Let's Bathe Together Today!

Natsume Chikage suggested, "Ruri, do you like the bracelet you're wearing now?"

Natsume Ruri said happily, "I do! The kind of like where I plan to wear it for the rest of my life!"

A slight sweat broke out on Natsume Chikage's forehead. "Can you take it off and let your brother have a look? I was planning to buy you a new one later."

"Why waste money on that?" Ruri pouted, but the corners of her lips kept rising. She was clearly delighted.

She did not even refuse, taking it off and handing it to Natsume Chikage.

Chikage accepted it in secret delight, then looked up at the light in the tiny three-tatami room and muttered, "The lighting here's a little dim. The bathroom light is brighter, so I'll go take a few photos and save them. It'll make it easier to find this kind of bracelet in the future."

Natsume Ruri did not think much of it and merely smiled happily. "Mm-hmm."

At that, Natsume Chikage quickly went to the bathroom.

He unpacked the newly bought identical bracelet, then swapped it with his sister's.

After switching them, he planned to come up with an excuse to fool his sister into voluntarily giving him that special piece of equipment.

But while he was doing so, he suddenly heard his sister's delighted voice.

"Big brother, you already bought a new one?"

"Oh, you must have seen that fortune-telling show on TV a while ago. The one that said wearing two purple bracelets in April would bring lots of good luck or something."

"So you bought an extra one for me, right?"

The corner of Natsume Chikage's mouth twitched. He had never thought of that.

Just as he was about to explain—

Natsume Ruri walked over excitedly, holding both bracelets in her hands, her eyes brimming with delight.

"Big brother, you're so nice!"

"But why are they both the same style?"

Seeing how happy his sister was, Natsume Chikage could not help falling silent.

Ever since their father passed away, she had rarely been this happy.

So seeing her like this now, he truly could not bear to spoil her mood by saying anything else.

After taking a deep breath, he went along with it and smiled.

"But after buying it, I realized it seemed to be the same style as the one I bought before, so I asked to see yours to check."

"If it was, I could take it back and exchange it or something..."

"Now that I look at it, they really do seem to be the same style."

"Even though they're only five hundred yen each and not very expensive, it's not great to wear identical ones, right? How about I take one back and exchange it?"

Natsume Ruri shook her head with a smile.

"So that's how it is. But forget about exchanging it. As long as big brother bought it, I like it!"

As she spoke, she put both bracelets on her wrist and admired them fondly.

Natsume Chikage smiled helplessly.

His plan had failed, and he had even lost an extra bracelet in the process...

He had originally planned to pull a switcheroo, but now it seemed he would have to think of another way.

Still, being able to make his sister happy for once made this outcome fairly decent.

After a while.

Natsume Ruri yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Big brother, Ruri's sleepy..."

Natsume Chikage checked the time. It really was time for bed.

"Mm, go to sleep."

He got up, put away the small table that took up most of the room, and spread out the bedding again.

"Go to sleep. I'll turn off the lights."

"Mm."

Natsume Ruri lay down on the bedding, and her breathing soon became steady and even, as if she had already fallen asleep.

Natsume Chikage turned off the room's light and lay down as well.

He did not plan to sleep immediately. Instead, he was going to take out his phone and continue writing.

His little sister could sleep peacefully without worries.

But he, as her older brother, could not.

Since he now had a chance to change their impoverished circumstances through writing novels, he had to work twice as hard.

The ten-square-meter room was plunged into darkness.

Natsume Chikage prepared to work on his writing in the dark room.

The moment he took out his phone, he noticed that two people had sent him messages on LINE: Kondo Miyuki and Fujiwara Aoi.

He opened Kondo Miyuki's message first.

[Kondo Miyuki: Natsume-kun, are you asleep?]

[Natsume Chikage: Not yet. Did you need something, Aunt Kondo?]

The reply came quickly.

[Kondo Miyuki: Calling me by my surname sounds so distant. I wanted to mention it at dinner—just call me Aunt Miyuki from now on.]

[Natsume Chikage: Okay, Aunt Miyuki...]

[Natsume Chikage: That fast? Who is it?]

[Kondo Miyuki: Her name is Onishi Keiko, but she got married and joined the Yasui family, so she's now called Yasui Keiko.]

[Natsume Chikage: Yasui Keiko... Where should I go to find her?]

[Kondo Miyuki: You don't need to seek out Yasui Keiko directly. Her son, Yasui Ryoto, attends your Moonlight Academy. He's your upperclassman and seems to be in the shogi club at the moment. I've already explained the situation to his mother. If you really want to learn about the keepsake, you can ask him about it.]

[Natsume Chikage: Thank you so much. I'll definitely repay this favor someday.]

[Kondo Miyuki: Silly child, why talk about favors over something this small? If you really want to repay Auntie, just come visit my home more often.]

[Natsume Chikage: Mm-hm, I'll definitely come by when I get the chance...]

[Kondo Miyuki: It's getting late. You're still young, so remember to get to bed early. Drink more milk too—you might still grow taller, you know?]

[Natsume Chikage: Mm-hm, I will. Good night, Aunt Miyuki.]

[Kondo Miyuki: Good night.]

Natsume Chikage hadn't expected a lead on one of the shogi keepsakes to be right at his own school.

But he wasn't sure whether the two shogi keepsakes his predecessor's father had given away were truly special equipment.

If they were, that would be ideal. He could combine the three shogi-type special items and see what effect they produced.

If not, that was fine too.

Ruri would want them anyway.

But another problem arose: were those two keepsakes still around?

And whether their owners would be willing to return them was also unknown.

After all, they had been gifts given away years ago. It would be perfectly normal if they had been lost, or if their owners simply couldn't bear to give them back.

Natsume Chikage pondered for a moment and decided it was too early to worry about those things.

After going to school tomorrow, he would find a chance to ask this upperclassman, "Yasui Ryoto," about it.

Afterward.

Natsume Chikage opened Fujiwara Aoi's message and found that she had sent it at around 10:20.

[Fujiwara Aoi: Natsume-kun, are you home?]

[Natsume Chikage: I am.]

The reply came quickly.

[Fujiwara Aoi: (*￣︶￣) That's good. Oh, right, we're still on the five o'clock shift tomorrow. Are you planning to stay at school until it's about time to come over, or will you head back to Shibuya first?]

[Natsume Chikage: Our homeroom teacher said we have to join a club this week, so unless something special comes up tomorrow, I plan to check out the school clubs first and see whether any interest me. Then I'll go work at the café.]

[Fujiwara Aoi: I see... Then should we take the train back to Shibuya together when it's time to go to work?]

[Natsume Chikage: Sure.]

[Fujiwara Aoi: (〃'▽'〃) Mm-hm. It's getting late, so I won't keep you from resting, Natsume-kun. Good night.]

[Natsume Chikage: Good night.]