I got up early the next day. Everything in me wanted to make breakfast for my family. After the events of last night with Okabe-san, I found a new appreciation for that word. Before bed, I sent her a quick message. When I checked my messages this morning, I didn’t get a reply from her. I guess that would be expected, we didn’t leave on a high note…

But it was better than nothing.

“Morning, Madoka. What’s for breakfast, sweetheart?”

Mom came in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Her mood seemed to have brightened like Mari-san suggested yesterday.

“Oh, just simple miso soup and rice.”

I wanted to keep it manageable today. My mind was full of what needed to happen. I've decided the best place to have a meeting like this would be that karaoke place that Mae-chan and I went to a few months back. Bellows was its name. The old silhouette of the man holding out a microphone always brought a smile to my face.

But the privacy there for the number of people we have would be perfect. We can write down the plan and make sure everyone is up to speed on our goals to help our best friend out.

"Thanks for breakfast, Madoka. Ah…I heard you came home a little late last night?”

“Y-Yeah, sorry about that, mom.”

"No…you're getting older. For all I know, you wanted some alone time with someone you like. So…I don't want to keep prying too much."

Mom washed it away like nothing. In a way, that was refreshing but all too subtle to me.

“Oh…I see. Ah, how are you lately, mom?”

She sighed as she sipped her tea.

“I’ve…had a lot of time to think to myself. And…I think it’s the best time to tell you, Madoka.”

“Hm?”

She looked at me from the table, tilted her head, and expressed what she wanted to say. But instead of staying where she was, she stood and approached me. Her taller body lingered over me as she confessed.

“I’m sorry for hiding what happened from you.”

“…Mom?”

 

 

"I thought at the time it was best for me to hide all the dark secrets. That way you'd be able to move on without any problems. But…after a bit of self-reflection, I noticed that I…might have caused this strain in our relationship."

She curled her fingers around her cup.

“So, I want to atone by giving you as much room to grow as you need, sweetie.”

With a chuckle, she tilted that beautiful head of hers.

“That way I can double down on Hana!”

Poor Hana. At the expense of her older sister, she’s going to be target number one for mom. But despite everything she said…I couldn’t help but feel it was…fake.

As cruel as that sounds when mom is clearly opening up to me…it all felt as though it was crafted in stone and read verbatim from it to me. The emotions were hollow, and that…worried me.

“Thanks…mom.”

But now wasn't the time to dig into this…was it? Clearly, mom was trying her best to approach me in a different light. I have too many other things to think about right now. If mom is attempting to give me and Mari-san more time to work out our feelings, then I should be more accepting of that too.

“Morning you two.”

Mari-san came in next, hair a mess like a little chick in a nest. She sat on the side of mom. Not as close to mom as they used to but closer than normal. It looked like both of them were tired, likely up late chatting about things.

“Hana is still asleep?”

“Looks like it. It’s still early.”

Unannounced, the bounce of the flower in question could be heard from our seats. She tattered down the steps, tripped over, and ran into the bathroom.

 

 

I was a little worried about her fall, so I walked over and knocked on the bathroom door.

“Are you okay, Hana-chan?”

“Onee-chan! I’m running late! Give me a moment to freshen up.”

Something told me that wasn’t the only reason for her abrasive behavior, but I walked back into the kitchen and finished making the plates for everyone until she showed up.

“What’s going on, Hana-chan?”

“…I lost a book I borrowed from Sora-chan.”

“What kind of book is it?”

She slumped her shoulders.

“It’s a school book that I needed. I borrowed it a week ago and needed to return it today. She really needs it…”

I finished up my soup and stood up with vigor. It’s been a little bit since I had to be detective Madoka again. Before I left the room, I tossed the apron in the bin, where it belongs. Something the other two here never do after cooking.

“Where was the last place you had it, Hana-chan?”

“It was on Monday…and I know I watched my new show as I studied. That’s the last time I remembered using it.”

I raced over to the couch, the likely culprit. As I looked around, nothing was there…just a mess of clothing Mari-san left dangling around from getting undressed and lazing about.

“Mari-san, don’t you have a bin for your clothes?”

She slurped her soup as she gazed at me from the kitchen.

“I think…I can’t remember.”

I wanted to laugh, but I had to stay firm. She was testing me, and I knew it.

“Well, next time use it. Your clothing is everywhere.”

"Yes, mom."

She teased as she continued with her breakfast.

“Should I help, Onee-chan?”

In a panic, the small flower stepped out from the kitchen.

“No, you go eat. I don’t want you hungry because you panicked in the morning and didn’t eat.”

“Sora-chan’s going to kill me. I…I don’t want her upset at me, Onee-chan.”

Now my little sister's life was on the line. There's no way I'd let anything happen to her. I buckled up and prepared to search twice as hard. When I looked under the couch, I was met with stockings… Mari-san’s countless stockings.

“Mari-san!”

"Yes, mom?!"

“Put your stockings away!”

“Okay! I’ll do it after work.”

Even mom was giggling from this. How do they get off making me do all the hard work? Why am I the bad girl for only wanting order in the house? In a grumble, I continued my search around the place. When I thought about it clearly, it's a textbook, not a manga. Lately, Mari-san has been sleeping here…maybe...

I rushed into mom and Mari-san's room and was met with what I expected. On the desk in her room, Mari-san seemed to have picked it up and brought it back in there. She was likely thinking it was one of her books and took it with her.

“Found it, Hana-chan.”

“You did! Oh my gosh, Onee-chan is the best!”

She squealed as she raced around downstairs. That cute red mark on her head now turned to a soft pink. I rubbed her head as she beamed up at me.

“Thanks for saving my skin, Onee-chan.”

“No way I’d let Sora-chan kill my lovely little sister!”

She latched onto my hips again and held them close. She attempted to pull me around in excitement, but I was able to stand my ground. Her tugs felt less forceful and more like being grabbed by a teddy bear.

“Hana-chan, I think you’re going overboard.”

“No! You’re just…so cool, Onee-chan! You’re so cool!”

“Oh, you two are so cute together!”

Mom cried out. This was an eventful morning…but well worth it. This only solidified how special family is to me. As I looked at mom and Mari-san’s faces…

We all love each other…

I've developed a new appreciation for what family truly is. Knowing what the Okabes are going through… made me hold Hana-chan all the tighter.

“Any time, Hana-chan.”

I whispered as I held her small body close to me. It felt like if I squeezed too tight, she’d break apart. She was soft as a pillow and always had that smell that reminded me of flowers. Over the course of these months, I've grown to cherish her. I…couldn't imagine what I'd do to keep her safe.

“Now hurry up and eat, Hana-chan.”

“Eh? Don’t be like mom, Onee-chan! I’ll eat…I promise.”

Despite sounding like a brat, she gave me a beaming smile and rushed back into the kitchen.

The rest of the morning was uneventful, and we found ourselves waving off to our parents as they drove to work. With a lift of her shoulders, Hana-chan took the lead. It was cute, and I could tell that grin on her face was mainly because the book in question was safely tucked in her bag now.

The atmosphere felt like being in a garden surrounded by peaceful nature. The mood was brighter today, likely because mom and Mari-san weren't showing their outward frustrations as they had been for the last few weeks.

“Oh, that’s right, Hana-chan.”

Like a flash of lightning, the main focus of the day came back to me. This was the day where I had to tell everyone the plan for the upcoming weekend.

“What is it, Onee-chan?”

She said tenderly as if sugar was on her tongue. With a wonderful smile, my little knight tilted her head and showed me her full-blown innocence.

“Ahh…”

I wasn’t ready for this, so my body went as hot as the sun in a matter of seconds. With her dark hair flowing in the wind, those shining reddish cheeks, and soothing voice, my heart skipped a couple of beats instantly.

“What did you want to say, Onee-chan?”

 

 

“That you are…cute.”

I couldn’t control myself as I lunged at her.

“Eh?! Where’s this coming from Onee-chan?! M-Madoka!”

I wanted to swing her around as Mae-chan did to me the day I came back from vacation. But I held my impulses down as I collected my thoughts. Gently, I let her go and took a cough to clear the mood.

“S-Sorry.”

“Oh…no. I always enjoy a hug from you, Onee-chan.”

She giggled to herself. Why was she so much cuter than usual today? I couldn’t put my head around it, but instead of pushing further, I began…

“Hana-chan, today’s the day I’d like to get with everyone and tell them my plan that will happen during the concert.”

I firmly placed my hand on my hip. It gave me that much more of a confidence boost as I explained myself all the better.

“So, I was thinking after school we could all get together and chat it out. Maybe use the karaoke place, Bellows, as a place we can chat.”

 

 

With a firm nod, Hana-chan confirmed her stance.

“Okay, I like that idea, Onee-chan. You know I’m behind you all the way. Should I ask Sora-chan if she’d come with us?”

“I would appreciate it. She is one of the people coming with us, and I’d like her to be in the know also.”

Hana-chan jumped up, causing her small body to shake. Her dark hair danced with excitement too.

“Alright! We’re going to pull this off, aren’t we, Onee-chan?”

The anxiety in my heart started to build as if someone was poking needles into my chest and stomach.

“…Yeah, we need to. This is for Sophia-san and the sister she loves…”

I closed my eyes.

“Hana-chan…we only met a few months ago…”

What was going through my heart finally manifested itself. I had to release it to make sure she knew my feelings…

“But I would give up everything to make sure you’re safe. I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt you.”

I held her hand as we kept making our way to school. She dragged a little behind as she listened to me.

“Sophia-san did what she thought was right to save her sister. If something similar was happening with you, I’d do everything in my power to save you too.”

Her grip became that much tighter as I poured out the feelings rummaging in my heart.

"I would want to keep you safe…protect you from being hurt like that. They both need this. This might be the only chance we have…and I'm scared that it will fail."

Now I held her closer to me as we kept on the road to the train.

“So I need your help…because you are the person I trust the most, Hana-chan. You’re…family to me.”

“…Onee-chan.”

Quietly, she whispered as she wrapped her arm around mine.

“This is why…I want to protect your heart.”

“What do you mean?”

She nuzzled her nose on my shoulder.

"Despite how scared you are, you are brave enough to fight for what you believe in. That's what courage is, and that's what you are, Onee-chan.”

Her flowery scent took me over as her soft arms pushed deeper into my sides.

“Of course you can count on me. So don’t worry, we’ll help Sophia-san and her sister. Together, we can’t fail.”

I believed her words. Not only because she was the Hana-chan that I’ve grown to love over the time we’ve known each other…but because her love for her family was beyond anything one could measure. Hana-chan is amazing.

"I feel so much more confident with you beside me, Hana-chan. Thank you."

“Hehe…always, Onee-chan. I’ll make sure Sora-chan will be there this afternoon even if I have to drag her lazy butt with me.”

Aggressively, Hana-chan leaped up, causing my shoulder to hurt a bit. Lately, she's been getting more restless, and I think Sora-chan might be the cause for it. But despite everything, I knew that I had someone as reliable as Hana-chan on my side.