CH 31

While our garden was not that wide, it had enough space to dry the laundry and plant some flowers and vegetables.

In the past, our mother had created the flower bed at the edge of our garden. Next to it, we grew vegetables. Eggplants and cucumbers were planted as well.

Since Kaede watered them everyday, none of them were withering. As for me, I didn’t even know exactly the kind of flowers were they.

Opening the window1 and changing to sandals for garden use, I went towards the wooden bench our father created while we were small. Sitting on it, I gazed at the flowers one by one, from the left side.

There were still plenty of water droplets on the leaves. I wonder if Kaede went to water them today as well, before waking me up.

“…I also use to grow them with mother, during childhood.”

That reminds me, I also used to water the flowers alongside mother. At that time, Kaede was still very young. I feel it was around the time I had entered the elementary school. Every morning, I used to check if they were budding.

While I was recalling such nostalgic memories, I could hear some sounds of rustling coming from the house next door.

“…Na～”

“…What, it’s you.”

The owner of that voice was Muku, the white cat being raised by the house next door.

It was a white variety of cat with short tail. Since it was lazier than other cats and had a peculiar cry, it was a popular cat from the time we were kids.

This cat would occasionally come to our garden to bask under the sun and then return back to its home.

But this time, instead of lying on the garden, it jumped on the bench and curled up its body next to me.

“You look as unmotivated as usual, huh.”

“…Na～”

“It’s not Na～”

While gently stroking the body of Muku, I finished my observation of the flowers. I decided to leisurely gaze at the sky for a short while, alongside the cat.

Since Muku had been coming to our house from the time it was a kitten, it had no form of vigilance towards Kaede or me. While enjoying the sensation, it closed its eyes.

Usually I would put it on my lap but since I had to go out after this and I would not like cat hairs sticking on my body, I stopped myself.

Surprisingly hair fall during this period and it would become pretty troublesome afterwards.

While Muku and I were relaxing, half running footsteps could be heard approaching from inside the house. It turned out to be Kaede, who came out in the garden while holding the laundry basket.

“Ah, Muku has also come.”

Changing to pink sandals, different from my blue ones, Kaede approached Muku relaxing next to me and brushed its head.

Opening its eyes to glance at Kaede for a second, Muku once again closed it to return back to sleep.

“It is so cute.”

While grinning at such reaction, Kaede quickly started airing the laundry from the basket.

Western clothes, school jerseys, towels, our nightwear; watching her figure airing them at their fixed places in succession, I admired my sister’s wife-like skills. Suddenly, Muku rose up next to me.

“What’s up? Is it time for you to go back already?”

“…Na～”

As if understanding my question, it cried in reply. Approaching Kaede who was airing the laundry, it nuzzled up its body for a short while and then returned back to its home.

“Are you going back already… Please come again next time.”

When Kaede said this in somewhat lonely voice, Muku replied with a “Na～” without turning back. …However you look at it, this cat is slightly different.

While I have heard that cats do as they like, doesn’t this cat move too freely…

After Muku went away, Kaede finished the laundry and returned back to her room to get ready. I returned inside the house and started waiting for Kaede to finish her preparations. While doing so, I could feel my phone vibrating a few times inside my pocket.

“Who is it?”

I took out the phone from my pocket and when confirmed the contents on its screen, it turned out to be a mail sent by the president.

“Assemble at the student council room on Monday, for a meeting at 8. We will be doing morning greetings2 and luggage inspection.”

To the short mail, I replied with an even shorter “Understood”. I don’t remember the luggage inspection happening last year. Is it being started from new, this year?

In the first place, luggage inspection is not the job of student council but the teachers… I wonder if student council are overworking and on the contrary, teachers are having too much leisure?

Let’s talk to the president if I go to school on Monday. “I think it is better to work the teachers more.” and etc.

“I am ready.”

While I was considering such thoughts, Kaede seemed to have finished her preparations and came inside the living room. I was relieved to see that Kaede’s face had not changed drastically from the before and after makeup.

Today Kaede had wore a black dress. Her usual childishness seemed to have disappeared.

“Well, should we go…”

“Yes!”

There were very few luggage and no forgotten items. After checking the lock of our house, we started going towards the shopping mall in next town.

1. The window doesn’t seem to be the smaller kind but instead a window door. 2. Basically the student council will stand at the front gate of school and greet every student that comes.