"Ding-a-ling~"
The Girl with long black hair just pushed open the glass door of the bookstore and walked out, bringing with her the faint scent of ink from inside the store.
She lightly stepped up to Suzuki and tilted her head slightly to ask, "Suzuki, got the book! Should we go to Futaba Street now?"
Her hair lightly swayed with the movement.
"No." Suzuki refused cleanly and simply, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.
Her reason was clear and direct: "The book is in hand, reading is urgent, that is the top priority."
"As for shopping on Futaba Street," she said in a calm but firm tone, "any other time is fine."
"…"
The Girl with long black hair hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement with her statement.
The purpose of taking leave today was originally for Miyamura's new book.
However, with an entire book like this, she felt that even if they didn't eat or drink all day today, it would be difficult to finish reading it.
...…
"I'm home!"
"Welcome home…"
Shouko, as soon as she took off her shoes in the entrance, pattered into the living room and sat down tightly next to someone on the sofa, curiously asking:
"Tsuna, did Jun call you to the publishing house this morning for something?"
"An anime company wants the anime adaptation rights for Anohana, and Jun said there's an author dinner in mid-next month."
"So, did you agree?" Shouko blinked her curious big eyes.
"No," Tsuna shook his head, "The anime adaptation rights are still being discussed. I want to see what anime this company has produced and their quality first."
Although these stories were not original, just a replication of his memories.
But even when brought to the screen, he still had a strong desire to restore the essence and style of the anime from his previous life as much as possible.
So it wasn't a matter of money being in place or not.
"I… I wasn't asking about that," Shouko looked at his serious answer and paused, "I was asking about Jun's dinner party."
"I agreed," Tsuna nodded, "It's nothing, just going to eat a meal."
"Then… can I come along?"
"I'm just going for a meal. You go shopping with the class monitor and them. You probably won't even be back by the time I am."
The subtext was already a refusal, but saying it too directly might hurt Shouko's feelings.
"Oh… alright then…"
Not dwelling too much on this topic, Shouko changed the subject:
"So, how's the new book doing today?"
"Hey, hey, hey…"
Tsuna was amused by her question, lightly flicked her forehead with his finger, and then pressed down on her restless little head:
"Today's only the first day, how could we know the situation so quickly? Anyway, I haven't seen any bad reviews yet, but I have seen a few complaints about the price being expensive."
Shouko nodded, and finally, like a slippery fish, she broke free from his hand's grasp.
The two snuggled and playfully chatted softly for a moment, a warm feeling quietly spreading.
Until the sound of a key turning at the entrance, followed by the sound of Shizuka entering with full shopping bags.
At Tsuna's reminder, Shouko, like a startled small animal, instantly separated in the blink of an eye.
"Mom, you're home!"
Shouko stuck out her little tongue at him, her face still faintly flushed, and skipped towards the entrance.
...
Dinner time.
The sky had already lost its color, the moon was hidden by clouds, leaving only boundless blackness.
"I'm eating." x3
"How's the new book doing today?"
Shizuka had just picked up an enticing piece of fried chicken, but before she could put it in her mouth, she couldn't help but turn her head and look at Tsuna curiously.
"…"
Tsuna, who had just swallowed the food in his mouth, told her the same thing he had told Shouko in the afternoon.
"Shizuka, call Yaeko over later, I have something to discuss with you all."
Daisuke, who had been quietly eating, suddenly spoke, immediately attracting the puzzled gazes of Tsuna and Shizuka.
"What? Are you cheating?"
"…"
"Pfft… Cough, cough, cough…!"
Tsuna was choked by his Mom's surprising words.
"Do you think that's possible?"
"I wouldn't dare."
This joke passed, and none of the three took it to heart, but Daisuke was momentarily speechless, amused by his wife's playful remark.
He could only helplessly pinch his brow, his expression immediately returning to a calm pool of water.
He put down his bowl and chopsticks, looking calmly at his wife and Tsuna:
"In a few months, a top expert in the field of auditory research from the UK will be coming to Tokyo for a short academic exchange."
He paused: "I want to take this opportunity to have the expert examine Shouko."
…
...
...…
As his words fell, the atmosphere in the restaurant noticeably quieted for a moment, as if even breathing became extra careful.
Dinner ended almost in a blur.
The bombshell dropped by Daisuke stirred up a thousand waves in the hearts of Tsuna and Shizuka, making them somewhat distracted throughout the entire meal.
————
"What's wrong, Shizuka?"
Yaeko, changing her shoes in the entrance, was already eager to ask: "What is it? You're being so mysterious."
A little tail followed behind her.
It wasn't until the two walked into the living room that they saw Tsuna's family of three also there, which made Yaeko even more puzzled.
At this time, Tsuna was usually in his second-floor bedroom, and Daisuke should be in his study…
She looked at Daisuke's appearance, and even began to think about recent events, wondering if something had gone wrong, or if it was work-related…
After they sat down, Shizuka slowly began to speak, repeating Daisuke's words from earlier.
"…Really?!" Yaeko's pupils suddenly constricted, as if struck by an invisible, immense impact.
In the instant she gasped, her right hand instinctively rose to her lips, her fingertips trembling slightly as she covered her half-open mouth.
Forcing back the even louder gasp that was about to escape.
"Yes." Daisuke nodded, his serious expression explaining everything, "This time, it should be able to cure Shouko."
Yaeko was stunned by the words. Over the past few years, she had taken Shouko to many hospitals, but they all shook their heads.
"Tsuna…" Her voice trembled, with an almost imperceptible nasal tone, and a thin flush quickly spread at the corners of her eyes:
"Please… take Shouko away for a little while, okay?"
"I don't want to!!"
Her plea hadn't even had time to dissipate in the air before Shouko spoke up, refusing.
The girl's entire body suddenly stiffened, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning pale from the excessive force.
She stubbornly lifted her small face, but seeing Yaeko's reddened eyes, she paused for a moment, and her head slowly drooped down.
One could even feel that her tightly clenched small fists had also quietly loosened a crack where no one could perceive.