TIPs: One Day

Konoha’s mornings began early.

~A.M. 6:00~

“Morning! Morning! Wake up, wake up!”

“U-Ugh. So noisy…”

She tossed aside her favorite seal-shaped body pillow and stripped off her cat-eared pajamas.

She prepared the breakfast her aunt had made in advance, washed her face, and took care of her skin. Since she went to bed early, her skin rarely broke out, but she still never neglected the effort needed to keep it looking nice. She took her uniform down from its hanger, put on her skirt, then her shirt and blazer. Since it had started getting a little cold, she chose longer socks.

By the time she finished all that, it was already 7:30.

She checked that the stove was off and the doors were locked, then said one thing.

“I’m off.”

She locked the door.

Since the weather had grown chilly, Konoha had switched to taking the bus to school. The first person she met at the bus stop was Tsuruoka Chidori. The two boarded the bus together.

“And then, hyaah!!”

“Tch!!”

Smack! Chidori seized a man’s hand. To think they would encounter one on the bus.

“A groper? How disgraceful. Laying your hand on Konoha-chan’s butt deserves ten thousand deaths.”

“I-I-I’m so sorryyyyy!”

When they got off the bus, the private Mankai Yuri High School stood right there.

“You saved me~ Thanks, Chidori-chan.”

“Think nothing of it. Good grief, it seems that sort of scum increases around this time of year.”

~Lunch Break~

Konoha enjoyed playing soccer with the boys.

“Konoha-chan, pass, pass!”

“Take thaaat!!”

“Okay, nice! Hyaaah! Shoot!”

Tendo Reiji’s shot went in. Despite being an otaku, he was remarkably capable at just about everything, making him both a mood-maker and a troublemaker.

“Yay! Reiji-kun, that was amazing!”

“Yeah!”

They exchanged a high five. For a moment, the scent drifting from Konoha nearly made Reiji lose his composure, but he somehow held himself together.

“Gatari-kun, give me the ball! I’ll put it away~!”

“No, I’ll do it. Leave it to someone from the soccer club.”

“Then I’ll help too. Everyone else already went back to the classroom.”

“We might be late.”

“You will be too, Gatari-kun. If we’re going to be late anyway, let’s be late together♪”

Gatari’s heart skipped a beat at Konoha’s innocent smile. He did not exactly dislike the prospect of being alone with her, either.

“I-I see. Thanks, Konoha.”

“Okay!”

~After School~

Karen called out to Konoha.

“Konoha-chan, want to go get crepes?”

“Hmm~ I’ve got somewhere I need to go today.”

“To visit your mother? Konoha-chan, you’ve been pushing yourself a lot lately. Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. So you noticed~ Ahaha. Okay, now I’m starting to want something sweet too. I have enough time for just a little.”

“I see… Then let’s go! That shop is really delicious.”

“Wow, it really is delicious!!”

“This one’s good too. Here, say ahh.”

“Ahh. Mmm~ Banana is good too! Then I’ll give you some of my strawberry one!”

“Thanks, Konoha-chan!”

They ate crepes in the park. It had been a long time since the two of them had fed each other bites like this. The happy moments quietly passed by.

“Mom, I came to visit you.”

“…”

“She’s asleep. I haven’t seen Mom awake lately… Ahaha.”

Konoha’s mother had collapsed from accumulated emotional strain. Recently, Konoha had been taking care of everything at home. Her aunt occasionally came over to help look after her, but most of the time, Konoha was on her own.

“I hope you get better soon…”

Konoha held her mother’s hand. Its warmth reassured her. She was still here. The last family member she had left was still here.

“Dad… I wonder if he’ll come visit.”

She noticed that none of the gifts beside the bed had come from her father. She knew he was busy with his work for the city, but even so, she felt that he could at least come and visit.

“I wonder if he’s started hating Mom and me…?”

The setting sun shone into the hospital room. A vivid field of mackerel clouds stretched across the sky.

~Home~

“I’m home~”

An empty house. It had become rare for someone to greet her when she turned on the lights. Sometimes her aunt happened to be there, but not every day. Apparently, she had not come today.

“I need to learn how to cook too.”

She served herself the curry rice her aunt had prepared in advance and ate alone. Recently, food no longer tasted good to her. That was painfully difficult.

Afterward, she took a bath, studied for about three hours, and went to bed. It was only once she got beneath the covers that Konoha began to cry. Nights alone were terribly lonely. She thought about calling one of her friends, but decided against it because she might bother them. Yet loneliness was still loneliness, so she hugged her seal body pillow, A-chan, trying to soothe herself.

“U-Ugh… I’m lonely. A-chan, I’m lonely…”

“You’re not lonely. I’m here. (falsetto)”

“Yeah. Thanks, A-chan.”

Only after she had run out of tears did Konoha finally fall asleep. Hugging A-chan tightly, she sank into a deep slumber. And then she saw that dream.

A grassy plain beneath a gray sky. A girl whose face and name she did not know. Only when she was with that girl could Konoha forget that she was all alone. That was why Konoha always went to bed early.

“Konoha, you look lonely.”

“Yeah, I am. But I have friends, and I have you too, so I’m fine!!”

She tried as hard as she could to put on a brave face, but the girl shook her head.

“You don’t have to force yourself here. When you want to cry, Konoha, then cry. I’ll be here to hold you.”

Those words sank gently into Konoha’s heart, and she could no longer hold herself back. Before she knew it, she had thrown herself into the girl’s arms and was crying.

The girl embraced Konoha and gently stroked her head. Reassured by how comforting it felt, Konoha even fell asleep within the dream.

And then the next morning arrived.

“Good morning! Good morning! Wake up, wake up.”

“Ugh… Not much variety…”

Konoha tossed aside her seal-shaped body pillow and began getting ready for the morning.