[CH.3] Family Meeting
I completely forgot, but there are various events in kindergarten like overnight stays and sports festivals. While I was going through them, two years had passed unnoticed. We are about to graduate, as we will enter elementary school in April. So, for uniform measurements, we are currently treated like mannequins.
In my past life, I was overweight most of the time, so uniforms were made to order without measurements. But it's different in this life.
Originally, my parents had a lazy, instant-heavy diet, which probably laid the foundation for my tendency to gain weight. Considering that, I'm adjusting my food intake, and I even jog in the morning with my childhood friend's older brother, who lives behind our apartment, to manage myself. By the way, this older brother had a tough time in my past life because of a strained relationship between his wife and father-in-law, but that's a story for another time.
My mother put a blazer on me as a sample, but in this life, I belong to the petite category, not even reaching 110 cm. Even the 120 cm size was too big, and the sleeves completely covered my hands. Despite that, my mother was about to accept it, saying it would be okay since I would grow quickly and they could alter it, but then the clothing store owner intervened.
According to the shop owner, girls grow quickly, and it's necessary to buy new clothes multiple times. School uniforms can be quite expensive, and there are other things like gym uniforms that add to the expenses. So, if you're going to make alterations, it's better to go for a size around 140 cm.
This clothing store is the only one in the area that sells uniforms. They probably see the situation with new students every year and likely know who comes to buy new uniforms afterward. Considering that, the shop owner's advice makes sense, but once it becomes a size 140 cm, I think it's beyond the point of being able to wear the uniform properly.
As I've mentioned multiple times, my family is poor. My mother manages our family finances, and she was drawn in by the idea that buying less frequently would save money, especially considering my sister is already growing so fast that we may need to replace her uniform soon. In this situation, it's understandable that my mother would choose the more cost-effective option, even if it means I feel a bit awkward and inconvenienced. I might think of it as an inevitable sacrifice, even if I feel a bit clumsy and uncomfortable.
When I tried it on and saw how awkward it looked in the mirror, I was dumbfounded. However, the magical words of the adults, "they'll grow quickly," made us decide to purchase it anyway.
I should have realized this so strongly in my past life, but even at the age of six in this life, I'm reminded once again that adults can be quite unreasonable.
In the evening of that day, after our family of four, including my father, had dinner together and cleared the dishes in the kitchen, my father asked us to gather in the living room.
Normally, our parents would subtly separate my sister and me, but today, we were instructed to sit next to each other. I had no idea why we were sitting facing our parents like this, but I wondered if we were going to be scolded for something.
"Tsukiko"
Despite not raising his voice, my father had a commanding tone and a well-projecting voice. He called my sister's name, Tsukiko. My sister, startled, shivered and replied with a quiet "Yes." She probably knew what was coming; our father was in lecture mode.
During my childhood in my past life, I always tried to avoid being scolded by my father and lived in fear, doing my best to gauge his mood. However, my sister often argued with him, defying him in various ways. Regardless of the pros and cons of her actions, I admired her for her courage.
"We've been waiting, thinking that with time, your attitude would change. However, your behavior towards Sumire has not only failed to improve but has gotten worse. You're in third grade now, and Sumire is about to enter elementary school. We thought this would be a good opportunity to have a proper conversation."
I see, it seemed that our parents were concerned that the current situation would negatively affect my sister's mental growth.
My parents watched my sister without rushing her, and I glanced at her briefly. I didn't want to interfere, so I averted my gaze and turned it vaguely towards our parents.
"...I hate the name. Sumire is cuter than Tsukiko, after all," my sister muttered. Then, as if a dam had burst, various reasons spilled out of her mouth one after another.
"I hate that she has a prettier face than me, that she's thin, that she's shorter, and that everyone likes her. I hate it all!"
After shouting, tears began to well up in my sister's eyes. My mother got up, took a towel from the dresser, and gently handed it to my sister.
For a while, the room was filled with my sister's sobbing, and an awkward atmosphere hung in the air. It was crucial not to say things like, "That's your own complex, and I haven't done anything wrong," or "Isn't it ridiculous to be ignored and disliked by you because of that?" It would be better for my parents to console her than for me to interfere unnecessarily and start a pointless argument.
"Sumire, what do you think after hearing your sister's words?"
However, whether it was because she was too upset or couldn't find the right words, I don't know, but my mother threw me a lifeline here. Perhaps my parents also wanted to buy some time to gather their thoughts, but it was tough to ask a six-year-old to speak up in this tense atmosphere. If I weren't an old man on the inside, I might have clammed up entirely.
I asked my mother with my eyes if it was really okay to speak, and she nodded slightly. So, I decided to speak my mind a little. To be honest, despite being a child, my sister's attitude had been bothering me a bit.
"Um, I guess it was kind of different from what I expected."
"Different? In what way?"
Father asked me back, and I turned my gaze toward him.
"I thought I was being disliked by my big sister because I did something wrong, but that's not the case. There's nothing I can do, and I thought it's just the way it is."
"Nothing you can do...!?"
My sister seemed to want to get angry at having her own insecurities brushed off so lightly, but I kept my gaze fixed on her, determined not to back down. While in my past life, I tended to be outspoken, in this life, I occasionally stumbled over my words and had a tendency to use overly complicated language, which was a minor issue.
"Anyway, what do you want me to do differently, big sister? Is there something I can do about the things you don't like about me? My face, my height, being thin, it's all innate, and I don't want to deliberately do things that would make everyone dislike me. So, there's nothing I can do, right? Am I doing something wrong?"
"...Certainly, Sumire is right. Tsukiko, do you know what you've been doing to Sumire? It's unfair," my father said.
"Yes, indeed, Tsukiko's behavior has been unfair," my mother agreed, nodding. I had said what I needed to say, and from here on, it was my parents' job. Perhaps they had decided on their persuasion strategy, or maybe they felt it was better for me not to be there, but my mother led me out of the living room to the bedroom.
I watched my mother leave the living room, instructing me not to come out, and then I rolled onto the futon that was laid out. I grabbed the large stuffed animal my grandfather had bought for me and turned it into a makeshift pillow. Both my parents and my sister needed to be more composed. I sighed involuntarily.
I must have fallen asleep while waiting for the conversation to conclude because when I woke up, it was already morning. I realized that I had forgotten to brush my teeth, and I didn't want to get cavities. However, my mother must have skillfully maneuvered me in my sleep to brush them for me.
I changed into my kindergarten uniform and went to the living room. My sister, now in her elementary school uniform, was already eating breakfast. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened with the discussion from yesterday, but I sat down in my usual spot.
"Good morning," I greeted.
Usually, my sister defaulted to ignoring me, but she awkwardly greeted me this time. It was so unexpected that I looked at her in surprise, and she pouted and turned her face away.
It seemed that our parents had managed to convince her somehow. Although I didn't expect a significant change from just one conversation, I hoped that over time, we could become more like normal siblings. With that sentiment in mind, I returned her greeting.
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