Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun was just starting to rise when little Susato Mikotoba blinked awake in the early morning. The three year old sat up, yawned, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It didn't take long for her to wake up completely; she was usually an early riser. Getting out of bed, she pulled the covers back up to her pillow as neatly as she could. After all, big girls made their beds, and she was a big girl, so her bed must be made!

Once everything was neat and tidy, she made her way to the kitchen. She could already hear noises coming from the room before she even got there; Grandmother must be making breakfast! Susato's mouth watered at the delicious smell and she hurried to the older woman's side.

“Good morning, Grandmother!” Susato greeted her excitedly, but politely as well, remembering to give a little bow,  just like she had been taught. Grandmother looked down at her and smiled sweetly, gently patting her on the head.

“Good morning, Susato,” She greeted back, glancing back at the food and giving it a quick stir before turning back to the little girl, “Did you sleep well?” After Susato nodded, she continued, “I'm just making breakfast, would you like to help? Or perhaps you'd like to say good morning to your Papa?” She pointed towards the doorway of the dining room. Susato could just see her Papa, Yujin Mikotoba, sitting at the table and reading a book.

"Umm…” The little girl hesitated a bit. Papa had been back from a place called “London” for a while now. "A few weeks,” her grandmother had told some friends of hers at the market the other day when Susato went with her. She wasn't really scared to go and talk to the man; her papa was very nice. Ever since Susato could remember, he had sent so many letters that her grandmother would read out loud to her. He even brought her a present when he came back from being away, a music box that played the prettiest song! So Susato really liked him, but she did still feel a little shy around him. She wasn't sure why, she just did. 

Grandmother always asked if Susato would like to say good morning to him on her own or wait until breakfast was being served, then tell him good morning with her. Every day, Susato chose to help with breakfast first. Papa never seemed to mind, and it felt easier to talk to him when her grandmother was there. So it made sense that she was asking again; she never made Susato say hello on her own if she didn't want to. While Susato still felt nervous, she was feeling a little braver this morning. She decided she was going to try it out on her own. After all, she was a big girl, and a big girl shouldn't be scared to say good morning, right?

“I wanna say good morning to Papa,” She said softly but determinedly. Her grandmother's smile grew, pride shining in her eyes.

“Very well, go on then, dear,” She gave Susato an encouraging pat, turning back to the food, “I'll be in shortly, breakfast shouldn't be long now,” That made Susato feel a little better; knowing that her grandmother wouldn't be far behind made it seem easier. So she took a deep breath and made her way to the dining room, shyly peeking her head in the entryway.

Papa was still reading, sipping a bit of tea after turning the page of his book. Susato wondered if she should say hello right then or wait until he was done, but he quickly noticed her. He smiled, closing his book and placed it off to the side, "Good morning, Susato." He greeted warmly, setting her nerves at ease, "How are you today? Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning, Papa," She replied back with a smile, making sure to remember her bow. She came to kneel next him at the table, "I had a good sleep and had a really nice dream. Do you wanna hear it, Papa?" She asked shyly. Her dream had been kind of silly but she had liked it! So she was very happy when Papa nodded, patting his lap in invitation, which she gladly accepted. She quickly clambered on, snuggling into him and getting comfortable. Though she sometimes still felt shy around Papa, she had quickly discovered he was the best at giving hugs and had the most comfortable lap!

“I had a dream that I was really, really tiny, and I was in a great big field of flowers!” She began, extending her arms as far as she could reach to show just how big the field was. It was even bigger in her dream!

“Is that so?” Papa said, his eyes twinkling, “How exciting!”

“Mhm! And I had wings too! Big wings like a…a butterfly!” She grew more excited as she told the story of her dream. She had so much fun flying around, landing on the flowers. There was even another butterfly flying with her after a while, “She had such pretty, pink wings, Papa,” She sighed happily, “We played until the sun started to go away, then she said she had to go, but she loved me. Then I woke up,” She finished with a nod.

“That sounds like a very nice dream, sweetheart,” Papa told her, “Is pink your favorite color?”

“Yes, it is a very nice color,” She replied matter-of-factly. It was the best color, Susato thought, but she knew other people liked other colors better and didn't want to sound bossy on what the best color was, “But the flowers weren't pink,” She added, absent-mindedly playing with the hem of her father's sleeves, “They were purple!”

“Purple flowers? Well, those sound like they'd be very nice to look at.” Papa said with a small smile, “I wonder, what type of flowers were those?” He asked her curiously. 

Susato honestly didn't know what kind of flowers they were, but before she could answer, Grandmother entered the room, carrying some plates and cups with her, “Breakfast is ready!” She sang, “Susato, dear, do you mind helping me set the table?” Susato perked up and wriggled her way off Papa's lap, eager to help out. Maybe she could talk more about the dream later.

"Guess what, Susato?" Grandmother asked with a twinkle in her eyes as she and Papa cleared the table. Breakfast was over now, and it had been very yummy! Susato had just finished the last bite of her food when Grandmother spoke, "You and your Papa get to go visit your Auntie Ume and Kazuma today! You can even spend the night!”

“Really!?” Susato gasped excitedly, “Yay!” She cheered.

Susato loved going to Auntie Ume's house. She had known Auntie and Kazuma since forever, and they were so much fun to be around. Auntie would let her help in her garden, tell her stories, brush her hair and make it look nice, and all sorts of different things! Grandmother said that Auntie knew her parents since before she was born, and was best friends with her Mama. Susato didn't know much about her Mama, and she was a little afraid to ask sometimes because people seemed to get sad if she was mentioned, but one day she hoped to get brave enough to ask Auntie about her.

And Kazuma? Kazuma was Susato's best friend in the whole world! Well, her only friend, but still! He was a big kid, but he always made time to play with her, even really silly games, and he never got scared of things like the dark or icky bugs. He never minded her following him around, even though she was little. Susato hoped they'd stay friends forever. Spending the night at his house was always so much fun!

"Wait," The little girl said as she realized something, waiting until her Papa had gone to put the dishes in the sink, "You said Papa and me are going…not you, Grandmother?" She asked quietly. Grandmother had always been the one to take her to the Asogi home. To be fair, that was because there wasn't anyone else, but still, the thought of going with someone new, even if it was her Papa, made Susato feel uneasy.

"No, dear," Her Grandmother replied, kneeling down with a soft groan, "I'm afraid I have some plans that can't wait today. But your Papa will make sure you get there safe and sound, don't worry. After all, he's friends with the Asogis too, so he knows the way. Besides, he has to stay the night as well to take care of something over there tomorrow. You'll be just fine," She assured the little girl, and Susato felt a tiny bit better about it, "Now," Her grandmother turned her around and gave her a gentle nudge, "Go on to your room and pack some clothes for spending the night, ok? You'll be leaving in about an hour or two," Susato nodded and did as she was told.

Soon after she got some clothes in her little bag, Susato scanned the room for else she may need or want to take. She took notice of her beloved plush rabbit, Mochi, who was laid right on her pillow. Of course! Susato needed her to keep the bad dreams away. The young girl gently tucked the toy into her bag, making sure she wasn't too squished. Did she need anything else? Hmm…

Her eyes landed on the music box, which sat on a small table next to her bed, and she perked up. She should take that too; it'd help her sleep and she really wanted to show it to Kazuma. Surely he'd like it too! She used both hands to carefully pick up the wooden toy, lifting it off the table and putting it next to her bag so she wouldn't forget it.

Since she still had some time to wait, Susato sat down against the wall and turned the crank on the side of the music box until it was wound tight. When she let go, the carousel began to spin and the notes flowed into the room. She hummed along, knowing the tune by heart by now. The little girl didn't think she'd ever get tired of it.

It certainly made Susato feel sleepy though; she grew so relaxed she almost nodded off! But a while later she jolted awake as she heard a noise…her name was being called. It must be time to go!

She got to her feet and with a bit of maneuvering, she managed to grab both of her belongings and made her way to the sitting room. Her bag dragged a bit on the floor she held the music box snugly under her other arm, careful not to squeeze too hard and crack it. After some effort, the young girl made it to where her Papa was waiting with a small pack of his own, "I'm ready, Papa," She told him cheerfully, though a bit out of breath.

"Oh, Susato," Papa said as he saw what she was carrying, "Why don't you let me carry those things for you, sweetie?" He held out his hands, but Susato held back, pouting a little.

"But…But I wanna carry them…I can do it…" She said quietly. She didn't want Papa to think she couldn't do it. The music box wasn't even heavy, it was just bulky! She could still carry it!

"I know you can, but it's ok to ask for help," He replied kindly, "Why don't I at least carry your bag, hm? Then you can have both hands on your music box!"

Susato thought about it; while the music box needed two hands to carry safely, it was light, and her bag was a bit heavier. So it seemed like Papa had the right idea! She nodded and, with a bit of maneuvering, handed the bag over, "Thank you, Papa," She said sweetly, "But be careful, please, Mochi is in there and she doesn't like to be shaked too much." She told him matter-of-factly.

"I'll be very gentle, honey, don't worry," Her father took the bag and carefully tucked it under his arm, "Ready to leave?" He asked, and Susato nodded eagerly, "Alright, off we go!"

It turned out that Susato didn't have to worry about carrying anything for a bit. They took a rickshaw for most of the way. She liked riding in them, they were fun! They traveled for quite a while, but eventually the rickshaw could go no further, and they had to get off and walk the rest of the way. That was fine, Susato had come here with her grandmother so many times that she could probably find her way to the Asogi home all by herself…but she didn't want to leave Papa all alone, of course, so she stuck close to him, clutching her music box to her chest as they walked down the road.

The music box wasn't really heavy at all, but Susato found the further they walked, the more tired her arms were growing. She tried not to let it show; Papa was busy trying to remember where to go, it seemed. He kept looking around with a bit of a sad look. Did he think they were lost? Susato wondered if she should show the way. She was just about to ask him, when her grip slipped, and the music box dropped to the ground!

It made a clattering noise as it hit the dirt and the little girl gasped in shock. Oh no, what had she done!? She stared down at the fallen object, a bit scared to pick it up. It didn't have far to fall, she wasn't very tall, but still, what if it was broken!?

"Oh dear," She looked up to see Papa looking down at what happened. He crouched to the ground, setting their bags to the side and reaching out to pick up the music box. He turned it around and Susato felt a lot better to see that it was still in one piece, if a bit dusty, "It looks alright," Papa assured her, "No need to worry."

"I…I dropped it…it slipped…" She whispered, looking down in shame. She felt her father rub her back comfortingly.

"Accidents happen, sweetie," He murmured, "You don't need to feel bad, it's ok." Susato nodded hesitantly; she still felt bad, but she guessed he was right. The man held out the music box for her to take. She could probably carry it again, but instead of taking it, she played with the hem of her sleeves shyly.

"C-Can you carry it the rest of the way, Papa?" She asked, "My arms are tired."

"Of course, my dear. I'm proud of you for asking for help," Papa praised her, and she smiled a little. He tucked the music box under one arm and picked their bags up off the ground, "Let's keep going, we should be there soon."

True to his word, they were soon on the main road leading up to the Asogi home. Susato didn't know how to tell the time yet, but the sun was high in the sky and she was growing a little hungry again; maybe it was close to lunchtime. Maybe Auntie would have some yummy food for them! Now that she wasn't carrying anything, she found herself skipping a little bit ahead, eager to get to their destination, but she made sure not to go too far.

They passed by a lot of familiar houses that Susato was used to by now. One yard had a funny rooster that sometimes came out to say hello; Kazuma didn't like it but Susato thought it was cute! It must be sleeping today, though, it didn't come out as she and Papa walked by. They were almost there now! They just had to pass one more house…huh?

Papa had stopped.

He was looking at the house they had passed. Did he think that was where they were going? That wasn't the Asogi home. Actually…Susato wasn't sure who lived there, if there was anyone at all. She thought she remembered Kazuma saying it was empty for now. Surely there had to be someone there though; it always looked so nice in the yard, at least, from what she could see. She'd never gone in before.

Papa looked…so sad. Why was he sad?

"Papa?" She asked quietly, and he jerked a little in surprise as she tugged on his sleeve, "Are you ok?"

"O-Oh! Yes, I'm fine, Susato, don't worry," He said with a smile, though it looked kinda sad anyway, "It's just…been a while since I've visited the area is all…a lot of memories here…" He murmured. Then he shook his head, "L-Let's go up and knock on the door. I'm sure the Asogis are waiting."

He ushered her away from the strange yard. Susato couldn't help but wonder what it was about it that had made him stop and stare for so long. Maybe she could find out later. For now, she couldn't help but look on excitedly as her father knocked on their friends' door. Today was going to be so much fun!

Chapter Text

Susato had expected Auntie Ume to answer the door, or maybe Kazuma. What she hadn't expected was a man that looked around her father's age to answer. She let out a tiny squeak of surprise and hid a bit behind Papa's legs, peeking out shyly. The man looked a little familiar, but Susato couldn't remember where she might have seen him before. He carried a sword at his hip, and his long hair looked damp, as if he had recently washed up.

"Ah, Yujin, it's good to see you," The man greeted her father good-naturedly, the two exchanging bows and friendly words. His eyes eventually shifted to the young girl, and though they looked sharp, Susato felt a warm aura about him. She bowed politely and said a quiet hello, and his tone became more gentle as he returned the greeting, "Hello, Susato," He knelt down to her height, "I don't know if you remember me, we met a few weeks ago. My name is Genshin Asogi," He introduced himself, "I am Kazuma's father. It's very nice to see you again."

Oh, that was was right! When she had met her papa for the first time, this man had joined them for tea. He hadn't said much, but he seemed friendly at the time. So, this was Kazuma's papa? At hearing that, Susato relaxed a little more. If this was Kazuma's papa, he must be nice, even if he looked a tiny bit scary. She smiled and pointed at the music box Papa was carrying for her. Maybe he remembered it too?

"I wanna show Kazuma my music box," She explained.

Well," Mr. Asogi smiled and nodded, standing back up, "Let's get you both inside then," He ushered Susato and her father through the door and led them through the corridor to the sitting room. Papa gently set Susato's music box on the center table once they were fully in the room and looked around.

"It's so nice to be here again, Genshin," He said, "I kept taking in the sights as we walked through the neighborhood…brings back memories…" Mr. Asogi patted him on the shoulder, and Papa gave him a small smile. Susato still didn't know why Papa looked a little sad, but she couldn't ponder it for long, as she heard a noise coming from the kitchen…humming…

The little girl perked up; it must be Auntie Ume! Leaving her Papa to talk with Mr. Asogi, she made her way to the kitchen. Just as she thought, there was Auntie knelt down at a raised counter, humming a soft tune as she shaped some onigiri. She had just finished with one and turned to grab a sheet of nori to wrap it, when she saw Susato out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, hello Susato!" She greeted her with a warm smile.

"Auntie!" Susato squealed excitedly, rushing in to give her a hug from where she was crouched, which the older woman returned with a chuckle, gently patting the little girl's head, "I missed you!" She told her as she snuggled into her shoulder. It hadn't been very long at all since Susato had seen Auntie; she and Kazuma had come over a few weeks ago to visit her and her Grandmother. She still missed them whenever they left though.

"I missed you too, dear," Auntie said in return, "Are you excited to stay the night with us?"

"Yes!" Susato chirped in response, "I brought sleep clothes, and my Mochi rabbit, and umm…oh, my music box! My papa gave me a music box to help me sleep, when he came back from being far away," She pointed back towards the sitting room, where she'd left Papa, "It's over there, Auntie, come listen!" She lightly tugged the woman's arm, "Please?"

"Oh, I'd love to come and listen, sweetie," Auntie said with a smile, "But I'm finishing up with making lunch right now. Once I'm finished and we settle in to eat you can show me, alright?" Susato pouted a little but nodded; Grandmother had taught her it was important to be patient even when she really wanted something.

"Okay, Auntie…" She replied softly, then jumped as she heard a door sliding open.

"I finished picking the vegetables, Mother," A voice said from the backdoor. Susato perked up; she knew that voice! Around the corner came Kazuma, carrying a basket full of vegetables. He put it next to the counter where his mother was working, "Are these enough?" He asked her. Auntie took a look inside the basket.

"That's a perfect amount, thank you dear," She nodded, "I'll get these sliced up later. In the meantime, look who's here!" She gestured to Susato, who'd been bouncing in place as she waited to be noticed; the basket had hidden her from view! She hated being tiny sometimes…but no matter!

"Hi, Susat-oof!" Kazuma grunted as she practically tackled him with a hug, "Hehe, I missed you too!" He grinned, quickly bouncing back.

"Kazuma!" She giggled at the funny noise he'd made. It occurred to her that she'd forgotten to greet both of them with a bow, but neither of them seemed to mind, "Kazuma, we get to have a sleepover! It's gonna be fun and, and, I wanna show you something! Come on!" She started tugging his sleeve eagerly.

"Woah! Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming," Kazuma laughed.

"Oh, by the way, you two," Auntie piped up before Susato could fully drag him away, "If you get hungry you may have some fresh strawberries as a little snack. They'll be here in the kitchen," She pointed at a small bowl that held the tasty looking fruit before resuming her work, "Just don't eat too many, lunch will be done soon."

"Okay, thank you, Mother," Kazuma replied politely, before letting Susato pull him along to the sitting room where she'd left her Papa. He was still talking with Mr. Asogi.

"Was Seishiro going to make it here?" Papa asked. Susato didn't recognize that name. Was that a friend of his?

"Yes, he will," Mr. Asogi answered, "He said he couldn't make it until a little later this afternoon, though. I'll be going to meet him at the train station later, otherwise he's likely to get lost. You know how he is with directions," He muttered.

"Will he be staying the-oh!" Papa stopped mid-sentence as Susato and Kazuma entered the room, then a big, warm smile appeared on his face, "Look who it is!" Susato blinked in surprise, then looked up at Kazuma. The boy had a small smile as well, and he let go of Susato's hand to walk over to her Papa.

"Hi, Uncle," He greeted him, then his tone got a bit bashful, "Is…is it ok if I still call you that?" In response, Susato's father simply drew him into a tight hug, and the boy grunted in surprise, the air squeezed out of him for a second.

"Of course, my boy!" Papa said cheerfully, "You know I love being your uncle, no need to be shy," Kazuma, after spending a few seconds catching his breath, returned the hug fiercely at his words, grinning wider now, "Now, let me take a look at you," Papa pulled away and turned the boy this way and that. Kazuma giggled as though he was used to the man's actions, "You're growing like a weed, you are! Keep this up and one day I'm going to have to look up to talk to you," He chuckled, ruffling his hair. Kazuma beamed with pride.

"Did you hear that, Father? Uncle says I'm gonna be as tall as you one day!" Susato giggled at Kazuma's silly face; he practically had his nose in the air. He looked so happy! She tried to imagine her friend as tall as his own papa…he'd be ginormous!

"Um," Her papa gently tried to interject, one finger raised, "I never said-" But his protest died as Kazuma turned his starry eyes on him, "Er…yes, yes, of course! You'll…certainly get that tall!" He said with a nervous chuckle, "Um…Genshin, why don't you show me where Susato and I will be sleeping tonight, so I can get these bags out of the way, hm?" Mr. Asogi snorted in response.

"Of course, my friend," He said with a smirk, "Right this way," And with that, her Papa picked up their bags and followed their host, giving Susato a gentle pat on the head as they passed by. She heard their voices fade as they disappeared down the hall.

"Heh, now you've gone and done it. He's going to hold onto that like a dog with a bone, Yujin."

"How could I look him in the eyes and crush his dreams, Genshin? Besides, he technically should end up a bit taller than me-"

They grew too far away to hear any longer, so Susato turned her attention back to her friend. He still had that funny look on his face; she wondered if he was picturing himself like a giant. He'd make a good giant, she thought, not a mean one like in fairytales

"Kazuma?" She went and gently tugged his sleeve. He jumped and looked down at her, "Can you listen to my music box now?"

"Oh, sure Susato," Kazuma replied with a smile, and Susato led him to the table where it sat, "It looks very pretty," The boy complimented as they knelt down on the cushions around it. Susato nodded excitedly, dusting the last bit of dirt off from the top of it. She had to keep it nice and clean, after all.

"Papa plays it for me when I go to sleep," She explained. She wasn't sure if he knew what a music box was or how it worked, so she showed him, "You have to twist this little part here," She pointed at the crank. The boy nodded along with interest, "And when you let go, it plays pretty music!" She finished with a smile. Now it was time for the best part; listening to it!

She reached out to the crank and started to twist it...but it wasn't making any noise like usual. It felt loose, no matter how much she turned it. She let it go and the little handle to it fell limply downward. She stared at it, puzzled. Why wasn't it turning anything? She even tried turning it the opposite direction and nothing.

"Is everything alright?" Kazuma asked her as she continued to try to wind it without success, and she started to get upset. Why wasn't it working!? It had worked just fine back home! She had tested it before the ride in the rickshaw...

She gasped as she remembered what happened. She had dropped it. She thought it had looked fine, and Papa also thought it was ok, but she must have broke it on the inside! The realization caused her eyes to water and she whimpered. Kazuma looked at her concerned as her lower lip started wobbling.

"Susato?" He spoke softly, "Are you ok?" Her emotions spilled over after that and she burst into tears. The older boy jumped in surprise at the sudden wails from the little girl, "I-It's ok! Don't cry, it's alright!" Kazuma tried to calm her, unsure of what to do.

Susato couldn't help but cry. She'd broken something so special; something that Papa had gotten specially for her, from the wonderful place he'd been all this time! All because she wanted to prove she was a big girl and could carry it herself. How could she have been so careless? Papa would be so upset with her when he realized that she had actually broken it, she just knew it!

"Susato?" Came the voice of her father as he came out from the hallway, Mr. Asogi behind him. Through her tears, she saw Auntie poke her head out of the kitchen, worried at the noise. Kazuma looked helplessly at the grown ups, a little panicked. Everything was blurry as her papa approached. She was too focused on her mistake to hear exactly what was said, but she did hear Kazuma speaking with her father as well as his own, explaining what had happened as fast as he could, tripping on his words a bit. Soon after, her father knelt down next to her and took her in his arms.

"Shhh, it's ok sweetie, it's alright," He soothed her, patting her back gently. Susato shook her head and cried into his chest, trying to convey what had happened and how sorry she was, but her words were getting all jumbled up. She seemed to have gotten the point across eventually because her father continued, "Oh honey, it was just an accident, it's ok," He rocked her back and forth for several minutes and her tears started to subside to sniffles and hiccups. Looking to the side, she saw Kazuma had left. She could hear his voice speaking quietly from the kitchen, talking with his parents. Great, she probably made him feel sad that he couldn't hear the pretty song. She wiped her eyes and looked at her poor music box. Would she never be able to hear it's lovely melody again?

"I'm sure it can be fixed," Papa murmured, seeming to read her thoughts, "May I take a look?" Susato gave a tiny nod, and he scooched closer to have a better view. She sniffled as she watched her father looked everything over, though her attention was drawn away a few seconds later.

Kazuma had come back, holding two small plates in his hands, "Here, Susato, have some strawberries!" He said with a grin. She perked up; strawberries were one of her favorite fruits! She knew Kazuma loved them too, he must be happy to eat some, "We grew these ourselves," The older boy continued, placing her plate in front of her, "Now they're finally sweet enough to eat." Her strawberries had been sliced up for her to eat easier, while Kazuma's were whole. She said a quiet thank you and picked up a small chunk, placing it in her mouth. The cool sweetness of the fruit helped her feel a little better.

"Ah, here's what went wrong!" Papa said triumphantly. She looked back over at him to see that he had opened the music box up. She leaned closer, fascinated by all the little parts within it. She never realized all of that was hidden inside! Papa clicked one of the parts back into place, "It looks like this little gear got bumped out of place when it fell. That's what helps turn everything, sweetheart," He patiently explained, "Now that it's back in the right spot, everything should work." He put the cover back over the little mechanisms within and slid it back over to Susato, "Why don't you try again, honey?"

Susato felt a little nervous, worried it wouldn't work, but as she turned the handle, she was happy to feel the slight resistance and hear the cranking noise. Once it was tight enough, she let go and the tune filled the room as the carousel began to spin. Kazuma's eyes lit up and Susato felt really happy. He liked it! She knew he would!

They munched on their strawberries and watched the three little horses gently bob up and down, keeping in time with the music. Now that Susato realized just how many little parts made the music box work, she kinda wished she could open it up and watch everything moving inside! Maybe one day she'd ask Papa if it would be possible to do that, only if it didn't break of course.

The carousel slowed to a stop, the last few notes playing before everything went quiet. Susato looked up at Kazuma expectantly, "Wasn't it pretty?" She asked and he nodded, giving her a smile.

"It was! I like how it spins too," He gently slid the music box closer to look at, turning it in his hands, "The horses are really cool," He said as he put it back down on the table.

"That's my favorite horse!" Susato pointed at one excitedly, "It has a flower in its hair, see?" The others were nice too, but she liked that one the best. She looked up at her papa, "You picked a really good music box, Papa,"

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it so much, Susato," He replied, "I'm just happy it made it off the boat safely; with how the sailors were throwing our luggage around getting on and off the boat I was afraid it would be smashed to bits!"

"Oh, Susato!" Kazuma piped up suddenly, an idea coming to him, "Since you showed me your music box, do you wanna see what my father brought back from London for me?" Susato perked up with interest; Kazuma had gotten something too? She nodded eagerly, excited to see what it could be, "Great, I'll go get it!" He said, beginning to get up from his seat.

"Ah-ah," Mr. Asogi suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere, stopping him halfway up by placing his hand on top of the boy's head, "Not so fast, Kazuma, let's all eat lunch before you pull that out," Kazuma sank back down into his seat with a small huff.

"Aww…I was just going to show them really quick."

"Heh," His father smirked and tapped his temple, "You forget I know you so well, my son. We both know you're too excited to just show them 'really quick.'" Kazuma gave a sheepish laugh at that, letting the matter rest. Susato was a little disappointed; she wanted to see what Kazuma was talking about! They'd have to wait until after lunch though. Oh well, she was starting to feel a bit hungry anyway, even after having a couple of strawberries.

They didn't have long to wait; Auntie brought out the onigiri she had made in a small basket, each of them neatly wrapped. Each of them was served their food, with some hot tea to go with it. Susato happily dug in once everyone had gotten their piece, though she tried to remember her manners as she ate. After all, a big girl shouldn't make a mess.

The grown ups and Kazuma talked as they ate, with her Papa mostly telling them about his time in London. Actually, she supposed he was just telling Auntie and Kazuma about it mostly; since Kazuma's papa had been there too. Susato didn't really know a whole lot of what he was saying—something about "forensics" and "investigations", whatever that was—so she just listened quietly, enjoying hearing him talk anyway.

"I received a letter from Sholmes the other day," Papa said after a bite of his food, "He must have sent it some time ago if it arrived here already-"

"Oh, that's Mr. Sholmes, right?" Kazuma piped up, a very serious look on his face, "Don't worry, Uncle, my father told me all about that man. If he ever comes here, I'll be ready for him," He said quite determinedly.

"Ready for-?" Papa stammered, "Genshin! What are you teaching him?" He groaned in exasperation. Mr. Asogi innocently looked away as he drank his tea, while Auntie fondly rolled her eyes. Susato giggled softly, they were all so silly.

As the conversation continued, the little girl found herself leaning back against Papa's chest from where she sat on his lap. She was comfortably full and starting to get sleepy. It was about this time every day when she'd be put down for a nap, but she didn't want to miss anything! Still, she couldn't hold back a yawn, and Papa noticed almost immediately.

"Are you sleepy, honey?" He asked softly.

"No…" She murmured back, her eyes half-lidded, "I'm awake…"

Papa hummed knowingly and started to gently stroke her hair as he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand. Susato leaned into the pleasant sensation, her eyes slipping close. Maybe she could just rest her eyes a tiny bit, just for a while. The words of everyone around her blurred together until they were a comforting hum. Before the little girl realized it, she was fast asleep.