"Ruri chan! I've finally mastered the dance of Momoka chan! Do you wanna see?"

Sayuri ushered Ruri to the bathroom. "Miki chan, let Ruri chan take a bath first. Poor girl... you must have suffered due to the AC breaking down, right? You were even sitting in the stairs only to get cool air! You must feel all sweaty and miserable! Don't worry! I have already prepared the water for you! Miki chan, have you taken your bath yet?"

"Yes Sayuri san, I have."

"Eeeeeh Miki chan, have another bath with me then! It will be fun!" Ruri whined.

"B-but I..."

"Don't push her Ruri chan, what if she gets sick again?" Sayuri knew that Miki chan had a weak body. Ruri, energetic as she was, sometimes would forget that others were not always blessed with a healthy body like her.

But it didn't take Ruri too much time to realise the fact. She deflated, and within seconds she perked up again.

"Then what about you Sayuri san! Let's take a bath together!"

"S-sorry Ruri chan, but I have already taken a shower." Sayuri said with a wry smile. She had no choice, she got all sweaty and sticky due to... she blushed at the memory.

"Eh, Sayuri san, did you get sick? Your face is red!" Both Ruri and Miki got concerned. Aww... children...

Sayuri hugged both of them.

"I'm fine! Thank you for worrying about me, girls! Now then... Ruri chan, can you grab a set of clothes from your house? Sorry but I am not really acquinted with your uncle that well..." she couldn't really bear to tell the girl that something about her uncle felt unsettling to her. If she had to get some cloths for her, she probably would have gone to the Kobayashi's... Miki chan's cloths should fit her too, right?

"Oh, okay! I will be back soon!" Ruri ran and Sayuri warned her to be careful on the stairs.

"Miki chan, would you like to help me prepare the dinner?" Sayuri smiled. She did not want the girls to feel uncomfortable at her home.

"Un!"

 

---

 

"So, Ruri chan, Miki chan, do you want to watch TV or play games?"

" I want to watch Magigal Utena chan!"
"I wanna play Smash!"

Sayuri had a troubled smile on her face. "I don't think both of them are possible at the same time..."

"It's alright! We can decide by Janken! Mi chan!"
"E-eh?"

Ruri, in her fresh cloths and fully energised self, dueled Miki and mercilessly crushed her. But when she saw her saddened face, then gave away her chance anyway.

She can watch that kiddy show for an evening. Its all for her dear friend!

Sayuri giggled at them.

"My friend Misaki also used to decide things with me by playing Janken."

"Eh, really!" Ruri asked, "so how many times did you win?"

"...Almost never. I was really bad at it."

"Then you should have told her to choose something else! Its not fun or fair if only she wins!" Ruri protested. Sayuri blinked.

Weren't she doing the same to her friend? Well, Misaki also used to give away her wins just to make her happy.

"Sayuri san..." Miki asked, "which school did you go to back when you were at our age?"

"At your age? Oh, I went to a school in the village I lived in. I was there till my high school. Then I moved to this city to study in university and met your uncle there."

"What was that school like, Sayuri san?" Ruri asked.

"What was it like huh... well, my village didn't have much children so we didn't really have different classes. We used to have only one classroom where we were taught different subjects."

"Eh? Wouldn't that be annoying?"

"Well, it felt better than sitting alone in a room with a tutor."

"Uwa! That must have sucked. So that's why you moved to this city! And you even met Satoshi san! Good for you!" Ruri gave her a thumbs up. Miki, however, seemed to be in deep thought.

"Sayuri san?"

"Hm?"

"Are you happy with uncle?"

"...Eh?" Sayuri was not prepared for a question like that from Miki chan.
"M-Miki chan? Why are you asking that so suddenly... haha..."

"Satoshi san is always outside, right? Whenever I see you, I almost never see him? Whenever Papa does not come home, Mama gets really sad. That's why Papa always tries to come home as soon as his work is finished. Satoshi san... sometimes he does not return even for days."

Sayuri bowed down and patted her head. "Your uncle is really busy with his work, so he has to stay away for a long time. He also tries to come back whenever he gets free time."

"Really? That's good then. Mama was worried he might be cheating on you just like Papa!"

"E-eh?!!" 'Koharu san! What are you telling your children?!'

"Eeeh?! Your Papa cheated on your Mama?!!" Even Ruri was shocked.

"Un! Mama was really angry about Papa meeting with another aunty in some place called Hostess club! Mama had him be in a dogeza for an hour!"

"..."
"Hostess club? Is there a club like that in our school? Then was he secretly meeting some aunty in another school?!"

Sayuri felt like sweat was coming out of her head. What was she supposed to tell these two children?

"S-so your Mama had him dogeza for an hour? Did she forgive him then?" She tried to change the conversation.

"No! She took him to the bedroom and punished him all night! They denied it but I know! Dad looked really tired! He had bags under his eyes and his cheeks were shrunken! He was also wobbling while walking! Well, Mama looked really happy though. She must have taken out all of her anger on him that night!"
"Wow! Koharu san is really scary!!!"
"Un! Oni chan started to become extra scared of her from then! He wouldn't even look at her in the eyes! He started to even get fevers from just fear! His face was completely red!!!"
"Wah! Really?!"

Sayuri was dumbfounded. Ah... children...

"I-I am sure your Papa has learned his lesson. W-why don't we return to talking about school again? What is your school like, Miki chan? Ruri chan?"

"Our school? Its normal." Miki blankly replied.

"Uh... she means it is kind of like what you think a school should be like!" Ruri explained in her stead, "it has lots of classes and classrooms with lots of students and teachers! And a big playground too!"

"Really? Wow... I would definitely like to see it one day." Sayuri replied. She was glad that she managed to divert the conversation.

"Why don't you go with us tomorrow, Sayuri san! It will be fun! You have never been to a school like ours, right? We could show you then!" Ruri asked her with her face beaming.

"Eh? T-thats..."

"Please go with us tomorrow, Sayuri san! You can see our elementary school then!" Ruri pleaded.

"Ruri chan's right, Sayuri san!" Miki also joined her, "we can also go together to the cultural festival of Miyabi high next week! I went there with Mama there last year! It was really fun!"

Sayuri was a little troubled. It was true that she was a little overwhelmed when she first came to the city, but that was ages ago! She had been to all sorts of places since then.

But... show she was supposed to refuse those pleading eyes?

Sayuri gave in.

"Yay!"
"Yay!"

The two girls cheered.

 

---

 

"Damn, Gojima kun! Aren't you strong!" Kobayashi Satoru saw Gojima Kenzaburou defeat his friends three times in a row.

"No, I was just lucky." Gojima said humbly.

"Kuh! I will definitely win this time!" His friend cried in frustration.

"Oh? Aren't you a skilled one, Gojima san?" Another person entered the fray.

"Whah! Kiriyama 6-dan is playing against the Super Rookie!" Everyone surrounded both of the players. They had to see this Shogi match!

"I am glad that a pro Shogi player like you think so." Gojima replied wearily. He was not even that good at Shogi, not a match for a B-2 anyway.

"Let's have a good match, Gojima san." Kiriyama 6-dan grinned. His feral expression was like that of a lion in front of a hare.

"...Let's have a good match." Gojima sweated.

...
...
...

After 87 moves, Gojima admitted defeat.