The day passed by slowly.
When Akira and Shouko returned home, Daiki Miyamura had already come back and was sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV.
Akira flopped down onto the tatami with a sigh. It was strange—his dad usually wouldn't come home unless Akira's mom called and nagged him to come back for dinner.
"Dad, why are you home so early today?" Akira asked curiously.
"I caught a few big fish today, so I figured I'd call it a day early," Daiki replied proudly.
Shouko, who had been fanning Akira with a small electric fan, paused and clapped excitedly for Daiki. "Wow! Uncle's amazing!"
Her praise made Daiki puff out his chest even more, his nose metaphorically reaching the ceiling.
Akira, still lying on the floor, could tell from his father's tone that he must've caught at least something. But… there was one thing that didn't make sense.
"Huh? Then shouldn't you be out parading the fish around right now?"
Before Daiki could answer, Shizuka Miyamura's exasperated voice echoed from just outside the room.
"I went to the market this afternoon and saw him circling around with two fish. When I came out after buying vegetables, he was still there showing off. So I dragged him back."
She added, "I really don't get why he has to act like he just caught a sea monster every time."
Daiki shot his wife an offended look, but Shizuka walked over, snatched the small fan from Shouko, and gave Akira's back a firm pat with it.
"Wife, you don't understand—" Daiki tried to defend himself.
"Your catch this time wasn't even as big as the last one. What are you showing off for?" Shizuka cut him off coldly.
That completely shut Daiki down.
Akira rolled over, giving his mom a silent thumbs-up in his heart. As expected, Mom always had the final word.
After Daiki was effectively silenced, Shizuka turned to Shouko with a gentle smile. "Shouko, would you like to stay for dinner?"
Shouko shook her head politely and stood up. "Thank you, Auntie, but I'll come play again later."
Akira stood up with her, walking her to the door.
"Akira, let's fold some origami stars together later," Shouko said sweetly as she changed into her shoes at the entrance.
"Got it," Akira replied. He'd almost forgotten about that assignment their arts and crafts teacher gave them for the weekend.
After seeing Shouko off, he returned to the living room. Shizuka gently patted his head.
"Come eat."
"Knock, knock, knock…"
Shouko arrived home and knocked on the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" came a kind voice from inside, but Shouko kept knocking with mild impatience.
When the door opened, she was surprised to see her grandmother, Nishimiya Kei, instead of her mother.
"Grandma? You're here? Where's Mom?" she asked curiously.
Kei stepped aside and gently guided Shouko in. "She got a call this afternoon—someone asked her to cover a shift. She left in a hurry."
"Oh…" Shouko's voice fell a bit. She'd hoped her mother would be home today since it was supposed to be her day off. But this had happened before—her mom often worked part-time at a local izakaya.
"Come, let's eat. Shizuka-san brought over two big fish today." Kei gently rubbed Shouko's head.
"Okay!" Shouko perked up immediately. She planned to eat quickly and then go back to Akira's house. Smiling, she followed her grandmother inside.
Inside the living room, her younger sister Yuzuru was lying on Hachiko, watching TV. She turned and lit up at the sight of her.
"Sis, you're back!"
"Woof woof!" Hachiko barked excitedly and wagged his tail.
Shouko smiled and walked over, petting both her sister's head and the dog's.
"Wait, why is Hachiko still here?" she asked in surprise.
Yuzuru quickly hugged the dog's neck and pouted. "I didn't get to spend much time with him during the week. It's the weekend, so I asked Aunt Shizuka if he could stay over."
"As long as Aunt Shizuka, Mom, and Grandma are okay with it, I won't take him back," Shouko said with a chuckle, understanding what her sister meant.
Yuzuru loosened her hold on Hachiko with a satisfied look.
"Time for dinner!" Kei's voice called from the kitchen.
"I'm starting!"
"Woof!"
The three of them gathered around the dining table, with Hachiko laying beside them. Nishimiya Kei watched over them all with a soft, warm expression.
"Take care, now. Walk slowly," Yaeko Nishimiya called out politely as she saw off two slightly tipsy customers from the izakaya.
She let out a tired sigh and rubbed her lower back. She hadn't planned to work today, but the manager promised her that a half-shift would count as a full day of pay, so she agreed.
"Thanks for your help tonight, Nishimiya," said a rough, friendly voice from behind her.
"Just doing my job," Yaeko responded, recognizing the owner of the shop without needing to turn around.
The izakaya was a small family-run place. The owner manned the kitchen, his daughter worked the register, and Yaeko served as the main floor staff. Tonight, however, there was still a customer left inside.
"Shouldn't you go back in? There's still a guest who might want to order more," Yaeko asked.
"Ah, don't worry. That's just my daughter's boyfriend," the owner said with a laugh.
"Oh, I see."
Just then, the two drunk men they'd just seen off started heading toward their car.
"Hey! You two! Don't drink and drive!" the owner shouted as he rushed forward to stop them.
Yaeko had seen this kind of situation before. She knew better than to approach too aggressively—if the drunk guests became violent, she wouldn't stand a chance.
Still, she followed behind just in case things escalated and the owner needed help.
"What's it to you?" the bald man in the driver's seat growled, raising his fist at the owner in warning.
"Mind your own business!" the other passenger yelled with a slurred voice.
The owner threw up his hands, clearly fed up. "Fine, fine. Suit yourselves. Some people just can't be helped."
He stepped back and blocked Yaeko protectively, making sure she didn't get involved any further.
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POWER STONE!!
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