Chapter 117: S2 Episode 16 - That's New
Before she spoke, she gave a heavy sigh.
"Well, it's not much of a long story but we met in France. I'd been studying abroad in France because of my family's history of doctors, but I also met your mom at the school I went to," Asa explained, which surprised me.
"But I thought my mom studied at the St. Marie Academy in France?"
"Well, before that, she was also studying with me at a school that produced the best doctors in the world in France."
'A doctor's school in France? I never heard about that from Mom or Dad!'
"My mom was studying to be a doctor?" I asked in confusion but Asa broke out into a grin.
"Haha! We were best friends at that school when we were 14, but nobody could stop Ella when she declared that she wanted to become a patissiere. That's why she rebelled against her parents and quit going to school because she wanted to go to St. Marie," she explained in further detail. "So, I persuaded my father to help her pay for her school tuition at St. Marie Academy once she got in because her parents kicked her out of the house."
It was my first time hearing about this and things were beginning to come together.
I'd never questioned why my mother's side never talked to my family, but I could tell that they had a falling out because of what happened in the past.
"That means the Kashino Family funded my mom?"
"In a way, but that was because my family and father liked Ella that we took her in as our own. My father invested in her because he believed that she could accomplish great things in the future despite her family troubles. And look at what she became—a world-renowned patissiere," Asa told me while I took it all in.
'No wonder my mom's side of the family doesn't talk to us. I don't even know what my grandparents look like.'
I always found it strange how both my mom and dad never talked about her family while she was still alive, but I could slightly comprehend the situation.
"Anyways, how's the mark on your stomach?" Asa asked me which caught me off guard.
The deep scar on my stomach that I never showed anybody. Even I hated looking at it.
If people noticed me because of my beautiful looks, then they'd definitely find me ugly if they looked at that horrendous scar on my stomach. I hated it so much that I would sometimes close my eyes when I changed or tried to forget it existed, but the scar would always be there no matter how hard I tried to pretend it wasn't there.
I was always so good at hiding it that nobody had ever seen the mark beside me, my father, and the surgeon who performed surgery on me—Kashino Asa. Even Fraise and Kaori and her two sons have never seen it or know that it's there.
Relenting to the surgeon who performed surgery on me, I stood up and lifted my shirt to show her because she already knew about it. When she brought it up, I figured that this was why I was brought to the hospital in the first place 6 years ago.
When I looked down at the red scar that was engraved slightly below my chest, I winced at the sight of it. It had healed but I knew that there was no way it could be fixed because of how deep the injury was.
"Well, it obviously looks much better compared to 6 years ago when you showed up to the hospital bleeding excessive amounts of blood. When we were treating you and performing emergency surgery, your vital organs had been badly damaged," she said, but I looked at her in confusion.
"Was it that bad? My father told me that I got this because I accidentally cut myself when playing around with a knife," I said with turmoil.
Truly, I didn't remember the incident but I believed my father's words.
When she heard me say that, I could see a distant look in her green eyes as she observed the scar. It was as if she wanted to say something more but was only limited to a few words.
"That's right. That's… what happened…" Asa looked sadly at the scar and I covered it up again with my shirt.
"Did something else happen?" I gravely questioned but I could see that any trace of emotion that could be on her face was vacant.
"No, you accidentally cut yourself when you were a child. I don't know how you managed to do that but you did."
I didn't question her reaction but I had another inquiry for her.
"Miss Asa… do you really want Kashino to quit his dream of becoming a patissier?" I asked her seriously but I could tell that this question caught her off guard.
"Hm…"
It wasn't a coherent response so I couldn't decide whether that was a yes or no. In a way, I felt guilty about how he got kidnapped.
So, I grabbed her hands and began pleading with her.
"I know that Kashino can be a bit hard sometimes but please, I'm begging you to give him another shot. He's blunt, sadistic, and his first impressions are the worst."
'Wait, should I be saying this to his mother…?'
As I said this, Asa looked at me in confusion but I continued anyway.
"He always has the worst things to say about everything, but he's serious about his confections just like me and the others. He puts in more effort than others to chase his dream of being a patissier, so, please… Don't force him to become someone he's not. Help him become the person he wants to be."
I begged her to rethink her thoughts and her confused face was replaced with a sad smile instead of confusion.
After remaining silent for a moment, she gave out a heavy sigh.
"*sigh* Sheesh, you really remind me of your mother," Asa said to me, giving a slight grin.
"Also... If it's because he wasn't the only one that received 1st place in the previous exam, I would like to apologize for that as well!" I desperately began bowing my head in apology.
"Was it you?"
"Yes, ma'am! I'm deeply sorry about that but don't worry, I'll make sure that I'll never get 1st place again!"
She shook her head disapprovingly, which only made me wince in response.
'Here it comes…!'
Expecting her to lash out at me, she let out a light chuckle.
"Haha! I figured as much when I saw that you were with the other boys. Even back then you and Makoto were extremely bright children—and calm down. I'm not forcing him to be a doctor," she explained and I let go of her hand in surprise.
"Y-you're not? B-but I thought that you said that he had to be the *only* one who had to be first?" I was even more puzzled.
"I'm not that petty. As long as he got 1st, that's all that matters. But it was fun to see his reaction when I brought that up to him."
She stood up and walked to the door, and so I followed her.
"Since you all came for Kashino, I'll let you see him."