Sota: Brother-in-law Chiyo; Chiyo, fitting in without the slightest awkwardness. Morning light passed through the beige curtains, casting a soft warmth over the tatami.
Kagome lay under the covers in her room, staring blankly for a long while at the familiar round ceiling light above her.
This was her room.
The homework she had left unfinished before she disappeared was still spread out on the desk, the pen cap still off, though the ballpoint pen's tip had long since dried out.
The poster on the wall was still there, along with the little tear in the corner she had accidentally made.
The wardrobe door was half-open, revealing the neatly folded school uniform inside.
Nothing had changed.
It was as if she had never disappeared.
As if that journey from the Warring States Period to the modern age, crossing who knew how many years...
Had only been a dream so long it felt unreal.
But the voice drifting in from outside the window told her it had not been a dream.
"Brother-in-law Chiyo, my sister won't get up until really late! You don't have to wait for her!"
Sota's voice came from the yard.
Kagome rolled over, a hint of shyness appearing on her face.
"What is Sota shouting about?!"
Then she buried her face in the pillow.
"Kagome! Time to get up! Breakfast is ready!"
Her mother's voice came from downstairs, as gentle as ever.
"Coming!"
Kagome crawled out from under the covers, rubbed her messy hair, and went downstairs in her pajamas.
In the kitchen, her mother was ladling miso soup into bowls, while Sota was already seated at the dining table, chopsticks in hand, staring eagerly at the grilled fish on the table.
"Sis, you're so slow!"
"Mind your own business."
Kagome sat down across from Sota, picked