Click.
The door opened and Eichi stepped inside. On a table in the room, two small side dishes had been set out. The sound of cooking came from the kitchen, and the aroma of food drifted through the air.
Eichi took a few steps forward just as a figure emerged. The person froze upon seeing him. Eichi looked at his father, the air seemingly standing still for a moment, and said with a smile, "Dad, I'm back."
Mr. Yoshino was completely stunned the moment he laid eyes on Eichi, but his entire expression relaxed instantly. Then, he spoke with a hint of reproach, "If you were coming back, you should have told me in advance."
"I wanted to give you a surprise," Eichi said as he set down his backpack.
His father's tone brightened considerably. "What's all this about surprises? You've returned at just the right time; you're just in time for lunch."
His father was the same as ever, but Eichi noticed that his father's steps were much lighter as he headed back into the kitchen. Eichi went to the bathroom to wash his hands and then found a seat.
He took a sniff—it smelled delicious. He hadn't eaten his father's cooking in a long time and had truly missed it. He stood up to scoop a bowl of rice, sat back down, and began to eat, lifting a piece of meat to his mouth with a spoon.
The meat was torn by his teeth, chewed, and sent down into his stomach. The flavor exploded in his mouth—a rich, slightly spicy taste.
Mhm, delicious. It's as good as always.
Eichi scooped another piece of meat. As he was eating, the door opened once more. A petite figure entered; it was a little girl who appeared to be only five or six years old.
She had bright yellow hair tied into a ponytail at the back, large watery eyes, and a fair, tender face. Her delicate features made her look like a doll. She wore a pink princess dress, carried a small pink backpack, and had neat black flat shoes on her feet. A smile beamed from her face.
As soon as she entered, she called out in a sweet, childish voice, "Uncle Yoshino, I'm back!"
Just as she finished, she spotted Eichi eating at the table. She instantly became shy, and her movements turned cautious. As Eichi looked up at her, an invisible aura seemed to rise, making her a bit afraid.
She walked over slowly, her body instinctively tensing. Stopping across from Eichi, her large watery eyes gazed at him.
"You must be Big Brother Eichi, right?" she asked timidly.
"You know me?" Eichi asked, puzzled.
"I've seen your photos, and I often hear Uncle Yoshino talk about you," the little girl replied.
At that moment, Mr. Yoshino emerged carrying another dish. He smiled upon seeing the girl and said, "Little Yu is back."
"Hurry up and wash your hands so we can eat."
Little Yu nodded earnestly. "Okay! I'm going to wash my hands now!" She trotted off to the bathroom.
Once she was gone, Mr. Yoshino saw Eichi's confused expression. Knowing what Eichi wanted to ask, he explained, "I know you're curious about Little Yu."
"Little Yu was brought back from the welfare home by your Aunt Keiko."
"Since your Aunt Keiko works in the city and the distance between the school and home is quite far, I have Little Yu come here for lunch every day."
As he finished, Little Yu returned from washing her hands. Mr. Yoshino kindly invited her to the table and scooped a bowl of rice for her. Although it was Eichi's first time meeting her, he instantly took a liking to this adorable little girl.
When Little Yu had almost finished eating, she looked at Eichi curiously. "Big Brother Eichi, aren't you away at school? Why did you suddenly come back?"
"Big Brother Eichi had some business, so I took a leave of absence," Eichi replied with a smile.
Little Yu tilted her head in confusion. "Why did you have to take a leave to come back?"
"Because Big Brother Eichi missed his dad, so I came home," Eichi laughed.
Little Yu giggled. "Mhm, I often miss my mom while I'm at school too, but the teacher won't let me go back to see her." Eichi simply smiled and didn't say anything.
After the meal, everyone was full. Eichi intended to wash the dishes, but Mr. Yoshino refused and insisted on doing it himself.
With nothing else to do, Eichi chatted with Little Yu for a while. After a bit, she let out a yawn. "Big Brother Eichi, I can't talk anymore. Little Yu needs to go take a nap."
Then, she called out to Mr. Yoshino, who was busy in the kitchen, "Uncle Yoshino, I'm leaving!"
"Mhm, Little Yu, remember to come back tomorrow," Mr. Yoshino's voice drifted from the kitchen.
Little Yu nodded vigorously. "Mhm!" Then she turned back to Eichi. "Goodbye, Big Brother Eichi."
"Goodbye," Eichi said, waving his hand. Little Yu turned around and left, her small backpack bobbing as she opened the door.
A moment later, Mr. Yoshino finished cleaning up and sat down across from Eichi.
"Can you tell me more about Little Yu's situation?" Eichi asked.
Mr. Yoshino searched his mind for a moment before organizing his thoughts. "It all started with a trip your Aunt Keiko took to Viridian Forest."
He then recounted the story of Little Yu and Keiko. There was no dramatic plot; one day, while Aunt Keiko was taking a stroll in Viridian Forest, she encountered Little Yu, who happened to be playing there.
Little Yu's parents had died when she was about a year old, and she had become an orphan at a very young age. She had grown up in the welfare home and had never been out before.
Because of this, she was full of curiosity about the outside world. One day, she sneaked out and made her way into Viridian Forest. Unfortunately, her luck was poor, and she encountered an Ekans that was bullying a Caterpie.
Kind-hearted Little Yu went to save the Caterpie, but she was no match for an Ekans and was pushed to the ground. Fortunately, Aunt Keiko happened to be passing by and saved her. The moment Keiko saw Little Yu, she took a liking to the girl.
The rest was simple. Once Aunt Keiko learned about Little Yu's life at the welfare home, she decided to adopt her, especially since she had no children of her own.
"Little Yu is a clever child," Mr. Yoshino said. "She gets a hundred percent on every exam, just like you did when you were little."
Eichi felt a wave of sympathy for the girl after hearing this. After finishing the story, Mr. Yoshino asked, "So, why have you come back this time?"
"I took a leave of absence to go on a journey for a while," Eichi replied.
Mr. Yoshino nodded. He didn't ask why Eichi wanted to travel; he knew that Eichi had always had his own ideas since he was young.
During the afternoon, Eichi tidied up his room and took a nap. By the time he woke up, Mr. Yoshino had already gone out. He had left a note on the table saying he had gone back to work.
Eichi decided to head into the city himself. Since he was back, he naturally had to pay a visit to Big Sister Amelie. Walking along the familiar roads, he saw many acquaintances and stopped to greet them. In this unhurried manner, he made his way into the city center.