Friday Morning – A Park in the City
"Kawasaki Saki's little sister is so cute."
"I wish I could have a daughter like that."
"…Why don't I have a boyfriend?"
"Damn it, I really want to adopt a child."
Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed as she sat on a park bench, talking to Su Yu.
Su Yu took a sip of his drink, staring at her with a strange expression.
She might have just figured out the perfect solution to her own problem…
Should I remind her?
…But then again, it might not be that simple.
Her father would definitely not approve, but it was still worth considering.
The only problem was—
Where would she even get a child?
"Su Yu-kun, are you even listening to me?"
Hiratsuka nudged his shoulder, noticing his dazed expression.
"I heard you."
"Shizuka-sensei, these kinds of things can't be rushed."
"I think both boys and girls are the same—what really matters is how their parents raise them."
Su Yu replied casually.
"If I had a son who turned out like you, I'd probably punch him."
Hiratsuka muttered after thinking for a moment.
"…Sensei, your words sound a bit strange."
"You're making me misunderstand something."
Su Yu raised an eyebrow.
"…Misunderstand? What are you—?!"
Hiratsuka paused, then her face suddenly turned bright red.
"I was talking about personality, not looks!"
She clenched her fists, flustered.
"…Ahem. We should probably head back."
Su Yu quickly changed the subject and stood up.
"If you dare tell anyone what I just said, I'll knock you out."
Hiratsuka huffed, turning away to hide her blush.
Su Yu didn't respond, just started jogging back to Sakurasou.
Still—
Even though she was a bit older, Hiratsuka-sensei was honestly…
Kind of cute sometimes.
Ah—no wonder people called her Shizuka-awaii.
Mystery solved.
Breakfast at Sakurasou
By the time they got back, breakfast was already prepared.
Saki had also packed their bento boxes for lunch.
Keika helped set the table, while Su Yu went upstairs to wake Yui.
Everyone gathered in the courtyard to eat—
It almost felt like a normal family.
As Su Yu was eating, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
"…Kawasaki, shouldn't your sister be going to school today?"
"I'll take her."
Saki replied softly.
"I'll drive her instead."
"I don't have any classes this morning, and after that, we can go visit the hospital together."
Hiratsuka offered.
"…Thank you, Sensei."
Saki glanced at her younger sister and nodded gratefully.
"I have plenty of free time."
"On weekends, besides cleaning Sakurasou, you'll also be getting tutoring from me."
"If your grades improve, that would be the best way to repay me."
Hiratsuka said seriously.
"I'll do my best."
Saki's voice was calm, but inside, she felt warm.
Keika walked over to Hiratsuka.
"Sensei… thank you for taking care of us."
Hiratsuka froze for a moment, then smiled gently.
"…No need to thank me. Now hurry up and eat."
Seeing Keika's innocent gratitude, Hiratsuka's expression softened even more.
Su Yu silently watched.
This just made him even more certain that his idea might actually work.
At the very least—
Hiratsuka wouldn't be against the idea.
Now, all he needed was a suitable candidate…
Hiratsuka's Morning Routine
After breakfast, Su Yu and Yui left for Sobu High.
Hiratsuka took Saki and Keika to drop Keika off at kindergarten.
When they arrived, Keika's teacher immediately greeted them.
She was warm and caring, genuinely concerned about the Kawasaki family's situation.
After learning that Saki's mother was hospitalized, the teacher promised to look after Keika so she wouldn't have to worry.
Saki already had a good impression of the teacher, but after this conversation, she felt even more at ease.
After a brief chat, they left for the hospital.
Kawasaki Rieko
By the time they arrived, Saki's mother was awake.
Her name was Kawasaki Rieko—a completely ordinary housewife.
Seeing her mother awake, Saki finally felt relieved.
However, Rieko's eyes widened when she saw Hiratsuka.
"Mom…"
"Our old house is gone. Dad sold it."
"We've moved into a new apartment, and I brought all of our belongings with me."
"Please don't worry about money—just focus on getting better."
"I'll take care of everything."
Saki sat by her mother's bedside, speaking softly.
"Saki… where did you get the money?"
Rieko looked worried.
She knew that her husband had taken all their savings when he left.
"I…"
Saki hesitated.
"Kawasaki-san, you don't have to worry."
"The person who loaned the money is one of my students."
"I live in the same apartment complex, and as long as Saki helps with cleaning and cooking, she'll be able to repay the debt."
Hiratsuka explained with a smile.
"…Really?"
Rieko still seemed unconvinced.
"I promise as a teacher—I'm telling you the truth."
"Once you're discharged, you'll be able to see the apartment for yourself."
Hiratsuka said seriously.
Rieko turned to Saki, looking for confirmation.
Saki nodded slightly.
"…Then I'm relieved."
Rieko smiled—but only for a moment.
Then she remembered everything that had happened.
Her smile quickly faded, and her gaze darkened.
Sensing the mood shift, Hiratsuka excused herself.
Saki was left alone with her mother.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Too much had happened in the past two days.
Finally—
"…Saki, I'm sorry."
After a long silence, Rieko looked up.
She could only imagine how much trouble Saki had gone through because of her illness.
"Mom, it's okay."
"Things will get better."
"I have a stable job, and our landlord is… a friend."
Saki paused slightly on the last word.
"…Saki, when I'm better, I want to thank your landlord in person."
"I was always worried about your part-time jobs…"
"But now, I feel a little more at ease."
"When I recover, we'll start a new life together."
"I'll find work, too."
Rieko held her daughter's hand.
"Mom… don't think about that right now."
"The only thing you need to do is get better."
"I'll handle everything else."
Saki shook her head.
"…Saki, you've worked so hard."
Rieko's voice was filled with guilt.
Saki smiled.
She didn't want her family to worry—
Neither before, nor in the future.
She believed that, with her hard work, she could support them.
…But if things ever became too difficult—
An image of a certain someone flashed through her mind.
Sobu High – Lunch Break
Su Yu received a message from Hiratsuka.
Saki's mother had woken up and had accepted reality.
As for Saki's father—
There wasn't much they could do.
Even if they found him, it wouldn't change anything.
Instead, it was better to pretend he didn't exist.
Maybe one day, he would come back.
Until then—
At the very least, the divorce would protect them from future trouble.
Rieko agreed, and Hiratsuka had already sent word through her connections.
With that—
The matter was finally settled.