55 [From The Sister's Perspective]

"Yeah, yeah... Wait, were you even listening?"

"Of course, I was. Just hurry up and get it out. I had you buy it before, didn't I?"

The handcuffs available to anyone under 18 were basically toys, and having them delivered to the house would have caused all sorts of problems. So in my previous life, I had Shinobu buy them for me. After we moved into this house, I had her buy them again, just in case. Of course, both times, I was the one who paid for them.

"Why are you jumping to such an extreme solution? You know, doing that won't solve anything. It didn't work out last time either, remember? You said you wouldn't do it again, and yet here we are."

"Quiet. Have you forgotten whose money you're living off of? Now, hurry up and hand it over."

Shinobu's income was unstable, so I was basically the one covering the expenses. Using that as leverage, I kept pushing, but Shinobu stayed silent, just staring at me intently. We stared each other down for a while, but the fact remained that it didn't work out well in the previous life, so I was at a disadvantage.

"Fine, whatever. Let's compromise. We'll use it only as a last resort. If Kaya decides to leave me, then and only then, will I use it. Otherwise, I won't. Now, give it to me."

"...If Kaya asks for help, I'll come right away, you know?"

Reluctantly, Shinobu agreed and went to retrieve the restraints, the same ones as before, clinking as she brought them out.

"Even if I didn't give them to you now, you'd just take them later anyway. So here, but remember, this is only for emergencies. Only if she explicitly says she wants to leave you, not just when you feel like she's slipping away."

"Understood. But honestly, you don't have the right to say that to me. Kaya said it was okay to confine her."

"You told me that when I bought them, but did she really say that?"

"Yes, she did. Anyway, I'm leaving now."

As I glanced at Shinobu, who was shaking her head in disbelief, I checked my phone. Kaya was still at the library. Relieved that I'd finished before she returned, I stood up to leave, but Shinobu stopped me.

"By the way, there's something you should know. Your grandmother passed away last week."

"...I see. This time it happened earlier."

She had usually lived until I was in high school, but this time she passed away in the first year of middle school.

"It's not surprising. She lost her successors all at once. For someone who clung to family bloodlines, it must have been too much."

Honestly, I had no emotional attachment to my grandmother. Kaya and I had met her a few times when we were young, but all she ever talked about was the family name and its restoration. She never really connected with us.

"Yes, I remember."

"And you remember why the Kayano family became known as a noble house, and how it eventually fell."

"Yes."

According to Shinobu, this ability to return to the past upon death was connected to the Kayano family name. There were records that indicated past heads of the Kayano family avoided disasters as if they had predicted them in advance. We hypothesized that, like us, past heads had the ability to return to the past, using it to navigate through crises. As they accumulated power and wealth, they stopped dying and lost the chance to use their ability, leading to a decline in their influence.

"They might have tried to restore the family's status, but with this adoption business, it's basically the end of the line. The stress must have taken its toll. I can't say I pity her."

"So, why did they contact you?"

"Well, I'm your guardian, so it makes sense they'd contact me first. Your father called me, but he left it to my discretion whether to tell you or not. He probably figured neither you nor Kaya would care."

"I see."

I still couldn't forgive them for what they did. They pushed Kaya to the brink. But maybe... maybe killing them isn't necessary. I've become indifferent enough to think that.

"I thought it'd be safe to tell you, but I'm not sure about Kaya, so if you decide to tell her, do it yourself. Oh, and the funeral was held privately."

"Got it. So, are we done here? Kaya's on her way back."

"Yeah, that's all. Oh, but one more thing—I'd like to come over for dinner once a week to keep an eye on things. Is that okay?"

"...I'll let you know if Kaya agrees."

"I'll be waiting. See you around, Yuu."

"Alright, I'm leaving now."

Kaya was slowly making her way back home, so I still had some time. I took the restraints and headed home, thinking about where to hide them. Once I found a good spot, Kaya was almost home. What will she tell me? The uncertainty was eating away at me.