Asha adjusted the glasses she had replaced two years ago and nodded slightly.

“Ah. ……Thank you.”

“You see, my granddaughter is quite shy.”

“All kids are like that at this age. Asha, this is my son. His name is Lucio, and he’s the same age as you, so you two could become good friends.”

Magnum, the optician from the port city, joked while patting his son’s shoulder.

The boy, who had been sitting quietly beside his father, then smiled freshly and extended his hand.

“Hello, Asha.”

“……Hello.”

Their hands touched very briefly before separating.

Unlike his father, Lucio was tall, but like his father, he was thin, resembling the pen she had received as a gift.

While the two children exchanged awkward greetings, the adults smiled generously, creating an atmosphere.

“Since you’ll be staying together from now on, it would be good to get along from the start.”

“Continue?”

Continue was a somewhat suspicious word to refer to a ‘vacation.’ As she frowned, the optician nodded and spoke fluently.

“My son has poor respiratory health, so I’m thinking of having him recuperate in Iota until he becomes an adult. I’m relieved that the elder readily offered this arrangement.”

“It’s only natural since I owe Mr. Magnum a great deal. He was also a big help when I needed to find a doctor previously.”

“But Grandfather said it was a vacation……”

“It’s a vacation for now. I plan to stay here for about two weeks too. To get some sea air and see where my son will be living.”

His tone was light, as if humming a tune.

While Asha was choosing her words, William added an explanation as if to soothe her.

“I’m just glad to be able to repay the favor this way. It’s not like it’s someone else’s business, and as Asha knows, Iota has refreshingly good air.”

How would she know when she’d never been outside Iota? Asha was about to give a prim retort but docilely nodded instead.

From what she heard, he seemed to be a ‘benefactor’ who had helped when Asha was terribly ill, so that debt was Asha’s to repay.

“Yes, um. That’s right.”

“Thank you for understanding, dear.”

“It’s nothing.”

A not-so-brief silence followed.

The four quietly ate flower tea brewed by William and biscuits brought by the optician. By the time their thumbs and index fingers were covered with yellowish-brown biscuit crumbs, William opened his mouth with wide eyes.

“Dear, would you show Lucio around the house? We need to move his luggage, and this old man wants to talk with Mr. Magnum.”

“Yes, young people should chat together. You know how it is when you live together? You might even become family later.”

“Ah, yes.”

It was becoming uncomfortable to remain there. Asha stood up hurriedly, pushing her chair back, and went outside.

The pale boy followed slowly behind her.

“I’ll show you the room first.”

“Okay.”

Her hand gripping the stair railing stiffened slightly. Asha climbed the stairs, trying not to show her nervousness. Despite climbing these stairs regularly, she felt short of breath.

“This is the room you and your father will use. My sister used it before.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yes. She got married and now lives in the capital.”

Someone who didn’t know about Aila. She had guessed it, but it still felt strange.

Asha entered the room that Grandfather had swept and cleaned until the day before. The boy who had come up carrying two suitcases in each hand, four in total, showed no sign of strain.

The newly changed curtains, absorbing light, were as bright as early summer leaves. The back of her hand that drew the curtains was briefly tinged with a pale green before turning white again.

“The windows and doors are stiff and don’t open easily. Don’t try to force them open; put weight downward first, then open.”

“Hmm. I see.”

“You can put clothes in here, and personal items on this desk. The drawers are quite spacious, so they’ll fit most things.”

Black eyes followed Asha’s every awkward movement. It was an ambiguous gaze, neither affectionate nor hostile.

After looking around the not-so-large room, Asha sighed briefly while looking at the stairs she would have to descend again. As she gathered her remaining strength to return to the first floor, a languid question echoed from quite far behind.

“What about that?”

“Huh?”

The man standing in front of Aila’s room—no, what would temporarily be his room—turned his head, pointing to a door five steps away.

“What’s that room?”

“It’s my room. ……Don’t come in without permission.”

“I do have that much courtesy.”

As if it had been mere curiosity, the man descended the stairs with long strides, overtaking Asha. Since there were only the kitchen and study left to show, there wasn’t much to do after reciting the quite extensive book collection.

The boy from the big city didn’t seem to like books. After perfunctorily glancing at the bookshelf out of formality, he sat down on the sofa without picking up any book.

Since she couldn’t leave a guest who had just arrived today alone—fortunately, her condition wasn’t bad today—Asha sat across from him and moved her lips.

Usually, the other person initiated conversation, so Asha didn’t know how to start. Perhaps noticing her discomfort, the guest spoke first before Asha could faint from suffocation.

“It seems nice.”

“Huh?”

“Both the house and the island. Not many people around either.”

“This is the busiest time. There will be even fewer people after this month. You, I mean, Lucio……”

“Call me comfortably. You can call me ‘Luts’ or ‘Chichi’.”

“Why?”

“……Huh?”

“Nicknames are only used between close friends.”

The unabashed eyes blinked lightly. While the guest was momentarily dumbfounded, Asha thought of sentences to write in her letter.

She was glad she hadn’t sent her reply earlier. Today, she would have a lot to tell.

While waiting for Lucio’s answer, words associated with ‘Carol’ streamed through Asha’s mind.

[Do you have a nickname too? I think I’d like to call you by a name others don’t use. How about Cas? ‘Cary’ sounds too bubbly, doesn’t it?]

Cas, Cas.

It didn’t sound bad.

Nicknames were tokens used between close friends, and Carol and Asha were…… fairly close friends. Her pale brow furrowed then returned to normal.

She couldn’t be sure if Carol would think the same.

While Asha’s mind wandered to another topic, the guest smoothly composed his expression and grinned good-naturedly.

“Don’t be like that. We might really become family, you know.”

“What?”

“Oh, sorry? There’s no need to get so angry……”

“No, I’m not angry. Why? I’m really curious.”

“Well, because you and I might get married?”

It was a context she couldn’t understand at all.

As her teal hair tilted diagonally, Lucio calmly explained the cause and effect.

“Your father said it too. That we might become family.”

“Um……”

“Both of us are the same. We each have only one guardian. No proper support. It’s the adults’ idea—that it would be good if we two became family.”

Her listless, sunken eyes moved rapidly. In contrast, Lucio remained as calm as if he had just explained how to walk.

“Why are you surprised? It’s common for families to arrange marriages from childhood and have them marry as soon as they become adults.”

“We just met today.”

“It’s also common for people to marry through adult arrangements.”

He was right.

Like Aila who had her wedding right after her twentieth birthday, it wasn’t rare or surprising.

“What do you think?”

“Me?”

Asha, who had been physically weak since birth, had never once considered it.

Watching Lucio’s languid lips, she carefully organized the sentences to write in her letter.

[My friend, Carol]

“It wouldn’t be bad.”

[I think I have a fiancé.]