142 134 Morning moment





 That awakening was abrupt.

I... Huh? .........ki-te!
Hmm...?

 I'm waking up and working on my hazy thoughts.
 I slept awfully well........oh yeah.
 I've been living in the South family's spare room since yesterday.

 After remembering that much, I realized that my body was shaking.
 I thought it was an earthquake, but it was a gentle shaking for that.

 I opened my heavy eyelids to see what it was....

''Ah! I got it! Good morning, man!
...Amana-chan?

 I saw Amana's smiling face in her pajamas in my vision.
 Apparently, she came to wake me up, just like she did when she stayed at my last apartment.

 I made the mistake of hugging her in my sleep that time, but I'm inwardly relieved that it didn't happen this time.
 It doesn't matter, why did this girl come to wake me up?

Good morning, Amana-chan. What time is it?
Well, it's the sixth hour of the morning!

 In response to my question, Amana answered so cheerfully that I couldn't believe it was morning.

 No, you're early.
 I can still sleep for half an hour, why are you waking me up so early, and even earlier?

Let's see, does Amana-chan always get up around this time?

 I decided to ask her why she came to wake me up in a roundabout way, since telling me her usual waking time is tantamount to implying 'I wanted her to sleep more'.
 Amana-chan replies with an innocent smile, as if she doesn't know what the other side of those words are.

Amana, I just woke up earlier and thought I wanted to see you as soon as possible!
Ugh..........

 I didn't think it was because she wanted to see my face before her mother, Amari.
 I received an unexpectedly cute attack from early in the morning, and my sleep-deprived mind was completely awakened.

 That's awesome, Amana, I've never had such a nice morning to wake up.

 As I'm writhing in agony over how cute she is, the door to my room is unexpectedly opened.

'I thought they were talking about something.......why is Tenna in Kazu's room?
Good morning, Amari.

 The door was opened by an apron-clad Amana, holding a ladle in one hand.
 I was slightly surprised by the typical attire, but the other side also seemed unable to hide their surprise at getting up earlier than the time I had told them beforehand and the presence of Amana-chan.

''Good morning. Tenna, did you perhaps wake up Kazu-san who was asleep?
Uh, yeah...

 When I thought she returned my greeting, Amanashi stared at Amana with her lapis lazuli eyes narrowed.
 It's exactly the eyes of a parent who is about to scold her.

 Amana-chan, as expected, was aware that her actions were simply selfish, and she shuddered at Amana's gaze.

'Thanks to Amana-chan, I was able to wake up refreshed, so I'm grateful. Don't be so angry with me.''
Onii-san...!
''........Huh. If it doesn't bother you, Wa-san, then I have nothing to say to you.

 When I implied that it wouldn't bother me if I was woken up, Amana let out a reassuring smile and Tenashi sighed in disgust and settled the contraption.
 I didn't lie about anything, and I could feel Amari's concern for me as she was trying to get me to sleep until the last minute.
 So there was no need to blame anyone.

''There's still time for breakfast to be ready, so the two of you should finish dressing and brushing your teeth.
Yeah, okay.
Yes!

 Me and Amanashi and Amana nodded together at Amanashi's words.

 ........Let's not tell them that I thought the word choice was completely motherly.
 
 Let's just pretend that's what it is.

 Then I changed into my clothes and stood next to Amana and brushed my teeth.
 It's also cute that she uses a strawberry flavored toothpaste while I use a strong mint flavored toothpaste.

 It's really funny to see her brushing her teeth without skipping a beat, because she's been so well educated.

 When I finished brushing my teeth and went into the living room, Tenashi was just serving breakfast on the table.
 I helped with the rest and the three of us put our hands together.

''Itadakimasu,''

 The breakfast that was made was miso soup with white rice and Chinese cabbage and grilled fish, a menu that was more towards Japanese food.
 With the exception of the time when Kurone came to stay, I've always eaten bread for breakfast, so it's refreshing to see it laid out like this.
 Plus, it's probably the fact that I'm sitting around the table with Amari and Amana-chan.

 That alone was enough to make me feel a warmth that was equal to the miso soup, and it seemed to spread through my mind slightly.
 Before I knew it, I had eaten it all before I knew it.

Thanks for the meal. I'm glad we had such a good meal in the morning.
Oh, you're welcome. Breakfast is your source of energy for the day, and you must eat well.
Hey. This one will last the night.
'Eh....'
Hey, what's up?

 I thought I expressed my heartfelt admiration, but for some reason, Amari seemed a bit shocked.
 I didn't know why she reacted like that, and as soon as I asked her, she became visibly upset.

''No, no........I just misunderstood for a moment that I wasn't able to help you much with your bento.......''
''Oh that kind of........ To be honest, up until yesterday, Tenashi's bento was the most helpful thing for me, so I'd rather not be able to do anything about it if it's gone from now on.

 It's easy to imagine that if it weren't for the lunches she usually makes, I could easily have collapsed earlier.
 It's the same in the future, and it's become a habit of mine to eat that lunchbox for lunch.
 If they say they won't make it tomorrow, I want to keep eating it to the point where I'll do whatever it takes to stop them.

 Hearing my words, Tenashi's expression changed from a sad expression to a happy but somewhat embarrassed one....

It's a very good idea to have a good time. Today's bento is also filled with a lot of energy, so please enjoy it!
Oh, oh...

 I managed to nod my head, feeling my chest heave as I was told that he had made a lunch with the contents of my body in a roundabout way.

....
....

 But from there, they become silent to each other.
 What's this?
 There's something sweet in the air that makes it seem like the salt in the miso soup you drank earlier has been replaced with sugar.

Mister? Mom? How did you stop talking to Kyu?
!

 He finally came back from his rigidity after Amana pointed it out to him, but the awkwardness remained in the air for a while.