Ch.244Epilogue. Hello (5)

I played until sunset, and somehow I found myself back in Minato Ward because I wanted to see the ocean.

I’ve never lived here. I live in Saitama, not Tokyo.

But since I always commute to school in Minato Ward, and all my friends are in Tokyo, somehow Tokyo feels like my hometown.

When I thought about why, it’s probably because I never spent my childhood in Saitama.

If I had gone to elementary and middle school there, I would have had friends in the neighborhood, and naturally, I wouldn’t have ended up knowing Tokyo better than Saitama where I actually live.

Well, I don’t really mind. To be honest, it might take a bit more time before I can completely think of Japan itself as my hometown.

Who knows? I might somehow end up living in Osaka, or even on an island other than Honshu, and consider that place my hometown. The possibility is extremely low, but that’s what I’m saying.

I leisurely walked through Odaiba Seaside Park, which I’ve visited a few times before.

Actually, I walked all the way to the park. Through the busy streets, then along the main roads where there were fewer people, and finally to the park.

Maybe it’s because it’s the last day of the year. The feeling was peculiar. A feeling quite different from last year.

“Ah.”

I see. I think it’s because I’m with family, not friends.

Since coming to this world… no, even before coming here, I had lost my family a long time ago.

It was only this year that I started recognizing Kagami as family.

“What’s wrong?”

My voice must have sounded a bit strange, as Koko tilted her head and asked.

“Nothing much. It just feels a bit strange walking with you two.”

“Woo?”

“Is it strange?”

Kagami asked curiously.

“I thought we’ve walked like this quite often already.”

That’s certainly true.

We’ve traveled a lot together, and even when not traveling, we’ve been to many places.

Since Kagami started taking us around, I’ve gotten to know the neighborhood around our home better. Of course, I still don’t have anyone I’m close with in that neighborhood except for Kagami, Koko, and the neighbor I rarely see these days. Tamachi Station in Minato Ward, Tokyo is still more familiar to me.

Still, I can say it’s thanks to Kagami that I’ve come to know that neighborhood a bit better. It’s not that I hadn’t walked around there before, but until then, I wasn’t particularly interested in places like good restaurants, and only remembered places I needed to go when necessary.

No, perhaps it wasn’t just for that reason.

Until last year, that place was somewhat painful for me.

At first, I stayed in an empty room with nothing to eat, just myself. Even after receiving things like bedding, I was alone for a while.

I even almost experienced bad things. I often bled.

So if nothing had changed for me, that place would still be painful. It would just be a place I had to go to because I had nowhere else to stay.

The fact that I can now think of that place as “home” is thanks to the other people who filled that house. Koko, and my friends.

And unexpectedly, Kagami.

It’s strange. It hasn’t even been a year since Kagami and I acknowledged each other as family.

The fact that I’m not alone when entering that house, that there’s someone beside me,

The fact that someone waits for me at home, and says “welcome home” when I open the door,

The fact that I can say “I’m home” when opening the door.

The joy has covered the previous pain, allowing me to think of that place as “home.”

So, it’s different.

No matter how much I’ve been around with Kagami and Koko, it was a bit different.

Because now, these two are truly my family.

When I thought about that again, spending the last day of the year with these two felt—a bit special.

“No, it’s different.”

But my pride still wouldn’t allow me to explain all of that in detail, so I just smiled and looked up at Kagami to dismiss it.

Kagami and Koko tilted their heads. Koko also made a “Waa?” sound.

“Mom.”

“Yes?”

When I suddenly called her that, Kagami blinked and answered.

“Say ‘Waa?'”

“What?”

Kagami tilted her head in the opposite direction at my nonsensical request.

“Waa?”

Koko’s head tilted the same way. Seeing the two move simultaneously, they truly looked like “mother and daughter.”

Do I look like that too?

“Just try it, okay?”

“…Waa?”

As I thought, it’s not exactly the same.

How should I put it, there’s a subtle difference in intonation compared to when Koko makes that sound.

It might be because Kagami has an adult body, or maybe the atmosphere is somewhat different due to the environment Koko grew up in.

“Then, Kotone should try it too.”

Kagami said that as if somewhat frustrated, which made me smile broadly.

“Waa?”

When I deliberately tilted my head and imitated them, Kagami’s face became a bit blank.

“…Kotone, you didn’t eat anything strange today, did you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

She seems to think I might have eaten some poisonous mushroom based on my behavior.

“Why are you acting so cute today? Is there something you want? Should Mom buy it for you?”

Oh ho.

So, if I want something and act cute on purpose, Kagami will buy it for me?

I should use this when I ask Kagami to buy me a car when I become a college student.

“Well, it’s the last day of the year.”

I smiled, looking at both of them alternately, then said.

“I thought it wouldn’t be bad to try being a bit different.”

“Is that so?”

I found it a bit amusing how Kagami blinked.

A cold wind blew. The wind had a slight scent of the sea mixed in.

“But I’m not saying I’ll stay changed forever.”

I said.

“Because today is the last day.”

“Wouldn’t it be appropriate to change tomorrow since it’s a new day?”

“Do you like it?”

“Hmm.”

At my question, Kagami tilted her head as if seriously considering it for a moment, then,

“If it’s something you have to pretend to be, there’s no need to try so hard. I just like Kotone better as she is.”

“Really?”

I smiled.

“Then, I’ll just be like this for today.”

“I wasn’t saying you shouldn’t be like this in the future.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

Well, then I can just be however I want.

As we walked for a while, more and more people appeared. There doesn’t seem to be a shrine nearby, so they probably just want to spend the last day of the year with someone they like.

I could see many couples.

There were also families walking together, with a child between the parents, holding both hands. There were also cases where it seemed like grandparents had come along with the parents and child.

Seeing that, I reached out and held Kagami’s hand.

Kagami smiled at me, then squeezed my hand tightly.

Neither of us is wearing gloves. Even though Japan is a country located south of where I used to live, hands still get cold in the middle of winter.

But holding hands tightly like this, I think I can just forget about that.

“Now, Koko too.”

“Waa!”

Kagami held Koko’s hand as well.

Since there was quite a height difference between Kagami and us two, the three of us standing together looked just like the character 山 (mountain).

We walked like that for a long time.

Until the new year came.

*

“…Maybe we should have come home earlier yesterday.”

We slept at the Kurosawa main house instead of Saitama, but honestly, getting up early in the morning was a bit hard.

Kagami seemed to have woken up before me and Koko.

“Koko.”

“W…aa?”

When I shook her body slightly to wake her up, Koko rubbed her eyes and got up. That not-fully-awake look was a bit cute.

“Let’s go help too.”

“Waa?”

“…Well, let’s wash up first.”

I think washing up comes before helping. Other worshippers will come to help too.

Whether we’ll inherit this place or not, it wouldn’t be appropriate for the daughters of the highest-ranking person to appear too disheveled.

When I took her hand to help her up, Koko seemed to have become a bit more alert and got up from her spot.

“Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year to you too, Kotone!”

We exchanged our first New Year’s greetings like that, and started our first day.

Today, we have a lot to do. We also have appointments.

First, we needed to help Kagami with the main house duties, and once that was done, we planned to quickly change into kimonos and go to the shrine.

Since we’ll probably need some energy to do everything, we should eat a hearty breakfast.

Thinking about that made me smile for no reason. Though it’s a busy schedule, rather than feeling annoyed, my heart was racing.

Let’s do our best today too.

Let’s do our best this year too.