Volume 1 - CH 72

“Good morning! It’s already morning!”

With a loud voice, the owner of the voice rides on my stomach.

I am already the only one in bed. I must have overslept.

“Mom, you’re heavy. I’m awake, please get out of my way.

“What do you mean I’m heavy? I’m still quite slim, you know! You slept for a long time. By the way, I heard your alarm on your phone, but I stopped it by accident. Maybe because it was a little late last night?”

Apparently, my hand had stopped the alarm on my phone on its own and I had fallen asleep twice.

I looked at my phone and saw that the snooze had been carefully turned off as well. But I have no memory of it.

“I’m sorry. I overslept.”

“That’s okay. I made breakfast with Anri-chan this morning. Go wash your face.”

I got up from the bed, wriggling, and tried to go to the washroom via the kitchen.

The kitchen was filled with the delicious smell of breakfast, which whetted my appetite.

Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?”

Himekawa is quite energetic in the morning. Did Himekawa sleep well last night?

I myself feel like I didn’t sleep well.

“Yes, I think I slept reasonably well. I’m still a little sleepy.

Himekawa did not show any change in her expression.

I’m sure that was my mother yesterday.

If it had been Himekawa, she would have looked different from usual.

“Let’s have breakfast early. I made it with my mother-in-law today.”

Himekawa talks to me with a smile.

It seems that she made it with my mother, who taught her a lot of things.

“It’s quite a fancy breakfast. I’m going to go wash my face.

I wash my face in the bathroom and look at myself.

Yes, as usual. I couldn’t sleep well last night because of my mom, but it was meaningful in a way because I could hear a lot of things about my dad.

Breakfast was delicious, and as I was just eating it with relish, the two people in front of me were smiling and looking at me.

Today, my favorite foods, such as bacon and egg rolls, are laid out on the table.

I guess I like these sweet omelets a lot.

The peaceful breakfast is coming to an end, and Mom and Himekawa, with their arms, rolled up, are on their way to the hidden room.

They are going to get the album I mentioned. I have my own album with me, but I guess I left my old album here.

I have a few old photos in my album, but most of them seem to be sealed in here.

“Oh, that’s strange… I thought for sure I put them in here yesterday.

My mother, who cleaned the house yesterday, is digging out an album.

Next to her, Himekawa is doing the same, opening the boxes, checking the contents, and putting them back in the boxes again.

“Well, we don’t have to search so hard, do we?”

I really don’t want to spend a lot of time in this slightly dusty room.

They were silently continuing their excavation work.

“Hey, why don’t you take a look at my photo albums? There are some old photos in there.”

“Hmmm, but most of your younger years are in the album here, and we kept a list of names together, you know.”

“Tsukasa-kun, you can go downstairs and study. I absolutely have to find them.”

You don’t have to be so desperate. It’s just a picture, right?

“Do you really want to see those old pictures that badly?”

‘For me, it’s essential. Because maybe—there it is!”

Himekawa let out an unusually loud voice.

It was as if she had won the first prize in the lottery.

She then put the several albums she had taken out of the box back into the box and lifted the whole box up.

Oh, that’s very powerful. I didn’t know Himekawa had that kind of power…

“Mother-in-law! I found it. Let’s go downstairs quickly.”

“Oh, I moved it down there. Sorry, I forgot.”

Himekawa carried the box in her arms and walked down the stairs, slightly unsteady.

I suggested that I hold it for her, but she dismissed the idea.

I’m not that powerless, okay?

The album and the list of names from the box in the living room.

Mom is looking at the list of names, and next to her, Himekawa is looking at old photos.

Next to Himekawa, I’m also looking at old photos, but I’m a little embarrassed.

“Oh, could this be Tsukasa-kun and Ayane-chan?”

I peek out from next to Himekawa and check the photo she is looking at.

Hmmm, maybe this is her? I have a feeling it’s not her, but she’s holding my hand, so it could be her.

I’m at a loss. I don’t remember anything at all.

“Mom, look at this one. Is this her?”

I looked at the picture she was looking at with the list in her hand.

“Oh yes, this girl. Oh no, I miss her so much. This was taken on the way back here from the park. See, they’re walking hand in hand, right?”

Indeed, the girl and I are walking hand in hand in a friendly manner.

I don’t have a taste for little girls, but I think the girl is quite cute. I think she has pretty eyes, and I think she’s going to be a beauty in the future.

After checking the picture, Mom started looking at the list of names again.

“She looks like… The eyes, the mole under this right eye, and…”

Himekawa is mumbling something. Who does this girl look like?

“There it is! Oh yes, I remember now. Ayane’s last name is Sugimoto. Yes, Ayane Sugimoto!”

Mom’s mouth gave me a shocking revelation that I had never expected.

I didn’t think it was the Sugimoto I knew.