She knew who the woman with the red hair was, now. Saeko had told her, the last time she had visited before she died. She must have known about the cancer by then, she must have known that she didn't have much time.
They had been walking in the park. "Kaori wasn't really Hideyuki's sister, you know. She was adopted." Saeko had tried to keep her tone casual, like she was telling her a piece of local news, but Aiko could tell she was nervous, that she had prepared herself to tell her about it, because Ryo wouldn't.
She knew why they had the same ring now.
"So she didn't know about it, till the day she died?" Aiko had asked.
"No. But I think she believed, somehow."
Aiko wondered how sad it must have been, to meet your sister, to be so close to her and not know that she was your sister at all.
"Dad should've told her, you know."
"He should have. But he kept putting it off."
"Why?"
Saeko thought for a moment. "I think...I think he thought himself unworthy. That he didn't deserve to tell her something that important, something that could change her life. He didn't want to change anything. And he has always been good at keeping secrets."
Aiko nodded. It made sense.
"I think he was afraid that it could change the relationship he shared with Kaori. He would never say it, but it had always been his greatest fear, that Kaori would leave him someday. But he knew that she'd be better off if she did, and that made it worse."
Well, she did leave him, in the end, Aiko thought, without any emotion. His greatest fear came true.
