Volume 27 Chapter 7 (2/2)
They both laughed together raucously The same expression on their faces as shi+mako had seen in the courtyard once before The very expression that shi+mako had hoped to see
Ami-san to Ami-san, and -
”Emori-san, could you tell me your first name?”
shi+hter, the former 'Ami-san' answered
”Chiho My name is Emori Chiho”
Chiho-san to Chiho-san, they'd both finally reverted back to normal, and that probably explained why
”Well then, Ami-san, Chiho-san, I know it's a bit late, but why don't we have lunch?”
The 'carelessly purchased overly abundant food' was just right for three people
There was still plenty of time left for their date
It would be such a waste if they didn't have a great time
The 300 yen per person lunch they had was surprisingly tasty
Upon arriving at Touko-chan's grandfather's hospital, the first place she took Yumi was the cafeteria, so that they could fortify themselves with a meal
It wasn't a restaurant as such, but if you et lunch for 300 yen or dinner for 500 yen At any rate, there weren't any other shops nearby, so without it there would be nowhere for attendants or visitors to eat Incidentally, today's lunch menu was a rice omelet, salad and a consomme soup
”Ohh, Touko!”
While they were eating, a scruffy looking old ed her tightly
”I heard you were co well Why did you run away from home and cause mama and papa so much heartache? You little scoundrel”
He pinched Touko-chan's cheeks and smiled
”You're always going on about that, grandpa That was last year already, it's getting old”
”You're right, you're right”
The corners of his eyes drooped as he spoke From Yumi's position, it was easy to tell he found Touko-chan so cute that he couldn't resist
He earing a white doctor's robe, that looked like a long open-collared shi+rt, over the top of a turtleneck sweater It would appear that this was the grandfather Yumi had heard so much about The one that would retire in threeas a doctor currently, and quite lively too
”Grandpa This is a senior of mine from school, fukuzawa Yumi-sama”
As they'd reached a break in their conversation, Touko-chan introduced Yurandfather
”Yumi … -san, are you, perhaps, Sachiko-san's?”
”You know of that?”
”Well of course I do, Saiko-san would often talk about you”
The Saiko-san he referred to would be Sachiko-sarandmother who had passed away the previous year Sachiko-sama must have talked about Yurandot the impression that Yumi was one of her friends
”I see, you're Yuood care of Touko Make sure you work her hard”
”Umm, … ahh, okay … ”
Work her hard? What was he going on about? Just as Yu flustered, Touko-chan stepped in
”Don't worry about it It's just a sports saying”
”Ah, right”
Apparently there was no deeper ht he meant that if Touko-chan became her petit soeur that she should start her on hard labor, but she had been a bit nervous
”Will you be taking your time?”
Touko-chan's grandfather asked
”I'll be going home after I've shown Yumi-sama around the area After all, mama and papa orry if I'm back late”
Touko-chan answered
”Alright Next tiether”
”And stay over night”
”Please do I'll be waiting”
Leaving therandfather hurried out of the cafeteria Apparently off to visit the patients, one by one
Listening to their conversation, it see opinions on the fate of the hospital
”In the end, I was small”
Touko-chan said, after they'd finished eating, as she picked up her tray She also picked up Yumi's, so Yumi hurried after her
”What do you mean?”
”Like how Sun Wukong couldn't escape frole, and throw a tantrum … but I'd still be safe and sound in some adult's palm”
”Huh?”
Yumi sort of understood, and sort of didn't
”Even Noriko told me that ”Since you're in this ss,” she said”
They thanked the lady for the meal and returned the trays Then they left the cafeteria, Yu Touko-chan
The hospital buildings were made of wood, and they had the appearance of an 'olden days elementary school' froinal wood coloring, the walls had been painted in bright colors - white, light blue and cherry
As they walked down the corridors, fro, ”Touko-san,” or, ”Young reet the caller, or wave hello The people that did this were both staff members and patients, and it was further proof that Touko-chan came to visit from time to time, and chatted with the various people
”Waaaah”
Hearing this crying voice so suddenly, they turned to look and saw an elderly lady holding a six- couple, apparently the baby's parents, were beside her s the lines of, ”If you get well soon, you can coh, it randchild
Touko-chan smiled happily too They stopped and watched for a while, it was the kind of blessed scene that Yumi could watch forever
”Shall we go?”
At Touko-chan's prorounds and walked alongside a road through the woods Fro to show Yuh they alking aioal Yu if there was some famous location nearby
How long had they been walking? It was probably after they'd been walking for about 15 or 20 minutes that Touko-chan stopped
”Sixteen years ago, there was a car crash”
”A car crash?”
Yus The country road was properly paved, and it entle curve as it followed the mountain around Visibility didn't seem that bad -
”See how the branches that overhang the road are all the sath? I don't know the exact spot, but I'm sure it was somewhere around here”
At the time of the accident, they were probably much thicker Had they been cut back as a result of the accident?
”It was a collision between a truck and a car, and the married couple in the front seats of the car died A baby was sleeping in a child seat on the back seat of the car, and that child alone was rescued unharmed”
Where was this story going to end? Yumi's heart beat faster She was scared to hear what happened next But she couldn't stop Touko-chan
Why did Touko-chan look so pained? Her right hand was shaking slightly as she used it to clasp her left hand to her chest It was soo to that extent Yumi had to listen
”About the size of the baby from before, … no, at one month old, I was probably even smaller”
”Huh?”
”The baby that was rescued That child was me”
- Ahh
Yu hands, e to do, but she wouldn't have been able to stop herself fro it anyway
Touko-chan's body stiffened, but with the addition of Yuth, her closed heart had been unwrapped
The door had been opened from the other side The illusion had been dispelled
Touko-chan was probably crying, but because Yuhtly she couldn't see her face But she kept talking, as though feverish
”I've lost my parents once already”
”That's enough”
Yumi said Since the story was so painful to Touko-chan, there was no need to go further However, Touko-chan shook her head
”No, please hear me out”
Still not enough It looked like there was more she had to say
”When my parents died, the only farandmother was a patient at this hospital”
When she said this, Touko-chan extricated herself frorasp and turned to look at the hospital, the Matsudaira Mountain Base Hospital
”She was in no position to raise e, but just before that happened the Matsudaira fanant a nuht a child to ter at her father-in-law's hospital after suffering through the heartache of e So it seemed like deliverance”
The mother that had lost a child from her womb, and the child that had lost both parents in an accident, together they could provide the parts each had lost and start a fa
”Mother Matsudaira is this person”
Touko-chan took out the photo froirl with the saht they looked so much alike, apparently they weren't blood related at all
”And this person”
After pointing out 'Mother Matsudaira,' Touko-chan shi+fted her finger across two people, to another sirl
”This person is the woave birth to me”
”Huh … so, then - ”
”Quite the coincidence, isn't it They were classh school”
With her short-cut hairdo, Touko-chan's birth h there seemed to be some faint reseraph that it was hard to tell for sure
”I only found out about this recently But I've known that I wasn't the Matsudaira's child for a long ti, but so I was just a kid, talked about my bloodline in front of me, and others eren't aware of the situation would comment that I didn't look like either of s, I started to wonder about it when I was still just a child When I was sister and knew”
At one time or another, everyone harbors doubts about whether they are their parents child, but to have the proof thrust in front of her must have been quite a shock
”My birth mother was apparently an actress in a s acting But then I thought that if I quit suddenly, nificance to it”
Yu too s
”I love my current parents dearly So I never once wanted to swap them for reed with randfather about the hospital I told them, ”You don't need soh, up until that point, they didn't know that I knew After that, ht taken away from her”
”I see … ”
This i-san h he'd offered to tell Yu she should have heard from him
”Why are you telling me all this?”
”Because I want you to know everything, Yumi-sama That's why I've told you”
That's why Touko-chan had asked Yumi to hold off on her response She wanted Yu
(Are you ready to deal with that blow?)
Kashi+wagi-san's words came back to her Yumi took a short breath and shook off the illusion
Regardless of any kind of blow, Touko-chan had chosen to confide in Yumi How could she refuse?
No, it wasn't even at that level any more Yumi had obtained her petit soeur
As long as Touko-chan was Touko-chan, everything was fine
When set in front of that resolution, any argu with a bloas coless