"Am I approved, then?" Yuta asked when they reached the street.

Noriko glanced at him sidelong and half-smiled. "You know you are. The door would have been locked if you weren't. Husband, I have a question for you."

"Ask it."

"Does your niece always wear that scarf?" It was irrelevant and commonplace compared to the rest of their morning but Noriko really wanted to know and wanted to talk about something that wasn't mystical and extraordinary. She began to see ...