SHS – V1 Ch 1 Part 4

Translator: ShimizuA    Editor: Boomer


The Immature Prime Minister and a Broken Home.

The mayonnaise that Tsukasa and his group made was received favorably by everyone at the dinner that day. It was a given for the Elm villagers since it was the first condiment they ever ate, but for the Earthlings, it was the first nostalgic flavor they had tasted after a month. From now on, mayonnaise would become indispensable in Elm village meals.
With that, such a meaningful day for them finally came to an end.
Late at night, even though she needed to get up early for meal-duty, Riruru was unable to fall asleep.
She had entered her bed, intending to sleep, but no matter what, her eyes stayed wide awake. She couldn’t stop her head from thinking things over. Her mind still revolved around the words that Tsukasa inadvertently said this afternoon.

‘I was thrown away by my mother, you know. Though, it can’t be helped. I have done something cruel, something unforgivable that must have hurt her deeply.’

Tsukasa hurt his mother deeply. Also, the bond between mother and her child was cut.
Even though they have only been socializing for a month, that was long enough to understand Tsukasa’s strong sense of justice and kindness. Today’s uproar was also an example of that.
That was why Riruru couldn’t imagine it. The idea that Tsukasa would hurt his own mother enough to force her to abandon him.

(… I wonder if something in particular happened.)

It was bothering her and made her unable to sleep.
At that time.
Riruru heard a clear sound of someone stepping on gravel.
Who is that at this time of night… She thought as she peeked outside the window.
“Tsukasa…”

◆◇◆◇◆

Traversing through the sleeping village, Tsukasa walked towards the airplane crash site. He continued to walk until he reached the edge of the cliff where you could view the valley below.
Beneath his eyes, only debris of the frame of the airplane was left after Ringo proceeded with the dismantling of the craft for parts. Above, one could see stars that scattered in the clear sky.
Even without any lamps, the night in this world was full of gentle light. Thanks to this starlight, he was able to reach his destination without getting lost or stumbling.
Tsukasa sat down at that spot and started up at the other world’s sky.
After a while, he heard some footsteps from behind him. He turned back, and there was a girl’s silhouette with long ears that he recognized──
“… So it’s Riruru, huh.”
“The nights in the mountains are chilly. You will catch a cold if you dress lightly like that.”
As she said that, Riruru handed out a blanket that she had brought To Tsukasa.
“Thank you for the trouble.”
“What are you doing in this place?”
“I only wanted to go stargazing. In the country where I live, we hardly can see such a splendid starry sky.”
Perhaps because there was rain yesterday, the starry sky tonight was so especially magnificent that its brilliance tempted Tsukasa to go out. However, Tsukasa understood in one glance that stargazing wasn’t the case for Riruru.
“As I saw it, your expression told me that you haven’t come here only to deliver this blanket, isn’t that right… Did you need something?”
“H, how did you know that?”
“I’m good at reading people’s expressions.”
Her face was slightly clouded by gloominess. Her lovely blonde hair that glittered like gold dust under the moonlight, had just a few spots of bed head mixed in. Probably, she couldn’t go to sleep, even after she had been lying down.
There was also the fact that she came to this place, so Tsukasa realized that it had something to do with him, so he asked Did you need something.
“If there is something that’s bothering you, feel free to ask. There isn’t much that I will hide from you.”
Since it seemed that Tsukasa had meant what he said, Riruru decided to cut straight to the main topic.
“… I don’t, really need anything in particular. It’s just… I’m curious about the matter that was mentioned today.”
“Today? I guess it’s about when those soldiers came, then.”
“No. It was before that. It’s about… how you have done horrible things to your mother, and you have been abandoned ever since… that was what you said.”
“Aah, so it was about that.”
“Tsukasa… you’re really a good person. When you opened your eyes after coming to this world, the first and foremost thing you did was worrying about the others; even today, you made such a wonderful condiment for the children, and you also saved Winona. To me… you don’t look like a person that would hurt his own mother. I can’t believe it… That’s why I wonder how in the world it became like that… I’m sorry. For butting into your own matters…”
“No, it’s okay. It’s also my fault that I said such heavy words thoughtlessly.”
Tsukasa answered Riruru, who averted her gaze apologetically.
It was impossible to say don’t mind it.

(──Especially for Riruru.)

Tsukasa and the others heard it from the village chief, Ulga.
Riruru was… an orphan picked up by Ulga. She was abandoned in the forest, even before she was able to walk. She was the only one who didn’t have beast ears, or a tail in the village since she didn’t have any blood relations with anyone here.
Because of that, she may be sensitive about such topics. It wasn’t just mere curiosity.
If so,… then it would be pitiful to reject her by saying that ‘it was a private matter’. In the first place, ti was his thoughtless remark that caused this.
And so, Tsukasa decided to tell her. About the betrayal, he did to his mother long before he came to this world.
“It’s true that I was abandoned after I hurt my mother deeply. However, it can’t be helped. Because I took her significant other’s life away.”
“Took, took a life…?”
“Yeah… I had, I killed my real father myself.”

◆◇◆◇◆

Mikogami Tsukasa was born in a peaceful period from the couple Mikogami Mitsuhide, secretarial Vice-minister of the Ministry of Finance, and the daughter of Fuyo Genpachiro, a third generation lawmaker that served as the prime minister at that time.
Right after Tsukasa was born, Mitsuhide, with Genpachiro’s recommendation, assumed the position of Prime Minister as his substitute. With a great father and a gentle mother, Tsukasa spent his childhood without any inconvenience.
── But, such blissful times didn’t last long.
That is because he, who already had an intelligent mind and was insightful since he was young, he could feel it. Those happy days were made possible by his father’s corruption, so massive that it would force one to divert their eyes from it.
An enormous amount of embezzlement and bribes, and numerous violations of the Public Office Election Law. On top of those, he instigated the murder of any politician and businessman who opposed him, and any reporter who tried to uncover his secret illegal practices.
But, even though his father was doing all of that, he couldn’t be charged with only Tsukasa’s suspicion.
As one who had served as the secretarial Vice-minister of the Ministry of Finance for a long time; no one was able to judge him. Not only those in the same bureau, the police, the government and the corporate world, and even the mass media, because he knew all of their weaknesses like the back of his hand.
Indeed, Mikogami Mitsuhide was the absolute inviolable emperor that reigned over the political and industrial world of Japan.
And then… one tragedy was born from those circumstances.
In October, the year when Tsukasa enrolled in junior high school. A certain domestic flight crashed, and all the crew and passengers died.
However, it wasn’t just a simple accident. It was an act of terrorism that his father, Mitsuhide, manipulated behind the scenes, in order to kill off his former secretary.
At that moment, a crack appeared between Tsukasa and Mitsuhide. For Tsukasa, who yearned to become a great politician like his father since he was little… the way his father accomplished his aims was unforgivable.
Because of that, he decided to attack his biological father.
Together with his two childhood friends: Sanada Masato, who by that time already distinguished himself as a savvy businessman in the financial world, and Sarutobi Shinobu, a capable journalist who made a name for herself and made many high-selling articles in newspapers and magazines, they brought his father’s corruption to light. This also brought down the people backing him, purging the ruling party’s politicians. Effectively, they banished his father from the political world.  
Then, after the trial was over, his father Mitsuhide, was sentenced to death after being charged with instigating mass murder and inviting foreign threat. The citizens were delighted about Tsukasa’s deed that was akin to slaying evil, even if that evil was his father, and had come to trust him deeply… however, his mother couldn’t forgive him for what he had done.
Even now, he still remembered it clearly. The pain he felt when her hand, that looked like a withered branch after being sapped by anxiety slapped him.

‘For those citizens who were total strangers, you dare to kill your real father, are you out of your mind!?’

She insulted him with curses.
“… And then my mother disappeared from my life. I never heard anything from her since.”
“Such a thing…”
“It’s not like I resent my mother or anything. Since what she did shows how much she loves my father. It was justified for my father to be judged after what he has done, but my mother was different. Loving someone isn’t a sin. It was natural for her to hate and resent me. I don’t have the right to refute that.”
“… Can’t you reconcile with her?”
“It seems that’s impossible… It may be possible if I were to repent of my own actions, but… I don’t regret that I killed my father, not in the slightest.
Because what he had done was unforgivable. Humans have something called desire. A desire for money. A desire for success. And, a desire for reputation──.
It was an important thing, that drove the world. There will be no progress without desire. However, in my opinion, a politician in a democratic state shouldn’t have a selfish desire.
Why? Because a politician is given ‘the authority’ to easily change others lives. Those people who follow their greed, who use that authority for themselves, will lead the country to its ruin.
‘A politician is also a human. It’s impossible for them to throw away their greed’. You can’t let it slide with that excuse.
As a general rule, since authority exceeding one’s life is maintained via the trust of others, one cannot remain alone in selfishness── A politician must be a saint.”
Or at least, they must strive to act like one. Otherwise, many of the citizens would suffer, and die out.
“It has been proven by history. This isn’t a work where you can indulge in your greed.”
──After his passionate speech, Tsukasa realized that he had been running his mouth, and said something unnecessary.
“Pardon me. It seems I was irritated after I saw the persecution by the soldiers this afternoon. I got heated up unnecessarily. Sorry to make you hear a long and boring story… We should return soon. A night in the mountains is cold indeed.”
Tsukasa apologized as he stood up, and turned to Riruru who was behind him.
Then… he opened his eyes in surprise.
“…… Why are you crying?”
Riruru who was standing behind him was sobbing, tears overflowing from her eyes.
“Hic… I’m, sorry. It’s just, when I think about how you feel… it was, so sad.”
The tears wouldn’t stop, even after she wiped them.
To decide what other people are feeling in their hearts at one’s own convenience was an egotistical thing to do. However, even though she understood that Riruru couldn’t stop her tears from spilling.
Because, ──she knew how it felt.
She wondered how happy he felt when he was cooking with his mother. No… She was even sure that Tsukasa also loved his father, despite how immoral he was.
However, he destroyed those relationships.
His kindness and strength left him with no choice. When she thought about how Tsukasa felt during that time, it broke her heart.
*Hic… Sniffle…*
She couldn’t hold back the grief that burst up in her.
To Riruru who was crying like that… Tsukasa put his hand on her shoulder.
“… Tsu, Tsukasa?”
“You’re truly kind, Riruru.”
He then gently embraced her body and uttered words of gratitude.
“Thanks. For standing up for my sake… it makes me feel a little at ease.”
He was really happy with Riruru’s straightforward thoughtfulness.
Thus, Tsukasa continued to gently embrace and pat her, until she calmed down.
Only by one person.
Warm emotions, that were directed only at him.
Only by one person.
Warm tears that were shed, only for him.
All of it certainly felt peaceful.

──Furthermore, from that day on, mayonnaise was used on bread, vegetables, stew, on every dish in Elm village. This made the super high schoolers suffer from a mental stomachache, but that was a story for another time.

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