Chapter 3: Mother

TL: Akabane

***

— One year later

I am now in the sixth grade of elementary school.

Now I have separated from my father and live with my mother.

I can’t see my father anymore.

The moment I think that, I cry like an idiot.

Why did my father abandon me?

Does he hate me or ……?

No, I can’t even think about it.

Damn, how did this happen.

I have someone I like.

Her name is Aya Sato.

Aya and I have been good friends since kindergarten.

When I was in the sixth grade, I confessed my love to Aya.

“I love you!Please go out with me!”

“……”

Aya’s eyes widened at my confession.

She looked surprised.

After a while, Aya opened her mouth.

“Sorry, I can’t go out with Yuji. ……”

“…… Eh……”

Aya dumped me.

I was shocked by that fact.

I had assumed that I was the one Aya liked.

But I was wrong.

It was my mistake.

“Why can’t you ……?”

“Why not? ……It’s not fun to be with Yuji.”

“……”

Aya’s words made my chest tighten.

Are you not happy with me?

What’s that ……?

Thus, the first confession in my life ended in failure.

— The next day…

The fact that I confessed my feelings to Aya spread throughout the school.

Probably Aya told her friends, “Yuji confessed to me yesterday.”

She’s so light-mouthed. ……

“Hey, Yuji.”

A classmate spoke up.

“What?”

“You got dumped by Aya?”

My body trembled at my classmate’s words.

Seeing me upset, my classmate laughs.

“You were seriously dumped? That’s so lame~.”

“…….”

Various students made fun of me, saying, “That’s so stupid!”

Damn, I wish I had never confessed to her. ……

I’ll never confess again.

That’s what I decided.

— After school…

Finally, afternoon classes were over.

I left the classroom and headed home.

— Ten minutes later…

I arrived at home.

As I was taking off my shoes at the front door.

Suddenly, I heard the creaking sound of the bed from my bedroom.

What’s that sound ……?

“Mmmm…….”

This time I heard a woman’s sad voice.

(Is this my mother’s voice?)

I have a bad feeling …….

I slowly make my way to my bedroom.

Carefully I open the bedroom door and peek inside.

“What ……?”

My mind goes blank as I look inside the bedroom.

My mother and the mystery man are skin to skin.

They are both naked.

At the time, I didn’t know what sexual intercourse was.

So I don’t know what they are doing.

(What are they doing naked ……?)

I was just staring at my mother and the mysterious man doing their thing.

After a while, my eyes meet my mother’s.

Seeing my face, my mother says inaudibly, “What the ……?”

She looks incredulous.

“Yuji!What are you doing?”

“……!”

Mom’s yell freaks me out.

My legs shake as they rattle.

“Go away!”

“……”

“What are you doing!!!Get the hell out of here!!!!”

“……!”

I follow my mother’s words and leave my stuff and go outside.

I keep running all the way through the city.

After a while, I arrive at a nearby park.

I sit down on a park bench and ponder.

Why was my mother angry with me?

What were my mother and that mysterious man doing together in the first place?

Damn, I don’t understand. ……

— Night…

It’s already night.

A cold wind hits my skin.

It’s cold. ……

I look at the clock in the park and see that it’s 23:14.

I think it’s time to go home.

But my mother might get mad at me again.

What should I do ……?

All this time I’ve been worrying–

“You, what are you doing there?”

A police officer spoke to me.

Seeing the police approaching me, I am confused.

Why were the police talking to me?

Damn, what the hell is going on …….

The police asked me to give them my address, home phone number, and school name.

I maturely gave them my address, home phone number, and school name.

A while later, my mother came to the park.

The police warned her.

Seeing my mother getting angry with the police, I thought to myself, “I’m pathetic. …….”

***

I came back home.

There is a dry thud in the living room.

My mother slapped me on the cheek.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I glared at my mother when she said that.

“Yuji!Where have you been all this time!You got me in trouble with the police!”

My mother slaps me again.

At the same time, I feel intense pain.

I say, “Stop!” but my mother wouldn’t stop hitting me.

This incident made me hate my mother.

The thought of having my mother’s blood in my veins makes me want to die.

Why am I still alive……?