As soon as I climbed the stairs of the Kamiarizuki household, my mother, who had been waiting in the temple grounds, rushed toward me with a worried expression.
"Itsuki, are you alright? You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"I'm fine. Nothing happened."
"Thank goodness..."
When I smiled as I said that, my mother let out a sigh of relief and placed her hand on her chest.
"You shouldn't take on too many jobs, okay?"
"...Yeah."
She scolded me gently, and I responded quietly.
I understood my mother's concern, but I wasn't planning on doing anything reckless. I just wanted to move forward.
Besides, it wasn't much different from what I always did. Honestly, I thought both my mother and I were worrying too much.
But there was no point in voicing that out loud. After all, she was worried about me.
As I reflected on my mother's feelings, Akane-san emerged from the building.
