♣,✂,↕ Take your pick? Or your favorites.
"Wow! Kousuke's finally taller than you!"
Sis finishes marking their heights on the doorway. They're free to go and he's the first to back away.
"R-really?" Kousuke beams. He's never been happier.
"That's what you get for not eating your vegetables, Shuuya." Tsubomi scolds him. But a stern smile from her says she's happy too.
"It was going to happen one day! Kousuke just had a huuuuuge growth spurt." A pat to his head for emphasis. Then he pats Kousuke's head. "But don't you worry! I'll catch up in no time."
For once Kousuke is too happy to be shy. He pulls Tsubomi away to go celebrate or talk or whatever it is they do these days. They haven't been together as much.
Just him and Ayano now. Them, they've been together a lot.
Her voice, soft and not even reproachful. Feels like he's being scolded anyway, and he smiles at her in vain. She sees right through him.
"In a couple more years you'll all be in high school. Time sure flies, doesn't it? Somehow, I almost feel old!" Laughter. He says nothing.
Ever since this snake business she's looked talked felt older. There's bags under her eyes almost every day.
"-tomorrow I'm going to need you to go to school again for me. Okay?" Again with her smiles. Even more gentle this time. She fixes her scarf and looks determined. "I'm so close to cracking it. If I can just get in Dad's office one more time... Then we can figure this out for real and save him!"
She doesn't see the doubt in his eyes because she's too blinded by her own faith. He takes a step forward.
"Hm? Shuuya, what's wrong?" And her confused gaze, vapid but happy and so unaware of what could go wrong-----
It reminds him of his mom.
His tongue gets tied and he can't. A turn of the head, a frown. "Nothing."
"? Okay..." He shuts his eyes. Fingers in his hair, not his own, startle him. "Shuuya. Don't worry. It'll be okay. We'll make it through this."
Looks back at her. Her smile is genuine.
He wonders (not for the first time) if she's the deceiver and not he.
Ayano nods and moves away. He's alone again.
A month later, and he really is.