Chapter 19
Hachiman and his parents sat opposite to each other in the living room.
His sister didn't come with him to elementary school that day and stranger still his parents had taken a day off from work,which they almost never did and seemed to set up something in her room.
He confronted them about it and after some thought they asked him to down so that they could talk.
Hachiman's mother started first.
"Hachiman,first of all you must keep what we are about to say to yourself."
Hachiman took in what she said.
"Doesn't Komachi has to know too?"
Mrs. Hikigaya looked towards Komachi's room momentarily towards her room and back at him.
She had returned from kindergarten and was taking a nap.
"Not yet,dear.
We would tell her soon ourselves"
She took a breath and carry on
"Hachiman,you know that your sister goes to hospital a lot.
She always wear a cream and wears certain clothes when she goes to school.
We also keep our home dark and don't let her go out in the sun to play."
He nodded,not sure why they were acting so serious.
"Your sister was born with a very rare condition.
She risks her life every time she is in sunlight..."
Her voice cracked and Mr. Hikigaya held her hand.
"Dear,this is not your fault."
She nodded but didn't say anything.
Mr Hikigaya decided to take over the conversation.
"Doctors have told us it's too dangerous now for her to go to sunlight.
It would damage her skin too much.
And..."
He took deep breaths and kept his composure.
"She ...she might not have long to live."
Hachiman didn't process it at first, instead looked at his mother who was looking away then back at his father.
It finally hit him
"...what?"
His father sat in straight posture and looked at him with seriousness.
"We are telling it to you now so that you would not bring it up to her.
You will not treat your sister any differently or go about telling others about this."
Hachiman didn't know why his father told him the later part and for what reason.
"I don't understand."
Mr. Hikigaya explained
"When someone is born different, people think everyone in the family has a problem and treat them differently."
Hachiman clenched his fists in anger and said
"There is nothing wrong with her!"
Mr. Hikigaya raised his hand and said.
"I never said that."
Hachiman calmed himself down and listened to his father sighing deeply.
Then he looked at him and said firmly
"Son,we're doing this for her own good.
She will get homeschooled and we will arrange meetings with people with similar condition to help her cope with it.
There will be changes and will be difficult but as family we will make this easier for her"
Hachiman looked away
'Easier for her or for yourselves'
He wanted to say didn't say anything.
In fact he had no idea how to face her sister now that he had been told everything.