"Well, I guess it's time to go home. I have to make dinner."
As she said this, the older sister lightly pinched the tip of Xin Yang's nose, who was still fast asleep.
"Xin Yang, I'm going home now. Are you ready to get up?"
"Hmmm... and agh."
"No way. If you don't wake up, I'll pick you up, is that okay? Won't Yo-kun see you acting like a child?"
"...I don't want that."
She's a real mother. She's good at handling Shinyo.
Reluctantly, Shinyo sat up, but she still looked very sleepy. Her eyes were only half open. She staggered out of bed and grabbed her sister's arm tightly.
Even though he was standing on his own two feet, he was still being pulled along by his big sister. It would be nice if he would just accept being held... but his stubbornness is cute too.
"Well, we're heading home now. Xin Yang, would you like to say goodbye to them?"
"Yeah... Bye-bye, Yo-chan."
"Xin Yang, let's play again. Bye."
"See you later Hi-chan."
"...Yes. Please come and play with me again."
Shinyo-chan waves with sleepy eyes, and the two of them wave back.
After seeing this, my sister gave a final smile and left the room.
After a while, I heard the sound of the front door opening, presumably my sister and Xin Yang leaving the house.
""""
It suddenly became quiet.
With these two lively and cheerful people gone, I feel a little lonely.
It seems Hime felt the same way as me.
"It feels a little lonely somehow."
Saying this, Hime gently took my hand. It was a slightly reserved gesture... but it was as if she couldn't help but hold it.
It's not like we'll never see each other again, but I can somehow understand how Hime feels... Now that I think about it, when I was little, I used to feel really lonely when saying goodbye to my friends.
"But he said he'd see me later."
This is not a one-time connection.
I think Shinyo-chan and Hime will probably continue to see each other regularly. They often come over to my house after all... I just need to time it up.
"I'll call you next time Xin Yang comes to play."
I told him, grasping his small fingers.
I wanted to reassure her, that there was no need to feel lonely, and that we would meet again soon.
I'm sure Hime senses that feeling too.
Hime, who had a slightly gloomy expression, gave me a small smile.
"Yes, by all means, please."
This time it was powerful.
Hime holds my hand tightly. I'm glad that my loneliness seems to have eased.
Well then... it's about time.
I checked the time and it was already past 5:30pm. It seems they had taken a pretty long nap...or maybe I was the only one who took a long nap, and the other two continued playing for a while after I went to sleep?
That's probably the case, as there was quite a bit of tea and juice left that I had told him to drink if he got thirsty.
"...It's the first time I've become friends with a girl my age."
However, Hime doesn't seem to want to go home yet.
He continued speaking while holding my hand, as if to say that there was something more he wanted me to hear.
To be honest... I still haven't said enough.
Since Shinyo was there today, I didn't have much of a direct conversation with Hime.
So, just a little bit more.
I decided to continue chatting with Hime.