The B.G.S.'s part 17

20^th July 2025

 

Hello Kiki. Today Hiroshi and I went out to find another B.G.S. again. This time we went to Nara City of Nara Prefecture and we ended up in a street filled with apartments and a small park was close by.

“I hope no one has spotted any of the B.G.S.’s here Hiroshi” I said. As we were in a city it did make me worry if someone had spotted any of the B.G.S.’s.

“I shouldn’t think so Kyoko,” said Hiroshi “I mean if someone did it would be all over the news by now”.

Hiroshi had a good point Kiki because there hadn’t been any news about weird sightings of glowing, squeaking things at night or whatever.

“As we are in a neighbourhood surrounded by apartments, I reckon the B.G.S.’s maybe hiding between the alleyways” said Hiroshi.

“That wouldn’t surprise me really,” I said “animals always like hiding and roaming between alleyways”.

Hiroshi and I began to search the alleyways. No one was about so I was free to let the red B.G.S. jump about and squeak for its friends. It turned out other B.G.S.’s were hiding between the alleyways; every corner we turned there was a B.G.S. We found ten in total.

“I didn’t expect to find this many B.G.S.’s in the alleyways” said Hiroshi.

“Yes but I’m not complaining,” I said “this will make Professor Largos happy no doubt. Now to get back to the house with this lot”.

Just as Hiroshi was about to press the button on the remote, we heard a crashing noise.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but we better go and see before we go back to Professor Largos’s house” said Hiroshi.

So Hiroshi put the remote back into his back pack, and we ran over to where the crashing noise came from. The noise turned out to be a man placing boxes into a moving van and he dropped one.

“I think that man could use some help there” I said to Hiroshi.

“I agree;” said Hiroshi “he seems to be struggling there”.

There wasn’t any room in our back packs to carry eleven B.G.S.’s so we told them to stay put in an alleyway and keep quiet.

We walked over to the man and asked him if he wanted some help moving the boxes.

“I would hate to ask you kids, but I would like some help please” said the man.

Hiroshi and I started helping the man load his box of things into the moving van. The man’s name was Ryuji Tokoka.

Just then I noticed a photo Mr Ryuji dropped on the ground; it was a photo of a little girl.

“Ah who’s this cute little girl?” I asked, showing Mr Ryuji and Hiroshi the photo.

“Oh that’s my three year old niece Nozomi,” said Mr Ryuji “she my late sister’s daughter. She and her husband died last month and I’m moving in with her husband’s parents to help take care of Nozomi”.

“That’s lovely of you,” I said “Nozomi sounds lucky to have a nice uncle like you”.

“I guess,” said Mr Ryuji “but the truth is this is the only way I could think of making up for my sin of never helping my late sister Sora”.

“What do you mean?” asked Hiroshi.

Mr Ryuji explained that he and his sister Miss Sora were twin brother and sister. But they had been born to the type of parents who loved one child over the other.

“I was pampered and spoiled by my parents, but Sora was neglected by both our parents” said Mr Ryuji.

“Oh I know this type of story;” interrupted Hiroshi “I was neglected by my mum in the past because she didn’t want sons, only daughters. I take it your Miss Sora was neglected because your parents didn’t want daughters?”

“That is exactly right,” said Mr Ryuji “my parents were overjoyed to have the son they always wanted. Therefore I was the only joy and happiness in their eyes whereas Sora was less than a stranger in their eyes. While we grew up I was always given new clothes and new toys and went to private schools. But Sora only got old hand me down clothes and toys and just went to public schools. And nothing she did ever got their attention much; even when she always got the highest scores in school she never got any praise and affection from then. Only I did”.

I looked at Hiroshi; he had a sour look on his face because Miss Sora’s neglect from her parents was the same as his neglect from his parents.

“What happened to Miss Sora in the end?” I asked.

“When we turned eighteen Sora moved out right away;” said Mr Ryuji “ever since we were thirteen she had been saving up money from part time jobs to move out. She hated our parents all her life for how they treated her and she always told me she would move out once she graduated from high school”.

“I don’t blame her for that” said Hiroshi, understanding how Miss Sora felt.

“I never saw or spoke to Sora again after she moved out, mind you that was my fault really because I never kept in touch with her ever since she moved away,” said Mr Ryuji “the truth is I always felt as a kid that Sora hated me because I got all the attention from our parents but she didn’t. Not long after Sora moved out I discovered a diary of hers under her bed. I know I should never look inside someone’s diary without permission but I couldn’t resist looking. When I opened it I noticed the diary held Sora’s feelings of how much she hated our parents for never paying attention to her and how she wished she had been born a boy instead of a girl”.

“I understand;” said Hiroshi “I felt like that too in the past”.

“I felt like a failure as a brother,” said Mr Ryuji “I was her twin brother but I didn’t do much to comfort and help her. Not to mention I didn’t stand up against our parents much. That’s why I didn’t contact her once ever since she moved away; I felt too ashamed to face her over these last ten years”.

“Hey it’s not your fault,” said Hiroshi “the ones at fault are your parents for neglecting their own daughter”.

“I do know that,” said Mr Ryuji “but sometimes I still feel like I failed Sora”.

“So if you never saw or heard from Miss Sora again, then how did you found out about Nozomi?” I said.

“I found out about her last month, which was ten years after Sora moved away” said Mr Ryuji.

Mr Ryuji explained he got a call from the police last month, saying that she had died from the car accident.

“I learnt from the police that my sister got married when she was 24 and had a daughter,” said Mr Ryuji “the police gave me the address of where my sister and her husband lived and I rushed over there at once. Nozomi was staying with her dad’s parents at that time and I met her there”.

“How did your parents feel when they heard of Miss Sora’s death?” I asked.

“They didn’t care much about Sora’s death,” answered Mr Ryuji “they didn’t even shed tears for her death even at her funeral. All they did was say that we were all born to die and that’s it. They didn’t even feel any remorse of their neglect of Sora”.

“Of course they wouldn’t,” said Hiroshi “if they didn’t care about her while she was alive, then they wouldn’t while she’s dead too”. Mr Ryuji’s parents reminded Hiroshi more and more of his neglectful mother.

“What happened with Nozomi after her parent’s funeral?” I asked.

“Seeing my niece made me decide right away that I want to take care of her;” said Mr Ryuji “it made me get that feeling that this could be my chance of making it up to my sister by raising her daughter”.

“Did your parents agree to that?” asked Hiroshi.

“No they didn’t,” said Mr Ryuji “they felt no connection at all to Nozomi. That made me cross because they were treating her like how they treated Sora. So for once in my life I stood up to them. I yelled at them for how they treated Sora and I also yelled how ashamed I felt for never helping her. And so I went against their wishes and agreed to take care of Nozomi”.

“Good for you,” I said “what happened to your parents after that?”

“Oh I broke off with them,” said Mr Ryuji “I’m not talking to them again and I’m not letting them see Nozomi either. I’m not letting them treat Nozomi the same way they treated Sora”.

“I don’t blame you for that,” said Hiroshi “so I take it your brother-in-law’s parent’s agreed to help you look after Nozomi”?”

“Yes they did,” said Mr Ryuji “I found out how nice they were to Sora and treated her just like a daughter. So I asked them for help and they said I could move in with them so we could all raise Nozomi together. To me they are true parents you can count on; they are nicer than my parents were. And I’m happy my sister found a family who loved and cared about her”.

“And Nozomi’s lucky to have an uncle and grandparents who love her and care for her too,” said Hiroshi “and I’m sure Miss Sora up in heaven is happy to know her daughter is happy and well”.

“I do hope so” said Mr Ryuji.

Just then I told Hiroshi that it was time for us to go back home and we leave Mr Ryuji to his packing. So we said goodbye to Mr Ryuji, and went back to where we hid the eleven B.G.S.’s. Then Hiroshi pressed the button on the remote and teleported back to Professor Largos’s house. Once we got back, we told everyone about Mr Ryuji and his family.

“Well I think Mr Ryuji did good breaking up with his selfish parents like that” said Tatsuya.

“I do too,” said Hiroshi “and I’m happy to know that Nozomi will live a happy future with her uncle and grandparents”.

Let me say this to you Kiki. As Hiroshi and I met up with a man whose parents were the neglectful types like Hiroshi’s mum is. I’m wondering if Tatsuya and Kouhei will meet up with someone whose parents are like their parents.