The Near-By Far Away (Manga Strip)

Overview
This strip covers how Kanata returns home as a spirit to check up on her family. A few views of the outside of the Izumi Household are shown before the strip turns to the inside. Inside Sōjirō is trying to get Konata to pose for his camera as he is taking a commemorative picture because he has finally bought the family a camera; this causes Kanata to remark how little "Sou-kun" has changed. Sōjiro then explains that when he hugs Konata, it feels much like it did with Kanata; causing both girls to remark how suprised they are that he's openly able to make such "dangerous" statements. Konata makes a comment about how Sōjirō "...really put Mom through the ringer..." which makes Sōjirō wonder what she meant by that and Kanata worry that Konata may become a "delinquent."

Eventually Konata excuses herself by saying that she's in the middle of a game, and Sōjirō quickly asks her to tell him how to clear the game in question once she's done so. Kanata is releaved by this, in that they're close enough to play games together. However, Sōjirō quickly burst her relief when he states that he can "...never seem to get the character I'm after into a sex scene." which makes Kanata scream out in horror that he's making his daughter do things like that for him.

As Konata is about to leave the room, she expresses that there is something that always bothered her. She then asks what her mother could have possibly seen in "...A dirty old man like" Sōjirō, which makes Kanata wonder what it was that she did see. After Saying that Konata's always so harsh, he continues by saying that Kanata had a "very sharp intuition." While Kanata continues to wonder why she came to marry Sōjirō; he continues by say that even though he was bad at just about everything, she was able to discern the one point where he absolutely excelled.

Next Konata asks what that one point was; to which Sōjirō replies "Hm? Why of course...The fact that I am the one man in the universe who loved Kanata the most."

Kanata immediately remembers this commenting: "Oh, that...That's something I couldn't resist..." And recounts how he accepted her for all of her good and bad points, allowed her to see all of his good and bad points, knew what made her feel at peace, and "...he made this a place where I felt most at ease."

Kanata admits that it she is a little frustrated that she can't be with her family now, but since "...Sou-kun is still inside of me" and since she is still inside of both Sōjirō and Konata, she will continue to watch over them from the heavens. During this, Sōjirō is finally able to convince Konata to take another picture, and as they do so, Kanata comes over and poses over them.

After the picture is taken, it is discovered that Kanata showed up as a shadow in the backround. This terrifies both Konata and Sōjirō who believe themselves to be cursed, and that the picture must be destroyed and the house must be exorcised; much to Kanata's horror.

Characters

 * Kanata Izumi
 * Sōjirō Izumi
 * Konata Izumi

Places

 * Izumi Household