"Yoshino?" Kurai called to her daughter as the latter lazily ate her breakfast. Sometimes Yoshino missed her mouth by a few inches with the fork, hitting her cheeks instead, which only validated Kurai's concerns.
Yoshino stared blankly at nothing before finally responding, "...what? Oh. Sorry, I have a lot on my mind lately and had difficulty sleeping." She quickly apologized before taking a huge bite of her eggs.
Tsuyoui, Kurai's oldest son, tilted his head in confusion at his sister's behavior. "School just started. How can you already have so much on your mind that you can't sleep?" he asked before frowning. "Is Nakagawa-san doing alright?" he guessed.
"Wha-, I mean, I guess we, no, she is doing alright? Yeah! She's fine." Yoshino sputtered, laughing nervously before eating another large chunk of her eggs to avoid elaborating.
Kurai couldn't help but squint at the little details in Yoshino's expression that told the single mother everything. So it was one of THOSE problems. Kurai realized. Now that I think about it... With a newly acquired perspective, Kurai observed the nervous brunette in a new light.
Tsuyoui raised an eyebrow. "Ok...if you say so?" he said unsurely, aware something wasn't quite right but unable to place what exactly.
Her behavior does remind me of her father's after that group project we did together. At the time, I just chalked it up to him feeling uncomfortable with how gloomy a sack of depression I admittedly was back then, but after he confessed... Kurai had to suppress herself before she lost herself at times long gone. This isn't about me; it's about your daughter. Don't lose track! Kurai told herself, barely containing a wistful smile.
Returning her thoughts to Yoshino and what was causing such strange behavior, Kurai's eyes soon grew in realization, remembering how her daughter had returned home sweaty and tired yesterday. At the time, the single mother only focused on the fact that her daughter smelled and if she didn't throw herself into the nearest shower immediately, Kurai would throw her herself. The dark sorceress couldn't recall if she ever asked HOW Yoshino ended up like that, much less how much Nozomi was involved in all of this, if at all. Could a confession be the cause of it? They always did seem closer than usual close friends, but I never thought it would be to the point of having a crush. Then, why didn't she look happy when returning home and smell like she had run through a marathon?
Did she get rejected? No...her mood wasn't happy, but it wasn't flat-out sad. I would've noticed immediately if that had been the case... Kurai frowned. Wait...I might be reaching a bit, but what if she fumbled her confession and ended up running away from Nozomi as fast as possible in shame? That's why she was like that! The single mother thought, imagining Yoshino about to tell how she felt to the one she loved only to hesitate and run off in the opposite direction, crying in frustration at her own inability to confess.
The dark sorceress had to restrain herself from going further with those thoughts before she ended up like her past himejoshi self. Now, now, hold on, there isn't enough evidence to be sure it played exactly like you're imagining and might have wished. For all I know, it could be something entirely different. But just to be sure...
"Say, now that I think about it, you never told me how you came home looking like Tsuyoi after going through the sports festival. Care to share what was that about?" Kurai prodded her daughter for a reaction.
Yoshino bit her lip for a split-second before answering, "Oh, well, y'know, Nozomi and I ended up taking a walk deeper in the woods to hang out and we ended up losing track of time. When we realized how late it had become, we rushed to our respective homes as fast as possible."
Ok, this definitely confirms Nozomi's involvement. Now I just need to confirm if it had indeed been a confession that went wrong... The single mother simply nodded at Yoshino's suspicious explanation.
Tsuyoui raised his left hand for Yoshino to stop. "Wait, so, let me get this straight, you and Nozomi went to the woods yesterday?"
"Yes," Yoshino nodded.
"By yourselves?" The older sibling added.
"I guess?" The brunette shrugged at her brother. "There was no one else but us."
Tsuyoui frowned. "For no apparent reason other than just hanging out?"
Yoshino frowned, growing annoyed at how this was starting to feel less like a conversation and more like an interrogation. "...yes? What about it?"
Kurai and Tsuyoui exchanged glances at one another. An unspoken conversation unfolded where only they were privy to it. No magic was used since, from Kurai's side, she found it unnecessary when it came to knowing what her own son tried to communicate to her non-verbally. It had been one of the many perks Kurai acquired after becoming a mother.
Tsuyoui, on the other hand, didn't need to use magic because his mom's lively expressions immediately told him everything he needed to know.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Her son mentally asked.
Kurai gave him a pensive look in response. I don't want to jump the gun on it, but I wouldn't be surprised if...
Tsuyoui's expression became fierce. They fought.
Kurai's expression became one of understanding. She wasn't able to confess her feelings.
Both mother and son frowned at each other in confusion at their wildly different takes for a few seconds before simultaneously breaking the mental silence between them. WHAT?!
Where the hell did that come from? Why in the world would they fight one another?! Kurai mentally asked in bafflement.
It makes more sense than them confessing to one another! They always just seemed like good friends to me! I mean, their relationship doesn't seem that different from the one I have with Haru-san and most girls in my class. We're all just really close friends! Kurai's oblivious son mentally explained without a hint of joking.
Kurai gave a blank look at her oldest child before sighing. Yep...not having grandkids. Kurai thought to herself in resigned acceptance before frowning as something didn't seem quite right. Wait...if they are REALLY close friends, then why would they fight?
Tsuyoui shrugged. I don't know what to tell you, Mom. Even the best of friends fight sometimes. I myself had a dumb fight with Ichiban-san when we first met before our fight got interrupted by some delinquents who didn't like we were on their turf. Anyway, after we dealt with them, we laughed it off by the end and became friends who occasionally have mostly harmless, quick quarrels with each other.
One of Kurai's eyebrows twitched. Dare I ask why you guys fought in the first place? The single mother wanted to trust her son was still good enough in the head to not pick random fights and use his powers on civilians, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure.
Tsuyoui sighed. Remember that time when you told me to hurry up and get the cake for Yoshino's twelfth birthday before the bakery closed because you had forgotten until the last minute? Long story short, in the future I'll just jump from building to building anytime I need to go somewhere in a hurry. After a moment he frowned. Wait, wasn't this about Yoshino?
Kurai nodded, unamused by her son's not-so-subtle attempt at changing the subject. Hmm, yes, but don't go thinking this is over. We WILL talk about this later and you will give me every detail of what happened for you to start fighting with Ichiban. Do I make myself--
"Hey, are you guys really starting breakfast without me?" Henry asked as he stepped inside the kitchen, cutting the mental conversation between mother and son short.
Upon laying eyes on the cowboy, Kurai couldn't help but feel conflicted. On one hand, she was elated that it seemed he had truly recovered, at least physically. But on the other hand, even if it wasn't his fault, something the single mother would make very clear to anyone who was to ask, Henry's very presence reminded the dark sorceress not only of the current predicament she currently faced...but of how she failed to handle said predicament, with one of her family members almost paying the ultimate price for it.
It made the atmosphere in the kitchen, from Kurai's perspective, awkward.
"Uncle Henry?" Yoshino asked, turning to look at her uncle, genuinely surprised and relieved to see him.
"Hey, kiddo, sorry for the wait. I was doing my morning stretches after a good night's rest." With a brief whistle, Henry went to the fridge to prepare his breakfast. "Honestly, I'm surprised it could be so important for you and your brother to still be here. I only heard a little bit of it, but I wouldn't mind some context."
Bullshit! was Kurai's immediate thought upon hearing this. The single mother restrained herself from rolling her eyes at Henry's lie of only hearing bits and pieces of the conversation. She knew full well that Henry's darkspawn magical biology gave him far better senses than a regular human.
"Wait...what do you mean by that?" Yoshino wondered.
"Oh, nothing, it's just by this time you and Tsuyoui would normally be on your way to class. Ah, here it is!" Henry said before pulling out two eggs from the fridge while humming a jingle only he was familiar with.
The brunette's eyes widened as she pulled out her phone and immediately got up from her seat upon seeing the time displayed. "Shit!" Putting the half-eaten slice of bread in her mouth, she got up from her seat and left the kitchen in a hurry. "Thank you for tellin' me, Uncle." That was the last thing Kurai heard before hearing the front door of her house close.
The troubled mother sighed. "A proper goodbye would be welcome..."
"Yep," Tsuyoui looked at his watch. "Well, I'm going, goodbye Mom, goodbye Uncle Henry," Tsuyoui waved his hand casually, walking out of the kitchen and soon leaving the house. Only Kurai and Henry remained in the former's home.
As Kurai turned her attention away from the exit, her focus was drawn to the cowboy placing the eggs back where he had found them in the fridge. Not having to pretend he needed to eat anymore now that Yoshino had left, at least, the single mother assumed. "So...have you healed? For good this time?" the sorceress with long black hair asked with a frown, wanting to ensure the wanted man with more than one hundred years knew she hadn't forgotten about the stunt he had pulled yesterday.
Henry nervously nodded in response as he closed the fridge. "Yep," He spun around once before doing a pose. "Good as new thanks to finally absorbing all the dark energy you gave me these past few days! Though I still need to test if my magic is working as intended, it should also be fine if the current condition of my body is anything to go by." The cowboy said as he leaned his back against the wall, arms crossed.
A tired but relieved smile grew on Kurai's face. "Good...that's good." She slowly nodded, staring at her half-filled cup of coffee before gulping it down in one go, standing from her chair, and taking the dishes to the sink so she could clean them. All without saying any further words.
While cleaning the dishes, Kurai soon heard Henry's voice from behind. "Uh...okay? Did I do something else wrong or--?"
CRACK
Kurai stared at the broken dinner plate with frustration before sighing. "No. You didn't." Kurai answered dryly, without turning to look back at Henry, before fixing the broken plate with a quick use of her dark magic to unite the shattered parts. A neat little trick Asmodeus had taught her when she broke a vase Youya had given her by accidentally bumping into it.
"Uh, ok, do you want to talk about it or...?" Henry trailed off.
Kurai sighed. It hurt her to have to do this, especially since she was the one at fault, not him. But right now, she just couldn't bring herself to discuss this. "No...at least not right now. I...would like some time alone," she added, turning off the sink's faucet. "Please."
The cowboy seemed to have gotten the message as Kurai didn't hear his voice afterwards.
After she took a deep breath, she turned on the faucet and resumed cleaning the dishes. "Time...I just need more time to think," she muttered to herself.