She had thought about seeing Soyo again.
Had imagined... so many different scenarios.
Chiose had assumed she would meet that poor, love-starved little thing again on some afternoon with a gentle breeze and just-right sunshine, somewhere quiet and comfortable.
They would share a tender smile with each other, and then begin the story that belonged to them—but...
Noshiro Chiose never once imagined... that simply stepping out to buy some fruit would be how she'd run into her.
And Soyo was in such terrible shape.
Her body was burning hot, yet it didn't look like a fever; and she'd fainted again. Honestly—how had she suddenly passed out like that?
A fire?
Hospitalized?
What on earth was she even talking about?
Chiose said nothing, only hoisted Soyo up and carried her toward her own home.
She was a little short of breath now—after all, anyone would ache inside to see their own mother-slash-daughter collapse like this.
An umbrella, a bag of fruit, and a fragile girl—it was the first time Chiose had shouldered so much on her way home.
Her pace was obviously much slower now, stopping and starting; it took a good ten-plus minutes before she made it back.
The Soyo on her shoulder was showing signs of coming to, though her condition still wasn't anything to be optimistic about.
Weak, limp—as if even the raindrops pelting her might be enough to beat her to death.
In a spot where Chiose couldn't see, Soyo's eyelashes trembled just the slightest bit, a few faint flutters.
[So this is Chiose's home?]
Soyo Nagasaki had already committed every detail to memory.
She was soaked from head to toe, yet she was so happy.
She was truly, truly happy!
It was as if thousands of tiny Chioses were bouncing around inside her body; the fiery heat in her heart was almost impossible to contain.
[I've finally found you! I've finally found you!]
Noshiro! Chiose!
You made me! wait in such agony!
A whole day! A whole day!
[I've finally caught you at last, haven't I!]
Hahahahaha! Chiose's scent, Chiose's looks, Chiose's home address... I love them all so much.
Soyo nearly laughed out loud, but the instant she remembered that this Chiose didn't know her yet, she grew so terribly sad again.
But! It's fine!
She, Soyo Nagasaki, had the memories from her dreams. They might not be guaranteed accurate, but so far—whether it was her personality or anything else—it all matched the dreams exactly!
The advantage was hers!
Ahh... the advantage... was hers...
Soyo's sopping-wet clothes had soaked through Chiose's top and the hem of her skirt too; their body heat warmed the rainwater, and passed their warmth back and forth between them.
It was only while fumbling for her keys to open the door that Chiose noticed how badly her own hands were trembling.
[The person in my arms really is Soyo.]
Compared to that little one several sizes smaller than herself in the first Simulation, she had grown up so much.
Now that she was in high school, Soyo had blossomed into a graceful young woman.
And compared to the second Simulation... she was much younger again.
How lovely. So this is youth.
A touch less childish innocence, yet not yet tainted by any of that moldering decadence—Soyo Nagasaki at this age was just perfectly right.
To be able to witness her mother's youth as well as her daughter's maturity, Chiose was already content.
"Hey! Girl, girl! We've made it to my place! Are you feeling any better?"
Had it been anyone else passed out by the roadside, the most Chiose would have done was help call the police or an ambulance—but this was Soyo Nagasaki.
A high schooler who had once been both her mother and her daughter!
"I... my head is so dizzy... thank you..."
There was no rain now to help conceal her tears, but since she was dripping wet all over, Soyo could still cry boldly and without a care.
Her voice was very low, giving Chiose a mournful impression.
"Sit here for a little while, okay? I'll go pour you a glass of water... Little Kyou! Big sis bought fruit and brought it home! And I also happened to—"
"Big sis?"
As the door was pushed open, Haizuka Kyoumoto appeared even faster than Chiose's voice.
She poked her little head out from inside the room, and as she drew close to Chiose she noticed a strange new smell had appeared in the house.
Something like... a female high schooler soaked through from head to toe—and the sort with ulterior motives, at that.
"Be good, Little Kyou, big sis will wash some fruit for you in a bit. We've got a guest over, it's—"
Chiose glanced at Soyo's profile and quickly settled on how to introduce her:
"—a child who looks like she badly needs help and is in a semi-conscious state."
"Eh? Big sis, did you go out and buy a high schooler? Won't that be really expensive?"
"You can't put that kind of thing up for sale!"
"So you actually brought a girl home from off the street... how bold."
"It's really not like that!"
Perhaps she was genuinely exhausted; Soyo went from faking sleep at first to actually drifting off.
Chiose's scent set her so at ease that even her very consciousness felt soothed.
It was the most restful, comfortable sleep Soyo had had in these past several days.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she opened her eyes once more to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
[Was I just... picked up and carried home by Little Chiose?! So this place is...]
"You're awake? Welcome to my home, my dear... girl-whose-house-burned-down-and-is-now-homeless."
Carrying a plate of fruit and a glass of water, Chiose came over to Soyo, and only then did Soyo realize she was lying on Chiose's couch wearing very little.
But the kind-hearted Chiose had even wrapped her in a bath towel... she really was such a good person.
"Thank you... I..."
I like you.
Soyo forcibly swallowed the line that had climbed all the way to the tip of her tongue; right now she simply could not be any more thrilled.
But Soyo was also afraid this ecstasy of hers might frighten Chiose; it would be bad if the other girl took her for some kind of psycho or pervert.
"Hey, hey, my name is Noshiro Chiose. That one peeking around from behind the door is my little sister, Haizuka Kyoumoto. And what's your name?"
Chiose pointed at her sister, who instantly shrank her head back into the bedroom, and gave Soyo a soft smile with warm, gentle eyes: "Sorry about that. We don't get many guests here—Little Kyou is a bit shy around strangers."
"Noshiro... Haizuka? Hiss... it's nothing, nothing... I was being too presumptuous."
Soyo secretly pinched her own thigh, using the pain to offset the pounding in her heart.
She kept up her nonexistent poise as best she could.
"My name is Soyo Nagasaki. Sorry for being such a bother. Today my home suffered a... fire. Yeah! A fire... My mother collapsed while fighting the flames, but thankfully the blaze was brought under control. It's just that after I came out of the hospital, I had no idea where to go, so all I could do was wander the streets..."
Soyo was honestly impressed by her own talent for making up stories; she decided to lay it on even thicker... ideally enough that Chiose would agree to let her freeload here and never leave!
Pursing her dry, thin little lips, Soyo began to dredge up her sorrows.
Chiose-mama had passed away, Little Chiose was gone too, and her mother, even more so...
[I don't want to think about it, I don't want to! How do I have this many sad memories...]
Tears kept rolling from the corners of Soyo's eyes; her utterly wretched appearance was so pitifully endearing.
"I—I'll pay rent, I just beg you to let me have a place to shelter from the rain and rest my feet for two days. Please, I truly beg you! I've got no home left in this city! Boo-hoo-hoo..."
This was a lie, but the emotion behind it was genuine.
Only after Soyo had poured all of this out in one breath did she think to steal a look at Chiose's reaction.
But to her surprise—why were the corners of Chiose's eyes turning red too?
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