Standing in front of the mother who gave birth to her, the secrets behind Kazusa's words and actions were completely exposed.
The cover-up she mentioned could be seen through by the other party in an instant, then mercilessly penetrated.
Kazusa secretly gritted her teeth. The more she learned about this fact, the more she couldn't contain her inner anger.
If you know me so well, you should understand how much I wanted to live abroad with you.
But you didn't. You simply denied what I had insisted on since childhood and left me alone on a plane to a foreign country.
Anyway, it's because taking me with you would affect your ability to find men outside, right?
So in that case, why are you suddenly back now, standing in front of me and saying this?
Have the men outside had enough fun, and now you want to return to the image of a considerate and gentle mother?
Want to play a friendly and caring game of house with your daughter?
Stop being so self-righteous!
"It's none of your business."
Kazusa suppressed her inner emotions and gave this response as calmly as possible.
Youko had a slight smile on her lips. "What a surprise. I thought you would hate me even more."
"I do hate you."
"But at least it's better than last year."
"When I went home for the New Year last year, I invited you to go to the shrine with me, but you completely ignored me, hid under the covers, and pretended to be asleep, acting like a child to get angry with me."
"...I still feel the same way about you now, so you don't need to worry about that."
"Yeah, but I feel like you've matured a lot, not just physically."
"For example, you actually took the initiative to call me some time ago. Although there was a little joke about the time difference, it's still a remarkable progress."
Kazusa let out a long sigh. She walked to the window, leaving her mother behind.
"Did you come back this time just to tell me this?"
Youko smiled. "It's nostalgic to hear your tone change slightly back to what it used to be."
"...What exactly do you want to say?"
"It's nothing. I heard from my aunt that you took many of the musical instruments and the award certificates and photos you obtained in the past into the underground practice room."
"I'm very curious as to why you did this, especially since you didn't care much about these before."
Kazusa's shoulders suddenly trembled, and she didn't respond.
But even if she didn't say anything, as a mother, Youko could roughly guess the specific thoughts behind it.
"It's because that boy from earlier is right; the only thing you're good at is music. But telling him this directly would make you feel embarrassed and seem very arrogant."
"So my foolish daughter came up with a plan: to put the honors you've received in a conspicuous place for him to see, naturally satisfying your intention."
"Let me guess: did you go out of your way to show him all the musical instruments you've mastered just to hear the praise coming from his mouth?"
All hits.
Kazusa could no longer maintain her nonchalant attitude. She turned around, unable to pretend to be calm and unwavering any longer.
She questioned, "Have you installed a camera at home?"
"There are indeed cameras at home, but they are only in the yard and at the gate. They are mainly there to prevent theft. But if you say that, it means I'm right."
Youko closed her palms.
"It's great. My daughter has finally grown up and begun to realize the importance of men. So, to what extent is it now?"
"If I hadn't come back today, were you going to let him stay the night, or have you already taken that step?"
"Who would do something like that? Don't think I'm the same as you!"
"Those words are so heartbreaking. I've never brought a man home. From this perspective, you should be the one going too far."
"I'll say it again: I don't have that kind of relationship with him!"
"I understand. You like him but haven't succeeded yet. A secret crush aligns with your style, but there are some things others won't understand unless you take the initiative to speak up."
"...There's no need for you to teach me. If you came back just to ridicule me, then forgive me for not accompanying you anymore."
Kazusa strode towards the door. She didn't want to discuss Chisato with her mother, especially not in her current messy mood. It felt very strange.
But just one word from Youko made her stop.
"I won't force you to say anything to me, but if my curiosity cannot be satisfied by you, then no matter what questions I ask Suzumiya-kun later, I hope you won't interfere."
"After all, you don't have that kind of relationship with that kid, so whatever I do should have nothing to do with you, right?"
"...!"
Kazusa clenched her fists and turned around, facing Youko's trademark relaxed smile.
How could there be such a mother in the world? Generally speaking, would any mother threaten her daughter with a smile like this?
Kazusa was furious, but there was nothing she could do no matter how angry she felt.
In just a few words, her mother had latched onto her most fatal weakness.
It was as if a Saiyan had their tail pinched, or a Jinchūriki of a tailed beast had become detached, completely reduced to a piece of fish on a chopping board, ready to be slaughtered.
However, Youko was not a butcher. The reason she said such mean words was to see how her daughter, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, would react.
The result surprised her, but it made sense.
The conclusion had already been drawn the moment she walked in.
After all, her daughter, who had a bad personality and was withdrawn, brought someone home for the first time in over ten years. This already indicated something significant.
Unbeknownst to her, Kazusa, who had only chased after her as a child, had finally awakened the girl's heart longing for the opposite sex.
Youko stretched out her hand and patted the space next to her. Kazusa sat down reluctantly, her lips pursed tightly, obviously still a little unhappy.
"Forget it. Since you don't want to say anything, I won't force you."
"I know you have a lot of dissatisfaction with me, but it doesn't matter. This time, I'm going back to China to stay for a while, just to repair our mother-daughter relationship."
"If you want to go somewhere, you can tell your mother. It can be Disney or the aquarium, as long as you want to go."
"Do you think I'm a primary school student?"
"Of course. Based on your current performance, there is no doubt that you are."
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