The unanswered question

Haruto stood in the hallway, watching Yuki pull on his shoes with the clumsy enthusiasm of a four-year-old. His mind wandered again, drifting to memories he hadn't visited in a while. His heart ached with the familiar heaviness that always came when he thought about Kaito—about the things they had never done, the words left unsaid. One particular memory resurfaced, unbidden, but vivid.

---

It had been a quiet evening, the kind that made Haruto feel like the world outside their apartment didn’t exist. Kaito had been sprawled on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV as Haruto sat on the floor beside him, their hands linked lazily. They had been talking about the future, the baby, everything that was coming. Haruto was already seven months along, his belly round and tight, and Kaito had been rubbing it absentmindedly.

“I’ve been thinking…” Haruto had begun, chewing his bottom lip as he glanced up at Kaito. “Maybe we should meet your family before Yuki’s born.”

The change in Kaito’s expression had been instant. The easy smile that had been on his face disappeared, replaced by something darker, more distant. His hand had stilled on Haruto’s belly, and he turned his gaze toward the TV, his jaw tightening.

“We don’t need to talk about them,” Kaito had said flatly, his voice colder than Haruto had ever heard it.

Haruto had frowned, sitting up a little straighter, his own chest tightening. He had known that Kaito didn’t like talking about his parents or his siblings, but he had never really understood why. “Kaito, don’t you want them to know Yuki? Don’t you want him to have family?”

Kaito had sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair before finally meeting Haruto’s eyes. “They’re not family. Not to me. We had a falling out a long time ago… they made it pretty clear they didn’t want me in their lives. And I’m fine with that.”

Haruto had reached out, gently taking Kaito’s hand. “But... what happened? You never tell me anything about them.”

Kaito had hesitated, his eyes softening for just a moment before the wall came back up. “It doesn’t matter, Haru. I don’t want you or Yuki involved with them. I’m not going to drag you into my past.” He had squeezed Haruto’s hand then, his voice lowering. “We have our own family now. That’s all that matters.”

Haruto had nodded, though his heart had still felt uneasy. He had always imagined introducing Yuki to his grandparents, his aunts and uncles. But Kaito’s refusal had been final, his tone too firm for Haruto to push further. He had dropped the subject, but it had stayed with him, gnawing at the back of his mind.

Even after Kaito’s death, Haruto had wondered about them—about the family that had turned their back on him, about the people who would never know Yuki. Sometimes, late at night when he couldn’t sleep, he had considered trying to find them. But every time, Kaito’s voice echoed in his mind: *“We have our own family now. That’s all that matters.”*

---

Back in the present, Haruto sighed as he pulled Yuki’s jacket from the coat rack, the weight of that old conversation still pressing on his heart. Kaito had been so adamant, so certain, but a part of Haruto still wondered what had driven that wedge so deeply between him and his family. He wished he had asked more, pushed harder, maybe even tried to meet them on his own.

“Papa!” Yuki called, breaking Haruto from his thoughts again. He turned to see his son standing by the door,

his small hands gripping the handle, waiting patiently. “I’m ready!” Yuki beamed, his face full of excitement, completely unaware of the thoughts swirling in Haruto’s mind.

Haruto smiled softly, masking the emotions tugging at him. “Alright, let’s get going, kiddo,” he said, ruffling Yuki’s hair as they stepped out of the apartment.

As they walked hand in hand toward the bus stop, Haruto’s mind drifted back to Kaito’s words, the mystery of his past still unresolved. He had wanted to meet Kaito’s parents, his siblings—wanted to understand the family that Kaito had chosen to leave behind. But Kaito had never opened up, and now it was too late.

Still, part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something important there, something Kaito had taken to his grave. Maybe it was just curiosity, or maybe it was the lingering hope that somehow, Kaito’s family could still be a part of Yuki’s life.

But as Haruto glanced down at his son, he reminded himself of Kaito’s final words on the matter: *“We have our own family now. That’s all that matters.”*

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

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