After dinner, Akane stood and began clearing the table, waving off Kana's half-hearted attempt to help.
"You cooked, so I'll clean up," Akane said, gathering the dishes and heading to the sink.
Kana smiled, her excitement from earlier mellowing into a quiet warmth. "Alright, I'll go prepare the bathwater then."
By the time Akane had scrubbed the last dish and dried her hands, Kana called out from the bathroom. "Akane! The bath's ready!"
Akane joined her in the steamy bathroom, where Kana was already sitting on a stool, washing herself. Sharing bath time had been a tradition between them for years, one of the rare moments they could relax and chat without distractions.
Akane sat down, letting her mother wash her back as they talked. Kana was quiet for a moment, the usual playful air around her softening.
"Akane," she began hesitantly, her hands pausing, "would you be okay if I... started dating someone?"
Akane turned her head slightly, startled by the question. "Mom?"
Kana continued, her tone cautious. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. It's just... it's been a long time since your dad, and I—"
Akane suddenly reached back, grabbing Kana's hand. She turned around just enough to meet her mother's eyes.
"Mom, it doesn't matter what I think," Akane said firmly. "You should focus on yourself for once. If you like someone or want to be in a relationship, it's your choice."
Kana blinked, her lips parting in surprise.
"Dad's been gone for almost ten years now," Akane continued, her voice soft but steady. "It's time for you to move on. And honestly, it doesn't matter who it is—as long as he's not a psychopath or something." She smiled slightly. "If he's a good person, then you should go for it. You deserve that, Mom."
Kana's cheeks flushed, a mix of surprise and embarrassment. "Akane... that's really sweet of you to say, but I don't know about all that. And I'm not... I'm not exactly the catch you're making me out to be."
Akane turned fully around, her expression turning playful. She reached out, grabbing her mother's cheeks with both hands and pulling gently.
"Are you serious right now? You look like you just graduated from university!" Akane teased. "Anyone would like you—not just because of your face, but because of who you are. You're smart, kind, and way more amazing than you give yourself credit for. But if you're not confident, some shady guy might take advantage of my innocent mom."
Kana's blush deepened, and she laughed despite herself, squirming under her daughter's playful scolding. "Okay, okay! Let Mommy's cheeks go—they're starting to hurt!"
Akane released her, laughing as Kana rubbed her face.
"You're such a silly kid," Kana said with a mock pout, though her smile was warm. "But thank you. That means a lot to me."
Akane leaned back, letting the warmth of the bathwater relax her. "Just don't forget to tell me about him when you find someone, okay?"
Kana chuckled softly. "Deal."
After the bath, Kana wrapped herself in a robe and gave Akane a kiss on the forehead.
"Don't stay up too late," Kana said with a smile. "You've got morning practice tomorrow."
Akane nodded. "Goodnight, Mom."
Once she was settled in her room, Akane picked up her phone and opened the volleyball club's messenger group. Miki had added her after practice, and she was eager to see what everyone was up to.
The group was lively, with members introducing themselves and chatting about random things. Akane recognized most of the names, including the upperclassmen boys she hadn't had the chance to talk to yet.
But one name stood out for its lack of activity: Ken Fuji. While he was reacting to messages with emojis, he didn't contribute to the conversation at all.
'Guess he's not the chatty type,' Akane thought.
Truthfully, she wasn't either. She scrolled through the messages, occasionally smiling at a joke or comment, but refrained from joining in.
As the conversation began to die down, one of the third-year boys suggested that everyone in the club should add each other on Facebook. "We're a small club," he wrote. "It'll be nice to stay connected outside practice."
Soon after, Akane's phone buzzed with friend requests from various clubmates. The first one came from Haruki, of course.
Akane chuckled softly, shaking her head. "That guy just can't help it."
Later that night, as Akane was about to put her phone down, a notification popped up: a friend request from Ken Fuji.
She stared at it for a moment, surprised. For someone who barely interacted in the group, he didn't seem like the type to send friend requests.
Without hesitation, Akane accepted it, feeling a small flicker of excitement. She opened his profile, expecting something minimal. His profile picture was a serene shot of the Tokyo skyline at sunset, the colors vibrant but calming.
'So he's into that kind of aesthetic,' Akane thought, brushing it off. She assumed he'd only sent the request because everyone else was doing it. Still, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment when no message followed.
'Guess that's just how he is,' she mused, turning off her phone and drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, Akane woke up early, sharing a quick breakfast with Kana before heading out. The walk to school was brisk, the morning air still cool.
Reaching the gymnasium area, Akane was distracted for a moment and ended up walking into the wrong building.
She realized her mistake too late: a stray basketball came hurtling toward her face. Instinct kicked in, and she caught it just before impact.
Startled, Akane looked around to see the girls' basketball team practicing. One of the players, a tall girl with a confident stride, ran up to her, looking apologetic.
"Sorry about that!" the girl said. Then, noticing Akane's reflexes, she added with a smile, "Nice catch! Are you with the basketball club?"
Akane shook her head, gesturing to her volleyball team's uniform.
The girl's smile shifted slightly, a warm expression masking a hint of mockery. "Oh, I see. Your gym is on the other side."
Her tone was polite, but Akane couldn't help but feel a subtle edge to her words. With a nod, she returned the basketball and quickly left, heading to the correct gymnasium.
'What's with that tone?' Akane thought, her mood slightly dampened. But as she approached her team's gym, the familiar sound of volleyballs being hit lifted her spirits. It was time to focus.
As Akane warmed up with the girls, they began chatting about the new boys in the club, a natural topic of curiosity given their small group. Miki stretched her arms above her head and smirked.
"So, how many of the new boys sent you requests?" she asked, glancing at Yui and Hana.
Yui chuckled softly, rolling her shoulders. "I think I got requests from Ryota and Hiroki. They seem nice."
"Haruki sent me one first thing," Hana said with a grin. "No surprises there."
Miki laughed. "Same here. That guy's consistent, I'll give him that. Oh, and I got one from Daichi and Kaito too."
Akane nodded quietly as the conversation continued, pretending to focus on her stretches. The girls went through the list, one by one mentioning five of the six boys. Then, Hana leaned in with a curious glint in her eyes.
"Did any of you get a request from Ken?"
Miki shook her head immediately. "Nope. He doesn't seem like the type to bother."
Yui nodded in agreement. "He didn't say a word in the group chat either. Totally different from the other boys who couldn't stop talking."
Akane hesitated for a moment before speaking, trying to sound casual. "Actually… he sent me one."
The girls stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. Miki's eyes widened slightly before a sly smile crept onto her face.
"Ohhh, Akane," she teased, leaning closer. "Maybe he's interested in you!"
Akane waved her hands dismissively, her face flushing slightly. "No, no, don't push it! He probably just sent it because he thought everyone else did too."
Yui tilted her head thoughtfully. "But if that were the case, why only you?"
Akane blinked, unsure how to respond.
Yui continued, "If he were doing it just because everyone else was, he should've sent requests to all of us. Or at least to Miki-senpai." She gestured toward Miki. "I mean, she's easily the most popular among the four of us."
Miki smirked, flipping her hair dramatically. "Well, obviously. I've been here for two years more than you girls."
Akane huffed, shaking her head. "You're reading way too much into this. He's probably just being polite or something."
"Or something," Hana echoed with a teasing grin.
The girls shared a laugh before returning to their stretches, but Akane couldn't quite shake the conversation. Yui's question lingered in her mind: Why only her?
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Thank you for reading the story. I've been busy with studies and my fanfic so I kinda forgot about this one. But I just saw the notification of this one passing vetting and remembered that I haven't uploaded it.
Give me your feedback on how it's going till now.