Episode 8: “The Steamy Hot Spring Romance Case Files ⑧ ~On the Edge~”
“Whoa~ so pretty! Aniki, look, look! There are tons of fish~!”
Akira pressed herself against the massive aquarium tank, her excitement bubbling over even more than usual. This was Fujimi no Saki Sea World, a ten-minute drive from Fujimi no Saki hot spring resort, where we were staying. The aquarium boasted the standard dolphin and sea lion shows, plus unique attractions like seal rock climbing demonstrations.
“Aniki, look! Tons of penguins! They’re so cute~! What are those called~!”
It must have been penguin walking time, as the adorable creatures waddled through the facility in a line behind their keeper. Not just Akira, but the families around us were all captivated by the charming parade unfolding before our eyes.
I felt a bit bad for the penguins being gawked at like this, but watching Akira’s pure delight was far more heartwarming than any exhibit could be. Glancing between the pamphlet listing the facility’s event times and my watch, I spotted something that would surely make her day.
“Akira, looks like there’s a dolphin and sea lion show starting soon.”
“Let’s go!”
She’d mentioned before that zoos and aquariums weren’t really her thing, but actually being here seemed to have completely changed her tune. She’d forgotten all about the original purpose—creating memories for our parents—and was simply enjoying herself with childlike wonder.
Well, Dad and Miyuki-san were both snapping photos of Akira’s excitement on their phones, looking thoroughly pleased, so perhaps this would become a wonderful memory for our family in its own way. Like this, Akira’s innocent joy was becoming the most precious treasure the Majima family could ask for.
＊ ＊ ＊
“The dolphins were amazing! The sea lions were incredible too~!”
After the show, Akira’s mood had soared even higher. I casually observed Dad and the others—sure enough, they looked content just watching her animated expressions.
Something had been weighing on my mind. Dad and Miyuki-san probably hadn’t seen Akira this excited very often, had they? They likely hadn’t witnessed much of her genuine reactions—her curiosity about new things, her joy at discoveries, her moments of sadness or worry.
I’d been watching Akira up close this entire time. For these past four months, I’d been seeing and feeling the same things she did, sharing every experience with her. Setting aside her biological parents, hadn’t I been monopolizing all these precious expressions of hers?
While I was lost in these thoughts, Miyuki-san approached me with concern.
“What’s wrong, Ryouta-kun? Aren’t you having fun?”
“Ah, no—I was just thinking about something.”
“What about?”
Since Akira was absorbed in examining the aquarium tanks with Dad, just the two of them, I found myself alone with Miyuki-san for a private conversation.
“Has Akira always been like this?”
“I suppose I should say she used to be…” Miyuki-san’s expression grew wistful. “She was exactly like this before I divorced that person. Recently, I’ve started seeing her smile the way she used to again.”
“I see…”
“It’s all thanks to you, Ryouta-kun.”
“No, I haven’t done anything special…”
“You have,” she insisted gently. “Both Taichi-san and I are truly grateful to you. She’s such a lively child—but that’s who Akira really is, so I’m happy it’s brought warmth back to our home.”
“Ahaha, she definitely doesn’t act much like a typical high school freshman with that level of excitement…”
Akira was still happily absorbed in gazing at the tanks with Dad, completely oblivious to our conversation. Those two had really warmed up to each other beautifully.
“Oh, by the way—what do you think about me not being home very much usually, Ryouta-kun?”
“Me? I don’t really have any particular thoughts about it. Dad’s always been the same way, and I understand that work can be demanding. I think it can’t be helped.”
“Akira doesn’t really mention my work either. I wonder if she feels the same way you do—that it can’t be helped because it’s work?”
“I think she understands,” I said thoughtfully. “She was more worried about you and Dad than herself. I don’t know how things were before, but at least now she does.”
Miyuki-san’s face crumpled into such an apologetic expression that it was painful to watch, and she muttered something like she was talking to herself. “Just once…”
“Just once, there was a day I couldn’t make it to Akira’s class observation… When she was around fourth grade.”
“Why was that?”
“I was planning to go, but a customer complained about their makeup, and the touch-ups took too long. So I couldn’t make it in time…”
“That couldn’t be helped, could it?”
“Can you really accept it so easily?” Her voice was heavy with lingering regret. “Akira wouldn’t talk to me after that…”
“Well, if you’d promised to go, it would definitely feel like a broken promise to her.”
“Did you ever have experiences like that, Ryouta-kun?”
I cast my mind back to my elementary school days.
“After Dad got divorced, I told him not to come to my class observations.”
“Huh? Why? Were you embarrassed?”
“No, it wasn’t that. I asked him to prioritize work instead.”
“So he never came even once?”
I felt a wave of nostalgia and decided to share that memory with Miyuki-san.
“No, actually he did come just once. Let me think… I believe it was during the second semester of fourth grade—”
＊ ＊ ＊
—On class observation days, Dad never came.
Part of it was because I’d told him not to, but the entire film industry had been struggling for several years. Lots of releases but poor box office returns, or something like that… Anyway, Dad’s company doing film art was also affected, and they went through some pretty tough times.
During that period, Dad had just gotten promoted and was swamped, working from morning until night—working and working and working. There was a stretch when we barely saw each other even at home.
Right around the middle of the second semester, my homeroom teacher came for a home visit. She’d apparently timed it to match Dad’s work schedule, but he got tied up again and couldn’t make it home.
She was a really dedicated teacher, and when I asked why she’d come, she said, “I was hoping to ask him to come to the upcoming class observation.”
I snapped at her. I told her Dad’s work was tough, so he didn’t need to be bothered with something like a class observation. The teacher reluctantly went home. She probably just thought it was a kid being difficult. Plus, she likely had other things she wanted to discuss.
Some time after that, there was a class observation. Dad said he’d go, but he didn’t show up after all.
That day’s class happened to be composition presentations—a day for us to present what we’d written about our parents. The teacher probably wanted Dad to come specifically because of that theme.
The title of the composition I presented was “My Old Man.”
I actually have a photo of that composition on my phone, so I can show you.
—Oh! You absolutely have to keep it secret from Akira that I showed you this! Actually, she almost read it on the bullet train on the way here, but I was too embarrassed and hid it just before she could. If I only show it to Miyuki-san, she’ll definitely sulk… So please keep it secret from Akira even after you read it—
“My Old Man” 4th Grade Class 2 Majima Ryouta
My old man is busy.
He’s not home every day because of work. When I think he’s finally home, he’s sleeping.
He doesn’t play with me on his days off. Sometimes we go to the public bath together and I wash his back.
My old man only works, but I think that’s fine.
My old man works hard because he’s a parent.
Since Mom isn’t here anymore, I think he has to work hard for two people.
Because he’s a parent, because he’s a father, because Mom isn’t here, he feels responsible for me.
Not just for me, but for all kinds of things around us too.
He does film art work. I think it’s amazing work.
It’s not that film art work is amazing—I think all the work in the world is amazing.
So I think my old man is amazing, and I think all the people who work are amazing.
But being a parent, and a father, and working, and being responsible—I think that old man of mine is the coolest in the universe.
Someday, I want to become an old man just like my old man.
—Sorry, I’ve always been terrible at Japanese. And my handwriting’s messy too… It’s really an awful composition, but it contained everything I could think of as hard as possible back then, so please don’t laugh, okay?
＊ ＊ ＊
“—So anyway, I read this embarrassing composition while Dad wasn’t there.”
I felt my cheeks burn as I put away the phone I’d shown her.
“Then Dad came rushing into the classroom right as I finished reading, and his first words were ‘I’m late! I’m so sorry!’—like, who was he even apologizing to—”
I laughed at the memory and looked at Miyuki-san—wait, she’s crying!?
“Ryouta-kuun…”
“Whoa! Wait, Miyuki-san!?”
Suddenly, I found myself being pulled into a tight embrace. Endlessly soft… This is Miyuki-san’s—no, that’s not the point right now!
“Miyuki-san, why are you crying!?”
“Because, because…”
“Your makeup! Look, your makeup’s going to smear!?”
“You’re just so precious!”
“I mean, I’m not in fourth grade anymore! I’m a high school sophomore, so this is definitely—!”
“It’s fine! You can be spoiled as much as you want!”
Even if she told me to act spoiled, with my recent stepmother, that was a bit… complicated. I’d grown less conscious of it recently, but still, like this, when she was so soft and warm, it inevitably made me…
I wanted to feel it as a mother’s warmth, but it unavoidably stirred other feelings instead.
In the first place, what was supposed to be a funny story—I had no idea why Miyuki-san was crying so much over it. Dad, who couldn’t even serve as the punchline in the story, was just pitiful.
I was thoroughly flustered and didn’t know what to do when—
“Ahhhhhh——————————!?”
I heard two familiar screams overlapping in perfect unison.
When I timidly looked over, Akira and Dad were rushing toward us with bright red faces.
“What are you doing, Mom! And Aniki too!”
“That’s right! What are you doing, Ryouta! Ah, Miyuki-san, could you step back just a little…”
“But, but Ryouta-kun is just so cute~~~!”
“Miyuki-san, the way you’re saying that!”
“That’s cheating! Totally cheating! I mean, Mom! Get away from Aniki already!”
“That’s right, Ryouta! How long are you going to keep clinging to Miyuki-san! Ah, Miyuki-san, could you please step back a little…”
“Um, everyone please calm down. This is an aquarium, so everyone around us is staring…”
—Mayday, mayday.
The family bonds we’d somehow managed to build were getting shipwrecked at an alarming rate.
Someone please, really, come help us…
＊ ＊ ＊
We caused quite a scene at the aquarium, but afterwards the misunderstanding (?) was somehow resolved, and we returned to being the normal Majima family.
—That really was dangerous, though.
The family bonds that had nearly gotten shipwrecked were somehow salvaged, though the Majima family had almost disbanded while lost at sea.
Akira and Dad were satisfied once we explained the situation, but on the other hand, I felt like the way Miyuki-san looked at me had subtly changed.
When we left the aquarium, she said, “Call me Mama from now on, okay?” But for a high school sophomore who’d been without a mother for years to suddenly start calling Miyuki-san “Mama” seemed like…
Even Akira called her “Mom,” so it felt pretty awkward for me to use “Mama.”
If something like that ever got back to Nishiyama and the other drama club members, I’d probably earn the title “Ultimate Mama’s Boy” in addition to “Off-the-Charts Siscon.”
—Who came up with “Off-the-Charts Siscon” in the first place? I said it myself, but “Ultimate Mama’s Boy” is also a pretty dangerous nickname…
I sat in the back seat of the rental car with these complex feelings swirling through my mind, but eventually we arrived at our destination restaurant.
From there, we had quite a wait. The restaurant overlooking the Sea of Japan sunset was popular not just for the scenery, but for its course menus featuring abundant seafood and mountain vegetables, making reservations hard to come by.
While waiting, we quietly watched the sun setting over the Sea of Japan.
“Ugh, it’s freezing~…” Akira complained.
Sensitive to both heat and cold, Akira watched the sunset with her nose bright red from the chill, but eventually our turn came and we moved inside.
The interior had a calm, warm atmosphere, and we were guided to a four-person table positioned to overlook the Sea of Japan through large windows.
Looking at the scenery outside, the sun had already set, and beyond the sea, the deep blue sky and orange afterglow were blending into complex, shifting colors.
“That’s called magic hour,” Dad explained.
“Magic hour?” Akira asked back.
“Yeah. It’s the magical sky you can only see during the brief moments at sunrise and sunset.”
“Whoa~ amazing!”
It truly was a sky that seemed touched by magic. Akira’s face as she watched it was equally beautiful, and that alone made coming here worthwhile.
We opened our menus and began choosing our food.
“I’ll have the fish course, and I’d like cream sauce for the pasta.”
“Then I guess I’ll go with the meat course. For pasta—”
Our parents finished choosing first, but since Akira and I had eaten a lot of heavy food at lunch, we didn’t have the appetite for full courses and opted for different pasta dishes instead.
Dinner was lively with all sorts of conversation flowing freely. Stories about the film industry, the makeup industry—it was fascinating hearing detailed accounts we didn’t usually get from Dad and Miyuki-san about their work.
As we happily ate while sharing our dishes, Dad suddenly took his phone out of his pocket. It seemed the company had contacted him again. Miyuki-san also pulled out her phone like Dad and frowned at a LIME notification.
Both of them seemed concerned about work matters. But Dad and Miyuki-san looked at each other and put their phones back in their pockets with wry smiles.
They seemed to be silently agreeing to prioritize family time right now.
＊ ＊ ＊
When we finished eating, paid the bill and went outside, it had become completely dark. The starry sky was beautiful even from here, but our next destination would probably offer an even more stunning view of the stars.
Dad urged us to get in the car. The four of us were heading to Starfall Hill Observatory—Akira’s place of memories.
“I’m so excited~ ♪ Oh, can you take good photos of the starry sky with a phone?”
“I wonder? You’d probably need to adjust the light settings and stuff, but I bet seeing it with your own eyes is still the best.”
“That’s true ♪ Ah~ I’m really excited~ ♪”
While I kept the excited Akira company, Dad’s car climbed the winding mountain road like a serpent. Thinking that at the top of this mountain, there would finally be the scenery Akira so wanted to see, I found myself growing excited too.
＊ ＊ ＊
About forty minutes after leaving the restaurant, past the twisting mountain road, we spotted a sign reading “Starfall Hill Observatory.”
Beyond that sign lay a large parking lot, and Dad parked the car in an empty space. Several cars were already there, with people seeking the starry sky gathered around the observatory area.
We got out of the car and headed that way, but just looking up from the parking lot, a beautiful starry sky was already gazing down at the earth.
“Whoa~~~…”
Akira stopped in her tracks and let out an amazed breath. I involuntarily widened my eyes beside her.
A sky full of stars shone brilliantly in the cold November night. From the city where we lived, we could never see such beautiful stars.
When was the last time I’d been so moved by looking at a starry sky like this?
After the four of us gazed up at the sky for a while, Akira suddenly spoke up. “Oh, I have an idea.”
“How about we split up from here? Taichi-san and Mom, me and Aniki.”
When Akira suggested this, Miyuki-san approached her saying, “Well then,” and wrapped the scarf she’d been wearing around Akira’s neck.
“It’s cold, so at least keep your neck warm, okay?”
“But then won’t you be cold, Mom…?”
“I’ll share with Taichi-san.”
Saying this, Dad extended his scarf around Miyuki-san’s neck as she moved close to him, and the two of them shared one scarf together. I see—that’s one way to use it.
Dad turned toward me with an apologetic expression.
“Sorry Ryouta, we’re using this scarf together.”
“I’m fine. I don’t need it.”
I tried to act tough, but I was genuinely cold. Still, I couldn’t take the scarf from Akira or suggest sharing it with her, so I turned up the collar of my coat instead.
“Well then, shall we go, Miyuki-san?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
The two of them walked toward the observatory arm in arm. Left behind, Akira and I watched them walk off looking happy together, standing there in comfortable silence.
“So, what should we do?”
“Let’s go look at stars too.”
“Toward the observatory?”
“Nope. There’s a hidden spot up ahead that I learned about from Dad~”
What Akira pointed to was the forest on the opposite side of the observatory. Apparently, there was a little-known observation spot up the mountain path a bit.
—But…
I glanced toward our parents. Right now, the two of them were happily heading toward the observatory together.
I wondered for a moment if we shouldn’t get too far from our parents, but—
“All right, let’s check it out.”
“That’s the spirit!”
—Since we had the opportunity, it would be interesting to explore that area too.
The place Akira wanted to go was her special place of memories with Takeru-san anyway. If that was up ahead, I wanted to see it for myself.
At the edge of the forest entrance, there was indeed a mountain path people could walk on, and we stopped just before it to prepare our phones.
“Okay Aniki, it’s dark so turn on your phone’s light.”
“Should I go first?”
“Nope, I know the way.”
And so we stepped onto the mountain path where trees and bushes grew thickly.
—Huh…?
For some reason, I suddenly felt lonely inside. I became terribly anxious and hurriedly looked back.
There was still the reassuring presence of people from around the lit-up observatory area. Couldn’t we still turn back now?
“Aniki, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, no—it’s nothing.”
It’s probably just my imagination.
Since I never usually set foot in a forest at night, my heart probably just got a little weak.
In front of Akira, I had to maintain my dignity as her older brother—encouraging myself with that thought, I continued through the trees, relying on my phone’s light and Akira’s guidance.
＊ ＊ ＊
The forest was eerily quiet. Not only were there no animal cries, but I couldn’t even hear insects chirping. All we could hear was the sound of trees and bushes rustling in the wind, and the sound of our footsteps on the ground.
We’d been walking the mountain path for about fifteen minutes and were already somewhere the streetlights couldn’t reach. We were proceeding by moonlight and phone light when Akira suddenly stopped.
“Aniki, how is it? You scared?”
“Not really.”
True, in a horror movie something would probably jump out around now, but I didn’t feel any particular fear. It was probably because I was with Akira.
Even in a place I’d absolutely never enter alone, being with someone else somehow eased the anxiety. It seemed to be the same for Akira—she didn’t look particularly scared either.
If anything, she seemed to be enjoying the current situation with a boyish smile on her face.
“We’re almost there.”
“I see. My legs are getting a little tired.”
“Want to rest?”
“No, it’s fine. It’s cold, so let’s hurry.”
When we’d gone about ten more minutes down the mountain path, the forest suddenly opened up.
There was a cliff in front of us, and this seemed to be a dead end. Beyond it, I could see the outlines of low mountains stretching out on the other side.
“This is it, Aniki. Mine and Dad’s place of memories.”
“This is…” I began, then looking up, I lost my voice completely.
The starry sky was shining even more brilliantly than when we’d seen it from the parking lot earlier. This place probably had no artificial lighting at all, so right now it was bathed purely in moonlight and starlight.
I could clearly see Akira’s figure and our surroundings despite the darkness. Illuminated by starlight and wrapped in fantastical light, Akira looked even more beautiful than usual.
“This is where I heard about the origin of my name from Dad.”
“Like this starry sky, to sparkle and shine as a light of hope that illuminates people…”
I thought it was a wonderful memory. Did I have memories like that with Dad?
“How is it? Am I living up to my name now?”
Akira smiled modestly. She didn’t seem to think so herself.
But I decided to honestly share my feelings with her.
“Akira, you’re shining just like that starry sky.”
“Huh?”
“At least to me, you look like you’re truly shining.”
“G-geez, saying something like that so suddenly—”
“It’s how I really feel. You should have more confidence in yourself.”
“R-really…? Thank you…”
Her embarrassed expression was completely visible in the starlight too. Her face was probably bright red, but I didn’t mind and moved to stand next to Akira.
“You know, I really think it was wonderful that you became my little sister.”
“Huh?”
“Before, I only had Kousei and Hinata-chan, but thanks to you, now I’ve gotten close with Nishiyama, Ito-san, Takamura, Hayasaka, Minami… the whole drama club gang, and I’ve probably become more outgoing because of it.”
“Ah, but Aniki, you seemed like that from when I first met you though?”
“No, I have fun every single day spending time with you. Even though you make my heart race and worry me sometimes, I really love my life now.”
“R-really? Well, that’s good then…”
“But you know, I do think suddenly getting all lovey-dovey is a bit much.”
“Huh!? Is it really no good!?”
“My heart can’t take it. If my heart stops, will you take responsibility?”
“Well~ about that, I’m actually constantly nervous too, so I guess we’re even…”
I laughed. I’d meant it as a joke, but she seemed to have taken it seriously.
“I’m grateful. Thank you, Akira. For becoming my family.”
“Ugh, that’s not fair, Aniki~ I was going to say that first!”
“Big brothers always get to go first. …Well, I keep losing to you at games and stuff, so cut me some slack on this one, yeah?”
When I said that, Akira also said “That’s true” and laughed along.
We gazed at the starry sky for a while after that, but it was getting really cold, so we decided to head back.
“Ah, wait Aniki! I want to take a photo to send to Hinata-chan!”
“Yeah, hurry up then.”
As Akira wandered around taking photos of the starry sky, I felt something like a metal plate under my foot. When I pointed my phone’s light at it, it was clearly some kind of fallen sign—and when I saw the picture and text on it, I instantly understood and went pale.
“Cliff Collapse Warning”
“Akira!”
I had a terrible premonition and shouted Akira’s name, rushing toward her.
“I’m fine, don’t worry~ I know where the cliff is~”
Akira showed me a carefree smile, but then—
“—…Huh?”
Akira lost her balance—no, that’s not right!
A little before the cliff edge, the ground there crumbled away beneath her feet, and Akira was about to fall with it.
“Akira!?”
“Ani—”
Akira’s body fell as if she’d stepped into a pitfall.
I instinctively dove headfirst and grabbed hold of Akira’s body.
“Hold on, Akira!”
“A-Aniki!? This is—”
“Just hold on! Hurry!”
But my position was crumbling too, and I felt my body floating in midair…
At least let me—!
I held Akira tight—
Falling backwards onto the rocky slope—
Akira’s weight hit my chest, and sharp pain shot through me—
“Ugh—A…ki…raaaa————!”
“Anikiiii——————————————!”
Still holding Akira protectively, I slid down the jagged rocky surface on my back.
