"Are your things packed?"
A soft inquiry came from outside the room.
Tokai Mochizuki, who was just six years old, simply looked at the things she needed to take with her before responding:
"Mm!"
As a child, Tokai Mochizuki had enough exemptions in many aspects.
At least she didn't have to pack her own clothes.
So, the things she needed to take weren't very many.
After going downstairs, she saw her mother, who was already prepared, and her great-grandmother, who was helping her mother carry a suitcase.
"Great-grandmother, aren't you coming back with us?"
This was the fifth time Mochizuki had asked this question in recent days.
"Mm, not returning to Japan for now. There are still some matters here that need to be dealt with."
Just like the previous five responses, Speed Symbol gave the same reply this time.
"Hmm…"
"Great-grandmother is just returning a little later~"
After patting Mochizuki's head, Speed Symbol straightened up:
"Besides, I'll be going with Mochizoku~"
"Really?"
A child's emotions are easy to soothe, even if Mochizuki was relatively smart and sensible.
Looking at Mochizuki, whose expression had returned to normal, Speed Symbol simply released her hand from Mochizuki's head, then looked up.
Thanks to her petite body, Shizen was now only a little taller than Mochizuki…
Looking at the two of them, Speed Symbol simply asked Shizen a new question:
"Do you need me to inform Sirius?"
"That, probably not needed~"
Her suggestion was rejected, but Speed Symbol didn't mind.
She just looked at Tokai Shizen:
"Be careful over there."
"Okay."
After giving this response, the three of them left the house.
They arrived at the airport.
This was Tokai Mochizuki's first time at an airport, and after passing through security, Speed Symbol turned and left.
From then on, there wasn't much she needed to do.
Sitting in the waiting room, Mochizuki looked at everything outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window, then turned to her mother:
"Mom, why are we going to Japan?"
"Hmm, how should I put it…"
Shizen, thinking about how to answer her daughter, found herself in a predicament.
She couldn't possibly say it was because Mochizuki had an older or younger sister, which was why they had to return to Japan…
That would be too…
Thinking of this, Tokai Shizen was silent for about ten seconds:
"To see your father?"
"Mom, didn't you say my father was dead?"
"Then, someone who might become your father?"
This conversation was met with a look of disdain from her daughter.
Clearly, she was very dissatisfied with her mother's obviously perfunctory words.
Her daughter's gaze made Tokai Shizen silent for a moment:
"Because I promised an Uma Musume that I would feed her."
"Is it someone who will become my father?"
Clearly, Mochizuki still hadn't forgotten her mother's perfunctory lines from earlier.
"Of course not~"
Saying this, Tokai Shizen reached out and stroked the other's head:
"I just promised, that's all…"
After staring at her mother for about ten minutes, Tokai Mochizuki temporarily chose to believe her.
And seeing Tokai Mochizuki's gaze shift, Tokai Shizen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, if Mochizuki had continued to dwell on it, she wouldn't have known what reason to give for an answer.
But a few minutes later, Mochizuki asked another question:
"Mom, if we go back to Japan, where will we live?"
"About that…"
Mochizuki's question stumped Shizen for a moment, quite obviously.
Shizen didn't have much in savings right now, at least not enough to buy a house.
But if she continued to live on the second floor of the restaurant, would that…
"Hmm, we'll probably rent a house? If you don't want to live with me, you can also go live with Aunt Maruzensky or Aunt Representative Chiaki~"
"What about Aunt Sirius?"
"She…"
Tokai Shizen fell silent, and the expression on her face changed slightly.
Seeing this, Mochizuki understood that it probably had something to do with her father.
After all, every time she asked about related matters, her mother would show such an expression.
Therefore, Tokai Mochizuki simply mentally marked this matter as something not to be mentioned, then asked another question:
"Then where will you live, Mom?"
"Eh?"
Tokai Shizen, whose thoughts were interrupted, didn't continue thinking.
She simply responded:
"As for me, I'll probably live on the second floor of the restaurant. It's more convenient for work there."
Looking at her mother, whose thoughts had been interrupted, Mochizuki didn't continue her previous question.
She simply followed up:
"I want to live with Mom!"
"The second floor of the restaurant is very dirty."
"I just want to live with Mom."
"Hmm…"
Her daughter's persistence made Shizen ponder.
Finally, after about ten seconds of thought, Shizen made a decision:
"Alright, alright, but you'll have to go to school by yourself. That restaurant is near the academy, so I won't be able to pick you up or drop you off."
"Mom, you didn't pick me up or drop you off much to begin with, did you?"
"It seems so, but that restaurant is quite far from where you'll be going to school. If you want to rush back, and if you want to eat dinner early, you can go find Maruzen. She lives in the residential area, which is closer to the school."
"Is it that far?!"
"Hmm, let me think…"
After taking some time to consider the distance from Tracen Academy to the school district, Tokai Shizen nodded to her daughter.
Looking at her nodding mother, Mochizuki also hesitated.
After all, no matter how sensible she was, she was still essentially a child, so she still had a concept of such a long distance.
But…
"Mom, your health isn't good, is it?"
Recalling the medicine her mother took when avoiding her in everyday life, Mochizuki asked this question.
"How could that be? Your mom's health is very…"
"Then why do you take so much medicine?"
Her voice was still as tender as a child's, but what it revealed more was a mature side.
And Mochizuki's question made Shizen fall silent.
She knew her daughter was aware of her health problems, but what she didn't know was that her daughter wouldn't have known about it if Speed Symbol hadn't told her.
Looking at her silent mother, Mochizuki simply recalled her great-grandmother's request.
Then, she stated what her great-grandmother had asked her to do:
"Mom, I want to live with you."
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