Harumi arrived home completely out of breath, slightly unbalanced, and emotionally destroyed.
She burst through the door like someone invading an enemy castle.
— I'M HOOOOOME, CHILDREN OF MY LIFE, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH... HEEELP!!!
Takeru was in the kitchen, finishing putting away the dinner dishes.Mei came running and jumped into Harumi's arms, as always.
— HARUMI! Harumi! Look, Takeru made the chicken again!— AAAH I LOVE YOU BOTH! But… oh my god, my day was a circus on fire… — Harumi immediately started messing up her own hair.
— My boss yelled, the printer hated me, the train almost closed in my face, Izumi sent me fifteen messages asking if I was still alive…
Takeru watched everything in silence.
Harumi dropped her bag on the floor and kept going, fully in "talking-to-myself mode":
— I still have to do laundry, prepare snacks, separate Mei's clothes for tomorrow, check if Takeru did his homework— wait, he doesn't have homework — and I still need to buy soap because we ran out, cook for tomorrow, prepare lunch boxes, OH MY GOD I NEED TO GO TO BED EARLY—
She stopped, completely out of breath.
Mei found it hilarious.
— Harumi, your face looks crooked!
— It always does. — Takeru muttered.
Harumi finally took a deep breath.
— But it's fine! — she fixed her hair. — I can handle it! I just need to do… everything… by midnight… and then I'll pass out.
She started listing tasks out loud like it was totally normal:
— Tomorrow I wake up, make breakfast, get Mei ready, leave food for you, Takeru, buy more rice, oh and soap, and laundry, and—
Takeru tightened his grip on the dish towel.
Each sentence hit him like a hammer.
"She's tired. Really tired. And it's because of me."
Harumi noticed nothing.She was in her natural state: surviving until the next morning.
But Takeru was thinking:
"Harumi can take care of Mei alone. Just her. Mei likes Harumi. I… I'm extra work. I get in the way. If I leave, everything becomes easier."
That was the moment he made his quiet decision.
But all Harumi saw was the boy's expression darken slightly — and she assumed it was sleepiness.
Bedtime (Or… Supposedly)
Mei fell asleep on the futon before her head even touched the pillow.
Exhausted, Harumi went to check on Takeru.
— Takeru? Are you alrea—
She opened the door.
He was sitting on the tatami.Playing a simple handheld game.No lights on.No sound.Just the small screen glowing against his serious face.
— Takeru?— I'm not going to sleep yet. — he said without looking up. — It's still early.— Takeru… it's ten at night.— You can go sleep. You work early. I'll go later. Don't worry, I'll wake up early and prepare everything.
Harumi frowned.
Because he wasn't irritated.Or impatient.
He was…too quiet.too closed off.too alone.
So she made the most professional decision possible.
— I'm going to play with you.
Takeru blinked, confused.
— …Why?— Because I want to! — Harumi dropped onto the floor, grabbing the second controller she had broken and glued back together herself. — And because you look like someone thinking bad thoughts.— I'm not.— YOU ARE! I know that face! It's the same face I make when I remember getting rejected in the school cafeteria.
Takeru looked away, embarrassed.
Harumi pressed Start.
— Let's go. If I lose, you go to sleep.— That makes no sense.— SHUT UP AND LOSE ALREADY.
And they started playing.
First, Takeru won.Then, Harumi won by accident.Then, Harumi won because Takeru let her.Then, Harumi died trying to jump over a two-centimeter gap.
And they laughed.They really laughed.
That tiny, rare Takeru laugh — a miracle — appeared.
Harumi looked at him, emotional.
— Takeru… tomorrow… wanna play again?— Maybe. — he said, but the corner of his mouth was trembling upward.
They stayed there for another hour.Or two.Or… three.
When Harumi checked the time:
— AAAAAAAAAAH I'M LATE FOR SLEEP!!— You forgot you sleep early.— I ALWAYS FORGET, TAKERU!! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!— You stayed here.— BUT YOU'RE MY VIDEO GAME BOY AND I HAD TO SUPPORT YOU!!— I'm not your boy.— OUCH, THAT HURTS!!
They ran to the bedroom, almost like a race.
Harumi turned off the lights.
And fell asleep smiling.
Takeru did too.
But before closing his eyes, he thought:
"…Maybe… I don't need to leave yet."