IWSBSB 08

Chapter 08

The last two days of spring break had arrived, and Mana, uncharacteristically, didn’t show up. She’d mentioned yesterday, before heading home, that she’d be late, but it was already past eight in the evening, and there hadn’t been a single word from her.

A sudden, sharp ring cut through the quiet: it was her Aunt Kawaguchi-san on the phone. “Mana-chan hasn’t gone to Inamori-kun’s place, has she?” her aunt inquired, her voice etched with worry.

I explained that she had been coming over every day up until now, but not today, and I hadn’t heard from her at all. “Is something wrong?” I asked, a knot tightening in my stomach.

Kawaguchi-san’s response was a low, distressed confession: “She still hasn’t returned home this late, and I can’t reach her. If Mana-chan contacts you, could you please let me know?”

I had a strange, powerful feeling that Mana would show up, regardless. So I went ahead and got the bath ready and checked that there was a frozen pizza on hand.

Just after nine, the doorbell rang. It was her.

I hurried to the entrance, and the sight of her nearly broke me; Mana’s eyes were bloodshot and raw. When she finally caught sight of me, her face twisted into something that looked like she was trying to laugh through the tears, and without a single word, she threw herself into my arms.

I looped one arm around her back and gently stroked her hair, listening to her tiny, broken sniffling sobs. Waiting until her breathing eased just a little, I whispered, “It’s too public out here, you know. Come on in.”

We sat down side-by-side on the sofa in the living room. Mana clung to my arm as if her life depended on it. Just like a moment ago, I was acutely aware of her chest pressing against mine, but I forced myself to ignore it.

I focused my mind’s entire will onto not getting an erection. “Hiro-kun, I’m so sorry,” she murmured against my shirt. I shook my head gently. “‘I’m sorry’ isn’t the right thing to say, is it?

Isn’t this a time for ‘thank you’?”

”…Thank you,” she whispered, sounding fragile. “You haven’t eaten a thing, have you? I’ve got pizza.

Do you want some?”

”Mmm-hmm.”

”The bath is ready for you, so go and soak for a bit. I’ll get the food ready by then.”

”Will you lend me one of your shirts and a pair of your pants, Hiro-kun?”

”Sure thing. I’ll get them ready. Though I might not have a brand-new pair of underwear.”

”The ones you’ve worn are fine,” she insisted.

As soon as I heard the whoosh of the bathroom door close, I called Kawaguchi-san.

”I’ll let Mana-chan’s house know that she’s here with me, and I’ll leave the rest to you, okay?” she stated, her tone shifting to one of heavy relief. “But, what am I supposed to do?

I don’t even know what happened, so I have no idea how to help,” I admitted, feeling completely out of my depth. “Mana-chan trusts Inamori-kun, you see.

Just be your usual self. That’s all you need to do.”

Mana’s mind drifted back: Just this morning, Mama told me that she and Papa had officially divorced. She had been boastful, elated that Papa had given in to all their demands because, after all, he was the one at fault.

She even chirped that my university fees would be covered by him, so I had nothing to worry about. My older brother, apparently, had just told them to ‘do whatever they wanted.’ But I couldn’t just brush it off that easily. I wanted a change of scenery, to see Bogey, and I was just about to call Hiro-kun when Papa texted me, asking me to lunch.

When I told Mama I was going to meet him, she didn’t say a word.

She must have known all along. That’s so sneaky.

We met near his office and went to a café. The Papa I knew would always compliment what I was wearing, but this time, he said nothing at all.

Am I already meaningless to him? The thought was a sharp, terrible spike of sadness. I couldn’t even remember what I ate.

Papa just kept giving excuses, a constant stream of self-justification, and he never asked a single thing about me. The grief piled up, one wave of sorrow crashing after the next.

”Well, goodbye then. Take care of yourself,” he said, and it felt like I was being thrown away, that he never intended to see me again. Where did the Papa I loved so much go?

I wandered through the town streets, unable to think of anything but the crushing emptiness. The park we visited, the amusement park he took me to, the river path we walked along—memories of Papa were everywhere, spilling out across the whole town.

I found the family restaurant he used to take me to and stepped inside. I must have sat there for ages with just one glass of orange juice.

”Cheer up, sweetie,” a middle-aged waitress said softly, catching my eye. I hadn’t even realized I was crying again. Hiro-kun’s face swam into my mind. I want to see Hiro-kun.

When I finally reached his house, he welcomed me with that gentle, warm smile. I was instantly wrapped in Hiro-kun’s kindness, and the sadness began to melt away.

This was the warmth I had been searching for.

Is Hiro-kun just a replacement for Papa? I desperately didn’t want to believe that. I was absolutely not using him.

Coming out of the bath, I put on Hiro-kun’s borrowed shirt again. It felt like I was being wrapped up by him, head to toe.

Back in the living room, he immediately brought over the pizza and orange juice. “Thank you. I must be such a bother,” I said, my voice calmer now.

”I think it’s okay to be selfish sometimes, you know?” he said simply. “Yeah.”

”You can focus on your needs over mine right now. More importantly, eat before it gets cold, okay?”

”Okay. But I can’t eat all of this alone, not this late. You should eat with me, Hiro-kun.”

After we finished eating, I told him everything that had happened over the last few weeks: the divorce, why Auntie had asked him to take Bogey (since she was Papa’s sister), meeting Papa today, the horrible feeling that the Papa I loved had disappeared, and the desperate uncertainty about what to do next. “Kids can’t really understand their parents’ problems, so Mana, you’re fine exactly as you are,” he insisted gently.

”You’re still just a high school student; you should worry more about yourself than about your parents or other people. Besides, it’s not easy to just stop loving your parents.”

”Yeah…”

”More importantly, you’re staying the night, right? I’ll get the bedding ready.”

I let out a teasing challenge: “Can’t we just sleep in the same bed? We could even do stuff.” His entire face went blank with shock.

”You idiot. Save that kind of thing for the guy you actually fall for.”

”Don’t call me an idiot!” I protested, a genuine smile finally breaking through.

”I only called you an idiot because you are one, that’s all.”

”I like you, Hiro-kun. Even so, it’s a no?”

”EHHHHHH—” His confused, flustered face was hilarious. I felt like I had finally laughed for the first time all day. “Just kidding, of course!”

”Y-yeah, I figured.” The look of utter disappointment on his face was something I knew I’d never forget.