Toranoana SS: Their Adorable Child

Shihoko exhaled a drawn-out sigh. "Oh dear, I'm already starting to miss Mahiru-chan…"

Despite having just seen her, Shihoko was already expressing her longing for Mahiru, leaving her husband Shuuto with nothing but a wry smile. She adored Mahiru like her own daughter, or more accurately, she already saw her as a daughter-in-law in her heart, always seeking opportunities to dote on Mahiru whenever possible.

Mahiru herself seemed to enjoy Shihoko's attention, so as long as it wasn't too excessive, Shuuto had no intention of stopping her. Besides, in his eyes, Mahiru was also someone he cared for deeply, so he didn't feel the need to intervene in his wife's affection for her.

"You really love Shiina-san, don't you?" Shuuto remarked.

"Of course I do. I've always wished to have a daughter," Shihoko replied dreamily.

Shuuto smiled gently, but deep down, he felt a twinge of pain knowing that he could never truly fulfill that wish for her. Shihoko was unable to have children of her own anymore. It wasn't an issue of age, but rather, her physical condition made it impossible. There had been no problems when Amane was conceived, but complications during his birth led to lasting effects that prevented her from having more children. If she were to conceive again, there would be no guarantee for either of their lives.

Shuuto hadn't told Amane the whole truth, fearing he would blame himself, so he'd just mentioned that it was due to illness. He had no intention of revealing the truth in the future. They were saddened to learn that they could no longer have more children, but having Amane, their precious son, was more than enough for them to feel immense joy.

"Oh, just to make it clear, I don't have any complaints about Amane, okay? I'm truly blessed to have had him. I couldn't be happier that he was born safely, and never once have I regretted that moment. He'll always be my dear son." Shihoko spoke with an untroubled smile. "Otherwise, I wouldn't love him so much, would I?" she added, and Shuuto felt the pain in his heart ease at her words. "Even so, I've always wished for a daughter too. I dreamed of coordinating our outfits and enjoying a girls' day out."

"And, given that, you would like to do those things with Shiina-san?" "Yes, though it's not that I see her as a replacement or anything…

Mahiru-chan's just so cute, so I'd love to see her in different outfits. She looks stunning in anything she wears. And considering how Amane's acting, she's practically like my own daughter already. I wonder if they would be okay with that?"

"Well, you could try asking her and Amane what they think directly," Shuuto suggested.

"…Though I do wonder whether Amane would let me. He's surprisingly possessive."

"Hard to say. That would come down to your convincing skills, Shihoko-san."

Shuuto thought to himself that as long as Mahiru didn't object to it, Amane would probably let Shihoko do whatever she liked. Seeing her enthusiasm, however, he chose not to say anything that might dampen her spirits. Watching her great anticipation for the next opportunity to see Mahiru, Shuuto felt relieved that the sorrowful expression she once wore was a thing of the past, and he buried those old memories deep in the back of his mind once more.