The morning light slipped through the window inside the Takahiro residence.
But before the sunlight, she had already been awake doing the kitchen chores.
Kettle clicking sounds, toast, and two cups of milk. Her hands were moving so fast as if this was a daily routine for her.
"Hina, breakfast is ready. Come fast."
Black hair, white skin, and looking very young to be called mother. Wearing a pink apron which stated "Great Mummy" in bold letters around her.
"Wait, Mama, why didn't you wake me up?"
Aya Takahiro, 34, a housewife who works from home.
A teenage girl with blonde hair in a high school outfit came into the kitchen with her messy hair and bangs.
"I already tried to wake you up! Hey, your hair is still a mess."
"Yeah, okay." She sat on the chair.
"Hurry up, eat your breakfast before Akkun gets here."
"Ahh, he doesn't need to pick me up every day." Aya sat near Kana.
"Oh, you're being coy again." Aya smirked at her.
"You're doing it again, Mama... I've told you so many times Akkun is just my childhood friend and classmate."
Kana Takahiro, 15 years old, first-year high school student.
"Eehh?"
"Don't just say 'Eeh'? Why are you acting cute?"
Aya thought she didn't want to be honest. Kana is at that age already. Nothing happens without reason or hidden motives. I'm sure Akkun has feelings for Kana. Or else he wouldn't pick her up like this every day?
Then the doorbell rang. Aya rushed to the door. There he was, Akkun.
A tall teenage boy with black hair wearing the same uniform as Kana was standing at the door.
"Good morning, Aya-san," he said with an energetic face.
Amane Katsuragi, 17 years old, neighbor of the Takahiro family and classmate of Kana.
"Good morning, Akkun."
"Sorry, Akkun, Kana is still eating."
"Isn't it about time, ummm... for you to stop calling me 'Akkun'?" Amane told her.
He avoided making eye contact with Aya, and his face was all red.
"I already turned seventeen yesterday, you know. I'm not a child."
Aya clapped her hands for a moment and said,
"That's right, you're all grown up now. I remember you being really small long ago."
She patted his head and said, "You've grown so big now."
In embarrassment, he turned red.
"Could you stop that...?"
"That's because of that time, Akkun..."
She put her hand around her mouth and stopped for a moment.
Then she said, "Suddenly changing what I call you is very difficult, huh?"
"I know," Amane agreed with her.
"Instead of that, Akkun, could you also call me 'Aya-Mama,' you know? Because I already think of Akkun like my own son..."
"I'm not your son."
Amane's face was serious. It was clear that he didn't like her calling him son.
"I'm..."
Amane stopped at that. Aya couldn't understand why he reacted that way. Amane's feelings were unclear.
"Akkun???" she muttered.
But Kana jumped between them.
"Sorry to make you wait, Akkun."
"Kana!!" Amane called her.
"Mama, we are going to be late. Let's hurry, Akkun."
"Bye Mama, we are leaving."
"Be careful," Aya said.
"Ah, you two don't forget about the promise for tonight, okay?"
"Yeah, we got it."
And both Kana and Amane dashed off from there.
Aya sighed. "Alright!"
When she shut the door of the house, the whole house sank into silence.
"When I'm alone, it's really quiet in this house."
"Alright, get the work done."
First of all, she cleaned the whole house neatly, removed dust from every corner of the room, and took out the dirty laundry and put it in the washing machine.
When she reached Kana's room, she thought of Kana.
She looked at the cute photo of five-year-old Kana and her and thought,
"If Kana gets married someday and leaves the house, I'll be living all alone, won't I?"
Then, the frame of the funeral day appeared in front of her.
"That day when I saw Kana standing there all alone... I didn't want her to be lonely. I can't.