Akira looked at Shouko, who was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, a fierce expression on her face. He chuckled and nodded, showing that he got the message. Then he split the peeled orange in his hand into two halves and handed them to the two little ones in front of him.
"Don't eat too much—lunch will be ready soon," said Shizuka Miyamura, who didn't take the orange but sat down on the tatami mat to watch TV.
"Hehe!" Shouko didn't bother being polite. She gave a little snort, grabbed the orange, and stuffed it straight into her mouth.
Akira watched as she crammed half the orange in at once and sighed. "Shouko, slow down. No one's gonna steal it from you."
"Cough, cough, cough!" Almost like magic, the moment he said that, Shouko started coughing violently. Akira quickly stood up and began patting her on the back.
After her coughing fit stopped, he was about to say something—maybe a gentle scolding—but then he saw her eyes, red from coughing. Her big, watery eyes looked up at him, full of grievance, like she was bracing to be told off.
Akira swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Shizuka Miyamura sat nearby on the tatami, not sure which was more entertaining—the TV show or the two adorable kids in front of her.
The first weekend of Akira's slow-paced elementary school life arrived before he knew it.
"Mom! Where did this bike come from?" Akira had just woken up naturally and walked downstairs to see a beige bicycle leaning against the wall near the entrance.
"That was a gift from one of my coworkers. Since you're in first grade now, I figured it was about time," came the calm voice of his father, Daiki Miyamura, from the living room before Shizuka could even respond.
Akira walked to the bathroom, grumbling, "Dad, I'm only in first grade. You really trust me to ride a bike and take Shouko to school?"
Daiki forgot to mention it was illegal to carry passengers, so he chuckled and explained, "What are you thinking? In Japan, it's against the law to carry passengers on a bike. At most, you can ride with Shouko on a small road, but if the traffic cops catch you, you'll get fined."
"I'll add training wheels to the back to help you balance," he added, not wanting Akira to fall and get hurt.
(Author's Note: After some feedback from family, I was reminded that in 2007, Japanese traffic laws prohibited carrying passengers on bikes unless under specific conditions. According to the regulations, bikes are for one person only, and adults can't carry other adults on the back seat.)
When Akira came out of the bathroom, he saw Daiki crouched by the entrance, using tools to attach small wheels to the back of the bicycle.
Akira didn't try to stop him by insisting he could ride without them. After all, the adult-sized bike was too big for his current height. Riding with training wheels seemed safer, especially with Shouko on the back.
Daiki explained again, in case Akira hadn't heard earlier, "Remember, it's illegal to carry someone on a bike in Japan unless you meet specific conditions."
"Alright, I'm going to take it outside now. Give it a try," Daiki said, tightening the last screw before standing up and pushing the bike outside.
Akira slipped on his shoes and followed. Daiki led him to a narrow path where cars weren't allowed, then looked back and raised an eyebrow, signaling for Akira to take over.
Akira approached the beige adult-sized bike and adjusted the seat height until his feet could touch the ground.
Once he got on, Daiki explained the brake system and reminded him, "Ride slowly and be mindful of pedestrians."
"Got it." Akira nodded nonchalantly. He could actually ride without training wheels, so these were just extra support. He casually rode a few laps and stopped smoothly in front of Daiki.
"Wow. That's way better than when I tried for the first time."
Watching Akira turn corners with ease, Daiki couldn't help but recall his own embarrassing first ride, where he wiped out during a turn. Of course, he wasn't about to ruin his image by telling Akira that story.
"Let's head back, Dad," Akira said after riding a few times. He motioned for Daiki to hop on the back.
Laughing, Daiki instead pushed Akira onto the back seat and pedaled them home himself.
"Akira! Akira! I heard you were learning to ride a bike?" As soon as he opened the front door, Shouko's excited voice rang out.
Akira looked toward the entrance, surprised to see Shouko already there. Before he could say anything, Shizuka walked out of the living room, laughing, "Not long after you left, Shouko came looking for you. She ran to check the door every few minutes. She's like a wife waiting for her husband to come home."
Shouko didn't understand the reference to the "Husband-Waiting Stone" and missed the teasing tone. She ran up to Akira with bright eyes. "Akira, Akira! Can you take me for a ride?"
"Sure," he replied gently, ignoring Shizuka's joke.
"Be careful!"
"Stick to the back roads!"
Daiki and Shizuka said in unison. Akira nodded repeatedly, took Shouko by the hand, and headed outside.
"Whoa! It's so pretty!" Shouko gasped when she saw the beige bicycle.
"Wait a second!" Shizuka's voice called out just as Akira was about to get on. The two turned around in confusion.
"Put on your helmets. You didn't need them earlier because your dad was with you, but I'd feel better if you wore them now," she said, handing them the black-and-white children's helmets Daiki had set aside.
"Alright."
For extra safety, Akira didn't mind. He handed the white helmet to Shouko, kept the black one for himself, helped her strap hers on securely, then turned back to reassure Shizuka one last time before getting on the bike.
"Ready, Akira!" Shouko chirped. She'd seen girls on TV sit sideways on bike seats, so she gathered her skirt, sat sideways behind him, and placed her hands neatly in her lap.
"Hold onto my waist," Akira said, looking back. He was worried she might fall if he sped up or hit a bump.
Without hesitation, Shouko wrapped her arms around him. Once she held on tightly, Akira pushed off the ground with one foot and began pedaling.
Thanks to the training wheels, the bike stayed steady.
Still, the moment the bike started moving, Shouko clung tightly to Akira's back, closed her eyes, and buried her face against him in fear. It had felt fine when they were stationary, but as soon as they started moving, she was terrified she'd fall off.
Clicking sounds echoed from the wheels as they rode, but neither of them paid it any mind.
"It's okay, Shouko. Don't be scared," Akira said gently after a while. He could feel her arms tightening around him.
Hearing his voice, Shouko realized they hadn't fallen, and the bike was moving smoothly. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around at the houses and people passing by. This feeling was so different from sitting in Auntie Miyamura's car. With the wind blowing through her hair, Shouko felt peaceful—leaning on Akira's back and listening to his heartbeat.
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Bonus chapter: 100/200/300 POWER STONE!!!
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