Oh……
Fukuda, after glancing around the room, fell into a brief contemplation.
Can we really sleep here?
Hmm. With Yuka, Yuuki, Fukuda, and Mako — four people, it seems manageable.
Since there was even space for one more person in my room where Koko and Kagami were, having four people in the same room shouldn’t be a big issue space-wise.
The cleared room was a bit more barren than where we were staying. First off, there was no TV. It was a room that usually stayed empty, so there was no need to place such things.
Just in case, we had the bare minimum of furniture: a kotatsu to survive the cold winter, and furniture for blankets. The kotatsu wasn’t made of wood or plastic like the one in our room, but was simply a movable frame covered in fabric.
Still, I thought it should be enough to accommodate us for a short stay.
Well, since we have blankets, we can manage sleeping somehow.
We exchanged glances. Only Koko seemed blissfully oblivious.
…What about sleeping arrangements?
Right. It was a matter of how to split up.
At least three must sleep in the same room.
I doubted that Koko, Kagami, and I could be separated. I myself wouldn’t mind sleeping alone, but Koko and Kagami would refuse.
Koko would insist on sleeping next to me unless circumstances forced her otherwise. Normally a kind kid who compromises easily, this was only true when she deemed herself unnecessary.
Ever since I had died and come back, Koko had tried her best to stay close to me. Was it some sort of anxiety?
I think it’d get better after a few months —
Wuu?
Noticing I was pondering, Koko tilted her head.
Considering she was still close to me now, it was impossible to sleep apart today.
Then what about Kagami?
……In some ways, Kagami was more troublesome than Koko.
In my opinion, Koko’s stubbornness definitely came from Kagami. Kagami always appeared to be naively smiling, but she would never give up on what she believed she should do.
Most likely, Kagami would also not give up her spot next to me. After all, she claimed to be the “Mom.”
She might withdraw a bit when playing with friends, but when it came to sleeping, she’d assert that she needed to sleep in the same room, so ultimately, Koko, Kagami, and I would end up in one room.
That being said, it might seem reasonable to suggest that the other three could just sleep in the other room.
…
…
Mako, Fukuda, Yuuki, and Yuka looked at each other.
Those four were undoubtedly close.
So close that they resembled friends who only got along when they had a mutual friend to mediate.
Both sides could engage in pleasant conversation with their close friend, but conversely, there was a palpable awkwardness when it was otherwise.
……There was nothing quite as cruel as putting such friends in the same room overnight.
…Yuka, would you like to sleep with us?
After pondering my question, Yuka nodded.
That makes sense.
After all, Kagami and Yuka were probably the least awkward pair.
How ironic.
Since we all gathered here today, it might actually be best to facilitate some bonding between us.
Kagami, what about you?
Fukuda asked.
If we’re having fun together, she’ll probably worm her way in at some point.
Kagami’s desired role was that of the “typical mom.”
Then, what does that “mom” usually do when her child’s friends come over?
Thinking back to old memories, it’s usually “bringing cut fruits to the room.” It’s not a must, but it gives off a vibe.
All the kids, except Koko, tilted their heads slightly, but they didn’t challenge my statement.
…Ah.
As the kids fell into a momentary contemplation, Yuuki made a muttering sound as if he remembered something and grabbed his bag.
He pulled out a white envelope.
Unlike a typical letter envelope that opens on the narrow side, it was elegantly designed to open on the wide side.
What’s this?
An invitation to a wedding.
…
At Yuuki’s bombshell, we stared blankly at one another before eagerly pulling out its contents.
……Thank goodness it wasn’t “Yuuki’s” invitation. After all, he didn’t have a girlfriend anyway.
It was an invitation for the wedding of Yamashita and Mori.
Hadn’t they tied the knot yet?
But I might have underestimated that. Yamashita was getting married for the second time, but since Mori was a first-timer, she’d want all the congratulations she could get.
Despite being a close little sister, it would also be the future relationship to Yuuki, now with his wife and mother.
The kids’ expressions turned ever more ambiguous.
Yuka didn’t know Yuuki’s family situation well, and Koko had never been to a wedding, so she seemed confused, while Fukuda and Mako’s faces were truly the embodiment of “ambiguity.”
Should they congratulate? Comfort?
Yuuki even ran away from home over that incident. So maybe comforting was the way to go. He wasn’t really a fan of marriage, after all.
But now Yuuki seemed to have accepted the situation to some extent.
Could it be said that the relationship had been restored due to the incident where Miho nearly died?
Considering that, it seemed like congratulations were in order, but… honestly, I didn’t know what to say when “Dad” was getting married.
…You could congratulate me if you want.
In the end, Yuuki set our course of action.
Um… congratulations?
Fukuda was the first to break the silence.
C-congratulations!
Mako quickly followed.
…
Yuuki looked at Koko, Yuka, and me.
Congratulations.
I spoke first, then,
Um… I hope you have a good love.
Yuka, who knew nothing about Yamashita and Miho, spoke with a look as though she might start sweating any moment.
No, perhaps she was already getting damp from the back.
There will probably be a lot of delicious food at the wedding.
Wow!
Koko, who had been looking confused about why “marriage” was something to celebrate, let out a cheer upon hearing Yuuki’s remark.
I thought she had learned a lot about the world, but somehow, there seemed to be a lot more to teach her.
Yuuki gazed at me thoughtfully, then reached into his bag and pulled out one more invitation. I wonder how many he had brought along.
This one’s for you, Kagami.
Ah.
I took it.
Right.
Kosuzu had the worst humanity, and in the end, it was entirely her fault that her relationship with Yuuki crumbled.
But that didn’t change the fact that we were somehow still connected by blood.
Kagami experienced the same situation.
…Miho unni sent her thanks.
Yuuki spoke again.
Ah, right.
It felt a little uncomfortable to say this, but if it weren’t for me, Miho wouldn’t be well right now.
Thinking back on it, it was Kosuzu’s doing. A pure act of malice committed solely out of her own emotions, unrelated to any social purpose.
In many ways, she was truly a troublesome person.
No, it’s nothing.
But still, having received this apology made me feel somewhat embarrassed.
As I fiddled with the invitation,
Knock knock.
I heard a knock at the door.
Please talk while you eat this.
In walked Kagami.
Seeing her enter with a tray piled high with prepared strawberries and a cheerful smile made me feel quite oddly emotional.
Wasn’t she basically someone who wore a somewhat suspicious smile?
Sorry to Kagami, but her first impression was so fishy that even that smile still seemed suspicious. …She still had quite a distance to go to be assessed as a “loving mother.”
At the same time, friends’ gazes converged on me.
I shrugged.
What did I tell you?
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