Chapter 25 Motive for Stealing
It was unclear how much time had passed when faint voices reached Setogawakawa's ears.
"Ryuto-sama, is this the place?"
"It should be. The staff at the counter said so."
Almost simultaneously, the door to the room was opened.
"Sorry to interrupt."
As they spoke, two people entered the room—a boy and a girl whom Setogawakawa had never seen before. However, judging by their clothes, Setogawakawa could roughly guess their identities.
Setogawakawa quickly adjusted his state, trying his best to put on a smiling face despite his less than ideal complexion.
"You two must be Saori's classmates."
"Yes, nice to meet you."
Although he didn't know how to address them, calling them "classmates" should not be wrong.
With that, Ryuto and Hiyori took a seat.
Well, since they were currently undercover for investigation, it was only natural to choose people related to the target as the entry point. That's the reason Ryuto came to the hospital to meet Setogawakawa.
"Can you tell me your names?"
"Oh, sorry about that. I'm Amagi Ryuto, and this is..."
"I'm Tsuchimikado Hiyori."
Before Ryuto could finish speaking, Hiyori preemptively answered. Fortunately, she didn't say anything unnecessary.
Setogawakawa nodded slightly.
"You two must have come because you're worried about Saori, right?"
"Huh? Do you already know about it?"
Was the incident already reported to the family? Well, there was no need to think about who would do that. It was expected, and Ryuto didn't really mind.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Saori made such a big mistake, which must have caused you and the school a lot of trouble. I'm truly sorry."
Saying that, Setogawakawa leaned forward slightly, showing his apology.
"No, there's no need for you to do that. Please take care of yourself."
Faced with Setogawakawa's exaggerated actions, Ryuto looked a bit flustered. It would be terrible if something happened to Setogawakawa. He might be misunderstood.
"I don't know how Saori usually behaves at school, but she has always been a well-behaved child. The reason why this happened is actually because of me."
If you knew how she usually behaves at school, you wouldn't say that. Is she really well-behaved? I couldn't tell. Also, why is there such a difference in personality between the daughter and mother? Are they really biological mother and daughter? They are just like the strange combination of the twin sisters in our school.
"?"
Seeing Ryuto's confused expression, Setogawakawa explained further.
"Actually, today is my birthday."
"Is that so? Then congratulations."
Setogawakawa slightly nodded to acknowledge the response, then continued.
"And the reason why she took money from the class was just to buy me a gift."
"So that's why..."
"No, it's not just because of that. The reason why she took money from the class is ultimately because she didn't have any money. And the reason why she didn't have any money is because of my fault. She should be enjoying her studies and experiencing life at this age, but it's my uselessness as a mother that not only failed to provide her with what she deserves but also burdened her, leading to this situation. So everything is my fault."
Normally, an elder shouldn't show this side to a young person. Maybe it wasn't the right timing for Ryuto's visit, or perhaps Setogawakawa just happened to find Ryuto as someone to confide in. After all, it's not easy to talk about such family matters with medical staff.
But regardless, Setogawakawa's current emotions were genuine to Ryuto. His self-blaming and his remorse towards his daughter were not fake.
However, this situation made Ryuto feel uncomfortable. He thought about what he could do and subconsciously looked at Hiyori beside him. Somehow, Hiyori remained silent, with tears seemingly welling up in her eyes.
No, it seemed they were already caught up in this. This person is easily moved, indeed.
