So, this is a dusting off the cobwebs short fic. I need to get back into a feeling for the series, hence a short story about Mei and Yuzu being moms for a brief time before having a night to themselves.
The only reason I wrote it was because it seemed a straightforward enough concept for me to use as a springboard for getting back into writing. Also, this story takes place AFTER the current drama of "Autumn's Bounty." Don't worry, the kid drama stuff will end soon, but this kind of stuff also happens when you're a parent, your life becomes all about the kids, hence a lot of Mei and Yuzu's stress and other stuff going on focusing on them. However, this idea came to mind, so I just felt the need to write it.
I promise I'm still working on the new chapter for "A Fresh Coat," but it's getting there. I also have a week-long vacation coming up soon, and if I buckle down, I can probably get a few chapters out. My family life also took a hit over the summer. A family member just got Covid but is asymptomatic, plus the same family member overdosed a couple of months ago, which doesn't help matters. They are getting help, though, and it just sucks that Covid got added to the pile. My GF had a severe medical issue resulting in surgery that could have ended up in the worst-case scenario if we hadn't done it. And my dad's death is coming up on its first anniversary, and I won't be able to go to the celebration of life my stepmom is planning.
On top of that, changes at work so...life is just a lot, and it's all I can do to not go to sleep when I get home.
Also, I'm reading a lot of new manga like Berserk, Vinland Saga, the new Shaman King translations (the Netflix series cut WAY too much plot out for my liking), and others. And why is Ghost of Tsushima making me cry?!
Sorry for the rambling, ON TO THE STORY!
Out and About
"Okay, that should just about do it," said Mei after checking the wallet and list she and Yuzu had just finished. "Yuzu, are you ready on your end?"
"We're all set," said Yuzu pulling out her camera and smiling as Airi stood stiffly, pulling at the straps of her backpack and staring nervously up at her mother. "Airi, how about you?"
Airi shrugged and let out a sigh.
"Mommy? Mama? Why do I gotta do this? Hideki's not doing anything; how come he can't go to the store?"
"Because Hideki's studying for his entrance exams," explained Yuzu, patting Airi's bushy hair. "But it's not like you're the only one to do this. I did it, he did it, and so did your cousins. Besides, it's not like you're doing this alone. Honoka is going with you too, and she's way older than most kids to be doing something like going on her first errand."
Airi's face brightened at hearing that and, with an eager smile, asked, "Did you do errands when you were a kid Mommy?"
"I did not." Mei's face burned as she answered her daughter. "We had servants do things like what you're doing, Airi. But I did learn how to do my shopping when I got older, and I was able to walk myself to school and take the bus and trains when I was your age, and I did keep my room clean myself, so I wasn't completely helpless."
"What's a servant," asked Airi, blinking back tears caused by the flash of Yuzu's camera.
"It's a person who helps out around the house," explained Mei, putting the items into her purse grabbing her coat. "They do things like clean, cook, laundry, run errands, and other domestic tasks for people who can afford their services."
"What's a do..doma..dome.."
"Chores," explained Hideki hopping up from the couch and limping toward the fridge. The brace doctors had recommended for him to wear when his knee bothered him squeaked a little as he walked, but it barely slowed him down.
"They're people that do chores for people who are too busy, too lazy, or have way too much money and think they're too important to get their hands dirty."
Both Mei and Yuzu glared at their son, who shrugged while he tossed his six-month-old bulldog, Moose, a large chunk of watermelon before eating a bit himself.
"What have I told you about feeding the dog food that's not in its bowl?"
"Not to do it," said Hideki, aiming a wink and a smirk at Airi, who giggled. At the same time, Mei grabbed the paper towels and thrust them into her son's massive hands and pointing at the small puddle of drool and juice the dog had left on the floor before wandering back over to its dog bed and plopping down in it while staring at the humans.
"Then after you clean up the mess, maybe you can listen to what your mama and I tell you what to do and not do it," ordered Mei, prodding her son's chest with each word, her pace increasing with each word. "And get ready, you may not be doing these errands, but you can come with us to meet Shiraho-san and Honoka and wait with us while we wait for the girls to come back."
"What the he…"
"You better not be thinking about saying what I think you are," warned Yuzu, gesturing Airi toward the front door. "Because if you're about to say it, you can kiss us signing off on your trip goodbye."
Taking a deep breath, Hideki angrily crammed a few more chunks of watermelon into his mouth, swallowed, and asked, "What happened to me being too busy to do this because of exams and college paperwork? I thought you two were all about consistent messages, and this doesn't seem to be consistent."
"Well, plans have changed," huffed Mei as she grabbed her jacket and purse. "You've annoyed me, and this is your punishment. Not to mention, the dog hasn't been out in a few hours, and you could do with the fresh air, and I don't want the dog relieving itself on furniture again. So get...Moose," Mei ignored Airi and Yuzu's giggles as she struggled to get say the dog's name, "on his leash and bring him along before you have an even bigger mess to clean up."
"And a poop bag," shouted Airi from the door. "You gotta make sure to pick up his poop, or else Officer Aoki is gonna yell at you again!"
"Who's Officer Aoki," inquired Yuzu as she and Airi put on their shoes.
"She's the neighborhood officer," said Airi happily from the floor. "She yelled at Hideki and me once when we took Moose on a walk and didn't have a bag to clean up the poop. I think she made Hideki mad because his face and ears turned red and... don't throw stuff at me!"
Airi stamped her foot as she grabbed a wad of paper and threw it back at Hideki, who was hastily pulling a hood up over his head before busying himself with the dog's harness. At the same time, Mei and Yuzu ignored the pointless argument and finished getting ready, though they couldn't help smiling at the interaction.
"Why're you being mean!?"
"Because Squirt," grumbled Hideki as he began walking out the door, "you're a blabbermouth."
"Well, if I'm a blabbermouth, then you're a...uhh...uhh.."
Mei and Yuzu smiled at hearing Airi stumble in trying to figure out a good comeback as she followed her brother out the front door and chuckling to them when their daughter finally shouted, "Well, your breath smells like one of Moose's farts after you feed him his wet food!"
"I swear there are days the only reason I know that they're our children is we gave birth to them." Mei let out a content sigh and stepped out into the cool Autumn morning, doing her best to hide her amusement at hearing Airi's frustrated grunts and Hideki's laughter.
"I know what you mean." Yuzu sniffed and, after locking the door, zipped up her jacket, and after taking Mei's hand, walked toward the front gate where the kids were waiting. "Honestly, when I first held Airi, if you'd have told me her favorite go-to insults would compare Hideki to dog farts and telling us about a crush he had on a police officer, I'd have hit you with my bedpan."
"When you put it like that," chuckled Mei, squeezing Yuzu's hand and pressing close to her, "it's not so hard to understand why they turned out the way they did. But I guess this is what constitutes as normal between siblings, isn't it."
"I would say it is," said Yuzu before signaling to the kids to start walking while remaining a few steps behind them so she and Mei could talk. "Though if we were to compare it to us and our friends' family lives, we don't have any decent basis of comparison."
Mei pulled away slightly and then gently shoved Yuzu with her shoulder, making both of them laugh before moving back to her original position.
"You're never going to let that go are you," sighed Mei, her grip on Yuzu's hand tightening as she pressed closer to Yuzu.
"I didn't mean just you and me," said Yuzu quietly as she watched Airi and Hideki begin doing some weird jumping game on the sidewalk, occasionally stopping to avoid hitting other pedestrians.
"Harumin and her sister weren't, and still aren't, as close as Mitsuko-san wants them to be. Sara and Nina took a while to get to where they are and, Matsuri and her brother, well their, parents were the real problem thanks to their work."
"Those are all valid points," agreed Mei, her mood lightening a bit. "I'm sorry for making it about us when you were making a general comparison."
"Don't worry about it." Yuzu smiled and risked kissing Mei on the cheek.
"Ewwwww," said Airi loudly as she stopped her game and pointed at Yuzu and Mei. "Mama's kissing Mommy."
"Darn right I am," retorted Yuzu, giving Mei another kiss on the cheek, making the recipient's face turn scarlet. "And if you're not careful, I'm gonna tickle you when Mommy and I catch up!"
Airi let out a whine of protest and shouted for Hideki to hurry up their game while Mei and Yuzu continued their leisurely pace.
"You're a good mother, Yuzu," said Mei once she recovered from her embarrassment and when she felt nobody was looking, returned Yuzu's kiss with one of her own and squeezed her hand. "And a good wife as well."
"I know," said Yuzu airily as they weaved through the streets. "And even with as often as you've told me, it's nice to hear you say how awesome I am."
"And now I'm regretting it." Mei did her best to keep a straight face, but the moment she saw the look of hurt on Yuzu's face, she broke into a brief smile and chuckled. "I'm only teasing Yuzu; you know I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
"That's what makes it so special." Yuzu beamed, her hand squeezing Mei's, "and why I'll never get tired of hearing you say it. Besides, I could say the same thing about you, even after everything we went through. I'd do it all again if it meant being where we are now."
"So would I," answered Mei as she felt ears burn when she felt Yuzu's head on her shoulder.
For a while, they walked in silence, only speaking when asked to pass a judgment requested by Airi or Hideki regarding the rules of the jumping game they were playing.
Though a little annoying, neither of them could complain as the kids were getting. It also helped that Hideki was playing with a handicap thanks to his knee and carrying the dog. Everyone, save for Airi, knew that Hideki would have won the game shortly after they started playing if it weren't for those two things.
As they watched them play, Mei and Yuzu both had the sneaking suspicion he still could have won easily but was doing everything he could to hinder himself to keep from destroying Airi's confidence.
Not that Airi was a sore loser, but like most kids and many adults, she did have her moments, and the last thing they needed was a full-blown meltdown in the middle of the street.
Luckily Hideki's plan worked, and while Airi didn't win, she'd only lost by a slim margin. After accepting her loss, Airi took Moose's leash from Hideki, and with the help of her brother, walked him to the meeting point where Honoka and Shiraho were waiting patiently for them.
"Honoka-chan," screamed Airi as she darted forward with Moose trailing behind her, barking happily, as he began jumping up on Honoka's leg to receive his mandatory petting.
"Hello, Airi-chan," said the girl, her face flushed with embarrassment at the hug, but returned it all the same, "and hello to you as well, Moose."
The puppy let out a loud bark before rubbing his nose against Honoka's fingers, who relented and began scratching him behind. The dog let out a few happy grunts and let Honoka pet him before moving to Shiraho, where he set to rubbing his head lovingly against her shins before sitting next to her and giving her an expecting whimper.
"Good morning, Moose," came Shiraho's polite voice as she removed her arms from her yukata and leaned down to pet him. As she did, Shiraho removed a small treat from her sleeve and gave it to the stupidly grinning ball of brown and white fur. "Have you been a good dog?"
"Mostly," sighed Hideki as the dog licked his chops and rolled over to allow Shiraho to rub his belly, which she did eagerly. "But he's still got problems listening, especially when you and Honoka-chan are around Auntie. I think he realizes you're an easy target to get treats from."
"I apologize if this has caused you any problems," replied Shiraho as she stood up and shooed the dog away. "I'm not breaking any of your progress training him, am I?"
"Not really." Hideki watched Moose as he shuffled toward his master only to stop and sit the moment he felt his leash tug. "Airi, drop the leash, please."
"Okay."
Ari dropped the leash and proceeded to wrap both arms around Honoka, which was difficult considering both were wearing backpacks and a similar outfit of puffy autumn jackets, jeans, and tennis shoes. Still, they managed to do it, and Honoka finally relaxed and managed to return Airi's hug in earnest.
Once freed from the leash, Moose looked back at Airi and Shiraho and took a quick step toward walking back to them when Hideki let out a short whistle.
The dog stopped, turned around, and let out a short bark at Hideki, who then snapped and pointed the spot next to his leg. There was a low grumble from the dog, but after several seconds Moose relented and shuffled toward Hideki, where he sat next to his master and began panting and whining at not being able to play with the girls.
"Next time, Moose," said Hideki before struggling to kneel and pet the dog and scratch his chin and wrinkles. "But you're a good dog. See Auntie, no harm done. Just ask next time before you give him a treat. He's got to earn them, or else all the training I'm putting him through isn't going to work."
"I'll try," said Shiraho, her usually calm demeanor deflating slightly at hearing she could no longer freely give the dog treats. "But he's just so cute that it's hard to resist. However, he is your dog, and I'll try not to get in the way of you training him."
"Please don't," said Mei as she and Yuzu finally caught up with them, ignoring Moose and his attempts to nuzzle her leg and get some attention, now that Hideki had hold of his leash. "We're still having problems with him not waking Hideki up to use the bathroom at night, so the quicker he's trained, the better."
"As you wish, Mei-san." Shiraho lowered her head in a polite greeting, and when she raised it, she allowed the briefest of smiles before returning to her usual neutral state. "It's lovely to see you again. I'm sorry for not returning your calls until a few days ago; we've been busy with a new acquisition, but now that it's over, my schedule is more open, and I can spend time catching up with friends as opposed to business contacts."
"It's good to see you too," said Mei returning the greeting. "I've been the same with preparing for the winter term, and Yuzu's been busy with planning on opening another location and menu adjustments. I must say I never thought she and Udagawa-san would become so successful."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," huffed Yuzu before petting Moose and asking Hideki to entertain the kids for a few minutes. "Always gotta be the pragmatic one, don't you?"
"One of us does," said Mei with a slight grin. "But then again, your boundless optimism and straightforward nature are some of your best features, and I'm sure this venture will be as successful as your others."
"What are my other best features," asked Yuzu, a mischievous glint in her eye that told Mei she was fishing for a compliment that was better said in privacy.
"I'll let you know when we get home," said Mei, the edges of her ears turning a deep red. "There are some things that are better not said in mixed company, isn't that right, Shiraho-san?"
"Absolutely."
Shiraho's cheeks burned slightly at hearing the exchange and, after regaining herself, turned her attention to Yuzu.
"Be that as it may, Yuzupon, it's lovely to see you again. I'm happy to hear things are going so well on the business front. I'm sorry I haven't been in for so long."
"Don't worry about it, Shira-pon." Yuzu's face lit up in its usual grin, and she embraced her old friend, much in the way Airi had with Honoka before they'd begun learning some of the commands and gestures Hideki was teaching the dog. "You order from our catering service so much that it more than makes up for it. But the next time you do come in, whatever you want is on me. The same goes for the one Udagawa-san is running and our other location. Just have them call one of us to confirm it and your tab's covered. Just don't go overboard though, we have to make some kind of profit."
"You know I won't." Shiraho returned the hug gratefully, and once they separated, she allowed herself the briefest of smiles. "Besides, it's the least I can do to support some of my closest friends. Especially ones who have become like family to me. All you need to do is ask, and I will be there when you need me."
"Thanks." Yuzu smiled back and pointed at Mei, who was standing politely behind the pair as they talked. "You know we'll do the same, especially when it comes to Honoka. I'm glad she's become such a close friend of Airi's. It helps a lot given what happened over the summer."
"Is she still having trouble making friends," asked Shiraho over the giggles of the girls and the high barks of the dog.
"She's getting there," said Mei stepping forward, so that they didn't have to talk so loud. "But I don't think now is the time to discuss that. Let's focus on the girls and today. I take it Yuzu, and I are right to assume you and Honoka will be joining us for the evening?"
"I wouldn't want to impose." Shiraho's stoic gaze briefly shifted to one of what looked like hopefulness before returning to its neutral state. "But if it is possible, then we would like to join you for the meal you have planned. I'll even spring for some spirits if you like and some seasonal rice as well."
"Now you're speaking my language," chuckled Yuzu, pulling out a list of her own from her back pocket. "I've got a few specialty items I meant to grab that would be difficult for the kids to buy, so we can do that while they go and get the other stuff for dinner."
"We're shopping for dinner?"
All three women turned their attention to the girls who were staring at them with perplexed looks on their faces, though Honoka looked a little more excited than Airi did at the prospect of being able to shop on her own.
"Yes, you're shopping for dinner," answered Yuzu in the same annoyed tone as her daughter. "You're both old enough to go to the store and shop for yourselves. We're not always going to be around, and Airi, you've already started learning how to cook, so it's about time you learned to tell which ingredients are good and which are bad, so you don't end up staying home with a tummy ache."
"But shopping's boring, Mama." Airi rolled her eyes, and Honoka giggled briefly before catching her mother's attention and did her best to put her face back into an acceptable one. "Why can't we go do something else?"
"Well, what would you like to do, hm?" Yuzu bent down and got eye level with her daughter. "You already cleaned up your room and helped clean up the house. You can't carry the laundry from the dry cleaners' home because it's too big and you'll drag it, and it's Saturday which means there's no school and we already had breakfast. So what else is there other than to help shop?"
"I can help make lunch," exclaimed Airi, her fists flying into the air in excitement. "I can show Honoka-chan my knives and show her how to make kitty cat paws when cutting vegetables and sandwiches. Can't I Honoka-chan?"
"You could," agreed Honoka as she pushed some hair behind her ear and looked to her mother. "Is that okay, Mother? Can Airi and Aunt Yuzu teach me to cook?"
"Please, Mommy? Mama?" Airi began running excitedly in place at the prospect of finally being able to teach Honoka something. "I promise I'll follow all the rules and do the shopping. Can I? Can I?"
"I don't know," said Yuzu lackadaisically. "I mean, we're so busy today, and you just said you didn't want to do the shopping, which means me and Mommy are going to have to do it since you'd rather do something else. Right, Mei?"
"You're right, Yuzu." Mei shook her head and pulled the list out, and feigned a sigh. "And there's so much for us to do. It's going to take us all afternoon to get this done without any kind of help."
"I wanna do it," said Airi, running over and tugging on Mei's sleeve. "Please, Mommy? I wanna help."
"Well," said Mei with a hint of resignation, "if you insist. Mama and I can let you do this for us."
"Hurray!" Airi bounced up and down excitedly before being calmed by Mei's hand on her head.
"Settle down Airi, it's still early, and we don't want to disturb anyone."
As she spoke, Mei glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Yuzu prepping the small digital camera she'd prepared and proceeded to bend down and hand Airi the list with all the ingredients the girls were supposed to pick up.
"Now," began Mei as she handed Airi the list, "you are to get everything that's on this list and nothing else. If you two can't carry everything, that's fine, tell us when we see you, and we'll get the rest on the way back to the house. Okay?"
"Yes, Mommy." Airi nodded and took the list in her trembling hands, staring at it like it was some sort kind precious artifact, and began reading it. "Umm, how do we get the meat?"
"You read the labels," answered Shiraho, looking at Honoka, who was staring at the two women like they were the only two other people to exist. "Or, if a person is working the department, you can ask if you don't understand all of the symbols. Honoka..."
"Yes, Mother?"
Shiraho reached into her bag, pulled out some bills, and handed them to her daughter, who nervously took them.
"This is to cover our share of the food since we are staying. It's better to have a little extra than none at all. But as Mei-san said, you are not to buy anything that's not on the list. Am I understood?"
"Yes." Honoka nodded and opened her backpack to remove the wallet she had hidden and immediately placed the bills inside before returning the wallet to its pouch. "I'll make sure we follow the list exactly."
Smiling, Shiraho patted her daughter on the head and ruffled her hair, saying, "Good girl, and make sure you two protect each other, and if you have any problems, locate a police box or pull on the alarm I gave you Honoka should somebody start to bother you. If you do, someone will come and help you."
"You got it, Auntie." Airi was busy folding up the note and putting it in her pocket so carefully that Yuzu thought it would come out neater than it had when Mei had written it. "Mommy, am I gonna get money too?"
"Oh, that's right," said Mei pulling another envelope out of her purse and waving Yuzu over. "Yuzu, it's your turn."
"Yay!"
Yuzu seemed to jump a little as she and Mei switched positions, and after a quick tutorial on how to use the camera, Yuzu dropped down in front of Airi and handed her the envelope, blinking a little as the flash lit up the corner of her eye.
"So, here's the money," explained Yuzu, handing Airi the envelope before pulling out something from her purse. " Make sure to ask Honoka to help you with it, so you don't lose any or underpay, all right?"
Airi nodded and opened the envelope, her eyes widening at the bills.
"Whoa," she said before closing it and staring at her mom. "I'll take good care of it, Mama. I'll put it in the pouch I put my school notes in so it doesn't get lost.
"Before you do that," began Yuzu, taking a small package from her wallet, "here's a little present from Mommy and me to celebrate you running your first errand."
Yuzu presented Airi with an item wrapped in brown paper and handed it to Airi.
"What's this," Airi asked before handing Yuzu the money back and taking the gift. She looked between her mothers and, like Yuzu, blinked when Mei managed to snap a picture and blind her with the flash.
"Sorry, Airi," apologized Mei while Airi rubbed her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Airi blinked a few times before shaking her head to clear her mind and vision.
"Good job, Mom. You blinded her."
"Oh, be quiet," bit back Mei, gently shoving Hideki, who had stood beside her. "It was an accident."
"Sure it was."
There was a loud pop and a whine from Hideki as he rubbed the spot on his head where his mother had slapped him.
"Jeez, you hit hard."
"You'd be surprised at what mothers are capable of when it comes to their children," explained Mei cooly. "So watch your tone, or else you'll see what else I can do aside from making your arm sting.
"Yeah, yeah." Hideki continued to rub his head as he pointed at the package in Airi's hand. "Come on, Squirt. Open it up; it's okay."
"Are you sure?" Airi looked down at the package and then at her moms again. "Can I open it?"
"Of course you can," chuckled Yuzu tapped the envelop full of money. "I mean, you're gonna need it if you're going to hold the money you need for shopping."
Smiling, Airi carefully peeled away the tape and let out a loud squeal of delight when she saw a brand new light pink and red wallet emblazoned with a bunny rabbit hidden beneath the paper.
"I get a wallet," asked Airi in surprise. "I get a big girl wallet like you and Mommy?"
"Yes, you do," said Yuzu as she watched Airi jump up and down excitedly. "I mean, you're already a big girl, which means you get your very own wallet for your money, so it stays safe. Do you know how to do that?"
Airi nodded when Yuzu held out the envelope; the girl made a great show explaining where everything was supposed to go.
Once Airi's money was safely stored in her new wallet, they took a few more pictures with the girls before letting them go off on their adventure.
"Now remember," said Yuzu with a stern voice, "the money is only for your groceries, and you're to meet us back here when you're done, and if we're not here, what are you supposed to do?"
"Find a police officer or a shop owner to help us call you," said the girls in unison, "and to stay with them until you come get us."
"Very good," said both Mei and Shiraho catching each other by surprise.
"But just in case you can't find anyone to help," said Shiraho pulling out her phone and handing it to Honoka. "You can use this to call me or Mei-san or Yuzupon. But only us, nobody else. I'm giving you this for in case of an emergency which is the only time it should be used."
"Yes, Mother."
"Yes, Auntie."
Shiraho nodded, and after a quick goodbye, the girls took each other by the hand and ran off down the street, following the map their mothers had made them.
"Well, that was fun," yawned Hideki as he stretched his arms over his head. "And now, if you guys don't need me for anything else, I'm going to head home and finish up that schoolwork you two were so adamant about me getting done."
"Thank you for coming," said Yuzu giving Hideki a kiss on the cheek. "It meant a lot to Airi and to your mom and me."
"I know, I know." Hideki's ears and cheeks turned red at the compliment. "Just let me know if something happens. I'll even get the dishes ready for you when you get back."
"There's a good boy." Yuzu patted him on the head and ruffled his hair, which he allowed.
"Okay, enough," he grumbled before pulling away and smoothing his hair out. "Jeez, you're going to make me look like a slob."
"Just make sure not to be carrying any plastic bags when you walk by Officer Aoki's police box, and you'll be fine," teased Mei, earning her a glare from her son as he pulled his hood back up over his head and turned away from them.
"I'll see you guys later," he muttered before tugging gently on Moose's leash as he began walking down the street.
"Who is Officer Aoki," inquired Shirapon as she fiddled with a phone she'd just pulled out of her purse.
"She's a neighborhood officer," asked Yuzu, confused by the item in her friend's hand. "Shirapon, what's with that phone? I thought you gave yours to Honoka to take with them?"
"I gave her one of my phones," answered Shiraho as she pressed a button on the screen. "That one was my personal one; this is my work phone. Haven't you ever wondered why you have three numbers for me?"
"Not really," said Yuzu, even more, confused than she was. "But it's your money, so I'm not going to say anything about it. Did you know she had two different cell phones?"
Mei looked up from the camera while Shiraho busied herself with a phone call, "I did. But I never thought anything about it. A lot of people in my line of work have multiple cell phones. It comes with the territory, but just so you know, my cellphone is the only one that I own, so you don't need to worry about me hiding anything from you."
"Oh... okay." Yuzu took a deep breath, rested against the wall, and waited for Shiarho to finish her phone call. She was still confused about the necessity for her friend to have two phones but let the matter drop from her mind when Mei stood next to her and pressed close to get some much-needed warmth.
"Okay," said Shiraho in her usual calm voice. "My brothers are keeping a safe distance from them to make sure that they don't draw any unnecessary attention while they keep an eye on the girls."
"You got your brothers to follow them," asked Yuzu while Mei interlocked their arms. "If you were just going to have them do that, then why did you give them your phone?'
"Because I like to have contingencies on top of contingencies," explained Shiraho matter of factly. "Besides, after what happened with Airi this summer and them being younger, I figured this would be safer than letting them wander alone but give them the necessary freedom until they're more familiar with these kinds of activities."
"Seems a little excessive," said Yuzu with a shrug. "Mei, you okay with this?"
"She does bring up a valid point," yawned Mei from her spot on Yuzu's arm. "While I do wish you would have told us about it, though I can understand your reasons given your family's station as well as Airi's experiences, I will allow it this time. But they are not to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Can we all agree on that?"
"That was my intention all along," said Shiraho with a slight bow. "I apologize for not consulting you, but I didn't mean any harm by it."
"I know." Mei squeezed Yuzu's arm as she spoke. "And you're forgiven, at least by me. Yuzu, are you okay with Shiraho-san's brothers watching the girls?"
"Just as long as they aren't creepy about it," grunted Yuzu, feeling her annoyance lessen a little. "I know they're good guys, but they are pretty scary without even trying. Are you sure they'll be okay?"
"They will be," said Shiraho without any hesitation. "I promise you that they'll be on their best behavior."
"Then I guess I don't have any problem with it." Yuzu yawned a bit and shivered as she allowed her trust in Shiraho to overcome her worry. "But to make up for not telling us, how about, you splurge on an after-dinner treat? Maybe something to go with those spirits you were offering earlier?"
At hearing that, Shiraho smiled and, with a nod, said, "I think I have just the thing in mind. But first, let's get a few of the things we promised to pick up; I'd hate to be mocked by our children for not following through on our part of the bargain."
"Yeah, that'd be pretty bad," chuckled Yuzu, pulling herself and Mei away from the wall. "What do you say, Mei? You ready to have some fun?"
Mei nodded and gave a smile to her wife and said, "Lead the way, Yuzu."