A few days after my beach date with Tegemi...
One day, as I was reviewing the daily Famille' expenditures with the Famille' members relaxing in the living room.
When...
"Hmm...In that case, we might not be enough."
"That's right..."
(Hmm? What is it?)
Tegemi and Yomiko comes in with somewhat troubled faces.
Everyone who was watching TV looks back with craned necks.
"Is something up? Yuu, Tegemi?"
"Yeah, a little."
I stopped what I'm doing to listen to what Tegemi has to say then Miyoko gave me a big grin,
(What?)
"I want to ask everyone, but is anybody free tomorrow?"
"The truth is, I want to discuss the orphanage..." she continued.
(The orphanage?)
"The orphanage...that Yuu, Mina and you were part in, Tegemi?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Did something happen there?" asked Miyoko.
Tegemi gives a troubled smile.
"The truth is...the institution's headmistress contacted me earlier."
"It seems a few of the staff are ill..."
"And they're a bit shorthanded for taking care of the children."
"So, Tegemi and I decided to go and help out, but..."
"Even the help of the pervert, we're still be shorthanded."
(does she really need to include that.)
"If someone can help out tomorrow, I'd be grateful."
(Come to think of it, the headmistress said the same thing when we met her at the beach.)
As I think everybody exchanges apologetic glances at their words.
"Tomorrow, huh? Sorry, but I'm set to meet mom tomorrow." Said Rei disappointingly.
"Can we schedule it at a later date, I'm studying for the coming exam." Said Kasumi.
"Ugh¬ Raika and I have an assignment deadline coming up." Explained Miyoko.
"Yeah, Miyoko and I are going to work on it together tomorrow." Said Raika.
It looks as though everybody's busy tomorrow, so.
"Well then...if you don't mind I'll help out."
"But Mina, don't you have to go to work tomorrow?"
"Oh that, I can ask someone to cover for me, no worries."
"Really?"
"...The least useful person has come."
"Hey."
As I'm staggered at Yomiko's words Tegemi smile at my side.
"It's alright he might be dense and naïve when it comes to making out but at least his reliable." Joked Tegemi
"Hey..."
"The perverts dense? I doubt that anyway, we can't be choosey because we need all the help we can get." Said Yomiko.
Tegemi nods, and puts her hand on Yomiko's and my shoulders.
"Alright! In that case, let's work hard tomorrow."
"Yeah."
"Leave it to me."
And the next day...
As promised, the three of us head to the orphanage.
Naturally, the orphanage is the subject of our conversation.
"It's really be a long time since I went there, but I heard from the head mistress that Mina's been helping there ever since."
"Really? Mina!"
"Yeah, surprising huh? I replied to Yomiko sarcastically which she immediately retaliated by kicking me in the butt.
"Ouch!"
"But, anyway you two seems to be really happy."
"To me, the orphanage is like a second childhood home, so I enjoy going back."
"I feel about the same."
"Although it's not like I have a lot of happy memories there..." Yomiko continued.
"Even so, it's an important place, after all."
"I guess I could say the same." (Even though I stayed there for a brief moment I can relate to their happiness.)
(It seems like they both have a lot of thoughts about it...)
As we mellow out a bit, Tegemi points in front of us.
"That's right, if you head straight this way, there's a small park."
"I played tag there a lot, back then." She said in a happy tone.
"Oh that small park."
As we hurriedly turn to the corner...
"Is gone?"
Rather than a park...is a huge building now standing from it.
"Oh, I guess that park is gone..."
"Th-the bakery is gone as well..." said disappointingly.
"I went shopping here so many times when I was in the facility..."
"This area has changed a lot since we last visited."
(Right...I came here often I ignored the fact the place that we grow up with is gone.)
"I-it's a bit sad..."
"We're going to see the kids now, you can't have such a gloomy faces, can you." I reminded them.
"I-I guess not."
Taking heart, Tegemi lifts her face.
"It's sad that things have changed but...As time goes by, this happens..."
"For the moment, let's forget about it...and spend today enthusiastically helping out at the facility."
"Y-yeah..." replied Yuu.
"We're finally coming back, so let's be cheerful."
Tegemi and Yomiko's faces meet, and they smile.
(Thank goodness...they've both cheered back up.)
(I guess I shouldn't tell them about the time that I fought to keep the orphanage from closing in, 5 years had passed when I left the orphanage I was 15 back then still in the gang, there are an awful lot of construction at that time. The real estate company that bought all the properties in this area tries to buy the orphanage and uses a lot of dirty tricks to shut it down. But they failed and that huge company is one of biggest company in this city that Tegemi and Yomiko is now a part of...)
"Mina? Is something wrong? You're standing in place..."
"Have you forgotten the orphanage is this way?"
"Oh, yeah I'm coming."
(There's no need for me to tell them that...)