A few minutes later.
Aimi came downstairs dragging her suitcase, just as Kotomi had just finished wolfing down her breakfast. Originally, Kotomi wanted to take her time eating, but after hearing her mom say, "Even if you marry Aimi in the future, your dad and I would be at ease," she couldn't help but speed up and finish her meal in a few quick bites.
Even though it was clearly a joke, Kotomi still involuntarily quickened her pace and scarfed down breakfast.
"Onee-chan, I've already packed your suitcase for you. I've prepared three sets of clothes for changing, and your underwear is packed separately in a storage bag. By the way, why do you have so many pairs of stockings and pantyhose where your socks are? I had to search for a while to find two pairs of short cotton socks."
"I just checked the weather forecast. You should arrive in Kyoto in the morning, and it's going to rain a bit there, so the temperature will drop slightly. I folded up your red and black baseball jacket along with a folding umbrella and packed them in this small handbag. Put the jacket on when the shinkansen is about to arrive in Kyoto."
"You're going to Kyoto for three days without me watching over you, so don't go overboard with the cold drinks. Autumn's nearly over, and winter's almost here. If you keep drinking cold stuff, have you already forgotten the feeling of stomach pain that had you rolling on the bed as a kid? Or forgotten how you ended up in the hospital and the nurse, while giving you an injection, looked at your little butt and said, 'What a plump little girl'?"
Aimi handed the suitcase to Kotomi just as she came out of the kitchen, not forgetting to rattle off a long list of reminders.
"Thanks."
Seeing Aimi reminded Kotomi of the words their mom had casually said earlier, and her cheeks flushed slightly as she took the suitcase.
Faced with her younger sister's lengthy reminders, Kotomi could only obediently nod and occasionally reply with a "Got it, got it," as if she were listening intently without missing a single word.
You'd never guess Kotomi was the older sister...
After all the nagging, it was like hitting someone and then giving them a sweet date—Aimi reached behind her and pulled out a plastic bag filled with pieces of jujube cake. Knowing that Kotomi didn't like jujube cake with white sesame on top, Aimi had gone to several dessert shops after school yesterday just to find some without sesame.
"Onee-chan, don't eat all of this jujube cake on the train, okay? I'm worried you'll get hungry on the shinkansen and won't have anything to eat. Who knows if a trip that takes only a few hours will even provide lunch? If you're hungry, eat a bit of this to tide you over, and then eat something nice after you arrive in Kyoto."
Was the amount of jujube cake Aimi prepared just enough to tide her over? Not at all—it was packed to the brim. For most people, not just girls but even guys, eating the whole bag would leave no room for hunger, maybe even skipping dinner altogether.
Ordinarily, it was definitely too much. But if it was for Kotomi, it might be just the right amount to tide her over.
"Wow! Jujube cake without sesame, yay!"
Kotomi cheered excitedly. She had noticed that most of the nearby dessert shops only sold jujube cake topped with white sesame. Since they all had sesame, she simply didn't buy any. With that mindset, Kotomi had gone nearly half a month without eating any jujube cake.
She was even considering using her cooking skills to make her own.
She hadn't expected her dear sister to surprise her—with sesame-free jujube cake!
Even though Aimi hadn't bought a lot, it was still more than enough to fill her stomach on the shinkansen!
However, the shinkansen tickets weren't bought just to be wasted—especially since Kotomi and the others were riding in first class, the Green Car. Even if it were just a 30-minute trip, meals and drinks would still be served as usual.
Aimi had never ridden in the Green Car before, so it was understandable that she didn't know.
Even though she knew the shinkansen would provide meals, Kotomi still accepted the jujube cake. First, because it was a heartfelt gesture from her sister—she not only had to accept it, but she was going to eat every last piece! Second, Kotomi had a pretty good sense of her own appetite. As for meals on trains or planes—if she were to eat as much as she normally did...
Ridiculous—there's no way it would be enough.
The flight attendants or train staff might give her two or even three portions, but honestly, with how little food airplane and train meals actually provide, even eight servings might not satisfy her.
Besides, Kotomi wasn't thick-skinned enough to ask for eight portions.
Even if she was sitting in the Green Car.
It's like sitting in first class on a plane and telling the flight attendant you're still hungry and asking for a full banquet. Sure, the attendant might smile politely on the outside, but who knows what they're thinking inside?
In short, the bag of jujube cake Aimi had prepared was just perfect.
So perfect that Kotomi hugged Aimi tightly, rubbing her cheek against her sister's like a spoiled child: "Aimi~ You really are my sweet little heater. As expected, I can't do anything without you."
Aimi said, "Onee-chan, you've grown up already. You can't be clinging to me like when we were kids," but inside she was thrilled—especially when Kotomi hugged her tightly and pressed against her cheek. Aimi's grin was practically flying off her face.
Akina didn't know when she had come out of the kitchen. Seeing the two of them, she chuckled and cut in sharply:
"Alright now, if you two keep this up, the sun will be up. You're sisters who won't see each other for three days—not newlyweds separated for three days. Kotomi, if you don't leave soon, you're going to have to run to catch the train."
It was her way of subtly reminding them to keep an eye on the time.
Kotomi glanced at the time on her phone—it was definitely time to go. She slung the small backpack Aimi had packed for her over her shoulder, put on her shoes, popped out the four wheels of her suitcase, and said to her sister and mom:
"Bye-bye! See you in three days! I'll bring back some Kyoto souvenirs!"
"Don't get distracted and stop in your tracks when you see a Gion geisha," Akina said with a soft chuckle and a wave.
Aimi's earlier attempt at composure crumbled completely. She waved at Kotomi, her eyes brimming with tears: "Onee-chan, remember to call me every day! When you're eating! Before you go to bed!"
"I'll try to text you," Kotomi replied.
"At least one phone call every day!" Aimi demanded firmly.
"Okay!"
Seeing Aimi's tears ready to fall, Kotomi didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.
Whatever you say, little sister!
After leaving the house, Kotomi headed toward the location sent by Hibiki Naegi. The two had agreed to meet up first and then head to the train station together to catch the train to Tokyo.
After Kotomi left, her mother glanced at Aimi, who was crying uncontrollably, and couldn't help but chuckle and shrug helplessly. She said:
"Alright, stop crying already. Your sister isn't going overseas for ten years—she's just going to Kyoto for three days. The distance between Chiba and Kyoto, even at the most, isn't more than three hours. Even regular express delivery arrives the next day."
Aimi didn't care. Watching her sister leave, the thought of not seeing her for the next three days made her nose sting with emotion. Tears streamed down like broken strands of crystal beads, and her eyes were soon red from crying.
Seeing her second daughter crying like this, Akina opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She could only sigh helplessly and gently ruffle Aimi's hair.
Mothers aren't fools. A lot of things you think your mom doesn't know—she probably knew long ago. She just chose not to say anything...
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