Chapter 6

Early May. Golden Week.

At the entrance, I face Kaede, who is carrying her travel bag.

Since it’s a travel bag, Kaede is wearing her outdoor shoes on the tamped earth and is about to depart.

I see her off, but I have no intention of going any further with her.

I thought about how far I should see her off: to the airport, to the station, to the road, to the entrance of the apartment building, to the elevator, to the doorstep. In the end, I decided to stay here. I realized that the emotion I would feel when seeing her off would be the same no matter where I was.

"Is your luggage okay? Did you forget anything?"

"Yes. I’ve double-checked everything important. If I’m missing anything, I’ll get it on the spot."

"That’s true. If you need anything from here, let me know anytime. I’ll send it right away."

"I’ll count on that."

Kaede’s smile was as bright as today’s weather.

But there was a hint of worry in the corners of her mouth.

"…Are you nervous?"

"Yes…"

Her smile didn’t waver, but her eyebrows drooped, showing her unease.

I can understand why she’s nervous.

There’s no plan. She’s relying on everything being set up, and the rest is a gamble. While I can predict the future, there’s no such thing as perfect foresight. Kaede is going with the hope that things will go as she wishes and that everything will turn out well.

But this is the path Kaede has chosen. She could have been cautious, but she decided not to be.

So I knew what words to say to Kaede and how to push her forward without being irresponsible.

"It’s fine. There won’t be any problems—"

"I’m worried about how you’ll manage without me…"

"Ugh…"

I grimaced, as if caught with something to hide, at Kaede’s unexpected concern.

So that’s what it was…

Indeed, life since Kaede came has been nothing but comfortable.

If I put the laundry in the basket, it’s empty the next time I look. The clothes are neatly stored in the closet. The room is spotless wherever I look. When I wake up and take a shower, a fresh cup of coffee and a delicious breakfast await. I hardly go out to eat anymore, and the refrigerator hasn’t been checked in a long time. The joy of not knowing what’s for dinner today is part of the fun.

High-quality cleaning, laundry, and cooking. A life where everything is prepared without a word is a life of decadence.

The problems aren’t in Kaede’s future. The biggest problem is my immediate life.

To be honest, I don’t want Kaede to leave for her future. I want to continue enjoying this pampered life.

But since I wished for even greater happiness, to maintain my sister’s dignity, I decided to look away from this sweet life and push Kaede forward with all my might.

"About the house, I’ve asked Madoka… But you’re lazy when no one’s watching. You said it wouldn’t be bad to live with a cat even if you don’t find a good partner… Honestly, with the state you’re in, a pet—"

"Ah, enough! Don’t worry about me, just go!"

"Okay."

With the lightness of a child scolded for mischief and running away, Kaede left the entrance.

"Oh, right. Onee-san."

Just before closing the door, Kaede turned back over her shoulder.

"I love you."

And with that, I saw Kaede off, this time with her red suitcase in hand.

◆

"Ah, ah, ah, ah."

After seeing Kaede off, at the time of day when the sun is highest.

Madoka, sitting at the living room table, rested her cheek on her hand and looked at me with a disappointed gaze. Her mouth was open in disbelief, and she sighed continuously.

…My head hurts.

Not in the sense of having worries or endless anxiety, but literally.

The back of my head still hurts from the impact.

"Kaede left, and this is what happens in an hour?"

"Ugh…"

After a huge sigh, Madoka finally closed her mouth.

She has completely lost trust in me.

I want to shout that it’s unfair and regain her trust, but… my reputation is completely ruined. I caused a major crisis.

"I thought only the man you’ve pledged your future to would see you lying naked, staring at the ceiling…"

Her perfectly arched eyebrows drooped even further,

"…I never thought I would be the one to see it. Ah, ah, ah, ah."

She sighed deeply, as if completely exasperated. I’d rather be teased than be worried about like this.

Yes, I exposed such an embarrassing sight to Madoka.

Going back to after Kaede left. I took a refreshing shower, but there was no towel prepared.

I was disappointed with myself for this to happen as soon as Kaede left, but I went to the living room to look for a towel. There, my wet feet slipped, and I fell backward, hitting the back of my head hard.

I lost my memory, and when I woke up, Madoka was there. She had rushed over because of the loud noise. She was even more worried because Kaede had just left the house.

After getting dressed, I went to Madoka’s room, and her concern was of a different nature. This is how things turned out.

"Who’s supposed to take care of whom, I wonder."

"…Ugh…"

I lowered my head to avoid her gaze, filled with concern for my future. I drank the contents of the wine glass in one gulp, as if to escape from reality.

This seemed to evoke even more sympathy.

"And drinking during the day… Even you, Madoka, have fallen as far as you can."

"…It’s not a binge drinking."

"Then what kind of drinking is this?"

"A toast to a new beginning. A celebratory drink, a celebratory drink."

"…Is it 100% pure?"

"Ku, about 90%…"

"Really? Without any lies?"

"Hachi, na, …60%…"

"Then let me ask again, which of the 60% and 40% is the real reason for today’s drinking?"

"…40"

"Still not a binge drinking."

Madoka’s relentless questioning made me increasingly uncomfortable, and I hunched my shoulders. But I didn’t want to just be on the defensive, so I tried to push back.

"Who cares, just for today! Sure, it’s the path I chose, but the annoying face is still there! I need to drink to get through this!"

"I’m not saying it’s bad. Just if it’s a binge drinking, do it properly. Don’t hide your feelings, don’t bottle them up, and let it all out."

Madoka smiled gently.

"When I’m in pain, I’ve always cried to you. I’ll be with you until the end, so you can be honest with me."

"Okay… thank you."

Her warmth made me smile back.

Madoka was confronting me with reality for my own good. If I keep hiding my feelings, I won’t be able to let anything out. This is Madoka’s encouragement for me to be fully aware of what I want to do today.

She even prepared all the food and drinks for my new beginning, serving me everything I need.

She’s a truly wonderful friend.

I often think how fortunate I am.

It’s not just what I was born with. The connections I’ve built since then are also wonderful. Not everything is a beautiful landscape. There are certainly harsh things. But I don’t have the nerve to claim I’m not fortunate with all this.

Even that annoying face… In the end, it lifted me from a decisive misfortune and gave me happiness. I know she cares about my important things.

But because the form is so bad, it’s frustrating to acknowledge it. So at least not saying it out loud is my last resistance.

The face I was supposed to see today, the one that would be surprised by something unbelievable. If I could have seen that, it would have been a comfort. But that’s not my joy; it’s only Kaede’s.

"Ah, but…"

Madoka, knowing or not knowing my inner thoughts,

"That Kaede, when we meet next, will have taken a step into adulthood. She can’t be treated like a child anymore."

"Don’t say that! I’m trying not to think about it…"

She confronts me with the reality I’m trying to avoid. The next chapter will be posted at 23:00.