Episode Four: The World We See ―February 2033―
“Aren’t these tins adorable? I think I’ll buy some for myself.”
At a Valentine’s event aimed more at families than young women, Uehara-san was in high spirits before the array of chocolates.
“How many do you plan to buy for yourself? You’ll put on weight.”
“I’ll eat just a little bit each day, so it’ll be fine. Oh, look, Sensei, this one has brandy in it. Do you like these sort?”
“Yes, I do.”
“…Sensei, say that again.”
“Huh? I like them.”
“Me too, Sensei ♡”
By the time I realised it was a sneak attack, I’d already been outmanoeuvred by the schemer.
“…You’re clever.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Uehara-san, wearing a devilishly mischievous smile, possessed a strikingly beautiful appearance that stood out even among the many women in this event hall.
I had dragged her along because of my petty rebellious streak. As I gradually calmed down, I began to feel terribly sorry towards Uehara-san.
As I let out a small sigh, she peered intently at my face.
“The kidnapper who brought me here seems a bit down, don’t you think?”
“…You mean me?”
“Who else could it be? Did something happen?”
Her innocent question, unaware of my inner turmoil, made my cheeks relax. Her casual words and actions often saved me.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Hearing the distinctive cry of a small child, I looked around. Far off, a little girl stood frozen, sobbing.
“I’ll go and see her.”
“Wait, sensei! I’m coming too!”
We both hurried over to the girl. Uehara-san crouched down smoothly, met the child’s gaze, and spoke.
“Good evening. What’s the matter?”
Startled by being addressed, the girl stopped crying for just a moment. But once she realised we were strangers, she began wailing loudly again.
“Hmm, she won’t stop crying. It would have been helpful to know her name at least.”
“She seems lost, but she won’t tell us her name or age… Shall we take her to the service centre?”
“About two years old, perhaps. Maybe she can’t talk yet… Hey, little one, shall we walk holding hands? Or would you rather be carried?”
Whether judging from Uehara-san’s expression or tone that she was an adult worthy of trust, the girl, though still crying, took Uehara-san’s hand and began walking alongside her.
Nothing was resolved yet, but I felt a momentary relief. Any decent guardian would surely be desperately searching for this child right now, and taking her to the service centre should sort things out.
I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘How could anyone take their eyes off such a small child…’. Even if you were the mother, I don’t think it’s possible to keep your eyes on a child every single moment.
When I was little, I often got separated from my parents when we were out. I was told repeatedly it was because I was a quiet child with a low profile.
“Children’s hands are so tiny and warm, utterly adorable!”
Uehara-san, walking slowly hand-in-hand with the girl, had her eyes crinkled at the corners like I’d never seen before.
“Children apparently have an average body temperature about one degree higher than adults.”
“Oh, really? I suppose that’s what tickles the maternal instinct. Even though I don’t know her name, I already feel reluctant to part with this child.”
“Though reluctant, for the child’s sake, we ought to return her to her mother soon. She must be terribly worried.”
“Eh? Did I say this child came with her mum? Couldn’t she have come with his dad?”
Uehara-san might have said it without a second thought, but the idea that she might have come with her father hadn’t occurred to me, and it startled me.
“…Yes, you’re right.”
Why had I assumed it was the mother who’d lost this child?
I’m someone who’s suffered under the “common sense” that romance is something between opposite sexes. I’d grown so sick of it that I’d come this far.
…The world Uehara-san sees is different from the one I see.
Is it because we’re from different generations? Or because of the environments we grew up in? How does she see the world I view through my rigid, fixed-idea-filled eyes?
As I walked along, my mind going completely blank, I suddenly realised the service centre had come into view.
“Ah! Megu-chan!”
A man, drenched in sweat, came running energetically towards us.
“…Papaaaaa!”
The little girl holding hands with Uehara-san cried out even louder and dashed towards the man.
“Waaaaaaah!”
“Ah, thank goodness! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry I took my eyes off you!”
Watching the parent and child embrace tightly, Uehara-san and I exchanged glances and smiled.
My own internal issues could wait for now. At any rate, it seemed the lost child problem had been safely resolved, which was a relief.
As the woman at the service centre bowed deeply to us, saying, “We were just about to make an announcement over the PA system. Thank you so much for bringing her back,” we felt rather embarrassed.
“Um, I’m terribly sorry for causing you trouble. It was just a moment… no, I mean, we’ll be more careful from now on.”
The young, kind-looking father bowed his head. He kept bowing so deeply, almost ninety degrees, that it made me feel flustered.
“N-no, it’s fine. I’m just glad your daughter is safe.”
“Yes, truly… Come on, Meg-chan. Say goodbye to the ladies.”
The little girl, who had been clinging to her father’s arm, turned her face towards us, waved her tiny hand, and finally showed us a smile.
“Bye-bye.”
“How adorable! Bye-bye, see you soon!”
Uehara-san, hearts floating in her eyes, high-fived the little girl.
Uehara-san and I were reflecting on today’s events in the car on the way home.
“The warmth of that little girl’s hand… it’s still lingering on mine, and it’s making me feel a bit sad.”
“Taken out of context, that’s a rather borderline remark.”
Depending on the time and place, it might even get us questioned by the police.
“But she was just so adorable. I really hope that child grows up healthy and strong. Her dad seemed a bit scatterbrained but kind-hearted, and I hope she’s loved and grows up straight and true.”
Even though it was a child she’d only briefly encountered, she seemed to be empathising far too deeply. …Perhaps her own family background, where she was born and raised, was influencing this, I thought.
It was merely my own crude speculation, but having lived without a father since birth and with a mother absent at night, she might be hungering for a warm family more than most.
It felt too rude to ask directly, so I hesitated.
“…Do you like children, Uehara-san?”
“Yeah, I do! But I’m an only child and don’t have any relatives to interact with, so I miss having chances to be around little kids. When I was in secondary school…”
Then Uehara-san seemed to start talking about her work experience at a nursery, but it only registered vaguely in my mind.
Does she not realise?
That if she likes children, she must consider many more things.
That balancing the romantic life she has chosen with the life of bearing and raising children is extremely difficult.
I suspect the reason such a clever girl fails to grasp something so simple is that romance and childbirth simply don’t connect in her mind.
Everything is different between me, a twenty-four-year-old constantly made aware of marriage and childbirth by parents and society, and Uehara-san, a seventeen-year-old high school student.
Or perhaps she understands everything and still prioritises her feelings for me above all else, though to think that would be rather presumptuous of me, wouldn’t it?