Kagami’s expression was so serious that it felt a bit unsettling, but still, we managed to travel safely.
Was it because Kagami was a novice driver? Moving slowly and safely eased my mind just a bit.
The onsen run by Kaoru’s grandmother was our last stop. After having fun wandering around, the plan was to relax and head back home. I had already informed Kaoru in advance, and she agreed.
So, where would we go before that?
“Do you know?”
While driving, Kagami spoke with a slightly cheerful voice. Her gaze was perfectly fixed on the front, but she seemed to have the leisure to talk.
“I’ve never left the vicinity of Tokyo since I was born.”
“……”
“It seems like you’ve been around, though.”
That makes sense. No matter how long it took to give birth to something that wasn’t human, it wouldn’t have been a short period. It probably took weeks or months, during which she wouldn’t have been able to roam freely outside.
It’s not like there’s a concept that it’s dangerous for a pregnant woman to move too vigorously.
The being inside isn’t a human child, and everything about its form and size is different, and the timeframe is all different too.
What if Kagami suddenly felt labor pains and was rushed to the hospital, only to give birth to a blob? What on earth would happen?
Kagami has never talked about those times directly. It’s not something she particularly want to discuss.
No matter how she got pregnant, how she gave birth, and what her experience was before confirming she was pregnant, I can’t imagine she was treated like an ordinary human.
Even after Kosuzu left and everything was over, Kagami had to clean up behind her. I wouldn’t know, but I’m sure it was quite a busy period.
Having lived a life where she couldn’t even have an interest in the world, it’s no wonder her experiences are so limited.
When I look at the common sense she does have, I think it’s pretty remarkable. At least, when I talk with Kagami, I don’t get the feeling that the conversation stalls or that she doesn’t understand a lot of words.
I didn’t even sense that she might be behind in common sense.
“So, I’m a little excited. It’s my first time riding in a car like this.”
I wonder if my driver’s license was earned after I woke up at the funeral.
I hadn’t missed a single day of school during the three terms, so I have no idea what Kagami does during the daytime. Plus, it’s not like it only happened in the third term. There was plenty of time before that too. If we count the time since Kagami started paying attention to me, that makes for even more time. Maybe she was quietly preparing herself.
Thinking back, there were a few books in Kagami’s luggage. I didn’t really plan to look through all of them. There was even one picture book by Koko on that bookshelf. Well, I haven’t been reading picture books much lately.
… Am I being too insensitive?
That thought crossed my mind, and I glanced at Kagami. Kagami, focused on driving, didn’t seem to notice.
I wonder if Koko would be okay with me reading her a picture book again.
What would Kagami think if she read to Koko? I wouldn’t want to hear it though. If there were things I could do as a mom, I think Kagami would like that too, right?
“……”
Was I overstepping because I consider them family?
I broke a bit of a sweat internally for a moment.
While pondering quietly, I opened my mouth.
“I guess I’ll have to get my license after graduation?”
“That’s up to you.”
So Kagami’s a hands-off type, huh?
I still feel like it’s a bit off to evaluate myself as her daughter, but in a way, I already have a mature soul inside me, so I guess there isn’t much need to teach her anything separately. In that sense, I could say I’m an easy-going teenager, right?
Koko might just have a difficult way of speaking, but in some respects, she has been around for quite a while. I don’t know if it’s because she received the common sense of the souls that were in her but aside from the way she speaks, Koko is fairly mature.
So, even if she’s a bit hands-off, it’s not a problem. In reality, Koko and I have spent quite a lot of time together.
Still…
If Kagami wants to “raise” me, I wonder if I could give her that opportunity.
Since it’s impossible to start from early childhood, the relationships after that—
“I might be a bit nervous even after getting my license.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, well…”
For example, cars in Japan drive on the left side of the road. The driver’s seat is also on the opposite side compared to Korea. This means that the operation method of the vehicles differs quite a lot from what I’m used to.
The steering wheel is one thing, but I think it’ll take me time to get used to the gear lever being on the left.
Getting a Japanese driver’s license takes quite a bit of time, and you have to learn a lot of details, which means that even right after getting your license, people can drive fairly well, but still, a beginner’s a beginner. Compared to someone who has been driving for years or even decades, it’s bound to be lacking.
So,
“… I was wondering if you could teach me a few things when that time comes.”
Don’t there exist people who separately get driving lessons from their parents?
I thought it might make Kagami feel a bit better if it was that kind of thing.
But it seems my words had a more positive effect than I expected.
Feeling something strange, I looked towards Kagami and saw her looking at me.
After a few seconds of confusion, I suddenly shouted.
“Wait, Kagami! Look ahead, ahead!”
“Oh, yes!”
At my words, Kagami quickly turned her head forward again. Still, it wasn’t a winding road, so there was no accident.
“…….”
A brief silence filled the car.
Only Koko, who hadn’t quite understood the previous situation, was smiling brightly.
“…I’ll be careful.”
“Yeah.”
Nodding at Kagami’s words, I felt relieved.
In the next two to three years, it should get better.
I sincerely hoped so.
*
Since it’s a long trip anyway, there was no need to rush.
Even though Kagami was a novice driver, some wandering around was inevitable.
Moreover, in 2004, cars didn’t have navigation systems available.
Well, some more expensive models might have options, and features could possibly be loaded into PDA-like models.
But I don’t think my dad’s car had navigation back when I was a kid.
Additionally, this car is a compact and used one. So it’s not surprising that it doesn’t have a navigation system since it’s older than 2004.
Kagami was driving, but as a beginner, her vision wasn’t perfect. Sometimes she failed to find the road going in the direction she wanted.
It was inevitable that I ended up holding a map.
Moving my head back and forth to read signs outside, I checked again on the map to see where we were.
It was, in a way, somewhat fun. Maybe I’m just looking at it positively.
We could have taken the highway, but that’s something you do when you’re going straight to your destination, and we had the idea of wandering around together.
From Saitama to Tokyo. And from Tokyo, back along the coast.
We purposely drove along a road that had a view of the sea.
In Japan, cars drive on the left, and of course, the passenger seat I was sitting in was on the left too. Throughout the drive, the sea was easily visible.
We left early in the morning and drove until about two in the afternoon, and we barely arrived in Shizuoka.
On the map, it didn’t look that far, but without navigation or smartphones, it was hard to guess how long it would actually take. One thing was certain though, the time it took us to get here was noticeably longer than usual.
We found a parking spot, parked the car, and got out to stretch.
I thought it wouldn’t be that tiring, but it seems I was a little worn out.
“Let’s take a break here for a bit and then set off again. By my estimation, we should reach our destination by tomorrow.”
Kagami said with a slight sense of pride.
It was only after Kagami started driving that, she finally revealed our destination: Osaka.
For reference, even though we’re aiming for Osaka, we didn’t have a specific destination. Since I didn’t reserve any accommodations, we had to find them once we got there.
We hadn’t set a place to eat along the way either.
Also, the reason we got off in Shizuoka was not because we set it as a mid-destination, but just for a quick break and to find a restroom.
That is to say, Kagami didn’t hide the plan; it seems she simply didn’t have a plan to speak of.
If I had to guess, the reason why she chose Osaka as a destination is probably because it sounded like, “A place that’s a bit far away and not Tokyo.”
Well, I, for one, didn’t mind at all.
“We’ve come quite far for a drive.”
As I expressed my thoughts with a smile, I noticed Kagami’s shoulders shrink a bit.
“Is it too far?”
“No, it doesn’t really matter since we have plenty of time.”
Kaoru’s grandmother’s place is close to Tokyo. Two days to get there, two days of fun, and another two days coming back. If we rest at the onsen for about two days, it roughly fits the timeframe.
“So… what do you want to eat?”
“That is….”
At my question, Kagami fell into a brief contemplation.
Whether I ask Koko what she wants, she’ll likely say anything is fine, and I wouldn’t care much either. Honestly, I think I wouldn’t be the one eating much compared to Kagami, who has mostly stayed in Tokyo and nearby.
“It feels a bit much to ask something so specific after coming out this far, but….”
“But?”
Seeing Kagami hesitating a bit unusually, I patiently prodded her.
“… is it okay if I say a hamburger?”
“A hamburger?”
It was an unexpected response, so I tilted my head, and a slight look of confusion passed over Kagami’s face.
Ah, did she think I wouldn’t like it?
“No, it’s not that I dislike it or anything.”
Before Kagami could redirect the conversation, I shrugged.
“I’m just curious why a hamburger?”
“Um.”
At my question, she seemed to calm down a bit and hesitantly said,
“I saw it on TV.”
“TV?”
“Yes. Families enjoying a meal together.”
“…….”
After she said that, I couldn’t possibly refuse. Though, I had no intention to refuse either.
In other words, it’s a yearning.
Since Kagami didn’t have a proper family, she might have yearned for the picturesque scenes shown on TV.
Although our atmosphere was not that way, Kagami has been to family restaurants with me, so…
“Sounds good.”
“Hamburger!”
As I nodded, Koko raised her arms in excitement.
In that case, let’s thoroughly hit up a common franchise.
“McDonald’s?”
“…That should be enough.”
It seemed Kagami only realized she had expressed her wish to go to McDonald’s when I mentioned it.
Her expression didn’t waver much from usual, but her cheeks were slightly flushed.
“Then let’s go. If we wander about, we should be able to find at least one.”
Saying that, I took the lead.
The scene looked a bit strange, but well…
I thought to myself that it wouldn’t be too surprising for a teenage girl to be walking ahead with her parents following behind.
*
I made sure to record the video of us eating at McDonald’s.
Most of the luggage was left in the car, but I made sure to bring the camcorder. The battery was sufficient.
Kagami felt a little embarrassed when I recorded her eating a hamburger, but she complied peacefully, perhaps due to the things she had said earlier.
Then, as if wanting to get back at me, she snatched the camcorder from me to record how I was eating. In the end, she seemed so immersed in recording that she continued to film Koko until I managed to retrieve it back.
We walked to the sea together, sat down viewing the ocean, and walked across the sandy beach.
Since we were already there, I begged Kagami to buy a disposable camera, and before we knew it, we had used it all up. I thought we would develop the photos later, so for now, I put it back in the bag.
After spending some time, it was around three in the afternoon.
It was time to get back in the car and set off again.
We arrived in Nagoya around midnight.
No, actually, it was more precisely around dinner time. The sun had already gone down, making it look like night.
“Let’s have meat for dinner.”
This time, I stated it firmly.
There was no particular reason. Truly.
I simply felt like eating meat after driving for a while. Perhaps I was feeling a bit hungry since I had to think about finding the road.
“Meat!”
Naturally, Koko exclaimed, raising her arms again.
“What kind of meat would you prefer?”
At my words, Kagami seemed a bit happy. It appeared she was glad I spoke first.
“Beef. Let’s eat Wagyu, Wagyu.”
Once again, I simply said what came to mind.
While riding in the car with Kagami, I chose the route based on my whims.
Maybe that’s just how it has come to be.
“Sounds good. Then let’s look for a nice place together. There might be no seats available, but…”
Well, it wouldn’t be such a large city, I thought.
There ought to be at least one decent place.
And we might indeed have found just that. A small place tucked away in an alley. Inside, there were only three tables.
But it was more than enough.
The meat was delicious.
“…….”
As Kagami focused on grilling her meat, she also diligently flipped Koko’s meat at the same time, and I recorded the scene on video.
To be honest, I wondered if there was even a need to go to such lengths, but well, as long as Kagami was enjoying it.
“It’s delicious!”
Koko exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
As Kagami fed her with pieces of meat, I couldn’t help but smile watching them, and even the elderly couple who ran the shop watched with gentle, happy expressions.
Speaking of which, how long has it been since I’ve had a trip like this?
It goes without saying that after losing family, I have no memories of traveling like this.
Perhaps the reason I feel so happy now is that I’m reminded of the trips I took with my family when I was a child.
In those days, we didn’t record many videos or take a lot of pictures.
So maybe after everyone left, I felt particularly empty.
After eating happily till my belly showed a slight bulge, we stepped out in front of the shop.
“Let’s take a picture.”
I said that and lined up Kagami and Koko in front of the shop.
The camera flash popped. I had no idea how the result looked. Disposable cameras don’t capture well in dark spaces because of the small lenses.
So the name of the shop might not even be visible. But that didn’t matter. What mattered is that we were here, and that would remain in our memories.
After taking the picture, Kagami stretched her hand towards me.
Her expression seemed to ask for something, and when I blinked, Kagami snatched the camera from my hands.
Then she put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me next to Koko.
“Since we both look so similar anyway.”
So, if either Koko or I appeared in the camera, it wouldn’t make a difference. It would be enough to remember our appearance.
“I’ll know when I see it.”
Yet Kagami said that.
As I settled next to Koko at Kagami’s urging, Koko firmly grasped my hand.
Then she smiled brightly at me.
Seeing that moment, a bright flash went off.
With a smile, Kagami handed the camera back to me. Her expression was satisfied as well.
Well… if they’re happy, then that’s good enough.
I thought to myself while fiddling with the camera lever.
*
Even though it’s vacation, that didn’t mean that every accommodation in Nagoya was entirely booked.
A room with three beds side by side.
It was a hotel that looked quite expensive, but Kagami paid without a hint of hesitation. Well, since she can afford it, I suppose she wasn’t worried. Perhaps Ms. Fukuda invested quite a bit of money into Kagami.
“I think we can get by with just one bed.”
I looked at Kagami with a dumbfounded expression, but she didn’t change her expression at all.
“Wouldn’t you say this room is similar in size to the one we use?”
“…….”
Well, that’s true.
But I really can’t counter that.
“Let’s wash up and rest.”
Regardless of what I said, it seemed like Kagami was set on using just one bed, so I chose to sidestep the issue by responding that way.
I was the last one to wash up. Kagami and Koko bathed first, and I was the last to go in.
After giving Kagami a look of disbelief, who had a proud expression as if she had achieved one of life’s purposes, I washed up and came out, and Kagami was already lying next to Koko in bed.
Koko, who was using Kagami’s arm as a pillow, had already fallen asleep.
On the nightstand beside the bed was a picture book from home.
With the two of them cuddled up, there was surprisingly enough space on the bed.
When Kagami’s eyes met mine, she held a finger to her lips, then patted the spot beside her.
For a brief moment, I thought about just sleeping in the other bed, but—
Seeing how happy Kagami looked, I sighed long and went over beside her.
I didn’t lie down like Koko did, using her arm as a pillow.
But it seemed that was enough for Kagami.
Perhaps she was more tired than I realized.
Without exchanging many more words, the three of us fell asleep just like that.
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