Chapter 30 Mother and Son

Mother and Son

I spoke with an uneven tone, and the words that escaped my mouth were painful. My heart churned with regret, knowing I shouldn’t have said them. I had caused my mother pain, and the weight of it pressed heavily on my shoulders.

Upon hearing my confession, my mother abruptly stopped what she was doing and looked at me with confusion, as though she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

“Bullying?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

I felt deeply sorry for her. It must have been shocking to realize that her son, whom she had worked so hard to raise, was going through such a difficult time.

All I could say was sorry. I felt so ashamed and embarrassed that I was on the verge of tears.

“Why? Why are you apologizing? Eiji is the one being bullied, isn’t he?”

My mom asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes. Sorry.”

The same words came out again and again. I hated myself for being so pathetic. I wished I could disappear.

I closed my eyes in frustration, and the next thing I knew, a warm feeling surrounded my body.

“You don’t need to apologize. In fact, thank you. Thank you for telling me. I know it must have been difficult and painful. I’m sorry I didn’t notice, even though I’m your mother.”

She hugged me tightly as she spoke softly.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re the one who’s suffering the most. So don’t blame yourself anymore. Thank you for telling me what I needed to know. I’m so proud of you.”

I cried and clung to my mother, feeling like a child once more.

“It’s okay. We’ll get through this together. In times of pain, parents are here for you. I’ll protect you, just like your father would have.”

In that moment, I felt my late father’s presence.

I told my mom about the bullying I was experiencing.

I explained how I had become isolated at school because of the trouble with Miyuki, and how false rumors had spread on SNS. I shared how those rumors led to defamatory scribbles on my desk, my friends ignoring me, and how I was almost forced to quit my club activities.

Mom’s face turned angrier than I had ever seen. I could see her trembling with fury.

But when I firmly told her about the people who had supported me, her expression softened slightly.

Ichijo Ai was the first person to understand me.

Satoshi apologized to me, bowing deeply, for not noticing my struggles sooner and failing to protect me.

My homeroom teacher, Takayanagi-sensei, was incredibly supportive and took swift action to address the situation.

The principal, vice-principal, and Iwai-sensei, worked together to ensure I wasn’t unfairly disadvantaged.

Mitsui-sensei gave me the courage to face it all.

“Good. You have strong allies on your side.”

Mom nodded at me with genuine relief on her face.

I also told her that the principal and Takayanagi-sensei wanted to discuss my future, and she reassured me, “I’ll speak to them immediately.”

“Yes, I’ll arrange for them to meet during the lunch break tomorrow.”

I left the room and informed my mother that I would contact Takayanagi-sensei.

“I told you to be reasonable, Miyuki, but you’ve crossed a line you shouldn’t have. I won’t tolerate this any longer. I will do everything I can to protect Eiji. I don’t care what happens to you anymore.”

In the solitude of her room, she declared war on Eiji’s childhood friend, the girl she had once loved like a daughter.