Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Mother love
And so, while Kai was immersed in his intrusive thoughts, his mother walked in.
Fortunately, Kai dressed himself with some casual clothes very quickly.
She immediately noticed his inner turmoil.
Something was troubling her beloved son, and she couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Haruka had sensed it from the first glance she gave him when she saw him outside the police station.
Kai, surprised by his mother's sudden arrival, sat up straight but remained seated on his bed. He knew his mother had come to ask him some more "particular" questions.
After entering, Haruka, with a maternal smile on her face, sat down next to Kai.
"Hey, Kai," his mother said.
"Hi, Mom..." Kai responded, lowering his gaze.
"Hey, look me in the eyes when you talk to me," Haruka said in a reassuring tone, gently stroking his head.
Kai "forcibly" lifted his gaze toward his mother, who was looking at him with a loving smile on her face. Then, he turned his head to "escape" his mother's touch, which had a strange effect on him. It was a mix of embarrassment and another strange, bitter feeling.
Kai was literally in love with his mother, but as he grew older, those caresses that once reassured him now made him feel a bit strange, perhaps due to growing up. Haruka felt a little hurt after seeing Kai pull away, but she pretended not to notice. She smiled at him again.
"Kai, can you tell me what's wrong? From the moment I saw you, you've been... different," his mother said, with a tone of concern.
Each word felt like a knife aimed at Kai's heart. He couldn't possibly tell his mother that his girlfriend was actually a psychotic, murderous killer who enjoyed eliminating anyone who tried to harm him. And he couldn't tell her about his situation, or the fact that he had been attacked, or that he had killed a man in self-defense.
He had never lied to his mother, not even when he was little. But now he had to, for his own safety.
"Well, yeah..." Kai replied.
"I figured as much... what happened?" Haruka asked, almost reassuringly.
"Mmh... I'm afraid I rushed things too much... I wanted to introduce you to Hina later on..." Kai said.
In a way, he wasn't lying. It was the only way he could talk to his mother. "Omitting" isn't the same as "lying."
Haruka looked at her son for a few seconds as if she were analyzing him before responding.
"Oh, I see... so you're not sure if you want to be with her?" his mother asked in a whisper.
Kai's eyes widened as if his mother had looked right into his soul.
Kai was convinced he was in love with Hina, otherwise, he wouldn't have helped her this far.
But, at the same time, he wanted to escape the tragic situation that was consuming him from the inside, preventing him from living.
He hadn't gone to school for some time, and perhaps his mother knew. This could have been a red flag that might have contributed to her coming home.
"N-No... it's not that, but sometimes I feel like I've rushed things too much... and I often wonder if what I'm doing is really the right thing..." Kai said, nervously fidgeting with his fingers and avoiding his mother's gaze.
Of course, Kai was referring to the whole situation around him and the actions he couldn't tell his mother about. He was looking for advice despite everything.
His mother chuckled lovingly and stroked his head again. Kai remained impassive.
"Oh... I understand you so well... that was the exact reason I felt bad when I was trying to win over your father during our school years..." she said with a nostalgic tone.
Kai looked up as if interested in what she was saying.
"You see, Kai, I was madly in love with your father... but at the time, he was happy with another girl. Despite that, he always stayed true to himself, he never changed, even after his old relationship ended. So many times, I wondered if it was worth continuing... You have no idea how many times I cried because he was so distrustful..." Haruka said, with a small nostalgic laugh. "But then I kept persevering, he changed, and the result was this: a beautiful relationship that lasted until marriage." Haruka then looked into her son's eyes. "If you're happy and she makes you feel good, why do you have these doubts?" Haruka asked her son, with a loving smile on her face.
"Your father was on the brink of despair, and I wanted to save him at all costs, just like he unintentionally saved me by treating me like a human being," she added.
Kai was deeply moved by his mother's words.
In a way, the motives were the same. Kai was persevering to save Hina from her own fate so they could live a peaceful life, while his mother, in her way, was saving her future husband from probable depression because she loved him and wanted to make him happy.
"And... how did you know that was the right thing to do, Mom?" Kai asked.
His mother chuckled lovingly.
"Well, that's a good question, and I'll answer it right away. I didn't know. I just followed what my instinct told me," Haruka replied, placing a hand on her chest as she remembered the old days.
That was what Kai was doing.
Following his instinct, his heart.
"I see..." Kai's spirit calmed slightly.
He took a deep breath and then thanked his mother, smiling at her.
"Thank you, Mom. I needed that," Kai said, smiling. "Now I know what I have to do."
"Oh? You're thanking me?" His mother seemed almost touched.
In fact, she hadn't had a conversation like this with her son in a long time.
You could say she missed it.
"Yes, Mom, thank you. You're the best," Kai said.
Haruka's eyes widened for a moment.
She was about to get emotional.
Then, out of pure maternal instinct, she hugged her son tightly.
Kai was surprised but returned the hug.
He needed it.
A reassuring hug from the woman he loved most in the world.
It had been a long time since their last hug, and every second in his mother's arms was like gold for Kai.
These were the only moments of true peace he had found, and for this reason, Kai clung to his mother's clothes as if begging her not to leave.
After the hug ended, there was a knock near Kai's bedroom door. Haruka and her son turned their gaze toward the door.
"Who is it?" Haruka asked.
"Mrs. Suzuki, it's me, Ayame. Dinner is ready," she said.
Haruka sighed and thanked her maid.
"Thank you, Ayame, we'll be there shortly," she said, then stood up from the bed.
Afterward, she looked at her son and, in a very loving voice, said one last thing before leaving.
"Take a good look at your situation and find the right balance. If you're not 100% sure about something, don't do it," she said before stepping out of the room.
Haruka then left and closed the door behind her.
Kai didn't respond but remained "stunned." His mother had given him golden advice without even knowing his situation.
Then, he also got up from the bed and put something on his feet so he could go to dinner.
After about two minutes, Kai walked out of the door and, to his surprise, found Hina waiting for him outside like a sentinel standing guard.
Kai was startled, not expecting to find her there.
"H-Hina..! You almost scared me..." he said with a nervous laugh.
"Haha... sorry... but I wanted to go to dinner with you," she said.
Kai looked at Hina and noticed that she was dressed very... elegantly.
She was beautiful.
She was wearing a blue dress that reached her knees, she was even wearing makeup, and her hair was styled differently.
She had perfectly arranged bangs and hair that seemed as smooth as silk.
Perfectly prepared for dinner, in such a short time.
Kai was amazed.
The only sight of her beauty was enough to answer all of his questions.
"You look... beautiful..." Kai said, with a voice of astonishment.
Hina blushed slightly.
"R-Really...? Thank you..." she replied, rubbing her legs out of embarrassment.
Then, Kai smiled and offered her his arm, inviting her.
"Yes. Now, what do you say we go to dinner together?"
Hina smiled lovingly and accepted the offer.
Then, the two headed toward the dining room...
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