Friday.
It was the first day of the exam.
And it was also the day my dad would be visiting.
When it came to the days I looked forward to, it felt like I'd waited an eternity for it to come, but when it came to the days I didn't look forward to, they came in the blink of an eye. Of course I wasn't talking about the day of the exam. I studied a lot so I didn't care much about it.
What I was talking about was the visitation day. It used to be one of the days I looked forward to. I loved him a lot, he was a cool dad, he always worked hard for his family and I admired him.
"Sorry to make you deal with something like this today, Maki…"
"Like I said, it's fine, mom. We'll be eating at a restaurant in front of the station at 7 pm. I'll order a lot of expensive food there and enjoy myself."
"Hehe… Alright, alright… Also, your money–"
"It's fine, mom. I'll just ask for some from dad later."
"Just take it so you can make it up to Umi next week, okay?"
Well, if she put it that way, I got no reason to refuse. More funds for our little Christmas party with Amami-san.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated.
Umi texted me.
[Asanagi: Sorry.]
[Asanagi: I got something to do at Yuu's place, so I have to go there this morning.]
[Maehara: Got it. See you at school.]
[Asanagi: Mm.]
[Asanagi: Maki, are you okay?]
[Asanagi: I know I might sound overprotective, but I'll accompany you halfway, okay?]
[Maehara: I'm fine, don't worry. We're planning to go to a fancy restaurant and I'm going to stuff myself with a lot of expensive food.]
[Asanagi: Never mind then, I'll accompany you until the end. You're going to Ruiho, right? I heard the most expensive food there is A5 steak and for dessert, it has to be strawberry parfait.]
[Maehara: Then, I'll order those. Don't worry, I'll eat your share for you.]
[Asanagi: Damn you…]
[Asanagi: I want free food too…]
[Maehara: You have to watch over Amami-san, right? Do it properly. I'll contact you after everything is done.]
[Asanagi: Fine.]
[Maehara: Also, Umi. Thank you.]
[Asanagi: Mm…]
[Asanagi: Godspeed.]
And so the first day of the exam began.
I was able to solve most of the questions without much trouble except for math. However I should be able to get at least 80 points.
Amami-san and Nozomu looked ecstatic because they managed to reach the target that Umi and I set for them. Depending on the subject, they might be able to at least get an average score.
Everyone worked hard for this, I hope our efforts pay off in the end.
* * *
Now that the first day of the exam is over, I would love to rest for a while, but I still have a lot of things to do.
After the sun had set completely, I headed toward the designated place to meet my dad. It had been a while since I went outside alone. I've been going out with Umi and Amami-san recently.
I wore my uniform today. I could wear more casual clothes, but I just wanted to look tidy for the visiting day.
Also, since Umi and Amami-san had been teaching me about fashion, I've come to understand how lame my clothes looked on me.
I waited at the restaurant's entrance for a few minutes, before an expensive-looking car pulled up to the parking lot. I recognized the car, it was owned by my dad's company. His subordinate who wasn't Minato-san seemed to be driving him here.
"Sorry, Maki. I'm a bit late."
"It's okay, I just arrived. Do you have another job to do after this, dad?"
"Something like that… I told them to spare me some time for today, but nope, they told me to take care of something that suddenly came up… Well, don't worry about it, I got enough time for us to have a meal together."
We entered the restaurant and the waiter showed us a seat at the far end. The seat was placed behind a pillar and it seemed isolated. That was a good thing though, I didn't want anyone to overhear what we were going to talk about.
"I'm hungry, so let's order some food first. What do you want to eat, Maki?"
"I'll take the A5 wagyu beef steak, fried prawns and extra rice. For dessert, strawberry parfait sounds good…"
"You aren't holding back, are you? My shy Maki has grown…"
"It's been months since we last met, dad. I just wanna see the magic you wield with that credit card."
"Well, I haven't used it much these days… Might as well, huh? …Alright, we're gonna eat a lot of food tonight."
Dad ordered a sirloin steak set. While waiting for the food to arrive, we prepared everything we needed from the drink and soup counter.
"It's been a week since I last saw you, Maki, but you seemed more mature than before."
"My weight increased, that's all."
"Right. You used to be skinny. You still need to gain more weight though. Eat a lot of meat and you'll bulk up in no time."
"I'm not going to play any sports, I don't need to get bigger…"
He was the same old dad. He always acted cheerful in front of me.
But I knew that there was a part of him that changed.
…Well, before I bring that up, I should eat first.
The food tasted really good.
The meat was so juicy and it would be unfair to compare it to the meat I usually ate. The prawns were also delicious, hell, even the rice was tasty.
If I had the money, I should bring Umi here.
"…Dad, may I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
After I ate everything except the dessert, I decided to start a conversation.
The question that I wanted to ask was the same question I had asked mom the other day.
"Dad, do you still love mom?"
"…Why are you asking this?"
"I'm just curious."
"Well, no, I don't think I have those feelings toward her anymore…"
"…"
He answered quickly.
I knew my dad well. Sometimes he would hesitate, but once he made up his mind about something, he would be very clear about it.
"I still respect her, of course. After all, she worked hard as both a wife to me and a mother to you, I really admired her. But, that doesn't mean we can live together again."
"What about me then?"
"That's a different story. Maki, you're my precious son. Do you know that we actually got into a huge fight to take custody of you?"
In other words, both mom and dad were trying to take me with them.
He still loved and cared for me, that feeling of him didn't change, but he still chose to divorce mom…
That was how bad their relationship turned, I guess…
"Did you stop loving mom because of Minato-san, dad?…"
I steeled my resolve and asked that.
His expression hardened, but it quickly returned to normal as he let out a heavy sigh.
"…So it really was you on Saturday…"
"…You noticed?"
"Of course. No matter how hard you try to change your atmosphere, you're still my precious son. I would notice you from miles away."
The reason why he didn't call me out was probably because he was being considerate to Minato-san and Umi.
I guess I underestimated him.
"Then, what's up with you and Minato-san, dad?"
"Firstly, I swear to you that I only started seeing her outside of work after I divorced your mother. Before that I only treated her as a capable subordinate… And things happened…"
According to him, they started dating around a month after the divorce. Dad didn't announce that he was divorced or anything, but apparently Minato-san came to know about it by chance. She noticed the documents related to his divorce inside the general affairs department of their company. After that, she immediately confessed her feelings to him and after this and that, they got together.
If this was truly the case then, there was nothing I could do about it.
"Do you love Minato-san?"
"Well, she had been working with me and she understood the hardships I've been through. Since six months ago, she has been supporting me with her all…"
"So, you do love her…"
"…You can think of it like that, I don't mind."
"Do you love her, or not? Which is it, dad?"
"…Jeez, yes, I love her."
It was unusual for him to make excuses like this.
Why didn't he just say it clearly?
I had no intention to act selfishly and try to bring them both together.
I just wanted to know the truth.
Is he hiding something? He's acting quite suspiciously.
Is it about something related to Minato-san? Or is it something else?
"Maki."
"Yes?"
"I've noticed it since I last saw you, but your hand feels really rough… You should put on some hand cream before you go to bed."
"Eh?"
"Well, I have to go now, my subordinate is waiting for me. See you later, Maki."
"Wait, dad, I'm not done yet."
Just as I got up from my seat to hold my father back, a high-pitched scream echoed through the entire floor of the restaurant.
What the hell?! Are you serious?! No way!
"What?"
Everyone, including myself, was looking at a female student who was dressed in a familiar high school uniform.
"…Nitta-san?"
"Ugh, Rep? Why are you here?…"
The girl was my classmate, Nitta-san.