"Akira, are you lying to me?" Yuzuru squinted at him suspiciously. "I've never heard of that from anyone in class. None of my friends ever mentioned it either."
Akira smiled and quickly changed the subject. "Alright, alright, let's just focus on making the kites first. I'll tell you which channel it was… once I remember."
Still unconvinced, Yuzuru opened her mouth to argue again—but Akira swiftly cut her off. "I'll start by cutting the paper into rhombus shapes. You guys can draw whatever you want on them."
He expertly trimmed out four evenly sized rhombus-shaped sheets and handed them to each of them, then slid a box of colored pencils toward the group.
"You can draw anything you want," he added.
"Even on both sides?" Shouko asked curiously, tilting her head.
Akira nodded without looking up. "Yeah, both sides are fine."
As he picked up a small craft knife and started carving bamboo sticks to match the size of the paper, Miyamura Shizuka leaned in with concern.
"Akira, be careful with the knife," she warned.
"Don't worry, Mom," he said casually. "I'll be careful."
She sighed a little. Yesterday, when he mentioned needing a knife to carve the bamboo, she had been completely against it. It wasn't until he secretly carved a small sample and showed it to her that she reluctantly allowed it—after a mini-lecture and two light swats to the backside for being sneaky.
Yuzuru, watching his precise carving movements, couldn't help but raise a brow. "Akira… did you really learn this from TV?"
It looked way too practiced for something learned off a screen. She'd spent so much time with her sister, and not once had Shouko mentioned this hidden talent of his.
Even Shizuka, though surprised at first, quickly brushed it off. Her son had always been different from other kids—smart, observant, quick with his hands. She didn't find it all that strange.
She did worry about accidents, though.
As for the idea that he was too mature for his age, well… Shizuka would never go to such extremes as making him drink talisman water, beating him with willow branches, pouring dog blood or rooster blood on him, or dragging him to a shrine for exorcisms. Please. One must believe in science.
Still not satisfied, Yuzuru leaned over to Shouko and whispered, "Sis, did you know Akira was this good?"
Shouko didn't respond. She just slowly shook her head, her eyes never leaving Akira's hands. Ever since he started using the knife, she had been watching him with quiet anxiety. A little regret even surfaced in her heart—if she had known making the kite required such a dangerous step, maybe she wouldn't have asked for one in the first place.
Noticing the sudden silence, Akira looked up from his carving. "What's with the stares? Why aren't you drawing? I'm not that good-looking. It's gonna take me five or six more minutes to finish this."
Shizuka had already begun sketching casually, satisfied that he wasn't doing anything unsafe.
Shouko looked at him, then lowered her gaze. "Akira… I don't want the kite anymore, okay? You don't have to keep carving…"
She had barely spoken to him during the carving process, afraid a distraction might lead to an accident.
Akira smiled gently. "It's okay. You don't have to worry. I'll be careful."
He added softly, "Just focus on your drawing. If I finish carving and you're still not done, we won't be able to put it together."
Just a couple of days ago, she'd been so excited about having a handmade kite, and now she suddenly didn't want it. Of course he could tell she was worried.
"But—"
"No buts." He gave her a warm look. "Don't you trust me, Shouko?"
"…Okay." She bit her lip and nodded slightly.
"Hey, what about me?" Yuzuru piped up. "Akira, how come you're only cheering her on?"
"Huh? Oh right, right—Yuzuru, draw something too. Once you're done, we can finish the kite," Akira replied, chuckling.
"I'm not in a hurry." Yuzuru flipped her hair and gave a satisfied smile now that she'd been acknowledged. "I'll draw when I feel like it."
Akira: ...I want to hit her with a mallet.
—
About ten minutes later, Yuzuru finally announced, "Done!"
She set down her pencil and held her artwork up proudly.
"Let Auntie take a look," said Shizuka, leaning over.
One glance was enough for her to guess what it was, but she still pointed and asked with a smile, "And this little dog?"
"It's Hachiko, of course!" Yuzuru stood up proudly, hands on her hips.
Akira glanced at it—yep, totally had that "proud loli" vibe.
"Amazing! Yuzuru, you drew it so well!" Shizuka clapped.
Too bad they hadn't brought Hachiko with them—he would've loved seeing his own portrait.
Akira reached out. "Give me your sheet. I'll assemble it for you."
She handed over the paper, and he got to work—gluing the frame, tying the string, cutting and attaching ribbon tails. Within ten minutes, all three kites were completed.
"Okay, all done!" Akira smiled, handing them each their kite. "Go try them out."
Shouko's kite was covered with pictures of two happy families—and a small black-haired boy drawn at the top. Akira didn't ask who it was.
Shizuka's was simpler: just a boy and two girls.
"I'll clean up the bamboo shavings," Shizuka said, grabbing the tatami broom. "You three go ahead."
The kids quickly swapped to outdoor shoes, slipped out the front door, and made their way outside.
"Wait a sec, I'll go get Hachiko!" Yuzuru handed her kite to Shouko and dashed next door to retrieve her dog.
—
And so, three kids and one dog arrived at the same park where they'd flown kites before. Since it was the weekend, it was full of elderly folks and children enjoying the sunshine.
"Yuzuru, want me to teach you how to fly it?" Shouko asked sweetly as they approached a familiar long bench.
"No need, Sis! I still remember what we learned in kindergarten. Ms. Yoshinaga taught us—even though we didn't get to fly them. Still, I'm a genius, so it stuck in my clever brain!"
She laughed confidently and waved her hand dismissively.
"…Woof," Hachiko barked beside her, utterly unimpressed.
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POWER STONE!!!
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