Chapter 208 Mother and Ai

Mother and Ai

Mom laughs at my question as if she understands everything. With a soft, gentle smile…

“I see. Eiji’s question means it’s true after all.”

Mom smiles with slightly mixed emotions, her expression a little sad, like a mother thinking of her daughter.

“Mom?”

“I’ll tell you the details after work. Just wait a little.”

“Yes.”

So, I went to my room, prepared the bath, and waited.

A lot had happened today, so I dozed off a little.

“Eiji?”

I woke up to the sound of Mom’s voice. I must’ve fallen asleep.

“Sorry, I was asleep.”

My body hurt a little because I was lying face down on the desk in the living room.

“You must be tired. Can we talk tomorrow?”

“No, today is better.”

Mom nodded her head and sat down in front of me.

“Okay. Then, I’ll get you some barley tea.”

With that, she poured barley tea from the refrigerator and brought me mine.

“Thank you.”

We both took a sip of the barley tea, and that was the signal to start talking.

“Did Mom know?”

“I can’t say I knew. I just thought maybe. Because Ai-chan looked a lot like Hitomi-san. I only met Ai-chan when she was a baby, so I couldn’t be sure. Her surname wasn’t Ugaki, so I could have mistaken her for someone else, or there could be some complicated circumstances. So I couldn’t bring myself to ask for more details.”

“…I see.”

Mom is very respectful of her children’s wishes. I think she treated Ai-san the same way she treated me.

“To answer Eiji’s question earlier, Ugaki-san hasn’t been here since your father’s funeral. That was because he felt more responsible than Minami-san…”

That’s right, my father and those three were very close. They would drink together after work, and they would volunteer together on the weekends.

“And then the accident?”

“Yes, I even attended her funeral. Her daughter was in the hospital, so I didn’t get to see her. Ugaki-san was busy being a mourner, so I hardly got to talk to him. I haven’t seen him since that day. I heard from Minami-san that he was so engrossed in his work that he tried to forget something.”

Losing his beloved wife and his best friend, my father, almost at the same time… Maybe something was broken in Uncle Ugaki.

“Mom, please don’t tell Ichijo-san what you heard from me today. Probably because I’m sure she would want to tell Mom properly herself. After all, she was really worried about lying.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Ai-san is probably really worried. Given her personality, she would want to explain herself properly. Maybe I was too hasty in this case. With a hint of regret, I looked at Mom, and she smiled gently, perhaps sensing my feelings.

“You did your best, Eiji.”

“Eh?”

“Because of your closeness to Ai-chan, you opened the door to her heavy heart. You did your best.”

When Mom says that, my heart itches a little.

“No, I’ve always been helped by everyone.”

“Yes. But, Eiji. When your heart is weak, just being with you is a lifesaver. Just like you and your Onii-chan did for me after your father died. Just having someone to spend time with…”

“Yes, thank you.”

My body was light, probably because I had taken a nap. Let’s write a little novel.

With that in mind, I go to my room.

Secretary General Ugaki’s PoV

I’m back in my hometown for the first time in a long time.

I’m having a light whiskey drink in a bar I know.

“It is rare to find this malt in bourbon barrels instead of sherry barrels.”

When I say this, the usual bartender laughs.

“Yes, it’s a limited edition for duty-free shops. We ordered it.”

“It’s sweet and creamy, and I can easily understand the quality of the original.”

When I just told him that, he laughed.

“Then, should I have the same?”

I heard a voice behind me. It was a familiar, nostalgic voice.

“Minami-san?”

“Ah, it’s been a while. Ugaki-kun.”