Kiyomi and Akio finally arrived home after fleeing from the strange man. Akio couldn't understand why his mother had reacted so intensely. The man had only been asking for someone named "Seika." Why had Mama overreacted? And why had he called her that? That wasn't her name.
As soon as they entered their apartment, Akio's curiosity got the better of him.
"Mama, who was that man?" he asked.
Kiyomi paused for a moment before answering. "No one, Akio."
"Huh? How could he be no one?"
"It's not important," she said firmly. "Forget about him."
Akio didn't give up. "But why did he call you Seika?"
Kiyomi froze and glanced at him briefly. "He's just a confused old man."
"Then why didn't we help him?"
"Because…" She hesitated before quietly adding, "he doesn't deserve help."
"But why not?"
Kiyomi raised her hand. "That's enough, Akio. I don't want to talk about it."
But Akio pressed on. "Was he your dad?"
Kiyomi's eyes narrowed, and her tone sharpened. "How many times do I have to tell you? No, I don't know him!"
"But you said he came from hell."
"That was… just a saying," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. "Nobody really comes from hell. Remember that."
"So you don't come from hell either, Mama?" Akio asked innocently.
Kiyomi pressed her lips together and sighed deeply. "That's not a question you should ask, Akio."
"But you told him to go back to hell."
Kiyomi looked flustered for a moment before coming up with an explanation. "That's… an inside joke, yes. People from my culture say things like that when they say goodbye."
"Did you say that to Papa too?"
Kiyomi went pale. "No, never."
"So, you didn't say goodbye to Papa?"
She searched for words. "You only say it if both people are from the same culture."
"So Papa isn't from your culture?"
Kiyomi nodded quickly. "That's right. He's from a different one."
"Then why did you marry him?"
Kiyomi rubbed her temples. "Akio, you're asking too many questions. Let's have something to eat and watch TV instead, okay?"
"TV?" Akio looked surprised, but his eyes lit up. "Yeah, TV!"
Kiyomi breathed a sigh of relief as Akio became distracted. But her unease didn't fade. Her thoughts raced. What am I even saying? Hell? Culture? How am I supposed to explain all this?
---
She sat beside Akio as he turned on the TV. "Listen, Akio," she began cautiously. "What I said earlier wasn't entirely true."
Akio turned to her. "What do you mean?"
"The thing about hell… that wasn't true."
"So, you lied?"
Kiyomi nodded hesitantly. "Yes. It was… a little white lie."
"A white lie?" Akio tilted his head, curious. "You do that all the time."
"What?" Kiyomi raised an eyebrow. "I do?"
"Yeah, sometimes you just say stuff like that."
Kiyomi sighed and ruffled his hair. "Akio, the truth is, only bad people go to hell."
"So, was that man bad?"
"Yes," Kiyomi replied quickly. "He was very bad."
Akio frowned. "How do you know?"
"I can sense these things," she whispered. "It's like… a gut feeling."
"A gut feeling?" Akio tilted his head. "Do you hear voices in your head too?"
Kiyomi froze. "What voices are you talking about?"
"I have two," Akio said calmly. "My own voice, for thinking. And then… his voice."
"What voice?" Kiyomi leaned in closer, her expression tense.
"His," Akio repeated. "He's still there."
"You mean… the voice that tried to make you do bad things?" Kiyomi's tone dropped to a hush.
Akio nodded slowly. "Yeah. But he helps me. He tells me what to do."
"But he wanted you to hurt someone," Kiyomi pressed.
"No," Akio countered. "He agreed. And… it actually felt good, choking Kevin."
Kiyomi drew in a sharp breath. "What do you mean, it felt good?"
"I wanted to see Kevin on the ground," Akio said softly. "And the voice told me to do it. So, I did."
Kiyomi felt her words falter. "But you cried. You said you didn't want to do it."
Akio blinked at her. "Did I? I don't remember. It felt… good."
Kiyomi stared at him, her heart heavy with worry. Has he repressed that memory? she wondered. Or was it never him who wanted it?
Akio noticed her deep thought. "Mama, what's wrong?"
She shook her head lightly and gave him a weak smile. "Nothing, sweetheart. I was just thinking about something."
"Is that man really going to hell?" Akio suddenly asked.
Kiyomi closed her eyes briefly. "Please, Akio, let's not talk about this anymore. I'm starting to feel sick."
Akio jumped to his feet. "Lie down, Mama! I'll get you something warm to drink."
Kiyomi watched him as he darted into the kitchen, a bittersweet smile spreading across her face. "Maybe I'll tell you one day, Akio," she murmured softly. "But not today. Not now. And I'll do everything I can to make sure you never meet that man again."