After that conversation with them, I believed in what they said. Back when we just moved here to Japan, my mother told me that she was offered to teach a student with a load of money. I knew that it was a girl she was teaching, but I never thought she would be the daughter of the Hasegawa family.
Did mother know who they are? Was that one of the reasons why my parents were murdered? So many things are happening inside my head...
Erii and Ryo walked beside me in silence and didn't ask anything. We left Shiroisora High School and went home. Erii was standing beside me the whole time and held my hand so tightly.
I went to my parents' bedroom late at night. I sat on their bed in the dark with only the light of the moon illuminate the room. Then I checked their desks and drawers for their documents that I haven't touched since their deaths. I found their last will and what they have left to me.
The bell rang, someone visited me at this time. I checked who it was and it was Erii. I opened the door and she apologized for coming this late. I let her in and I can tell she was worried about me. We sat in the living room and I prepared tea and snacks. She leaned her head onto my shoulder and hold my hand. She didn't say anything and neither do I. We enjoyed the silence for quite a while. Erii looked at me and asks,
"Something happened, wasn't it? Do you want to talk about it?"
Nobody knows the truth about my parents' deaths, except for Uncle Hiro and the Hasegawa family, but they also don't know that I want to avenge my parents' deaths. I don't want to talk about my revenge to anyone, but right now, I feel like I need someone to at least bear this burden with me.
I'm on my knees in front of Erii, I rest my head on her thighs. She's stroking my hair and kissing my head. I ask,
"Do you want to listen to what I want to say?"
Erii nods and replies,
"I would listen to everything you say, Aze."
I lifted my head and looked at Erii. I told her the truth about my parents' deaths. Erii stopped stroking my hair and looked at me like she couldn't handle it. I grabbed her hands and hold them tightly. I looked at her eyes and then I say,
"I want to avenge my parents' deaths."
Erii stood up and looked at me with disbelief. I never thought her gaze at me could be this hurtful. Erii replies,
"What... do you... mean?"
I reply,
"I want to know the truth, and the reason why they killed my parents..."
Erii stood there and didn't say anything. I sat on the floor and didn't do anything. Erii says,
"It's late... I should go home..."
Erii left hurriedly.
I sat on the couch and stared at the moonlight through the glass door to my backyard. Was she disappointed in me? Was I not supposed to that? Was I'm not allowed to do the right thing?
My thoughts are hurting me, my chest hurts, I'm harming myself by punching the walls.
It's morning already and I'm still in the living room passing the sleepless night. I'm looking at my phone and I'm writing a message to my homeroom teacher that I'm sick and will take a few days.
I left the house still wearing my uniform from yesterday. I went to the convenience store and bought a cigarette. Then I went to the riverbank and lit my cigarettes.
Time flies by, and the sun is almost down. I emptied the pack of cigarettes I just bought this morning. I haven't eaten anything but for some reason, I'm not that hungry. I left the riverbank and went to my restaurant to cook myself some ramen. I'm not planning to open the restaurant and have this place for myself tonight. After I ate the ramen, I locked the restaurant and went to buy a cigarette. When I'm back, I saw Ritsu is leaning on her hypercar. She saw me and approached me. She waved at me and I approached her. She smiled and I say,
"I'm very sorry, Miyazaki-San. Today we are closed."
Ritsu is still smiling with her eyes closed. She replies,
"I know, I saw it that it's closed."
I smiled shyly. She grabbed my shoulder and then she says,
"You're looking unwell. I'll treat you then. But unfortunately, the place I want to treat you to is closed right now. It has the most delicious ramen in town. I also have been craving for it since this morning. Maybe another time?"
She's laughing quietly with her eyes closed. I smile and reply,
"Luckily, I have the key to open the restaurant. We can have the restaurant for ourselves tonight."
Ritsu smiled and then says,
"How coincidence!"
We both went inside. I cooked her favorite ramen and one for myself. We enjoyed the ramen and then I lit my cigarette. Ritsu went outside to grab something in her car. When she came back, she brought a bottle of sake and a pair of shot glasses. She also grabbed something in her purse. An expensive pack of cigarettes that I always saw in the convenience store. She smiled and then says,
"Don't tell anyone that I smoke, okay?"
I nodded. She lit her cigarette and poured the sake and gave one to me. I say,
"I don't think I can have this, Miyazaki-San... I'm still 16."
Ritsu replies,
"I would like to hear what happened to you, Norl-Kun. It's better to listen to someone's problems while drinking. Have a sip, and start talking."
I grabbed the glass and shot it down into my throat. I coughed badly and Ritsu laughed. My body felt warm and for some reason, I feel relaxed and start to talk about it to her without hesitation.
She listened to my story without showing any expression. She always looked at me in the eyes. I didn't feel embarrassed or uncomfortable with that. I kept talking, she listened to it and enjoyed the sake. I never thought that I would pour all my burden to her to listen to.
Ritsu coughed and put her pack of cigarettes back into her purse. She smiled and then says,
"That was quite a story, Norl-Kun."
She poured another one and shot it down to her throat immediately. She continues,
"Your problems may burden someone else's life."
I didn't know what she meant, but the way she said it, it seems that she warned me to not tell this problem to someone else and kept it for myself. Ritsu asks,
"How do you feel now?"
I reply,
"I feel better thanks to you, Miyazaki-San."
Ritsu smiles and says,
"Well, that's good to hear. Sometimes, just listening to someone's problem is the best way to help them. Human tends to find the answer on their own, but having someone to listen is also important. We are social creatures after all."
How can she be so mature... Our age is not that far but the way she speaks and acts is like someone who has lived for decades.
Ritsu stood up and gave me the money for the ramen. She says,
"Do what you must, and once you did, don't regret it. If you're feeling down again, you can talk to me. In the meantime, let yourself be alone and enjoy the solitude. I'll see you later, Norl-Kun."
She left the restaurant and I heard her car left the parking lot.
I'm looking at my surrounding while thinking about what she said. Enjoying myself, huh? I'll do that then. I cleaned the restaurant and then went back home.
I just remembered that I left my phone in the living room. I checked my phone and I saw so many messages and calls from Erii. She apologized for last night and she went here to check on me but I wasn't here. I replied to her messages and explained to her where I was the entire day. I didn't want her to get involved with my problem so I didn't mention anything related to that.
I took a shower and I thought that going on a trip would be nice. Maybe I'll go on a trip this weekend. When I came out of the bathroom, I'm surprised to see Erii in my house. I just realized that I didn't lock the door.
Erii is waiting for me in the living room. I approach her and stand behind her. I say,
"Erii, I'm sorry."
She nods and says,
"Mmm."
I kissed her head from behind the sofa then hugged her and wrapped my arms around her neck. I ask,
"Want to go on a trip this weekend? I thought that it would be nice to go somewhere far from here just the two of us."
Erii turned around and replies,
"Where to?"
I reply,
"Wherever you want. I just want to be with you."
Erii nods and says,
"Okay. I'll find a good place for our trip."
I smile and nod.
We talked all night and everything went back like it used to be.