A Story About a Girl Who Took Life for Granted and Fell in Love With a Kind and Introverted Boy - Chapter 40

“Wahh! Wahh!”

…The sound of a baby crying echoes throughout the house.

My eardrums shake violently, and my maternal instincts scream at me to take action.

“Alright, alright! What’s wrong!?”

I pick up my six-month-old son, Tadashi, and cradle him in my arms, rocking him gently.

“Wahh! Wahh!”

“That’s strange… I fed you, and I already changed your diaper.”

“Wahhh—!”

“Alright, alright, you’re such a good boy.”

Sweating profusely, I walk around the house with him in my arms.

Tadashi already weighs over five kilograms. He’s so heavy. I mean really heavy. I’d put on a bit of weight after giving birth, but taking care of a baby is so tough that I’ve lost it all. It’s like strength training without going to the gym.

“Mama! Read this!”

In the middle of everything, my four-year-old daughter, Kaoru, comes over with a picture book and plops herself at my feet.

Still holding Tadashi, I crouch down and ask her, “What is it?”

“Mama! Read the book! Read the book!”

“Okay, okay… let’s see… ‘Fine, if that’s how it is, I’ll play The Tiger Hunt in India! Goshu said with determination, his breath heavy.’”

“Mama! What’s a tiger hunt?”

“Well, it’s when someone defeats a tiger.”

“Why would they defeat a tiger?”

“Uh… well, I wonder why…”

“Wahh! Wahh!”

With my crying son in my arms, I read the picture book to my daughter. Being a mom is really tough. Only now have I come to respect my mom—and Kenji’s mom—so much more.

“I’m home!”

I hear a voice from the entrance and quickly shout back, “Welcome home!” before heading there with Kaoru.

Standing in the doorway, drenched in sweat just like me, is Kenji. He’s carrying plastic bags stuffed full in both hands.

“Welcome home, Kenji!”

“Welcome home, Papa!”

“Sorry I’m late. I bought enough diapers to last two weeks.”

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver!”

“Wahh! Wahh!”

“Hey, Tadashi, what’s the matter? Are you in a bad mood?”

“That’s what it seems like! I fed him, and I changed him, but I can’t figure out why…”

“Maybe he’s sleepy and cranky. Want me to take over?”

“Oh, sorry! Thanks!”

Kenji puts the bags down and takes Tadashi from me. “There, there. Pat, pat, pat,” he says, gently patting his back in a steady rhythm.

Meanwhile, I take the diapers Kenji brought and store them in the supply closet.

“Mama! The book! We didn’t finish the book!”

“Alright, let’s go to the living room.”

I wipe the sweat off my forehead with my arm and exhale deeply.

“♪ The Scorpion’s red eye… ♪ ♪ The Eagle spreads its wings… ♪”

Kenji’s singing fills the house. His soft, soothing voice calms Tadashi, who starts settling down in his arms.

“♪ The Puppy’s blue eye… ♪ ♪ The Coil of the shining Snake… ♪”

“……………”

“♪ Orion sings high above… ♪ ♪ Dew and frost falling softly… ♪”

Before I realize it, Tadashi has stopped crying altogether. With a curious, baby-like expression, he stares at his dad.

“Kenji, you’re amazing! You’re a pro at calming him down!”

“When I was little, my mom used to sing this song, Song of the Stars, as a lullaby. Looks like Tadashi likes it, too.”

Kenji smiles gently and leans his face close to Tadashi. Tadashi beams back and reaches out his tiny hand to touch his dad’s nose.

“Oh, Kenji, isn’t it about time?”

I glance at the clock on the wall and mention it to him. It’s 11:20 a.m.

“Oh, you’re right. We should get going.”

“Yeah!”

Just before noon, we arrive at a large park.

The park is vast, with a grassy field as large as a schoolyard. Scattered trees provide shade here and there.

Under one of the trees in the middle of the park, we spot our friends. There’s Yanagihara and Fujiyama, who went to high school with us, and my younger sister, Miyuki.

The three of them are already busy setting up for the barbecue, lighting charcoal and placing a grill on top.

“Hey, everyone!”

When I wave at them, they notice us and wave back.

“Kana! Saito! We’re all set up here!”

Yanagihara cups her hands around her mouth and shouts to us.

“Really!? Sorry we’re late!”

“No worries, no worries!”

Kenji, Kaoru, and I sit on the stools they’ve prepared for us. We park Tadashi’s stroller between us.

“Thanks for setting everything up. Here’s the meat you asked for.”

Kenji pulls a cooler box from his backpack and takes out a pack of beef and a pack of pork.

“Thanks, Saito! Let’s start grilling!”

In high spirits, Fujiyama grabs some chopsticks and places the meat on the grill. The sizzling sound makes my empty stomach rumble.

Everyone grabs paper plates and pours barbecue sauce into them, then takes their pick of food.

“Oh, Kenji, this pork is ready.”

“Thanks, Kana.”

“Mama, I don’t want onions!”

“Come on, Kaoru, you need to eat your veggies too.”

“Haha, Kana’s family is always so heartwarming.”

“Hey, Saito, got any more meat?”

“Yeah, plenty. I’ll get more from the cooler.”

“Miyuki, can you pass me the barbecue sauce?”

“Sure, here you go, Sis.”

“By the way, Fujiyama, Naito and Nagasaki couldn’t make it today?”

“Yeah, Naito had an urgent job, and Nagasaki said he had a date with his girlfriend. Jeez, that guy chose his girlfriend over us.”

“Haha, I see. Maybe someday we can all hang out together with his girlfriend.”

We enjoy the barbecue together. Though I intended to relax, barbecuing requires constant attention to the cooking, so it ends up being pretty busy.

“Ugh… ughhh…”

Just then, Tadashi starts fussing in his stroller.

“Hmm… Is he hungry?”

I look around for a place to set down the chopsticks and plate I’m holding.

“I’ll do it, Sis.”

Miyuki steps in smoothly.

“Really, Miyuki? Thanks.”

“No problem. You keep eating. I’m already full.”

“Oh, the prepared milk is in Kenji’s backpack. Could you use that?”

“Got it. Kenji, I’ll grab the milk.”

“Thanks, Miyuki.”

Miyuki takes the milk bottle from Kenji’s backpack and feeds Tadashi. She’s so experienced from helping us with babysitting that it seems effortless.

“Wow, Miyuki, you’re better at this than me.”

“What are you saying? I can’t compare to you, Sis.”

Miyuki smiles faintly as she burps Tadashi after he finishes his bottle.

…Miyuki doesn’t call me “Big Sis” anymore. She calls me “Sis.”

At first, I thought it was just because she grew up and found it embarrassing. But for some reason, it makes me feel lonely. It feels a bit distant, like there’s a wall between us.

(…Then again, we’ve had a lot of awkward moments.)

When I was brash and rebellious, I fought with her a lot. And back when Kenji and I were going through some stuff… well, Miyuki liked him too, and we were rivals in a way.

Now, we’re close enough to barbecue together, but are we truly close sisters? Maybe not.

I love Miyuki, but whether she feels the same… that’s another story.

“…Papa! Throw the ball!”

After finishing the barbecue, Kenji, Yanagihara, and Fujiyama were playing with my daughter, Kaoru.

They were using a soft baseball, safe for children, to play catch.

“Alright, here it comes!”

Kenji lightly tossed the ball toward Kaoru. It fell just short of her feet, and she picked it up with her small hands.

“Kaoru-chan! This time, give it to me!”

When Yanagihara called out, Kaoru threw the ball to her. “Good job!” Yanagihara cheered as she caught it and threw it back to Kaoru.

This cycle continued: Kaoru would throw the ball to one of the adults, and they would throw it back to her.

Watching this heartwarming scene from the shade of the trees, Miyuki and I relaxed. Meanwhile, my son, Tadashi, was fast asleep in his stroller.

“Kaoru-chan! Give the ball to me!”

“Okay!”

“Kaoru-chan! Over here!”

“Okay!”

“Alright, Kaoru, how about giving it to Papa?”

“Okay!”

Kaoru threw the ball to Kenji, but when he tried to catch it mid-air, he missed, and it hit him square on the face.

“Ouch!”

Kenji let out a yelp, and Kaoru shouted at him.

“Papa, you’re terrible! So uncool!”

Yanagihara and Fujiyama burst into laughter, while Kenji scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Kenji, you never change, do you? Still clumsy as ever,” I said, smiling softly as a breeze passed under the tree’s shade. Really, my husband is just too adorable.

“………………”

When I glanced to my side, I noticed Miyuki staring intently at me—or rather, at my left hand—with a puzzled and somewhat uneasy expression.

“What’s up, Miyuki?” I asked directly, curious about her gaze. She hesitated briefly, then quietly asked, “What happened to your ring?”

“My ring?”

“Your wedding ring. You’re not wearing it now. Did you take it off?”

“Oh, that. I lost it last year.”

“What?”

“We went to the beach, and I must’ve misplaced it there. I didn’t dive or anything, but I think the waves swept it away. I was so devastated.”

“………………”

“I keep a daily journal since the kids were born, and the entry for the day I lost my ring is just so gloomy. It’s kind of funny how obvious it is when I read it now.”

“………………”

Miyuki’s expression turned somber, as if she were struggling to suppress a surge of emotions.

“Miyuki?”

When I called out to her, she jolted slightly.

“W-what is it, sis?”

“You seemed deep in thought. Is something wrong?”

“………………”

“If something’s bothering you, I’m here to listen.”

“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Despite her words, her expression didn’t brighten. Thinking of a way to lift the mood, I changed the subject.

“Oh, by the way, Miyuki! Didn’t you say you got a boyfriend recently?”

“……………Yeah.”

“How’s it going? Any talk of marriage yet?”

“We broke up.”

“What?”

“I broke up with him.”

“………………”

“He confessed to me, and I decided to try dating him… but I just couldn’t fall for him.”

“I… see. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

Shoot, talking about her boyfriend was a bad move. Miyuki’s 26 now, so I thought marriage might be on her mind, but…

“…Sis.”

“Y-yeah?”

“What should I do?”

“What do you mean?”

“How can I become like you and Kenji? A couple that stays happy forever?”

“………………”

“No matter who I date, I can’t imagine staying as happy as you two are. I just can’t picture it. That’s why I always end up breaking it off.”

“………………”

“Sis, I… I think I still can’t forget about Kenji.”

“………………”

Her voice was so faint, it seemed to dissolve into the gentle breeze.

In that moment, a memory resurfaced. Miyuki started calling me “sis” after Kenji woke up from his coma.

(…Maybe Miyuki resents me. Does she hate me for taking away the person she liked?)

If I apologized, it might make things worse. Being in Miyuki’s position, I wouldn’t want someone to apologize to me like that.

But not saying anything might seem dismissive…

“…Sorry, sis.”

“Huh?”

“I shouldn’t have said that. I thought I’d moved on, but…”

“Miyuki…”

“………………”

“………………”

“How can I be happy?”

“………………”

“…Miyuki,” I said after a pause.

“………………”

“If you ever find someone truly important to you, tell them how you feel.”

“Tell them…?”

“Yes.”

“Like, what do you mean?”

“Tell them you like them if you do. Tell them you love them if you do.”

“………………”

“It’s a blessing to be able to express your feelings to someone.”

“To express my feelings…”

“Yes. Even more than being told you’re loved.”

“………………”

“So, if you find someone you want to tell your feelings to, someone you’d regret not expressing them to—don’t hold back. Even if it’s Kenji.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about whether it’s considered cheating. I can’t control Kenji’s feelings. Even if it leads to him straying, I won’t be shaken. My feelings for Kenji won’t change.”

“………………”

“You can’t be sure how long your loved ones will be by your side. They might leave tomorrow. That’s why you should always be honest with your feelings and express them to the ones you cherish. Don’t ever be afraid to love.”

“…Sis.”

“It’s okay. No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you. You’re my precious little sister.”

I said this with the brightest smile I could muster. Miyuki’s lips softened into a slight smile as well.

The cool breeze swept gently between us.