Miura's house was nearby. It took her barely ten minutes to get home.
"I'm home..."
Today, Mom had actually gotten off work at a normal time and come home. By the time Yumiko arrived, Mom was already wearing an apron and preparing dinner in the kitchen.
"Welcome home, Yumiko." Mom turned around from the counter. "Why do you look so listless today?"
Yumiko lightly patted her cheeks with both hands, refusing to admit it. "I don't!"
She tried to go over to the counter and help Mom wash the vegetables, but Mom sent her away.
"Shoo, shoo. Just sit over there and don't get in my way."
Miura casually turned on the TV. A celebrity gossip segment was airing about a female star rumored to be involved with another woman. As Mom washed the vegetables, she remarked offhandedly, "Young people these days are such a mess..."
Silence fell behind her.
Mrs. Miura turned around in confusion and saw that her daughter had gone upstairs at some point.
Only a lonely emptiness remained.
School in Japan let out fairly early, but there were plenty of club activities after classes. Students could only go home once those were over.
Of course, sometimes a club had no activities, and then students could head home early.
Take the Music Club, which Miura, Kamizawa, Ono, and the others belonged to. The club's main members were preparing music for the opening ceremony of next week's Sports Meet, so they had been training for over a week.
That was why the club president had given everyone the day off today, letting the Music Club members go home early and enjoy themselves.
Then there were the Going Home Club members.
Oh, they were also called Homecoming Club members.
These students didn't belong to any clubs, so they could