My room wasn't particularly spacious, but the kids preferred being in there rather than with the adults.

Is that obvious? Well, I guess even I felt a bit uncomfortable when visiting friends' houses if their parents were around.

There was a TV in my room. We didn't turn it on, but we could all play games together on my game console.

None of them were particularly serious gamers, so our skill levels were pretty even. We were happily playing games that would be considered quite old even by 2004 standards, while Kagami brought us various snacks, like fruit and such.

After we got tired of gaming, we turned off the TV and just chatted about various things, having fun talking.

Had my house ever been this lively before?

Well, I suppose it was like this when Kagami and I lived together in that one-room apartment. Harumi and Yuu used to visit us frequently back then too.

...Come to think of it, I had quite a few friends.

Not just Harumi and Yuu, but also Mako and Yuka, and Souta and Shii. And Koko too... though since she was my sister, it was a bit awkward to call her a friend, but we still played together and had fun.

Maybe it was because I had more friends now.

It felt like I'd gone back to those days.

Like the time I spent running away had ended, and I was finally reconnected with that interrupted childhood.

...But feelings are just feelings.

I might not be running anymore, but I couldn't say all my problems were over. There was still Kosuzu, and that godlike being watching over me. And the yokai issues too. Even so, I could see hope like this.

We had dinner at the low table in the living room. Dad seemed a bit awkward around my friends, but he didn't look displeased.

"Kagami-san, Kagami-san."

During the meal, Harumi called out to Kagami.

"How do you take care of your skin? You look exactly the same as when I saw you before."

"Huh? Oh, I don't really do anything special..."

"So you're just naturally like that? Amazing..."

That admiration seemed genuine.

I might not have inherited Kagami's height or figure, but I think I did inherit her looks quite a bit. Especially her pale, almost white skin.

Come to think of it, Yuu's skin was the same color too. In that way, I could feel that we shared the same blood.

...Kosuzu was like that too, but she wore heavy makeup on her face, so I'll just ignore that.

Rather than feeling proud of inheriting good looks, I had always been proud of Kagami's existence itself, so I didn't particularly express such emotions. I just felt a little proud inside.

Considering the atmosphere, one might say Dad was lucky to be Kagami's husband... but that would be somewhat rude to say to a friend's father, and Harumi, who had seen that I didn't have a "dad" in my childhood, probably couldn't bring herself to make such a joke.

Similarly, questions like how they met or when they got married didn't come up.

"I'm not sure if the food suits your taste."

"Yes, it's delicious. Just like back then."

"Just like back then?"

Perhaps thinking it would be awkward to not say anything throughout the meal, Dad joined the conversation.

"Yes, well... um,"

But Harumi realized that "back then" referred to my childhood and became a bit flustered. It was an expression rarely seen on her.

I nodded silently. Dad wasn't unaware of our past. In fact, among the people here, he was one of the few who even knew about the threatening existence called Kosuzu.

"Well, Kagami-san used to cook for us too. Right, Yuu-chan?"

"Oh, yes."

Yuu nodded at Harumi's words. She looked a bit shy.

Yuu seemed somewhat uncomfortable with Dad's presence. Perhaps because she once looked up to Kagami as a mother figure.

Knowing this, Kagami's expression darkened slightly as she looked at Yuu.

"I see."

Mako nodded too.

"That's right. I often ate meals with them too."

"Oh, you lived in the same neighborhood, right?"

"Yeah. I used to visit Kotone's house often—"

And so, the conversation continued without interruption.

As the dialogue flowed, the somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere between everyone gradually dissipated. Even Dad eventually had an expression like he was just watching cute kids.

Koko listened intently to the children's words with wide eyes, as if not wanting to miss a single word.

"..."

Only Yuka continued eating quietly without saying anything.

It didn't seem like she was uncomfortable or dissatisfied.

For some reason, I thought that the emotion Yuka was feeling might be similar to what I used to feel.

*

Although there was a room, it seemed difficult for all of us to sleep there, so we decided to take over the living room.

...To avoid any misunderstanding, let me add that this was actually Kagami's suggestion.

She offered to bring out futons for us to sleep together.

Since Dad and Kagami said they would give us space, from evening onward, this place was essentially our room. Especially in a Japanese-style house, when you close the entrance hallway door, the living room truly becomes a usable room.

While the kids were happily chatting—

"Meow."

I heard that sound and looked outside the living room door.

Kuro was there.

Seeing him so boldly sprawled out in our backyard, I was a bit dumbfounded.

When I got up and opened the door leading to the yard,

"Meow."

Kuro jumped in as if he had been waiting for this, boldly entering the living room.

"Kuro."

Yuu was the first to react.

Seeing Kuro climb onto my lap and stare at her, I smiled wryly and picked him up, placing him on Yuu's lap.

Kuro stared at me as if displeased with being handled like luggage, but eventually accepted his position. After all, as a visitor to this house, he should listen to the residents.

And then—

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it."

As I said that and opened the door leading to the hallway to go to the entrance, I heard footsteps coming down from upstairs.

Not waiting for those footsteps, I opened the front door.

"Senpai."

Shii was waiting for me with a bright smile.

Souta was behind her, but,

"Oh, I'm just going straight home. It was a bit dark for Shii to come alone."

Souta quickly said before I could say anything.

"Onii-san, really, our house is right nearby, there's no need to worry like that."

Shii puffed her cheeks.

"...You can come in if you want?"

I offered, but Souta shook his head, looking behind me.

When I turned around, Kagami was coming down the stairs. She was wearing a long dress. It was decent enough to step outside briefly without embarrassment, but somehow, with Kagami wearing it, it looked a bit like a "newlywed" outfit. And not in the general sense, but more like one from a specific genre that deliberately uses that attribute.

Plus, there were other girls inside. If Souta stayed overnight, his sleeping arrangements would be awkward in many ways.

Either sleeping among girls in pajamas, or going up to my and Koko's room.

...Neither of us used that room often, but still, from Souta's perspective, it was a girl's room. Whether he used the bed or slept on the floor, it would feel incredibly strange.

When I smiled slightly after thinking that far, Souta looked at me with an incredulous expression, raising his gaze slightly and dropping his shoulders.

"Oh, Shii-chan. Souta-kun."

At Kagami's words, Souta quickly composed himself.

"Hello."

"Yes, good evening."

Kagami said that lightly, as if joking.

"Did Souta-kun come to visit too?"

"Huh? Oh, no, no, I..."

If it had been the Kagami of the past, she might have been alarmed at Souta's arrival and tried to hide me behind her, but now she knew well that there was no possibility of anything happening between Souta and me.

Above all, Kagami had been looking after both of us for several years. There was no reason for her to be hostile toward Souta now.

"..."

Rather, the one looking at Souta and me with a strange gaze was Shii.

She looked back and forth between us as if measuring something, then nodded to herself as if she had determined there was nothing to worry about.

"Then, I'll head back tomorrow."

"Souta-kun, you're welcome to join us for meals too."

"Ah, yes, I'll think about it."

When I narrowed my eyes at Souta, who still seemed a bit flustered by Kagami's appearance, he gave me another incredulous look.

Souta bowed to Kagami and said:

"Well then, I'll be going now."

...

Wait a minute.

Could it be that Souta actually wanted to be alone at home?

Of course, he wouldn't bring a girlfriend over or anything, but well, guys sometimes want to be alone at home. For various reasons.

If that's the case, I can't help it.

I waved goodbye to Souta as he left.

Was it just my imagination that his steps seemed lighter as he walked away?