A brand-new day — and you will never know what the big sister who held you while you slept had gone through the night before.
A drowsy Nagasaki Soyo opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Yoshiiro Chiose's face looking straight back at her.
Those eyes were still shining.
"Good morning, little one. What are you thinking about?"
"Good morning, Chiose-nee..."
"What a sweet kid."
Chiose smoothed down the little cowlick sticking up from Soyo's hair, then — having not slept a wink — rose from the bed and left the room.
"I'll go pick up some breakfast for you. Sleep in a little longer — it's the weekend, after all."
The weekend, huh?
Soyo pressed her lips together.
She wasn't really the type to get easily flustered — but whenever she was in the presence of Yoshiiro Chiose, this woman with her overwhelmingly composed, adult air, she always felt this odd sensation of not knowing what to say.
"She's about the same age as Mom, but the feeling she gives off is completely different... I always end up wanting to get closer to her."
She wanted to talk more with Chiose-nee, to spend more time with her. Was this what the teacher at school called "charisma"?
Yoshiiro Chiose really was the kind of woman who could have been her mother.
"Well? If you're not going back to sleep, why don't you come wash your face and brush your teeth?" Yoshiiro Chiose poked her head around the doorframe and gave Soyo a playful wink.
"Coming right now! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Silly girl, hurry up. It's seven-fifteen. If you can finish getting ready within fifteen minutes, we can sit down to eat right at seven-thirty — and punctuality makes me incredibly happy."
Yoshiiro Chiose had somehow produced an apron from somewhere. Wearing it, she looked less like someone doing housework and more like she had donned battle armor with a passive bonus to attack speed.
Soyo stared at her, wide-eyed.
[The way she looks wearing it — it's completely different from Mom.]
Chiose-nee is so amazing!
Breakfast, washing up, getting dressed.
Little by little, Soyo shed her awkwardness. She began tentatively leaning in toward Yoshiiro Chiose — and Chiose never once shied away, always meeting her halfway with a warm, easy closeness.
"Time to head out. We're going to pick up your mom and bring her home."
"Huh? Is Mom okay right now? She..."
"Don't worry. She just sent me a message asking how you were doing."
That was a lie —
That foolish woman who drank herself into a faint wouldn't have woken up first thing in the morning to ask about Soyo. At most she'd be crouched over the bathroom sink, gargling and taking work calls at the same time.
Chiose opened the door. Parked outside was a plain, understated dark-green sedan.
On the way over, Yoshiiro Chiose kept a slightly anxious Soyo company with light conversation.
Even though she didn't drive in the world outside the simulations, this particular simulation had been running for several months now. She had picked up driving — along with all the other essential office-drone survival skills — well enough to get by.
"Just up ahead is home," she said, glancing at Soyo in the rear-view mirror — sitting there so still and well-behaved. Yoshiiro Chiose was suddenly struck by how much Soyo resembled a young Takamatsu Tomori.
They had simply run into different circumstances along the way, so they branched off in different directions. It really was true that a child's growth was inseparable from their environment and their experiences.
As they drew closer to their destination, Chiose could feel Soyo's excitement building. She started fidgeting in her seat, asking every now and then about what it was like when Chiose worked alongside Miss Nagasaki.
Yoshiiro Chiose was more than happy to recount Miss Nagasaki's most embarrassing and awkward moments to her adorable little daughter, one by one.
Mocking a parent to their child — is that rude? Well... Soyo seemed perfectly happy listening to all of it, so perhaps not.
Chiose's apartment was in the Akabane district she knew so well — modest in size, but genuinely cozy. Even Miss Nagasaki, who had slept there, said it was wonderful.
"In a bit I'll take you and your mom out to eat, alright? Anywhere you're dying to go?"
At the foot of the staircase, Chiose took Soyo's small hand in hers, bent down, and turned her face to the side — showing Soyo exactly the kind of big sister that little children dream about.
"Really?! I want to go to Saizeriya! Last time I went was for my birthday last year, when Mom and Dad took me—"
The sound of a door opening not far away cut Soyo's words short. A woman in a hurry came jogging toward them, one hand straightening her suit jacket, her phone wedged between her head and shoulder.
"Mom? What are you—"
"Yes yes, I'm on my way right now, there's a bit of traffic but I'll be there soon — don't worry, I absolutely will not be late."
Miss Nagasaki hung up the phone before she finally noticed the daughter standing right in front of her.
She offered an apologetic smile and slowed her pace just enough to crouch down and cup Soyo's face in her hand:
"Good morning, Soyo-chan~ Mama's got to get to work, okay?"
That was the only thing Miss Nagasaki said to her daughter. Then she looked up at Chiose:
"Chiose, sorry to ask, but look after my girl for me! I know it eats into your day off and I feel a bit bad about that, haha."
"It's no trouble at all, sis. Go on, get to work — Soyo's in good hands."
"Great~ Off I go~ And if I don't call you tonight, please look after Soyo for a few more days, hehe~ With you here I've got nothing to worry about."
Miss Nagasaki spoke in a rush — but she ran off even faster.
"Mama..."
Soyo barely had time to reach her hand out toward the rapidly vanishing figure in the distance. She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.
And just like that, her mother left without a backward glance.
"Ah."
The Soyo who had been chatting so happily with Chiose just moments ago now hung her head low. Chiose couldn't see her expression clearly, but she didn't need to — she could guess.
"Miss Nagasaki is very busy, it seems. Looks like she won't have time to have lunch with us after all."
"Yeah..."
Soyo didn't feel like going to Saizeriya anymore.
"Is Soyo feeling sad? Come here — let me hug you."
Going down to one knee, Yoshiiro Chiose gently wrapped her arms around Soyo.
Kids are so easy to hurt. Head down, not saying a word — and sure enough, little Soyo, the corners of your eyes are going red, aren't they.
You're so fragile like this. If someone were to offer just a little gentleness right now — would that be enough to make you bloom again?
"Mm... it's okay. I'm used to Mom being busy."
"That's not the kind of thing you should ever get used to."
"But there's nothing I can do about it even if I don't."
Held in Chiose's arms, Soyo felt something welling up inside her that she couldn't quite put into words.
Why was it this person holding her, and not her mother? Why was it this person comforting her, and not her mother? Why was it always someone else who gave her tenderness...
"Chiose-nee, why is it that you don't abandon me and walk away like my parents do — why do you hold me instead?"
"Because there is no child in the world more unhappy than you."
Yoshiiro Chiose's smile remained as calm and gentle as ever. She tilted Soyo's chin up and looked at her directly.
"When I was little, I was just the same as Soyo-Soyo, you know. Except back then, there was no big sister to keep me company."
"So how did you get through it, Chiose-nee?"
"I cried alone, all by myself... So I don't want you to cry alone like I did. Let me be with you — as long as Soyo-Soyo needs me..."
"I will always, always, always be here for you."
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