Mother and Daughter at Dinner Party
When I got home, Uncle Minami, Yamada-san, and Ichijo-san were already there. I thought Ichijo-san was supposed to come home with me today, but she had something urgent to do, so she went home first and met me here.
“Welcome home, Eiji. Congratulations on your award, I’m really proud of you.”
Mom smiled and greeted me. My brother also smiled in silence. So did the adults around me and Ichijo-san.
After the incident, the world that should have lost its color somehow became more vivid than before the incident.
“Thank you, Mother, Brother, everyone. Thank you all.”
Because of all of you, I was able to keep trying and not give up. Imagine, if I hadn’t met Ichijo-san on the rooftop that time, I wouldn’t have found this happy place. I realized that my fate changed in that place. I no longer wanted to die. I want to stay in this warm room forever. I wish this moment could last forever.
“Well, let’s have dinner. We’ve reserved this place, especially for tonight. Your brother will cook whatever Eiji likes.”
Everyone laughed at that joke.
“Yes, thank you. Oh, Satoshi also said he would come here after the club activities.”
“I see. So we’ve to make him lots of his favorite hamburgers!”
Mom says as if she already knows what my childhood friend likes.
Satoshi contacted me. Apparently, he saw Kondo-senpai being taken away by the police. That makes me feel a little safer. I don’t want to see that man in my life anymore. Mother told me that she filed a report for assaulting me. There may be times in the future when I’ve to testify about my painful experience at a trial or something. It depresses me a little when I think about it, but I don’t want to run away from it.
He ruined so many people’s lives. I think I’ve to take responsibility for that too.
So I’m going to fight.
Thanks to a fun dinner party, it took me a little longer to realize that the phone in my bag was playing a happy notification sound over and over again.
Ai’s PoV
In the middle of a dinner party, Senpai’s mother called me up to talk to her alone. A little nervous, I went to the break room.
“Ai-chan, thank you very much.”
She suddenly bowed deeply.
“Such…life-saving matters are handled by Eiji-senpai…”
“This isn’t about that. I got a call from the school earlier that they found out that Eiji may have been thinking about committing s🬀🬀cide because of the bullying and violence. Maybe someone made a statement during the interrogation.”
It was heartbreaking. Both the mother and I knew the person who made the statement. We just don’t want to mention her name.
I knew I shouldn’t have said anything at that time. I told Miyuki-senpai, and even indirectly, I made Senpai’s mother sad. Regret hurts my heart.
“…”
“You could see that Eiji was the kind of person who would never think of doing something like that. It was probably because after that violent incident, coupled with the betrayal and bullying, he was at his limit. At that time… I didn’t even realize it. No, I didn’t step in and help him when he needed it because I didn’t think I should get involved. I made a mistake… It was you, Ai-chan, who saved Eiji. Even when he was being bullied, you stood by Eiji’s side. I’m very grateful to you for saving my son’s life. Thank you, Ai-chan.”
“No, actually I was the one he was helping…”
Mom looked directly at me and nodded, saying that she understood everything.
“Still, you saved Eiji’s life. Without you, our family would have regretted it for the rest of our lives. Thank you.”
As she said this, she hugged me as if I were her own daughter. After my mother died, I may never have felt such relief.
“I was the one who was saved. If it weren’t for Eiji-senpai, I would have been crushed as well.”
Without saying a word, the strength of the embrace grew stronger.
It seems that the mother noticed as well. That I almost died, too. A strange memory of the first day after summer vacation came back to me.
“It may be disrespectful for me to say this. I’m sorry for that. But I think I have to tell you anyway. Because of what happened with Eiji. Ai-chan, you’re like our family now. I love you like a real daughter. Whenever you have a hard time, you can ask me or Eiji. You’re not alone. If I lose you, I will regret it for the rest of my life, just like Eiji.”
Hearing these words, the thread of my patience broke. When I saw my late mother’s face, I hugged her with all my strength.