Because she performed well while Shun and I were enjoying our time alone together, Kokona was ultimately allowed to join the other children in eating snacks.
But Shun did not fully forgive her younger sister's loose tongue. As a "punishment," Kokona was also told not to be picky and to properly eat her carrots at dinner.
Hearing this, Kokona, who had just happily eaten several pieces of fruit, suddenly froze her smile.
After her protest failed, she spent almost the entire snack time in a state of unusual seriousness for a child her age.
"Oneesan..."
Maintaining that same solemn demeanor, Kokona only approached Shun, who was cleaning up empty bowls and plates with me, after coaxing the children into their nap.
Then, under our curious gazes, she forced out a slightly ingratiating smile.
"Um, about that... I'll be the one leading today's outdoor activity instead!"
"Eh?" Shun first looked surprised, then moved to relief and touched emotion. "Kokona-chan has really grown up, actually offering to help your sister share the workload. Sister is so happy."
"Mm-mm! After all, I'm already a mature lady!"
However, just as Kokona was about to continue speaking, Shun said worriedly,
"But is Kokona-chan really okay doing it alone? I'm a little concerned..."
Sensing something hidden in her tone, I glanced at Shun's gentle expression and soft smile in surprise.
Then I looked meaningfully at Kokona, who had not yet realized what was going on, wondering how she would respond.
"Huh? Alone?"
Kokona froze, looked at her sister for a few seconds, then subconsciously glanced at me as I blinked at her. It was as if she suddenly understood something, and she quickly nodded.
"Ah, right, right! I'll be fine on my own! While sister and sensei rest during this time, just leave all the work to me!"
Shun's smile grew even warmer as she reached out and gently stroked her sister's head.
"Hehe∼ Then sister will be looking forward to your performance∼"
Thus, with a more complicated mood than when she had arrived, Kokona left alone to make preparations, her back giving off a somewhat desolate feeling.
If she had been able to read the situation like this even before facing the carrot threat, perhaps she would not have brought about her current fate.
But more likely, even if Kokona had not brought it upon herself, Shun would have found another reason to send her out with the children, just to create time alone with me.
After we finished cleaning and moved the dishes back to the kitchen, I originally wanted to help wash them, but Shun stopped me.
"Sensei, your hand was just injured. You can't let it get wet carelessly."
As she spoke, Shun took my left hand.
Next to the silver ring that carried Kayoko's authority, there was a bandage with a cute cartoon design that stood out clearly.
This was something Shun had used to perform emergency treatment after disinfecting the wound with a liquid that the body naturally produces and that has mild antiseptic properties, before taking it from her pocket and personally applying it for me.
Thanks to her timely treatment, otherwise that wound, which had somehow reached the dermis layer and was two or three millimeters long even under the protection of Izuna, might have almost begun to scab on its own.
"I really think it's fine though..."
Before I could finish, Shun said seriously,
"Sensei, please don't say that. If a wound gets infected, it would be very bad."
"...Alright. I understand."
"Hehe∼ good boy, good boy∼"
Shun patted my head again, treating me like a child.
Seeing that there was nothing else I could help with in the kitchen for now, aside from providing emotional value to the somewhat carnivorous-seeming Shun, I headed over to Kokona's side.
She looked very happy to see me.
"Sensei, you're here to help me? Ehehe∼ thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Originally I only planned to check on progress and leave, but after seeing her innocent and adorable smile, I decisively changed my mind.
However, without Shun present, Kokona immediately reverted to her usual self in front of me.
"Shun-nee is really something, forcing me to eat carrots just because I told the truth. So childish..."
She muttered complaints not only to herself, but also sought agreement from me, who was helping organize the outing equipment nearby.
"Sensei, you also think Shun-nee is petty, right?"
In my opinion, Kokona being able to safely live to this day was already more than enough proof of how gentle, kind, and broad-minded Shun was.
"As a lady, you should not speak ill of your sister behind her back."
I said this in a formulaic tone, then curiously asked,
"By the way, Kokona-chan, why do you dislike carrots so much?"
"More importantly, I'm curious why adults can eat carrots at all..."
Kokona wrinkled her nose, as if recalling unpleasant memories.
"Bitter, hard, and smelly... carrots are not vegetables humans should be eating."
Perhaps it was still too early for Kokona, but for girls who had already stepped onto the staircase toward adulthood, even things that were truly bitter, hard, smelly, and not even food could still be eaten with relish.
"That's a bit disrespectful to people who can eat carrots."
"No, I think eating carrots is basically going backwards in civilization."
Even though she was just making excuses for being picky, Kokona spoke as if she were stating universal truth.
"We should keep moving forward, keep evolving. Eating things like carrots is basically turning the clock back!"
I fell silent for a moment.
"I don't think it's that serious."
"It is serious!" the little instructor said immediately. "Ah, bell peppers are the same. In some ways even worse than carrots. Also bitter and smelly, and they even have a spicy taste."
"But as an instructor, shouldn't you avoid being picky?"
"That's not true! There are so many foods in the world, there will always be a few that don't suit your taste."
Honestly, I thought what she said made some sense.
But there was another problem.
"Then, if the children at Plum Blossom Garden don't want to eat foods they dislike, would you stop them, Kokona-chan?"
"Of course!" Kokona replied immediately. "No picky eating!"
I looked closely and noticed that the inside of her animal ears was pink.
If I asked again why Kokona could be picky, she would definitely fall back on the argument that she was no longer a child, achieving logical self-consistency.
While outwardly complying, I quietly decided that I would later find an opportunity to make her eat carrots willingly.
If she was an instructor, she could not apply double standards. She had to lead by example.
This was all for Kokona's own good.
Surely, when she realized my thoughtful intentions, she would be moved to tears.
Unaware of my thoughts, Kokona continued explaining the various evils of carrots and bell peppers.