Chapter 83: All of a Sudden

(POV Chika)

――Make your choice.

――Beyond that corner, there was an old man lying on the ground.

“Turn the corner and take care of the old man” or “Call for help in a loud voice to help the old man”.

Since as far back as I can remember, I could see it. A series of unfamiliar characters appeared in front of my eyes like a window screen…

This always happened whenever I tried to do something or make a decision.

And no matter which option I chose, I would always be praised. Things would inevitably turn out well.

At first, it felt good. Being praised by parents, friends, teachers, and acquaintances made me happy. I could do something that not everyone could. I felt like I was a remarkable and special existence. I believed I was the luckiest person in the world.

I used to believe that I was the center of this world, the main character, the hero.

But, as it turned out, I was wrong.

Gradually, I became accustomed to receiving praise. And as that happened, my way of thinking started to change. I realized that as long as I chose that path, I would be praised no matter what I did. It became a daily routine with gratifying results.

The incredible thing was not me… Was it this power…? Everyone praised and admired it, not me…

I remember having this realization back when I was in third grade.

◆◆

 (POV Chifuyu)

Sixth grade, the year spent as senior students, the last year as elementary school students, that’s what it meant.

Yes, Chifuyu and the others had only one more year to spend together as elementary school students. That’s why Chifuyu thought she should cherish that year and be more serious than ever… But while riding the bus and watching Natsu-nee and Aki-nee yawn, I couldn’t help but feel like maybe it was okay to take it easy.

When we arrived at school, a new class list was posted.

“Yay~! Chinatsu, Chiaki, and Chifuyu are in the same class… Awesome!”

It seemed like once again Chifuyu and the others were in the same class. Seeing Haru-nee grinning happily, Chifuyu thought, “It’s not that different from last year,” and I felt like maybe I didn’t need to be so uptight after all.

“Ah…”

At that moment, Haru-nee turned her gaze in a certain direction and raised her voice in surprise. There, a girl with beautiful hair was being accompanied by people who appeared to be her parents as they entered the school building.

“What’s going on…?” 

“That girl is the one who moved in next door…” Haru-nee explained.

“Oh, really?” 

Though Chifuyu knew someone had moved in next door, I still hadn’t realized it was that girl. It was hard to see clearly from a distance, but the girl was surely cute…. The thought of having such a girl as a neighbor and the idea of her becoming acquainted with Kaito-san made me feel a bit nervous.

If a calm and composed girl like that is actually his type…. if that’s the case…. but then again, that’s Kaito-san we’re talking about….

As if still feeling the chill of winter, Chifuyu shivered slightly.

◆◆

 (POV Lilia)

My name is Lilia Hasishi. I’m just an ordinary elementary school student, like a common weed. Getting attention from everyone was something I always dreamed of.

“Hey, Lilia~, good morning~!”

“Good morning, Chinatsu.”

So, I pretended to be a returnee student. When I first transferred, everyone fawned over me. But kids aren’t fools; they eventually figured out that I was a full-fledged Japanese, just like them.

Except for one person, Chinatsu… This girl is really… pure…

“We’re in the same class, even in sixth grade! Awesome, right?”

“Yeah, it is!”

“When you were in America, did you have class changes or anything?”

“Nah, we didn’t.”

“Ooh, really?”

No matter what I say, she believes me, no questions asked.

“Hey, my sister, Aki, told me that…. the board that was used to make store-bought rolled ice cream is insanely hot.”

“…”

“She’s surprisingly knowledgeable, you know.”

No, that can’t be true… There’s no way it could be hot, considering it’s such a cold dessert. She must have been deceived. Chinatsu is so innocent.

“Lilia, how was your spring break? Did you do something like going back to America?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“How was it? Wasn’t the hometown cuisine after a long time different?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Wow, I’d love to try authentic hamburgers too.”

I actually went back to Akita, my mother’s hometown, but I can’t say that.

“Chinatsu, what’s your favorite dish?”

“Well, if I have to pick one… I guess it would be… Napolitan.”

“I see~. Which is the dish you love the most.”

“Hmm, probably the Hamburg steak simmered in tomato sauce. It’s my favorite, so I often make it when it’s my turn to cook.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

一How many favorite dishes does she have? She’s tilting her head with a puzzled expression, but that’s exactly how I feel too.

She continued to talk about things one after the other.

“Oh, you know what? Lately, Kaito hasn’t been paying attention to me!”

“Really?”

“He’s always so focused on Fuyu and Aki! I want him to care about me once in a while too, you know? But I can’t say that because Kaito is busy with his job and he’s unexpectedly frail… <<And besides, there’s something important I want to talk to him about>>…”

She seemed a bit lonely. I wonder if it’s difficult for her to share this kind of complaint with her family members.

Kaito, the person who took her in, she mentioned him briefly before, but I haven’t actually met him in person. It’s hard to describe how I feel about it. But I guess it’s unusual for someone to take someone else in, so I can’t help but think he’s a bit of an eccentric person. Even his surname is peculiar.

But Chinatsu cares about him a lot, so I should say something.

“My mommy used to say that when kids are a little selfish, it’s really cute. Maybe if you ask him a bit, he’ll agree.”

“True… Alright! I’ll try to talk to him for a short while tonight!”

Chinatsu’s face lit up with happiness as if a new excitement had been added to her life. It’s no wonder she’s popular in class; she’s cute. I also smiled like a child, looking forward to spending another year with her and our classmates, knowing it would be a lot of fun.

◆◆

 (POV Kaito)

The last year of elementary school began for the four sixth graders. Well, not much had changed so far… The only real change was the arrival of the protagonist, Chika Hinobori, as a transfer student.

They casually mentioned it to me during dinner, but for now, it seemed like it didn’t matter much, so there was no point in worrying about it.

As usual, after the four of them had gone to sleep, I sat alone on the living room sofa watching TV when… my phone vibrated. I wonder if it was a message from someone…? When I checked, it turned out to be from my grandmother, who was still alive…

――To Kaito

It’s been a while. How have you been lately? Your grandfather mentioned that he’s worried about how you’re doing, so I’m thinking of visiting you soon. Are you available on any particular day? Let me know.

…Troublesome. I hadn’t told them about the four kids. Grandpa was extremely stubborn, and once he decided to do something, he wouldn’t listen to anyone… If it came to this, he would definitely come over no matter what… It would be a hassle if the truth about the four girls came out. If it’s not a lie on the scale of “I’m going on a round-the-world trip, so I can’t fit you into my schedule.” they’ll surely come. I won’t resort to such an obvious lie, but…

For the time being, I couldn’t just pretend I hadn’t seen the message; after all, they were worried about me. But with how busy I’d been lately, I couldn’t fit any plans in. So, I decided to reply with the simple excuse of not being available.

After finishing up my response with a few taps, I felt a gaze coming from somewhere.

“Chinatsu?” 

“Oh, sorry. Are you busy?” 

“No, not at all. I’m done now.”

With her game console in hand, Chinatsu, dressed in her pajamas, sat on my lap. She seemed…. heavier than before, I think.

“It’s unusual for Chinatsu to stay up this late.” 

“Hehe, I stayed up because I wanted to play games with Kaito.”

“Is that so? What do you want to do?”

“I need your help collecting these Helio Moon Coins. Can you please assist me?” 

“Of course. I could use a little gaming to unwind from time to time too.”

“Yay! Let’s do it then!” 

Oh, what a cute smile. Thanks to Chinatsu’s cheerful expression, all my fatigue from work vanished away. When I started playing the game, it turned out to be unexpectedly challenging, and I was bewildered by the game’s mechanics, which seemed to disregard young children by hiding coins in such tricky places. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

“Thanks, Kaito. I should head to bed now,” Chinatsu said.

“Don’t forget to cover your stomach while sleeping.”

“I-I’ll be fine!” 

As she tried to get off my lap, she paused and looked into my eyes again, her gaze filled with strong determination that allowed no room for excuses.

“Oh, by the way… there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“Yeah… Have you… noticed Aki and Fuyu’s feelings…?” 

“What do you mean by that…?” 

“You know what I mean. In a romantic sense,”

I couldn’t help but gulp. I never expected her to ask me directly about something I had been putting off for so long. Her eyes were filled with conviction, and I realized I couldn’t escape this situation.

“Yeah, that’s right. Honestly, I don’t know what to do about it. I’m not sure if I should consider Chiaki’s feelings in a romantic way, but lately, she’s been showing more affection and concern than before. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something more. As for Chifuyu, I feel like she’s been directing her hidden feelings towards me all along…”

“I see… So, Kaito, you had noticed it after all.”

“When did Chinatsu realize it?”

“I think it was recently. I started noticing the increased interactions between you and the other two and probably put two and two together.”

This girl really observes her surroundings well. I couldn’t help but smile wryly in my heart.

“What are you going to do?” Chinatsu asked.

“I honestly don’t know…”

“Well, I thought you’d say that. In that case, I’ll be there to lend an ear for you. I know a lot about my sisters.”

“Is that…okay?”

“Of course, it’s okay. Don’t hold back.”

“Ah, Okay.” 

“From now on, let’s be the kind of family who can talk about anything, even jokes and playful teasing.”

Chinatsu’s intense aura made me respond firmly. It’s probably one of her strengths to be so bold and straightforward when asking people about things like this. However, when I hear about her school life, it’s surprising that she’s quite calm and doesn’t seem to have many friends. It warms my heart to think that she trusts me enough since she only shares various things with those she relies on.

“Well, then, I’ll be on your care… Honestly, I was at a dead end.”

“Fufu.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because it’s the first time Kaito has asked me for a favor like this, and it makes me happy. Until now, even if I told you to rely on me or ask me for help, you would always handle everything by yourself.”

“Sorry, it’s just a habit.”

“Is apologizing quickly also a habit?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I see. Well, leave it to me, then. Honestly, I haven’t decided on the specifics of what to do, but I’ll support you in various ways. Doesn’t it feel a bit easier to know that there’s someone who understands you?”

“――That’s right. Sorry for all the trouble.”

I was about to say that when Chinatsu placed her index finger on my lips, hushing me.

“No apologies allowed. Let’s support each other, okay?”

“O-Okay, understood.”

I wanted to ask her where she learned to hush someone with her index finger, but I decided to save that for another time. I thought the conversation was coming to an end, but it seemed that it wasn’t over yet. Chinatsu settled even deeper onto my lap.

“So, there’s something I want to discuss too.”

“Ask away.”

“Well, remember when we talked about having a secret…”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“I’m planning to tell Kaito about it today!”

“Why now of all times…?”

“…I actually wanted to tell you before, but back then, Aki opposed it. I understood Aki’s feelings at that time, so I didn’t say anything. However, lately, seeing Aki and Fuyu competing for Kaito’s attention, I realized something. It’s impossible for us to continue living peacefully without any conflicts in our current peaceful everyday life.”

Chinatsu’s eyes were brighter than ever, and I could sense a resolute determination akin to a red lotus.

“I don’t want to break this relationship. It’s scary even to think about it falling apart. But if it does, I believe we can build it again. And then, I’m sure we’ll become an even more wonderful family… Is what I’m saying strange?” Chinatsu asked.

“No, not at all.”

“Really…? Then, can I say it? When I feel like doing something, I want to act on it right away. I don’t want to say ‘next time’ or ‘tomorrow.’ As long as I keep saying that, I won’t be able to move forward. I want to become closer to Kaito as soon as possible, in a deeper relationship!!”

“Me too.”

“Ehehe, we’re on the same page. So, um, tonight is the full moon, right?”

“That’s right.”

“T-ten minutes from now, I’ll go to Kaito’s room, so you go ahead!! I-I just want to prepare myself mentally…”

“Got it.”

Finally, the time has come. There’s also a fear of whether I can accept the supernatural phenomenon I’ll 《《actually》》 witness. It’s surprising to be told something like this by a sixth-grader, but that must be because she was growing up faster than light.

I’m not foolish enough to urge Chinatsu to hurry. So, I left the room first and headed towards my own.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

I went out onto the balcony of my room and gazed at the beautiful full moon, shivering in the cold breeze. She probably didn’t plan for this situation intentionally. It must have been a sudden realization that crossed her mind. But even in her spontaneous actions, there must have been reasons and feelings that she had thought about more than anyone else. I want to accept those reasons and feelings.

Soon, she will arrive… How should I approach the conversation?

“It’s been a while,” 

A clear and melodious voice suddenly cut through the wind from the neighboring house.

“Huh?”

“It’s me, Chika.”

I turned towards the voice and saw the protagonist, wearing pajamas just like me, standing on the balcony of the neighboring house while speaking to me.