Outing Day
"Ritsu… are you ready to meet your very first friend?" Kaori asked in a sing-song voice as she knelt beside her baby boy, brushing a few strands of his fine hair back with affection. "Later, you two can play together in the park."
"Ahh~" Ritsu cooed, raising both tiny fists in the air in delight, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Kaori chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Aren't you excited? Hmm… I guess being around boring old grown-ups all the time must've been tough for you. Mama feels so sad now…" she said with exaggerated melancholy, pretending to wipe away a tear.
"Ahh~ Maa~" Ritsu babbled anxiously, waving one hand in the air as if trying to comfort her, his little face scrunching in concern.
Kaori laughed and scooped him up into her arms. "Relax, sweetie, Mama's just teasing you. You're too adorable when you get all serious."
She grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, locked the door, and stepped out into the bright morning sunshine.
---
'It's strange,' Ritsu thought as he nestled against Kaori's shoulder. 'Not having memories of a past life has definitely changed me. I mean, I'm a literal baby, and my emotions feel… raw, unfiltered. I actually felt anxious when Mom joked just now. Not to mention I'm genuinely excited to meet another baby. Guess I really have adapted to this new life. But hey… Mom's happy, and I have been getting bored staying home all day. Maybe a friend wouldn't be so bad after all. I've decided I want a fulfilling life, and childhood without friends wouldn't be very fulfilling, would it?'
Kaori walked a short distance before stopping in front of a familiar house. She knocked gently on the door.
Knock knock.
"Coming~!" came a high-pitched, cheerful voice from inside.
The door opened to reveal a lively little girl with short bangs and a sunny grin. "Hello, how can—oh! Aunt Isshiki! Hello!" she beamed, waving energetically.
"Hello, Maki-chan," Kaori greeted with a smile. "Is your mom inside?"
"Yes, Auntie. Mama's feeding Taki-chan right now. Ohh… hello, baby-chan!" Maki chirped, waving at Ritsu.
Ritsu stared at her, expression unreadable.
'Wait… why does she look familiar? Is this déjà vu?'
Kaori and Maki walked into the house and headed for the living room. Inside, a woman with a gentle presence was seated on the couch, cradling a baby girl.
"Good morning, Shii-chan. And good morning to you too, Taki-chan!" Kaori greeted warmly. "Look, I brought someone new to play with you today. Ritsu, say hello. This is Aunt Shiirai and her daughter, Taki—your new friend. And over here is Maki-oneechan."
Ritsu raised a tiny hand and waved to everyone in the room.
"Kyahh! Kawaiiii!" Maki squealed. "Ri-chan is so adorable!"
"Aww, he's just the cutest thing," Shiirai agreed, eyes sparkling.
'Well, that's to be expected. I am pretty cute,' Ritsu thought smugly.
"Taki-chan is also very cute," Kaori said, patting the baby girl's head. "Shii-chan, let's take them to the park. We can chat there while they play. Maki can help watch over them. What do you say?"
"I'm on it!" Maki saluted, puffing out her chest with pride.
Shiirai picked up crawling Taki, while Kaori shifted Ritsu into a carrier. Together, the little group made their way out.
---
The sun was warm, a soft breeze rustling through the leaves as they walked to the nearby park.
"The weather's lovely today," Kaori said, shielding her eyes.
"Yeah… after last week's rainstorm, I thought it'd be muggy," Shiirai replied, stretching her shoulders.
While the mothers chatted on way, Ritsu and Taki held in a baby carrier hung around both both mothers.
The two babies stared at each other silently.
Ritsu turned away, curiously observing his surroundings.
Taki huffed triumphantly.
'Wait… did she think the staring was a contest? And she's proud of winning it? You smug little—'
He turned back and locked eyes with her again, narrowing his gaze in mock determination. But before he could hold it for long, he sneezed, breaking eye contact. A soft giggle followed.
He turned to see Taki smugly laughing.
'Oh, it's on. Just wait. I'll defeat you in the ultimate battlefield of children—THE PARK.'
He glared again, only to meet an equally fiery look from Taki.
Kaori, noticing the look on Ritsu's face, chuckled and rubbed his head. "What's wrong, Ritsu? If you grind your gums like that, you won't have any teeth left when you grow up!"
"Aaa~ Aiii~" Ritsu turned away, babbling nonsense, cheeks puffed.
Maki giggled. "Ri-chan and Taki-chan are totally gonna be besties."
'Best friends with this smug brat? Not happening.'
---
Soon, they reached the park. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Ritsu and Taki made a beeline for the sandpit.
"They're so full of energy," Shiirai commented, sitting down beside Kaori on the bench. "Maki, keep an eye on them, alright?"
"Got it, Mom!" Maki replied, already jogging after them.
Ritsu scooped up sand with determination in his eyes.
'Let's settle this, Taki. I'll build a sandcastle so grand, you'll admit defeat on the spot. Muahahaha…'
He started giggling out loud, a strangely villainous tone to it.
Beside him, Taki worked hard too, though hers was… less structurally sound.
Minutes later, Ritsu's sturdy, two-tiered sandcastle stood tall. Taki's? It was short, lopsided, and beginning to crumble.
Ritsu puffed his chest and pointed at his masterpiece.
'Behold! Bow before the sand king!'
Taki pouted and glared at him, turning her face away in dramatic defeat.
Maki, who had made friends with some older kids nearby, still kept an eye on the two younger ones while playing. She chuckled when she saw Ritsu acting triumphant.
Then suddenly—a new presence entered the arena.
A boy with a soccer ball came running through the sandpit.
"Sorry!" he shouted hastily, as his foot crunched through Taki's little castle, reducing it to rubble.
Taki's lower lip trembled. Her eyes welled with tears.
Ritsu blinked, his little fists clenched. He waddled over and plopped down in front of her.
From his pocket, he produced a neatly folded handkerchief (a gift from Kaori, always prepared for her stylish baby boy) and gently dabbed her tears.
"Guu~ Gaa~ Gaaa~," he babbled dramatically, as if giving a speech of encouragement after tragedy.
Taki blinked, then broke into giggles, reaching out to hug him.
He hesitated, then hugged her back.
'Well… having a cute childhood friend is part of a fulfilling life, right?'
Just then, Maki wrapped her arms around both of them in a tight hug. "You guys are just the cutest!"
From the bench, both mothers pulled out their phones and started snapping pictures rapidly.
"I'm sending this to my husband immediately," Kaori whispered.
"Same here," Shiirai said, misty-eyed.
'Taki's/Ritsu's dad is totally going to be jealous today…' they both thought in sync, smiling softly.
---
Later that Night
The Isshiki home was quiet and calm when Kaori's husband walked through the front door. He loosened his tie, let out a sigh, and stepped into the living room.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back," Kaori called from the sofa, holding her phone. "Ritsu's already asleep. But I have something to show you."
"Oh?" he walked over, curious. "What is it?"
Kaori grinned, tapping on her phone, then turned the screen to him.
His eyes widened as he looked at a picture of Ritsu standing tall beside his sandcastle, puffed chest and all. Another photo showed Taki hugging Ritsu, and finally—Maki squishing both in a group hug, all three smiling or giggling.
"...You've gotta be kidding me," he whispered.
Kaori stifled a laugh. "Jealous?"
He slumped on the couch beside her. "Absolutely. That punk already has two girls wrapped around his finger?"
"Looks like your son is a natural," Kaori said, laying her head on his shoulder. "Just like his dad."
He smiled. "We're going to have our hands full with him, huh?"
Kaori nodded, already looking forward to the days ahead.
———————
[A/N]
Yep it's Shiina Taki and Shiina Maki from the anime It's MyGO!!!!!.
Thanks for watching