NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15 – A Holiday with a Family 01
"How about we go camping in my next free time?" One day, Ai suddenly spoke up and took the three of us on a vacation.
"Really!?" Ruby’s red eyes were sparkling when she heard Ai’s invitation as she walked and hugged our mother.
"Yeah, I don’t think we ever go out like that…" Ai replied while hugging her daughter back and patting Ruby tenderly and gently.
"That’s true… But will it be okay if we go camping like this?" I asked Ai, who put one hand on her cheek.
"It’s fine since we will rent a private camping area. So we don't have to worry about our secrets being discovered by others." Ai answered my question cheerfully, but I don't think her smile was as bright as usual.
Ai simply waved her hand, signaling me to come over to her. I wordlessly walked over to Ai, who then hugged me along with Ruby.
"I’m sorry… I'm really grateful to have you two. You are both smart kids and never cause trouble." Ai spoke to both of us while gently rubbing our cheeks.
"I think with all your intelligence... I think you two understand my position and are always supportive of whatever I do. I guess I wasn't a very good mother. But how could I not feel so blessed to give birth to you two. I’m really glad I gave birth to you guys." She said, wearing a smile that was both gentle and vaguely sorrowful.
"Mom… We love you after all…" Ruby responded by leaping into Ai's arms. Meanwhile, I just nodded at the two of them. Of course, I wanted to be happy with them. But one thing that bothered me was the words Ai spoke. From the tone in which she spoke to the words that came out of her mouth, they were very similar to what I read in the manga.
The thing that made me shudder was that it was quite reminiscent of Ai's death. Was this all a coincidence or just a gimmick? I don't know. Is it too late, or maybe a warning?
Well, I don't know. It just doesn't hurt to have a little fun.
"Does mom know anything about camping?" I asked her once again. She looked at me with bewildered eyes, and put her index finger on her lip with a tilted head. Before she made a cute face with her tongue out, she closed her left eye, and tapped her head with her right hand.
"Tehe~~ I’ve never been camping before…" She said it in an easygoing tone.
"Will we be fine…?" Ruby herself once spoke with honesty.
"Take it easy, we'll be fine. We're not alone either. Ichigo and Miyako will also be coming with us." Ai replied with a vague smile, as if she were a little embarrassed.
"Well, if those two are coming. We will be fine." I said.
"Yes, to be honest. This idea came from Miyako. She told me it would be good to spend some time with you guys before you both enter elementary school. Or we don't spend time together freely. Even though we've always been busy." Ai explained a lot, before she stopped for a moment.
"I agree with Miyako's words anyway. That we need to spend time together. Work's been going great. The world is watching me... I also performed on a big stage, the Tokyo Dome. I think I'm already happy as a mom and also as an idol... " She continued her talk as Ruby and I observed her.
Ai once again stopped her word, and from her face, I felt like she had a conflicted feeling or maybe had difficulty expressing what she wanted to say.
But I felt like I knew what she wanted to say…
"You don’t have to worry, mom. We’re happy…" I said that while hugging her.
"Is that so…" She hugged me back.
"Yeah, we love our Mama…"
"Well, if you two say it. It must be true… Huhuhu…"
Ai laughed while kissing our cheeks in turns.
And just like that, all of us went on vacation with Ichigo and Miyako. Ichigo took us to the camping ground. I guess they chose a place like this to make it easier for the three of us to have a proper mother-daughter interaction without the thought of being seen by others.
Unlike the two of them, I've been camping, although the last thing I remember was a camping event as one of the university's extracurricular events. It wasn’t that fun at all.
"I hope there aren’t any fuzzy caterpillars or centipedes?" I said it in a low voice, but Ruby still heard it.
"Eh… they have those here!!?"
"Yes, of course… we’re in the mountains after all."
"That makes me feel a bit disgusted…"
"We’ve already got our reservation, and we’re going to the campsite…" Ichigo said that to all of us and brought us to the campsite.
This campsite was on a hill, and I could see a small lake nearby from the top of the hill. I didn't see any people around our area, but there were some tents if you looked from above the hill.
"There’s nothing much here…" Ai said as she looked around like us.
"Of course, we don’t want any people around after all." Miyako replied to Ai’s words.
"Oiii… We should set up the tent and tarp? Can you help me…?" Ichigo screamed near the car since most of us were already far away to look around the campsite.
"Yes, we come… You three should also help…" Miyako replied to him and told us that.
We help set up the tent and the tarp. Ruby and I helped by doing a simple thing, and one of them just put down the peg. Before they set up the tarp.
"Is this the tent?" Ruby asked as she helped Ichigo set up the tarp.
"No, this is the tarp. If the ten is the bedroom, this would be the living room."
"Huh? I have no idea what you’re trying to say, but whatever…"
"No… No… This place will be the place where we put tables and other stuff, so our tent will be very spacious to sleep in."
I could hear their conversation before Ruby felt bored and came at me, who spread out the sheet before we set up the tent on top of it.
"Is this where we sleep?"
"Yeah…" I replied shortly and continued to help set up the tent after it finished. Ruby just leapt inside the tent and slid on the sheet.
"It’s quite spacious~~~" She said with a joyful voice.
"Of course, it will be used by the three of us after all…"
"Is that so…"
"Hey, you two… We’re making curry for lunch. How about we make it together…?" Ai said as she crouched at the tent entrance.
"Yes!!" Ruby immediately got up, turned around, and exited the tent. To be honest, sometimes it feels like she has unlimited stamina to move around so happily.
Ai cooked the curry with our help while Ichigo and Miyako did other things. After the curry was done. We brought the table to the next hill nearby so we could eat while having such a great view to see.
I could see the mountains and the small lake from this hill. Under the gentle wind that blew past us and the delicious curry we made together. Doing this kind of activity made me think how peaceful this was…
"I think having this kind of activity sometimes is a good thing too…"
Well, not only is it good for my mental health. Also, it’s a good thing to deepen my relationship with the two of them, Ai and Ruby. In the end, I’m different from the doctor after all.
"Sometimes I remember my family from my previous life after all…"
