Returning here once more, Tsuzuki Chihiro found that her emotions weren’t as calm as she had expected.
She had thought she wouldn’t be nervous standing in front of the Tsuzuki household—after all, this was already her second time back since returning to Tokyo. But when she really thought about it, there was a clear difference.
Last time, she had returned under Soyo’s identity.
This time, she was coming home as herself—as a daughter of the Tsuzuki family, stepping back into her own space.
…Well, technically, calling it a “little nest” wasn’t quite accurate. Grandma’s financial power was no joke, so this “nest” was anything but small.
The house, unchanged from her memories, stood quietly like a peaceful harbor.
From the outside, it was a two-story home. When Chihiro was little, every time she got into a fight with her parents, she would run away to Grandma’s house and hide in the big upstairs room. She would stay there until Grandma chased her father away.
Back then, that room had felt impossibly huge. But now, standing downstairs and looking up, she realized that the space beyond the window—the one where she used to peek to see if her dad had left—didn’t seem as vast as she remembered.
Maybe it was just because she had been so small then. A little child could only see the world within reach, never noticing the helplessness of the adults beyond.
But standing at the door forever wasn’t a great idea either. After a brief moment of nostalgia, Chihiro pulled her suitcase up to the front door, where “Tsuzuki” was engraved, and rang the doorbell.
“Yes—oh? Chihiro?”
The voice that answered was, of course, her grandmother, Tsuzuki Shifune. Inside, Shifune saw her granddaughter’s slightly sheepish expression through the screen and couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
Hah, and Awa said my Chihiro didn’t want to come home?
Look at that—my precious granddaughter came home all on her own!
What amused Shifune even more was how Raana, who had been inside the house just moments ago, seemed to have gained a sudden boost in hearing. The moment Shifune said the name “Chihiro,” the little girl popped her head out from the hallway with a curious expression.
“Is it Nee-chan?”
“It is,” Shifune said, muting the intercom before turning to Raana with a gentle smile. “Your sister’s home~”
The moment the words left her mouth, Raana’s eyes widened. In an instant, she dashed to the entryway and threw the door open.
“Grandma—huh?”
“Nee-chan!”
Tsuzuki Chihiro barely had time to react before a little whirlwind came charging straight at her. When a pair of small arms wrapped tightly around her waist and refused to let go, she finally realized—this was her little sister, Raana.
“Raana-chan…”
“Nee-chan’s not allowed to leave.”
“…I won’t leave.”
Glancing at her grandmother—who stood there with her arms crossed, smiling warmly—then down at the small head pressed against her stomach, rubbing against her like a kitten, Chihiro couldn’t help but smile as well.
Raana really hadn’t changed one bit. Just as Grandma had said, the girl’s world was simple and pure. So pure that, like a cat, she never overthought things.
Raana loved her sister—the one who had doted on her since they were little. She also loved the “little teacher” who used to hold her hands, patiently correcting her as she practiced guitar.
Chihiro gently stroked Raana’s head, then cautiously asked,
“Raana-chan, can you let go for now? I won’t leave.”
“……”
Raana didn’t answer, nor did she budge.
Chihiro sighed, half amused, half exasperated. In the end, it was Grandma who stepped in, saving her from the “cat claws” under the excuse of preparing a welcome-home meal.
“You already ate?”
“Yeah, Grandma, don’t you already know that?”
“Hmph, and you think Awa’s cooking is better than mine?”
“Not at all. I was just thinking that if I mooched a meal off them, it’d save you some trouble in the kitchen.”
Tsuzuki Shifune let out a small laugh, both amused and exasperated. This granddaughter of mine, always so quick with her words…
She knew Chihiro probably wasn’t aware of the complicated history between her and Subaru’s grandmother.
But that last comment?
She liked it.
“Wait a second—where are those two huge bags I gave you before? Don’t tell me you already finished them?”
Chihiro, who had been in the middle of unpacking—carefully tucking away a few things she didn’t want Grandma to see—froze for a second, looking a little awkward.
Of course, those supplies had all gone to Soyo. They were probably still sitting in that giant double-door fridge in Soyo’s house.
She had already maxed out her “take advantage of Soyo” limit by sneaking away with a few outfits. Going back to raid her fridge, too?
That would just be shameless…
“I left them at Soyo’s place. Doesn’t matter who eats them, as long as they don’t go to waste.”
…She probably won’t waste them, right?
Unaware that, at this very moment, Nagasaki Soyo was sitting at home eating those very supplies with a grim determination, Chihiro decided to believe in her.
Yeah… Soyo may be a bit of a mess, but she’s not the kind of rich girl who’d waste food just because she can afford it.
“Ah, whatever. It’s not a big deal.”
Shifune shook her head with a fond sigh before grabbing a fresh set of pajamas from the closet.
“I bought these for you just yesterday. Figured whenever you decided to come back, you’d need some new clothes.”
“Anyway, whether you go back to school next week or not, and whether you want to move out, I can arrange for you to have your own place. If you’d rather stay here with Raana, that’s fine too.”
“But that’s all for later. For now, take a nice long bath, get comfy, and have a proper night’s rest.”
“Mm… Thanks, Grandma.”
“Alright, I’ll go run the bath for you.”
Chihiro opened her mouth, about to refuse, but in the end, she let it go.
This was fine, actually.
Grandma was always looking for ways to show her love.
And honestly… after so long apart, wouldn’t it be better to accept that love rather than push it away?
But just as she reached the bathroom door, already having shed her outer layers and stockings, Grandma suddenly stopped her.
“What happened to your leg?”
“Ah… Just a scrape.”
“Hmm. Looks like it’s healing well. Should be fine in the bath.”
“Yup.”
Tilting her chin up, Chihiro gazed at the ceiling with a dramatic air. “The marks of the past are slowly fading… And as for the new bonds—what lies ahead—”
“Ow!”
“Brat, quit playing philosopher and go take your bath!”
“Yeesh, fine~”
But just as she stepped inside, her eyes widened in horror.
“Grandma! Why is Raana in here too?!”
“You two used to bathe together all the time when you were kids. Quit whining!”
“Wha—wait, Raana, why are you hugging me again?! Ah—Nee-chan’s not running away, okay? Just let go first~!”
—
This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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