"Hiromu! Nami! We have to meet up with Auntie Kanan! We'll keep them waiting, if the two of you don't hurry!"
"Ha~i!"
I heaved a sigh, glancing at my watch. We're supposed to meet everyone for a picnic at the park. The kids and I are meeting with Kanan-san. My husband, Yuusuke, is away on business, so I'm keeping an eye on them.
In any case, those two… what always takes them so long to get ready?
"I'm all set, Mama!" My daughter, Nami, exclaimed, stepping into the living room. I smiled at her small figure, and pat my lap. She giggled, coming over to the couch before climbing onto my lap. I smoothed out her brown locks, as she nestled into my stomach.
"Where's your brother?"
"Still in the bathroom," she replied, looking up at me. I blew a breath.
"Fixing his hair?"
"He does always have bed-head in the morning."
I stifled a laugh. "You're not wrong about that."
"And, besides, we all know who it's for," Nami snickered, as I laughed aloud. Then, the doorbell rang. I gently pecked Nami's hair before setting her down on the spot beside me. I stood up from the couch before going over to the door.
"Coming!" I looked through the peephole, to see Kanan-san, and her daughters, Asuka-chan and Kirika-chan. "Hm?" I opened the door, and smiled at the mother-daughter trio. "I thought we were supposed to meet with you." Kanan-san laughed.
"Well, Asuka and Kiri wanted to see you guys." I bowed to the girls' level.
"It's good to see you, Asuka-chan! Kirika-chan!"
"Hi, Auntie Dia!" the two girls squealed. I laughed, and ruffled each of my goddaughters' hair. Asuka glanced past me, and grinned. "Ah, Hiromu-kun!" I turned to see my son gently fluffing his hair.
"Heh?! Asuka, you're already—?!"
"Onii-chaan! You're late!" Nami squealed, going over to hug her brother. He chuckled, smoothing out Nami's hair.
"Sorry." Asuka-chan stepped over to Hiromu. I smiled, seeing the blush on his face. "Y-Yo…"
"Yo!"
"Well, then, since you're finally ready…" I droned, before smiling. "Shall we get going?"
"Un!"
"Kanan! Dia!" Mari-san yelled, waving us over.
"Ah! Asuka-chan! Hiromu-kun, Nami-chan!" The kids ran over to the others.
Today, the former members of Aqours are gathered for our fall picnic. Chika-san was with her twin boys, Kousuke-kun and Ryuuji-kun. Riko-san was with her son and daughter, Eriko-chan and Kenta-kun. You-san was with her kids, Shun-kun and Saki-chan. Ruby was with her kids, my niece and nephew, Hana and Naoki. Mari-san had her two girls, Kaori-chan and Rina-chan. Kanan-san had her twin daughters, Asuka-chan and Kirika-chan. Yoshiko-san had her kids, Sora-kun and Natsuki-chan. Hanamaru-san had her kids, Yuki-chan and Tomoya-kun.
And then, there was me, with Hiromu and Nami.
I looked around at the families in front of me.
To think that the nine of us would move on to having kids… It's still hard to believe.
All of us are actually stay-at-home mothers. Our husbands are the ones with jobs.
Mari-san's husband decided to take over Ohara Hotel in place of her father, since he was well past retirement. Kanan-san's husband is taking charge of the diving shop that he and his wife started together.
Hanamaru-san's husband is a helper at the local nursing home. Ruby's husband is a patisserie who runs the café near our alumni, Uranohoshi Jogakuin.
Incidentally, Riko-san's husband is a music teacher at Uranohoshi. Yoshiko-san's husband runs a gaming shop in Numazu. Chika-san's husband decided to help out at her family's inn. You-san's husband is a ship captain of the S.S. Uchiura. And, finally, my husband, is continuing running my family's fishing business in my stead.
But, one thing that hasn't died off from any of us… is our love for music, idols and each other.
It was Chika-san's idea to have these fall picnics, since it seemed like a comfortable time of the year. Of course, they're held on the weekend, so as not to disrupt our children's studies.
"Auntie Dia!" Ruby's daughter, Hana yelled, waving me over. "Come look at these friendship bracelets I made!" I went over to Ruby's spot on the grass, and kneeled down beside my sister.
"Good to see you, Onee-chan!" she said, grinning.
"You, too, Ruby." I turned to Hana-chan. "So, those bracelets, Hana?" Hana-chan laid out a whole array of colorful, beaded bracelets. "Uwahh…" I stared in awe at my niece's arrangement.
"After her homework yesterday, she spent her whole afternoon making these," Ruby pointed out.
"All by myself!" Hana-chan added, crossing her arms over her chest, with her head held high. Asuka-chan and Kirika-chan came up behind Hana.
"Uwahh…!"
"Hana-chan, can we have one?" Kirika-chan asked, her eyes gleaming.
"Sure!" All the girls gathered around Hana. "I made some for the boys, too!"
"Thanks, Hana!" Hiromu said, smiling at his cousin. He grabbed a grey beaded bracelet.
"Ah! No, Hiromu."
"Mm? What?"
"I made yours and Nami's extra special! Naoki, too!"
"Eh?"
Hana pulled out three bracelets from her pouch, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Two of the bracelets were lined with real diamonds, and another was lined with rubies. The jewels still gleamed, despite the not-so-sunny weather today. I placed my hand to my chest, my breath caught.
"Hana…"
"I looked around Mama's designing kit, and found those!"
"Thanks, Hana-onee-chan!" Nami squealed, hugging her.
"Ehh? No fair!" Yuki-chan whined. "Why do they get specially-made ones, but the rest of us are stuck with plain old beads?" Hana rolled her eyes.
"They're family, that's why," she said, glancing up at Hiromu. My son chuckled before embracing his cousin.
"Thanks, Hana. They're beautiful."
"Take good care of them, you two!" I warned.
"Ha~i!"
"Now, with these," Hana declared. "Our… uhh…" She looked to Ruby. "Mama, what was it you said earlier when I showed you these?" My sister laughed.
"I said, 'Now, your feelings will be one with these.'" I felt my heart skip a beat.
"Ruby…" She looked to me, her eyes softened.
"Have to pass it along to somebody, right?" My eyes slowly welled up with tears as I embraced my sister. "Onee-chan…"
"You're the best."
Time passed, and before I knew it, it was about 4:00pm.
"Kids! Gather up for a song!" Riko called all the kids over, pulling out her guitar.
We always perform one of our songs for the kids, and they, of course, sing along happily.
"What d'you guys wanna sing today?" Chika asked.
"HAPPY PARTY TRAIN!" Asuka-chan and Kirika-chan replied, raising their hands. "We love Mom's center song!"
"Then, I guess the two of you will take the lead!" You said, winking.
"Hehe!" Asuka-chan huffed, her head held high. "Not a problem!" Kanan-san came up behind them and wrapped them both in her embrace.
"That's my girls!"
"Alright, everyone ready?"
"Ha~i!" Riko smiled, before lightly strumming the guitar. The kids swayed to the rhythm, before Riko nodded to Asuka-chan and Kirika-chan.
ASUKA: Hiraita
Hana no kaori kara
Ukettota yo
Tsugi no yume wo
KIRIKA: Saa doko e yukou kana
Haneru you ni yukou kana
Hajimari to (sayonara wo)
Kurikaeshite
NATSUKI: Aitai no wa
Atarashii tokimeki
Umaretate
Negai no atsusa
SORA: Dakishimete yukitai ne
Karoyaka ni yukitai ne
Omoide wa
Poketto no naka
YUKI: Suteki na
Tabi ni deyou, jinsei tte sa
TOMOYA: Takusan no basho e
Tsudzuiteru?
YUKI/TOMOYA: Wakuwaku darake sa!
ALL: Omoi wo nosete
HAPPY HAPPY TRAIN TO GO!
Ashita ga yonderu
Bokutachi wo
Kitai de
Kagayaku
Hitomi nara
Mieru yo tooi eki de
Kitto nanika ga
Matteru ne
Riko-san continued strumming, before moving onto the next verse, nodding to Eriko-chan and Kenta-kun.
ERIKO: Shiritai no wa
Subarashii yoake to
KENTA: Setsunasa wo
Yadosu yuuyake
SHUN: Dakara mo ikanakucha
SAKI: Hitori demo ikanakucha
ERIKO/KENTA/SHUN/SAKI: Omoi de wo
Kuchizusande
KOUSUKE/RYUUJI: Kinishinai
Chiisana koto wa
HIROMU/NAMI: Itsudemo
Egao de itai kara
KAORI/RINA: Owaranai
Tabi o shiyou, jinsei tte ba
HANA/NAOKI: Tameiki mo tami ni
Decchau yo
KOUSUKE/RYUUJI/HIROMU/NAMI/KAORU/RINA/HANA/NAOKI: Haraharashi houdai!
ALL: Mayowazu nottara
PARTY PARTY TRAIN TO GO!
Igai na hito ga
Soba ni ita
RAIL wa doko made tsunagaru ka
Madamada wakaranai ne
Zutto hashittetai
PARTY TRAIN
As Riko-san strummed the solo, the boys and girls were smiling and swaying to the rhythm of the guitar. When it came time for the last chorus, Asuka-chan and Kirika-chan sang their hearts out.
ASUKA/KIRIKA: Omoi wo nosete
HAPPY HAPPY TRAIN TO GO!
Ashita ga yonderu
ALL: Bokutachi wo
Mayowazu nottara
PARTY PARTY TRAIN TO GO!
Igai na hito ga
Soba ni ita
Kitai ni
Kagayaku
Hitomi nara
Mieru yo tooi eki de
Kitto nanika ga matteru no
ASUKA/KIRIKA: Ah!
Doko made mo ne
ALL: HAPPY TRAIN
Our little session ended with a round of applause and laughter.
"Wow, that was so much fun!"
"As always, everyone's singing is amazing!" Riko-san praised. "Great job, kids!"
"Why can't we do this all the time?" Hana whined. I giggled.
"Believe me, Hana, when I say that we would all love to be able to sing with all you kids every single day, but…" I looked around at all the mothers. "our schedules just won't allow it. Even stay-at-home mothers can be busy."
"Mom's right, Hana," Hiromu said. "This kinda thing can't be helped." Hana responded with a pout.
"Still…" she grumbled.
"Don't get spoiled on me, now," Ruby scolded, ruffling her daughter's hair. I looked at my watch.
"Oh, it's getting late." I looked around, once again, at all my friends. "We mothers should be preparing dinner, am I right?"
"Right!"
"Bye-bye, Kousuke-kun!" Eriko-chan called. "See you at school!"
"See ya, Eriko!"
"Bye-bye!"
Hope you guys enjoyed the start of this new piece! I may have failed to mention the kids' ages, but I'll pick that up before the next chapter! Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts on this story so far!
