The school is the children’s world.
The values of the adult world do not enter here.
The children decide their own values, and create their own world.
That is why, ……no matter what irrational rule sways the adult world that is the village, here it does not matter.
Within the village, the Hojou Family are isolated, and even if we understand what the adults are saying behind their backs, it is never conveyed over in the schoolyard.
The values of the children’s world are decided by the children.
……What rules they feel to be irrational are not carried over here.
That’s why. As the representative of the children’s world, as the class president, I vowed to not allow those irrational rules to seep in, even in the smallest amount, here.
Within the schoolyard, I will not forgive any teasing of the Houjou children.
In the very beginning of the beginning, some boys teasingly attempted to bully Satoko but, since I punished them relentlessly from there on, things like that have stopped completely.
That is, my meager resistance to the irrational of the village…
That is why, I would like to think at the very least, within the schoolyard that Satoshi and Satoko could feel secure.
Satoshi seemed to have noticed my consideration and while in the school he was able to make a gentle smile.
But the same smile could not be seen on Satoko’s face.
……Several classmates near her age tried to cheer her up, eventually concluded that it was best to leave her alone, and avoided Satoko.
At first, I also proactively approached her but, ……I came to the realization, and stopped.
I am a Sonozaki.
To Satoko, I could be discomforting her by approaching her…
What I can do, was to watch over her in the shadows.
That is why, in the classroom Satoko was always alone.
Even so, even when said to be annoying, Rika-chan glued to her side, and Satoshi always tried to be next to her.
……Only these two, were the exception standing by Satoko.
But not limited to Satoko, ……the malicious ostracism of the Hojou Family knew no end.
Because her hysterical Aunt frankly displayed hostility to her neighbors, there was no one who held any sympathy towards them.
……There are fights worth taking and ones better set aside.
If the Aunt had a little self-control and tolerance, they would have not inherited the blanket ostracism of Mr. & Mrs. Hojou.
……Although, it was the village who first threw this irrational inheritance upon them, even though they were unrelated to the issue.
However, …if they would have held their head down low, it wouldn’t have gone this far.
The Aunt’s hostility was one thing, …but the life of the family were dragged into the mess.
It seems that the Uncle’s relationship with the Aunt was already horrible, and he rarely came home staying out most of the time.
This shame brought Satoshi and Satoko painful memories.
The Aunt sought out Satoko as her an outlet for her stress, and Satoko was continually pounded by her malicious harassment.
……This is the also same.
…Even if the Aunt was her provisional guardian, Satoko displayed her obvious disgust towards her Aunt, showing no intention to hide it even on the surface.
She should have learned from Satoshi, passing the time humbly, never becoming the target of her Aunt’s wrath.
…Then, can one say, presently, Satoko put herself in this situation where she lives the passing days staring down with no light in her eyes?
………That is not so.
But, even if we want to sympathize with her or help her, ……no one knew what do anymore.
By now, even if someone apologizes to someone, …this situation will not change.
The flow that has gushed out, can not be changed.
The village structure harassment of the Hojou Family, that flow, can not be changed.
That horrid situation lurks behind our lives.
……The neighbors, the village, the community.
If you become enemies with them, …this world will becomes this cruel.
……From ancient times, the Japanese knew this that is why as obligation one is to be courteous to their neighbors, promoting humility.
No matter whose fault you place it on, the smile on Satoko’s face will not return.
…What I can do, is at the very least while she is in school, is to watch over her so that she has a place to be secured.
“………Thank you. Mion.”
“…eh? Ah hahaha, sorry, what?”
“Nothing. …Just, thank you for your consideration for Satoko.”
Satoshi may seem like he’s absent-minded, …but occasionally says stuff as if he was reading one’s mind.
I tried to deny it, as it was out of my character to be read like that, but as if knowing my thoughts, he gently laughed.
“Satoko just forgotten how to smile. ……When she’s at school, …really for that time being, she is given a moment to take the load off her shoulders. That’s probably, the most gentle moments Satoko has, I believe.”
“Ahahahahaha… ……Well, this is about all Ojisan can do.”
“………That’s not true. I’m also just as grateful.”
“Stop it. ……There’s nothing to be grateful about. The ones that are causing you all this grief, is probably, my family.”
“………I, never thought of it that way. Never.”
…I’m not great at reading people’s subtle signs, but I knew that these words from Satoshi were a lie.
Satoshi also, …knew the roots of the ostracism laid with the Sonozaki Family, ……and consciously must have been aware that I am the daughter of the Sonozaki Estate.
Satoshi is mature, that is why he doesn’t take his anger out on me.
………If, Satoshi was as short tempered as his Aunt, it would have been no mystery if he were to outspokenly show his prejudice against me.
In that case, the right way to be thoughtful could be that I do not get close to them.
………But, since I am meddlesome, I cannot overlook Satoko down look or …Satoshi who feigns his admirable smile.
…Even if that may be more troublesome to Satoshi and Satoko.
“…………………I, ……may not understand Satoko’s feelings at all.”
“……Why do you say that?”
“The main reason why Satoko is feeling this pain is because of my family. ……Being that I am the daughter of that family, for me to be meddling around her, I feel that I’m not reading the air around her.”
“That’s not true. Mion, I think that’s just about right. “
“What the heck. Are you saying that me being insensible is just about right?”
“Muu, I didn’t mean it that way. …………That air you were talking about, if that what is robbing Satoko’s smile then. …I believe it has to be a person who doesn’t mind that air who can bring back her smile.”
“……You, you’re saying wondering things, but aren’t you making fun at me at the same time? You’re so terrible, ahahaha!”
“I’m not making fun of you. ………I want you to help, that’s all.”
“…eh?”
“………I alone can’t bring Satoko’s smile back. ……I need the help of a person as strong as you, Mion.”
“b, but… I’m, ……Sonozaki Mion, you know…? If I did something insensible as that, it might hurt Satoko even more…”
“When that air is what is making Sakoto all alone…? That’s why Mion, are you too, going to leave Satoko all alone…?”
“………………………”
This was the first time, … Satoshi directly sought for my help.
To him, Satoko is a precious person.
……To bring back the smile to Satoko’s face, my help is needed, that is what he clearly asked for.
But, …… ……well… ……that may be true.
The quarrel between the Sonozaki Family and the Hojou Family, is the circumstances placed down by the adults, …it is irrelevant to us kids.
That irrational adult rule means absolutely nothing in the children’s world.
…I can, in the world that I create, protest against the adult world’s irrationality.
“……Will Satoko, really, think that I’m not a bother?”
“She might be at first. But, I’m with you. With you, Mion. She’ll soon open up.”
“Re, really…! ………………Today, after school, should I ask Satoko to play with us?”
“…If we go home then our Aunt will rant at us, so we may not be able to come out.”
“Aha, then that’s easy. We’ll just play before you go home.”
“But, if we get home late, she’ll ask what the heck we were doing……”
“ahmmm, then, that’s it, yea, that’s it! What if you said that you two joined a club?”
“A club?”
“Yep. Tell her it’s a club, and we’ll play at school before you go home. You see, there’s a lot of boys still playing here without going home yet. It should be no problem!”
“ah, but, if we dirty our clothes then our Aunt will again…,”
“fufun, then, instead of doing outdoor stuff, we’ll concentrate on indoor stuff! That way your clothes won’t be dirtied.”
“By indoors, do you mean the classroom? But if we get too riled up then Chie-sensei…”
“ku ku ku! It’s possible to get worked up indoors without being riled. Ojisan may not look like it, but I love games. I collected treasures like the ones from overseas. The manuals are difficult as they are in English so I’ve been hording many of them away as I didn’t have a person to play them with.”
“I wonder if Satoko can play those.”
“Of course! Ahaha, who cares about the rules, if we don’t know them we will make them up on the spot! If everyone is playing by the same rules, then any rule is fair game!”
As I said that in high spirits, I wonder if asking Satoko to play the games which I bring from home will really bring her smile back.
……Better to try then not. …Tomorrow, I guess I’ll bring some kind of board game.
“You, …you know, Mion. I would like to ask you something.”
“What? If it’s something I can do, I’m all ears.”
“I’m, ……looking for a part-time job. To cheer up Satoko, …I thought I’ll get her a wonderful birthday present.”