"Mom..."
"Oh, Ryu. You're up." She said, looking away while drying her tears.
"What's the problem, mom?!" He asked, rushing towards her and sitting by her side.
"Hm? It's nothing, really. I just..."
"Is anyone bothering you?" He asked.
"No one's bothering me. I just remembered something. It's not serious."
"Mom..."
"Ha... you caught me at a bad time." She said, smiling at him.
"..."
"I'm sorry if I'm making you bothered. I'm really okay."
"Was it dad again?" Ryunnouske asked, clenching his fists.
"Ryu..."
"It was him, right?" He asked while gritting his teeth.
"Why do you think so?"
"I..."
*She only cries when it comes to him. That bastard!* Ryunnouske thought standing immediately.
"Ryu, don't act impulsively. Your dad didn't say anything to me." She said, also standing before grabbing his arm.
"Don't worry, Mom. I just want to have a talk with him." Ryunnouske said, forcing a smile to assure her.
"Ryu... please. Make sure you don't listen to him and come back home soon." She said, letting go of his arm.
"There's no way he's going to convince me to stay with him. I'll be back, Mom." He said before walking out of the salon angrily.
★MIYAZAKI FAMILY RESIDENCE.★
"Welcome home, sir." A maid said as Ryunnouske walked into the house.
"Oh, Ryu. You came to meet me today. I'm so glad." Mr. Eiji Miyazaki said.
"Well, I'm glad you're home." Ryunnouske said.
"Come on in. I'll ask the cook to prepare something you can eat." He said.
"I didn't come here to have lunch with you. I just came to ask you to leave my mom and I alone. Stop seeing her. You're hurting her." He said, trying his best to be calm.
"Your mom?" Mr. Miyazaki asked, confused.
"Yes! Please, you guys aren't together anymore. I don't know what's went on between you two, but... please don't meet her." He said, clenching his fists.
"I haven't met your m..."
"Oh my, isn't that Ryunnouske Miyazaki or wait, it's now Ryunnouske Nakamura, isn't it?" A woman asked from upstairs.
"Oh, Ryu. Say hi to your mom." Eiji said.
"Tch."
"Look at the way you dress. You look like a delinquent. You'll really destroy the reputation of the Miyazaki family if you keep acting that way." She said, smiling.
"Haha, don't mind your mom. She's just trying to help you." Eiji said.
*Helping my ass.* Ryunnouske thought.
"Why don't you come in. Let's discuss our future together." He said.
"Fu... nah. I'm out. I just came to plead with you. Never appear before us again or else... I might forget that you're my elder. Goodbye, Mr. Miyazaki." Ryunnouske said, walking out.
"Wait, Ryu, it looks like it's about to rain. Why don't you stay for a while?"
"Let him be. He'll take care of himself."
*I'm sorry, Ryu-kun, Hana-chan.* Eiji thought as Ryunnouske walked out.
◆◆◆
"Damn, it's raining heavily." Ryunnouske said, walking down the street, his hands in his pockets.
*Dammit!* He thought, clenching his fists as tears began dropping from his eyes.
"Damn it all..." He said, sitting on an empty bench under the rain.
*Why, why'd he have to look for mom? Why does he and his new wife bother mom? I don't like it. He shouldn't bully my mom just because.* He thought, burying his face in his palm.
He sat there for a while, trying his best to be calm, but the tears just kept coming.
*Huh? Has it stopped raining?* He thought, opening his eyes and seeing the rain still pouring.
He looked up and saw an umbrella over his head. He looked at the person who stood behind him, holding out an umbrella. She was a petite girl with long black hair and Hazel eyes.
She leaned on the bench before looking away.
*Sugawara... San?* He thought as his eyes widened.
"Um... here. I have to leave now." She said, handing the umbrella over to him before walking out hurriedly with another Umbrella.
"I..."
*Didn't say thanks... well, she's gone.* He thought, looking at her as she walked out hurriedly.
"Well, thanks." He said before standing from the bench and walking out.
*Gotta help mom.* He thought.
●●●
"Oh hey, Ryunnouske." Uzui called, waving at Ryunnouske, who just finished his early morning jogging.
He put away his headphones and walked towards Uzui.
"Uzui-san. You woke up rather early today." Ryunnouske said.
"Oh, I just got extra work. I need to travel to Hokkaido. More importantly, why'd you cut your hair?" Uzui asked.
"Ah, this? I just felt like it." Ryunnouske answered, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well then, I'm g-o-n-e."
"Okay then. Safe travels."
"Thanks. Oh, before I forget. Do you know the woman who came here on Friday?"
"Woman? The day before yesterday?"
"Yeah, she came with a girl a little younger than you. Looks like she had a quarrel with the woman and her daughter. At the end of the quarrel, the woman sprayed some money on your mom and drove off from the area."
"What?"
"Well, by then." Uzui said.
*That bitch!* Ryunnouske thought angrily.