Hoshino POV:
It was around 10:00 pm on Sunday. Starting tomorrow, my school will officially begin preparations for the upcoming sports day. Usually, I would be a little excited over the sports day, but after losing to Kevin in the basketball game, I couldn't find myself in the mood for it.
Still, it's better to be prepared than underprepared. So, I decided to spend the rest of my Sunday night relaxing in bed. That is, until the door to my room suddenly slammed open.
I let out a loud sigh but kept my eyes closed. "What do you want?"
I was expecting it to be Lily, which was why I allowed my voice to sound far more annoyed than I actually was.
"Oh, sorry if I disturbed you. I just wanted to know if you were up for a walk. It's okay if you're tired, though."
The voice was cheerful, slightly childish, and definitely not my sister's. I sat up instantly and stared at the figure standing in front of my door. It was my Dad.
I cleared my throat, manually resetting my expression into something far more aloof. "Oops, my bad. I thought you were Lily."
Dad chuckled, a soft, easy sound. "Haha! It's fine! I should've spoken sooner anyway." He paused, shyly scratching his cheek. "So… are you okay with it? The walk, that is… Again, it's fine if you're tired! Just let me know."
I remained still for a moment, slightly taken aback by the change of character and the nostalgia—but my aloof expression remained unchanging.
Dad hadn't asked me to go for a walk ever since we were kids.
Most of my childhood memories with Dad weren't pleasant, but that doesn't mean they were all bad. The walks were one of the few good parts. I remember how Lily and I would ride on our bikes late at night after he got home from work, while he ran alongside us. We would always stop by the convenience store, and he'd buy us the same chocolate-flavoured ice cream each time.
I let out a resigned breath as I sarcastically shooed him away. "If you give me five minutes to get ready, then I'll come. If not, you can go alone."
A childish smile beamed on Dad's face before he forced a playful, skeptical frown. "Reallyyyy? Are you sure you aren't trying to trick me or anything? I'll be really sad, you know."
I rolled my eyes. "I guess you're going to have to wait the five minutes and find out."
Dad dramatically slouched his shoulders before walking away and closing the door behind him. He played it off as disappointment, but I didn't miss the faint trace of a pleased smile.
Don't get ahead of yourself, Old Man…
Without wasting any more time, I rolled out of bed and got changed. Since it was a night walk, I didn't need to put on a stylish outfit or anything. So, I put on a simple tan long-sleeve shirt with a dragon design on the back and baggy black sweatpants.
Before leaving my room, I made sure to grab my wallet. I don't usually bring my wallet on walks, but I wanted to do a little surprise today—I guess.
After double-checking, I quickly jogged down the stairs. The moment Dad heard the sound of my footsteps, he laughed cheerfully.
"Hihihi! You actually decided to come! I thought you would've stayed home."
I scoffed. "If you say it like that, I might change my mind."
Dad teasingly furrowed his brow. "No! It's too late. Once you're down here, you can't change your mind."
"Whatever you say."
The small talk died out, and a strange silence filled the room. I assumed it was time to get moving, and yet, no one moved an inch. I glanced over at Dad. He was still staring at the top of the stairs, as if waiting for someone.
"Uhh, what are we waiting for?" I asked, slightly confused. "Why aren't we leaving yet?"
Dad let out a deep breath before turning to me with a somewhat strained smile tainting his usually bright expression. "Oh, it's nothing… just call it the frail hopes of an old Dad."
Before I could ask him what he meant, he turned away from the stairs and walked toward the front door. That was when a thundering sound from upstairs froze him in place.
"Where do you think you're going without me?! I can't get ready as quickly as you and my Brother, you know!"
Lily flew down the stairs and latched herself onto his back. A genuine smile reached all the way to his eyes as he supported her from falling.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that, my lovely daughter. I thought you weren't coming!"
Lily smacked him on the back as if betrayed. "Excuse me?! When did I say that? I told you I was coming!"
"Yeah, an hour ago," Dad replied matter-of-factly. "I waited the whole time, and you didn't come down."
"T-that's because I was getting ready!"
I interrupted before she could come up with any more excuses. "It takes an hour to get ready for a walk? Who are you trying to impress?"
Lily's head snapped in my direction as she stared daggers at me. "Ugh, mind your own business. If I'm going to go out, I need to be pretty! I can't be caught lacking!"
Mom, who had been a silent observer on the couch, let out a pleased giggle. "That's right. A girl always needs to be pretty. And you did a good job, Lily! Your hair and makeup look beautiful! You really are my daughter."
"That's right! See, Mom gets it! You, men, won't know what it's like to have to be at the top of your game the whole time."
I couldn't help but groan. With Mom on her side, there was no point in fighting back. She automatically won. Worst of all, she could be as arrogant as she wanted, and I couldn't do a thing about it. Still...
I know being a girl is hard and everything, but there's no way you need to put in this much effort just for a walk, right? I'll be sure to ask Luna the next time I see her.
"Okay, okay, that's enough for now," Dad said, steering us toward the door. "Let's just go for the walk, shall we?"
"Okay~"
Lily hopped off Dad's back and skipped over to the front door, slipping into her shoes in the process. I followed, but just before I left the living room, I stopped.
If Dad, Lily, and I all went on a walk... then that meant Mom would be home alone. It shouldn't have been a big deal. Mom is home alone when Lily and I are at school and Dad's at work, after all. But when it's because we are going on a 'family outing,' it felt somewhat... wrong.
I already know the answer, but it's only respectful if I ask…
"Mom," I muttered, not turning around. "Are you going to come? Or are you gonna stay home?"
Lily froze at the door, her hand on the doorknob. The pause only lasted a second before she stepped outside without looking back.
Dad, meanwhile, flinched but quickly recovered and turned to Mom. "Honey, did you hear him? Our Son asked if you want to come."
Even with Dad reminding her, no response came. I'd like to think I have a good grasp of how Mom reacts. But right now, with my back facing her, I couldn't even imagine what type of face she was making.
After a few moments, Mom finally broke the silence. "No, it's fine. I don't feel like walking," she said, her voice carrying the same graceful tone. "Thank you for the invite. Have fun, you guys~."
"I see. Then, see you later."
I walked out of the living room and quietly put on my shoes, as if erasing any trace that I was leaving.
I heard the soft sound of Dad walking over and giving Mom a light peck on the cheek behind me before he joined me at the front door.
I finished before him, but I didn't want to leave him behind, so I waited.
Once we were both ready, we stepped outside the house, closed the door behind us, and began walking down the quiet street.
Just like we used to.