"It's dinner time. Mom, stop teasing them already," Shizuka Miyamura chuckled as she walked to the entrance of the living room to call everyone over.
Akira shot her a glare, noticing the teasing glint in her eye—clearly, she'd overheard Grandma Yū's loud and outrageous comment earlier.
"Alright, alright," Miyamura Yū replied with a smile as she sat back on the sofa.
She knew teasing kids should be done in moderation—one or two lines a day were more than enough. She gently reached out and held Shouko's hand, her voice kind and gentle.
"Shouko-chan, would you like to stay and have dinner with Grandma?"
"Ah!?" Shouko blinked in shock. Her face quickly flushed red, and she stammered out, "F-five?! Five is too many, Grandma!"
Akira instantly understood what she'd misunderstood and quickly stepped in. "Shouko, she's just asking if you want to stay for dinner."
"O-oh!" Shouko's face turned even redder as she broke free from Yū's hand and fled the living room, mumbling, "I—I'll go home first… My mom probably already made dinner."
Akira followed after her and caught up at the front entrance, where she was hurriedly putting on her shoes.
"Don't take it too seriously," he said gently. "Grandma was just teasing."
Shouko gave a small nod to show she understood.
"Also… don't run too fast. You'll trip," he added with a worried glance.
"Mhm… I'll come see you again later," she whispered with a blush, turning back before slipping out the door.
Shizuka, standing at the edge of the living room, tilted her head. "Wait… Did I miss something? What did she mean by 'five is too many'?"
Akira calmly closed the door and replied with a completely straight face, "Grandma said she wanted to send Shouko five watermelons, but she said that was too much—she can't eat them all."
Shizuka stared at him, clearly skeptical. She glanced toward Yū, who didn't even bat an eye, then back at Akira with narrowed eyes.
"…Really?"
"Yep," Akira nodded firmly, unfazed. Not a single crack in his poker face.
"Ugh…"
In the classroom, Shouko glanced over in concern. "You okay, Akira? You've been sighing a lot lately."
Akira stared down at the colored paper in front of him, then tossed it onto the table in frustration. "I'm fine. Just… feels like time's moving so slow."
"Really? I think it's flying by. In two more years, we'll graduate," Shouko said softly, picking up the paper he'd thrown and folding it neatly, a small smile on her face.
Akira sighed again, this time even softer.
They were now in the second half of their third-grade year—three years since the day he picked Grandma up from the hospital.
He still remembered it clearly. After living with them for only three days, his grandma had started complaining. The unfamiliar environment bored her, and the only highlights of her day were when he or Shouko came home from school to talk with her.
Eventually, after realizing she was in perfect health and deeply unhappy, his parents decided to drive her back home. Before that, his father had even installed three or four security cameras around her house, so Shizuka could check on her through her phone.
At first, Grandma was dead set against the cameras, but Daiki somehow talked her into it.
The day after she returned home, Shizuka told Akira that Grandma looked like a completely different person on the footage. Her energy was back, she was all smiles, chatting and laughing with her neighbors, playing mahjong, gossiping like usual.
She hadn't come back since.
In the three years that followed, a lot had changed.
When they were in second grade, Yaeko Nishimiya was promoted from a regular staff member to department head in Daiki Miyamura's office. It wasn't through connections—she earned it through sheer skill and effort.
The promotion made her even busier. Sometimes she brought work home, typing late into the night. She also quit her two part-time jobs, and her single day off per month turned into four normal weekends.
Now in charge of a small team or two, she'd become more decisive, more assertive. Her relationship with her kids grew a little distant because of work.
Yuzuru, still too young to fully understand, had initially resented Daiki. Why was her mom so busy while Akira's dad seemed so relaxed? After all, they worked at the same company.
But over time, with Akira, Shizuka, and Shouko's support, Yuzuru came to understand her mom's situation. She adjusted. She grew.
The Miyamura family, on the other hand, stayed much the same—except maybe wealthier. Daiki upgraded his fishing gear every year, and Shizuka never bought handbags. She was perfectly happy recording Akira and Shouko's interactions on her phone like a personal camerawoman.
As for Akira, he had already mastered most of the elementary and middle school curriculum. Now, he was preparing for high school studies.
He never once tried to help make money for the household—his father had strictly forbidden it.
Even Hachiko, their loyal dog, was starting to slow down with age. Yuzuru no longer rode on him like she used to.
Suimon Elementary School hadn't changed much. No new buildings. Same group of classmates.
When they moved up to second grade, they had a different homeroom teacher—until he was suddenly replaced by Mr. Minagawa again. The reason was never explained.
At first, many classmates thought Shouko was weird. But after three years, they'd grown used to her. She was just a normal girl now.
Still, if anyone dared bully her, they'd have to go through him first. Words wouldn't work. Fists wouldn't help either. And if things escalated to involving parents, it always ended with the bullies' families covering the medical fees. The school never expelled him. The principal and Mr. Minagawa just smiled and said nothing.
"Akira, are you okay?" Shouko gently shook his shoulder. "You've been spacing out for a while."
Akira snapped out of it and shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Just… thinking about old times."
"Can you tell me about them?" Shouko asked curiously, placing her half-folded origami crane back on the desk.
"…Nope."
"Geez, stingy." She wrinkled her nose at him, puffing her cheeks and glaring.
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POWER STONE!!!
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