Ch.339IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (36)

I’ve seen that person somewhere before.

However, I can’t remember exactly when it was.

I didn’t even get a good look at their face, so naturally, I don’t know who it was.

“Kotone?”

Yuu tilted her head and peered at my face.

“What’s wrong?”

Was I spacing out too much?

Thinking about it, there’s no real reason to. After all, I just caught a glimpse of someone passing by.

Is there any reason to be scared just because I saw someone I don’t know? It’s not like I saw a ghost or anything.

“Nothing, it’s nothing.”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I answered.

Yuu tilted her head again, finding it a bit strange, but she didn’t press the issue further.

The ramen shop had a slightly musty smell even before entering.

It’s not that they don’t clean well. The interior is definitely neat, but since the ramen broth is made from pork stock, the smell of simmering broth is always present.

I don’t mind since I’ve smelled soup broths many times in my previous life, but it’s the kind of smell other kids might dislike.

“Oh, you guys are here!”

The owner, who remembered us as regular customers for several years now, said with a smile.

“The usual menu for us!”

Harumi shouted as she entered the shop, raising one hand in a cool gesture.

That must be something she copied from a drama too. She must have seen some cool male protagonist.

“Sure thing. The same for all three of you?”

After seeing me and Yuu nod, the owner smiled broadly and went inside the shop.

And a moment later, someone else came out from the back of the shop.

“You’re here?”

Kagami came out from the kitchen with her long hair tied back and a white headband on her head, smiling.

She seemed to have wiped her face once, but she couldn’t stop the sweat from coming out. Well, they have to simmer the broth for hours, so the kitchen must be steaming hot even in this somewhat cool weather.

And for a moment, I stared blankly at Kagami’s face.

I realized that the vibe of that woman I saw on the street strangely overlapped with Kagami. Of course, Kagami doesn’t have that kind of vibe right now, but she often wears that kind of dress when going out somewhere.

She looked good in it, which is why I liked it—

“…”

“Kotone?”

As I stared blankly at Kagami, she tilted her head.

“Mmm, it’s nothing. Just happy to see you.”

At my words, a bright smile returned to Kagami’s face.

Yeah, it probably wasn’t her.

I had no basis for suspicion.

Though I did get the impression that the woman’s height seemed similar to Kagami’s, just a little bit.

*

But even as time passed, the anxiety didn’t completely disappear from my heart.

It was there while eating that large bowl of ramen, and it was there while walking home holding Kagami’s hand.

The source of my anxiety was about that incident I experienced as a child.

I hadn’t had any major accidents growing up, but I had once given up on all the friends I was just getting to know—and fled from a place where there was someone willing to help us.

This is where we ended up after running away… hmm.

Kagami probably thought she had lost everything back then. That’s why she went to find Mr. Yamashita, barely managing to find someone to ask for help.

We were lucky once again, but if we have to move this time, will we be lucky again?

Will we be able to meet good people again? Can we build the same kind of relationships that we’ve built here over the years?

Honestly, I don’t know.

Harumi is a very close childhood friend, but Yuu… I now think of her almost like a sister. She’s actually my blood-related cousin too.

If we run away from here, where should we go?

“…”

“Kotone.”

Kagami, who was holding my hand as we walked, carefully asked again.

By age, I’m at that point where I’m becoming more sensitive. Though it’s not yet full-blown middle school syndrome, it’s not strange to be starting puberty and becoming aware of secondary sexual characteristics.

It was natural for Kagami to worry about my reaction.

I don’t want to be like this.

No matter how stable our life has become. No, precisely because it’s stable—if we have to give up this life, how would Kagami react?

I moved my lips slightly while holding Kagami’s hand.

“Kotone.”

Kagami stopped walking, bent down slightly toward me, and met my eyes.

I looked up and our eyes met.

“…Ah.”

And then, I realized something.

That white dress.

White skin.

And black hair.

I’ve seen that appearance before.

From Kagami.

And—

“Mom.”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“I saw—earlier.”

“Saw what?”

Noticing my serious expression, Kagami’s face became serious too.

“Someone like you, wearing a white dress. Mom, you were definitely at the shop, right?”

“…”

Kagami’s mouth opened slightly at my words.

Ah, now I understand.

Yuu had tilted her head several times looking at Kagami. That’s because Kagami resembles Yuu’s mother.

Kagami and that person she called her sister probably had very similar faces.

Kagami took me and ran away, and that’s why we’ve been living like this all this time. I don’t have any more memories of what happened before that.

But surely, our financial situation must have been much better than now.

If she gave up such a place to leave, what could have happened in that house?

“…Kotone.”

Kagami’s fingers dug into my shoulder.

“Ah.”

And I seemed to understand what judgment Kagami had made from that one sentence I uttered.

I don’t know the reason.

But I know we need to be careful.

Perhaps we’ve been living too carelessly without knowing the meaning of that word “careful.”

Even knowing this, my heart was beating wildly.

I don’t want to go.

We’ve only just gained everything.

I can be with my mom, and we have a place we can definitely think of as our home. There are many of my things in that house. There are toys that Kagami gave me for birthdays and Christmas, and lots of photos we took together while going around various places, and photos of our daily life together.

My test papers with good grades that I proudly brought home and that Kagami was so happy to see.

Kagami probably won’t be able to pack all of those things.

That night, she’ll probably only pack what she can quickly grab.

We won’t be able to say proper goodbyes to Harumi or Yuu—

“Kotone, let’s go.”

Kagami said that and immediately got up.

Then she took my hand and started running.

“Mom.”

“…”

Even when I called out to Kagami, she didn’t answer.

My nose stung a little.

Despite how old I was in my previous life, I found this situation too sad right now.

*

As soon as we got home, Kagami pulled out a large bag from a corner of the house.

And she started stuffing it with clothes and underwear indiscriminately. Personal seals and bankbooks too. And an envelope that seemed full of money, which she might have prepared in advance.

I helped beside her.

“…Kotone…”

Seeing me, Kagami paused for a moment, biting her lip tightly. Even in this situation, did she find my actions too pitiful?

I emptied my school bag full of textbooks and packed my underwear, socks, and sanitary pads in it.

I heard a slight sobbing sound from behind me, but I deliberately ignored it.

I could give up books without much regret. The same went for the videos we bought together when the video store was closing down.

But giving up all my toys was a bit difficult.

It’s not just because I’m an otaku. There were gifts that Harumi and Yuu gave me on my birthdays.

Things like a magical girl wand that Harumi probably wouldn’t play with anymore. Actually, I hadn’t particularly touched it either, so it was collecting a bit of dust on the bookshelf.

But in this situation, I wanted to take it with me.

We might be able to meet again someday.

But conversely, we might never meet again. That’s what running away means.

When the sound of Kagami packing the bag stopped for a moment, I turned around and saw that she was holding something in her hand.

Not an album—

Developed film. The film we had worked so hard to take pictures with. While photo albums full of pictures are heavy and bulky, that one envelope might be okay.

For a moment, our eyes met.

Without either of us saying anything, we nodded.

And we each packed just that one thing.

After scribbling something on a letter with a pen, Kagami placed an envelope beside it and stood up.

I also stood up, staggering a bit with my now heavier bag—

Ding—dong.

At the sound of the doorbell, both of us froze.

It’s not very late.

But it’s not a time when people who usually visit us would come.

There was a knocking sound at the door.

And then.

“Ms. Kurosawa.”

A deep male voice was heard from beyond the door.

“I’m from Yamashita’s side. You don’t need to worry so much.”

Kagami and I looked at each other again.

Carefully approaching the door, Kagami opened it with the chain still on to check outside.

Then she exhaled softly and opened the door.

“How did you know…”

But Kagami’s words didn’t continue to the end. They didn’t need to.

The man had hastily bandaged wounds all over his body with what looked like pieces of clothing.

“Let’s go. I may not be able to accompany you all the way, but I’ll help you as far as I can.”

With blood flowing from a gash on his forehead, the man said that.