Some time shortly after Konata and Kagami confessed their relationship, Kagami was getting to know Mr. Izumi

"Kagami.. I have to talk to you about something."

"Hm? Sure, what's up?"

Kagami looked up at the father of her lover curiously. His voice had taken on a more serious note, something that the man rarely did. Konata had just ran out of the house to go shopping for groceries, leaving Kagami waiting in the Izumi household, along with the origin otaku, Sojiro Izumi.

"It's about Konata.. No, no, not about you and her!" He added quickly, seeing the fear plainly written on the girl's face.

"Konata has told you about her mother, Kanata..?" Sojiro confirmed, more of a statement than a question.

"Yes.. I saw a picture of her. They look almost alike.."

"Konata looks nearly exactly like her mother.. but she has my personality. It's actually rather strange. I'd expected her to take more of an interest in the things Kanata did, but she grew up with only a father figure in her life.. So it's unavoidable that she learned my ways." Sojiro sighed wistfully, thinking back to the things Kanata had liked to do. "She was so kind. She put up with me and my ways, and I kept my love everlasting for her. She said that as long as I was happy, as long as we made our daughter happy, she would be happy."

A reminiscent look was in Sojiro's eye. "For the month after Konata was born, she was already accepting her fate. She told me that, in her short life of just over twenty years, she had been more happy than she ever thought she'd be."

Kagami sat quietly, letting the old man remember his wife. She leaned forwards, putting her hands over his. "I'm sure she was. I know she would've wanted to live longer, but I'm sure she is watching over you from wherever she is now."

"Thank you, Kagami. My heart doesn't ache as much now.." Sojiro smiled gratefully, before his face clouded over.

"Kanata died in her early twenties.. I'm only a couple years older than her."
"Konata shares a lot of things with her mother.." The world seemed to slow down around the two of them. Kagami felt a great fear settle in her heart, and she felt like she was on the verge of tears.

"She shares her appearance..
.. her height..
.. and her lifespan.."

Kagami put her head in her hands, her arms shaking weakly. "No, no no no.. Konata won't die in a couple years.. no, that isn't an option! No, no, not so soon.. she's not even out of highschool.. her life can't be this short.."

Sojiro leaned over the table, putting his hands around Kagami's wrists, moving her hands away from her face. "But you know what they told me.. when Kanata passed away?"

"They told me that my daughter would be alright."

Sojiro leaned back in his seat, a borderline delirious smile on his face now. "They said they had starting working on a way to prevent the disease from taking more lives, years before Kanata was bed-ridden."

"They said they were close to solving it. Finally, a cure to whatever damned disease took my lovely wife away from me.."

"It won't take my Konata away.. It won't take our Konata away from us."

Wiping away tears, Kagami smiled happily. She pushed her chair back, walked briskly around the table, and gave the man a hug. Her body was shaking with relief, no longer with fear. She felt a new bridge between herself and the elder otaku.

"Thank you.. dad." Kagami tested out the word, smiling as it settled in perfectly. "I'm glad Konata was in such good hands for her entire life."

Sojiro smiled, returning the hug, a happy feeling in his heart as the word father sprung from the girl's lips. "Thanks.. my daughter. I'll leave Konata to yous.. I know she'll be in good hands for the rest of her life."

/-/

Opening the door, Konata slipped off her shoes, making a beeline for the kitchen. She had found the best things, and she couldn't wait to see what she could do with them for dinner. She called out a greeting to Kagami and her dad, who were-

"..."

"Ehh?! My girlfriend is cheating on me for my pervert dad?!" Konata cried out dramatically, putting a hand to her head and swooning. Kagami, her face lighting up, shouted and ran over to her.

"N-no, I wasn't.. we were just.. hey, Konata, listen to me!"

"D-dad.. Since when did you master the path of tsundere?! G-gah, I have.. trained you too well.. I leave Kagami in good hands."