It had been three weeks since Keiko left for Hawaii, and she was as busy as ever. We still managed to exchange messages daily—just a short reply when she had a break from work—and we'd had a video call once with Rin when Keiko found the time.
Strangely enough, it all felt new to us. We'd never really texted this much before, probably because we were never this far apart for so long. But I was glad things were going well for her.
Today was my day off, so I woke up early to make breakfast for Rin.
Our relationship? Well… I guess you could say we’d gotten a little closer. I had started making dinner for her regularly, and sometimes we'd eat together. She still occasionally skipped dinner when I came home too late, but at least it wasn't because she was avoiding me. That had to count for something, right?
I was in the kitchen whisking eggs when Rin walked in, rubbing her eyes. She stopped in surprise when she saw me.
"Good morning, Rin!" I greeted her with a smile.
"…Morning," she replied, her voice still groggy from sleep.
"I’m making breakfast, so have some after your shower, okay?"
She blinked, probably still waking up, and nodded. "Okay."
By the time she returned, fully dressed in her school uniform, I had finished preparing the omelet. I made sure to add the sauce she liked. When I placed the plate in front of her, I noticed a small glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
"Hmm… thanks, Dad. It looks delicious," she muttered, sounding almost embarrassed.
I grinned. "I put your favorite sauce on it. You like it, right?"
She gave me a small nod before taking her first bite. For a moment, we ate in silence, but then she suddenly asked, "Why are you making breakfast today?"
I wasn’t really expecting the question.
"Oh, today’s my day off, so I thought I’d cook," I answered casually.
"I see…" She didn’t say anything else, just quietly continued eating.
I wanted to keep the conversation going. It felt like the right moment to talk more with her.
"Rin, how’s school?" I asked.
She kept her eyes on her food. "Good."
Well, that was vague. I tried again.
"You’re in high school now. Is there anything you want to do? Something you’re interested in?" I asked softly.
She hesitated for a moment before sighing. "I… I don’t know."
I smiled gently. "That’s okay. Take your time. But if you ever find something, please tell us. We’ll always support you, Rin."
She finally looked at me, her expression unreadable. It was like she was trying to figure out whether I was being serious.
"I-I have to go now," she said quickly, glancing at the clock.
"Alright, be careful," I called after her as she grabbed her bag and left.
Once she was gone, I let out a deep breath and started cleaning up the kitchen.
---
Since I had the day off, I decided to clean the house. Time passed faster than I realized, and by the time I was done, it was already the afternoon. That’s when I noticed I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. I quickly made some instant noodles, but as I was eating, I remembered something—I needed to go grocery shopping. We were running low on supplies.
Just as I was getting ready to head out, Rin returned home. She looked a little down.
Did something happen at school?
I hesitated. She probably wouldn’t tell me even if I asked.
Instead, I tried a different approach.
"Rin," I called.
"…Hmm?" she responded, looking up at me.
"Want to come with me to buy groceries?" I asked with a smile.
She didn’t seem very interested.
Thinking quickly, I added, "Keiko’s birthday is coming up. Maybe we could start looking for a gift for her?"
It wasn’t the best excuse, but it was the only one I could think of.
Rin thought for a moment before giving a simple, "Okay."
"Take your time to get ready," I said, relieved.
---
We ended up going to the mall—the same one we had visited with Keiko last time.
"Should we walk around first and buy the groceries later?" I suggested.
Rin nodded. "Yeah."
"Any ideas for a gift?" I asked.
She thought for a moment before saying, "Maybe clothes? I haven’t seen her buy new ones in years."
That… was actually a great idea. Keiko had never been too focused on fashion, so she rarely bought anything new for herself.
"Good thinking! Let’s check out some stores," I agreed.
We browsed through a few shops, but nothing seemed quite right.
"Too bad, there’s nothing good enough," I sighed.
"Yeah," Rin agreed.
Then, after a brief pause, I added casually, "I guess that just means we’ll have to come back another time and keep looking for it."
I glanced at Rin, hoping she wouldn’t see through my excuse. She gave me a questioning look but didn’t say anything, which I took as a good sign.
As we walked, I suddenly had an idea. "Rin, if you need or want anything, just tell me, okay? I’ll buy it for you."
She turned to me with a serious expression. "Will you?"
I gulped. Why did that question suddenly feel so intense?
"Y-Yeah…" I stammered.
She just nodded. "Okay."
Now I was really curious—was there something she wanted? But she didn’t say anything else.
---
We finally went to the supermarket to buy groceries. By the time we finished, it was already 6 PM.
"Sorry, Rin. Dinner will be a little late today," I said as we carried the bags.
"I know. It’s okay," she replied.
As we were heading toward the exit, Rin suddenly stopped in front of a makeup store.
I followed her gaze.
"Are you interested in makeup, Rin?" I asked curiously.
She flinched at my question and quickly shook her head. "Not really," she said before walking ahead.
I didn’t push further, but as we made our way home, I found myself wondering.
Maybe she was interested but wasn’t sure how to bring it up?
I hoped that, one day, she’d feel comfortable enough to tell me.
For now, though, I was just happy that we were slowly getting closer.