"Stop it! You just can't arrest my parents!"
"Sir, you might have mistaken. My in-laws will never commit homicide and any criminal attempts. Please refresh the documents against my in-laws."
"Ma'am, we are here with crystal clear evidence against Mr & Mrs. Kiyoko. Please let us do our job. Don't cause us trouble. Try to understand, Ma'am."
As I reached home everything began to happen the way it should. I don't understand why Uncle Ren and Mom are going against the officers. Just let them take those hooligans, Mom. You've nothing much to do with those two oldies. Nevermind, if you call them your in-laws. They are just your step-in-laws, Mom.
"What's the matter, officer…" I said as if I'm new to the ground. I'm the one behind the mess and still dared to ask something unusual until the officer had a face at me. Looking at his batch, I completed my statement. "Villiam…?" Eh? Ah… I guess that should be William not… Villiam. Might be a mistake… Haa…
"These people were recorded to be those murderers responsible for the recent deaths here. Before, we were with empty hands but now there's clear evidence against –"
"I understood, Officer William." I said, looking straight into my Step-grandparents eyes which were filled with peak vengeance towards me. At that least moment, a grin appeared on my lips and disappeared as soon as my Mom embraced me with a heavy force moving me physically. Mom, pull together… I'm a feather sometimes.
"Baby, save your grandparents! Just prove they aren't criminals."
"Stop that, Mom. It's not possible. They are clearly criminals."
I said and in a flash, my Mom stopped sobbing and Uncle Ren became quiet. To say, my words brought only silence burning in temperature. Seems like I only messed up the situation a bit more than enough.
I could barely gather the courage to look into my Mom's gloomy eyes when she suddenly withdrew her hold from me. Grinding her teeth under her gloom was already enough to alert me for something unexpected but –
"...! Huh?"
My Mom unexpectedly dashed to me with her hand in the air for a remarkable slap on my face but everything came to broke when a hard hand stood up for me, holding Mom's hand in the air. I would have let out a chuckle knowing the one I expected to be slapped by was the actual one to stand for me to stop the opposite slap. Hilarious!
"Uncle Ren…" It must be him to slap but why didn't you do that, Uncle?
"What are you trying to do, Lilly? Slapping Moon will not bring my parents back."
Saying that, he let go of Mom's hand. Is Uncle Ren for real? Is he mentally doing fine? It doesn't seem to be a better thing to estimate, Man. He's literally trying to stand for me when my Mom herself goes against me. This guy… is really something.
But… I can't bear his silence. I literally can't!
"...After what I said, it must be you to slap me but instead you just endured it. Why? Why, Uncle Ren? Why didn't you just show me my place by slapping?"
"Does slapping you give me anything? Nothing but regret. I don't want you to feel the pain of a step-father's slap. No matter if I'm married to your Mom, I'm still a failure to complete the position of a father in your heart. In that case, I own no right to use you just because of your words. Though your words are bitter, aren't they the truth I need to accept? But… I'm giving my best to be your father. If Kawin would be in my shoes he would never raise his hand on you no matter how harsh your words are over his heart. Isn't that true, Moon?"
Uncle Ren…
I…I'm just speechless to this point. Shocked me and others, just brought us silence. He… He is stupid. Even after saying this much, how can you just say that you aren't capable of filling the gaps in my heart? You have that potential and right to be my… Father, Uncle Ren. If I was in the right position, I would have accepted you as my Father a long back ago. Only if I had gotten out of my ego. Only if I had saw you in the way I see my real dad. Only if I had appreciated you for your every single effort to be my Father. Only if I had acknowledged your hardships. Only if I had paid attention to your feelings. Only if I had...
"I'm…I'm sorry, Uncle–" You should help him to heal, Moon. Accept reality. Isn't this what Uncle Ren had taught me?
"Please forgive me…, Dad."
The head I was holding down this all time got up at this word. The most beautiful. Our eyes matched, he was in extreme astonishment. And I just made an ordinary face thinking I might have said the right word at the wrong time.
"I'm sorry if I had said something un–"
In response, he abruptly embraced me in his warmth and whispered softly, "Thank you, Moon." By those phrases, I gazed at my hands lifted in the air but with a short smile of satisfaction I landed them on his back with a comfort pat. Then, I whispered, "Need to progress more, Uncle Ren." And he gave a short nod filled with bliss. I'm glad I made you smile in a situation like this.
Moving out of his embrace, I directly looked at Grandma Kiyoko. She gazed and then appeared with a smile while I was wearing a poker face, recalling a flashback at the horse riding view.
...…
"Tsuki-chan, if at any time, I really get failed by you then I will just accept it rather than trying to protect my team or myself."
"...Why would you do that when you have an acknowledged background, Grandma Kiyoko?"
"Haa… I do attempt that but I'm here with a favour that I want you to accomplish."
"A favour? Ha, you're saying that if I do your favour – you'll just quietly accept your punishment, right?"
"Yes. Will you –"
"I'm curious about what made you think that I'm going to do you a favour, Grandma Kiyoko. It doesn't matter if you play your games or not, you'll surely be sentenced to death."
"I know, right. So think of my favour as my final wish, Tsuki-chan."
"Well, if that's the case, we let the last wish of a sentenced person come true. Let me know, what's your final wish, Grandma Kiyoko?"
"Accept my son as your father, Tsuki-chan."
"As my father? You think that's possible. That's clearly a lame wish, Grandma Kiyoko."
"No. It's my only wish for my son, Tsuki-chan. As a mother, I couldn't give him much in return but I tried my best to give him everything he wished for though he never insisted on any. There are places I couldn't fill up even being a close member. Those empty spaces in his heart only wanting you to accept him wholeheartedly, Tsuki-chan. Please accept my son."
...…
You were right, Grandma Kiyoko. Those empty spaces in his heart really want me to accept him wholeheartedly. He worked very hard for it. Though I personally never acknowledged it. But… yet, I let your final wish come true, Grandma Kiyoko. Hope you'll rest in peace.
My family… will never forget this day. Especially me and Uncle Ren.
I don't know whether to say this or not but I'm glad Uncle Ren is my father, Grandma Kiyoko. Are you happy to hear that? I hope… you are. With a smile on my face, I placed those red tulips on her grave and stood up gazing at her name.
Blissful, you lived long, Grandma Kiyoko. And I smiled once again.
"Moon, have you prayed for Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Yes, I did."
Hey, stupid Grandma Kiyoko. I know sometimes I act out of my lines that surely makes one piss off but what am I supposed to do if that's the truth which tastes bitter. People eventually needed to understand that either, right. My Mom really is good-for-nothing. She doesn't think about what the opposite one is conveying about. She just wanna teach a lesson no matter what the point is about but thanks to your mistake that gave birth to someone understandable and knows how to use his brain like Uncle Ren. Sometimes people make mistakes in the dark but your mistake brought me an advantage. Thanks to you and your husband.
…All this long, I had experienced a lot as an antagonist in your repulsive and creepy story. Ah, it was short but it literally made me exaggerated already. Now, it's the end. So, should I call it a day? To all my struggles… nah, actually we're even at this point. We struggled together, myself to pull you down and yourself to drown my plans. But man, remember, justice always has its side. Well, that doesn't work. You're no more, anyhow.
That's a bitter truth. Now, I just wish we never meet again. Then, goodbye…, Grandma Kiyoko.