Konbini Ossan Volume 12 Chapter 5 — Family Relationships
Once we were alone in Shirley’s room, I immediately brought up the matter at hand.
“What I wanted to ask about is your relationship with your family, Shirley.”
“I see…”
As she answered, Shirley showed a slight hesitation.
“First, regarding your relationship with Savan-dono. Would you say your relationship as parent and child is a good one?”
“I wonder. Father doesn’t really take much interest in me.”
Shirley spoke sadly.
“He’s always been like that. Sometimes he asks me simple questions, but after hearing the answer, he never really says anything. He rarely scolds me or complains, but I don’t remember ever being praised either.
…
Conversations hardly ever lasted long. It always felt like once he said the little he wanted to say, that was the end of it. I don’t really understand what Father thinks of me.”
“So I can’t really judge whether our relationship is good or bad,” Shirley murmured, as though trying to gloss over the matter.
The sadness in her expression was enough to make me feel sorrowful as well.
It seemed that digging any deeper into her relationship with Savan-dono would only pain Shirley further, so I moved on to another topic.
“Then how about your relationship with Sierra-san?”
“Mother was always kind to me. She always said I was born with an incredible and special talent greater than anyone else in the village.”
Her words themselves were positive, yet her tone carried a darkness to it, as though she did not feel entirely good about it.
“And how did you feel about that, Shirley?”
At my question, Shirley let out a breath before answering.
“I was a failed shrine maiden. It always hurt that I could never live up to the expectations of my mother, who always encouraged me.”
She spoke in a voice that sounded on the verge of tears.
“If I really did have some special power, then maybe I could have done more things properly. Maybe I could have been acknowledged as a shrine maiden.
…
But I couldn’t do that, and it felt like it was because I was worthless, like I was betraying my kind mother. It hurt me for so long.”
As Shirley spoke with overwhelming sadness, I pulled her gently closer and rubbed her back.
“It was painful for you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. I kept wondering why I couldn’t give anything back to Mother. Even though I loved her so much. It started to feel like my feelings were only words, only appearances.
…
I began thinking maybe I didn’t truly care about Mother after all. I was always filled with regret and self-reproach. It was painful. I hated that part of myself.”
Tears flowed from Shirley’s eyes.
As I wiped them away, I thought to myself.
Surely, no, without a doubt, Shirley and her parents loved each other deeply. And yet, they were forced into this painful misunderstanding and emotional distance.
Something about that just felt terribly wrong.
Is there some way to convey her parents’ true feelings to Shirley?
Not merely through surface-level words, but something that would let Shirley truly believe she was loved from the bottom of their hearts.
Without meaning to, I found myself thinking deeply about it.
Pretending not to notice anything, speaking with the Dragon God, and then simply leaving things there would not be right.
I resolved to become the bridge between Shirley and her parents’ feelings.
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E/N:
It's a cycle of negativity that breaks a person over time… It's disgusting but that's life for you… Hang in there Shirley, Ossan's gonna save you!
Stay tuned! (3/6 chapter)
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