The Shiunji Family Children (紫雲寺家の子供たち)

Papa, Papa!

Listen to this.

You know what happened at school today?

Now, hold on. Let me finish up this work.

Then I'll have plenty of time to hear you out, okay?

'Kay!

And then, guess what?

The teacher gave the two of them a real good scolding during lunch.

Haruto-kun and Arata started blaming each other and fighting!

Oh, yeah? You don't say!

Yep! And then...

Ouka? What are you standing here for?

Papa...

You look down.

If anything's bothering you, you can always talk to me.

I-It's nothing!

I was just walking by.

Bye!

Wh-Why...

The Shiunji Family Children

The Shiunji Family Children

The Shiunji Family Children

Wh-Why...

Why are you here?

Yeesh, gimme a second. I'll be right there.

Come on.

I-It's fine. I can walk.

Just take me to the trail.

Yeah, no. Don't act tough with your leg in that state.

Like I said, I came looking for you.

Don't you dare complain about my weight.

"Surprisingly light." And I'm sure Dad thought the same thing.

Mama got hit by altitude sickness, and Papa carried her down.

Anyway, we need to get back to the trail.

Oh, no...

No clue I'll ask again in the morning

Read

Got it. Get some rest.

Voice call

Read

Let us know when you find her. We're counting on you.

Arata, you okay?

Arata's not responding.

And it's been ages since the last message!

It's not showing as read, either.

Hakusandake

Mt. Fuji

What's worse, there are reports that the Mount Fuji area's experiencing bad weather.

Dad's canceling his plans and flying back from Beijing.

You think the two of them are all right?

Calm down. Shin-nii's got this.

Arata-oniichan...

Ouka-chan!

Okay, we're back on track.

Now to follow it back to the shack.

What's going on? This is actually taking its toll on me.

It's good that I found her, but with the rain getting worse...

Damn it. I should've worked out more.

And why'd Ouka do all this in the first place?

There's this video that's been trending on StickStock lately.

Huh?

It's a stupid short.

Says they waited at Fuji's summit with a keepsake

and got to meet a dead family member.

If I can meet them one more time...

That's all it was.

There was something I wanted to talk to Mom about if I could see her again.

Well, did you?

I see.

I mean, it makes sense, right?

Not like I'm her real daughter or anything!

There's no way she'd come to see me!

No way...

Yeah, it's obvious now! I don't have any real family!

I used to be able to tell Dad everything—

everything that ever bothered or hurt me— and he'd hear me out with a smile full of love.

But the thought that it might've all been fake scares me too much to talk to him now!

And I couldn't tell my friends about this, obviously.

Prospects

My mind was too preoccupied to be able to focus on school or my studies,

and now I don't know what to do anymore.

Believe me, I get it.

The fact that we're not related by blood doesn't change anything.

But am I so weird for feeling like that one difference

may make things never the same again?

Why'd you even come, anyway? You had no idea where I was!

And you could've gotten lost up here yourself!

Can I say it was because I knew I'd find you?

Huh?

Am I the only one who still thinks of us as twins?

Do you think we're not actual siblings anymore?

That it's weird for me to come help you because we're not "real family"?

Better learn your lesson, then. I don't ever need a reason to be there for you.

If you need me, I'll always be there, wherever you are.

When it hurts, you can take it out on me.

When you're sad, lean on me.

Fujie-kan

Climbing Trail

Again, quit forcing yourself. It's still a long way from the fifth station.

Again, I'm not. I told you I'm fine.

The first aid I got at Fujie-kan helped.

Mostly, I don't wanna suffer the humiliation of having you carry me all the way home.

Like I said, this is not the time to act tough.

Let me know when you need a break.

Never.

Hey!

There they are! Shin-nii and Ouka-chan!

Yeah! Thank goodness!

Why are you all here?

We were just so worried.

And Arata stopped responding a while ago.

Oh, my bad. I forgot.

It took us four hours by expressway with Banri driving.

Are you okay? You're injured!

I'm fine. This is nothing.

How do I explain this to Dad?

And you, Arata? You're cold as ice!

Are you okay? You're not hurt, right?

No problem here.

You all came, huh?

Right after school.

When I said I lost touch with you,

That must hurt.

Minami insisted on coming here.

Nah, it doesn't.

Really?

That was a surprise, from the usually optimistic-to-a-fault Minami.

Uh, er... I mean...

I-I was worried.

Yeah? Thanks, Minami.

S-Sure.

Anyway, let's hurry home!

Shinagawa

How long will it take you to be comfortable driving?

Hah, we're not even hitting 80km/h.

The other cars are zooming past us.

Give me a break! I haven't gotten on an expressway since driving school!

She's sweating buckets.

What happened to hurrying home?

Anyway, Ouka, why Mount Fuji?

Huh?

You even skipped school. You had to have had a solid reason.

Yeah. It was outta nowhere, too.

I-It's where Papa and Mama met! I wanted to see it for myself!

Oh, that's right.

I'm amazed you remember.

Is that really all?

Now, now. Ouka must've needed a breather after all that's happened lately.

Eyes in front, Banri-chan!

Eek!

Let's go to Mount Fuji again together.

We can take some time off.

Yeah, I'd want to make it a trip.

But am I so weird for feeling like that one difference

may make things never the same again?

Yeah, I really can't tell them.

They're not grilling me. I guess they're being nice.

Too nice, even.