After making up her mind, Yui quickly extracted the data from the device and connected it to her computer. Thankfully, it still worked, though the quality wasn't great.
Once connected, Yui accessed the data storage and found numerous short clips, each lasting a few minutes, with dates labeled on them. At first, the recordings were frequent, but they grew sparse over time.
She selected the first one.
The screen flickered, and a woman appeared, seemingly adjusting the camera, accompanied by a grating static noise.
"How do I use this thing? Hmm, is this recording mode?" A woman with a kind face and dark brown hair, resembling Kotsuki and Kaguya's current shades, filled the frame—her features were about ninety percent similar.
"Hello! It's your mom here, Kaguya and Kotsuki. This recording, and the ones to follow, is to capture little moments in Kotsuki and Kaguya's lives. Hi, my darlings!"
"There's nothing too special about it, really. I just thought it'd be nice to have something for us to watch together later. I hope you two won't feel too embarrassed looking back, ehe."
"Oh, one more thing. Kotsuki's 11th birthday is coming up, so I'm planning to take you both out. Where should we go, I wonder? I'm also thinking about what to get my little Kotsuki as a gift…"
"Well, let's wait and see. I promise there'll be plenty of birthday moments for you in here, Kotsuki!"
The first clip ended abruptly there, but even that was enough for Yui to grasp its purpose.
If these were just snapshots of Kaguya and Kotsuki's lives, Yui felt she shouldn't watch more. She considered messaging Kotsuki about it but hesitated, unsure how to explain its origins. Even she didn't know where it came from—only the person who asked her to retrieve it would.
As she pondered her next move, her phone rang, snapping her back to reality.
"Moshi moshi," the familiar voice of the Captain came through, cheerful and excited.
"Captain…" Yui's tone, on the other hand, was heavier than usual.
"Yeah, it's me. How was your first day of school, Yui?"
"Pretty normal."
"So, not normal, huh? Did you make any friends?"
"I talked to a few people, but… I wouldn't call them friends," Yui answered honestly.
"Oh, I see. No worries, everyone struggles at first, haha!" His laughter boomed from the other end.
"Captain."
"What's up?"
"…."
"Hey, say something! What's wrong, Yui?"
"You know what I want to ask, don't you?"
"Hmm… I think I can guess."
"…."
"So… why?" Yui asked, her voice low.
"Why, you ask… Yui, what do you think about it?"
"Nothing. Are you hoping I'll feel sympathy or pity and offer help? I've only watched the first clip, and I already think it's wrong to keep going—it's invading their privacy."
"You haven't watched it all? I figured you'd go through everything," the Captain chuckled.
"Why? You told me to come here and enjoy a new life, but now you've thrown these bombshells at me—what am I supposed to do with that…?"
"Hmm… you're right, but sadly, there's no answer for that."
"What? Are you deliberately making this hard for me—…"
"Yui! What does enjoying life mean to you?" the Captain interrupted.
"…Doing what I like, living how I want. I guess that's it," Yui replied.
"Correct. But do you think enjoying life is best done alone, or with someone to share it with?"
"That… depends on the person."
"So, which type are you?"
"Probably… enjoying it alone," Yui said, though her voice lacked conviction.
"That's what worries me," the Captain said, his tone shifting from playful to serious.
"What do you mean?"
"Sigh, I've seen so many people say they're fine living alone, but deep down, no one can do it forever—not even you."
"But haven't I always—…" Yui stopped, knowing that once the Captain had this mindset, it was hard to change.
"Yui, don't I have to think about your family?" the Captain asked suddenly.
"…Why are you asking that? Haven't we settled this long ago?" Yui's voice grew strained.
"Hahaha, of course. I'm your only family, and you're mine too. So, I don't want my family to live in solitude—that's only natural, right?"
"So… haven't you considered us living together?" Yui asked.
"Why not? That'd be the best scenario for us, but you know it won't be that simple. Until we root out that organization, we won't have peace. That's why I'm planning a backup—for me and for you."
Yui sighed. "I don't need you to plan an escape for me. If you decide to move forward, you know I'll be right beside you…"
"I know, and I'm not stopping you. But this is something I have to do. If you see me as family, this is how I take care of you—whether you like it or not, I'll do it."
"Fine, but I want to know why Shinoma-san?" Yui pressed.
"Who knows? I think she's cute and charming, comes from a wealthy family, and her personality suits you too."
"…Suits me how?!"
"Hahahah, don't worry, you'll figure it out with time. When you do, you'll thank me for giving you such a great gift."
"Who gives a gift like this?!" Yui felt a headache coming on from this unusual "present."
"Alright, do what you want. That's my answer, but I still want you to watch the rest of the clips. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for whatever comes after."
"You're still so annoying."
"Oh, thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment!"
"Alright, Yui, I've sent you a few things. They should arrive in a couple of days. Make sure to pick them up."
"Are you planning another—…"
Before Yui could finish, the call cut off.
"…."
"This is giving me a headache."
Now Yui faced the dilemma of whether to continue watching. Though she understood the Captain's intent, the suddenness of it all left her struggling to adjust.
As she hesitated, another message from the Captain popped up. "Give it a try, will you? Consider it a chance for them and for yourself."
"…."
After nearly half an hour of silent contemplation, Yui decided to watch more.
The second clip.
"Hello! Today, Kotsuki got a perfect score, so I'm taking her out to celebrate. Little Kaguya gets to tag along too!"
The woman turned the camera toward a girl with a messy, food-smeared face, grinning innocently, then panned to a smaller child.
"Come on, you two, no fighting—there's plenty of food!"
"I want this!" Kaguya's childish voice piped up.
"Here, if you want it, take it," Kotsuki said, easily handing over her share with a smile, patting Kaguya's head.
"Oh my, Kotsuki really loves her little sister, doesn't she?"
The clip continued with everyday scenes of the mother and her two daughters, and Yui found herself smiling without realizing it.
"Oh, a reminder—Kotsuki's birthday is just a month away!" the woman whispered to the camera before the recording ended.
…..
The following clips were mostly about small, mundane moments in Kotsuki and Kaguya's lives. Yui watched every one, but she noticed the father appeared rarely, if at all.
Then she spotted a clip titled "11th Birthday," expecting a memorable day, but it turned out differently.
It opened with the mother filming decorations—brief, simple scenes. The three of them waited for the father to return for a family celebration, but time dragged on with no sign of him.
Reluctantly, the mother stepped aside to make a call. "It's Kotsuki's 11th birthday today. Are you coming home?"
"Oh no, I forgot! I'll try to get back as soon as I can," a man's voice replied.
"She's still waiting for you."
"Mom, is Dad not coming?" little Kotsuki asked, approaching.
"Good girl, Kotsuki, he's on his way," the mother said, forcing a smile to keep the mood light.
"Wow, then I'll wait!" Kotsuki said eagerly, running off to play with Kaguya nearby.
…..
"Mom, is Dad still not back?"
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
"I don't know. Let me call him again," the mother sighed, stepping away. She returned with a troubled look. "Sorry, sweetie, he can't make it."
"It's okay. Let's cut the cake. I'll save a piece for Dad," Kotsuki said maturely, though to Yui, it felt like a mask for her disappointment.
"Good girl, I'll ask Dad to get you a makeup gift," the mother said, hugging Kotsuki.
"Yes, ma'am."
The birthday recording ended there.
After that, new clips appeared sporadically, every few days, but they were short. It seemed the disappointment lingered, and little Kotsuki in the videos couldn't regain her former cheer.
"Sorry, I have to go on a business trip for a few days."
"It's fine, you're doing your best. I'll take good care of Kaguya and Kotsuki."
"Thank you."
The clip ended with that brief exchange.
In the next one, the mother planned to take Kotsuki out to unwind, but the father returned just then. Little Kaguya, innocent and eager, ran to hug him.
"Haha, good girl, I've got a gift for you!" the father said.
That seemed to ignite Kotsuki's pent-up anger from afar. She stormed over, shouting, "You only care about Kaguya! You didn't even come for my birthday!"
"Kotsuki, don't talk to your father like that!" the mother said, quickly setting the camera down to intervene.
"No! You favor Kaguya—I hate you!" Kotsuki yelled, running to her room.
"Wait, Kotsuki, ah… stay with Kaguya, I'll go after her," the mother said.
"Dad, did I make big sister hate me?" little Kaguya asked tearfully.
"No, no. It's my fault. I'll talk to Kotsuki later—don't feel guilty, Kaguya."
"Yes, sir."
The final clip.
"I'm planning to take Kotsuki back to our hometown for a while. She's been stressed with school, so don't be too hard on her."
"Okay, I'll leave Kotsuki in your care for now. I'll apologize to her later."
"Yes, and you take care of yourself too."
…..
And that was the end. Yui could guess what happened next from Kotsuki's earlier account.
"I wonder where the Captain even found this—and this photo too…" Yui looked at the picture of Kaguya and her mother, a strange unease stirring within her.