The rain was pouring down steadily. The summer heat had eased, and a hint of chilliness could be felt in the air.
It was September, and Chiharu and the others had been living their daily lives just as usual.
However, they were all perplexed by a homework assignment from the school.
“About our future dreams, huh? What do you think about it Fuyu?”
“Chifuyu has the impression of becoming a civil servant or something like that,” Chifuyu said.
“I aspire to be a streamer,” Chiaki said.
“I think I’ve heard Aki say something like that before.”
There was a homework assignment before where the girls had to compile their thoughts about their future dreams and aspirations. However, now they were sixth graders.
As they once again confronted their future dreams, various shifts in their feelings emerged.
“I’m considering being a housewife first and foremost, with pastry chef and civil servant as options,” Chiaki added.
“You, a civil servant?” Chinatsu questioned.
“I’ve started considering a career in civil service to support Kaito,” Chiaki explained.
“Hmm, that’s a good change of heart.”
“Fufufu, and I also thought about becoming a Devil Hunter,” Chiaki added.
“Aah, there goes my respect. You started messing around again.”
“Ehhh!”
Chinatsu and Chiaki engaged in a conversation together. Chinatsu was surprised when Chiaki, who usually only joked around, mentioned a serious career like that of a civil servant. However, Chiaki quickly reverted to her Chuunibyou self, prompting Chinatsu to become distant again.
“Chifuyu, how about a civil servant battle between us?” Chiaki proposed.
“I don’t really want to make it a battle. There are limited slots for passing, so if you call it a competition, maybe,” Chifuyu responded.
“Which one of us is stronger, Chifuyu?” Chiaki asked.
“Chifuyu is better at written exams, but Chifuyu might lose in interviews,” Chifuyu said.
“Studying, huh?”
“Aki-nee, do you want to study together from now on?”
“Let’s put this dream to rest for a little while longer.”
Chifuyu shifted her attention away from Chiaki for a moment and looked at Chinatsu.
“What about you, Natsu-nee?”
“I plan to live at home like normal and take care of everything. I don’t want to burden Kaito with anything, so I’ll handle all the household chores.”
“Natsu-nee is saying such grown-up things even though she’s still in elementary school… It’s scary,” Chifuyu remarked.
“Well, even I think like an adult sometimes!”
The three of them laughed as they discussed their futures. Chiharu smiled warmly as she watched her three younger sisters, but for herself, a clear vision of her future didn’t come to mind.
“I should talk to Onii-san about this.”
■■
It was 11 o’clock, and since school awaited them tomorrow, Chiharu put Chinatsu, Chiaki, and Chifuyu to bed. She then descended from the second-floor bedroom to the living room.
“Onii-san, I’ve put the three of them to bed.”
“I see. Then, shall we start the personal consultation?” Kaito asked.
“Yeah, it sounds like a rather serious conversation.”
Chiharu and Kaito both smiled wryly and took a seat on the sofa. Chiharu handed Kaito her career path assignment, which was still blank.
“I have no clue about my future.”
“Your future, huh?
“Did you have any thoughts when you were in elementary school, Onii-san?” Chiharu asked.
“No, not at all.”
“Is it a good idea to start thinking about it now?”
“Well, having goals might be beneficial, but you’re still in elementary school.”
“Maybe kids don’t need to worry too much about it? Chiaki mentioned wanting to become a civil servant, though.”
“That Chiaki said that? About becoming a civil servant? Hmm, that’s a sign of growing up,” Kaito noted.
Kaito was initially amazed that Chiaki mentioned her aspiration to become a civil servant, but his expression soon shifted to astonishment. However, now he needed to shift his focus to Chiharu’s concerns.
“Chiharu, do you have anything you’d like to do?”
“Well, there’s this section where I can jot down three future options for now.”
“Oh, it seems like you already have some ideas.”
Kaito couldn’t help but think that having three options to fill in meant that she had some level of clarity. Once she finished writing, the blank spaces were no longer empty.
“Let’s see…”
First Choice: be a full-time housewife while living with my parents.
Second Choice: Working in the private sector while living with my parents.
Third Choice: Getting hired as a maid.
“What’s this, I mean, what’s going on? I can still grasp the second choice, but honestly, the first and third ones are a bit baffling to me,” Kaito inquired.
“Is that so? I kind of went with my gut feeling.”
“Whose housewife are we talking about here? You’re not married, right?”
“Oh, no, I’m not thinking about marriage. But I thought maybe I could take care of the household chores in this house.”
“Ah, so you won’t be leaving the house?”
“Yeah, is that okay with you?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m happy, but sometimes I wonder if you could gain more experience and do things outside.”
“There’s no need. It’s not all about gaining experience. I’ve been through neglect in my upbringing, so I don’t have high expectations for the outside world,” Chiharu shared.
“I-I see…”
Kaito was aware of the girls’ past experiences and how their relatives abandoned them in a run-down apartment with clear neglect. That’s why he was absolutely determined not to force anyone out of the house.
However, he had anticipated that she would eventually leave the nest, so he had not expected her to declare that she would stay indefinitely.
“A maid, huh?”
“I heard that some men like maids,” Chiharu said.
“Well, I’m normal.”
“Then I’ll pass on that. So, for now, living here and working in the private sector as per my second choice, is that what you’d recommend, Onii-san?”
“Yeah, among these options, it’s definitely the one.”
“In that case…”
“But shouldn’t you think a bit more about it? Like maybe becoming a singer?” Kaito suggested.
“I’m absolutely tone-deaf. It’s not something to be proud of, but I’ve been lip-syncing my way through music class.”
“That’s really not something to brag about.”
As Chiharu calmly and matter-of-factly discussed her choices, Kaito seemed uncertain about how to respond. However, he had a sense of ethics that made him wonder if it was okay to end Chiharu’s future consultation so easily.
“But, how about we think a bit more? What about acting? I mean, there are actresses too,” Kaito suggested.
“Acting is out of the question. I’m not good at moving my facial expressions. My smiles tend to look suspicious.”
“Yeah, you have a point there. What about being a content creator, like a streamer? They’re popular among kids,” Kaito suggested.
“Nowadays, it’s oversaturated, so starting from scratch would be tough,” Chiharu replied.
“Since you’re still young, maybe you could have a dream that’s a bit more, well, dreamy. Living at home while working in the private sector isn’t a bad option, though.”
“Working part-time while taking care of the household chores could be a dream.”
“That’s incredibly practical.”
“I’ve realized that I don’t really enjoy going out much. Like on rainy days, watching streaming videos with you, Onii-san, makes me happy.”
“That makes two of us. It’s like we’re not wasting time but indulging in it, and I quite like that.”
“Yeah, so maybe…”
“Let’s think about it a bit more.”
Chiharu had chosen her dream with surprising ease, and it was remarkably practical and mature for someone her age. Kaito couldn’t help but wish she would have a more ambitious dream.
“Being a volleyball player or something, I can teach you.”
“If it’s mama-san’s volleyball, I might want to try it. Onii-san has experience in volleyball, so I’d like you to teach me.” (TN: mama-san’s volleyball is a form of the sport specifically aimed at Japanese women.)
“That’s fine, but maybe aim a bit higher.”
“From my perspective, I’m very happy with my current life. This is good. I think this is the right path,”
“I see…”
(Chiharu might have thought about various things too. Maybe that’s why she chose such a practical dream. Living at home with me would reduce her burden, and it would be easier to save money.)
(She might be choosing this lifestyle to save money for her sisters, considering the hardships they faced in the past. It might not be good to deny her like that.)
“W-well, I’d be happy if you were around, Chiharu.”
“That’s right.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Well then, for now, this is fine, isn’t it?”
Chiharu finished folding the paper where she had jotted down her future and tucked it into her school bag.
“Alright then, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
“Just to let you know, I put quite some thought into my future. It would make me happy if Onii-san could envision having a daughter who chooses to live at home.” Chiharu said.
“Ah, yes.”
Chiharu delivered her statement calmly and left the room. Kaito couldn’t help but feel a mix of joy and concern at the prospect of such a future actually coming to pass.
**********
TN: I made a mistake in one of the chapters about the girls being in junior high school; they’re still elementary school students. A misleading sentence and my lack of understanding of Japan’s school calendar are at fault. It’s been corrected.
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