The storm raged on as dusk approached.
By now, afternoon had passed into evening, and the tempest had only grown stronger.
Though our home was protected by a barrier, the deeper parts of the forest beyond were in a dire state. The trees swayed violently, their trunks bending, their branches snapping. From somewhere in the distance came the deafening sounds of crumbling rock or perhaps a lightning strike.
「Your den… it might not make it through this unscathed.」
I spoke to the Smilodons lounging in the stable, but they only purred indifferently in response. True to their nature as wild beasts, predicting the fate of their own home was beyond them.
「Their home is a cave, right?」
As she cast a drying spell over the damp hay, Karen turned to me with a question.
「Yeah. A bit north of here, where the rocky terrain stands out. They used to live in a cave there. Assuming nothing’s changed.」
I glanced toward the mother Smilodon, as if to confirm, but of course, she didn’t understand.
Instead, she simply purred louder as I scratched under her chin.
「Bark!」
「What, you want some attention too?」
「Bark! Uuuh…」
Chocola barked jealously, pressing his nose against me. What a cute little guy.
「Alright, alright, I get it.」
「Kuuun…」
「Hey, Sui. If it’s a cave, do you think it’s safe?」
「Hmm… With winds this strong, the entrance might get blocked by fallen trees. In the worst case, there could even be a collapse. Coming here to take shelter was the right call.」
「I see. That was close. Chocola, you did great. Here, have a treat.」
「Bark? Bark!」
「Ah, he went straight for the treat. That was fast…」
Karen pulled a piece of dog food from the pouch tied at her waist.
Chocola, quick-eyed—or perhaps quick-nosed—immediately picked up on it.
For a moment, he had been nuzzling up to me, but the second he noticed the treat, he slipped from my grasp and dashed over to Karen.
「Bark! Bark bark!」
「Good boy. But no, you can’t have too many.」
…Wait, when did Karen start carrying dog food around?
Maybe she’s been bribing Chocola with treats behind my back.
Now that my hands were free, I turned back to the mother Smilodon and stroked her broad back.
「Once the storm passes, let’s check on your den together.」
「Hmm. If it’s ruined, maybe you should just live here.」
Karen’s gaze shifted toward the back of the stable.
There, curled up together, were Pochi and the three Smilodon cubs. They lay nestled close, utterly unaffected by the storm raging outside. A peaceful scene, untouched by the chaos beyond.
「…Well, I guess it depends on them.」
Honestly, at this point, they were so comfortable around us that I wouldn’t mind if they just stayed. If they left, I would probably keep worrying about their safety whenever something happened. If that was the case, wouldn’t it be better for them to just live here? We could even hunt together.
But at the same time, our lives and theirs had only ever intersected briefly. We weren’t walking the same path.
Especially the cubs—someday, they would grow up and leave. As strong, independent beasts, they would need to leave their mother, find mates, and raise the next generation. When that time came, could they still be part of our family? Would staying with us hinder the natural course of their lives?
Of course, if they chose to stay in our stable even after tomorrow, I wouldn’t stop them.
But I felt it would be best to keep our relationship as cohabitants—neighbors sharing a roof rather than a single family.
「…Hmm. The hay’s dry now. It’s nice and fluffy, so their bedding should be fine for the night.」
「Good work, Karen. …You guys should just stay here for tonight. Especially you, Chocola. I don’t want to see you covered in mud again.」
「Bark…」
「That look of discontent is worrying…」
His eyes flicked toward the cubs, glancing at them now and then.
Please, don’t even think about it. If you run around outside and get caked in mud, not only will you be banned from coming inside, but I won’t even be able to pet you. And worse—Mint won’t be able to hug you either.
「Kwaah… kyururuu…」
Pochi let out a long yawn, surrounded by the cubs. Chocola snorted at the sight, then, as if giving up, he curled up where he was and lay down to sleep.
※※※
Upon returning to the main house—
「Welcome back! Look, Sui, Karen! I made crane!」
「Oh, wow. It’s folded so neatly. Mint, you’re really good at this.」
「Mufuu… ehehe.」
Mint came trotting over and proudly held out a paper crane in her hands. She had been playing with origami alongside Mother and Grandma.
「You know, Grandma even better! Mother… did best!」
On the living room table, several finished origami pieces were lined up.
The ones folded with meticulous precision, each crease sharp and exact, were clearly Grandma’s. Next to them sat some… creations… that were difficult to comment on. Those were most definitely Mom’s.
「Viole-sama… Your magic formations are so intricate, but when it comes to physical craftsmanship, you’re hopeless.」
「Ugh… It’s fine in my head, but using my hands is another story. I’m terrible at cooking too.」
「Mother, no warry… no worry? Alright!」
「Ara, thank you, Mint. Fufu, come here.」
Mother lifted Mint onto her lap and stroked her head.
「…Even so, it’s truly astonishing how a single sheet of paper can transform like this. Japanese wisdom is incredible.」
「The ones in the second half of the book are mostly new to me too.」
I picked up the open origami instruction book on the table.
Naturally, it was a Japanese book from our bookshelf—meaning Father had brought it with him.
The first half featured familiar folds like frogs, samurai helmets, and cranes. But the second half was filled with intricate designs—dragonflies, crabs, cats—far more complex than the simple ones we knew.
「Seriously, what was Father thinking when he bought something like this…? Not that I’m complaining.」
I muttered as I flipped through the pages.
Incidentally, the origami paper had also been in his study drawer. Thanks to the [Stock] skill, it would never run out.
「And this papermaking technique is astounding too. It’s so thin, yet the fibers are fine and even, with perfectly uniform coloring.」
Grandma murmured in admiration.
She had a point—compared to Earth, the paper in this world was still quite primitive. It was thick, with coarse fibers, and prone to yellowing under sunlight. In fact, official documents were still written on parchment.
And then—
「Hey, Sui-kun. Origami is a children’s pastime, right? Did you used to play with it too?」
Mother suddenly asked, picking up the crane she had folded.
「Yeah. It’s a traditional Japanese craft. I used to do it a lot when I was little.」
Hearing my answer, she smiled softly.
「I see… I think I understand why Kazu-kun made sure to bring it here.」
「Huh? But he couldn’t have foreseen Mint being here, right?」
I stroked Mint’s head as she blinked at us in confusion.
「To a parent, their child is always their child. Even when they know you’ve grown, somewhere in their heart, they still see you as that little one, smiling just like before. So I think… when your father was gathering supplies, he must have remembered you playing with origami. And maybe…」
Mother’s gaze turned not only toward me, her son, but also toward Karen, her daughter.
But the expression in her eyes was distant. As if she wasn’t looking at the Karen sitting here now, but at the Karen from long ago—when she was still just a little girl.
—And that’s when I realized.
I only started playing with origami after returning to Japan. After all, it wasn’t a part of this world’s culture.
So when Father saw me playing with origami…
He must have thought of his daughter—the one who wasn’t there.
「…Viole-sama, I want to try origami too. Sui, let’s do it together.」
Noticing Mother’s gaze and the feelings behind it, Karen took my hand.
Just like she used to when we were kids.
※※※
I should probably start making dinner soon, but we had eaten a lot of croquettes for lunch. It wouldn’t hurt to wait a little longer.
「Yeah, let’s do it. What should we fold? A crane to start?」
I nodded at Karen, and the two of us sat down side by side on the sofa.
——————————————————
AN: By the way, since cranes don’t exist in this world, Mint and the others call them “cranes” but only think of them as “some kind of bird.”
TN: Caught up
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