…Ah, I want to crawl into a hole and die.

“Are all universities like this?” That murmur unconsciously leaves my lips as we find ourselves once again on the university's entrance.

It has been a while since I met up with Rei and Angela, and now we’re finally done with our short tour. We couldn’t visit all the places on campus, because this place is seriously huge—like, seriously. Even though we walked for quite a while, we never ran out of new places to see. That, and there were also a lot of green areas with trees, fountains, and other stuff; we heard that there was even a forest inside the campus somewhere, but we didn’t visit it. Well, overall, I can say this place is pretty cool. It has gained Sakura’s seal of approval!

…Not that it means much. Oh well.

“Not really.” Rei seems to think a bit before answering my question. “There are some that are smaller than this, and some that are even larger. You could say this is pretty average. The quality of the buildings are also pretty average, though maybe they’re leaning a bit more toward the higher side.” I hum in interest as I listen to his response. I wasn’t really expecting an answer; my question was, after all, a murmur to myself. I don’t think Angela, standing on Rei’s other side, heard it, for example, as she’s tilting her head to the side, as if wondering why Rei suddenly started talking out of nowhere.

“...Is that so? Have you seen one of those before? A larger campus, I mean.”

“Yeah, last year. I went overseas to see my options, and most of the universities I visited with my old man were much larger than this.”

Ah…that’s right. He did mention something like that a while back, didn’t he? Something about how he was going to the other side of the world to see which university he’d enroll in…yup, he definitely did. I don’t really remember how long he was gone, and exactly why he remained to stay here in the end, but I think it had something to do with his father wanting to keep him close to the family business, or something like that. I mean, it makes sense, considering he’s his successor, but I still felt pretty bad for Rei; he was seriously excited about trying to study abroad.

That aside…having money sure is nice. Being able to travel the world like that…I’ve never even left this city, you know?! Maybe someday I’ll be able to. No, not ‘maybe,’ definitely! I’ll definitely go on vacation with Sora someday! And it’ll.be amazing! Yup! Yup! Yup!

“Y-You did that, Rei?!” You should’ve taken me, too…” While I am busy thinking about happy places to visit with my baby girl, Angela seems to be rather sad about not knowing her brother had done such a thing in the past. I swear I can see some imaginary puppy ears drooping above her head.

“Well, you hadn’t graduated high school back then.” Rei scratches his head with a bit of an awkward expression on his face, as if wanting to say, ‘there was nothing I could do about it.’

“Oh…that’s right. You graduated earlier than me, didn’t you?”

“...That’s right. I graduated from high school a year ago, when I was 17. Sakura too.” I silently nid to his words.

I have already said in the past that the school I attended was…well, a little special, right? Well, one of its…peculiarities is that parents there enroll their kids a year earlier than in other schools. For example, while other schools start elementary school when the kids are 6 and 7, my school starts it when they are 5 or 6. Thanks to that, the students there graduate from high school when they’re 16 or 17. That’s why Rei and I, despite being the same age as Angela, graduated one year before her.

“So…you two took a gap year?”

“...”

“Yeah. We did. It was pretty fun, wasn’t it, Sakura? We partied so much every night that bags started forming under our eyes.” Noticing I don’t have any intention of answering Angela’s questions, Rei jumps in with an unusually energetic introduction. Then, he suddenly pauses for a second, taking his hand out of his pocket and bringing it to his chin.

“...Well, I was always the one who had to drag Sakura’s introverted ass out of her house, though. She would’ve been a shut in if it wasn’t for me.” …Rei, I’m really grateful you are trying to help me, but was there any actual need to diss me like that?! You could’ve said any other thing, you know?! I mean, he’s not lying about me being a shut-in, but still!

“Mghm…a gap year…how fun.” Angela lets out a weird sound as she looks at Rei, a hint of sadness and envy in her eyes.

“...” Not really interested in talking about this any longer, I turn away to look at the bustling street, trying to keep my thoughts to myself.

“Don’t look so sad.”

…What are you talking about, Rei? Sad? Me? No way.

“I’m not saying you should forget about the past, but…”

…It sure is easy to say so, especially when you don’t understand. Knowing is not the same as understanding, you know?

“...at the very least, don’t let it drown you.”

…Ha, you think I’d let it drown me? If I was that weak, I wouldn’t have gotten to this point.

“So forget about it, Ange. Even if you don’t have a gap year, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with us in the future. Isn’t that right, Sakura?”

…Ah, so he wasn’t talking to me.

….He wasn’t…right?

“...Sakura?”

…Haaaaaah.

…I want to see Sora.

∆∆∆

After that, we separated from Angela, and Rei drove me home. We talked about some things on the way home, but that’s not something for you to concern yourself with. Anyway, when it was finally time, I left to go pick Sora up from school. And now here I am.

“Mama~!” Yes…just by listening to her voice, I can instantly feel my mood getting better. I crouch down and open my arms wi~de as Sora runs up to me. She then jumps into my arms, and I hug her as if I’d never let her go again. …Not that I can do such a thing. I’d wish! Oh, how great would that be?! But the best I can do is shower her in kisses whenever I have the chance! How cruel can life be?! How pitiful can I be?!

“Baby~! *Mwah*! *Mwah*! *Mwah*! *Mwah*!”

“Hehe, Mama—Mama! Sto~p! Hehehe!”

“I missed you so much~! How was it today? Did you have fun?” After taking an extra few seconds to shower her in kisses, I pick her up from the floor and stand with her in my arms.

“Nn! Nn! Nn! Very fun! Played lots, lots!”

“That’s great~!” I gently rub my hand on her head, making sure not to mess up her hair too much. Well, it doesn’t matter too much, because we’re heading home right away, but still; I like to have my baby girl looking good and neat at all times. “Shall we get going, the—”

“Oh~! Sora’s Mama! Hi!” As I was turning to leave, a little girl called out to me while waving her hand. Ah, that red hair…she’s Achilles’s daughter, isn’t she? Hmm, what was her name again?

“Ah, Lily~!” Ah, so that’s it. Sora waves her hand at her friend in an energetic way. Seeing her like that, I hesitantly let her down, so she can be on ground level with Lily. Sora quickly runs up to the girl and grabs her hands and smiles as I look around the courtyard.

“Ah, Lily. Is your dad still not here?” That greek-named guy is nowhere to be seen. Well, it makes sense. I more or less got here exactly at the time we were supposed to pick up our kids—not a minute more, nor a minute less—so it makes sense he’s not here yet. …Yeah, I was a bit impatient to meet my baby girl, ‘kay?! What’s wrong with that?!

“Mhm! Not here, Sora’s Mama!” W-What’s up with her way of calling me? N-No, I mean, she’s not wrong…and it does make me feel a bit happy. What can I say? I’m a simple person.

“I see…do you want us to wait for him here with you?”

“Nn! Nn! Mama, can we?!” Sora doesn’t wait for Lily’s answer before looking at me with pleading eyes. Hahaha, I was originally worried she would have trouble making friends—like I did—but seeing her like this, I guess I was worrying for nothing.

“Sure, we can. If Lily’s ‘kay with that?” Lily immediately nods to my words, and drags Sora off to the playground in the distance while laughing. Fufufu, she sure is lively; it brings a smile to my face. This is why it’s soooo much better to deal with kids than with grown ups, they’re just so filled with pure and simple joy. Well, nevermind that; I should go look for a bench or somewhere I can rest while waiting for Achilles.

“…Oh, fuck.” While I’m looking around, I accidentally lock eyes with Ms. Alice, who’s standing beside the front door, smiling and waving at the kids as she lets them out the building. Wait, what are you doing? Wait, nonononono, don’t come here, noooooo! Why are you coming this way?! Our eyes met by accident, you know?! That wasn’t a way of calling you over!! I-I was just looking for a bench, there’s no need for you to—

“Ms. Saeki, welcome~!” …I’m gonna cry. I don’t like talking to people, even more so when they are people who I’m not really on good terms with. Well, I wouldn’t say Ms. Alice and I have a bad relationship, I mean, we just met yesterday, after all, but…it is true that our conversations yesterday weren’t exactly pleasant. I can be a bit sensitive toward nosy people, so I might have come off as a bit disrespectful toward her. I should apologize.

“...Thank you very much, Ms. Alice.” Saving a mental note of my last thought, I respond to her friendly smile with one of my own. I would’ve preferred if she hadn’t approached me, but now that she’s here, there’s nothing I can do but be polite.

“Are you waiting for your daughter, miss?”

“Ah, well, not exactly. Sora wanted to wait until her friend’s dad came to pick her up, you see, so they’re playing right now as we wait.” Saying that, I turn away to look at the playground and wave over at Sora and Lily, who are going down the slide hugging each other. …H-Hey, even though it’s a heartwarming scene, isn’t it a bit dangerous to do that?! What if they fall and hit their heads?!

“Fufufu, your daughter was very well behaved today, and made lots of friends, let me tell you. She is a very good girl. You must be doing a good job at home, miss.”

“A-Ah, no, well, uhmm………thank you.” Though I initially try to deny it, I give up halfway through and simply accept her words. I am not perfect; not even close. I don’t have much experience in life, and as much as I hate to admit it, I can be very immature, just like earlier today. I like to think I am doing my best, but sometimes, you know…I think that I’m not fit to raise her, that maybe she’d be better off being raised by a ‘normal’ family. Every day, I shower her in love to the best of my ability, but…I can’t provide her with that ‘normal’ environment, with a mom, a dad, and perhaps even siblings and grandparents; it’s impossible for me. I’ve read that growing up without a dad can be especially harmful for children’s development. So I worry…thinking that, maybe, I’m being selfish by trying to raise her by myself. Those thoughts disappear the moment I see her smile or call me ‘Mama,’ but…it still concerns me a bit. That’s why hearing someone tell me I’m doing a good job…makes me really happy.

“...” Ms. Alice seems confused. She probably didn’t expect her small compliment would make me smile this way. I can’t help but let out a small giggle, which makes her show an even more shocked expression. Okay, now that’s a bit rude. I know I wasn’t the most friendly person with her yesterday, but still.

“...”

“...”

A couple minutes of silence follow as neither of us want to open our mouths. In my case that’s because I’m busy watching Sora, but I don’t know what’s going through Ms. Alice’s mind.

“...Ms. Alice, actually, I wanted to apologize for yesterday.” Sensing she’s not going to open her mouth anytime soon, I decide to take the lead in the conversation, trying to use it as a chance to clear up the tense air between us. “My attitude was by no means appropriate, and I’m afraid I might have offended you. If that was the case, I apologize, I assure you it wasn’t my intention.”

I don’t really like all this boring talk between adults, but I’m going to suffocate if I have to deal with this heavy-ass air between us every time I come here. Even more so when I was the one who made it like this in the first place. True, she might’ve been a bit too pushy yesterday, but my reaction is still my own fault. If I want Sora to learn that she has to take responsibility for her actions, then I must start by doing so myself. As Rei would say, ‘it’s common sense, are you stupid?’That’s why I’m apologizing.

“No, miss, that should be my line. I apologize for my intrusiveness yesterday. I overstepped my boundaries and made you uncomfortable. As such, your reaction to that behavior isn’t something for you to be blamed for. Rather, it was my fault from the beginning. I’m sorry.” Ms. Alice bows so deeply that I widen my eyes a bit in shock. My first impression of her wasn’t the best, so seeing her be this—in my opinion—sincere, really improves my opinion on her. Ah, wait, I can’t get lost in thought and keep her apologizing like that forever.

“...In that case, let’s assume both of us were in the wrong, and leave it at that. Is that alright with you?” Ms. Alice raises her head following my words, and seems a bit dazed, as if she wasn’t expecting my words. I dunno why, though…I think my suggestion was a pretty good way to solve the problem…was I wrong? Maybe I should’ve just shut up and accepted her apology and let that be it…though that would’ve been really awkward, ‘cause it would’ve felt as if she did me a favor by taking all the blame. I don’t like being indebted to anybody, you know? Urgh, what to do…

“Then let’s do just that, miss.” Ms. Alice, perhaps noticing my conflicted expression, giggles ‘ufufu’ for a second before joining her hands in front of her. Then, as if having completed what she came here for, Ms. Alice takes her leave by saying, ‘ah, I should return to my duties, fufufu!’ and returns to the building’s entrance. I smile at her while she’s in sight, and then turn my attention back to the front.

“Mama~! Look! Look!” There, as if exactly waiting for me to look at her, is Sora, standing on top of one of the big structures, shaped as a colorful blue pirate ship. Sora cutely holds the huge helm with her small hands while calling out to me. I wave my fingers at her to show that I’m paying attention, which causes her eyes to spark in excitement.

“‘Kay! Lily! Let’s go!”

“Yes! Captain Sora!” Lily, as if waiting for that exact moment, suddenly pops out of nowhere while making a salute. Then, after receiving a nod from my baby girl, Lily turns over some blocks that were attached to the wall, and…

“Shwoosh, whooosh, shwooosh!”

…start making noises with her mouth, as if to show that the ship really was sailing over the seven seas! Sora swipes her hand over her forehead, as if she’s working really hard to control the direction of the ship! Her focus is out of this world! How cute—I mean, terrific! What an incredible show of concentration! And how daring! The two girls are challenging the seven seas! How brave!

“Captain! Careful!! Monster!” Oh no?! What is that standing in their way?! An octopus?! N-No, t-that’s the kraken! The terrifying creature that’s known for being a ship-wrecker! Lily awaits for Sora’s orders as the silhouette of the legendary monster can be seen under the water! The tension in the air is so strong that it’s palpable, how will Captain Sora deal with this situation?!

“Nn! Lily! Go fast when Sora says!!”

“Mhm! Captain!!”

After closing her eyes to consider the situation, Captain Sora gives her orders as she runs away from the helm. What is she planning to do?! N-No way, is she trying to take the monster one on one?! T-There’s no way! That’s impossible! Nobody has ever engaged with the monster in combat and lived to tell the tale! ‘Who cares!’ As if to say that, Captain Sora runs toward the center of the ship with determination on her face, and loads the iron cannon that had grown rusty from not being used in a long time. It was finally time to change that!

“Boom! Boom! Roooooar! Roooooar!“ The enormous monster peeks its body out of the water while the Captain takes aim. The kraken cries in pain as the massive lumps of iron penetrate its skin. However! It isn’t enough to kill it! If it was that easy, it wouldn’t be feared as a legendary monster! But that’s ‘kay! ‘Cause Captain Sora’s intention wasn’t to kill it, but to win some time!

The monster retreats back into the ocean, looking for time to heal its wounds, just as Captain Sora had planned!

“Lily! Now!!”

“Mhm, Captain!! Swhoooooooooosh!”

Following Sora’s orders, Lily accelerates the ship to the max. Both of them stumble a little as the speed tries to knock them over, but they hold on to the ship with all their strength to make sure they don’t fall off the ship. Standing up with much effort, the Captain makes her way to the helm, and steers the ship away, far away, leaving the injured kraken behind. That’s right! The Captain’s plan was to escape all along! She knew from the beginning that a direct confrontation was no good! How cute—I mean, wise! Captain Sora used her intellect to come up with the best option available for the situation! Truly an exceptional individual!

As expected of my baby gir—I mean, of the Captain!

““Phew…”” Both Sora and Lily sigh in relief as they notice they’re finally out of the monster’s territory, and high five each other, celebrating their victory. They encountered the monster, and lived to tell the tale…how cute—I mean, exceptional! They fought against their fate, and managed to grasp a miracle! This day shall go down in history as the legendary tale of Sora and Lily, the best pirates in all the seven seas! ..Or that’s how it’s supposed to be! But no!

““Oh?!”” Captain Sora and pirate Lily stumble on their feet as they feel the ship shake. The girls’ faces pale as they easily guess the nature of the situation. They were in the middle of a storm! Sora had been so focused on getting themselves away from the beast that she didn’t notice they were sailing in the direction of a thunderstorm! It is too late now; water droplets have started falling from the sky, making an eerie sound as they splash against the wooden deck. The thunder is not making the situation any better.

“Crack! Crack! Captain! What do we do?!” Amidst the cries of thunder, Lily tries to keep the sails from flying off while waiting for her captain’s orders. In the meantime, Sora tries to come up with a good solution to their current predicament. They aren’t in a good position by any means. If they continue ahead, they will have to push their way through the storm, while enduring the many risks that would entail, including the possibility of being directly struck by lightning. However, if they decide to turn away to get away from the storm, it would be possible for them to encounter the kraken once again, which would also spell their doom. Captain Sora and crewmate Lily were between a rock and a hard place.

After a few couple of seconds, Sora seems to finally make her mind about what to do, and starts running with all her strength toward the helm. …But she doesn’t make it.

“…Ah!?” Halfway through her sprint, probably thanks to the water accumulating on the deck, Captain Sora loses her balance and slips on the deck, which sends her flying backwards. Just then, a powerful wave hits the ship from the right side, which causes it to shake violently. Having lost her firm foothold, Sora can’t do anything as the ship’s momentum sends her flying toward the cruel ocean.

“Captain?!” Lily instantly notices her friend is in a dangerous situation, and rushes toward her, not caring at all about holding her position. Both of them had set out to sail the world, and both of them would get back home together. There was no meaning to be found in having only one of them survive the ordeal. They would get out of this situation, together! …Unfortunately, the world isn’t as nice. Even though she’s running with all her strength, there’s no chance for Lily to reach her hand out towards Sora. It is simply impossible. Both of them know that.

Sora smiles in resignation as she sees her friend trying her best to save her even in this situation. It was a shame she wouldn’t be able to thank her personally. They had been through so many adventures together, and yet it would all end this way. How cruel is life, really. As if thinking that, the captain closes her eyes as she braces herself for the impact…

“...Hm?” …but said impact never arrives. Sora timidly opens her eyes, not understanding the situation. Then, she starts doubting her eyes, not really believing the scene in front of her. Instead of falling onto the wild, and cruel sea, she had fallen into a warm, and soft embrace. That’s right, it was like being caught by the arms of your mother…

“...!!! Mam—”

“Shhhh! Fufufu! I’m the Goddess of the Sea, bab—ahem, I mean, Captain! I saw you and your crew’s fight against the monster, and have decided to reward you for your bravery.” The Goddess praises the little captain as she holds her in her arms. In her many, many years guarding over the seven seas, it was the first time she had seen such courage. It is only common sense for the ruler of the sea to reward its most fervent sailors. “As such, I shall return you to your ship, and get rid of this storm. Both of you shall return home safely.”

Captain Sora blinks confusedly as she processes the words coming out from the mouth of the avatar of the sea. The Goddess smiles gently at the little captain, and without waiting for her response, carries her off onto the ship, where a both concerned and relieved Lily lies in wait. After seeing the Captain reunite with her crew mate through a sentimental hug, the Goddess waves her hand toward the stormy skies. Within seconds, the skies start to clear, and the heavy raindrops turn into bright sun rays. The violent, massive waves that were aggressively rocking the ship slowly disappear, and are replaced by calmer, smaller ones.

Sora and Lily stare in shock at the skies, amazed at the incredible feat the Goddess is weaving with seemingly no effort. She truly is a Goddess, they seem to think as they stare wide eyed at her.

“Fufufu!” The Goddess laughs, amused at the innocent behavior of the two girls. Then prepares to leave, intent on allowing the two pirates to continue their journey on their own. They are from different realms; though the Goddess would’ve liked to accompany them, she belonged to a world completely different from theirs—she couldn’t invite herself into their world that easily. She could, however, look over them as they travel, and perhaps give them some sailing tips here and there. That is her role, to ensure they reach land safely, even if that is territory outside of their reach; they couldn’t remain sailing the ocean forever, after all.

“Ah, wait!” As she turns around to leave, one of the girls calls out to the Goddess. It’s the little Captain, who the Goddess especially respects due to her bravery and adorableness. She gently urges the Goddess to approach the ship. Though a bit bewildered, the Goddess doesn’t doubt following the instructions of Captain Sora, and so lines up beside the ship. Then, the Goddess feels something warm on the side of her face.

“Thank you, Mam—Nnn, Goddess! *Mwah*! Wuv you! Ehehe!” It’s the small girl, who gave the Goddess a kiss on her cheek, thanking her for her assistance in their times of need. The Goddess, though initially shocked, starts feeling something fizzy inside of her, something warm.

“...Wuv you too…*mwah*!” The Goddess, not really understanding the feeling, pats the girl on the head, and gives her a kiss on her forehead. She had no experience dealing with human emotions, but she somehow knew that was the right thing to do in the situation. “...Be careful not to fall again, alright?”

And just like that, the Goddess leaves the two girls behind, and returns to her world. In other words, she leaves the world of illusions, and returns to the boring, all too real world of humans—no, of adults.

…

…

…WAWAWAWAWAWA! Thank God I was able to get there in time, I thought she was going to fall and hit her head! Leaving the character of the ‘Goddess’ behind, I break into a cold sweat, imagining what would’ve happened had I not been able to rush in to catch her. I mean, it’s all right they’re happy playing in their small little world and all, but can’t they be a bit more careful? LIke, that fall right there could’ve been really dangerous, you know?!

“Geez…kids, you really can’t keep an eye off them, right?”

“Ha, you don’t have to tell me. My Lily can really have no sense of danger sometimes, she really makes me worry.”

“Ah, Achilles.” I look very composed on the outside, but the truth is that what the hell’s up with this guy?! Like, he didn’t even make a sound as he approached me, you know?! Is he a ninja or something?! Haaaaaah…just forget it. I feel I’ll get a headache just from thinking about it. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Just arrived. How about you? Have you waited for a long time?”

“Not really.”

“Haha, I’m sorry to keep you here. I’ll tell Lily to not hold you back next time.” Hmm, I haven’t explained anything to him, and he already knows more or less what happened. I guess he knows his daughter pretty well. Although he’s wrong if he thinks that she was the one who told us to wait. Like, she might’ve agreed, but I was the one who brought up the idea in the first place.

“Don’t. I don’t really have anything to do, and I was the one who asked her if she wanted us to wait with her. Plus, Sora wanted to play with Lily a bit longer, so all’s good, right?” If it was that much of a bother, I would’ve just left, really. I’m not that good of a person, you know?

“...Thanks.” Hmm? What is this? Are you being shy? Aww, what a cutie.

“Don’t mention it.”

“That aside, Ms. Goddess…you really are good at acting, aren’t you?”

…What…did you just say? Ms….Goddess? No…no…don’t tell me you…no…wait, no…hahahaha…no, there’s no way, you…you…you—

“You heard that?!”

“Hahaha! I sure did. Everyone else did, too. All of us parents were admiring how you were playing with the kids, you know? Hahaha!” I turn to look around, and actually notice some adults looking at me with amused expressions. I can feel my cheeks blushing in embarrassment as I try to look away.

…Ah, I want to crawl into a hole and die.

------------------------------

Afterword

Hey there! Sorry for the long wait. It took me a while to write this chapter for many reasons, but oh well, here it is. And I really liked the end result, you know? With this, we’re finally back into the family slice of life vibe that is the core of this story.

This chapter was originally going to be longer, 1500 words longer, to be exact, but I ended up cutting out a huge fragment that was part of the first section. The section added some more extra background information about Sakura and Sora’s life, but I didn’t like how much info dumping it did, so I decided it would be better to cut it out, and then divide that fragment to use it later down the line. It’s not too good to reveal too much information at once, after all. I think I made a good choice, to be honest, because, again, the purpose of this chapter was to return to the wholesome slice of life. I feel leaving that fragment would’ve worked against the mood of the chapter.

Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter. I did my very best on it, I promise. And so, I hope to see you again next week. Ah, wait, before I forget, this week is Christmas, isn’t it? Since the next afterword is going to be next week, that means that today will be my last chance to say this.

Merry Christmas! I hope you spend the day in the way that makes you the most happy.

That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you for reading! See you!