I rushed home as quickly as possible after school.
Usually, I would go back with Sota, but today I had something urgent at home.
At home, Kagami and Koko were together.
It didn’t seem like Koko thought badly of Kagami.
While there’s a possibility that Koko might act, at least when she’s with me, she’s never shown any signs of that. She’s not incredibly foolish, but she does seem a bit naive, which makes me worry a little.
I can trust Kagami. She definitely won’t act hostile towards Koko.
But even if I know it theoretically, my heart couldn’t easily follow.
“Mom!”
I shouted and barged through the front door.
A moment later, I recalled that Kagami hadn’t come out to wait for me. It was just a brief slip, but I felt cold sweat on my back. Could something have happened at home that kept Kagami from coming out?
However, my worries didn’t linger for long.
“Koto Ne.”
Kagami was sitting on the living room sofa.
And, Koko was there too.
Koko was lying with her head resting on Kagami’s thigh, asleep, while Kagami gently patted Koko’s head.
Koko’s hairstyle had changed since the last time I saw her.
Originally, she wore her hair down, just like mine. Perhaps having absorbed a bit more moisture, unlike me whose hair didn’t drag on the ground, Koko’s hair was long enough to touch the floor.
That said, I couldn’t just cut her hair. To Koko, her hair was almost like skin… I really didn’t know. I could only easily imagine that she would feel pain if it were cut, thinking of it as part of her body, but I still wasn’t sure.
Her hair was neatly gathered and braided.
The previously flowing bangs were now neatly arranged and held back with a hairpin.
If she opened her eyes, I imagined she might go “Wow!” but she looked incredibly calm lying there asleep.
“…Was today okay?”
I quietly asked.
Kagami nodded with a smile.
“It was fine.”
I let out a small sigh at her response.
I wondered if Kagami would reject Koko after finding out her identity.
I still didn’t know much about that time. Whether I was truly a being born from Kagami’s body, whether Koko was really my sister. Seeing Kagami’s reaction, I thought there might be some truth to it, but I still felt somewhat disturbed.
For now, I thought their first impressions couldn’t be too bad.
I sat down next to Kagami. Koko curled up tightly, but since she was lying on the sofa, there was a bit of a squeeze in the space.
I reached out and gently stroked Koko’s hair.
It was not much different from when I touched my own hair.
“Maybe, Koto Ne’s hair is exactly like this.”
“…”
I felt something from Kagami’s voice.
When I turned to look, Kagami was giving me a bitter smile.
“Maybe it’s not just mimicking the appearance. Of course, it must be connected internally. If cut, it would probably revert back to a lump, but for now, it’s not merely a matter of imitating the appearance.”
“I see.”
Kagami had never talked this detailed about things. Occasionally, when it was impossible to hide, or when I absolutely needed to know, she avoided giving me such information.
For the sake of a normal daily life.
Since coming here, Kagami had seemed like someone who had lost everything for a while. On the surface, she looked peaceful, but that attitude reflected someone who had given up on everything.
Did I, perhaps, break Kagami’s goal again by bringing Koko?
“And it’s probably true that Koto Ne is… Koko’s younger sister.”
Kagami said with her still calm voice.
“…Mom.”
“I gave birth to Koko.”
“…”
How on earth? It was hard to bring such a story to my lips. At least, I could easily imagine it wasn’t born from a normal relationship with someone.
“What if we said that we give birth to a child of God? Who comes to mind first for Koto Ne?”
Kagami asked.
I paused for a moment.
“Right? That person surely comes to mind first. As a child of God, the person who was nailed to the cross for people. My sister, the woman who Koto Ne probably met, Kurosawa Kosuzu, seems to have wanted to create such a being. Although the purpose was completely twisted.”
That… well.
Wait a moment, things are getting a bit strange.
“…Can I keep listening? If you don’t want to, I can stop talking.”
Kagami’s expression was in pain. The calm look was slightly distorted. However, it was also a face that seemed to feel a sense of obligation.
I looked over at Koko.
Would it be okay if Koko heard this?
Kagami seemed to think it was fine.
“…”
After some contemplation, I nodded.
Kagami closed her eyes and opened them again. Then, she continued speaking in a calm tone.
“Eternal life.”
“Uh?”
“Kosuzu wants eternal life. Not simply immortality. It’s not just about wanting hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years of lifespan; she desires a life that literally lasts forever. A world where the concept of death collapses, where everyone lives together forever.”
“……”
It was truly a cult-like plan.
The problem is that part of that plan is theoretically plausible. With Koko here, and with me, I don’t know how important our existence is to that plan, but at least this Kosuzu has acted.
And children, born somewhat disconnected from the world’s logic, have appeared.
Kagami fled with someone like me.
How hard must it have been?
While I’ve never had a religion, from what I hear here and there is that the more extreme people tend to be pursued more vigorously. Kagami really put her life on the line.
Not just from abuse, but to literally save me. Perhaps she could have lived safely at a pretty high position, but she ran away with me.
“…Ah.”
Then, a little late, one thing came to mind.
Yuuki, was said to be my cousin.
“Mom, then.”
“Yes, that’s right. Kosuzu is Yuuki’s mother. Biological mother.”
Really, the Kurosawa family is a tangled mess in so many ways.
We both fell silent for a moment. We both needed a bit of time to think.
For almost thirty minutes, we sat side by side in silence on the sofa. During that time, Koko slept comfortably without making a peep, while Kagami continued to gently stroke her hair.
“…Mom.”
“Yes.”
When I called out to Mom, she answered in a resolute voice as if she had made some great decision.
Did she think I would be too shocked hearing that story? Or perhaps she thought I might end up hating her?
No. There’s no reason for that.
On the contrary, I felt nothing but gratitude. After going through such abnormal circumstances and suffering like that, Kagami had tried to save her daughter.
She was probably feeling heartbroken now with Koko right in front of her.
At first glance, Koko might not look human, but in reality, she was my sister, and it meant Kagami had left behind her first daughter.
Yet, at least Koko didn’t seem to hold any resentment towards Kagami.
I couldn’t speak recklessly now that I knew the truth about whether it was the right choice. But if someone blamed her for that, I’d say Kagami had no choice but to do so.
Rather, it’s miraculous for Kagami to love me like this.
For both of us, our very existence was a testament to Kagami’s misfortune.
How could a person do this?
After losing everything—no, even in a situation where she had nothing in her hands, how was she able to care for her daughter?
I entwined my arm with Kagami’s. And I gently rested my head on her shoulder.
I felt Kagami take a breath.
“……Thank you.”
I had already been thankful. Even before knowing all this, it was a miracle for Kagami to have raised me.
But now that I heard the whole story, it felt like mere gratitude wasn’t enough.
How should I repay her?
What should I do to make Kagami happy?
Kagami let out a soft sob. I decided not to pretend I heard that sound.
Kagami’s hand lay over mine. That hand was warm. Every time Kagami held my hand, I always felt that warmth.
“Thank you, Koto Ne.”
Kagami replied.
I didn’t know how to respond to her words, so I just stayed quietly leaning against Kagami’s shoulder.
Until a moment later when Koko made a sound, “Wow?”
