Chapter 10: A Moment at Home
#24OchitaKanojoA Moment at Home
I head home from school.
Nothing in particular had changed today, aside from Yuna not being by my side.
Those around me seemed to notice that Yuna, who usually joined me during lunch, was absent, but they didn’t say anything.
My sister had sent a message saying she’d be home a little late. I considered making dinner to welcome her back, but after my last attempt, both she and Yuna had firmly told me never to cook again. So, I decided against it.
Besides, she’d probably eat out anyway.
With that thought, I filled my stomach with some microwavable pasta and continued working on what I had started yesterday.
After a while, I heard a noise at the entrance.
That must be my sister coming home.
I paused what I was doing and went to the living room to greet her, only to find her already seated on the sofa with a displeased expression.
“Welcome back. Did you eat—”
“I’m fine, I already ate.”
“I see. So, what happened?”
Given her expression, something was clearly wrong.
Even someone as oblivious as me when it came to women’s emotions could tell that much.
I could have just left her alone and gone back to my room, but instead, I sat beside her and decided to listen.
“It’s the usual thing… He keeps insisting I move in with him.”
“Well, in a way, that’s to be expected.”
“What, Yuki, are you saying you’d be fine living apart from me?”
It was rare to see my sister this emotional. Something must have really upset her.
I thought over what she had just said.
“…I wouldn’t like that.”
As soon as I answered, her displeased expression softened into one of joy. She wasn’t supposed to drink, but had she had a little a🬀cohol?
“Besides, what does he even expect to accomplish by having me move in? I’ll be independent as soon as I graduate from university.”
Though her irritation had faded, her complaints continued.
“But as a parent, it’s only natural for him to worry.”
“Even though he left me alone for so long, and now he acts like he cares… Ah, sorry, Yuki, I shouldn’t be saying this in front of you.”
My sister caught herself and stopped talking.
“It’s fine. At this point, there’s no need to worry about that. My only real parents were the two who passed away.”
That worthless woman is absolutely not my mother.
She abandoned me when I was a child, and when she finally returned, all she did was take away the people I loved.
As I was lost in thought, my sister suddenly hugged me.
“Sorry… I made you remember that awful person.”
The way she held me felt just like a mother comforting her child. My face naturally rested against her chest. It was embarrassing, yet I found myself leaning into her warmth.
My face was buried in her ample chest, and the citrusy, refreshing scent of her perfume filled my senses.
It was the fragrance my sister often wore.
Ever since I once told her I liked this scent, she had been using it regularly. Somehow, it always put me at ease.
After a while, she let go, and I felt an odd sense of longing.
And for feeling that way, I hated myself just a little.
I apologized, trying to cover up those feelings.
“No, I should be the one apologizing. I made you worry.”
“It’s fine. Besides, at least he’s trying to take responsibility as a parent, even if he wasn’t always there.”
“Still, I might have been a bit too clingy.”
Remembering the sensation of being held against her chest, I felt embarrassed all over again.
“Yuki, you should rely on me more… No, from now on, I’m going to spoil you a lot, so be prepared.”
Her bad mood had completely lifted, replaced by the smile I loved seeing.
“Well, now that I’ve listened to your complaints, I’ll head back to my room.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I was planning to spoil you a lot just now. Ah, I know—how about we sleep together tonight as a special treat?”
My sister grinned mischievously.
Her expression reminded me of my stepmother, making my heart skip a beat.
“Uh… Even if we’re siblings, at our age, that’d be a little embarrassing, so I’ll pass.”
“That’s a shame. But if you ever feel lonely, just let me know—I’ll sleep beside you anytime.”
My sister’s face showed a hint of genuine disappointment as she spoke.
Trying not to overthink it, I returned to my room and resumed composing music.
As I worked, memories of my stepmother and the others, who had been so important to me, surfaced in my mind.
The first time I met her was when my father introduced us.
Even as a child, I thought she was incredibly beautiful.
Her gentle smile every time we met made me quickly grow fond of her.
After a few meetings, she introduced me to her daughter.
She was just as beautiful, like a delicate doll. Wanting to see her smile, I did my best to make her laugh.
Eventually, that woman became my stepmother.
The doll-like beautiful girl was two years older than me and became my sister.
My father, stepmother, and sister—having them as a part of my life was something I only now realized was an incredible happiness.
I translated those emotions into melody, shaping them into a song.
The intertwining melodies of my various emotions gradually came together into a single composition.
However, the result wasn’t quite what I had envisioned.
“Sigh… This is harder than I thought.”
Muttering to myself, I lay down on my bed and played a song from my favorite artist to reset my mind.
Repeating this process several times, I eventually drifted off to sleep without realizing it.