The story we started

[“He was originally fearless and would not let anything shake his will and determination...but after you and Kyosuke were born, everything changed.”]

[“Because as a policeman, Daisuke’s responsibility to the citizens has been added with you, and everything he has is divided in half.”]

[“Half is countless others, and the other half… is you two siblings.”]

[“You know what? Daisuke has a few things that he always regrets. He has always been absent from your and Kyosuke’s entrance ceremonies… because every time on the day of your entrance ceremony, vicious incidents have occurred one after another.”]

[“Daisuke at that time was just like Kyosuke now, he was the absolute core of his team, and he was the only one who could lead his subordinates to solve all the serious cases. So if Daisuke was missing, the entire investigation process would be delayed, and there would be no other colleagues in the police station who could replace him... The worst result would be that many innocent people would be affected and their lives would be in danger.”]

[“At that time, he always had to make a choice, that is, whether to put the public first or to choose to attend the entrance ceremony of you two siblings... Of course, I think you also know the final result, and you should have been resentful of your father all along, right?”]

[“After all, from the perspective of a police officer, it is easy to make a choice between the life of another person and the entrance ceremony of one’s own child’s life that will happen more than once… But from the perspective of a father, it is completely different.”]

[“So Daisuke has always felt guilty. He also knows the rumors that you and Kyosuke heard after entering school, but he has no way to explain anything because this is the choice he made and he owes you.”]

[“There are many, many other similar things. When you and Kyosuke were sick and needed to see a doctor, when you had your birthday party, when the family planned to go on a long-awaited trip, when he promised to take you to the amusement park... every time he was not able to accompany you. As a father, he was always dragged along by his role as a policeman, and was constrained by his sense of responsibility that your grandfather had cultivated since childhood, so he could only break his promise to you again and again.”]

[“After such a long period of choice, Daisuke felt regretful. He began to regret his previous choice to become a policeman. He regretted that the police work took up most of his time from your lives, so that you and your sister’s childhood could not be accompanied by your father like other children.”]

[“This is why Daisuke is against Kyosuke becoming a policeman… He doesn’t want Kyosuke to become the same person as himself in the future, who can only give up his family and choose the public again and again under the constraint of responsibility. He doesn’t want his son to become a different person when facing his future family after becoming a policeman, and become a police officer who puts the public first and his family second.”]

[“Rather than being a policeman, he hopes to be by your side as a father, watching over you and your brother like an ordinary father.”]

[“…But he still failed to do this in the end. There aren’t so many ifs in the world.”]

[“Because before becoming your father, Kosaka Daisuke was already a policeman, a real policeman. The terms ‘responsibility’ and ‘the public’ ran through his life.”]

Chiba Prefecture, Takasaka family.

"..."

Daisuke Kousaka looked silently at his "wife" in the light screen who was telling him about his pain and worries over the years. His eyelids narrowed slightly to block out the somewhat dim eyes behind him.

As his wife, Yoshino Kousaka didn't say anything, but she still held her husband's broad hand tightly.

[After the words were spoken, the ward fell into silence for a moment.]

[Kousaka Kirino wanted to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything. The countless words in her mind were like a river blocked by a dam, flowing but unable to cross the high wall.]

[But in my mind, my father's face, which had become blurred with the passage of time, gradually became clear at this moment, and many details that I had deliberately forgotten began to appear.]

[Kousaka Kirino suddenly remembered something, and thought about her father. ]

[I remember how he was out of breath every time he rushed to my and my brother's entrance ceremony; I remember how he came back with a beautifully wrapped birthday present in his hand after missing my birthday party; I remember how he promised to take me and my brother to the amusement park, but his expression changed drastically after receiving a phone call, and the guilt in his eyes when he entrusted my brother and sister to the staff and left; I remember when I was sick with a high fever, I saw that familiar face covered with sweat and fatigue appear in front of me in a daze, and the warmth of that rough big hand touching my feverish forehead...]

[All the other sides of my father that I had deliberately forgotten are now vividly revived in my memory with my mother's words. The light illuminates the dust in my heart and awakens the true colors that were hidden.]

[“Huh…”]

[Fangfang's white hands on the hem of her skirt clenched it tightly, and Kousaka Kirino lowered her head, her body trembling slightly. ]

[A few drops of transparent water dripped from her drooping face onto her skirt, soaking the fabric of the skirt.]

【“Mom, Kyosuke…Brother, does he know about this?”】

[After a long time, she finally spoke again under the gaze of Kousaka Yoshino. Kousaka Kirino asked in a slightly hoarse voice without raising her head. ]

[“I’ve never told Kyousuke this, but I think…”]

[I think of my son coming back to accompany me every time I go on vacation, and the feeling of loneliness but more determination when he leaves after the vacation. This overlaps with my memory of my husband’s back every time he goes out on business. It is almost exactly the same.]

[Kousaka Yoshino closed her eyes to hide the sadness and relief in her eyes. ]

[“…I think Kyousuke has already figured out why Daisuke did that.”]

[“After all, he grew up watching his father’s back.”]

[“Kyosuke knew in his heart that his father didn’t want him to become a policeman, but he still chose to do it...why?”]

[Kousaka Kirino raised her head and stared at her mother lying on the hospital bed in front of her with red eyes.]

[“You don’t really need a reason, Kirino.”]

[Kousaka Yoshino reached out her hand to wipe away the remaining tears on her daughter's cheek with pity, and then said after a pause.]

[“But if there is a reason… it should be because children always subconsciously chase after the figure and path left by their father in their memories.”]

[“Just like Daisuke never thought of letting Kyosuke become a policeman, but Kyosuke still chose to become a policeman. This is the reason.”]

[“He wanted to follow the path left by his father and find the figure Daisuke left on this road, that’s all.”]

[“From childhood to adulthood, your brother, Kyosuke, has never changed... He has always been the child who chased after his father’s back when he was a child.”]

[“——Kyosuke wants to become a 『hero』 like his father.”]

21. Reunion in crisis

Chiba Prefecture, Chiba Benben High School. xiaoshuowanben.com

"..."

Kyosuke Kousaka looked at the smiling "mother" and the crying "sister" in the light curtain with a stunned expression. The five fingers of his right hand, which was placed flat on his knees, trembled, and he couldn't help but touch his right cheek.

--Snapped!

The pain from the distant memory, accompanied by the sound of slaps, rolled up from the depths of the sea of ​​memory to the surface, stirring up waves and ripples.

I vaguely remember that when I covered my red and swollen face and looked over blankly, the old man in front of me, who suddenly reached out and slapped me after he said he wanted to be a policeman in the future, looked at me expressionlessly and said in a cold voice.

——"You are not qualified to be a police officer, and you can't be a good police officer."

...And what happened next, Kousaka Kyosuke remembered very clearly, it was unforgettable.

I cried that day, and cried very loudly, but my father just stood in front of me and looked at me silently. Even when I cried until my voice was completely hoarse, he didn't show any intention or action to comfort me.

In my memory, my father's eyes at that time seemed to be stained with black ink, so thick that it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

After that day, I never mentioned the idea of ​​becoming a policeman to my father again. I threw away all the paper-cut police badges and rubber sculptures I had made in kindergarten's craft class into the trash can. I even developed resentment towards my father because of this incident and we were in a cold war for a long time.

It was not until his younger sister, Kousaka Kirino, was born that he reconciled with his father.

For so many years, Kyosuke Kousaka could not understand why his father was so opposed to him learning from him and becoming a policeman, and even went so far as to beat him.

Could it be that I am really like what my father said, that I don’t have the talent to become a policeman, and my talent in this area is so low that even my own relatives look down on me?

This has always been a knot in Kyosuke Kousaka's heart that could not be resolved no matter what. The result of not being able to resolve it made him gradually disgusted with the profession of policeman that he had longed for when he was a child, and eventually he discarded it.

Until this moment today, the knot that had been locked in my heart for many years was finally untied with the truth revealed by my future "mother".

Kyosuke Kosaka finally understood why Daisuke Kosaka was so opposed to him becoming a policeman, and how much heaviness, depression, and even expectation were behind that slap in the face.

Dad hopes that he can live as an ordinary person instead of being bound by the responsibilities and glory of this profession and becoming a "martyr" like himself.

"hero".

What a beautiful and dazzling title, which is yearned for and envied by all the justice-minded people in the world.

But when everyone is praising the beauty and value of justice, few people have talked about what price it takes to become a hero representing justice, not to mention the doubts about whether justice itself exists.

Kousaka Daisuke has undoubtedly begun to pay the price, and even foresees that he will have to pay a higher price in the future. The price is so heavy that even a tough guy like him with an extremely strong will begins to regret it.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to destroy his son's expectations and yearnings with his own hands. His purpose was only one - that is, he hoped that his son could live a happy life instead of following his old path.

How long does it take for everyone to understand what your father said to you when you were a child?

And Kyosuke Kousaka finally understood. After more than ten years, he finally understood the painstaking efforts behind what his father had said to him.

And there has never been a moment like this when he clearly sees the gap between himself and the future "Kousaka Kyosuke".

The future "me" must have understood everything, understood the painstaking efforts of his father, understood his father's true expectations of him, and also knew what price he would pay for embarking on this path.

But he still chose to move forward on this long road whose end was called "Hero".

"Kousaka Kyosuke" has never dreamed of becoming a hero, nor has he ever had any desire to become a hero - because he is already a "hero".

Romain Rolland, a famous French humanitarian writer, once said:

“There is only one true heroism in the world, and that is to love life after recognizing the truth of life.”

Therefore, when "Kyosuke Kosaka" saw through everything but still chose to embark on this long thorny road, he had already become a hero.

His only hope was to meet Kosaka Daisuke again at the end of this road and ask his father:

"Have I become a hero like you now?"

"Dad."

"..."

Kyosuke Kousaka covered his face with his hands and curled up gently on the bed.

Looking from behind, his figure at this moment vaguely overlapped for a moment with the "Kousaka Kyosuke" who was walking towards the river bank in the previous light curtain.

They are all so firm as steel yet fragile as children, like an invincible hero yet like a lost child.

Chiba Prefecture, Sakura Gakuen Junior High School.

"how come……"

Kousaka Kirino looked at her "mother" who was telling the truth that her father had hidden for many years in the light screen in front of her, covered her mouth with one hand, and tears gradually gathered in the corners of her eyes.

My father's face, which had always been silent and resolute, appeared before my eyes, but deep in his eyes there was a fatigue and guilt that I had never noticed before.

Silent ripples spread across Kousaka Daisuke's face, transforming into another face in the twisted ripples.

That is the future Kousaka Kyousuke.

The same is true for him. The expression on his face is always so cold and silent when facing everyone, making it impossible to see his true thoughts behind his expression.

But after he made his choice, his expression turned into bitterness and loneliness the moment he turned his back to his friends and left.

In the end, they chose to move forward, carrying the painful responsibility and persistence, gritting their teeth and moving forward under the heavy pressure of reality. The two different footsteps resonated and echoed, like two overlapping backs of a father and son on the same road.

Kousaka Kirino looked at the two figures that were gradually disappearing in her blurred vision, covered her face with her hands, and cried in a dull voice.

"Dad... Kyosuke... Both father and son are bastards! Two big idiots!!!"

“Kirito…”

Aragaki Ayase, who was beside her, reached out and gently put her arm around her friend's shoulders, holding her in her arms, stroking Kousaka Kirino's soft golden hair, and looking at her with pity as she cried softly in her arms.

Tokyo city, Shuchiin Academy, Student Council Room.

"…The Kosaka family is truly a family of loyal warriors."

Completely shocked by the persistence and belief passed down from generation to generation by the Takasaka family in the light curtain, Shirogane Miyuki sat on the sofa in silence for a long time, and only spoke this comment after a long time.

"Indeed, it is hard not to admire the firm belief and sense of responsibility of Kousaka Daisuke and Kousaka Kyousuke, the father and son."

Shinomiya Kaguya, who was sitting next to him with her arms around Fujiwara Chika, nodded slightly, agreeing with Shirogane Miyuki's words.

"……Oh?"

Her eyes were a little dazed, and she unconsciously compared her "family members" with the Kousaka family in the light curtain... Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't help but sneer at herself.

There is no comparison at all. It is better to say that any normal person would not compare a group of cold-blooded animals with humans. It is completely meaningless.

After all, even the animal orders are different, how can we compare them?

“…It’s so painful.”

Fujiwara Chika, who had already recovered from the tragic scene of Shuchiin in the light curtain, spoke hesitantly, her pair of still slightly red pink eyes staring at the scene in the light curtain in front of her.

"What's wrong, Fujiwara-san?"

Hearing her friend's weak voice, Kaguya Shinomiya lowered her head and asked in a slow voice to the girl who was hugging her waist with both hands.

"From Mr. Kosaka, I can feel that although he looks calm, he is..."

"He was in great pain and confusion."

【not long ago. 】

【Tokyo City, a tributary of Tokyo Bay. 】

[In the main hall of the sightseeing boat, the TV hanging on the wall is now playing the final scene of "Nameless Sky", the second most popular fantasy militarist movie of the year. The protagonist, Raiden Wuming, is flying towards the other end of the sky in the Vector J32 fighter plane he designed. The white mark left by the plane on the sky faintly outlines the outline of a vicious dog.]

[As the jet of the fighter jet once again spurted out blue flames, the entire fighter jet broke through the sound barrier in an instant and entered a completely new realm. The surrounding scenery changed from the previous blue sky and white clouds to a stream of light flowing with a variety of colors.]

[Lei Dian Wuming covered the wound on his chest caused by the bird strike, panted and pressed the button to open the shield of the fighter plane, letting the blood fly backwards under the g-force and potential energy, leaving a long red yarn, and looked at the stream of light passing through the fighter plane with a dazed look.]

[Although he dropped out of school after graduating from junior high school and went out to work, his literary accomplishment can only be described as half-full, a typical dilettante, but when he saw this beautiful and gorgeous scene in front of him, he still understood that the words "The waterfall drops three thousand feet straight down, it seems like the Milky Way falls from the sky" written in the high school textbook were not adjectives, but declarative words.]

[My guess is correct. When the flying angle exceeds 99 and reaches 100, you will be able to see a whole new realm that no one has ever seen. It's ridiculous that the boss who jumped later than me in the last experiment and died was stubborn and always believed that soldiers must obey orders. But how can the human desire to explore a whole new world be restrained by the orders of the military?]