episode_0068

“Ah, seriously… this homework bomb is insane.”

It was an early summer evening, and the indigo sky was slowly beginning to turn crimson.

Miyano Akari stretched out on her narrow studio apartment bed, lying spread-eagle, and sighed. Her wavy, light brown hair was scattered across the bed. Beneath her thin t-shirt, her voluminous chest slowly rose and fell. As if to prove summer’s arrival, beads of sweat glistened on her healthy, tanned skin.

‘Summer vacation is just around the corner, what am I even doing?’

The thought that it would be far more productive to just rewatch her favorite band’s live videos spun around in her head.

“Ugh, this is annoying.”

She had thought that attending university in the city would open up a dream-like world. Between living expenses and assignments, there was no time to rest.

“I want to quit everything~.”

She felt like throwing aside all her assignments and just rolling around, drinking a cool beer.

Just then, as if mocking her earnest wish, a loud ringtone blared. A quick glance at her smartphone screen showed the caller ID: [Dad].

‘What’s going on at this hour?’

“Hello? Dad?”

As she brought the smartphone to her ear, a familiar voice soon flowed into her ear.

[Oh, Akari? Are you doing well?]

“Just getting by. These assignments are killing me. But what’s up? At this hour?”

[Yeah. It’s nothing big. When does your vacation start?]

“Huh? It’s not far off, but why?”

[Hmm. Well, you see.]

Her dad, who usually just stated his business and hung up, hesitated for a moment. A sudden ominous premonition flashed through Akari’s mind.

[Well, you see… actually, your mom and I are suddenly going on a trip.]

“A trip? Suddenly? Where?”

[Yeah. It’s our wedding anniversary, and there’s a hot spring resort your mom’s always wanted to go to, and it just happened to be available for booking. We’ll probably be away from home for a few weeks.]

“That long? Then what about the store?”

Akari’s voice involuntarily rose. Even if ‘that guy’ was there. A few days might be fine, but leaving the store empty for several weeks would be difficult.

[So, you see. Could you come down and look after the house? It’s a bit much to leave Yuu alone to run the store for that long.]

“…With him?”

[Yes. You’re on vacation anyway, why don’t you come back to your hometown after a long time, get a change of scenery, and maybe have some conversations with your sibling you haven’t had? Hmm?]

Ah. As expected, her ominous premonition hadn’t been wrong, Akari sighed silently. Most of her precious summer vacation, in that utterly boring rural village. And with *that guy*? Just thinking about it made her gasp for breath.

“Dad, I’m really sorry, but I have a lot of assignments this time, and important appointments…”

[Oh, come on. You can do your assignments at home, can’t you? Yuu knows how to do most of the work, so you just need to help him. Can’t you do it for your mom and dad’s sake?]

“…Haa.”

At her dad’s words, which showed no intention of backing down, Akari pressed a hand to her forehead. She felt a sense of resentment towards her parents, who clearly knew how difficult her younger sibling was for her, yet were doing this.

[Please, daughter. Hmm? We’ll give you a service fee when you get back.]

At the mention of a service fee, Akari’s ears perked up. If they were just using her for free, that would be one thing, but if there was compensation, it was a different story. Thinking of her younger sibling still made her reluctant, but if she thought of it as going to work a part-time job for a few weeks, it wasn’t so difficult.

“…Alright. But you have to pay me handsomely.”

[Thank you, my daughter. We won’t be there when you arrive, but let’s talk when we get back.]

After the call ended, Akari let out a small laugh, remembering her dad’s genuinely happy voice. But then, thinking of the younger sibling she would meet in her hometown, her mind became complicated.

‘…Summer, huh.’

“That’s right!”

Akari suddenly sat up, a thought flashing through her mind as she lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She picked up her smartphone again and dialed a familiar number.

“Oh, Akari! What’s up?

After only a few rings, Akari’s expression brightened at her cheerful boyfriend’s voice coming from the other end.

“Dai-chan~! What are you doing?”

“Me? Just at the PC bang with friends, why?”

“Guess what, guess what, I’m going back to my hometown for a long time this summer vacation, would you like to come with me if you have time, Dai-chan?”

“Huh? Hometown?”

“Yeah! My parents are going on a long trip this time and asked me to look after the house.”

“Hmm.”

Contrary to her expectations, hesitation could be felt in Daiki’s voice, so Akari hastily added.

“Well, our village has a big festival every year at the end of August, you know? There are fireworks too. I think it would be really great if you came with me, Dai-chan…”

She didn’t bother to explain in detail about the troublesome housework or her awkward younger sibling, Yuu. What was important was enjoying the festival with Daiki.

“Heeh? A summer festival?”

At the word ‘festival,’ interest entered Daiki’s voice.

“Hmm… well, if I don’t have any other plans during vacation, I guess it could be okay… Alright! Let’s go.”

“Really? Wow! I’m so excited! Then I’ll start getting ready! I love you, Dai-chan~!”

“I love you too.”

As soon as the call ended, Akari rolled around on her bed. She had been secretly uneasy lately, feeling that her relationship with her boyfriend had grown a bit stale. But now, the expectation that this summer vacation might be a chance to rekindle their spark swelled within her.

****

A few days later, summer vacation officially began. Akari and Daiki traveled by alternating between train and bus, heading to her hometown, Natsuki Village. As they drew closer to her hometown, the familiar scent of earth and grass that tickled her nose felt heartwarming yet somehow stifling. Daiki looked around curiously at the rural scenery unfolding outside the window. However, a subtle boredom was etched on his face.

“There’s really nothing here.”

Akari responded with forced cheerfulness to Daiki’s indifferent remark. “That’s because it’s the countryside! But at least the air is good, right?”

“Is that so?”

When they walked under the blazing sun and arrived at the guesthouse ‘Miyano’s,’ Akari recognized a familiar silhouette shimmering a few steps ahead. A young man sweeping the front of the store with a broom. Although he looked even thinner and darker than he had six months ago, Akari recognized him at a glance as her step-sibling, Miyano Yuu.

“…You’re here?”

Yuu also spotted Akari and Daiki and greeted them with a mumbled voice, barely louder than a mosquito. His gaze remained fixed on the ground.

“Uh. Long time no see.”

Akari reluctantly waved her hand, but her tone was utterly awkward.

“This is my boyfriend, Daiki. Say hello.”

“I’m Daiki, Akari’s boyfriend. Nice to meet you, Akari’s younger brother.”

Daiki offered his hand to Yuu with a friendly smile. Fine muscles were nicely defined on the arm extended for a handshake.

“…I’m Miyano Yuu.”

Following Akari’s gesture, Yuu glanced at Daiki, gave a brief bow of his head, and then concentrated on sweeping again. At his indifferent and dry demeanor, Daiki awkwardly scratched the back of his head with the arm he had extended.

“Ahaha. Your younger brother seems to be very shy with strangers.”

“He’s always like that. Don’t mind him.”

Akari retorted brusquely, glaring at Yuu’s profile.

‘Still the same.’

The sight of him often trailing behind her, calling “Nuna. Nuna.” was merely a childhood memory. Now, as a full-fledged adult, he was just a gloomy person whose thoughts were impossible to decipher.

“Let’s go, Dai-chan.”

Akari pulled Daiki’s arm, entering the guesthouse. After roughly unpacking and greeting the villagers she hadn’t seen in a long time, dinner time quickly arrived. Dinner, unexpectedly, was prepared by Yuu. Perhaps his cooking skills had improved quite a bit from helping his parents, as a simple yet neatly prepared home-cooked meal was set on the table.

“It’s good.”

From Akari’s perspective, it was a compliment she had squeezed out with difficulty, but Yuu merely moved his spoon in silence without any particular response. In the increasingly awkward atmosphere, Daiki fearlessly opened his mouth.

“Yuugun, are you still living here? Isn’t working at the guesthouse hard?”

Yuu paused his chopsticks for a moment at Daiki’s question, but then, without a word, he brought his rice to his mouth again. In the end, the meal concluded in a stifling atmosphere until the very end.

While Yuu silently began cleaning up, Akari and Daiki went up to the guest room on the second floor. The room was neatly tidied, as if it had been prepared before their arrival.

“You can use it comfortably during your stay.”

“Yeah. By the way, are you not on good terms with your younger brother?”

Daiki, who was unpacking his bag, asked directly. Whether he was clueless or just had a direct personality. Either way, it was clearly an awkward question for Akari.

“It’s not like that. He’s just a bit… like that. He wasn’t like this when he was little. Haa.”

As Akari sighed and mumbled vaguely, Daiki seemed to quickly lose interest and flopped onto the bed.

“Where will you sleep, Akari?”

“Me? I’ll be in my room on the first floor…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Daiki patted the spot next to him with his hand.

“Anyway, since your parents aren’t here, why don’t we stay together here?”

His voice was low and soft, but hesitation arose in Akari’s heart. Even if her parents weren’t around, Yuu was downstairs. But at the same time, her hesitation quickly crumbled at the situation of being alone with him after a long time and Daiki’s proactive attitude.

‘…Well, what does it matter? We’re adults too.’

Akari forced herself to act nonchalant and sat next to Daiki. The silence was brief. Daiki’s arm wrapped around her shoulder, and their lips naturally met. The kiss grew deeper, and the air in the room grew hot. Clothes fell one by one to the floor, and the two tumbled onto the bed, exploring each other’s warmth.

****

After the passionate encounter, an unfulfilled emptiness settled in a corner of Akari’s heart. Daiki, next to her, was breathing softly with his eyes closed, seemingly satisfied, but Akari couldn’t fall asleep easily. Lately, it had always been like this. Her body had certainly warmed up, and there was pleasure, but there wasn’t the same excitement or satisfaction as before. She had thought today would be different.

‘Haa.’

Unable to sleep, Akari quietly slipped out of bed and picked up her scattered clothes, putting them on. She roughly tidied her disheveled hair and tiptoed out of the room.

“Hmm?”

Along with a creak, the presence of someone heading towards the front door downstairs was felt. At this hour, there was only one person who would be moving around the house.

‘Where is he going at this hour?’

Before Akari could properly check, Yuu quickly opened the front door and went outside. The sound of the door slamming shut seemed to linger in the air for an unusually long time.

‘…He didn’t hear us, did he?’

An ominous feeling suddenly swept over her, but Akari immediately shook her head.

‘What does it matter if he saw or not?’

Akari, trying to shake off the lingering discomfort in her mind, returned to her room and immediately lay down on the bed, attempting to sleep. However, Yuu’s faint silhouette that had briefly crossed her mind kept lingering. To erase thoughts of Yuu, she forced herself to think about Daiki and their future. Yuu’s presence was annoying, but if she spent it making wonderful memories with Daiki, it would be an enjoyable summer vacation. With anxiety and a slight flutter of excitement, Akari slowly drifted off to sleep.

****

The next morning. Akari, having overslept, left her room with disheveled hair. ‘I slept too much because it’s vacation.’ ‘Did that Yuu open the store properly…?’ ‘No. Why am I worrying about him?’ Scratching the back of her head, Akari came out to the living room and, perhaps out of old habit, looked for Yuu, though she didn’t know where he was.

“Hey, Yuu… morning is…”

Then, seeing a figure in the living room, she reflexively tried to call Yuu’s name, but couldn’t finish her sentence and stopped dead in her tracks.

“…A child?”

Perhaps no more than ten years old? A young face. A small build. And a child wearing clothes that were too loose for their body was staring blankly into space, blinking large eyes.

“Who are you?”

As Akari’s trembling voice cut through the quiet room, the child’s eyes, which had been staring into space, met Akari’s directly. A long, drawn-out silence fell between the two.

‘Who is it?’ ‘Is it a guest’s child?’ ‘But she had clearly heard that there were no guests staying currently.’ More than anything. Akari’s expression gradually distorted due to a faint sense of déjà vu from the unfamiliar child’s appearance. ‘No way, it can’t be.’ And that blurred image.

“…Akari Nuna?”

It transformed into a clear image with that one phrase that came from the child’s mouth. Within the pale child’s deep, reddish-brown eyes, instead of the innocence typical of a young child, there seemed to be something deeply cool and unsettling.