Kotori wandered through the bustling streets of Chiyoda, the noise of passing cars and chattering pedestrians fading into the background. Her mind was elsewhere, repying Sachi's weird behavior over and over.

  Her brows furrowed. 'Why did she act like that? And how could she forget her own school? That's not normal...'

  Lost in thought, she suddenly found herself in front of Homura, a familiar Japanese sweet shop. She hesitated for a moment before sliding the door open.

  Cck–

  "Welcome— Ah! Kotori-nee!" A cheerful voice greeted her

  A young girl with a slim build, brown hair, and teal eyes beamed at her from behind the counter.

  "Hello, Yukiho-chan!" Kotori responded with a warm smile.

  "Nee-chan and Umi-nee are upstairs!" Yukiho chirped, waving her toward the stairs.

  Kotori let out a small giggle. "Thanks! I'll go see them."

  She climbed the stairs to the second floor of the shop, heading toward her friend's room, still lost in thought.

  Sliding the door open–

  Cck—

  "Ah! Kotori!"

  A girl with vibrant orange hair stood up and charged straight at Kotori, pulling her into a tight hug. Her cheerful energy practically radiated through the room.

  "Ah! Ehehe... Hey, Honoka-chan!" Kotori giggled, hugging her back.

  A sigh escaped the lips of a blue-haired girl sitting near the table. "Honoka, don't just rush at people." she reprimanded

  Honoka scratched the back of her head with a sheepish grin. "Ehehe, sorry..."

  Kotori and Honoka settled onto the floor near the table, sitting in a wariza position.

  Umi, who had been watching Kotori closely, noticed her unusual behavior– her gaze drifting, her thoughts elsewhere. Concerned, she furrowed her brows. "Ne, Kotori is everything alright?" she asked.

  Honoka, sensing the shift in mood, also turned to Kotori with a worried expression.

  Kotori hesitated, averting her gaze before sighing. "It's my cousin, Sacchan... she seemed off today— too distant, she even forgot what school she goes to."

  "Maybe she's just having an off day." Umi suggested.

  Kotori shook her head. "No... From what I remember, Sacchan has always been energetic and expressive..." she trailed off, deep in thought.

  "Then why don't we cheer her up?" Honoka chimed in, her usual enthusiasm shining through. "That might help!"

  Umi shot her a skeptical look. "That might just make things worse."

  Honoka pouted. "We won't know until we try!"

  Umi deadpanned. "No, Besides, Kotori's cousin doesn't even know you..."

  Kotori let out a small giggle. "Thanks for worrying about Sacchan, guys... But I think I'll just talk to my mom. Maybe she'll know what to do."

  Honoka and Umi exchanged a gnce before nodding.

  "That sounds like a better idea, Kotori." Umi agreed

  Suddenly, Honoka perked up. "Oh! Have you guys heard the rumor?"

  "Rumor?" Kotori and Umi echoed, their brows furrowing in confusion.

  Honoka tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I heard people saying that the school might close down."

  Kotori blinked in surprise. "Huh? But I haven't heard anything from my mom about that..."

  Umi rested her hand on her chin, deep in thought. "It could be because of the declining number of students."

  Honoka's eyes widened as she suddenly smmed her hands on the table. "Wait— so the rumors are real?!"

  Umi gave a small nod. "It's possible. More students might be choosing modern schools like UTX over ours."

  The trio continued chatting about the rumors, their conversation stretching on for hours until the clock struck 5 pm.

  "Ah! It's already this te? I need to get going!" Kotori excimed, standing up and waving both hands.

  "Be careful, Kotori!" Honoka called out

  "Take care!" Umi added with a small smile

  Kotori returned their smiles before heading out.

  ??????????????

  "Tadaima!" Kotori called out as she stepped into her house, slipping off her shoes in the entrance hall.

  "Okaeri." Her mother's tired voice drifted from the living room.

  Kotori made her way inside, stopping as she saw her mother seated on the sofa, surrounded by stacks of paperwork. Her brows were furrowed in deep concentration, the fatigue evident in her posture.

  Tilting her head in curiosity, Kotori asked, "What are those papers, Mom?"

  Her mother let out a weary sigh, rubbing her temples before responding. "Just paperwork for the school... It's been a lot to handle tely."

  Seeing her mother's exhaustion, Kotori circled around and gently pced her hands on her shoulders, giving her a light massage. "You should take a break, Mom."

  Her mother sighed again, this time with a bit more relief. "Yeah... I suppose a short break wouldn't hurt."

  Smiling, Kotori moved to sit across from her, watching as her mother finally leaned back into the couch. She hesitated for a moment, shifting her legs slightly. She didn't want to add more to her mother's burden, but the worry gnawed at her.

  "What's wrong?" Her mother's sharp gaze flickered to her, immediately noticing her hesitation.

  Kotori bit her lip before exhaling. "It's about Sacchan..."

  Her mother's brow knitted in concern. "What about her?"

  "She was acting... different today. Distant.. It felt like she wasn't herself.. She even forgot which school she goes to..." Kotori trailed off, her expression clouded with worry. "I'm just... really worried, Mom."

  "That is strange..." Her mother murmured, cupping her chin in thought. After a brief pause, she looked at Kotori. "Why don't we invite her to live with us? That way, we can keep an eye on her."

  Kotori's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, Mom! I'll ask her when I visit in a few days!" she said, her voice brimming with excitement.

  Her mother smiled gently. "Sure."

  But just as Kotori was about to rex, a thought crossed her mind. Her excitement dimmed as she hesitated before asking. "By the way, Mom... how come Sacchan is living alone?"

  Her mother let out a weary sigh, her brows knitting together. "It's... a punishment."

  Kotori blinked. "Punishment?"

  Her mother nodded, her voice tinged with regret. "She had an outburst at home... In the process, she accidentally hurt her older sister. Her father had enough and decided to kick her out."

  Kotori's eyes widened in shock. "B-but... isn't that too harsh?!"

  Her mother sighed again, rubbing her temples. "It is.. My sister didn't agree with it either.. That's why she asked me to look after Sachi."

  Kotori slumped against the sofa, her hands gripping her skirt. "Still.. Did they really have to go that far...?"

  Her mother didn't respond immediately, simply watching Kotori with a soft yet conflicted expression.

  A heavy silence settled between them.

  ??????????????

  A warm, familiar scent of home filled the modest house, wrapping it in a comforting embrace. A middle-aged woman stood at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables with practiced ease, her soft humming blending with the rhythmic sound of the knife against the board.

  As she rinsed the meat for dinner, her thoughts drifted.

  'I should find a way to make that stubborn son of mine take a break. He's always pushing himself too hard..."

  A small smile touched her lips as she imagined scolding him, only for him to brush it off with the same determined look in his eyes.

  Just as she began cutting the meat, the house phone rang.

  Ring— Ring—

  Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried to answer.

  "Hello, this is the residence of..."

  A calm but somber voice replied on the other end.

  "Good evening, ma'am. This is the police. Are you the mother of...?"

  Her heart skipped a beat. A chill crept into her bones.

  "Yes, that's my son... Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice suddenly unsteady.

  The officer hesitated for a moment. Then, in a voice weighed down by duty, he spoke.

  "...I'm very sorry for your loss, ma'am. Your son was found deceased in his apartment. The cause of death appears to be a brain aneurysm. We—"

  The rest of his words faded into meaningless noise.

  Her grip on the phone sckened. The room seemed to tilt.

  'No... That can't be right'

  The phone slipped from her trembling fingers, cttering against the floor. Her legs gave way, and she crumpled to her knees.

  A gut-wrenching cry tore from her throat, raw and broken. A sound of grief too deep for words.

  Footsteps pounded down the stairs.

  "Mom?!" A girl rushed to her side, arms wrapping around her shaking frame. "Mom, what's wrong? What happened?!"

  The woman gasped for air between sobs. Her lips trembled as she forced out the words. "Your brother... He's gone."

  The world froze.

  The girl stiffened, her breath hitching. Then, as realization took hold, she clung to her mother, her own tears spilling freely.

  Their cries of anguish intertwined, echoing through the house– filling the once-warm home with an unbearable, suffocating emptiness.

  Amidst the grief, a mother's thoughts spiraled.

  'I should have been firmer... I should have told him to rest... I should have checked up on him more... I should have made sure he knew— That all I ever wanted... was for him to be happy."

  But it was too te.

  And so, in that quiet, grief-stricken home, a mother and daughter wept for the son and brother they would never hold again.

  ??????????????

  A/N

  Wariza - This is an informal sitting position, where the butt is on the floor and the lower legs bent off to the side.