'That's easier than I thought.'
Kiriya thought to himself, looking at the A4 sized paper in his hand. His name was cited as the head of the household section.
His father was a rational and sensible person like him, so getting his permission was easier, especially when Kiriya met his father's requirement of having an income to support himself; that was all his father needed. He did not ask "why" and only asked "can you."
The harder one was his mother, an overprotective woman who was afraid he would leave forever—a fear that had emerged ever since Kiriya had an accident at five years old, that one incident that awakened his past life memory. In the end, he had to tell his mother everything about Masami's situation and the reason Kiriya was doing all this. Of course he didn't say anything about her illness, it was cured after all.
Unfortunately, instead of getting approved, telling his mother created a domino effect that made both of his parents ask even more questions.
Kiriya understood all of that was because they were worried for him. It's not a problem at all.
The process itself was very easy and fast; this was the third day since he filed the application for separation together with his father at city hall, and everything was already finished.
Legally, Kiriya had now become an individual separated from his father's family, but that was merely a formality. After all, they were still Kiriya's family, it was impossible to just sever the relationship when there had been no problem in the first place.
"So, are you going straight away to help that girl—Iwasawa Masami?" Nakuru Minoru asked his son.
"That's the plan. Her family doesn't care about their child at all, so I don't need to worry about any problems with the judge's decision later."
"If that's the case, don't wait any longer. Me and your mom want to see that girl. Back then, we planned to have two children, a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, your mom was traumatized and afraid that the same incident would happen like what happened to you."
Kiriya raised his eyebrow. "The same incident? It doesn't mean that an accident like that happens to all children from the same family, right?"
The incident that befell him to the point of almost putting him into a coma was definitely an accident beyond his parents' control, not their fault, so what was there to be afraid of?
"I think so too. It seems she's thinking too much about some priest's words when she was pregnant with you."
"If it's Mom, I'm not surprised."
His mother was someone who still believed in mysticism compared to his father. Doesn't mean she was easily swayed, but while his father didn't think much about it, she will keep that possibility in mind. Kiriya mostly takes more of his mom's personality in this regard.
"Yeah." Minoru nodded briefly.
When talking about this, Minoru seemed uninterested in continuing the discussion.
Judging by his ideas, he did not like conversations involving the vague metaphysical realm, and Minoru was a rational person about the world. However, Kiriya had experienced all those events since he was 5 years old, and they had even peaked at age 20. It would be foolish if Kiriya did not listen to what actually happened.
If Kiriya still thought the supernatural world didn't exist here, he was mentally ill.
"Oh, so how did the story go? I'm a bit curious, Dad." Kiriya pressed his father to tell the story.
This was an absurd story that Minoru disliked, but he was not overly attached to this memory either.
"... Well, your mom and I once visited a shrine on New Year's when she was pregnant with you, around seven or eight months into the pregnancy at that time, if I'm not mistaken. I forgot which shrine, but it was quite close to your grandmother's house, Mizue-san."
Kiriya knew of one shrine near Mizue's house, the place where he had received the Chat Group invitation.
"As I recall, it wasn't that nearest shrine on the hill, but another one. Your mom wanted to visit a friend at that time."
Oh, turns out it wasn't that place… Kiriya had jumped to conclusions too quickly.
"I don't really remember how we suddenly ended up talking with the priest, but he said we were cursed. Your mom was worried since she was carrying you, but I didn't believe it. By the time you grew to five years old, your mom seemed to have forgotten about it, but the accident that almost took your life made her remember that priest's words again. She thought it was a curse."
"A curse? But as I recall, I was never taken to a shrine at all?"
"Because I never took you to the shrine. You were already fine, growing up healthy. Why should I take a child who is doing just fine to a shrine for no reason?"
Makes sense. That was his father's nature. Indeed, as far as his life had gone, the only supernatural event involving this world was his reincarnation. This was merely a minor occurrence considering there were vengeful spirits in this world.
Even after obtaining Dreamless, Kiriya had not found any spiritual anomalies around him either.
In essence, there was no problem with Kiriya, and his mother was just paranoid that her son could die at any moment.
Seeing his son's expression, which was clearly uninterested in continuing, Minoru patted the young man's back.
"You're an adult now and even able to make your own money. How about you treat your mom and your dad to yakiniku, kid?"
Kiriya grinned. "Alright. Let's go. What do you think if I invite someone else?"
"Oh, you want to invite that girl?" Minoru smirked, having managed to read Kiriya's mind. "I wouldn't mind if you married her instead of taking her in as a sister. Me and your mother got married after she graduated from high school back then."
"Masami hasn't even graduated from high school, Dad. And there are still things I need to do before I tie myself down with marriage."
He was a virgin in life and death. In certain terms, he was even greater than a great sage, a Buddha even. He had never dated or pursued a woman before.
It was true that Kiriya was different from who he used to be. He was not that person and had only received his memories, and he had no intention of wasting his life like that person, but he still had no intention of tying himself to a small circle of obligations when he still had interesting things like the Chat Group.
"Alright, alright. I know you've made your mind over something, but don't forget, Kiriya, enjoy your youth. You know a lot of girls, and I know, when we visited your high school for bunkasai (cultural festival) that time, you're quite known back then. I remember you're quite close to that girl, what's her name again?"
"Hiratsuka?"
"Yeah! That Hiratsuka girl. She looks like she has a crush on you, what happened?"
"She didn't confess to me."
"Are you fool?" Minoru looked at his son as if he was a moron.
If Kiriya thinks about it again, he remembers why he didn't chase that girl back then. And it makes him sighed. "Her family is a conglomerate, of course I feel inferior!"
Minoru could only pat his son's back.
The Hiratsuka he and his father talked about is someone with the name Hiratsuka Shizuka. That same woman from that one popular coming of age-romance comedy anime. Kiriya never realized it when he was in highschool, mostly because he didn't remember that much about films and series he watched before, but now, he remembers it.
"Anyway, try to get a girlfriend first, then we can talk about this matter again."
"I'll try."
It's been a while since their last meeting. Should he take her out again?
'After this problem gets settled then.' Kiriya decided.