《Akari's Side》

Akari resolved that they would all move toward a happy ending together.

Wiping away her tears, Akari took out her smartphone.

"Kky... ? What are you doing?" "...Nothing."

Her sister looked at her with concern. As if making up her mind, Akari spoke. "I'm telling him." "...!"

It seemed her sister immediately figured out who Akari was referring to.

Lushia tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Who is 'him'?"

"...The biological parent of me and my sister."

She hadn't wanted to say mother. Both Akari and Nanako had been put through so much trouble by that parent.

"Come to think of it... you two ran away from home, didn't you? I totally forgot about that."

"Yeah, that's right. It was half a year ago."

It was winter now. Akari and the others had run away in summer. Only six months had passed since then.

Their environment over there, and their circumstances, likely wouldn't change for another six months.

Her mother's phone number probably hadn't changed yet, either.

"Big sis. We... need to settle things, right?"

Akari and the others had decided to move forward. To do that, they needed to put their past behind them.

That is, they needed to close the chapter with their birth mother.

Unless they brought this to an end, a bright future with Okaya would remain out of reach.

...Facing the past... facing her mother... was scary. But...

Taking Akari's hand, the older sister smiled softly. "Akari." "Big sis..."

"Let's go. To her place. To settle things." "Yeah!"

And so, the Ina sisters resolved to face their own pasts, for the sake of their future with Okaya.