Ch.327IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (24)

To explain Harumi’s words more precisely, she wasn’t simply suggesting we go to the beach.

Being the manga lover that she is, Harumi has always wanted to try most of the things she sees in manga.

Since we mainly encountered each other at kindergarten during those years, we didn’t really go out and play in various places together, but it seems her thinking has changed a bit since becoming an elementary school student.

Well, even though she’s still young, this is the age when children start to perceive their surroundings much more clearly.

If a kindergartener’s fantasies are disconnected stories that adults find hard to understand, an elementary schooler’s fantasies are much more concrete.

I want to do something. I want to become something. I want to have something.

Well, that’s not to say their unique fantasies don’t still mix in, but anyway, that’s how it is.

“Let’s go to the beach, and the valley, and the mountains, and festivals too!”

Hmm.

That would make for a very busy vacation.

Even if we did just one each week.

We can just relax during vacation, but adults have to work except on weekends. Especially Kagami, who can’t easily take time off. She needs to work to secure my future.

“…”

That thought made me feel a bit depressed, so I listened carefully to Harumi’s excited words.

“My dad says he can make time, so it’s fine!”

Hmm.

Yes, when you’re a child, it must be nice to have parents who can play with you at home. Taking you places, buying you toys.

It’s better to learn that playing isn’t always positive much later.

Besides, Mr. Fukuda isn’t just playing around; he’s someone who can adjust his work schedule relatively freely.

Anyway, according to Harumi, there shouldn’t be any major problems since Mr. Fukuda will accompany us even if our parents don’t come along.

“Can big sister come too!?”

“Yes, yes, she can come!”

Is that really okay?

I do get the impression that Mr. Fukuda would probably allow it, but isn’t there quite a difference between a first-grade elementary student and a middle schooler? Wouldn’t it be awkward if she came?

No, that’s not right.

Thinking about it again, since Yuu Yamashita and Mr. Fukuda seem to know each other, Miho and Mr. Fukuda might already be acquainted too.

Miho still very much looks like a middle school student, so unless she were alone with Mr. Fukuda, with us there too, they’d just look like sisters with a slight age difference and their father or uncle.

Well, I’m just tagging along, and to others I’m just an elementary school student, so it would be strange for me to give directions.

I just need to get Kagami’s permission, that’s all.

“…”

Kagami, huh.

I wonder if Kagami has ever gone somewhere fun during summer.

I do remember going to various places with her. We didn’t go far, and we didn’t participate in any scheduled events, but at Christmas we went out and ate something warm and delicious, and in summer we went out briefly for something cool to eat.

We even went to Di○ney Land recently.

But I don’t remember going to the beach together and playing on the white sand. We’ve never been to a festival, and I’ve never seen fireworks.

“Hey, Harumi.”

When I carefully spoke up, Harumi, who had been excitedly chatting with Yuu, turned to me with her smiling face intact.

“Yes, Kotone!”

To Harumi, who responded with such a lovely expression, I spoke somewhat hesitantly.

“Can we go on a Saturday or Sunday?”

“To the beach?”

“Yes. And the festival too.”

I wonder what it was like before I was born.

Did she ever play with a boyfriend at a young age? Or was there some other reason I came to be? I still haven’t been able to ask about that.

Just by directly asking Kagami about my birth, the atmosphere becomes too tragic. It’s like asking, “Why don’t I have a dad?”

I love Kagami. I think of her as my mother and feel deep in my heart that she’s my only family.

I don’t want someone who dedicates herself so much to me to get hurt because of me. I’ve always wanted to be someone who brings happiness to Kagami.

So, if I’m going to the beach for the first time in my life and attending a festival for the first time, I’d like Kagami to be by my side.

I want to wear swimsuits together, build sandcastles, lie side by side for sand baths, and play with a ball.

I want to wear yukatas together and watch fireworks.

Those are all memories, after all.

I didn’t want Kagami’s image to be missing from my memories.

“Why?”

Harumi tilted her head.

She wouldn’t understand why I’d want to go only on weekends when we could play much more if we went on weekdays too.

This… honestly, I can’t explain it logically either. I just wanted my mom to be with me for my first experiences.

“…”

What should I say?

If I were just a few years older, saying I wanted to be with my mom might make me look too childish. Especially from upper elementary school to middle and high school, it’s an age when one might feel embarrassed about not being able to do things alone that others can.

Even with my sensibilities, I sometimes feel that way. My body is that of an elementary school student, and no matter how accustomed I’ve become to living as a child for years, my mind has been set in its ways for a long time.

I fidgeted with the hem of my clothes, slightly pouting, and finally opened my mouth.

“I want to go with Mom…”

I could feel my face turning bright red.

I think it’s age-appropriate behavior, but doing it in front of my young friends is another matter.

Besides, if I were to go on a trip, it would be with the help of Mr. Fukuda, Harumi’s father. Just as Kagami couldn’t take me to the theme park on Children’s Day, staying overnight, buying swimsuits that I might not wear again after wearing them for a year—these things could be a bit burdensome.

Has Kagami deliberately not taken me until now?

No, there must have been reasons. Maybe she didn’t have enough time, or perhaps funds were a bit tight.

“Hmm…”

At my words, Harumi put her finger to her lips and fell into thought for a moment.

I was strangely tense about how that little child would respond.

“Okay!”

Fortunately, Harumi accepted my words without much consideration.

“Dad said that would be more convenient for him too!”

Perhaps even though he can adjust his time, taking days off on weekdays is still a burden.

I let out a small sigh of relief.

*

However, that doesn’t mean all problems are solved.

Even if the schedule can be adjusted, it means nothing if Kagami can’t move on that day.

I understood only as an adult why my father used to just sleep at home on weekends during my childhood. After working outside all week, it’s human nature to want to rest properly for those two weekend days.

Especially when going far, you almost always have to drive a car, and taking a train or bus is also very tiring in its own way.

When adults take young children, they also have to clean up after them, so of course, resting isn’t really resting.

Only the children who go on the trip enjoy themselves.

I could easily imagine that the work Kagami does while raising me alone isn’t easy at all.

So I felt a bit guilty even just telling Kagami what I heard from Harumi.

“Of course we should go!”

But Kagami said that as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“The beach sounds great! And festivals too!”

Her eyes sparkled as she said that.

Though she’s already twenty, her eyes still haven’t lost their childlike quality.

In this country, she’s still not old enough to drink alcohol, right?

“Ah, then we need to buy a swimsuit for Kotone!”

Although I had a swimsuit for school, Kagami wouldn’t be satisfied with that. She would definitely want to buy me the cutest swimsuit in the world.

That was… a complex feeling in many ways.

Like when she first bought me my kindergarten uniform.

I clutched Kagami’s clothes and burrowed into her embrace while being a little mischievous.

“Then, one for Mom too.”

“What?”

I regretted saying it a little.

If we play in the water all weekend, Kagami will definitely be tired too.

Plus, it would cost more money for another swimsuit.

Given Kagami’s personality, she probably wouldn’t want to just rely on Mr. Fukuda’s help.

But Kagami hugged me tightly and said:

“Of course, we definitely should.”

Kagami kissed the top of my head lightly and let out a laugh.

“I need to have fun with my daughter.”

“…”

Her voice was so sincere that I couldn’t say anything in response, and just remained tightly held in Kagami’s embrace.