In my very young days, I vaguely remember following Kagami around as we moved here and there, but since I entered kindergarten, we’ve been living in one place continuously.
Well, to be honest, when I say “very young,” I’m talking about a story from a year or two ago.
The place we live in is a Japanese-style apartment, a one-room place.
Maybe it’s because it’s still the ’90s, or perhaps there are houses like this in Japan that have aged for decades. After all, if we say it’s about 30 years ago, we’d be talking about the 1960s, so I think it’s reasonable to believe such houses would exist.
There are various residents in the apartment. Some are noisy, while others hardly make a sound. There are a few people I know, and among them, there’s a family with two kids. Honestly, that house might be a bit uncomfortable due to its size.
But since it’s just me and Kagami, we don’t have much to complain about. I’m still quite small, so this one-room apartment feels pretty spacious to me.
Now that I think about it, Kagami is quite tall for a girl. I’m not sure exactly how many centimeters, but since I used to gauge heights based on “my height” in my previous life, it’s hard to judge now that I haven’t even outgrown my toddler years.
Hmm, if I consider that I look up to Kagami since I’m little, she must be at least in the high 160s. On a good day, she could be 170 centimeters… Hmm, maybe not that much.
I’m not an adult yet, but I feel like I’m at the age where growth stops, though everyone grows at their own speed, so I can’t be sure.
Anyway, despite her youthful face, when Kagami puts on slightly heavier makeup and makes an effort, it seems her tall stature works in her favor because people tend to let her off easily. That’s a relief.
…I’ve drifted a bit off-topic, so let’s get back to the main point: I’m quite satisfied with our room, except for one thing.
This room is a bit cold.
As a cheap place, the walls aren’t very thick, so you can hear various living noises from the neighboring rooms, and the cold air from outside comes in really well.
Still, it’s definitely better than being outside, but in winter, sometimes my breath is visible inside the house, so that says something.
In summer, as long as we can endure the daytime, it becomes bearable by evening with just a fan, but in winter, the house is so cold that you can’t even appreciate how the winter in Japan is less chilly than in Korea.
Ultimately, to survive at a minimum, what Kagami and I chose to do in winter is stay close together.
Just a few months ago, I felt a bit uncomfortable cuddling with Kagami. No matter how much I may look like a toddler, Kagami is still underage, after all.
Of course, whenever I tried to distance myself, Kagami would always have a hurt facial expression, so I usually ended up in her embrace, especially in winter when it was truly unavoidable.
It’s not like we don’t have any heating appliances at home. We have an electric blanket and a kotatsu. However, those heating appliances are a bit inadequate to warm the entire house evenly.
“…”
As I wiggle slightly to get closer under the kotatsu, Kagami, perhaps pleased with my movements, let out a giggle.
She warmly wrapped her arms around me, as if trying to shield me from the cold with her body heat.
On the TV, some variety show was playing, but I wasn’t paying much attention to it. Unfortunately, the things I like would mostly take at least a few years to over a decade to air.
The world is far from having smartphones or streaming platforms like YouTube; it’s still the time where not everyone has a phone. Most cameras are film cameras, and computers are huge, heavy, slow, and expensive.
The fact that the only ‘fun’ device we have at home is the TV was almost inevitable.
“Koto Ne, Koto Ne.”
While I was clinging to Kagami without showing much interest in the TV, I felt her gently patting the back of my head.
This gentle touch, which was tough to adapt to at first… has now become something so natural.
“Shall we cook something warm and delicious?”
“Warm and delicious?”
Half asleep and without raising my head, I answered, and Kagami hugged me tight as if she was holding the cutest being in the world and gently kissed my forehead.
“Yes, we still have pancake ingredients left.”
“Pancakes…”
As I let out a long sigh along with my words, Kagami patted my head and carefully laid me back down.
As I separated from Kagami, the cold air rushed in where her warmth had just been, making my body feel cold too.
As I stretched my hands out in front, Kagami let out another giggle and laid me back on the blanket.
She turned off the kotatsu, laid me on the electric blanket, pulled the blanket up to my neck, and then kissed my cheek once more.
With my hands stretched out in front, she firmly held both of my hands with hers.
“Ugh.”
For a moment, I felt the cold air, but I didn’t fully wake up. Seeing me blink my eyes, barely fighting off sleep, Kagami chuckled again.
“Just a moment. I’ll be back soon.”
“…Okay…”
In the end, I had no strength to follow Kagami to the kitchen, so I just flopped on the blanket.
*
I may have fallen asleep, but it wasn’t for an entire hour.
At most, it was just a few minutes, maybe a little over ten.
Typically, Kagami has always taken great care of my health, so I’ve never experienced a lack of sleep.
“Ugh.”
Rubbing my eyes with my hands, I got up and pondered for a second.
I really didn’t want to get out of the blanket. The electric blanket was the perfect temperature, and the moment I stepped out, I could tell it would be freezing.
I heard something sizzling from the kitchen.
After kicking off the blanket and braving the cold for a moment, I walked toward the kitchen.
Even though it was a one-room apartment, the kitchen was somewhat separated from the living area. Perhaps to prevent the food smells from drifting into the room, there was a semi-transparent sliding door made of glass in between.
When I opened that sliding door, I saw Kagami’s back.
Her face looked young, but from this angle, she didn’t seem that way at all. At her height, she wouldn’t have looked out of place as an adult woman, and her overall development seemed nearly complete.
Additionally, since she was wearing an apron, her back exuded a ‘mom’ vibe that anyone would recognize.
As I staggered over and lightly grabbed the hem of Kagami’s skirt, she turned her head toward me.
“Koto Ne, it’s almost done. Just a little longer.”
“Okay.”
I replied like that, but I didn’t let go of her skirt.
Though I haven’t lived in this world for long, I know one thing for sure.
Kagami will always be on my side, no matter the circumstances.
Of course, people’s feelings can change, and my relationship with Kagami may not always be so good, but for now, as someone unprotected, Kagami is the only person I can lean on.
Perhaps because I was happy to rely on her, Kagami turned off the gas and moved what was in the frying pan onto a plate.
She then walked slowly toward the room.
Was she worried I might stumble while trying to keep up? If she walked at her long strides, she could’ve reached much faster, but intentionally, she matched her pacing to mine, who was hanging onto her skirt.
When Kagami placed the pancakes on the kotatsu, a delectable aroma wafted throughout the room.
I found myself staring at the nicely cooked three pancakes on the plate.
Kagami gently held my shoulders down to sit me and then went back to the kitchen.
She returned with milk and two cups.
Sitting down next to me, Kagami poured milk into the cups. One was a glass cup meant for adults, and the other was a small, light plastic cup with handles on both sides.
“I’ll cut it for you~”
Was there really a need for that? Even kids should learn how to handle things, right?
While I’m always grateful to Kagami, sometimes it feels a bit too protective.
…
Well, does it matter?
I can just pull myself together and not cause any trouble.
After all, I’ve gained this second life.
In my previous life, I lost my family in an instant. I regretted all the things I couldn’t do for them for the rest of my life.
Though I still have no strength, I just hope it doesn’t turn out that way in this world.
The pancakes were delicious.
Kagami’s cooking skills are excellent. Everything I’ve eaten here has been tasty.
Someday, will I miss Kagami’s cooking and wish for my mom’s meals?
Chewing on the cake, I found myself absentmindedly wondering.
*
Kagami thought Koto Ne was a peculiar child.
That didn’t mean she didn’t love him. It just concerned her sometimes.
Since she had decided to be a mom, Kagami had no intention of letting things slide without learning anything. She wanted to raise her child well, not just leave it at kindergarten.
Parents are like mirrors for their children, and upbringing at home is crucial for their growth.
However, oddly enough, Koto Ne was very different from the ‘young child’ Kagami had imagined and learned about.
He never threw tantrums. Though he would quietly look up at toys in the mart, he tilts his head if asked if he wanted one. It’s as if he’s pondering whether he should like it or not.
He never suggested going out for fun on holidays, nor did he throw fits about wanting or not wanting to do something. He didn’t spend hours glued to the TV either.
So, it worried her.
She thought Koto Ne might feel that there were too many things that Kagami couldn’t give him, so he might not want to do them voluntarily.
That scared her.
In the distant future, would he think he shouldn’t need anything? Would he become a child who believes wanting something holds no meaning—
But such concerns gradually faded as Koto Ne grew up.
Koto Ne loved to be in Kagami’s embrace. He enjoyed being in warm and soft places and often showed reluctance to come out of the blanket.
He would doze off while she read picture books. He loved sweet and delicious food. Even now, as he ate pancakes and drank milk, satisfaction was fleetingly evident on his face.
So, Koto Ne was just a slightly strange child after all.
And that ‘peculiarity’ stemmed simply from being a bit more intelligent, perceptive, and considerate of others.
“……”
Let’s not take it for granted.
As Kagami looked down at Koto Ne munching on the pancakes, she thought.
Perhaps noticing her gaze, Koto Ne glanced up at Kagami and used his fork to stab a piece of pancake, bringing it to her face.
“Hehe.”
Kagami couldn’t help but let out a laugh as she accepted the pancake Koto Ne offered and gently patted his head.
Christmas is coming soon.
What would make a good present for Koto Ne?
With a heart fluttering with anticipation, she pondered.
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