Early one afternoon during winter break.
Narita Tsugumi was at home in the living room, under the kotatsu.
「…Mmmm.」
Looking at the television, Tsugumi made a dissatisfied noise.
On-screen was a historical drama. It was clearly not a show she was interested in.
「Hmm…」
Without changing her posture and moving only her neck, Tsugumi searched for the remote control. Eventually, she located it placed on the dining room table a short distance away. However, there was nobody in the vicinity.
「Okaa-saan. The remoote.」
And so, Tsugumi tried calling out to her mother, who was doing the dishes in the kitchen.
「What, is the remote over here?」
「Nope, it’s on the dining table over here.」
「…Doesn’t that make you closer, Tsugumi?」
Saying this, Tsugumi’s mother sighed. Let alone closer, the dining table was just opposite the kotatsu in which Tsugumi resided. Her sluggishness was standard fare, and so it was in an accustomed tone of voice that Tsugumi’s mother continued.
「Get it yourself.」
「Ehhh, that’s such a paain~.」
「It’s more of a pain for me.」
「But Okaa-san’s standing~」
「That’s besides the point.」
Her plans ruthlessly foiled, Tsugumi tsked and pouted her lips. Then, after a bit of pondering, perhaps having given up on the remote, she began messing with her phone.
After seeing Tsugumi’s actions, her mother resumed washing, and quietly began humming a song by the idol group she had recently become hooked on. This was a habit of Tsugumi’s mother when it was time to do the dishes.
「Hey, hey, Okaa-san.」
「…What is it this time?」
Having received her mother’s cautious reply, Tsugumi grinned and said the following.
「It says here that King & Prince are starring on a show that’s on right now」
「Huh!?」
Her mother let out an exclamation at Tsugumi’s words. After all, KIng & Prince was the male idol group whose tune she had been humming, the one she had been into lately.
「It’s on this other channel.」
「Oh, is that so? Could you please change it for me?」
Once her mother said this, Tsugumi smiled once again, with a grin even wider than before.
「Okaa-saan. The remoote.」
In a slovenly tone of voice and expression.
It was here that her mother figured it all out.
「…It’s my loss.」
「Hee hee hee. Very well.」
「If that was a lie, I won’t be forgiving you.」
「I wouldn’t do thaat~. I’m a good girl, you know?」
And so, Tsugumi’s mother crossed the room in front of Tsugumi, retrieved the remote from the dining room table, and handed it to her.
「Here you go. What channel?」
「Mhm, it’s channel 7. See?」
「…It was the truth, huh.」
Upon Tsugumi changing the channel, there on screen was her mother’s favourite idol group making a guest appearance on a talk show.
「No complaints, right?」
Said Tsugumi proudly. Although her mother was dissatisfied about being successfully used, she couldn’t complain as it had actually allowed her to watch a show with her favourite idols.
「…Sigh. That’s just like you.」
With that, her mother returned to the kitchen, and, humming a tune while watching the TV, she resumed washing dishes.
Thus, it was on this day too that without causing anyone to lose out, Narita Tsugumi lazed about.
learning... please hold... 