A Mother's Soul

"The koinobori over there were deliberately not released, right? Just to wait for me and my sister to come home, then... the koi fish there now look emaciated."

"Yes, father and mother deliberately raised it until you both came home. You know what? During the last year we were not together you two of course we also feel lonely when we live together. I thought ... Aya will come and one day your mother will inherit this tavern You who go to school are quite good and you are great, you will inherit the business that father is working on, you will manage it. That's what we both thought." Obviously Hikari.

The conversation turned into adult talk but, Kaede who was smart enough understood that.

"But the koiobori still hanging in the summer has nothing to do with the koi fish looking emaciated." Hikari insisted.

"Eh?" Kaede was astonished as she stared intently at her father's face.

So, what does this 'Koi' relationship actually mean?