The comments section all think I'm a really good person.

I've watched me grow from a tiny, soft newborn with rosy skin to a young woman who is now almost as tall as her.

She taught me not to be a picky eater and coaxed me gently to eat nutritious food.

Those nutrients have become a part of my body, allowing me to grow taller quickly, have white and strong teeth... possess a stronger physique than my peers, run faster than others, and sing louder than others—

—Of the talents that I am so highly praised by the world, perhaps fifty percent are thanks to Aunt Mahiru.

She taught me how to swing a bat, how to sing clear high notes, how to swing a baseball bat to hit a home run, how to find the center position on the stage, how to make simple lazy dishes, how to quickly tidy up a messy room... She taught me everything in this world related to "Russaki Mahiru".

She taught me the gentleness that is unique to her.

But she won't teach me how to like someone.

Because she herself isn't good at this kind of thing.

She always gazed at the part of me that belonged to Aijo Karen or Kagura Hikaru.

It seems that the traits my mother passed down to me do not belong to me. It seems that she can distinguish from me the parts that should be blended together and indistinguishable.

My hair isn't simply black or reddish-brown; it has a gradient color.

My eyes are clearly not like Hikari's sky-blue eyes, nor are they like Karen's pink eyes.

I am not as simple-minded as my mother. My quietness is not because I am slow or have low emotional intelligence; it is just that I am used to not talking.

I am unique, Aishō Yuna, and Aunt Mahiru should understand that too.

However, for Aunt Mahiru, the one and only Aishō Yuna is an absolutely impossible object of affection.

She nurtured me; the countless lessons she taught me and the gentle nourishment she instilled in me became a part of me, arming my frail self and allowing me to grow to where I am today.

I am like a piece of raw jade that has been gently polished and sculpted into shape, bearing the shape of my mothers, and also bearing her shape.

She only saw my outward appearance, but rarely saw the essence of me that belonged to Yuna Aijo.

...It's okay.

It's okay if you don't look at "Aijo Yuna", as long as you don't look elsewhere.

They were only looking at me.

【13】

"Aunt Mahiru...you've always wanted to do that kind of thing to mothers, haven't you?"

Before me, Aunt Mahiru's face flushed with a shy yet incredulous blush for the first time.

This was the first time she had ever wavered so much in front of me.

In the past, she would always maintain the composure befitting an elder, and it would be absolutely impossible for her to lose her composure like this.

Actually, if it weren't for her decision to move on from her previous relationship today, her previously strong defenses would inevitably have crumbled during this lull... perhaps I wouldn't have been able to appreciate this expression on her face.

Although she's no longer considered a young girl, she's still a well-behaved and respectable one.

Because of my inappropriate remarks, her eyes were already red, and I didn't know if it was from embarrassment or anger.

"Yuna?! Let me go..." She struggled in embarrassment and anger, trying to keep a straight face and display the elder's authority that she rarely showed in front of me, "Where did you hear such nonsense?"

Although there was anger in his eyes, it was only a thin layer, like the taut rubber surface of an inflated balloon, which would burst at the slightest touch.

I wasn't intimidated by her sudden stern expression... To be honest, Aunt Mahiru isn't suited to such a stern look, and it's hard for her to get really angry with me.

Moreover, she felt guilty.

Beside her were a group photo taken after the Seisho Festival years ago, some small items that Karen's mother gave her after graduation, and gifts exchanged over the years... all of which were placed in the room, making it seem particularly crowded.

She can see her mother's smiling face whenever she looks up; it's still so clear, frozen in her teenage years.

It feels like yesterday, yet it's untouchable.

Aunt Mahiru...

After a long day, when she returns to this room, will she say "Goodnight, Karen, Hikari" to the photo before going to sleep?

Will she remember the time when the three of them lived together and fell asleep at night listening to the other two breathing?

Does she feel lonely because she's all alone, and feel frustrated because her hands and feet are still cold even when she's covered by a blanket?

Thinking about this makes me feel sad for her.

She almost shed tears.

“It’s okay to think of me as your mother,” I said, my heart pounding, looking directly into her eyes. “I… am very much like your mother.”

Don't be sad anymore, Aunt Mahiru.

Hikari's daughter and Aunt Mahiru temporarily joined the queue

【14】

At this moment, Mahiru Rosaki realized that she was surprisingly slow to understand certain things.

The child who had always followed behind him seemed completely unfamiliar in this inexplicably dry night, despite his still somewhat childish features.

Looking at her own pink eyes, the shape of which was very similar to Xiaoguang's, but the inner world was as gentle as Hualian's. In fact, the downward curve of the corners of her eyes combined the features of both of them.

The puppy looked at you with its wet eyes that were almost mesmerizing.

She is not as cold as her mother, Hikari Kagura, but she is not as cheerful and outgoing as Karen Aijo.

Previously, Mahiru Tsukizaki would often be mesmerized by Yuna Aishō's appearance, which combined the best features of Karen Aishō and Hikari Kagura, and her attention would mostly be drawn to her looks.

She would see the shadows of her two friends overlapping in this child.

But not now.

After all, neither Karen Aijo nor Hikari Kagura would look at her with such eyes...

It was no longer the admiration of a child, and the gaze cast upon him was completely different from when he walked behind him, stepping on his shadow.

No longer looking up, but looking straight ahead.

He stared at her with such stubbornness and such focus.

Rusaki Mahiru suddenly remembered that when she was in second grade, Aijo Karen was chasing after Kagura Hikaru, who had just transferred to the school, and she had the same look in her eyes.

At that time, Mahiru Tsuki was always watching Karen Aijo, so she was all too familiar with that kind of gaze.

...Without realizing it, you've grown into such an amazing person, Yuna.

【15】

"So?" Aunt Nana opened the refrigerator, took out a can of ice-cold beer, and asked me, "Nothing more to come?"

“…I won’t tell you if there’s anything else going on,” I replied, then glanced at the beer in her hand and kindly reminded her, “If you drink in broad daylight, Aunt Junna will scold you, right?”

Besides, Aunt Nana has a very low alcohol tolerance. Just one can—no, half a can of beer—is enough to make her dizzy.

I still remember my roommate, Oba, telling me about how he helped Aunt Nana sneak alcoholic drinks into her refrigerator, only to be caught by Aunt Junna. The two of them were forced to kneel on the balcony and scolded by Aunt Junna with a feather duster for a full half hour.

Aunt Nana, who clearly has a low alcohol tolerance, is such an idiot for always wanting to drink.

However, according to the aunties, Aunt Nana has a terrible drinking habit, which is probably why Aunt Juna doesn't allow her to drink normally.

To prevent any unforeseen and potentially disastrous consequences, I stopped Aunt Nana.

"I'll send the video of you pulling the tab on the can to Aunt Chuna." I calmly stated my despicable traitorous nature.

"Ugh... Yuna is really going too far." Aunt Nana finally sighed and put this week's portion back in the refrigerator. "She doesn't plan to have a heart-to-heart talk with me, and she won't let me relax even a little bit."

She sat down in front of me and placed a freshly poured glass of chilled barley tea in front of me.

"So Yuna ended up becoming a bad kid?" she asked.

I don't know if it's good or bad. When I think about what happened that night, I always feel the soft touch on my lips, and I always want to reach up and rub it.

"Not good...not bad either?" I hesitated. "Aunt Mahiru said..."

Let me grow up a bit more, and she'll have more time to consider it.

My voice was very soft, but Aunt Nana was sitting across from me, so she could hear me.

Aunt Nana across from me was taken aback, then noticed my reddened ear tips and a look of realization appeared on her face.

She seemed relieved, but also somewhat amused, and commented, "Although he's not a child anymore, he's still only a teenager."

I felt looked down upon and puffed out my cheeks unhappily. This scene only made Aunt Nana, who had a bad heart, happier.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled:

"Now that Mahiru has responded to this feeling, she can grow up quickly and without worry."

To grow into an adult that others can rely on, not just someone who relies on others.

【16】

Aunt Mahiru's decision to cancel all the wedding arrangements surprised everyone.

However, despite her gentle nature, she ultimately kept the truth of the matter a secret, displaying unusual determination and stubbornness.

"Even so, is that really okay?"

When we were alone together, I couldn't help but ask.

It was summer, and we were walking under the shade of a tree. Cicadas were chirping noisily in the trees, and the smell of rainwater in the woods after the rain filled our nostrils, feeling very familiar.

She held my hand, and I couldn't help but clench the hem of my clothes with my other hand.

"Hmm... I still want to think about it for a while longer," Aunt Mahiru replied, though a hint of guilt crept in her voice. "After all..."

I'm waiting for her to continue.

But as expected, it was still too embarrassing for her to say those words; I saw her neck turning red.

"After all, Mahiru does like me a little bit, doesn't she?" I added this sentence for her.

"Yuna, don't call me by my name right away..."

“But it would be strange to call her ‘Aunt Mahiru’ now. When we were little, I wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with calling her ‘Aunt Mahiru’, but now that we have this not-so-proper relationship, we should change how we address her.”

"Fool……!"

I could feel that her hands were very wet and sweaty, and I almost couldn't hold them. This was something that would almost never happen to Aunt Mahiru.

Despite their own worries, being able to walk hand in hand like this is perhaps a good milestone.