The whole day passed slowly like this.
When Tsuna and Shouko returned home, Daisuke had already come back and was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching TV.
Tsuna collapsed on the tatami, thinking that his father would never come back this early unless his mother called to nag him for dinner. In a tired voice, he asked curiously:
"Dad, why did you come back so early today?"
"I came back early because I caught a few big fish," Daisuke replied proudly.
Shouko sat down next to Tsuna and gently fanned him with a small fan.
When she heard Daisuke say that, she stopped fanning right away, clapped her hands enthusiastically, and said, "Wow! Uncle is amazing!"
Her reaction made Daisuke, who was lounging on the sofa, even more pleased with himself, his nose practically pointing at the ceiling.
Tsuna, sprawled on the tatami, could tell from his father's smug tone that he probably really did catch something this time.
But he still didn't quite get it. Shouldn't his dad be driving around right now, showing off the catch instead of coming home? He asked, puzzled:
"Then you shouldn't have come back so early."
Before Daisuke could answer, Shizuka's exasperated voice drifted in from outside the living room:
"I ran into him at the vegetable market this afternoon. He was just pacing around with two fish. When I finished shopping and came out, he was still circling the same spot. So I just grabbed him and the fish and dragged him home."
She didn't forget to add, "I don't get what's so great about showing off two fish."
Daisuke, still on the sofa, glanced at Shizuka as she entered the living room. She took the fan from Shouko's hand and gave Tsuna's backside a firm swat with it, then said dryly, "You don't understand, wife—"
But before he could finish, Shizuka cut him off mercilessly: "And those fish aren't even as big as the ones you've brought home before. What's there to brag about this time?"
That shut Daisuke up immediately. Tsuna, still lying there, slowly turned over and silently gave his mother a thumbs-up in his heart. She'd nailed it.
Seeing Daisuke speechless, Shizuka turned to Shouko and asked gently, "Shouko, do you want to stay here and have dinner with Auntie?"
The main reason she'd come into the living room was to call them to eat.
Shouko shook her head, politely declined, and stood up to say she'd come over to play again later. Tsuna got up to walk her to the door.
"Tsuna, let's fold little stars together later, okay?" Shouko said sweetly, changing her shoes at the entrance.
"Yeah," Tsuna nodded right away, remembering that if Shouko hadn't reminded him, he would've completely forgotten the craft homework that Teacher Minagawa had given them on Friday.
After watching Shouko leave, Tsuna walked back into the living room. Shizuka came over and gently patted his head. "Come on, let's eat."
———————
Knock knock knock… Shouko stood at her front door, knocking hard.
A kind voice called out from inside, "I'm coming, I'm coming, don't rush!" But Shouko kept knocking.
When the door finally opened, it was Grandma Ito who greeted her. Shouko asked in confusion, "Grandma, why are you here? Where's Mom?"
She clearly remembered that today was her mother's day off—she'd been home all day.
Grandma Ito explained gently as she stepped aside to let Shouko in: "She got a call this afternoon—someone called in sick, so she had to rush out."
"Oh…" Shouko looked a little disappointed. This had happened many times these past few years, but she still couldn't get used to it. She figured it was her mother's part-time job at the local izakaya again.
"Come in and eat. Shizuka sent over two big fish today," Grandma Ito said, reaching out to gently ruffle Shouko's hair as she stood there motionless.
"Okay!" Shouko quickly perked up. She wanted to eat fast and then hurry over to play with Tsuna. She smiled brightly at her grandmother.
Yuzuru, who was lying on top of Hachiko watching TV, spotted Shouko from the corner of her eye and called out excitedly, "Sister, you're back!"
"Woof woof woof!" Hachiko wagged his tail and barked when he saw Shouko standing at the living room entrance.
Shouko stepped forward, reached out, and gently stroked Yuzuru's head and then Hachiko's fluffy neck. Finally, she asked curiously, "Why is Hachiko still here?"
Hearing that, Yuzuru immediately hugged Hachiko's neck tightly and pouted, "I don't have time to play with Hachiko when I'm at kindergarten. It's the weekend, so I borrowed him from Aunt Miyamura for two days."
"As long as Aunt Miyamura and Mom and Grandma agree, I won't take him back," Shouko said with a little chuckle, not understanding Yuzuru's worry.
Hearing that, Yuzuru slowly loosened her hold.
"Come eat," Grandma Ito's voice called out from the kitchen.
"Let's eat!"
"Woof!" The three of them gathered around the dining table, and Hachiko sat loyally nearby. Shouko, Yuzuru, and Hachiko all chimed in together, while Grandma Ito watched the scene with a soft, gentle smile.
———————
"Slow down, everyone."
After seeing off two drunken customers at the izakaya's door, Yaeko sighed and rubbed her lower back. If the owner hadn't promised her that half a shift would count as a full day's pay, she wouldn't have come in today.
"Thank you for your hard work, Nishimiya." A rough voice came from behind her as she stood in the doorway.
"It's my job." Yaeko didn't even turn around—she knew exactly who it was.
She thought of how she handled the tables as a waitress, the owner cooked, and the owner's daughter worked the register. But there was still a male customer inside, so she asked curiously, "Boss, are you sure it's okay for you to be out here? Doesn't that guy inside still want to order something?"
"Haha, that's my daughter's boyfriend. Don't worry about him," the owner laughed.
"Oh."
"Hey, hey, hey! You two! No drinking and driving—don't you dare!" The owner suddenly shouted when he saw the two drunk customers stumbling toward their car. He hurried forward to stop them.
Yaeko had seen the type before, drunk and reckless. She knew it'd be hard for her, as a woman, to stop them alone. If they got aggressive, she'd be at a disadvantage. But seeing the owner step in, she hurried after him, ready to back him up if things got out of hand.
"What's it to you?" the bald guy in the driver's seat barked, raising his fist to threaten the owner.
"F*** Y**~!" the tattooed man in the passenger seat spat back, cursing.
"Sign…" The owner's temper flared. He'd tried to be kind by stopping them, but if they didn't appreciate it, fine. It wasn't he who'd die in an accident. He raised his hand to block Yaeko, telling her to let it go—there was no point meddling with fools.