"I'm not very familiar with Tokyo either. If Yotsuha goes with me and something happens, I might not be able to handle it without you around," Mitsuha said after giving it some serious thought.
She didn't feel confident that she could properly take care of her little sister on her own. Her understanding of Tokyo was still pretty superficial. Even if Setsuna was there to help, that wouldn't guarantee they could handle any unexpected situations.
Rather than risk it, it made more sense to let Yotsuha go with Haruto. Yotsuha's personality was different from hers—she was more easy-going and wouldn't complain even if they were stuck doing something boring.
After hearing Mitsuha's reasoning, Haruto understood where she was coming from.
"I see," he replied, nodding slightly before turning his gaze to Yotsuha.
"So, what about you? If you come with me, you might have to wait around the publishing house for a bit before we can go anywhere."
"I'll go with you, Onii-chan."
Yotsuha had thought she'd be spending the day with Mitsuha, but after hearing what her sister said, she didn't throw a tantrum or voice any complaints. She simply paused to think, then agreed to follow Haruto to the publisher.
"Alright. Then you'll come with me for the morning. Once I finish up there, we can go explore a bit."
Haruto nodded and brought their finished breakfast over to the living room. The three of them sat around the low table. The traditional Japanese-style breakfast was just like the ones they had back in Itomori—simple, familiar, and comforting. Nobody had any complaints, and they all began to eat quietly.
_ _ _ _
While Setsuna was reading at her desk at home, her phone rang.
"Setsuna, are you free this afternoon?"
The voice on the other end was Haruto's.
"I don't have anything planned," she answered, glancing at the clock.
"I've got something to take care of this afternoon. If you're not busy, could you keep Mitsuha company for a while?"
"Mitsuha…?" she asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah. I'll be heading out, and if I leave them both home alone… well, there's not much in my apartment to keep them entertained. I figured I'd take Yotsuha with me. So I was hoping you could hang out with Mitsuha."
Hearing that she'd be alone with Mitsuha, Setsuna unconsciously pressed her lips together.
"Are you sure that's okay?"
"Hmm? There's no bad blood between me and Mitsuha, really. But if you think it might be awkward, I could just take her with me to the publishing house instead—even if she complains."
"…It's fine. I'll go out with her this afternoon. Maybe we can walk around Tokyo a bit."
"Whatever works. Mitsuha's curious about everything, so just follow your instincts. I'll have her talk with you directly later."
"Alright."
Once the call ended, Haruto turned to Mitsuha beside him. He gave a small sigh but wore a slightly relaxed smile.
"Alright, in the afternoon, Setsuna will come over to hang out with you. Yotsuha and I will head out first. Once I'm done with my meeting, I'll come find you two. If anything happens, just call me, okay?"
"…Okay."
Mitsuha's response was somewhat reluctant. She seemed to be considering whether she should go with him to the publisher after all. But since he had already arranged things with Setsuna, it wasn't like she could just change her mind on a whim.
In the end, all she could do was wait until the afternoon before heading out.
"If you're not sure what to do, you can read the books on my desk. As for the rest, I'll leave it to you. Yotsuha and I are heading out now."
"Mm." Mitsuha gave a quiet nod.
"Let's go, Yotsuha."
Already dressed and ready, Yotsuha glanced back at her sister still at home, stuck out her tongue playfully, and made a silly face before following Haruto toward the door. The moment the door clicked shut, Mitsuha was left alone in the quiet apartment. She sat at the desk, deep in thought.
After sitting in silence for a while, she reached out, picked up a book at random, and began flipping through it.
"Is it really okay to leave Nee-chan alone at home?" Yotsuha asked as they walked under the same umbrella.
"You worried she'll be lonely?"
"She's the type who can't sit still. Leaving her alone at home like that... who knows what kind of crazy stuff she might get up to."
"Well, it's only until the afternoon. Setsuna will be meeting her then, and I'm sure she can keep it together until then."
The two of them walked together under the drizzling rain until they reached the subway station. Haruto folded up the umbrella, tapped his commuter card through the gate, and bought a single-use ticket for Yotsuha. They rode the subway side by side, with Yotsuha quietly observing the train interior.
Haruto lived in a fairly safe neighborhood, and there usually weren't any strange characters around. As they sat together in the subway car, Yotsuha's gaze swept across the overhead advertisements, particularly drawn to the ones for funeral services. Her eyes lingered there with a mix of intrigue and unease.
In this country, death wasn't really a taboo subject. Some residential buildings were built right next to cemeteries—so-called "grave-view apartments."
While such ads weren't always front and center, Japan's aging population had made them increasingly common. Many elderly people even made arrangements for their own funerals in advance—choosing their "final home," as the ads put it.
Haruto, for his part, wasn't paying attention to the posters. He was too busy thinking about his upcoming meeting with Mari —his editor—regarding the proposed film adaptation.
Two station changes later, they arrived near the headquarters of Sakura Publishing. At the entrance, Haruto gave their names, and despite being in the middle of reviewing documents, Mari promptly dropped her work and came to greet them in the meeting room.
"This girl is?" Mari asked curiously.
"My little sister. Miyamizu Yotsuha."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Mari Kazaoka, your brother's editor."
"I'm Miyamizu Yotsuha. Pleased to meet you."
Yotsuha gave a polite bow and quietly sat next to Haruto. Mari handed him a file, which he began reviewing carefully.
"The other party is quite a well-known director—he's even been nominated for the Academy of Film's Best Picture award."
"Nominated?" Haruto raised a brow.
"Yes, just a nomination."
The industry was currently in a transitional phase—many veteran directors had stepped back, and suitable successors were few and far between.
"Even a nomination is a big deal when it comes to Japan's top film awards," Mari continued.
"That's true. I'm already grateful someone wants to adapt my work. What's their offer?"
"Three million yen."
Haruto paused for a moment, calculating. It wasn't a huge amount, but certainly not small either—especially for a new author like him. Honestly, it was generous.
"Any conditions?"
"None."
"None at all? Three million and no strings?"
"None."
Haruto studied the contract carefully. Everything seemed in order. Until now, his work had only been adapted into small indie films. The idea of it hitting the big screen filled him with a strange sense of awe.
After scanning all the terms and clauses again, Haruto nodded.
"So I can sign right now?"
"You could, or you can wait to meet the director first. He's quite interested in you, actually."
"Me?"
Mari gave him a look. "He apparently knows who you are and said he'd like to invite you to audition for the film. He wants you to consider playing the 'angel' character—his words, not mine."
"..."
Haruto raised his gaze, deadpan. "Acting's a tough job. The pay's not even that great, is it?"
"Well... yeah, generally that's true."
Most of the real money came from sponsorships and variety show appearances—not base salaries.
"Then I'll pass."
He signed the contract, handed it back, and asked, "Anything else?"
"Not really. If the film does well, it'll boost your book sales too."
"Hopefully."
When his book was first printed—just 6,000 copies—he'd nearly given up on it. But then, by some twist of fate, it took off. Now with over 100,000 copies sold, he was inching toward the 200,000 mark.
Ironically, he hadn't even finished writing his next book yet—and who knew if it would be able to live up to his debut?
"When your new book's ready, we could time the release with the movie premiere and run a co-promotion," Mari suggested.
"That's a good idea. I'll do my best."
Film production would likely take at least six months to a year. There was no need to rush. Haruto stood and looked at Yotsuha beside him.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
Mari stood and tidied her desk. Haruto's gaze automatically flicked to her sheer black stockings beneath her short skirt before he quickly averted his eyes.
They said their goodbyes and exited the building.
As they walked away, Yotsuha peeked up at him.
"You want to ask something?" Haruto asked, noticing her gaze.
"Not really. Just… will your book really become a movie?"
"Most likely. I signed the contract, so unless something unexpected happens, it should."
"Will they show it in Itomori?"
"Hmm... probably not. But they might screen it in Hida or Nagoya."
"Oh."
Yotsuha didn't seem overly excited. If it were Mitsuha, she'd probably be clinging to his arm right now, asking a million questions about the movie.
"Alright then," Haruto said with a small smile. "Let's go explore a bit before we meet Mitsuha."
He had expected the meeting to take an hour or two, but it had wrapped up in barely thirty minutes. The movie deal was practically a win-win for him—no downside. He wasn't the type to stubbornly cling to some "pure literary soul" ideal. If something paid well and made sense, he'd go for it.
With three million yen in the bag, he was one step closer to his goal of thirty million.
If I fall short, should I consider taking out a loan?
He winced at the thought. He hated debt. The idea of owing money made his skin crawl. No—he would earn the rest himself before graduating high school.
Yotsuha, walking beside him, noticed the furrow in his brow and wondered what her brother was thinking about. But afraid to interrupt, she kept quiet, letting him lead her by the hand.
Haruto eventually stopped overthinking the future and focused back on the present. He looked at his little sister and sighed in quiet admiration.
Twin-tails were cute. Yotsuha was cute. But… there is still something missing.
Without warning, he led her into a beauty salon.
"Huh?" she blinked in confusion.
Before she could react, a stylist had already seated her in the chair.
"Achoo!"
Back in the apartment, Mitsuha sneezed loudly and looked around.
Something didn't feel right—like someone was doing something behind her back that she definitely wouldn't approve of.
"What time is it now?"
Still just before noon. She had eaten breakfast not long ago, so her stomach wasn't grumbling yet.
"Ugh…"
Letting out a long sigh, Mitsuha's gaze shifted from the bed… to the drawer in Haruto's desk.
Embarrassed, but more curious than anything, she slowly reached out, pulled the drawer open, and laid eyes on a small red box inside—
~~~~~~~~~~
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