An emotional reunion is great.
But the problem is after that.
The place for that emotional reunion is a bar.
If it were just an ordinary neighborhood bar, it wouldn’t matter. After all, it’s just a place that serves drinks; it’s practically the same as a cafe or a restaurant.
However, this isn’t a common izakaya found in the neighborhood, but a place where a young woman in revealing clothing pours drinks for men.
The bar itself isn’t a brothel, but that doesn’t mean one can naively think, “So it’s okay to work in a place like this.” At least those who work in cafes or restaurants would get upset if compared to people working here.
Moreover, what Miki is wearing is a dress that’s deeply cut and adorned with plenty of shiny bits, clinging tightly to her body.
“……”
It’s understandable that the two people who hugged tightly and then slightly pulled away are awkwardly avoiding each other’s gaze.
Should I have called them out separately to meet?
Without a word, I moved my legs and walked straight ahead.
Kagami silently placed an orange juice in front of me.
By the way, Koko was already here, drinking milk. Since I thought it was a good idea to let the boss and Miki meet, it seemed I’d be coming home much later than usual. When I asked Koko to come ahead and wait, it looks like she arrived much earlier than I had expected.
Kagami was still acting very awkwardly in front of Koko. Nevertheless, it was much better than when I first saw him. At least the look on his face while looking at Koko wasn’t super uncomfortable, like he was staring at something that wasn’t human.
“……Could you tell me what’s going on?”
Having heard that I would come, Kagami seemed to have hardly received any customers. The bar was completely empty.
“It’s just a little story.”
I leaned down to drink from the straw in my glass. The sour and bitter taste of the orange juice lingered on my tongue.
“I thought the story my boss at the cafe told me about his younger sister matched the person Miki was talking about, the older sister.”
Now that I think about it, I should have confirmed it more definitively.
But what could I do? Despite the boss saying there was a possibility, he had immediately decided to follow me. It wouldn’t have made a difference to reject him further.
“What a huge coincidence.”
“…… It really is coincidence.”
As Kagami looked at me intently while saying that, I frowned and replied.
Still, since his gaze didn’t leave me, I just sipped my juice again.
“Uu?”
Koko tilted her head while watching my complicated expression.
In fact, I don’t not understand the boss’s mindset. I also have a younger sister. My sister is old enough to go to university, so she was older than Miki is now.
No, if we consider the years, it’s been 20 years now, so her actual age is…… Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.
After all, the 20s I felt, both then and now, are just ‘the present’ to me.
Anyway, continuing from where I left off—if my younger sister, whom I thought was dead, suddenly came back… I would have been happy, really.
However, if the place to reunite with that sister was in a bar like this, well, honestly, it would have been a conflicting feeling. There are no lower or upper class jobs, but it’s not easy not to hold any prejudices.
I slightly turned my body to look at the two of them again.
They were looking at each other from a distance—then turned their bodies to face me. Ugh.
I quickly turned back towards my juice. Then I took the straw in my mouth and slowly sucked it up. If I show that I’m eating something, maybe they won’t ask me various things? Yeah, it was undoubtedly an irresponsible action for someone who created this situation.
“…… But is it okay for me to just sit here in this bar?”
The boss, not sitting right next to me but one seat away, asked me.
“…… It’s just juice.”
“Milk.”
When I raised my glass to speak, Koko mirrored my action and replied.
Seeing us both, the boss’s expression became even more conflicted.
His gaze turned towards Kagami.
“……I could say she’s my mother.”
“Uu.”
“……”
Kagami glanced at the two of us in turn.
I couldn’t tell if it was acting or genuine.
“There’s something you need to give me if you want to take her away.”
And I couldn’t tell if that remark was genuine or not.
One thing for sure is that even if it wasn’t genuine, calling Kagami “mother” just now was an incredibly embarrassing remark for me.
Kagami, as if he had titanium on his face, wiped a glass with a cloth without blinking.
“Because I paid for the rent.”
…… Not a salary?
“I’ve been deducting a little from my salary, but it’s still a long way off from being paid back.”
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Kagami.
He was easy to deal with me in many ways, but I was confused about which Kagami was the true one when dealing with others.
I use important divine (神体) things in social interactions, and since Koko knows me, she can’t treat me carelessly.
“Besides, there are plenty of debts I’ve loaned out.”
I subtly glanced at the boss’s expression.
The boss looked quite conflicted.
It’s pretty clear he doesn’t have good feelings towards Kagami. Considering the situation with me and Koko, it would be hard to say that Kagami was a good parent.
Plus, letting Miki work in a place like this is questionable too.
But at the same time, Kagami is also the person protecting Miki. At least it doesn’t seem like Kagami has done anything bad to Miki. If he had, Miki wouldn’t have been able to show such a relaxed attitude every time he dealt with him.
I could say he’s deceiving, but since I don’t know the real behind-the-scenes situations, I have nothing much to say yet.
Just.
“Boss.”
“Yup?”
When I suddenly interrupted the conversation, the boss looked at me.
He still looked confused.
“……How old is Miki?”
“…… Like you.”
“……”
Kagami’s hand suddenly stops.
His expression didn’t change much.
Instead, he looked at me, then at Miki, and looked back at the boss.
Then his gaze lingered on Miki, fixing itself.
Miki twirled her hair with her finger, turning her gaze elsewhere.
Kagami then seemed to realize why I forcibly took Miki out from the police station yesterday.
Did he think I acted that way simply because I felt like it?
“…… But I’m still going to collect the money.”
Kagami said that.
“……”
It seems like the boss opted to defer judgment on that point.
“Can I have a drink?”
“……”
Although he spoke informally, Kagami shrugged. And without asking what we wanted to drink, he poured liquor into a small glass. I still didn’t know what kind of alcohol it was.
After downing it straight, the boss sank into thought for a moment before speaking.
“I won’t ask the details.”
Kagami seemed indifferent and continued cleaning the bar, but I got the impression that he was listening carefully.
“If it’s borrowed money, I can pay it back.”
It seemed like the boss felt the same way, addressing the unresponsive Kagami.
“But, Miki, I will take her with me.”
“Older sister……”
“I won’t ask about what you went through.”
The boss was speaking to Miki.
“There’s probably a lot of things going on with you. You might have things you can’t tell me. So you didn’t just disappear as soon as you got out of the juvenile facility?”
Miki hung her head low.
“You don’t have to tell me everything. Later on, when you feel like talking, you can do so.”
The boss said that.
“But you have to quit this job.”
I looked at Kagami.
Though Kagami still uttered no words, for some reason, I had the feeling that I saw him nodding slightly.
Was that just my imagination?
“……”
Miki glanced at Kagami, the relaxed demeanor she displayed last time gone.
Kagami just scoffed.
“As for me, I don’t really care as long as I get the money back. It hurts a bit to think of losing an employee, but…”
Well, that might be the case.
But that employee is still a minor. He’d just been shocked into silence when he heard my age.
“…… I can provide a place to stay. I can offer a job too.”
“……”
Nod.
Miki slightly moved her head while still keeping it low.
The boss downed the liquor placed in front of him in one shot.
Thud.
He placed the glass back on the bar and spread his fingers wide.
“One more.”
Kagami said nothing and poured more alcohol into that glass.
*
Eventually, the boss took Miki and left the bar before midnight.
Before leaving, he asked Koko and me if we were leaving with them, and I replied that I was fine.
I was still watching Kagami with distrust, but Kagami just shrugged in response to the boss.
It might have been because I had my own family issues to deal with instead of meddling in someone else’s family situation, or maybe he judged that the Kagami he saw wasn’t as strange as he thought, so he took Miki and left.
I gestured for him to go ahead.
“Did you know? Because of that incident, the sales in our shop are going to drop.”
“I think Miki’s popularity was actually because she was a minor.”
“……”
Kagami squinted and thought for a moment.
“……I don’t think so. Miki always carried herself as an adult. And she even covered her face with makeup.”
Come to think of it, Kagami was also fooled.
…… Was it because she looked mature? She was pretty, but seemed too grown-up.
Typically, even high school students’ makeup would show, but Miki didn’t seem to have any signs of that.
Well, things ended up well; isn’t that good?
I decided to think positively.
“Can I go upstairs?”
“…… Sure. Since you brought a cat, why not just live here?”
That’s not a bad idea. It’s quite close to school. Of course, I’d still take the subway to get here, but it’s much closer than Saitama.
Except for the risk of bumping into Fukuda’s father, it’s quite a reasonable suggestion…
But it can’t be his true intention.
“…… Sorry.”
When I said that in a sarcastic tone, Kagami’s eyes widened a little.
“What?”
“Did I say something weird?”
“…… No.”
When I asked back, Kagami shook her head.
“It’s not that it was a weird thing to say, no.”
Actually, Kagami is the odd one.
I shrugged and went upstairs with Koko.
Unluckily, Kagami’s gaze was fixed on me all the way up the stairs.
“Meow!”
As I opened the door, Kuro, who Koko brought, jumped onto me. When I lifted Kuro under its armpits, it soon had a look of discontent.
Is there a button in the armpits or something?
When I put him down, Kuro curled up and laid on the blanket spread out on the floor without any hesitation.
I quietly watched Kuro while turning back to Koko.
“Then, let’s rest.”
“Okay.”
Koko’s response seemed somehow a bit calmer than usual.
…… I did lie about her intelligence level and everything, but if you just talk about intelligence, there’s not much difference between her and humans, and her scores are even better than mine.
It’s just that her way of talking makes her seem a bit older.
Right now, she moves around really well all by herself without needing others’ help.
“……”
But I felt a bit strange looking at Koko. Should I say it’s a little unsettling? It’s something I should be pleased about.
That strange feeling lingered until I washed up and went to bed.
*
“Oh, but you’ve really used quite a bit!”
On the following Monday.
Since it was a day without part-time work, I decided to stick around and write a bit in the Literature Club Room.
To be honest, writing isn’t particularly enjoyable for me.
However, considering the number of dorayaki I gobbled up while here, I thought I should at least help give the Literature Club a reason to keep going during my time here.
I have no ability to write novels whatsoever, so instead, I wrote an observation journal about Kuro.
The content was roughly like this.
Cat Observation Report (Tentative Title)
i
i Kuro sleeps more than anything else throughout the day.
i
i Even on a bright morning when the sun is shining, it seems like the weight of Kuro’s eyelids prevents any light from reaching its eyes.
i
i On the weekend, Kuro didn’t wake up until after I had prepared breakfast completely; only when I filled his food bowl with kibble did he stir from his slumber.
i
i It seems his eardrums aren’t as thick as his eyelids.
i
i … (omitted) …
i
i I don’t know if every cat is like this or if it’s just Kuro.
i
i According to reports, it seems I lack adequate samples.
i
i Anyway, if I have a bit of leisure, I think living like a cat wouldn’t be a bad idea.
i
i Lying leisurely under warm sunlight and dozing off.
The last line was a casual insertion of a story I had heard from Kuro in a dream.
“It’s good!”
Izumi said with a broad smile.
“This form of prose is quite common, you know. Especially, your choice of subject matter was great. Hmmm.”
Izumi sank into thought for a moment, then asked,
“By the way, how about bringing Kuro to the cultural festival?”
“Is that really okay? What would they say at school?”
“Well, as long as you don’t overdo it… that’s something I should check.”
So, are we really putting the cat observation report alongside a real cat?
Well, it might not be a bad idea. There are famous novels featuring cats as protagonists in Japanese literature. The “black cat” is quite popular even in America.
“I like Yuka’s writing too. The theme of the way to school is something that only students can easily feel. And this sort of emotion is tough to express unless you’re a student.”
Yuka, praised by Izumi, slightly blushed, somehow looking like she wasn’t used to such compliments.
“And, as for Koko…”
Izumi glanced at Koko’s writing and slightly frowned.
Koko looked expectantly at Izumi.
For reference, this is the title of Koko’s piece.
[Kotone Observation Report]
It was obvious that she was referencing my writing. Of course, because we thought about what to write together all Sunday.
The boss had to close the store urgently due to conversations he had with Miki. Thanks to that, we had quite a bit of time yesterday.
The problem was that Koko’s writing was somewhat… lacking in several aspects.
Kotone is amazing.
Kotone can cook delicious meals and knows where to buy ingredients.
She even thinks about where to buy the cheapest ingredients. I can’t do that.
She knows how to clean, and how to deal with dust in the corners.
For living expenses, she works. Koko eats that money. Kuro does too.
…(omitted)…
In any case, Kotone is amazing.
Really.
… More like a one-sided praise than a report that observes me.
Izumi’s awkward expression after reading it was—
Sniff.
… Huh?
Hic. Kaoru, look at this…
I’m watching…
……
What is this?
Why is she crying?
When I gathered my thoughts, I realized that Yuka had taken the paper and was reading, tears streaming down her face.
“……”
What’s going on? Is it a different kind of sentiment?
Having lived in the 2020s, could it be that the feelings of people from this era are different?
Or is it a popular writing style? … I have no idea.
I looked at Koko.
Koko had her chest out, looking proud as though she was saying, “I made these people cry! I can control emotions!”
It felt like she was exclaiming that proudly.
No, so what does that mean?
“No dictator sings praises of knowing how to clean, right?”
Sniff.
Izumi wiped her tears again and then said to Koko,
“Still, let’s tweak the writing a bit. Yeah, we know the context, so we can understand the content simply by reading it, but someone reading it for the first time might not get it.”
“Wait a minute.”
I urgently stopped Izumi.
“Are you planning to include that writing in the anthology?”
“Hmm? It’s a good piece, right?”
It’s a good piece?
What does that mean? Is it because I don’t normally read books? Is there something unique about the sentiment of people who are aware of pure literature?
“Of course, there are some places to polish. But I can come help you with that on the side.”
“Oh…”
“Especially the parts that mention names, let’s revise that part.”
Hearing that made me feel a bit relieved.
At least it won’t turn into my praise piece.
“Kotone, you’re working hard.”
Kaoru suddenly patted my shoulder with a serious expression.
“If you ever encounter any difficult situations, just let this older sister know! I’ll help!”
I mean, I appreciate the sentiment.
“…… Kotone.”
“Yeah?”
Yuka called me with a subdued voice, and I hurriedly looked at her.
Did she know something about what happened on Friday in Koko’s writing?
However, it seems Yuka wasn’t calling me to scold me about that.
“If you need help, I can help…”
“Oh, okay.”
“So, I would like you to ask without reservation…”
No, the way you said that makes it seem like I should refuse it.
It’s not that I don’t want help, but rather… how should I say?
It feels like I shouldn’t expect too much as a human.
She’s much younger than me. Of course, there are older people like my grandfather and Yuka’s dad among those who want to help.
And while I’ve received plenty of help already!
“……”
For some reason, if I were to say it’s fine or that things aren’t that serious, I feel like it would only worsen the situation, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
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