09 Overnight Stay 2

"Um... I'm coming in..."

"Sharon, welcome!"

Sharon enters the home of Jin and Mio with hesitant steps, and is immediately greeted by Mio.

She glances around the room, curious, and says with mild surprise:

"Unexpectedly tidy."

"Both Jin and I prefer order."

The thought that she's unlike us is swallowed down—too pitiful to voice.

Saying it here would be unkind.

"What about dinner?"

"I don't want cube food..."

Mio says, shoulders dropping.

Jin gently gestures Sharon over.

"Corporal, by the way—what did you do while Mio was staying at your place?"

"Um... delivery service..."

Sharon answers, averting her gaze.

She'd tried cooking, but after the flames flared up, she gave up and relied on deliveries instead.

“Pay Mio’s share—I’ll settle it later. Just tell me when.”

“Understood.”

“Is it okay to just eat like this today… I don’t feel like going out right now.”

Sharon nods in agreement with Jin’s suggestion.

She wasn’t eager to leave again just now.

“Mio, I want pizza today!”

With that, dinner was decided.

“Hmm, I guess I’ll try pizza too—once in a while, not just cubes.”

“Dad. Cube food isn’t real meal food.”

“Then I’ll have pizza too. We can share and try different flavors.”

“Yay!”

And so, pizza it was.

Though in truth, it was just a spin-off of cube food technology.

Externally, it looked like pizza. Substantially, it was still cube food. Jin decided to keep that secret from Mio.

“Sharon, bring out that thing, the one you were asked to.”

“Yes, yes. Just wait a moment.”

Sharon pulls out the electronic paper Mio had requested.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Uh. Me?"

"That's right."

She unfolds it, wondering what it could be, and there it is—a remarkably lifelike drawing of Jin.

"I drew Daddy and Mommy's faces at school!"

"Hm. That's impressive, Mio."

"I was the best in the class!"

"Good job."

Jin chuckles, ruffling Mio's hair roughly.

"Daddy, your hair's getting messy."

"Oops. Sorry, sorry."

His clumsy stroke is enough to ruin her hairstyle.

Mio frowns, trying to fix it, but it won’t cooperate.

"Mio-chan. Let me do it."

"Sharon, please."

She bows deeply.

Sharon laughs, then pats her chest. It wobbles.

"Alright, I'll do it. Lieutenant. Do you have a comb?"

"Got one. Here."

Using the comb handed over, she combs through Mio’s hair.

“Mio-chan’s hair is incredibly beautiful. Do you do anything special for it?”

“No, just comb it occasionally.”

“That’s unacceptable. It’s such a rare beauty. Not taking proper care of it would be a waste.”

Sharon thinks silver hair this fine is rarely seen.

Such a fine material deserves polishing.

“Then, Sergeant, do you take care of your own hair?”

“…Well, about average.”

She answers awkwardly, her gaze shifting away.

She shows little interest in herself, quite indifferent.

Hearing the conversation above her, Mio raises a fist in anger.

“Both of you—no more of that!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Which one?”

“Kissing and groping—both are forbidden. You know that, Mio.”

Both flinch at the word "knowing."

"That’s a work-related term! You can’t use that at home!"

"Ah, that kind of thing…?"

"You startled me…"

They flinch at the mention of their rank-based relationship—Lieutenant and Sergeant—having been aware of its origin.

Such matters were never meant for a child’s ears.

Regardless, Mio’s words carry weight.

Still—

“Mio.”

“What is it?”

“What did Jake tell you?”

“J-jeik? It’s not like he’s involved…?”

Jin stares into Mio’s eyes, unblinking. A poor liar, he thinks.

Mio endures the gaze for a moment—then surrenders.

"I’m sorry… Jake taught me that work-related term…"

She admits it.

As expected, Jin nods.

That one’s definitely enjoying himself. He’ll have to prepare for the barbecue.

"True enough. Calling each other by rank inside the house feels off. Alright, Sharon?"

"Can't help it... Understood, Higashi-san."

The wall they’d already crossed once today.

Crossing it again is easy.

"Sharon, Sharon."

"What is it?"

"Mio too, Taji-taji."

"Ah..."

Mio’s gaze pierces Sharon, expectant.

"Jin. Why are you laughing?"

"No, it's just funny seeing you, Taji-taji, acting like that."

"Who are you calling Taji-taji? You're the one who's the most Taji-taji! And it's not fair—only one of us relaxing! Not Sharon—"

She stops mid-sentence.

Realizing, with a faint flush, the words she’d nearly spoken.

Jin pretends not to notice. He shrugs.

"Anyway, let's order the pizza first. Decide on three slices between Mio and Sharon."

Jin spread the menu across the table and said that.

Sharon glanced at Jin, who had shifted from his casual nickname to his proper name, and looked slightly frustrated.

She felt foolish for being flustered.

Jin, too, was not calm within.

It wasn’t Sharon’s fault.

Still.

Mio and Sharon, arranging each other’s hair like parent and child.

They seemed much closer these past two weeks.

Their presence—here, in this house—felt discordant.

Not merely a matter of habit.

Still, the image of Sharon sharing this domestic moment in the house was something Jin had never imagined.

It struck him anew that Rei was no longer here—painfully so.

His right hand suddenly felt empty.

He gripped the ring hanging from his neck, as if clinging to it.

Sharon noticed and turned a concerned glance toward Jin, then lowered her eyes.

As if reprimanding himself for his momentary elation.

"Otō-san. What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just happy about the drawing Mio gave me. Got a little carried away."

"Hmm, huh."

"Chu... Jin."

Sharon, having overheard the exchange, whispered Jin's name, pointing subtly to her lips.

Jin forced a smile in response to the silent command.

Mio watched the awkward expression and spoke with a single word.

"Otō-san, you look strange."

It seemed Jin needed to practice smiling.

Sharon ignored Jin, who twisted his face in front of the mirror, muttering "difficult" under his breath, and asked Mio directly.

"Say, Mio-chan, you don't smile much, do you?"

"Smile?"

Sharon hesitated sharply at the tilt of Mio's head.

She hadn't expected that.

"Smiling. Smiling."

Sharon offered a bright, deliberate smile.

How many have been deceived by that easygoing smile?

No one here knows.

"A smile is more beautiful."

"Uh..."

Just slightly.

Mio made a flustered expression.

Brows drawn into a V.

"I don't understand... Hasegawa-chan, Carmine-chan. Sharon too, Jake too. They all smile like that..."

To Mio, everyone's smile.

"Why they're smiling—I don't understand..."

She couldn't grasp the reason behind a smile.

Realizing it, Jin didn't understand either.

Sharon didn't either.

All three rubbed their heads.

"Force it if you must. When you feel like smiling, you'll be smiling."

"Something joyful, something happy—when those things happen, it comes naturally. Look, even Jin, you never know when you're smiling."

"Leave it."

They both joked, knowing pushing too hard wouldn't help.

"Isn't it unfair, Jin? You don't let Mio's father demonstrate, yet you expect only Mio to do it?"

"Hmm... maybe."

"Got it, got it. Then, Mio. Let's practice smiling next time. I don't want to be called weird-faced either."

"Okay!"

She wouldn't have noticed without Shirley.

Jin feels gratitude toward her for pointing it out.

"Guess I'm still not much of a parent..."

He wants to pay closer attention to Mio's changes, her worries.

Afterward, they eat the pizza they ordered—brief rest.

Then.

"Bath time!"

Mio declares, holding the newly arrived bath set.

"Alright, let's go."

"Everyone together!"

Jin and Shirley realize their mistake at the same time.

This overnight stay began because Mio asked to sleep with just Jin and Shirley.

The bath set prepared for them.

Mio wishing to bathe together should have been anticipated—.