Good Sister

As Izumi Kotomi prepared to face the inevitable lecture from her mother, Izumi Akina, she was surprised when her mother's tone softened the moment Megumi Kato took over the conversation. Instead of the expected reprimand, Akina responded with a warm and gentle tone, almost as if she were speaking to a prospective daughter-in-law:

"Hello, Megumi-san. I've heard so much about you from Kotomi; she often tells me how you've been looking out for her. Thank you so much. I believe you two met on the very first day of school?"

"Yes, that's right, Izumi-san. I wouldn't say I'm looking out for her, just that classmates should help each other," Megumi replied politely.

"When Kotomi told me she was going to Tokyo today and might be back late, her father and I were quite worried. After all, she can be a bit absent-minded at times. See? She ended up missing the last train. What if something bad had happened? But once I knew she was with you, I felt much more at ease."

Akina's voice was warm and full of concern, with a touch of motherly affection that made it clear how much she trusted Megumi, despite never having met her. It was as if she saw Megumi as someone who could take good care of her precious daughter.

"I'm very sorry, Izumi-san. The reason we missed the last train was entirely my fault. I accidentally left my phone at the restaurant, and if I had been more careful, we would have made it home by now. I'm truly sorry for causing you and Izumi-san so much worry," Megumi apologized sincerely.

"No need to worry. As long as you're both safe and have found a place to stay for the night, that's what matters. It's actually reassuring to know that you're there to look after Kotomi. But please, make sure to come home early tomorrow morning."

"Of course, Izumi-san. I'll take good care of Kotomi tonight," Megumi promised, her smile evident even through the phone.

Megumi's polite and thoughtful responses left Akina with a very favorable impression. Despite this being their first conversation, Akina felt that Megumi was a considerate and well-mannered young woman.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Megumi sought Akina's approval before handing the phone back to Kotomi, giving her a reassuring nod that everything was fine.

Kotomi, still slightly in awe of how smoothly the conversation had gone, took the phone back. She had anticipated an awkward first conversation between her mother and Megumi, but instead, it had been remarkably pleasant. However, there was something that Kotomi couldn't quite put her finger on—why did it feel like her mother was talking to Megumi with the warmth and acceptance of a mother-in-law?

Am I just overthinking this?

"Mom… I might not be able to come back until the afternoon, or maybe even the evening tomorrow," Kotomi said hesitantly.

It wasn't that she wanted to stay in Tokyo longer; she had an appointment with the editor from Dengeki Bunko and the illustrator, Hanayui-sensei, who would be working on her novel. Even if she returned home in the morning, she would have to come back to Tokyo in the afternoon, which seemed like a waste of time and money.

"Hmm? Is there something important you need to do?" Akina asked. As a mother, she knew Kotomi wasn't the type to stay out without a good reason. When her daughter said she couldn't come back in the morning, Akina was curious to hear her reasoning.

Instead of immediately dismissing her daughter's request, Akina wanted to understand her reasons. Both she and her husband believed that sometimes, when children did something parents couldn't understand, it was important to listen and try to see things from their perspective. If the reasons made sense and didn't go against their principles, they would support their children's decisions.

Not every parent is born knowing how to be a good parent, and not every parent can always understand their child. It's a process of mutual understanding, communication, and empathy. Often, it's not about who's right or wrong, but about bridging the gap through dialogue and understanding.

Sensing that Kotomi was about to discuss something important, Megumi quietly stood up and whispered to Kotomi, "Kotomi-san, I'm going to take a shower."

"Oh, okay," Kotomi nodded.

As Megumi disappeared into the bathroom and the sound of the shower filled the room, Kotomi began explaining to her mother, "A few days ago, the editor from Dengeki Bunko contacted me. They've chosen the illustrator for my novel, and it's customary for the author and illustrator to meet before starting work together. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday."

Upon hearing this, Akina's confusion quickly dissipated, and she understood the situation, responding with a few thoughtful "ohs" as she pieced it together.

"Oh, I see. So you want to stay in Tokyo until after your meeting with the illustrator, right?"

"Exactly. If I came home in the morning, I'd just have to head back to Tokyo in the afternoon. It's a lot of unnecessary travel and wasted money on train tickets."

"Hehe, if you had told me this earlier, I wouldn't have let you come home tonight even if you hadn't missed the last train. I would've told you to stay in Tokyo, meet with the illustrator tomorrow, and then come home after your work was done," Akina said with a light-hearted laugh.

Mom knows best.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll come home later tomorrow, then."

"Alright, take your time and focus on your work. Since you've found something you're passionate about, put in the effort to succeed!"

"Shouldn't you be telling me to give it my all?" Kotomi teased.

"Why should you give it your all? You're my precious eldest daughter. If you're always giving it your all, that means you'll be constantly working hard, even at the expense of your rest. Just thinking about it makes me tired," Akina said, with a touch of seriousness.

"Kotomi, always remember that we're here in this world to live life. Sometimes that means working hard, and other times it means relaxing and taking it easy. We're human beings, not cold, tireless robots."

"Mom, I do make sure to rest," Kotomi replied, feeling warmth in her heart.

"Oh, don't try to fool me. Aimi told me you stay up late every night. I'm guessing you're staying up to write your novel?"

"Actually, Mom, I've been staying up late to play games."

Kotomi's honest confession felt like it shattered the warm, tender moment.

On the other end of the line, Akina paused before replying, "...Let's just pretend I didn't say anything earlier."

"Hehe, but thank you for caring, Mom."

"Silly girl. Just make sure you're home by tomorrow evening. You've got school the day after, remember? Oh, by the way, have you finished your homework?"

Kotomi froze. The last thing her mother said hit her like a critical blow.

She had completely forgotten about her homework, which was more than usual due to the weekend. And the worst part? She hadn't even started.

She hadn't opened her school bag since leaving school on Friday, let alone looked at her assignments.

After a moment of silence on the line, Akina, fully aware of her daughter's habits, chuckled and said, "You haven't even started, have you? Listen, even if you're a super popular light novel author, you're still a high school girl! You're a JK, you know?"

"Mom, could you put Aimi on the phone?"

"Why?"

"I want to see if she can help me with my weekend homework," Kotomi asked, her tone full of hope.

Her younger sister was an excellent student. Even though she was only in her third year of middle school, Kotomi was confident that Aimi could handle her first-year high school homework without much trouble.

"Okay, I'll ask her," Akina said, then the line went quiet as she presumably went to find Aimi.

After a brief wait, Akina returned to the phone, imitating Aimi's annoyed tone, "Your sister says: Don't even think about it. Come home early tomorrow and do your own homework, hmph!"

"Aw…"

"Alright then, I've passed along the message. Remember to come home early tomorrow. I'm hanging up now."

With that, the call ended, leaving Kotomi with the sound of the dial tone.