The chocolate cake making in Shizuka's room, room 206, was currently paused as the dough had been put in the oven. Since the plan was to eat the cake after dinner, it was more convenient to hold off on any more work until everyone was done eating.
Sanae and Yurika were still pressed up against the oven when Kiriha left Shizuka's room and headed to room 106 alone. Kiriha was planning on using her spare time before dinner to check on Koutarou's clothing. She would patch holes and turn over frayed parts. Since Koutarou was so active, it was important to check his clothing regularly.
“Now that I think about it, I haven't touched this drawer...”
Having opened the wardrobe, Kiriha pulled open the bottom drawer. The wardrobe had several drawers and the upper ones were summer clothes and the lower ones were winter clothes, so the clothes got thicker the lower you went. As a result, Kiriha hadn't checked the bottom drawer until it got really cold like today.
“They're clothes used during a more inactive time, but I'll give it a check.”
Kiriha pulled out the clothing in the drawer one at a time. After getting everything out, she would return everything that looked normal. That was her standard procedure.
“Oh?”
After Kiriha had pulled out all the clothing she noticed a paper bag pushed into the back of the drawer.
“Based on how it feels, this has clothing in it too...”
Kiriha picked up the paper bag and looked inside.
Inside was all kinds of stuff, not just clothing. There was a half-knit sweater, a knife that was old-fashioned, but well crafted, a wooden plate with wool decorations on it and more. None of the things inside seemed to have anything in common.
“Oh no... This was something I shouldn't have opened. Sorry, Koutarou.”
Looking at the things inside, Kiriha realized that they were memorabilia, and she decided to return it to the back of the drawer without touching anything inside.
However, when she was about to close the bag, her eye caught something.
“T-This is!?”
It was an antique necklace. The necklace had polished jewels and fangs strung together by a colorful string, it was more old-fashioned than modern accessories.
“What, h-how!?”
At first, Kiriha thought that the necklace was just an illusion. However, no matter how many times Kiriha blinked, the necklace didn't disappear.
“I'm not seeing things...”
Kiriha reached out towards the necklace. Her emotions were elevated and her hand was trembling. She was normally calm, but her heart was currently racing and her mind was blank.
Her fingertips reached for the necklace. And a feeling she remembered was transmitted to her brain. With her trembling fingers, she picked up the necklace and slowly pulled it out of the paper bag.
“T-There's no mistaking it... this is my mother's keepsake...”
Because her hand was trembling, the small stones and fangs on the necklace collided and made small sounds. It was almost like the sound of a pocket watch.
“But, why is it here!? This is impossible!!”
Even though it was right in front of her, even though she was touching it, Kiriha couldn't believe that the necklace was right here. But regardless of what she believed, the necklace existed right here. It was the truth.
“But, no matter how much I can't believe it... if this is here then... that would mean...”
And that truth pointed to something.
What Kiriha had been waiting for these last ten years had finally happened.