Hajime-kun is… my boyfriend."
With a serious expression, Tsukasa-san asked Chinatsu directly. Her stuttering response made him break into a broad smile.
"Ah, I see, I see… Well, that's wonderful. Hajime-kun, you never mentioned having such a lovely girlfriend the last time we spoke. Though, I did suspect there was more to it when you introduced me to Minamino-san, saying you needed to discuss something."
"Come on, Tsukasa-san, you're making Chinatsu uncomfortable. Please stop teasing her… Besides, you said you came all the way here despite being busy, but that's the first thing you’ll say?”
I said before letting out a sigh.
"No, no, it's important. If I'm going to handle matters for someone who might become family, it's good to be thorough. Oh, but remember, 'all clients are equal' is my motto, so let's keep this off the record,” he said, grinning mischievously while raising a finger to his lips, making both Chinatsu and I exchange glances in response. Despite running a well-known law firm around Nishitokyo, he had a mature yet playful and down-to-earth personality.
"Now, let's get to the main topic. First of all, Hajime-kun, Chinatsu-san, you both did well… Escaping in a taxi to protect a girl isn’t something everyone could do. Well, it is as they say: love changes people.”
"...Tsukasa-san, can we please stick to the main topic? And by the way… is it fine for me to stay here and listen?"
I assumed he was deliberately trying to sidetrack the conversation, so I immediately interjected to bring it back on track. As I voiced my concerns, Chinatsu gently took my hand. When I looked over, Suzuka-san was also nodding in agreement. It seemed that she had already discussed everything with Tsukasa-san. He smiled at us before turning serious again.
"...Alright, Chinatsu-san. Thanks to the information Hajime provided to Suzuka-san—your mother—we're proceeding with the custody case. Even though the other side most likely also has a lawyer, they'll likely accept our terms. But, well… Suzuka-san is considering revising the terms… and on top of that, there are two rather difficult decisions you need to make."
"Okay."
"Firstly, in cases where the divorcing couple has a child over the age of fifteen, the child's wishes often play a significant role in custody decisions. This applies even when the father is clearly at fault, as in this case. Depending on which parent the child chooses to live with, the arrangements for child support and alimony will differ."
"Yes."
"In this case, due to your father having an affair... Simply put, the custody is already leaning towards Suzuka-san without giving you a proper opportunity to express your wishes."
"Yes, I heard. That's why dad…"
"Exactly. Although we can only speculate, we believe that's what he intended. To counter this, we need you to formally document that you wish to live with Suzuka-san."
"Yes... Honestly, I can't trust my father after he spoke that way about someone important to me and said bad things about mom. Besides, mom talked things through with me properly. So, I want to stay with her.”
"Chinatsu…" Suzuka-san dabbed at her eyes as she listened to Chinatsu's resolute words in response to Tsukasa-san’s explanation. I silently stood by, watching them.
"Thank you. Now, this is a decision made by Suzuka-san. She will retain the rights to the apartment house and most of the household items. Since both of their savings were already kept in separate accounts, those will remain as they are. Furthermore, she has chosen not to request any child support or alimony."
"...Eh?"
Chinatsu let out a confused sound. I was also confused by her decisions, it was almost as if—.
"—Almost as if the one who complains first loses, right?”
"Yes. I don't really understand what kind of work you both do, but it feels wrong considering what happened the other day. As if saying that the first one to call the other selfish wins."
"That’s true… I understand why it might seem that way. But, Chinatsu, from a financial standpoint, we don’t need the money. At least for me and for your living expenses, we’ll be fine."
"Really?" Chinatsu, sounding a bit surprised, responded to her mother’s words.
"Yes. I earned as much as your father as an office worker. It might seem odd but even now, despite my health issues, my job remains secure and my position is stable because the company seems to have a lot of trust in me. My decision to pursue financial claims was more about my pride as a woman and a bit of retaliation. I thought I’d take some money from him.”
Suzuka-san chuckled sadly and glanced at me before continuing.
"But when it started to affect you two, it really hit me as a parent. So, I decided to let go of my pride and cut all financial ties. And with your decision, Chinatsu, I don't think anything like that will happen again. Of course, it would be a lie to say I’m not disappointed, but this is for the best.”
"M-mom…"
Chinatsu's voice cracked slightly as she responded. Seeing her pained expression, Tsukasa-san continued in a kind, yet professional tone.
"Lastly, regarding child support. Legally, children are entitled to it or you could say that it's a parental duty. Although Suzuka-san's stance is as she stated, you, Chinatsu-san, have the right to decide. While divorce is an issue between the married couple, Suzuka-san, your mother and Junji-san, your father, it doesn’t change the fact that he is your biological father, even though you guys are no longer a family legally.”
Tsukasa-san paused, ensuring that Chinatsu was following his explanation.
"Additionally, you need to decide if you want to allow your father the right to visitation. As with child support, it’s generally better to formalize these decisions in a legal document."
"I understand. First, as for child support, I'll follow whatever my mother decides. I don't fully grasp the financial implications, but if it's manageable for her, I'll accept it. I'll also work part-time if needed. And regarding my father… right now, I can't even think about seeing him again. But… I still have memories of him being a kind father to me, so I might feel differently in the future."
"...Thank you. We will proceed accordingly with child support. For visitation, as per your wishes, we'll establish that any contact must be initiated by you and prevent any unilateral attempts from your father. However, if you want to see him, we can arrange visitation opportunities accordingly. Does that sound acceptable?"
"Ah… please do so. And, thank you for considering my feelings."
"Hehe, of course, since you’re the precious girlfriend of someone I care about… Now, I'll need you to sign some documents. I’ll prepare the proper paperwork and arrange an appointment soon. Well then, Minamino-san, I have some preparations to make, so I'll take my leave now. Take your time to discuss things as a family, and if you change your mind or need anything else, don't hesitate to reach out. And, Hajime-kun, it goes without saying, but take good care of her, alright?"
"Thank you very much."
“Yes, take care, Tsukasa-san.”
We both replied. Tsukasa-san nodded, picked up his briefcase, and left swiftly.
After seeing him off, we turned back to Suzuka-san.
"Thank you, both of you. Especially you, Chinatsu, thank you for what you said."
Suzuka-san's face seemed to relax, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
“It’s fine, mom. But… why did you insist that Hajime be here? Not that I mind; I’m glad he was with me and I wanted him to know. It’s just…"
Chinatsu's curiosity mirrored my own. I was grateful to be included, but I didn't see why my presence was necessary.
"Ara, you really have changed, my dear daughter. You're the picture of a young woman in love.”
"Wai— Mom?!”
Suzuka-san looked at Chinatsu as she rubbed her cheeks, which made the latter respond in fluster.
Ignoring her daughter’s state, she continued talking. However, her next words made the both of us freeze.
"Well… the main reason I asked Hajime-kun to be here is because there’s something I wanted to tell the both of you… To put it simply, could Chinatsu stay at your place for a while, Hajime-kun? It might be around two to three weeks, and possibly be until the winter break, depending on the results of my follow-up check ups after my discharge and adjustments to my diet among other things."
"What?"
"...What!?"
Suzuka-san said this so casually, but isn't she essentially suggesting that we live together?
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Bonus Chapter (5/6)
