Thus, the apartment was gradually turning into a rather mysterious boarding house.
Wow!
The person who was the happiest when Yuka, who had often helped us since high school, said she was going to live in our apartment was none other than Koko.
“How about it, Koko? Let’s have fun living together!”
Well, you guys are the same age.
Actually, if we want to get technical, Koko might be the older one. Kagami has never specifically mentioned our ages, but strictly speaking, Koko was born before both of our bodies.
Right now… since I’m wearing part of Koko’s body, can I say we’re the same age?
However, Koko’s personality hadn’t matured significantly from then to now. At least not when it comes to appearance.
Her thoughts have deepened, and her personality has become a little calmer, but there still remains that childlike innocence about her. I believe that kind aspect is Koko’s true nature.
That’s also the reason why I cherish Koko.
It seemed Yuka felt the same way about Koko.
After seeing Yuka poke me, it seemed Koko and Yuka had a bit of a cold relationship, but after I was revived, they restored their bond a lot.
It seemed Yuka cared quite a bit about that aspect.
“… You react differently than I do.”
Uh…
After I saw Yuuki helping to carry Yuka’s stuff, I shut my mouth at what he said.
Is it really that way?
Thinking back, when Yuuki lived in our house, Koko still had her giant nose. In fact, I didn’t even properly recognize her existence back then, so perhaps Yuuki wasn’t in Koko’s memories from that time.
“Woo?”
Upon hearing Yuuki’s reaction, Koko tilted her head.
“Yuuki likes me too!”
With Koko raising both hands in excitement, Yuuki simply nodded with his blank expression and then began to pat Koko’s head vigorously.
No, I mean, strictly speaking, she’s older.
But I guess there’s no need to mention that. Koko liked having kids pat her head, so it’s good for both of them anyway.
Even though she’ll be an adult next year, Koko was still Koko.
“If someone confesses to Koko—”
“No way.”
I don’t know what Yuka was trying to say, but that was abruptly interrupted by Kagami.
Yuuki’s hand, which had been gently stroking Koko’s head, stopped suddenly.
Yuka’s hand, which had been taking stuff out of her bag and organizing it, also came to a halt.
The three of us slowly turned our heads to look at Kagami, who was also helping with the organization.
Kagami wasn’t looking at us. But I could feel a sort of oppressive aura wafting from them like heat haze. I couldn’t see it directly, but there was an undeniable sense of pressure emanating from Kagami.
Slowly, Kagami’s head turned in our direction.
At first glance, they just seemed to be squatting down and looking over here. Their expression was nothing particularly different from usual.
“That’s to be expected; Koko and Koto Ne are still minors, you know?”
We’ll be adults next year.
Just because you’re a high school or a first-year university student doesn’t mean you can’t date. Then how did you spend high school? Was there no such assumption at all?
And why am I in the mix?
Not that I particularly had any intention of dating anyone.
“Isn’t it still too early to date?”
“…”
Yuuki and Kagami looked like they had a lot they wanted to say but held it back.
“For reference, bringing a date to this apartment is troublesome. I don’t think that’ll be a worry, so I’m lending it out.”
The fact that they said “someone you’re dating” instead of “a boyfriend” is quite significant. If there’s a possibility, it seems they want to proactively block it.
Of course, I had no intention of bringing someone I was dating to a place like this where soundproofing didn’t exist.
… Whether I’ll even have someone to date or not is another story.
Under Kagami’s overwhelming pressure, Yuuki and Yuka nodded their heads in agreement.
“…”
We started organizing quietly again.
Um…
But, Mom.
I wonder if you know that kids with curfews normally do their thing during the day and come back.
*
A week passed again, and Yuuki had somewhat learned how to cook for himself.
There were still many clumsy aspects, and there were times when strange food would come out even if he followed the recipe, but he was slowly adapting to the life of a bachelor.
Yuka already knew how to cook a bit beforehand. It wasn’t extraordinary, but it was enough not to embarrass herself in front of others, and to someone who didn’t know how to cook at all, her skills seemed quite impressive.
Yuuki was living alone in his room, but leaving him to eat by himself felt a bit off.
If it was a complete stranger, that would be one thing, but he’s a cousin and a friend, right?
While our family eats together, if Yuuki’s eating alone in his room…
Hmm, on second thought, Yuuki probably wouldn’t care much about that. He might even feel relieved to be alone.
His expression softened a bit when he was dining with us, but he was generally a kid who preferred not to be bothered.
It seemed Yuka was concerned about that, as for the first few days, she ate with us, but at some point, she started going to Yuuki’s room to eat instead.
She began sharing a bit of her cooking with him while they became good neighbors who had our family’s room in between them.
It’s a lovely sight.
Sometimes, I invited those two to our room to have meals together, and Koko and I occasionally visited other kids’ rooms for fun. Rarely, Kagami would prepare a ton of food and share it with everyone. During those times, I felt that life could be so rich and fulfilling.
And—
*
Knock knock.
A few days after the end of all first-semester schedules, while there might be slight differences between schools, generally, the first semester for university students wraps up at the end of July. More precisely, right at the cusp of August.
In high school, sometimes due to linked classes with the same teacher, the summer assignments could be quite rigorous, but in university, even if a few classes carry over, they basically treat them as separate classes.
Since you’re tested within one semester and get your report card afterward, there aren’t many cases where not doing summer assignments penalizes you. Some universities might handle it that way, but… no matter how similar the classes are, there’s no guarantee you’re taking them with the same professor.
That’s why the summer vacation as a first-year student felt overwhelmingly enjoyable compared to other kids.
Although I had ambitious plans to get my driver’s license, Yuka had to somewhat postpone those plans.
“I have a budget hole after paying rent.”
Yuka said this with such a serious expression that I couldn’t help but laugh.
I heard that it costs around 200,000 yen to get a driver’s license in Japan. There’s vacation time to spare, and while she could take her time after handling her class, she needs that 200,000 yen first to make it happen.
There are ways to do it a bit cheaper, but that apparently takes longer.
It didn’t feel like something to regret too much. Can’t I just take the train to visit places? If it really doesn’t work out, I could take some time during the semester and get it next summer instead.
Koko and I were often going to visit other rooms.
We wandered around looking for good eats in the area, and while doing so, Kagami naturally mixed in with us.
“Are the kids doing well?”
“Every time I meet Shii at work, I ask. They all say they’re doing well. Tsugumi is studying hard.”
When Yuka suddenly brought up her worries about the literature club kids, I conveyed the news to her.
“Let’s definitely go during the cultural festival. Bring the seniors too.”
“Right.”
It seems this year’s president, Shii, is quite pumped up.
Four new students have joined the literature club again, so the number of members has been steadily maintained. Upon hearing that, I sighed in relief. Even after Tsugumi and Shii graduate, it should be fine.
When I told Izumi and Kaoru, they were both very happy.
…Back to the main point.
Summer vacation has arrived. This is my first summer vacation as a university student.
I have travel plans with friends that we’ve arranged in advance, and there’s also a family trip planned with Kagami and Koko. Besides those two, I also plan to enjoy the festivals.
I was thinking that this summer would be pretty busy and looking forward to it when—
Knock knock.
Someone was knocking on the house door.
When I opened it, there was—
“Hello!”
With a big wave and a bright smile was Harumi.
“Hello.”
And beside her was Mako, who also had a dazzlingly cheerful smile.
…Hmm.
I turned to Kagami.
Kagami, who locked eyes with me, offered a refreshing smile in my direction.
I wish they had given me a heads up since I got contacted anyway.
Turning my gaze back to the large bags that Harumi and Mako had brought along, I thought.
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