Memories with the “Brat” – Part 4

 The Brats Aspire

“Alright, your homework until tomorrow is to think about what you want to be when you grow up. Everyone, think hard about it.”

At the end of class, the teacher handed out worksheets. Titled “Future Dreams” in large print, it had spaces to write what you want to be and why.

This was a lesson to encourage young elementary school students to think about their futures.

Naturally, since it was aimed at lower grades, it wasn’t as formal as a career survey. The goal was to have kids express their aspirations and goals in words, fostering motivation and ambition.

“I’m gonna be a bullet train!”

“I want to be a pro baseball player!”

“I wanna be a florist.”

“I’m gonna be a Pretty Cure!”

During break time, the kids’ conversations were all about their future dreams.

“Mahiru, Asaka, have you decided?”

Miya asked, perched on a desk.

“I wanna be a nurse. The uniform’s cute. Didn’t you want to be a nurse too, Miya?”

“Tch, tch, tch, that was kindergarten.”

Miya wagged her index finger slightly.

“The trend now is a cake shop.”

“A cake shop?”

“A cake shop?”

Miya continued with a smug grin.

“Listen, if you become a cake shop owner, you can eat cake every day, all you want. I made a cake with Auntie the other day, so I already know how.”

“I see.”

Mahiru put a hand to her chin.

“Cake every day? That’s not bad. What about you, Asaka?”

“Me? I… haven’t decided yet.”

Asaka looked down at her blank worksheet.

“Asaka, let’s run a cake shop together!”

“Hmm, a cake shop…”

“How about a nurse?”

“A nurse, huh…”

Asaka pictured herself as a cake shop owner or a nurse. Eating cake every day was tempting, and nurse uniforms were super cute.

“Hmm.”

But somehow, neither felt quite right to Asaka.

After school, as usual, the three headed to Moonlight Terrace.

“Future dreams?”

“What was your dream, Auntie?”

Miya asked on behalf of the trio.

“It’s for homework,” Asaka added.

Sayaka furrowed her brow, looking thoughtful.

“Hmm, I think I wanted to be a volleyball player.”

“Volleyball?” Mahiru asked.

“Yup, I played volleyball in high school. Have you three ever tried it?”

“Nope.”

“Nah.”

“No.”

“It’s fun, volleyball. My back’s too bad for it now, though…”

“What about Uncle?”

The question was directed to Shun, who was behind the counter. He said simply,

“…I wanted to be the fastest man in Japan.”

“Huh?”

“What’s that mean?”

“A track athlete?”

“…Don’t take him too seriously,” Sayaka said.

“Is Yuu-nii here?”

Asaka asked cautiously.

“Yuu? He’s out for a bit.”

“Where’d he go?”

Mahiru pounced on Sayaka.

“A bit far away. But he’ll be back tonight.”

“What’s he doing?”

“The same reason as you all. For his future.”

“?”

“?”

“?”

The three tilted their heads in unison.

“By the way, what was Yuu-nii’s childhood dream?”

At Miya’s question, Sayaka’s eyes softened, as if recalling a fond memory.

“I think that kid… yeah, he said he wanted to be Peter Pan when he was little.”

2

“Urya, urya.”

Sitting on the porch, Miya was playing with a tabby kitten on her lap. It was a cat Yuu had picked up on his way home from school.

“So cute.”

Asaka peered in from the side.

“Careful, it might scratch.”

Mahiru watched worriedly.

“Good for you, Megumi. Your big sisters came to play.”

The one who offered to take in the kitten was Yuu’s classmate, Shimomura Hikari. A slender beauty with black hair and tanned skin, she sat formally behind the brats on the porch.

“You named it Megumi?”

Miya glanced back at Hikari.

“Yup, so she’ll be blessed with love.”

“Like a human name,” Mahiru said.

“Because she’s part of the family. She deserves a meaningful name.”

Megumi hopped off Miya’s lap and onto Mahiru’s, meowing, “Nyaa.”

“So cute.”

Mahiru petted Megumi affectionately.

“Isn’t she?”

“…But we didn’t come to play with the cat.”

The brats got to the point.

“Hikari-san, what did you want to be when you were a kid?”

“Your childhood dream?”

“It’s for homework.”

Asaka showed her the worksheet.

“Future dreams… ah, the classic one.”

“Asaka hasn’t decided yet, so we’re asking people for ideas. By the way, I’m gonna be a cake shop owner.”

“Nice!”

“You know? If you’re a cake shop owner, you can eat cake all you want every day.”

Miya puffed out her chest confidently.

“Wow, that’s… impressive. What about you, Mahiru-chan?”

“I’m gonna be a nurse. The uniform’s cute.”

“Oh, I get that. Hmm, what did I want to be… I think I admired being a bride.”

“A bride?”

“Yup, when I was about your age, I went to a relative’s wedding. The bride in her wedding dress was so beautiful, I thought, ‘I want to be a bride when I grow up.’”

“A wedding dress…”

Asaka imagined herself in a pure white dress.

Not bad. No, actually, pretty good.

And beside her in the wedding dress was someone in a white tuxedo…

“Yup, a bride’s the ultimate girl’s dream.”

“A bride might be nice.”

“How do you become a bride?”

Mahiru asked.

“Huh? Well, I guess you marry a guy you like. But it’s a bit early for you guys. Girls can’t get married until they’re sixteen.”

“Sixteen…”

Asaka was only six now. Ten more years. She’d turn seven in December, but even then, she’d be less than halfway to her goal.

That’s longer than her entire life so far—a long road ahead.

“Ugh, I want to grow up faster.”

I wish childhood would just end already, Asaka screamed in her heart.

That night.

“Mom, what did you want to be when you were a kid?”

Sitting on her mother’s lap, Asaka asked.

“When I was a kid?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.”

Her mother’s hand gently stroked Asaka’s head.

“I didn’t really have anything I wanted to be, I guess?”

“Huh, really?”

“Yeah. But I did have a dream.”

“What?”

“I wanted a family.”

“…A family. Then, it came true, didn’t it?”

“Hehe, it did.”

Her mother, Gendoji Aika, hugged Asaka tightly.

“I have my father-in-law, my husband, and your older sisters have already moved out—but I have you, Asaka.”

“Are you happy, Mom?”

“Yes, I’m happy.”

“I’m happy too.”

Asaka loved her mom so much.

The Brats Are Happy

—Saturday.

After climbing the long uphill slope and turning back, I could see the majestic Mount Fuji and our town sprawling at its base. Autumn had arrived, and Fuji was beginning to don its snowy cap, the peak tinged white.

The autumn breeze felt pleasant.

I lingered, enjoying the view, then turned on my heel toward the Gendoji house.

“Yuu-nii, welcome!”

“Hey, Asaka, thanks for having me.”

“Ehehe.”

Asaka clung to my arm, her long hair tickling me.

Today, Asaka invited me to hang out. Miya and Mahiru had other plans, so I was the only guest.

Asaka was wearing a tight mini dress today. Her legs were exposed—doesn’t she get cold?

“Hey, Asaka, it’s hard to walk like this.”

We settled in Asaka’s room.

“Let’s play a game!”

“Alright, alright.”

Asaka started setting up in front of the TV.

“Asaka, a guest?”

A man poked his head through the doorway.

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

My eyes met a sleepy-looking man’s, and an awkward silence hung in the air.

“Uh, thanks for having me.”

“Oh, it’s you.”

It was Asaka’s father, Gendoji Hanayoshi.

2

Asaka was thrilled.

Yuu had come to play since morning, and her dad was off work, staying home.

Having her two favorite people together made Asaka so happy.

“Dad, join us!”

“…Sure, why not.”

No father can refuse his beloved daughter. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Hanayoshi stepped into the room hesitantly.

The two men sat with Asaka between them. A three-player battle royale game began.

“Ei, ei. Ah, aah!”

While Asaka was clearly enjoying herself, the air between the two men was oppressively heavy.

“…”

“…”

Awkward.

Both men felt it simultaneously.

“Ei, ei.”

Their relationship was like acquaintances of an acquaintance. Not strangers, but not exactly close either. Yet, with Asaka—a person deeply connected to both—present, they couldn’t just ignore each other.

It was an exquisitely awkward distance.

The false accusation from the recent attempted assault on a young girl incident (pro wrestling play) had been cleared, and they’d somewhat reconciled. But with a first encounter like that, it was inevitable they’d feel uneasy around each other.

“Ah, I lost!”

Asaka ran out of lives, and the match shifted to a one-on-one between Yuu and Hanayoshi.

“…”

“…”

“Go, you two!”

It was hell.

“…”

“…”

Out of courtesy, their characters’ attacks missed wildly.

Even a CPU would put up a better fight.

In the end, it was a draw due to time running out.

“Yuu-nii, you’re off your game today.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Dad, Yuu-nii’s usually way stronger.”

“Haha, is that so?”

Conversation flowed mostly through Asaka.

To Asaka, both were precious, so there was no need for awkwardness. The two men envied her innocent childlike perspective.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.”

“!”

“!”

The intermediary fell.

Asaka left the room, leaving the two men stranded.

“…”

“…”

The air felt like it had lead melted into it—heavy and suffocating.

They searched for a topic, but the age gap was like father and son.

If they were strangers, it’d be easier to brush off. But, alas, they were acquainted.

“…”

“…”

Nothing is more awkward than a conversationless moment.

Both desperately wished for Asaka’s return.

Save us from this hell, quickly—their thoughts synced.

A minute since Asaka left felt like an hour to them.

Then, Hanayoshi’s phone rang with a nostalgic anime song ringtone.

“…!”

“—Excuse me. Just a text.”

Hanayoshi wished it had been a call so he could’ve escaped.

“…”

“…Um.”

“What?”

“Are you a fan?”

“Sorry for the wait.”

When Asaka returned, she saw Yuu and Hanayoshi chatting amicably.

“I knew it—that opening song feels like Federation propaganda. It just fits best that way.”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s so different from the show’s content. ‘Justice’? Where? But saying Zeon’s completely just is another story.”

“Their massacres can’t be justified. By the way, what’s your favorite Mobile Suit, Yuu-kun?”

“If I had to pick, probably the Gundam Custom.”

“You get it.”

“I like the gritty ones. What about you, Hanayoshi-san?”

“I’m a Z Gundam guy.”

“Classic.”

“It’s rare for someone so young to like Gundam, especially the Universal Century.”

“My dad’s influence. I’ve loved it since I was little.”

“Then I’ll show you my collection later.”

“Really?”

“Yuu-nii, Dad.”

“Oh, Asaka, you’re back.”

“What were you talking about?”

“How people can understand each other.”

“Huh?”

Asaka didn’t quite get it, but she was happy to see them getting along.

“Let’s keep going.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright.”

The mood was completely different—warm and relaxed.

Thinking days like this could last forever made Asaka so happy.