IKIGAI

"The reason to be."

.

Page X

.

"Is it true, otōsan?! You got stuck to a rock?!"

They way in which Moroha is asking, with that mix of surprise and amusement, makes me smile. Yet, what really makes me release a hearty laugh is to see your face, red like a flowering quince. Our daughter, now about seven years old, does not allow us to censor her the diary I wrote, and dedicates hours to eye it from cover to cover; we've even happened to see her drawing scenes of what she's read.

"I wasn't stuck!" You try to clarify in a tone a bit too loud for what's needed. Moroha guffaws.

"That's what it says here though." She points at the book, and you stare at me as if wanting to fulminate me. I shrug, and try to hold back my laughter.

"What I want to know is how did your mother tell it." That sharp tone you use, along with the depths of the golden of your eyes, send an ominous message saying revenge.

Curiously enough, however, I feel thrilled.

Moroha starts reading out loud, still a bit slow.

"InuYasha was regarded as 'Inugami-sama' by the habitants of a village that were desperate to get their fields back." She stops her reading, and skips to the next page.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"The fun part is ahead." Her fingers traces the lines on the page, up to down, from right to left.

"That's not how you read a story, Moroha." I try to teach her.

"Yeah, get to the part about the monkeys." You encourage her, and now it's me the one staring at you with reproach.

"InuYasha."

You return my stare, and there it is, the message spelling revenge.

"I'll have my revenge yet." I mutter low.

"You wish." You reply.

And I curse your keen hearing.

"... Once InuYasha received the stone that the three adorable little monkeys handed him..."

"Adorable?!" You shout in my direction, interrupting Moroha.

"They were small, and adorable." I defend.

"Kagome, I had to drag that hideous rock the entire day." You take the time to add meaning to each and every word, and it almost looks as if you are hovering over me.

I can't say you are wrong; you did end up barely able to lift your arm at the end of that day.

"I'm bored." Our daughter expresses, referring to our little exchange of ideas.

"Go on." You tell her.

She looks at us, and a light and particular smile touches her lips.

"... If I had to say something about that day, I'd say it was comforting to have InuYasha stay still for a few hours." She continues, skipping almost all of the story, reading the start of the conclusion.

"Moroha, that's not how you read a story." I reprimand her.

"I'm going out to play." She says, setting the book aside, not minding my words.

I see her jump down from the rock she has been sitting at, to land a few meters away and start to run. She reminds me a lot of you.

"To have InuYasha stay still?" You repeat. You try to show some sort of anger that as soon as I lay my eyes on you, I see isn't there.

"InuYasha?" I mutter.

I don't get to say more. You pounce in my direction, and end up straddle on top of my body. Your gaze finds me, and the predatory golden of your eyes shines with an exquisite gleam, preceding passion.

"Revenge." You say.

And I close my eyes.

.

A/N

I hope you've enjoyed this slice of their life they've had in my imaginary.

A kiss,

Anyara.

This text is possible thanks to the translation of: Dezart