It's already been almost three weeks since I started living with the Minami family.
　November has turned into December, and the world is getting busier and busier with talk of Christmas and New Year's. As I work in the delivery business, this is the best time of the year for me to shovel in my goods.

　As a delivery guy, this is the best time of year for me.
　This is the time of year when the workload increases.
　In previous years, my mind would have been so busy that my heart would have died, but now that I can receive Amana's healing services every day, not two days a week, and I'm in better shape than ever thanks to Amanashi's home-cooked meals, I'll be able to take it easy.

　Well, we can enjoy those things until we find a new house.
　I need to decide on a new house as soon as possible so as not to be a burden to the girls.

I have to decide........but.......

　The next morning, he wakes up and complains to himself as he stares at the familiar ceiling.
　As Mason advised me, I've been diligently looking for a new place to live with an image of myself living there, but I'm not happy with the results.

　Perhaps it's because I've become completely accustomed to living in the Minami family, but I can't shake the feeling of loneliness in every room I see.
　It's not Amanashi and Amana's fault.
　It's my own fault for not being able to make a decision in front of them, even though I understood that deciding on a new house would mean letting go of my life with them.

　Honestly, I'm reminded that I've been so comfortable with myself.
　As I was holding my head in my own indecision, a knock sounds in the room.

　─ ─ Ah, it's Amanashi.

　Just from the way he knocked, he could also tell who was on the other side of the door.
　This is probably a result of our life together.
　On the one hand, I'm happy, on the other hand, I feel as if my decision making has become increasingly sluggish and hazy.

The actuality of this is that it's not a good thing. Breakfast is ready for you.
'Thank you, Amani. I just woke up, so I'll get dressed and go.
I understand.

　I return the heartfelt, bouncy greeting with an air of equanimity and slip out of the futon and change out of my pajamas into my clothes.

　There are no new clothes or furniture that I've bought while I've been living here.
　The arrangement and the amount hasn't changed at all from when I carried the luggage, but somehow I feel empty.

''──Hmm. This kind of negative thinking isn't good enough.

　It's only natural that your thinking will go backwards if you're still hungry.
　I finish dressing and leave the room, thinking that I'll think about the rest of the story after filling my stomach for now.

　The cold corridor chill hits me as if to freeze my body, which is still warm from the heater and the bedding.
　The temperature difference between the two worlds just past one door naturally speeds up the walk to the living room.

　Then I open the other door.....

''Ah, Onii-san!　Good morning!
Good morning, Amana-chan.

　Amana-chan, who had woken up earlier, greets me in an energetic tone that doesn't seem like it's morning.
　I mock myself for being so different from myself, but I make a smile and return it.

　On the table were the breakfast staples of toast with bacon and a fried egg on top and potato salad.
　I proceeded to eat it immediately.
　The bacon was cooked just right because it was Amashi's homemade, the fried egg had a tender yolk and was not persistent, and the potato salad was delicious with a refreshing texture.
　I feel as if my depressed mood has been lifted a little.

　= = = = = = =.　

　After breakfast, I stared at the property documents until it was time to go to work.
　Even though we weren't serious about it, we were finally able to narrow down our search for a new house to the remaining two properties.
　This is all thanks to Mason's careful explanation.

　
　As I looked at the materials, wrinkling my brow as I looked at them to the point where I had a hole in them....

''Are these the documents for the property?''
What?

　After finishing cleaning up from breakfast, Amari called out to me from behind.
　It seems she was so focused that she didn't notice him at all even though he was nearby.

''Ah. That's all that's left to do.''

Well, that's thanks to your good charge there, or something like that.

　I look back and say a few words to him.
　But the expression on Amari's face when she finally met with him was.....




　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm not sure what to say.

　For a moment, he stiffened, not knowing how to react, but he soon guessed what she was thinking.

　After all, tomorrow is a holiday.......which means that Amari knows that she's headed to these two previews.
　It's safe to say that the new house will almost certainly be decided.
　If that happens, it will inevitably mean the end of my life here.

　I can't hide my joy in knowing that I'm not the only one who feels lonely about that.
　But I don't want to take advantage of that kindness and stay.

'Mom?　What's going on?
No, no. It's nothing.

　Amana noticed the slight change in her mother and asked that with a worried look on her face.
　However, Amana smiled bitterly and made up for it by saying she was fine.

　It's obvious that she's taking it too far.
　I'm the cause of the problem, but I didn't want her to look like that.　

　So do you want to continue living like this?
　That would have only hurt him even more and made the resolution of anything far-fetched.
　First of all, it was with a time limit of until they found a new house.

　If that's the case, we'll just have to dismiss it as the right time.

''Amanashi, Amana-chan,''

　I called out to the two of them at will.
　Amari holds her mouth tightly from a small shock, and Amana looks at me with an anxious gaze.

　Pushing down the guilt of making her look like that, she opens her mouth to say her first words.

''──I'll probably get a new house tomorrow, so I'll be out of here in a little while.
I...

　I should have known this time would come since the beginning of this life, but for some reason, my heart ached like it was about to burst open.
　It seems that Amanashi, who knew what she was going to say, did the same, and although she didn't speak, she covered her mouth with her hand and tried to suppress her agitation.

...what?

　And Amana, who probably hadn't been prepared for anything, opened her eyes wide and was aghast at the look of inability to keep up with her understanding.