Without much debate, the decision was made.
"We're taking her home," Arou finally said.
No one objected.
Even Nora—the one who usually protested first—was already holding the little quokka a little tighter, as if afraid someone might take her away.
"Obviously," she said flatly.
"I already like her."
Akari glanced at the quokka.
"This is the first time I've seen you accept something this easily."
"Because she doesn't talk much," Nora replied.
"And she isn't annoying."
Shi, passing by, added dryly,
"Then she passed the life-selection process."
They turned around, abandoning their morning run halfway through. The sun was slowly rising, casting light over the still-quiet streets.
Throughout the walk home, the quokka remained remarkably calm. She didn't struggle or seem nervous. Every now and then, she simply blinked and… smiled.
"Why does she keep smiling?" Priscilla muttered.
"It's like she knows something."
Arou glanced at the quokka but said nothing.
When they reached the house, Nora stopped first.
"If she suddenly disappears," Nora said seriously, "I'm going to be mad."
Arou opened the door.
"Relax. Strange things happening in this house is already normal."
They went inside one by one.
As soon as the quokka was placed in the living room, she looked around, then casually sat down on the carpet, still wearing the same cheerful expression.
Hikari crouched down.
"She looks like… she already knows this place."
Airi nodded slowly.
"As if she was supposed to be here."
Nora sat down on the floor and crossed her legs.
"From now on, she's a guest."
Shi sighed.
"This house keeps getting more ridiculous."
Arou stood in the doorway, watching everything unfold.
The little quokka turned toward him.
Their eyes met.
For just a moment—only a moment—Arou felt as though he was being watched by something far more aware than an ordinary animal.
Then the quokka blinked, smiled again, and went quiet.
"…Yeah," Arou murmured.
"Welcome home."
And so the morning continued,
with one new member
who somehow
had never been part of anyone's plans.
---
From that moment on, one thing changed immediately.
Nora.
Normally, Nora was the type to sit around, make a few sharp comments when necessary, and then go back to whatever she was doing.
But that morning—ever since the little quokka had stepped onto the living room carpet—Nora had entered an entirely different mode.
"Don't get too close."
The words came out cold.
Hikari, who had just been about to pet the quokka, stopped halfway.
"…I just want to hold her for a second."
Nora shot him a sharp look.
"'A second' usually turns into a long time."
Shi, walking past with a drink, joined in.
"She's a small animal. She's not fragile."
Nora hugged the quokka closer to her chest.
"Rejected."
Arou watched from the kitchen as he poured himself some water.
"…Since when do you care this much?"
Nora didn't look back.
"Since she almost got stepped on this morning."
Priscilla sat on the sofa, crossing her legs.
"So you're traumatized?"
"Protective," Nora corrected.
"Different thing."
The little quokka herself looked completely relaxed, even comfortable. She sat quietly on Nora's lap, occasionally looking around before… smiling again.
Airi observed her expression.
"She really looks happy."
"Because I'm taking care of her," Nora said without hesitation.
Akari let out a quiet sigh.
"It's only been half an hour…"
---
The first problem came when Arou tried to take the quokka into the backyard.
"Let her get some sunlight," Arou said.
"The morning air is good for her."
Nora immediately stood up.
"No."
Arou stopped.
"No what?"
"She's not going outside."
"Why?"
Nora stared at him flatly.
"There are too many uncontrollable variables outside."
"…It's just the backyard."
"That's exactly why," Nora replied.
"Danger often comes from places people think are safe."
Shi closed his book.
"Okay. Now I'm convinced this isn't just being protective."
Hikari whispered to Akari,
"She's acting like a territorial guard."
Arou rubbed his temples.
"Nora, she's not some forbidden artifact."
"Not yet," Nora replied calmly.
Arou opened his mouth to argue, but the quokka suddenly made a tiny sound, almost like a protest.
Nora immediately looked down.
"What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"
The quokka slowly shook her head—somehow—and then pointed toward Arou with her tiny paw.
Everyone fell silent.
"…Did she just point?" Priscilla muttered.
Nora looked at the quokka, then at Arou, then back at the quokka.
"You want to go to him?"
The quokka gave a small nod.
Nora tightened her hold for a fraction of a second before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Five minutes," she said.
"And I'm coming with you."
Arou carefully took the quokka.
"Now that's what I call a compromise."
"Supervision," Nora corrected.
---
In the backyard, the quokka sat on a small bench, enjoying the sunlight.
Nora stood beside her with her arms crossed, watching everything like a security guard.
Arou glanced at her.
"If I said you were being a little—"
"I don't care," Nora interrupted.
Arou smiled faintly.
"Why are you so protective of her?"
Nora was silent for longer than usual.
"…Because she didn't appear here for no reason," she finally said.
"And things like that are rarely neutral."
Arou fell silent.
The quokka turned toward Nora and moved closer, gently touching the back of her hand with her nose.
Nora froze.
Then her expression softened ever so slightly.
"Don't do that," she muttered.
"You're making it hard for me to stay strict."
The quokka smiled again.
Arou turned his face away, trying to hide a small laugh.
From inside the house, Shi quietly commented,
"She lost."
Priscilla nodded.
"Completely."
---
That afternoon, Arou prepared to leave for work at the bookstore.
The sky had begun turning orange, and a gentle breeze swept through the streets.
As he passed a small restaurant by the roadside, Arou suddenly slowed down.
There.
Sitting casually by the window.
Lin.
She was holding a cup of hot coffee, taking slow sips with an expression that was calm but somehow… genuinely pleased.
Arou stopped on the sidewalk for a moment.
"…Why am I seeing her again?" he muttered.
Inside the restaurant, several customers were glancing toward Lin with confused expressions.
"Do girls actually drink coffee?" someone whispered.
"I don't know," another replied, scratching his head.
"I didn't know that either…"
Lin lowered her cup, briefly glanced around, then went back to drinking as if she couldn't care less about the stares.
Arou sighed.
"She really doesn't fit the concept of 'normal'…"
Just as Arou was about to continue walking, Lin looked out the window—straight at him.
Their eyes met.
Lin gave him a faint smile and raised her cup slightly, almost like a greeting.
Arou instinctively looked away.
"…I'll pretend I didn't see anything."
He quickened his pace toward the bookstore.
Behind him, Lin continued enjoying her afternoon coffee, completely at ease, as if everything around her was nothing more than scenery passing by.
---
Arou arrived at the bookstore and walked straight inside.
The little bell above the door rang softly.
He had barely taken two steps when he stopped.
There—
at the novel table near the middle of the store—
Lin was already sitting there, one leg crossed over the other, a novel open in her hands.
Her expression was calm, as if she had been there all along.
Arou blinked.
"…Huh?"
Lin glanced at him without fully turning around.
"You took long enough."
Arou approached her, disbelief written across his face.
"How did you get here so fast?"
He scratched his head before adding,
"I literally saw you drinking coffee at that restaurant."
Lin slowly closed her book, a small smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
"Hehe… I don't need time to walk."
Arou clicked his tongue.
"Tch… cheating cosmic entity."
Lin tilted her head, giving him a flat but piercing stare.
"Problem?"
Arou sighed and waved his hand.
"No."
He walked past Lin toward the cashier, trying to act normal.
But deep down, Arou knew one thing—
normal and Lin
would never belong in the same sentence.
Lin reopened her novel and casually turned another page, as if moving from one place to another without spending any time at all was nothing special.
Meanwhile, Arou prepared to start his shift, pretending to focus.
Yet every now and then, his eyes drifted toward the novel table.
And without realizing it, he muttered under his breath,
"…If the boss ever finds out who she really is, this store might be closing today."