The spring sun pierced through the thick clouds, leaving behind only a gloomy, gray-white cast, like the background of a photographic negative.
A girl in a khaki-colored, belted trench coat was now carrying a huge suitcase, making her way with heavy steps toward the exit of Haneda Airport.
From her outfit, which was ill-suited for the season, and the maximum-sized 28-inch suitcase, it wasn't hard to tell that the girl had just completed a long and distant journey—
"Haaah..."
A sense of relief and exhaustion, accompanied by the low atmospheric pressure, turned into an inescapable sigh from the girl.
"Was it really alright to just run back home like this..."
At this thought, she couldn't help but stop and turn her head to look at the sky outside the window.
In her memory, the sky in Wales was always this overcast and rainy, and the foreign faces coming and going in the airport gave her the illusion that she was still abroad.
Even after returning to the homeland she was most familiar with, her heart couldn't find the peace and healing it longed for.
At this moment, she desperately wanted to see one person.
The person she missed the most while she was in the UK, the important person who saved her heart from the pain of loneliness.
"..."
Thinking of this, she once again tightened her grip on the suitcase handle and began to walk forward hastily, her pace several degrees faster than before.
...
"You've been through so much, Anon... If you're tired, you can sleep for a while in the car."
"It's okay, Mom... I already slept on the plane."
In the taxi on the way back, Chihaya Anon gently shook her head.
Hearing her daughter's listless voice, Chihaya Anon's mother couldn't help but show a pained expression.
"Why do the children in our family always have to go through so many cruel things..."
"It's not that dramatic... I just paid a small price for my own immaturity and whimsical ideas."
Chihaya Anon gently kneaded her arm, which was a little sore from carrying the luggage.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I couldn't stick with it."
"That's not true at all. Anon, you've already worked so hard!"
Seeing Chihaya Anon's mood beginning to sink even lower, her mother quickly said:
"Oh, right, you mentioned before that you really missed Japanese food over there, didn't you? Let's book a high-end restaurant for tonight! Let me think, which one would be good..."
"No, that's okay. I don't really have an appetite today. I can just eat whatever."
Chihaya Anon said with her head lowered:
"More importantly, is Brother at home right now?"
"Tetsuya, huh..."
After hearing this question, Chihaya Anon's mother hesitated for a moment before answering:
"Tetsuya recently found a fashion studio he really likes, and he's working there as an assistant now. To make his commute easier, he rented a place over there directly."
"...Eh? Brother moved out?!"
Upon hearing this, Chihaya Anon shot up from her seat, her previously low and dejected tone quickly replaced by urgency—
"Where is it? Is it far from home?!"
"It's not that far. Even though he's moved out, he's still in Tokyo, at least."
Chihaya Anon's mother said.
"It's just that he seems to have taken on a very important job recently, so he hasn't had time to come home for a while."
"How could this be..."
Receiving this answer, Chihaya Anon leaned back weakly against the seat. While the fact that he was still in Tokyo kept her from complete despair, the disappointment of not being able to see him right away quickly intensified her negative feelings.
"Does this mean I'll only be able to see him on days off and holidays?"
"..."
However, at Chihaya Anon's predictable frustration and disappointment, her mother smiled as if she had expected it all along.
"Anon."
"...Hm?"
"Do you want to live with Tetsuya?"
"...Eh?!"
Chihaya Anon's expression froze for a moment, then immediately bloomed with uncontrollable surprise.
"Wait, Mom, what did you just say?! I can live with Brother?!"
"Because Tetsuya's new place is right near Haneoka Girls' Academy. If you live there, not only will you be able to see your beloved brother every day, but your commute will also be much more convenient."
Seeing her daughter's easy-to-read reaction, the corners of her mother's mouth couldn't help but lift a little more.
"As for Tetsuya, I'm sure he wouldn't have any objections... What do you think?"
"Yes, yes! I'd love to be with Brother!"
This unexpected, delightful proposal made Chihaya Anon's tone shed its earlier gloom, becoming lively and excited. However, when she noticed her mother watching her with a wide grin, she immediately blushed and shrank back into her seat.
"Um... It's not that I dislike our home, you know. It's just that I haven't seen Brother in so long, so I..."
"It's okay, it's okay. After all, our Anon has always liked her brother the most."
Chihaya Anon's mother patted her head dotingly.
"But for today, let's have you rest up at home. You can go to Tetsuya's place tomorrow, how does that sound?"
"Mhm!"
Chihaya Anon nodded forcefully, a warm and sunny smile once again blooming on her face.
On the other side, seeing her daughter's face finally return to its usual self, Chihaya Anon's mother also revealed a relieved smile.
"Our Anon is such a transparent bro-con."
Chihaya Anon's mother teased with a laugh.
"By the way, step-siblings with no blood relation are allowed to get married, you know."
"Eh? Get married?! Mom, what are you talking about!"
Chihaya Anon hurriedly shook her head in denial:
"It's true that I really like Brother, but it's more out of respect and familial affection! Marriage... I've never even thought about it!"
"Is that so."
Chihaya Anon's mother first nodded in understanding, then showed a slightly worried expression.
"Speaking of which, Tetsuya has never had a girlfriend his whole life. Ever since he came to our family, that child's mind has been completely filled with repaying the Chihaya family and becoming a top-tier designer. I've never seen him enjoy his youth at all..."
"That seriousness and sense of gratitude are what's great about Brother!"
Chihaya Anon crossed her arms and said with a serious face:
"Besides, if Brother really got a girlfriend, wouldn't I not be able to cling to him like I used to?"
"Now, listen to yourself."
Hearing this, her mother couldn't help but ask back, amused:
"Then what will you do if Tetsuya can't find a girlfriend in the future?"
"In that case, wouldn't it be fine if I just take care of him for the rest of his life?"
Chihaya Anon said with a cheerful grin.
At the same time, as if sensing the young girl's mood, the once-gloomy sky shifted. A bright beam of light shone down from a gap in the clouds, in an instant melting away the sky's somberness.
Chihaya Anon finally saw the sunny spring sky she had been looking forward to ever since her return from Wales.