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The World stays the same, neverending.
I received the phone call during your average Sunday morning.
Since the always-hungry Tsukiko-chan’s stomach was growling in agony, I figured that it was getting close to noon. I went around looking for something to possibly eat for lunch, only to find the empty and stripped hedgehog costume shed on the tatami mat in the banquet hall. On a whim, I put the hood on, and everything around me went dark. It felt like I was at peace, and when I closed my eyes, an elegant scent tickled my nose.
“Mmm…” I nodded.
It must be something vintage from a previous century. It was filled with a scent that belonged to the newlywed wife of the Tsutsukakushi Family, and the taste was comfortable on my tongue. However, just when I was acting like a sommelier, Tsukiko-chan happened to spot me, and this created a great calamity. She referred to my original sin, calling me a pervert, and crucified me between the openings of the floor.
Suddenly, the sound of a phone rang out. Even though I ignored it for a while, it continued ringing.
“Hello, this is Tsutsukakushi.” I picked up the receiver, and a calm voice greeted my ear.
Like it was the calm before the storm, or because that voice didn’t know what to say. Eventually, the person on the other end gave me their name and spoke with a slow tone. Is someone… from your family… home? It sounded like they were treating me like a child. They probably weren’t used to talking to them.
“…I can tell them.”
Um…
“It’s fine.” I answered with as deep of a voice as I could, putting strength into my stomach.
The person on the phone cleared their throat and slowly continued.
Tsutsukakushi Tsukasa-san has been hospitalized.
*
If you ever ask about the biggest hospital in our town, you’ll always be pointed towards the nearby medical university hospital annex. Several hospital wards had been built around a parking lot, and they were always full no matter when you came. Of course, they had a cafeteria and a post office, along with a medical university campus and a nursing school. It was almost like they were trying to make it seem like some kind of theme park.
In the midst of this enclosed area, standing tall beneath the grey sky, were several white buildings. This is the threshold of life. Both coming and leaving here are scary. It’s a random crossroad. The windows of the buildings looked like faces, like they were screaming at me.
When we got off at the bus stop in front of the hospital, a cold breeze from the hospital ward hit me, making my body shiver. Fighting this wind, I stepped firmly on the ground and glared up at the white windows. Even now, I wanted to run away. As a result, I bumped into the girl next to me, who let out a groan.
“Ah, sorry…”
“…It’s fine. We both have to stay calm, for sure.” Tsutsukakushi, in her grown-up mode, rubbed her red nose as she took a deep breath.
Indeed, ‘that day’ hadn’t arrived yet. When I nodded, Tsutsukakushi looked up at me, and she clung to my arm.
“Senpai, did you visit this hospital often?”
“Sometimes. Why?”
“Because you chose this bus right away without checking anything.” It sounded like she was choosing her words carefully.
She most likely wanted to confirm this more than anything. If I had to guess, she already had figured out the reason why I was so familiar with this hospital.
“My older sister was hospitalized here, so I came to visit a few times.”
“…Is that so?”
A little while ago, or rather, in a distant future, Tsukiko-chan had observed this and put it into the 8th volume of her Yokodera-kun notes. She invaded—I mean visited our home to nurse me back to health. Back then, I was all alone inside my home. My parents were busy visiting my older sister, but I couldn’t tell her. It’s the same now.
I just shrugged and started walking. During this time, she had been hospitalized in the children’s ward, completely monopolizing the parents of the Yokodera Family. Today, yesterday, tomorrow, and the day after as well. All the time. I tried to not look at the hospital windows, like I was trying to deny it all.
Naturally, there was no holiday for a hospital, and the buildings were full. When I passed through the entrance’s automatic doors, I spotted a young girl standing near the information center. It’s Steel-san, who had been with Tsukasa-san the entire morning. Next to her was a nurse. When she saw me, she started walking ahead of us.
“…Follow me. The room is over here.”
“Ah, wait. The doctor wanted to talk to me first.”
“Mu…” Steel-san stopped with a troubled expression.
She obviously wanted to return to her mother as quickly as possible.
“You can go ahead. I’ll join you later.”
I handed Tsukiko-chan a bag with a change of clothes, a towel, and so on.
“…Hurry up and come with us.” She muttered and turned around.
I nodded. She walked after her older sister… not quite, as her body swayed left and right because of the large bag, and instead headed to the elevator hall. Once the two left my view, I straightened my back and faced the nurse.
“Um, I’m from the Tsutsukakushi Family. May I speak with the doctor?”
“U-Um…” It was the same voice I had heard on the call, a young nurse.
She looked at my height and seemed to hesitate.
“Is there any other adult…?”
“It’s fine.” I cut her off, smiling.
“…Umm, then could please wait here for a moment?”
After she was done hesitating, she guided me to an orange sofa near a wall. The door next to it read “Emergency Department.”
“On the phone you said that she had been brought here from a different hospital, correct?”
“Um… yes, that is correct.” She blinked a few times and nodded.
This was something that I had heard during the phone call. Normally, Tsukasa-san would go to a family doctor for her regular medical check-up.
‘Yes. Thank you very much. I will come for my visit tomorrow.’
Right before we headed to the picnic, she had been on the phone, talking to someone from the hospital. I guess we know the answer to the question, but not like that matters too much now.
Anyway, Tsukasa-san had been oddly persuasive and had changed the day for her check-up. We had our picnic on that day instead.
‘On days like these, you’ve gotta take a picnic outside.’
What feelings did she have when she said those words back then? I tried thinking about it many times, but I never came up with an answer.
“Since the check-up showed several irregularities, she was transported here… I don’t know the full details, but… Well…”
Just what kind of condition is Tsukasa-san in? Even though that was all I was curious about, that young nurse kept blabbering on and on.
“Ah!” Suddenly, her face lit up. “I can ask the doctor! Sensei, we’re over here!” She called out to him with a very polite tone.
Or maybe she would be scolded if she didn’t use the right tone in dealing with the doctor? Either way, I looked over there, and—
“Nu…”
“—Eh?”
A wild bear, wearing a doctor’s white robe, showed himself. One day, at the hospital, I met a bear~ In the middle of the hallwaaaay, smelling like roseeees, I had no place to run awayayay~ Wait, this isn’t the time to be singing nonchalantly like this. Seriously, in what world is this man a doctor!?
“Nu!”
When the wild bear doctor spotted me, he raised one hand, giving me a gentle greeting. He picked up the documents and papers I had dropped in shock and handed them back to me.
“T-Thank you very much…” I lowered my head.
Oh man, this bear is a nice bear? I feel like he might even sing along with me. Also, now that I’m getting a closer look at him, he really resembles a human more than a bear. Also, he looks oddly familiar. And not just ‘oddly.’ I talked with him the other day. The young, busty nurse was a bit baffled, but nonetheless introduced me.
“Um, this is Azuki-sensei.”
“Ah, y-yes! I’ve played with A-chan… No, I have the joy of playing with her… Or is she the one who’s playing around with me?”
“Nu, nu!”
When I waved my hand, Azuki Bear-san narrowed his eyes. It was a calm gesture. He had me sit down on a chair. That’s right. I guess the Papa Bear-san of the Azuki Family is actually a doctor.
I had heard about this from the future Azuki Azusa. In reality, it was when I visited them during Christmas—or so it says in the Yokodera-kun notes volume 7. He looked like a muscular macho bear on the outside, but he’s actually really kind. I knew that Tsukiko-chan’s observation diary would be helpful down the line!
The problem is the fact that Tsutsukakushi wasn’t even there, so I’m just curious as to how she found out about it. Is she really watching me whenever and wherever I am? Then again, it’s not that big of a problem. If anything, it’s only a benefit for me. After all, that makes full-blown exhibitionistic roleplay possible, right?!
A chance for that would surely come later. For now, I just focused on listening to what Azuki Bear-san was saying. If I had to guess, he was probably a really reliable doctor.
“Nu…”
With explanations even a child could understand, he explained what was wrong with Tsukasa-san’s body, why they hospitalized her, and what they were planning on doing now.
“Then what we can do from now on is—”
“Nu… Nu!” He put his hand on my shoulder, using gentle strength.
Like he was trying to cheer me up, telling me to do my best from now on, if I had to guess. Azuki Papa-san might not be fluent with words, but knows what actions to take.
“…I understand. Thank you very much.”
“Nu!”
I watched the doctor stand up from the sofa and return to the emergency department. The sight of his white robe looked oddly dependable. As for the nurse…
“Um… if you would follow me over here… Ah no, the stairs are closer.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, but would the escalator be better after all?”
“…Whichever is faster.”
“Then the escalator…”
With uneasy words and questionable choices, the nurse directed me to Tsukasa-san’s room. I watched her back, which was swaying ever so slightly.
“……”
I touched the shoulder Azuki Papa just put his hand on and took a deep breath. I’m just venting my frustrations with this feeling. I can’t put my precious feelings into something useless. Or so he told me. I think? Maybe? Either way, the bear taught me something important.
*
On the first floor of hospital ward 2A, I could see a rest area a ways away from the elevator hall. After turning right, it was the fifth room to the right. Inside a room made for eight people, Tsukasa-san was lying on a bed. From outside the yellow curtains, I could pick up on several presences, some of them sleeping. Inside this transparent atmosphere of a hospital, every sound makes it feel like there’s peace and tranquility.
I tried to calmly sneak past the curtains. I moved towards the gap that gave me a glimpse of a person on the bed and a few people next to them. I poked my head inside, and…
“Mmgah…Sluuuuuurp…Einstein!” The person letting out groans and snores was Steel-san.
She was sitting on a round chair next to the bed, using Tsukasa-san’s lap as a pillow, drooling everywhere.
“I wonder who you got it from…” Tsukasa-san had raised her upper body, and was making a wry smile.
She was gently caressing Steel-san’s long, black hair.
“Are you… okay?” I asked in a quiet voice.
“Of course I am,” Tsukasa-san let out a snort. “Ups and downs like this tend to happen. Those new peeps are making a fuss, that’s all.” She clicked her tongue.
It didn’t look like she was acting tough to me. Nor did she seem particularly pale. If you took away the hospital gown and put her in the hedgehog costume, she’d be the same usual Tsukasa-san. Then again, this is fresh in itself, so I’ll take it! I wanna hug her!
“…Youto, your eyes are scaring me.” Tsukasa-san looked at me like a yankee picking a fight.
I think that a mother with a glare like that is much scarier. Then again, she’s the same as always, so I’m glad. Tsukasa-san can still stay with us. Tsutsukakushi and I exchanged glances and sighed at the same time.
“You’re making too big of a deal out of this.” Tsukasa-san narrowed her eyes, making a troubled smile. “…But I’m sorry to worry you like this. It must have been tough.”
“That’s…”
“I’m glad I was blessed with children.” She lowered her gaze, muttering.
She ran her fingers along Steel-san’s hair, gently rubbing it. She was merely asleep, barely seven years old. We others, the adults, surrounded her, and stayed silent. However, this silence wasn’t something hard to bear. It was almost like we were a real family.
By the way, in this realistic world of ours, whenever a comfortable mood like this happens, there’s always something that disrupts it. Of course, it always happens the moment you forget about it.
“Ummm…”
The nurse who guided me here was still standing inside the doorway. She looked like a girl who missed her chance to say goodbye to her group of friends and had been awkwardly dragged along. Not to mention she tugged on her (in my opinion too long) nurse skirt, clearly showing how awkward she was. Maybe she’s still in training and doesn’t know how to deal with this situation. Now even I’m feeling embarrassed. Was I acting too rude to her before?
“Um… thank you very much for calling and showing me here.” I lowered my head, and the nurse frantically waved her hand at me.
She bent her waist and met my line of sight.
“You did well all for your mother, right?” She smiled.
The young, busty nurse gave me a charming smile. What is this? I’ve fallen in love. Girls really do have to be Onee-sans, after all. Then again, with my current age, almost every girl is in my strike zone, so that’s even more efficient.
“So then… um… if you would excuse me.” She gave a polite greeting and left the room.
What a shame. I wanted to at least exchange contact information.
“Gyaaah!”
I felt something that weighed about twenty kilos dropping on my toes. However, when I looked down, I didn’t see anything. What is this? Some kind of divine punishment?
“Why would you suddenly let out a perverted scream like that?” Tsukiko-chan’s cold voice asked.
It’s not like it matters, but I’ve heard that the average weight of girls her age is around twenty kilos. At least that’s what my internet sources (some old men) said.
“Maybe you just stubbed your toe somewhere because you were looking at something weird?” The young Tsukiko-chan looked away from me with a pouting expression.
Yeah, it was divine punishment after all. I have to look at Tsukiko-chan. We’re at the hospital, so how about we play doctor? I’ll perform a full medical check-up on Tsukiko-chan, who’s suffering from a cold. As the doctor, I have to check up on you thoroughly. Could you please lay down on the bed and show me your chest?
Do I really need to look like this during the check-up? Of course you have to, Tsutsukakushi-san. Now, take off the last layer please. Then you’ll get an injection. Ahh, how embarrassing, yes. You’ll see all of my important girly places now…
…I could already see this happening in front of me, with the title ‘Tsukiko-chan and her cold’, but I was drawn out of my fantasies by a small hand twisting my nose.
“Yellow card.”
“That’s a bit harsh, referee!” I raised both of my hands to demonstrate my innocence.
She would always stop my play, even when I had barely touched the opposing player. At this rate, the average skill level in Asia will never go up, you know? If we use more skinship, we can practice our plays without risking a foul, don’t you think?
“Seriously, what kind of relationship do you two have in the future…?” Tsukasa-san let out a defeated sigh.
This is the kind of relationship we have, yes. A relationship befitting of our real age.
We talked for a while, but the faint sleeping sounds never vanished.
“Man, she really isn’t waking up…” Tsukasa-san dropped her gaze.
Steel-san beneath her palm showed no signs of waking.
“…She sure can sleep long. Like a monster.”
“She must have been worn out.” I nodded with a know-it-all look.
This weekend should have been wonderful for her. Waking up on Saturday to take a picture together, playing with MaiMai, having a picnic with her family. After coming home, she went to take a bath, and just when she came with her mother for a regular check-up, she was suddenly forced to come to this hospital.
Of course she’d fall asleep. That much can’t be helped. They say that children need more time to rest, and I bet she could sleep through an entire light novel volume if she wanted to, so I don’t think this is anything to worry about. Ah, ah…
“Achoo!”
“—I wasn’t sleeping!”
I let out a sneeze, and Steel-san jolted upright. Her head was glancing left and right, looking at her surroundings.
“Ah, oops…” I made a wry smile.
“What is it? I was merely resting my eyes for a moment.”
“Right, right. I know. Do you want to take another nap?”
“I told you I wasn’t sleeping!”
It appears as if the young seven-year-old girl was now in a bad mood. Ah, she’s rubbing her sleepy eyes, trying to stay awake. The other adults around watched her with warm expressions.
“…Senpai.”
“Yes.”
“Please apologize for now.”
“Yes…”
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I will reflect on it, so please don’t hit me.
“Mu… I told you I wasn’t sleeping…”
Right then, the door to the room opened. Maybe the young, busty nurse from before came back? Maybe she didn’t want to be separated from me for too long.
“…Come in.” Tsukasa-san said, a slightly puzzled look on her face.
“My my, everyone is here. Sorry for the intrusion.”
“…Sowwy…”
A familiar woman and a young girl showed themselves.
“—A-chan!?”
The voices of the Tsutsukakushi Household’s children perfectly overlapped.
*
We handed over everything we needed to deliver and moved to the resting area near the elevators. At first, I wasn’t quite sure why, but the space inside the hospital room was soon full of hospitalization goods brought by Azuki-san.
“I figured that you would get the important things anyway, so I just brought a few smaller bags that should be enough for Tsukushi-san and Tsukiko-san to hold. I’ll leave some towels in the upper drawer. The money is in small change.”
Us children watched the scenery of Tsukasa-san’s hospitalized life becoming more comfortable. Just like a certain daughter of hers who really loves animals, she might seem a bit out of the loop, but when it comes down to it, she’s very reliable. Apparently, the kind Azuki Bear-san had called her for support.
“Thank you very much, Azuki-san.” Sitting on the sofa of the resting space, I lowered my head all the way down to my knees.
“No no, it’s not that big of a deal. But thank you for the politeness.” Azuki Mama-san put one hand on her mouth, letting out a snicker.
She would always laugh like this when I tried acting like an adult.
“It’s Sunday after all. I have always time for something like this.”
Now that I think about it, both of the Azuki Parents work. If I remember correctly, the mother works at some publisher as an editor. Thank goodness. It seems like black companies don’t exist in the world just yet.
“Also, A-chan apparently wanted to meet her friends, right?”
“…Wah!?” When her mother suddenly passed the conversation to her, the meek girl was left baffled.
This A-chan, also known as Azusa-san from the Azuki Family, had been crouching behind the shadow of a potted plant here in the rest area. I thought we’d be getting along by now considering how many times we’ve played together, but it seems like her introverted side is still as strong as ever. She’s like a patient who’s been dragged to the doctor against her will. Maybe I can trick her into playing doctor with me?
“—No, that’s not right.”
“Fueh?” A-chan tilted her head in confusion.
Don’t worry, I’ll show you what a real doctor is like. First, how are you feeling? Your chest hurts? I see. So it’s been hurting unbearably from the moment you woke up. But when you looked at me, the doctor, it started to hurt even more, like your chest was tightening up. What’s wrong, Azuki-san? You feel like a swallow that’s been left behind by its flock. Hmm, that sounds troublesome. Then you’re probably sick. It is called lovesickness. It’s fine. Just leave it to me. For now, I need you to take off all your clothes. Then I’ll give you a massage.
Lost in thought, I was only pulled back to reality when I felt a gentle impact at my chest.
“H-Hello! I-I’m glad… we could see each other again…!” It was A-chan, jumping into my arms.
How bold!
“Oh my oh my, A-chan? You always act so reserved, and yet you can act so bold.” Azuki Mama-san let out a snicker.
A-chan understood the meaning behind that snicker, and she started blushing furiously. What is this? The cast is no longer following the script. I never knew Yokodera-kun was so weak against assertiveness.
“This girl really likes her Youto-kun, it seems.” Azuki Mama-san narrowed her eyes, smiling gently.
I see. So she likes me! She’s a girl who will fall for me, no matter how many timelines we cross, huh?! Could there be any girl more worthy of being the main heroine?! Ms. Earnest-chan is number one!
…Yeah, right. I flashed a wry smile. It’s not a good idea to play around like this. Is it really okay for her to fall for me in such an unfair way? We would normally have met in a totally different way. Is it fine to ignore that completely? While I was lost in thought, A-chan and I made eye contact.
“Fueh…” She was blushing from ear to ear, forcing a smile.
How is a creature this cute even allowed to exist? Either way, her liking me like this isn’t a bad feeling. Even if the reason and the origin of those feelings were different, the feelings themselves weren’t bad in themselves. And that’s why—
“Good girl, good girl.”
“Fueh!?”
For no particular reason, I caressed A-chan’s head. It’s cute how much she’s blushing.
“………”
For no particular reason, Tsukiko-chan was staring at me. Her silent gaze said more than a thousand words. Her sharp glare sure is cute.
“Fueeeh…”
For no particular reason, A-chan suddenly started trembing. The two of them are cute.
I have to say, half of this world is composed of random actions and events. Maybe a bloody war will break out if we ever figure out the reason. Yeah, let’s just ignore that! Everyone can stay as cute as they are!
By the way, in child society, playing with everyone will allow every child to get along, but things aren’t as kind in the adult society.
“Mm…” Tsukasa-san maintained a stern expression as she stood up from her seat.
Azuki Mama-san did the same. I moved away from the group of children and approached them. They stood at the entrance of the rest area, facing each other near the potted plants.
“I am terribly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.” Tsukasa-san lowered her head.
“Oh my, don’t be like that.” Azuki Mama-san gave a faint smile, waving her hand. “This has to be some sort of fate, so feel free to tell me anything.”
“I can’t… I really feel bad. After the other day, now this…”
“My my, don’t worry about it.”
Every time Azuki Mama-san responded with kind words, Tsukasa-san’s expression grew more cloudy. So this happened before, then? That made me think of something. It might be obvious, but just because the children get along doesn’t mean the same can be said for the parents. Indeed, it really feels like Tsukasa-san and Azuki Mama-san don’t get along too well. I mean, a yankee woman and a fluffy woman? Their attributes are so vastly different that it was basically predestined that there would be hostility.
“There’s no need to hold back. Just let me know when you need something…”
“Um, a costume!” I jumped in and said.
“You want a costume?” Azuki Mama-san asked for confirmation.
“I really need it!” I nodded. “A cute hedgehog one! With a hood as well. Tsukasa-san wears one at home when she’s sleeping. She can’t sleep without it! Since she hardly ever washes it, it really smells, but it feels great when wearing it! It’s like I’m wearing Tsukasa-san herself—Hm?” I was trying my best to explain it when someone tapped me on the shoulder.
When I turned around, I spotted an evil god glaring at me with a blood-red mask.
“Yo fokin dead meat aye brat…”
“O-Oh no! The person born in Tokyo and raised in Tokyo is using some mysterious dialect!”
“Yo fokin dead meat aye brat?”
“Um… Tsukasa-san, it’s not what you think. I didn’t mean anything bad by it.”
“Yo fokin dead meat aye brat.”
The evil god’s words were awfully simple! Her hands, beet red, were gripping my shoulder harder and harder. It hurts, it hurts! I want my first time to be gentle, okay?
“My oh my, you two sure are close.” Azuki Mama-san put one hand to her mouth, giggling.
“Yo fokin dead…” Tsukasa-san apparently regained her sanity, and she started rubbing her ears. “…I’m sorry that you had to see something embarrassing like that…”
“No no, not at all. We don’t have any boys in our family, so I feel a bit jealous.”
“He’s just a shitty brat though.”
“My, and what a great child he is.”
“Haha…” Tsukasa-san let out an awkward smile.
Azuki Mama-san joined in with a faint snicker.
“If I may be so rude as to ask one thing of you, could I request a change of sleepwear at least?”
“My, of course… Though I don’t know if it’ll be the right size…”
The two exchanged a few words. It didn’t sound like diplomatic language, either. It was more like they had started to get along better. I guess I did something right after all! This hedgehog who sucks at communicating wouldn’t be anything without me! Suddenly, though, she put her palm on my head.
“And—”
“Huh?”
“I am terribly sorry for what happened yesterday.”
—She forced me to lower my head, and she did the same with hers.
“He came to visit you early in the morning and tried to involve you in our mess.”
“My, that’s not…”
“No, this is important for his education.” Tsukasa-san said.
I finally understood what she was talking about. On Saturday, the stand-in of the Italian side visited the Tsutsukakushi Family—The woman with her hair colored like the sun of the Mediterranean Sea. In order to chase her out, I had sought assistance from the Azuki Family.
“Firstly, you lied. They teach you in kindergarten that lying isn’t good, right? Then, you tried to wrap unrelated people up in this mess. You can’t do that. Understand?”
“……” I was at a loss for words.
That must have been why her expression seemed so cloudy for a while. She was trying to apologize in my stead. All these times I’ve forced her to apologize to other people.
“What do you say at times like these?”
My head turned blank, and I didn’t know what to do.
“Youto.”
I just nodded. “I’m sorry.” I somehow managed to say.
“…I understand.” Azuki Mama-san said, sounding more gentle than usual.
“………” I hung my head.
“Alright, well done.” Tsukasa-san grinded her fist against my head. “A brat will always be a brat, huh?”
“That hurts, Tsukasa-san…”
“Zip it, shitty brat. No talking.” She continued grinding my head.
“…I’m sorry.” I closed my eyes tightly.
This watery and drowsy field of view felt oddly warm.
*
After a moment, the nurse came back, saying something about preparations for the medical check-up. Since that would take some time, Azuki Mama-san said she’d take care of everything and left the hospital. After all, the always-hungry mini-mini monster’s stomach was making groans of agony. She was looking like a hungry coyote.
Sadly, the cafeteria was closed on Sunday, so we couldn’t eat there. Also, you can’t eat my right hand, Tsukiko-chan. While we were in the middle of enjoying lunch at a nearby family restaurant, A-chan and I were playing. I was a father who had just come home, and A-chan was the mother feeding me.
“…Um, You-kun… Open wide…”
“I’m not You-kun.”
“Fueh?”
“Since we’re married, I’m ‘Honey’.”
“Ho… Hon… Honey… Hawawa…”
Although she seemed really motivated to play family, she was easily embarrassed. She hid her face behind her cup, but couldn’t hide the large ribbon. How cute.
“Whenever you’re here, A-chan is always in a good mood.”
“No, that’s…”
“If only you could stay with us forever.”
“…Eh?”
Azuki Mama-san invited the Tsutsukakushi sisters and I over to her house. I would be attending school from there, at least as long as Tsukasa-san was hospitalized.
“It’s a small home, but it’ll be enough to feed you.”
“Thank you very much. But you don’t have to go that far…”
“It’s not just for you, but also for A-chan. She doesn’t have many friends. I know it might seem selfish, but I’d be happy if you could get along with A-chan.” Azuki Mama-san grinned.
She really is kind, I thought. There’s so many kind adults around me. Aren’t you a blessed lad, Yokodera Youto? I told myself, letting out a snicker.
The mother and child of the Azuki Family went back for a bit and brought back some things Tsukasa-san asked for. When I asked her what she wanted to do, Steel-san crossed her arms.
“I don’t think it matters. It’s not like we have any knowledge of when the check-up will end.”
“Ah, do you want to see her right away?”
“Fool. I told you anything is fine.”
“…Then do you want to go ahead?”
“—I humbly appreciate the food. Farewell.”
“So fast…”
Steel-san, unable to stay too far away from her mother, ran out of the family restaurant and returned to the hospital. The food was paid for, and we saw Azuki-san off at the parking lot.
“Thank you very much for everything!”
“You… Youto-kun!”
“A-chan, I had fun playing with you!”
“Yeah…Yeah!” With her large ribbon bouncing left and right, she turned back several times to wave at me until she sat inside her seat in a black car.
It looked much newer than the one I had seen in the future.
“See you later, A-chan!”
“See… S-See you later!” She pressed her face against the window, not looking away in the slightest.
A-chan really is cute. I want her to grow up healthy and enjoy her life. Maybe even marry someone wonderful and build a happy family together. First a girl and then maybe a boy? What should we name them, I wonder?
The car left the parking lot, paused at the traffic light for the pedestrian crossing, and headed to the front entrance of the hospital.
“Now, what should I do?” I walked ahead, rolling my shoulder.
Of course, I wasn’t talking about my future plans of action.
“…Mm…”
Indeed, I was more concerned about the sharp glare directed at me from the side. She was closely inspecting every part of my body like she was going to gulp me up.
“…Um, did something happen, my fair lady?”
“I was just admiring the fact that you really are an adult, Senpai.” She spoke with much kinder words than I had anticipated.
“…You’re not angry…?”
“You say the weirdest things. Why would anybody ever have any reason to be angry at you?”
“I mean, I kinda feel bad for leaving you out like that…”
Ever since we finished our lunch, she had been oddly quiet. She just watched Azuki Azusa and I playing family.
“Listen, it might not look like it, but I am a high school student. I can hold myself back at the appropriate time.”
“That’s Tsukiko-chan for you!”
Right, right. She wouldn’t hold a grudge against a girl who was (mentally) much younger than her, right? Phew. Thank goodness.
“You really are a big person.”
“Really…?”
“Yes, a very big person.” Tsukiko-chan spoke with no emotion whatsoever.
Huh? What is this? I can feel a rush of pressure hitting me.
“I might be small, but I won’t let it define me. I am proud to be within the strike zone.” Tsukiko-chan closely observed me yet again.
My, Tsukiko-chan, someone is being quite assertive today. Then again, this isn’t time to be running away from reality.
“You are angry after all, aren’t you?”
“No, not yet.”
Putting it simply, now that Tsukiko-chan’s stomach is full, she is going to erupt soon. So she’s jealous of a young girl like that! I felt like a small rabbit that was being hunted by a lion. Or, the strongest Tsukiko-chan is turning into a black hole.
“You seem to have the wrong idea about something, so let me clear it up,” I said.
“No, I don’t have any misunderstanding in the slightest. Indeed I shall state.”
“Shall state…?”
“I just hope for the two of you to become happy, quite.”
“Quite…?”
Is she even aware of what she’s saying? What kind of age did she come from? I guess most of what’s coming out of her mouth is pressure instead of anything comprehensible. I guess that time and space don’t matter when you’re in front of a black hole. This proves the theory of gravitational waves as discovered by Einstein. This year’s Nobel Prize goes to Tsukiko-chan again! Congratulations!
“…Oh?”
A familiar car suddenly stopped in front of us. It was a certain family car that had just left us at the front entrance of the hospital.
“Azuki-san…”
The driver’s window opened and an adult face appeared. She seemed fairly embarrassed.
“I forgot to give you the lunch box Honey made…” She pressed her fist against her temple cutely.
Please teach your daughter that gesture. My future self will be very happy to see it.
“That reminds me,” Azuki Mama-san snapped her fingers. “Just now, my Honey mentioned that he’s not satisfied with current healthcare and that he wants to work on an isolated island. While A-chan is still small, see.”
“Huh…”
“It’s thanks to you.”
“Eh?”
“He always wanted a son, see. When he saw you, he probably decided to work harder himself.”
“Um, why?”
“You looked really cool earlier. But keep that a secret from your mother.” She gave me a teasing wink.
…Maybe? I felt like I didn’t do anything. Her point of view might be a bit off.
“We still don’t know how this situation will turn out, but if possible I want you to get along with A-chan from now on as well.” Leaving those words behind, Azuki Mama-san rolled up her window and drove off for good this time.
“Hinterland health care, huh…?”
I’m sure he’d be welcome wherever he went. I pictured a bear working in a jungle and let out a giggle.
“Mmm…” Tsukiko-chan tilted her head sideways.
It’s like that intense pressure from before, that black hole sucking me in, had completely vanished behind the moon.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking what kind of meaning Azuki-san being away from the city for a while—would have on this world.” That was a vague way of putting it.
Yeah, I remember the Azuki Family moving, at least in the timeline we were in. The question is: Did Azuki Azusa experience that, or did we change history again? Even if we did, then it’s not our place to worry about it. I tossed away all of that regret and anxiety when I first came to this world of the past.
“That’s not what I mean. If that’s what happens, then maybe…”
“Maybe what?”
Tsukiko-chan was about to say something.
“…No, it’s nothing.”
In the end, she took it back.
*
The master of Tsukasa-san’s hospital room hadn’t returned yet. Instead, we were greeted by Steel-san. Since we had been gone for a bit, she seemed a bit surprised.
“Ah? Oh, it’s you two…” Her face looked a bit shaken.
It was like she was disappointed to see us instead of someone else.
“Well, sorry…”
“Fool. Did I ever give you a reason to apologize?”
“I thought that I might have gotten your hopes up… It seems like it’s taking quite some time, huh?”
“An adult like myself is not bothered by this. I’m just here to keep the place warm and lessen the burdens of the doctor doing their work.”
“That’s Tsukushi-chan for you!”
I praised her, but I felt worried. This conversation sounded oddly familiar.
“The framework of what you’re saying is basically the same…”
“What are you talking about?”
When I looked at Tsukiko-chan, she just gave me a confused glance. Oh, my. She’s acting like the almost-explosion earlier didn’t even happen. I was expecting Steel-san to explode like her little sister, but I was wrong. What exploded were her clothes. Her one-piece clothing was wrinkled up here and there, revealing the area above her ribs, as well as two small hills…?
“W-What are you doing!?”
“This is a holy ritual.”
Steel-san lifted up her own clothes, looking down at her body with a serious expression. She held a thick felt-tip pen in her hand, carving the black color onto her young underwear. She drew a horizontal line, followed by a vertical one. Then a short horizontal one, and another short vertical one. Putting these lines together like a jigsaw puzzle, what you got was—
“Mm, I’m failing to properly draw it like this…”
The tally mark 正1. It was a bit off here and there, but I could clearly make it out. It’s the legendary Japanese counting method, indeed. But seriously, what is she doing?
“This is a good luck charm. The more I draw, the more wishes of mine will be granted.” She continued drawing more and more, and she spoke with confidence.
“What wishes, exactly?”
“Of course the… Wait, that’s a secret. If I tell you, then they won’t be granted.”
Her gaze drifted towards the empty bed.
“…Right.” I acted like I hadn’t realized what she was talking about. “But what does that have to do with this oil-based magic?”
“I thought that it would get washed away too easily if it wasn’t waterproof. The longer it stays, the greater the effect, right?”
“So it’s permanent…”
“Indeed. I’m going to write it all over my face as well!”
Imagining young Steel-san with 正 marks all over her, I shivered. I can’t allow this! Who even dared to teach her about this?!
“…Is this popular at school right now? It’s not like Onii-chan would know, but do the grade school girls of this time get hooked on this?”
“Who’s an Onii-chan here? Also, it’s not a thing. It’s a secret art. Gonnosuke taught me about it a while ago. She knows a lot of stuff like this!”
“…So she’s the rotten source of misinformation.” I pressed my fingers against my eyes.
It’s not too hard to guess that MaiMai had probably said some kind of lie because she lost against Steel-san. I guess she was already perverted at such a young age. She would use underhanded techniques while Steel-san relied on brute force. This fight might go down in history at this rate.
“So why did you believe that, Tsukushi-chan…? You heard it from MaiMai…”
“As those who call themselves knowledgeable, you cannot judge information merely because of its source. No matter the person, their words might seem true for all we know.”
“Is that so? I wonder if that’s true…”
Well, this at least has a good tendency to lean towards a certain genre that I am very familiar with.
“Naturally, I had my doubts at first. However, I have a solid guarantee.” Steel-san spoke with complete confidence.
She took something out of her pocket and presented it to me.
“This is an old historical document from our family, and my study material for this secret technique!”
“Th-That’s!”
“Indeed! I was searching for something new to read to Tsukiko when I found this in a cardboard box hidden beneath the porch. It read ‘research material’ on it so I knew it had to be important. The contents were quite obtuse, but they matched what Gonnosuke told me.”
“How could this happen…?” I felt all strength leave my legs.
After all, these were all manga I had gathered myself recently. Even old-school material is romance as far as boys are concerned. You understand, right? Everyone does it, right? It’s not weird that I want to regain my youth, right? Right?
The illustration Steel-san proudly presented to me showed an adolescent girl with a ponytail spreading her hips, making a double peace-sign, and there were several 正 marks on her thighs. I don’t know what genre this is, but I know that it’s bad.
“Now that that’s settled, the next one will be…” Steel-san grabbed the felt-tip pen.
Since she’s this gullible already, I’m very worried that she might follow some strange Nii-san into his van full of candy. I can’t leave her like this. I’ll have to take responsibility and draw them myself!
“U-Um!”
“What is it? Why are you acting flustered.”
“W-Why don’t I help you draw them? Buhehe? I’m a kind Onii-chan, you know… Hehe.” I called out to her with as much of a gentlemanly voice as I could.
“I hate to ask again, but why are you referring to yourself as my older brother? Well, whatever. It is the duty of the wise to accept propositions from those around them.” She offered me the pen. “Since you’re going to do it, draw them the same way as I have.”
“T-The same…”
“Indeed, right here on my thighs.” She spread her young legs.
Lifting her one-piece, she revealed the base of her two legs. She had no excess fat, and I could even see the faint outline of her pubic bone. Well, I don’t really know too much about it, but just the idea of it sounds great. Even the name sounds awesome2. An embarrassed bone. With quivering fingers, I placed the felt-tip pen against her skin.
“…Ah, mm…” The tip must have been cold, since Steel-san let out a faint moan.
Searching for something to hold on to, she grabbed my hair.
“H-Hey…?”
“Hurry up… and finish it…!” Her high-pitched voice and sweet breath tickled my ear.
Her young skin responded to the strength of my finger, returning a comfortable elasticity. Whenever I moved the pen, her legs jolted up and down. I could see sweat building up between her underwear and her joints.
“………”
Plop, I heard a sound of something falling into water. What kind of sound? Simple. It was Yokodera-kun’s sense of reason sinking into the depths of the abyss. I can’t hold back anymore! I’ll become the king of the seas!
“Gaaaah!” I started writing at full speed, which led to many moans, groans, leg twitching, and body twitching.
Right as our bodies became one—
“What is it!?”
Someone tapped on my shoulder.
“I’m busy right now, can’t you see!?” Even after my scream of rage, the tapping continued, again and again. “Can you stop already!?” I turned around.
When I did so, I felt my life flash before my eyes. That happens to people the moment before they die, right? But why now? Nothing out of the ordinary should have happened. I had come back from the family restaurant with Tsukiko-chan, who sat down on the chair in this very room, staying quiet this entire time—watching me.
“Ah…”
The current Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko had returned.
“—No-good Strikezone-san, is it?”
Even though her voice was calm and collected, sweat started oozing from every pore in my body. My heart was racing, drumming like you’d play on a taiko drum. Don, don don don don don don. I thought for sure that my heart would give out midway. She gently took the felt-tip pen from my hand, fixating her gaze on me.
“You were getting quite into it. Busy? Is that so?”
“No, well…”
“It’s fine, I get it. I understand everything.” She narrowed her eyes, making a graceful smile.
It was extraordinarily soft and gentle. Like an angel’s pet cat, or rather—
“Don’t worry. No matter how much of a Trash Bin-san you are, no matter how much of a Piggie-san you act like, I will grant you human rights.”
“Um…”
“—If you cut off your tongue this very moment, that is.” She looked at me with the eyes of a wild cat that had spotted a rat.
Don’t look at me like that! All the dreams of the loli and cons of this country will be shattered right away!
“Hmm… How strange, Tsukiko suddenly became very fluent in Japanese.”
“It is the work of your good-luck charm. It worked right away.”
“My word!”
“Nee-san, you have to do these things yourself, or your wish won’t be granted.” She returned the felt-tip pen to Steel-san and looked at me. “…Senpai, I need to be serious for a second.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Holding my rights to freedom in both of her hands, Tsukiko-chan forced me out of the hospital room. In the corner of the long hallway…
“Now hold on a second!” The current young man Yokodera tried pleading for his innocence. “I was just helping Steel-san! There’s nothing for me to be ashamed of! I was simply doing some volunteer work, nothing more. Love just so happened to blossom in this situation. I request a lawyer.”
“Enough about that.”
“Eh?”
Suspect Yokodera’s pleas were completely ignored as police officer Tsutsukaksuhi directed a stare at me.
“This isn’t the time to be fooling around. Um, where do I even start…?”
“Eh? Eh?”
So she didn’t even know what to say? She could understand it with her body alone? Convict Yokodera was slightly shaken. Awawa, Master, this young boy gets awfully excited when stepped on! I was shaking in anticipation, wondering what torture the young Tsukiko-chan would come up with.
“Will Nee-san study tomorrow or not? What do you think?” Tsukiko-chan suddenly spoke like she was thinking about some kind of paradox. “The Nee-san in the world that I know started to be spoiled by our mother and stopped studying. She became clumsy as you knew her.”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Tsukiko-chan completely ignored my fantasies and continued speaking indifferently. I get it. The location has changed and the atmosphere has changed, so she’s back to serious mode, right? I decided to put on a knowledgeable face and give a suitable response.
“Then again, you’re educating her properly, right? Thanks to you coming here, this world has started to change ever so slightly.”
“I thought that, as well.” Tsutsukakushi calmly nodded. “However, now that she’s become familiar with Maimaki-senpai, I think that the change came too abruptly.”
“Ahhh…”
Now that she mentioned it, ever since they had met, the quick-witted and intelligent Steel-san had started to vanish. It seems like she’s changing thanks to MaiMai’s influence. People are shaped by their surroundings, or something like that. A person’s close environment and relationships shape their view of the world. Even a girl studying hard for entrance exams can turn into a frivolous girl with drawings all over her body, with dyed hair, taking questionable pictures. A blonde double-peace heroine or something like that. That world can go to hell for all I care. A light novel with the same title is being sold at MF Bunko J, illustrated by Kantoku-sama, and has pretty high popularity3.
“It sucks, yeah, but that’s to be expected. It’s Steel-san after all.”
“It’s to be expected, is it?” Tsutsukakushi dropped her gaze.
Her gaze landed on her own palm, and she kept it there for a moment.
“I personally… feel very scared.” She formed a fist and opened it again, tracing her fingers like they were train rails. “If a person’s personality is more solid than we think, then even if we try to obstruct it—No.” She cut herself off.
Like she was scared of putting it into words, but I still knew what she was trying to say.
*
Let’s pose this as a what-if scenario. Yokodera Youto came back to the past and watched A-chan and Ma-chan make up. Azuki Azusa and Maimaki Mai who had drifted apart in his timeline were now reunited once again. However, that might have merely delayed their parting. There will come a time when A-chan will move somewhere far away. Once they grow up to become high school students, they might forget about each other. Then, the school trip will come around, and Ma-chan will once again tell me about how she and A-chan grew apart.
No matter the timeline, A-chan and Ma-chan will be unable to stay together, MaiMai will become a pervert who enjoys giving other people her underwear, and Yokodera-kun will become a person like Tsukasa-san—and then, and then…
I looked over at the hospital room and thought about the girl who was relying on good luck charms as she waited inside the hospital room without its inhabitant. And then—after everything, Tsukasa-san will pass away, and Steel-san will end up sick.
“The more I think about it, the more scared I get.” Tsutsukakushi’s eyes, her black gemstones, were quivering. “I start wondering if what we’re doing is actually useless. That we might not be able to change anything.”
If you throw a small pebble into a lake, ripples are created in the water. However, they will eventually go back to normal, and the lake will be the same as before.
“Recently, there have been times when I’ve stopped acting altogether. I’m scared of realizing, and…”
The past can’t be changed. Since we’ve seen the future, we think of everything as being set in stone. Our bright future had all been decided beforehand. The world continues to correct itself, and it continues turning.
“…What… do you think, Senpai…?” Her meek voice fell to the ground, disappearing.
“………” I closed my eyes.
I agree with her. I think it’s scary. I almost felt like puking. But I opened my eyes right away, and tried to make my usual expression.
“Listen, Tsukiko-chan.”
“…Yes?”
“It’s too early to worry about that. We haven’t even met the Cat God yet. Why don’t we go meet it right now?”
“But Mother said that we shouldn’t enter ourselves—because of the curse.”
“You’re thinking about it too much. You and everyone else.” I shrugged. “It’s not about being able to do it or not. All we can do is try. Instead of worrying about it beforehand, think about it when you’re in the process of doing it. It’s fine. We can do it together.”
But… it didn’t work out.
“Is… that so?”
“…Yeah.”
I could barely hear Tsukiko-chan’s response. Of course. I just kept blabbering on and on, with no basis for what I was saying, no proof that I was right. Even I wouldn’t have believed myself.
“…We both have to work hard, it seems.” Her eyes looked up at me, like she was praying.
She probably expected me to say other words, words that could save her. I always forced her to put her hopes up, wherever she was, whatever she was doing. Maybe I should have phrased it differently. Used words that only I could have said, or did something only I could have done.
“…I’ll say it again, but you’re overthinking it.” Unable to do anything, I just repeated myself one more time. “Let’s try it first and think about it later, okay? It’ll be fine. If there’s going to be a child made in the process, I’ll take responsibility!”
“Yes… Yes?” Tsukiko-chan stopped moving entirely.
“So let’s try our best to make children!” I repeated myself and turned around.
“I think I just misheard you.”
“Ha ha ha, it was just a fantastic jok—”
“Even a Trash Bin-san like you wouldn’t make meaningless jokes at a time like this, right?” Within her expressionless eyes, I saw a faint glimmer of disgust for a second.
Woah, it’s like she actually hates me for real this time. But it’s too early to give up here! With a normal girl, this one would have been a one-strike out and a game-set-match, but she is special. She’s not normal in the slightest. As long as I can’t tell what’s beneath the lid, I’m safe. If she really wants a child, then I’m happy, she’s happy, and we get a double-peace happy end. And if she’s against it, then I just have to gently restrain her. There’s barely any risk.
“…Those people who don’t feel any risks about things like that should be exiled from our constitutional society.”
“It’s my creed, after all! I’ll leave all the risks in the past!”
“I’m not even praising you…” Tsutsukakushi stared at me, taking her distance.
There was no more dark shadow found in her eyes. She just looked at me, only at me, with her usual blank expression.
“Senpai really is a helpless pervert in situations when showing only a moment’s weakness could prove fatal. I was an idiot for trying to be serious. In the end, I have to do everything I can.” She shook her head and started walking.
That’s right. That’s how things are supposed to be. Believe in what you say. Ahh, I want to hurry up and make children with her right away!
“What are you saying with such a confident voice? Has your head gone completely rotten now?”
“Not at all! I was thinking logically!”
“Hm.”
“Since this is a hospital, they must have a gynecology department here, right?!”
“Why do you make it sound like I’m supposed to understand that? I knew it. Your head really has come loose. It is exactly how I thought it was. Completely and undoubtedly.”
I, Yokodera-kun, always live up to other people’s expectations, see.
“Ah, wait. Let’s go together!”
“Don’t get too close, pervert.”
I jogged after Tsukiko-chan, who kept her usual distance. Indeed, I thought to myself as I watched her small back in front of me, This is how things are supposed to be.
Inside this white hospital, as white as heaven, Yokodera-kun walked forward, grinning. However, the linoleum on the floor let out faint screams too quiet for anyone to hear.
1 A Japanese tally mark. Although it’s often used for normal things, in this context (or rather, in this position where Steel-san put it), it’s often used to show how many times a girl had sex (consecutively).
2 The word for ‘pubic bone’ is written with the kanji for ‘embarrassment’ and ‘bone.’
CClaw Translations 