The event happened in this room.

When I opened my eyes, for some reason Misaki was in my arms.
Why? I look at Misaki with a questioning look and instead of an answer a soft fist came flying. Oi oi, what’s that. I thought that as Misaki escaped from my arms and walked to a corner in the room and turned her face away.

After that for 3 hours she wouldn’t look me in the eye once.
Of course she didn’t say anything either.

At the scene of the crime there was some food packaging and 6 empty beer cans.
But in exchange for the memory of a light headache I don’t remember anything else from yesterday.

Mostly.
In other words, I remember a little.

Yesterday, after getting my money from the bank I immediately made for the pac.h.i.n.ko parlor. **TL Note: gambling game** But the instant I opened the door and the smell of tobacco hit my nose my consciousness returned and I ran back. On the way back I dropped by a supermarket, since I went through all the trouble I though might as well buy Misaki something that will make her happy. Though I say that, I don’t know what her interests are at all.

In the end, I figured something to eat would be fine, and spent 1 yukichi (10,000 yen) and went home. I looked at the things I was carrying in my arms, I remember up until Misaki’s eyes sparkling.

…I see, seems like it was a simple problem.

“My bad Misaki… I forgot I’m weak to alcohol!”

With all my strength I did a dogeza, but it didn’t fix Misaki’s bad mood.

Yesterday’s events were probably something like this.

→The drunk me grabbed Misaki
→Misaki dislikes it
→I didn’t notice
→I hold on to her
→Like that I fell asleep
→Ryou-kun stinks of liquor. Don’t like. Hate you. Don’t know you anymore!

…Aah, now I’ve done it.

“UooooOOOOOOO!”

Unable to bear it I burst out of the room.
Leaving behind the run down apartment, running through the street until the neighborhood park and climbing the the slide—

“I WON’T DRINK EVER AGAIN—!”

Thus I swore to never drink alcohol.
By the way, I still couldn’t fix Misaki’s mood…

And so I was glaring at a pillow.
Of course it wasn’t mine, it was merchandise.
Taking the opportunity I thought to buy a futon.

I don’t know a way to improve Misaki’s mood but, if I do something that will make her happy she’ll probably forgive me. Of course I don’t know what will make her happy.

I was worried.
Super worried.
At any rate, what would make a kid happy? So I came to a conclusion.

As expected, the answer I came to was ‘pillow’.
Having goods for sleeping which people spend 1/3rd of their life doing, there’s no way someone would be upset about that after all. In the first place, we don’t have any kind of bedding. At the worst I’d just be adding zero to zero. There’s nothing to lose.

When I decided to buy a pillow, I believed in my heart it was my victory.
But when I saw the shelves lined with pillows, I involuntarily became blue.

White, black, peach, green, blue, animal, anime drawing, etc, etc.

… The one that would make Misaki the happiest, which one?

‘Whatever is fine’, there’s that kind of reasoning too.
But let’s think about it calmly.

For example, if I were to choose white.
After that, when I go shopping with Misaki and she see’s the pillows, “…Ryou-kun, out of all those you choose white? … I can’t believe you” she’d say. I’m confident I’d die.

…s.h.i.t! What should I do!? What would be best!?

“Uhm—, h.e.l.lo—, thinking about something?”

Who the h.e.l.l is acting all overly-familiar… is what I thought but it was just the shop a.s.sistant.
I dunno if it’s the makeup but when I look at her, is she a high schooler?

“… Well, as you can see.”
“Worrying over pillows, Nii-san is a connoisseur, huh. For your personal use?”
“No, it’s a present.”
“P-r-e-s-e-n-t! For who?”

This shop a.s.sistant is seriously gaudy. If she wasn’t a girl I’d have probably hit her.
In any case, I’ll act from a humble position.
She probably has some advice.

“For Misaki.”
“For a girl, huh?” **TL Note: it’s read/spoken as girl (onna no ko) but written as girlfriend (kanojo)
“Yeah, that’s right.”

A boy named Misaki would be pretty surprising.
Leaving that aside, for some reason this shop a.s.sistant’s tension is rising. What’s with that?

“Woow, that’s great. I admire ya.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah~. Ah, by the way is it the first?”
“Yeah, it’s my first present.”
“Really? A pillow for your first present, Nii-san you don’t hesitate, huh.”

Is she making fun of me? Is it just my imagination?

“Umm~, perhaps it’s to commemorate something?”
“Not really a commemoration, more like mood…”
“Ahaha, I don’t really get it but sounds interesting.”
“It’s not interesting. I don’t understand what she’s thinking at all, it’s troublesome.”
“I see~… is there an age difference?”
“Yeah. Around a 20 year gap.”
“Eh? Nii-san how old are you right now?”
“I’m 23?”
“No hesitation! Nii-san you’re seriously cool!”

Really?
Well, if I were really Misaki’s parent, she’d have been born when I was 18, she probably means cool in that way?… Nope, I totally don’t get it.

“Eeehm, I’m an understanding person so I’m rooting for you!”

I completely don’t understand what she’s saying, but for now I’ll just thank her.

“Thanks.”
“Ahaha, at least tsukkomi that. You mean daughter right? Seems like it.”
“Ah? What are you talking about?”
“I mean, I was talking about girlfriend.”
“That’s not even on the level of an out, jeez.” **TL Note: Dating preferences, strike = what you like, out = not interested.

…Come to think of it, to her I had a child, huh.
Ah? That’s strange.
My eyes are feeling a little hot?

“Well it’s like that. Which pillow would make a kid happy?”
“Totally dunno.”

This shop a.s.sistant is useless.

“Come to think of it, why a pillow?”
“Because it’s a pillow.”
“I see, how deep.”

The shop a.s.sistant’s mouth curves like a cat and evaluates the pillows.
Before long she reaches for light pink pillow lined with some black points and holds it out to me.

“How ’bout this?”
“Let’s go with that.”
“Quick decision, huh.”
“I’m tired from all the thinking. Well your sense can’t be wrong, right?”
“Oooh~, somehow I feel like you trust me?”
“One is bigger than zero after all.”
“Ooooh~ this is the second time in my life I’ve been appraised highly.”

What the h.e.l.l kind of life have you been leading.

“By the way, if I buy a futon too would I get a discount?”
“Nope.”
“That right…”

So, because of this shop a.s.sistant I’ve become needlessly tired but I managed to buy some bedding (8 yukichi (80,000 yen)).

After having the futon sent to me, I returned home with 2 person’s worth of pillows and food. I open the door and immediately catch sight of Misaki. Sitting in the same corner from the morning she stared at nothing while holding her knees.

“…I’m back.”

I said a little nervously as Misaki looked at the bags I was carrying.

“…This, a present for you.”

Approaching timidly I hold out the pillow.
Misaki— reaches out her little hand to take the pillow and squeezes it, her cheeks loosening slightly.

…T-thank G.o.d. It was a success.

“Tomorrow the futon’s coming, so look forward to it.”
“…n.”

SHE TAAAALKED!
AFTER 24 HOURS I HEARD HER VOOOOOICE!!!!
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

…Wait, why are you so happy, me. Your head alright?

Heaving a sigh, I sit on the floor and show Misaki everything I bought.
From there I take out all the food and drinks, take it out, take it out, until everything is out. For some reason Misaki makes a small mu sound and peers into the bag.

“What’s up?”
“…osake ha?”

Ooooh, Misaki who only says simple words … said ‘ha’! Ah, this isn’t the place to be excited, now is the chance to apologize!

**TL Note: I chose to leave this in j.a.panese because it sounds unnatural in english. Basically ‘ha’ is a particle that’s essential to j.a.panese grammar. She normally only ever says nouns or verbs. This is compounded by how in j.a.panese a lot of standard conversations leave off words because it is already implied. In this case the English version would be something like “(where) is the alcohol?” “Oooh she said ‘is the"” kind of thing, but that sounds very awkward imo.

“Misaki, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I won’t drink alcohol ever again. So forgive me!”
“…no, alcohol?”
“Yeah, I won’t drink ever again.”
“…”

H-huh?
She’s in a bad mood again?
Turning her head away while puffing her cheeks out, how cute- no that’s wrong, I want to poke… no that’s wrong!
Uoooooo! At any rate she’s in a bad mood!?
Why!?

Dammit, I don’t get it but it’s probably the alcohol’s fault!
I won’t drink it ever again!!

Misaki has high defense, so she doesn’t often get hugged. That’s what Ryousei thought so he couldn’t imagine… yesterday, when Ryousei was drunk and hugged Misaki, she was fairly happy.

The response this morning was because she was hiding her embarra.s.sment.

Being near Ryou-kun is calming.
That was Misaki’s real thoughts.
He didn’t notice but she was also hugging him.
She thought she wouldn’t mind sleeping with him every night.
But Ryou-kun won’t come to my side.
Saying that, it’s embarra.s.sing going to him.

As a result, she thought with the power of alcohol this problem could be settled.
It seems like if Ryou-kun drinks alcohol he’ll come hug me.

I found something I like.
That’s what I thought—’I won’t ever drink again’—Ryou-kun said.

Misaki firmly protested.