It was deep winter, and snow had begun to fall. Ryunosuke stood outside his own front door, holding the birthday cake he had bought for his daughter. Because he had come home late, his wife was furious and refused to let him in.
Through the glass window, he could only watch from outside as his wife and daughter ate together inside. His daughter laughed freely now and then, which made him feel a warmth he couldn't quite put into words.
He was relieved, at least, that she hadn't inherited her mother's perpetually flat expression. He smiled to himself. Whatever else Suzune was, she had clearly not ruined the child with her stiffness.
Suzune, now a wife, was feeding their daughter with the steady, practiced movements of someone who had been doing this for years. She seemed to sense her husband's presence outside, because she glanced sharply toward the window and gave him a look that could have stopped traffic. Ryunosuke immediately pulled his neck in and went very still.
Among all his wives, Suzune was the one who had the most complete control over him. He had no will to fight back and simply accepted it. Besides, he was the one who had shown up late. He had no ground to stand on.
This was the cost of having many wives. The birthdays of two children from different mothers had fallen on the same day. He had soothed one, and now the other was still unsoothed.
He held up the cake and waved it slightly, suggesting that if they didn't eat it soon it would get cold, though cake is generally eaten cold, so the logic was questionable.
Suzune still did not open the door. She was angry because the reason he had been late was that he had spent time with another woman's child for her birthday, and had not put his own daughter first.
Ryunosuke had nothing to say in his defense. He stood in the cold and accepted the punishment.
Horikita Maki, Ryunosuke and Suzune's daughter, was a lovely girl with long black hair. The difference from her mother was that she was considerably more cheerful. Growing up with such a ridiculous father had probably opened something in her. She didn't take after Suzune at all; she had her father's personality.
Maki waved at him from inside, clearly signaling that he should come in. She also tugged at her mother's sleeve, pleading on his behalf. Suzune sighed, set down her spoon, and gave a dismissive wave with an irritated expression that was as close to permission as she ever came.
Ryunosuke was visibly relieved and came inside with a bounce in his step, because he had genuinely been freezing. While he was changing his shoes at the entrance, Suzune quietly retrieved a large coat and draped it over his shoulders without being asked. After so many years together, they didn't need many words. Care came through in small things done in silence.
Before long, Ryunosuke was seated at the dinner table. He set down the birthday cake and lit seven candles. Today was their daughter's seventh birthday, and also their wedding anniversary. Since the dates happened to coincide, they always celebrated both at once.
He produced a small gift for his daughter. "Ta-daa! The latest limited-edition cat doll, and this one moves."
"There's an electronic chip inside. Not quite Doraemon-level, but it can hold a real conversation. It's the finest product developed by Morishita Co., Ltd., designed for ages six to twelve."
His daughter accepted it with delight. "Thank you, Papa~"
Suzune frowned. "Don't spoil her so much."
She blamed him regularly for indulging their daughter, afraid it would make the girl soft.
Ryunosuke disagreed. "What's wrong with it? Girls are meant to be spoiled. Oh, and today's our anniversary. Do you want to go out?"
Suzune glanced at the sky outside the window. "It's already this late. Where would we even go? Let's stay home."
She paused.
"I don't need to celebrate an anniversary. Having you here is enough."
Ryunosuke felt something tighten in his throat for a moment. "You always say things like that. Could you think about yourself a little more? I already asked my brother-in-law to make sure the shops nearby stay open tonight, so you don't need to worry about having nothing to do."
Suzune's brow furrowed. "You troubled Nii-san again."
She added, with genuine concern, "And keeping shops open at night, think of the electricity and the staff costs. That's a real loss for them."
Suzune was careful with money in a way that bordered on philosophy. She could not endorse waste.
Ryunosuke kept eating her cooking without any particular concern. "Let them lose a little. None of it matters more than you."
Suzune went quiet. Her cheeks felt warm. She turned her face away. Even after all this time, after years of marriage and a child between them, she still had no defense against the moments when he said things like that without hesitation.
Hearing him say it like that, she stopped arguing. She locked the front door, took their daughter's hand, and they headed out together.
Along the way, Ryunosuke tried to take her hand every few steps. Suzune pulled it back each time, exactly as she had ten years ago. And Ryunosuke, exactly as he had ten years ago, kept reaching for it. After enough futile resistance, she finally let him hold it.
They walked with their fingers interlaced. Their daughter skipped ahead through the snow, hugging her new cat doll and leaving small footprints behind.
Suzune said quietly, "I'd like to stop and see Nii-san and our sister-in-law."
Ryunosuke almost protested that this was their anniversary and other people could wait, then sighed instead. "All right. I'll come with you."
"Mm." Suzune said nothing more, but her grip on his hand tightened slightly.
They arrived at Manabu and Akane's house not long after. The two of them had married not long after graduating, a clean and happy ending.
Ryunosuke pressed the doorbell, and Akane's voice came from inside.
"Just a moment!" She walked quickly to the entrance and opened the door, still wearing her kitchen apron and holding a ladle. She had clearly been in the middle of cooking. Seeing the four of them, she welcomed them in warmly and called back into the house.
"Honey! Your sister and niece are here!"
At the word "niece," Manabu, who had been reading a newspaper, put it down and came out immediately. He greeted his sister with a nod and completely ignored Ryunosuke's existence.
He then proceeded to scoop up Maki and carry her off, right in front of her parents, leaving Suzune and Ryunosuke standing in the entrance looking at each other.
He had at least acknowledged his sister, but Ryunosuke might as well have been furniture. Ryunosuke felt deeply insulted. If Manabu weren't his brother-in-law, he would have rolled up his sleeve by now.
Akane laughed with mild awkwardness and tried to smooth things over. "Don't take it personally. He's always like this whenever he sees her."
Manabu sat on the sofa with his niece in his arms, clearly not intending to put her down anytime soon. He doted on her more obviously than on his own children.
He and Akane had two children of their own, a son and a daughter currently asleep in the other room. They were around four years old, three years younger than Maki. Even though Ryunosuke had become a father first, by family order Maki still addressed Manabu's children as her seniors.
Once Akane finished cooking, she invited Ryunosuke and Suzune to stay for dinner.
Suzune set her prepared gifts on the table and prepared to take her husband home. She had only intended to stop by briefly, and since she had seen her brother, she felt the visit was complete.
Seeing Suzune move to leave, Manabu stopped them. Primarily because he was not yet ready to part with his niece. Ever since this particular small person had entered his life, he had been somewhat less attentive to spoiling Suzune.
Suzune sighed, knowing her brother's mind exactly. With no good reason to refuse, she agreed to stay for dinner.
After they finished eating, Manabu raised another proposal. "How about letting this one stay here with me for two days? She can play with my children. In exchange, I'll lend you Hina for a while."
Hina was Akane's son.
Akane simply rolled her eyes but said nothing. Her husband had developed a preoccupation, and resisting it rarely went anywhere productive. Besides, she trusted Ryunosuke and Suzune completely with their children. Looking at how bright and happy Maki had turned out, she had no worries whatsoever.