19 How to Reconcile

"...Jin?"

Mio slowly pulls back the blanket wrapped around her and opens her eyes.

Looking around, she recognizes the surroundings—familiar, yet not her own home.

The penguin plushie she had been holding against her chest rolls off the bed.

"Ah, you're awake, miss."

"Jake?"

Mio, still dazed from sleep, attempts to orient herself.

She understands her location—yet not why she is here.

Jake, who had been reading news on an electronic paper, notices and walks over.

"Where's Jin?"

"He's at work. Said something about starting early today."

"Is that so..."

It is the first time Mio has woken up without Jin beside her, and she is unsettled.

She has always woken in the same bed, always with Jin nearby.

This unfamiliar arrangement feels off.

There, eat breakfast, miss. Sorry it's cube food.

Yeah, I'll eat it.

She eats slowly. The meal has an odd texture.

Jake notices Mio's unease—something different from usual.

"What's wrong, miss? Anything happen?"

"...Yeah."

Mio nods slightly.

"Go on. Talk. I might not be as reliable as Jin, but I'll listen."

Jake thumps his broad chest and offers to help. Mio opens her mouth.

"Jin got angry at me."

"Angry? Why?"

Jake struggles to picture Jin scolding Mio. It doesn't fit.

If anything, he often wonders if Jin is too lenient.

"I said I wanted to see the sparkles... and he looked scared. Like, 'gah!'"

"Sparkles?"

"The ones that flash in the sky."

"The sky flashing... ah."

Mio’s clumsy explanation. Jake grasped the general situation.

“So you wanted that sparkle, huh?”

“Yeah…”

After hearing about this morning, Jake understood Jin’s perspective.

He could see why Jin had reacted with anger—being told to wait for an ASID assault while one’s student was deployed or not.

“Hey, kid. Why did you want that sparkly thing?”

“…Because it’s pretty.”

Jake smiled faintly at the simple, childlike answer.

True. If one didn’t know the truth behind the light, it would seem beautiful.

Mio buried her face into her penguin plush.

“Also… when the sparkly comes, Jin carries me.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah…”

A sweet reason.

Mio spoke, hesitant and soft.

“Being held by Jin… makes me happy…”

She had been waiting for that touch.

Jake wonders what face Jin would make upon hearing that.

Jin, have I become someone you can't stand anymore...

I don’t think that’s the case.

Jake says, running a hand through his own hair.

It could just as well be declared impossible.

She’s been overwhelmed lately—there are moments when she can’t quite focus on Mio, the girl.

Jake sees every day how much Jin cares for Mio.

There is a tendency to be overly sweet, but she is making an effort to be a good guardian.

He’d gone out of his way to ask me specifically to make sure the girl ate a proper meal today.

Is that so?

Mio remembers that Jin said he wouldn’t eat her right before the fight yesterday.

Probably just needed an excuse to make up.

She hadn’t said a word about fighting, but after hearing the conversation, the intent became clear.

“Making up?”

“After a fight, that’s what you do.”

“Is that so… can Jin and I make up?”

“Of course. If you both want to stay close.”

She lifted her face from the stuffed animal and gave a small nod.

“Now then, I’ll start preparing dinner. How about you, miss? Feel like trying it sometime?”

“Cooking? I want to! I want to!”

Where had the gloom from moments ago gone?

Mio’s eyes lit up as she bounced excitedly at Jake’s suggestion.

Jake felt a quiet envy at her speed of change.

“Not right now, though. Lunchtime.”

“Got it!”

“Until then, want to watch the rest of yesterday’s recording?”

“Yeah. Watch it!”

Rejuvenated, Mio nodded while clutching her stuffed animal.

Jake chuckled, manipulating the display to begin playing a children’s animation.

A comedy depicting a family enjoying themselves in some distant home.

Mio watched it, then murmured.

"Otōsan...?"

◆ ◆ ◆

Three hours passed.

Having quietly watched a few programs, Mio became aware of her hunger through the sound of her stomach.

Jake, it seemed, had heard it too.

He smiled faintly and began preparing a meal.

"Alright, food requested... but honestly, sourcing ingredients isn't easy."

"That’s right..."

"So today, something simple to make—this one."

He produced a powder of some kind.

"...What is this?"

"A personal import from the First Convoy. First, mix it with eggs and water."

The eggs Jake had acquired through a somewhat dubious route.

The price was nearly ten times the usual rate, but given the source, it was hardly significant.

Jake had assumed the payment would fall to Jin anyway, so he paid it no mind.

"Good girl. Help me out."

"Help? You mean help?"

"Yeah. Mix this. Can you do it?"

As he spoke, Jake stirred the powder, eggs, and water in the bowl with a whisk.

Mio nodded, reassured by the demonstration.

"Alright then, I'm counting on you."

She stood on a step stool, fully prepared.

Holding the bowl with small hands, she stirred cautiously.

Her eyes lit up as the grainy mixture transformed into dough.

"Jake! Something changed!"

"Let me see. Hmm, looks good."

Jake quickly arranged the frying pans and coated them with oil.

"From here on, it's dangerous. Just watch."

Spreading the batter onto the pan as he spoke.

After a moment, flipping it over.

Each motion was a novel sight to Mio.

She watched intently.

"Here, the pancakes are done."

"Amazing."

Clapping her hands, Mio praised Jake’s precision.

"Alright, let’s eat."

The first time she tried the pancakes, offered as a suggestion, she thought they were light, sweet, and delicious.

"Jin should have eaten some too..."

"...Yeah. This one’s simple to make. You’ve got a kitchen at your place, right? Why not make some for him?"

"Mio? Can you?"

"Sure. Just don’t let her handle the flame alone—Jin’ll need to help. She’ll love it."

"...Maybe."

Jake’s suggestion held appeal for Mio.

The thought of Jin enjoying something she made.

That alone was enough to stir her challenge.

"I want to try it."

"I'll get the ingredients ready. Let me know when you decide to make it."

"Okay!"

Mio nods, looking forward to that day.

For the first time in a while, she eats something other than cube food until she's full.

Drawn in by the satisfaction of that fullness, she drifts into sleep.

And then—woken by the alarm.

"...Pika pika?"

She associates that sound with pika pika.

It had become embedded in her mind.

Jake, by contrast, pales.

"Seriously? Come on!"

All previous attacks had occurred at night.

He had allowed himself a slight optimism.

ASID were, by nature, unpredictable.

The idea that they would strike at regular intervals felt absurd.

"Miss, we're running!"

Lifted by Jake’s strong arms, Mio is carried toward the nearest shelter.

"...Something’s off."

A chest as solid as Jin’s, yet not quite the same.

Not as joyful as when carried by Jin.

What’s different? Mio tilts her head.

Jake stumbles as the ground jolts beneath them.

“Damn it…”

The convoy has no concept of earthquakes.

That it’s shaking means an external cause.

Occasionally, an asteroid strike causes tremors—but this is almost certainly not that.

“Hit… this is bad.”

A hit on the passenger vessel.

Proof that the enemy breached the defensive line in minutes and closed to near range.