The afternoon light softened into evening, the room growing dim until Kotoha switched on a paper lantern that cast a warm glow across the tatami. We had spent the last few hours in comfortable silence, reading brochures and listening to the distant waterfall.

Right on time, a soft knock came at the door. The innkeeper entered, followed by two staff members carrying several lacquered trays laden with food. They moved with practiced efficiency, arranging the dishes on our low table with quiet precision.

Before us, a feast unfolded: small plates of fresh vegetables, clear soup in delicate bowls, grilled river fish with crispy skin, tender slices of local beef, and steaming rice in polished wooden containers. The aromas of dashi, sesame, and grilled meat filled the room.

"It looks incredible." Hikari said.

Kotoha clasped her hands together. "It smells amazing!"

The innkeeper gave a final bow.

"Please, enjoy your meal." She slid the door shut, leaving the three of us alone.

I picked up my chopsticks. "Let's eat."

"Thanks for the meal!"

“Are we doing anything tomorrow?” Hikari asked.

“Anything you want. We can go sight see, hiking, or relax.”

“Then we can decide tomorrow.”

“I just want to sleep and sit in the hot spring all day…” Kotoha said with a lazy smile.

“Lazy girl.”

“Why are you so mean to me but not to Mom?” She pouted.

“Because you’re fun to tease.”

“Are you saying I’m not fun, Souta-kun?” Hikari joined with a teasing smile.

“That’s not what I said.”

“Oh really?”

“You’re fun in a different way.”

“What a vague way to answer.”

“Hehe. Looks like Mom is in a good mood today~”

“Isn’t it the perfect time for some drinks?” Hikari suggested with a smile.

“Sake, right?” I knew her preferences.

“Cold sake would be perfect right now. Souta-kun, you’ll drink with me this time, right?”

“I will indulge with Hikari-san, then.”

“Me too!”

The first bottle of chilled sake arrived in a graceful ceramic carafe, beading with condensation. Hikari poured for everyone with that natural, maternal grace.

Kotoha took an eager sip first. "Oh, it's sweet!"

I drank mine in one smooth swallow, the alcohol warming a path down to my stomach. "It’s nice."

Hikari smiled, sipping hers more delicately. "It's been a while since I had sake."

“Liar, you just drank the other day.” Kotoha quipped.

We all chuckled softly.

Thinking about it, it’s the first time I’ve drank with Kotoha. Drinking together with Kotoha and Hikari like this made me happy beyond belief.

In my previous life, part of the reason for my poor health was my overindulgence in alcohol. In my depression, I drank without to stop day after day to wash away the pain.

I refilled Hikari's cup, then my own. Kotoha immediately pushed her empty cup toward me with a hopeful look. I poured for her too.

"Don't drink too fast." Hikari cautioned gently, but Kotoha just giggled, her cheeks already tinged pink.

"I'm fine, Mom! It just makes me happy." She took another gulp, then leaned against my shoulder. "Everything feels warmer now, Souta-kun."

What happened to our plans, Kotoha-chan?

But since Kotoha was enjoying herself so much, I didn’t plan to stop her.

Our conversations kept flowing with the sake.

Kotoha’s cheerful chatter gradually slowed into soft, slurred mumbles. Her head, which had been resting against my shoulder, grew heavier until it lolled forward.

“Kotoha?” Hikari called softly.

A delicate snore was the only reply. Kotoha was out cold, her breathing deep and even, a blissful, drunken smile still gracing her lips.

I couldn't help a quiet chuckle. “Looks like she’s out.”

Hikari sighed. “The loudest is the first to go? I’ll get her to bed.”

“I’ll help.”

Together, we gently maneuvered the sleeping Kotoha into her bedroom and laid her on the futon. Hikari draped a blanket over her, brushing the hair from her daughter’s forehead with a tenderness that made my chest feel tight.

We returned to the main room.

“Should we continue in the garden?” I suggested.

“Sounds perfect.”

We slid open the glass door and stepped onto the wooden deck. The garden lay beside our private hot spring. The cool night air was a welcome contrast to the warm, sake-heavy atmosphere inside.

I brought the sake carafe and our cups, setting them on a low stone table between two benches. The steam from the adjacent hot spring rose in gentle wisps, mingling with the night mist. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of the night.

We sat side by side, our shoulders almost touching.

Is it because of all the alcohol we drank?

"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Hikari said softly.

I love you. That's what those words meant in this context. It was such a Hikari thing to do. Offering something profound wrapped in ambiguity, a statement she could always retreat from. A cruel kindness for a man who loved her completely. But the sake coursing through me gave me courage.

"Are you hitting on me?"

"...What if I am?"

When I turned to look at her, a deep blush had spread across her beautiful face. A delicate pink hue colored her skin from her cheeks down to her neck.

Her eyes darted nervously, unable to hold my gaze. In that moment, she didn't look like a mature mother, but like a shy girl confessing her feelings for the first time. It was simultaneously the most beautiful and most adorable sight I had ever seen from her.

My mind went blank, the world narrowing to this single, impossible moment. I couldn't process what was happening, but one thing was certain: I had to meet her sincerity with my own.

That was the role she had given me. The man, Mizuhara Souta.

"Hikari-san. Look at me."

Her nervous, darting eyes finally stilled and lifted to meet mine. In that shared gaze, I saw everything—her fear, her hope, her feelings. I leaned in, one hand coming up to gently cup her shoulder, and closed the distance between us.

Our lips met for the first time. It was soft, achingly gentle. A kiss full of unspoken feeling, a true kiss between lovers.

When we parted, I rested my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling.

"The moon is beautiful tonight." I whispered, repeating her line. This was my answer.