The whole house smelled like wet wood and soap.The trio was DEAD tired.
Harumi collapsed onto the tatami like she was returning to her natural habitat.
"I'm going to die…""You're not," Takeru said. "You'll just be unable to move for a few hours.""Thanks for the encouragement…"
Mei flopped down on Harumi's arm.
"Auntie Haru… you're strong.""No… I'm stuubborrnn…"
Harumi closed her eyes for just a second.
Just one second.
And then—
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Hn??" Harumi shot up like a terrified cat.
She opened the door…
And saw PEOPLE.
A LOT of people.
A small crowd of neighbors, all holding boxes.
At the front: Sakura. Smiling with infinite grandma-level tenderness.
"Harumi-chan!" Sakura beamed. "I heard you've been… working hard."
Harumi was sweaty, messy, wearing one sock, and smelling like disinfectant.
"Ah… hi…""We brought some things!" Sakura said, pulling forward the boxes."For the kids… and for you too!"
Inside were:
warm clothes,school supplies,toys,books,brand-new blankets,pots,pillows,and even a giant food basket.
Harumi's eyes went wide.And she started crying instantly.
"I—I—you—why—?"Sakura laughed and hugged her."Because you deserve it, dear.""I HAVE NO WAY TO REPAY—""Sure you do!" someone yelled. "Cook the whole town dinner!""SATURDAY!" Harumi shouted without thinking."HARUMI!" Takeru nearly collapsed. "The town has seven thousand people!!""THEN I BETTER START CHOPPING ONIONS NOW!!!"
But the kids were glowing.And in that chaotic warmth, Harumi realized:
She was exhausted.Her arms hurt.Her house was overflowing with stuff.She had just made an impossible promise.
And… she was happy. Ridiculously happy.
Three days.Three days with those kids.And her heart had already moved houses.
The sun had set by the time Harumi finished sorting the mountain of boxes left by the neighbors.The house was quiet — but the good kind of quiet, the kind right before something special happens.
Mei stared at the boxes like they were forbidden treasure.Takeru stood with crossed arms, pretending he didn't care… but his foot was bouncing on the tatami.
Harumi put her hands on her hips.
"Well… I was going to leave this for tomorrow, but…"Mei's eyes widened.Takeru raised an eyebrow."…do you want to open the presents now?"
Mei exploded."YESSSSS!!! LET'S GOOOO!!!"
Takeru didn't answer… but stepped closer.In Takeru-language, that meant please.
Harumi smiled.
"Then I officially declare open the season of Not-Christmas-But-Totally-Feels-Like-Christmas!"
She lifted the first box.
Mei vibrated.Takeru inhaled deeply like he was preparing for battle.
And when Harumi opened it—
POOF!
A burst of folded clothes, colorful paper, and a wooden toy dropped onto the tatami.
Mei grabbed the toy immediately.
"It's a horse!!""Looks like me after cleaning the kitchen," Harumi commented."You don't have to be that honest," Takeru muttered.
Harumi opened another box.
This time:Sweaters, socks, a brand-new coat… and a cute pink school backpack with a bow.
Mei hugged the backpack so hard it looked like her heart jumped straight into it.
"It's… it's really mine?""Yes!!!! Yours," Harumi said."For real?""For real real."
Mei buried her face into Harumi's chest.
"Thank you… thank you… thank you… Haru-chan!!!"
Takeru looked away, but the tip of his ear turned red.
The third box was for him.
Dark clothes, a nice hoodie, a pair of sneakers… and something that made him freeze:
An old portable game console.The kind you only find in houses where people take care of their things.
Takeru touched it carefully, almost reverently.
"I… I can…?""Of course you can," Harumi said gently. "It's for you! Why are you so excited? It's just a game—""IT'S NOT 'JUST A GAME', HARUMI."
Harumi heard it.And understood the weight behind it.She tucked that meaning into her heart like gold.
More boxes followed — building toys, old but perfect little cars, children's books, notebooks, colored pencils, and even a new teddy for Kuma-chan's company.
Mei laughed non-stop.Takeru tried to hide his excitement… and failed miserably.Harumi was completely absorbed.
And at some point…
She was playing too.
Mei put a party hat on her.Takeru handed her a controller.And the three spent hours playing, building toys, trying on ridiculous clothes, and making a happy mess.
Harumi tried to play seriously… but lost EVERY time.
"Takeru, this is unfair!""It's not my fault you don't know how to go right.""I am going right!""You're going up.""Do not contradict my emotions!!"
Mei was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.
Time flew like it had better things to do.
When Harumi finally checked the clock…It was past midnight.
"Alright! Bedtime!" she announced.
No one moved.Mei was sitting on a mountain of toys.Takeru was absorbed in the game's startup menu.Harumi had… two toy cars stuck in her hair.
She blinked.
"Guys??""We're already asleep," Takeru murmured without looking up."Takeru, that is NOT sleeping. That is ignoring the 'legal guardian present', aka ME.""You're not a legal guardian.""But I AM responsible!" Harumi argued.
Mei started tipping over, half asleep.
Harumi sighed, trying to herd the two toward the futon.
In the end, no one moved.
To be honest…
No one wanted to.
The three stayed there on the tatami, surrounded by open boxes, scattered toys, brand-new clothes still with tags, colorful paper scraps, and laughter stuck in the air.
Mei rested her head on Harumi's lap.Harumi gently pushed back a few red strands of her hair.
Takeru, still pretending to be independent, eventually leaned against Harumi's shoulder — slowly, like he didn't want to but desperately needed to.Finally acting his age.
Harumi yawned.
"I'll… take you to your room in a minu—"
She didn't.
She fell asleep first.
Mei slept curled against her.
Takeru stayed awake for a few minutes, watching the two.
He got up quietly, grabbed the thickest blanket in the house — the one Sakura had given them "so you three don't freeze together" — and tucked it around them gently.
Then he sat beside them, cozy in his new warm pajamas.
He whispered, almost too soft to hear:
"…Good night."
Harumi didn't hear — she was already snoring.And he fell asleep right there too.
The house, so big and empty just days ago, now felt full.
Full of toys.Full of mess.Full of warmth.Full of laughter.Full of love.
And full of something Harumi hadn't realized yet…
A family forming right before her eyes.