Karuizawa Kei

In the living room, two steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen sat on the square, natural-wood dining table. They were topped with egg, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and other garnishes, with a few slices of scallion sprinkled over the surface.

Kushida Kikyo sat across from Hoshida No.

She had changed into a rose-pink blouse for lounging at home, its sleeves loosely rolled up to her forearms. She wore a simple pleated skirt below.

Pinching her bamboo chopsticks between her fingers, she pressed her hands together before her chest and said softly, "Let's eat."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her wrist and picked up a small bundle of noodles with her chopsticks. She dipped them gently in the hot broth before slowly bringing them to her mouth. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly as she chewed.

Hoshida No watched in silence, then imitated her, pressing his hands together and murmuring, "Let's eat."

He had never really understood the meaning of the gesture, but he had a vague feeling it was a basic way of thanking whoever had prepared the food.

"Does the ramen suit your taste, Hoshida-kun?" Kushida Kikyo picked up a piece of bamboo shoot soaked in broth. Her eyes were full of anticipation, and a smile curved her lips. "I like adding bamboo shoots, but I don't know if they're to your liking."

Hoshida No tasted some and gave an honest answer. "Mm, it's good."

"That's a relief." Kushida Kikyo folded her hands against her cheek.

During the meal, Kushida tried to find some light topics to talk about, while Hoshida No mostly gave brief replies.

Whenever the conversation occasionally touched on personal matters, he always brushed them aside with a vague answer, careful not to seem too cold.

After the meal, Hoshida No said his goodbyes. When he left, he was still wearing the ill-fitting shirt and trousers.

Kushida walked him to the door and waved. "You can bring the clothes back next time you come. My dad has lots of clothes he doesn't use, so it's fine."

After crossing the narrow alley again, he returned to the bustling street. Passersby hurried along, and all kinds of shops lined the road in neat rows.

Hoshida No stood by the roadside, taking in this unfamiliar place.

For someone without a penny to his name, the most pressing concerns were food and a place to sleep.

He didn't hesitate for long before walking straight into a tidy-looking clothing store.

Behind the counter, a young saleswoman was absorbed in her phone.

"Hello," Hoshida No said, his voice steady. "Are you hiring?"

The saleswoman looked up at the sound of his voice. A flash of admiration crossed her face as she looked at him, but it was quickly replaced by a canned response. "Sorry, we don't hire minors. Try asking somewhere else."

"Okay. Sorry for the trouble." Hoshida No showed no sign of disappointment. He nodded, turned around, and left the store.

Behind him, the saleswoman watched him for another two seconds, then lowered her head and returned to the world on her phone screen.

All afternoon, Hoshida No's footsteps carried him through nearly every kind of shop in the commercial district.

The responses were much the same. Some gave him a polite but distant "Sorry, we're not hiring," while others impatiently waved him away. "Where'd this kid come from? Go on, get lost!"

The sun sank toward the horizon. Just as Hoshida No was about to give up and find a secluded corner to spend the night, as he had the night before, a voice called out to him.

"Hey, young man, wait a moment."

Hoshida No stopped and turned around.

The person who had called out to him was a middle-aged man in a plain shirt, with thin-framed glasses perched on his nose. He had a scholarly air about him.

The man was Kenichi Karuizawa. He had actually been watching Hoshida No for a while: first, as he emerged from a residential area in clothes that clearly didn't fit, then as he walked into one shop after another and calmly left after being rejected each time.

After Hoshida No left, Kenichi had even quietly asked a few shop owners about him, piecing together scraps of information about an orphan looking for work.

At first, he had only felt sorry for him. But watching the boy try again and again, and be rejected again and again, without showing any hint of discouragement or pleading, had stirred the compassion in Kenichi's heart.

On top of that, the boy had delicate features and a composure beyond his years. For some reason, he reminded Kenichi of his daughter, who lived far away in Chiba Prefecture.

"I've been watching you for a while," Kenichi said as he walked up to Hoshida No, his voice gentle. "You seem to be having a hard time. If you don't mind... why don't you stay at my house for a while? I live in Chiba Prefecture, and I happen to be heading back today."

Hoshida No looked quietly at the man. He could clearly sense the kindness in his gaze. After a few seconds of silence, he nodded.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Just call me Uncle Kenichi." The man smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

On the way to the station and during the train ride afterward, Uncle Kenichi tried hard to find things to talk about, hoping to make the atmosphere less heavy.

Hoshida No mostly listened in silence, occasionally giving a brief reply, but his quietness didn't make things awkward.

The ride went quickly, and they reached Chiba Prefecture in less than thirty minutes. By the time they got off, it was completely dark.

"You must be hungry. Let's grab something to eat first." Uncle Kenichi led Hoshida No with practiced ease to a small restaurant near the station that was still open.

By coincidence, they had ramen again.

While they waited for their food, Hoshida No unconsciously slipped a hand into his pocket. His fingers touched a piece of soft cloth.

He took it out. It was the pink handkerchief embroidered with sunflowers, still bearing faint traces of dust that hadn't quite washed out.

After a simple dinner, they changed trains a few more times. By the time the wheels finally came to a stop, night had long since spread across the sky.

Hoshida No followed Uncle Kenichi off the train and looked up.

The house before him glowed with warm light. It wasn't the noisy neon glare of the city, but a cozy, lived-in glow that stood out clearly in the deep night.

"We're here. This is the place." Uncle Kenichi strode ahead with steady steps, the hem of his plain shirt swaying gently in the cool evening breeze.

He glanced back at the boy following quietly behind him and spoke in a gentle, soothing tone. "Don't be nervous. Just make yourself at home."

Hoshida No nodded, his gaze settling on the brightly lit door ahead.

As soon as he stepped into the entryway, a gentle woman's voice drifted over. "Welcome home. You must be tired."

Before the words had even finished, a woman in comfortable clothes came out of the living room, a smile filling her eyes.

"Oh, is this the boy you told me about?" The woman hurried over and reached out naturally to ruffle Hoshida No's hair. "What a handsome young man! You must be exhausted after the trip."

Hoshida No looked the woman over. She seemed to be under forty, with a slightly plump but not heavy build and a warm, homely air. Her medium-length golden hair was loosely tied at the back of her head. Her skin was a healthy ivory, and she wore no obvious makeup.

"Hello, ma'am." He tilted his head slightly.

"Hello, hello!" The woman's smile widened. She took Hoshida No's hand with effortless familiarity. "Come in, come in. Don't stand in the doorway."

As she spoke, she led him inside, completely forgetting her husband was still taking off his shoes in the entryway.

Inside, warm yellow light spilled over the natural-wood floor. The woman held Hoshida No's hand as if he were her own child, coming home late after being out.

She raised her chin slightly and looked toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Her voice grew a little louder and brighter. "Kei, come out! Come meet our little guest!"

A brief silence followed.

Click.

At the end of the second-floor hallway, a door slowly opened a crack from the inside.

First, a small head poked out to look downstairs.

When her gaze met Hoshida No's calm eyes below, the small head shot back inside.

The door remained still for a few seconds before finally opening all the way.

A girl stepped out. She wore two golden braids that hung over her chest. Her bangs were thick, nearly covering her eyebrows and stopping just above her eyes.

She wore ordinary pajamas and a pair of yellow slippers.

Her hands were clasped awkwardly as she walked down the stairs one step at a time, her footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.

Hoshida No's first impression was that the girl was very shy and... seemed a little timid.

Only when she had made it safely to the woman's side did the girl lower her eyes slightly. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and she whispered, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's, "Mom."

Only after speaking did she dare to sneak a glance upward. Her gaze darted to Hoshida No, then quickly dropped again. A moment later, she mustered the courage to study him with her clear, almond-shaped eyes.

Her gaze swept over his slightly messy hair and then settled on his fair cheek. Her eyes brimmed with curiosity, yet she was visibly ill at ease. She didn't dare hold Hoshida No's gaze for long; each time their eyes met, she had to summon all her courage.

The woman seemed long accustomed to her daughter's behavior. Her daughter had once been cheerful and outgoing. She didn't know why she had become like this.

Hoshida No keenly sensed the subtle tension in the air and took the initiative to break the silence.

He slowly held out his hand, his fingers slightly curled. His voice was steady and emotionless. "Hello, I'm Hoshida No. It's nice to meet you."

Though he said he was pleased to meet her, his face showed no clear expression, and his gaze was as calm as a deep pool.

The girl's gaze fell on the hand he was offering her. His fingers were long and slender, and his hand was so clean that not a mark could be seen on it.

Her mind immediately filled with turmoil. Should I take his hand? But... I've never been this close to a boy I don't know before. Is this the boy who's going to stay at our house? He's really handsome. His eyes are kind of scary. Will she bully me?

She shook her head, pushing away her unnecessary thoughts, then carefully raised her hand and placed it in Hoshida No's palm.

She touched him lightly, then quickly pulled her hand back. "H-hello... I'm Karuizawa Kei."