Chapter 7 Mother and Daughter
When Yuuki returned to the apartment after seeing Mina’s car off, Kotori was just coming out of Yui’s room.
“Yuuki-san…”
“How was Yui?”
Kotori shook her head.
“Her mind seems to be made up.”
“I see… she’s stubborn once she’s decided.”
It was one of Yui’s good points, but also a cause for concern.
“I asked Mina-san to talk to Yui again, properly.”
“I see. You’re amazing, Yuuki-san. I… couldn’t say anything to Yui-chan.”
Kotori’s expression clouded over, and she looked down.
“I couldn’t do much either. Mina-san said a lot of things, and I couldn’t argue back.”
Phew, Yuuki let out a sigh and said.
“…Damn it, I’m such a kid. It was the same when Shimizu tried to take Kotori back, but when an adult asserts themselves in a pinch, I always hold back.”
Mina had praised him for being as mature as an adult, but in situations like that, he couldn’t help but think, “I’m still just a kid.”
“I want to grow up fast… into an adult.”
A strong adult who wouldn’t compromise on what he believed was right.
“Yes… I want to be like that, too.”
Kotori said, squeezing his hand. Yuuki squeezed her hand back.
They looked up at the night sky together. Despite their mood, the full moon was shining brightly, illuminating the night.
The perfect, unblemished full moon seemed to be telling him that he was still immature.
“Still… even if I’m immature, there are things I want to see through.”
Yuuki said.
“I don’t think the conclusion will change even if Mina-san and Yui talk again.”
Mina would probably say that her daughter would be better off with them than with her.
Yui would choose to stay in Japan so as not to be a bother to Mina.
“I think if that’s Yui’s will, we should respect it. On that point, I agree with Mina-san.”
Yui’s life was her own.
Even if she was a child, he thought it was wrong for others to meddle in the choices she made for herself.
“But.”
Yuuki said, clenching his free hand into a fist.
“That mother and daughter misunderstand each other’s feelings too much. I want them to come to a conclusion after properly understanding each other’s feelings… that’s what I think.”
“…Yes.”
“Hey, Kotori.”
Yuuki looked at Kotori.
And looking her straight in the eye, he said.
“I want to clear up the misunderstanding between Mina-san and Yui. I think it’ll be a bit forceful and meddlesome… will you help me?”
“Yes.”
It was an immediate answer.
“Are you sure? I’m the one saying this, but if the misunderstanding is cleared up, Yui might end up going to America.”
For the past few weeks, since she thought she would be separated from Yui, Kotori had been desperately holding back her loneliness.
She must have wanted Yui to stay.
But Kotori…
“Because I want the girl who is like me to be happy.”
She said.
And as if to strengthen her resolve, she squeezed the hand she was holding with Yuuki.
“Because it’s lonely, isn’t it? To be separated even though you care about each other. If you hadn’t come to my house and saved me from my father back then, that’s what would have happened, and when I think about what would have happened if that had been the case… it’s really painful.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
It was true that the Mina family and Yuuki and Kotori during the first semester might be similar.
They were considerate of each other, so much so that they ended up being separated.
In times like these, it was probably necessary.
“Alright, let’s do it. Let’s stick our noses into someone else’s family business and be ‘meddlesome.’”
Yuuki said, squeezing Kotori’s hand back tightly.
◇
Two days later.
After finishing his morning shift, Yuuki, still in his work clothes, came to a building three stations away from his home.
The second to fifth floors of this building were the offices of Mina’s game production company.
When Yuuki arrived in front of the building, he sent a message on his phone saying, ‘I’m here.’
After a short wait, two beautiful women came down from the elevator.
One was a short woman with glasses and a stiff expression, Hyodo.
And, of course, the other was…
“Honestly, to ask me out on a date when you have a girlfriend, you’re quite the player, aren’t you?”
Mina. Dressed in her usual red dress suit, she walked towards him with her back straight.
Yesterday, Yuuki had sent Mina a message saying, “You mentioned thanking me before you go to America, so would you like to go to the batting cages with me tomorrow afternoon? I have some free time between my jobs.”
“Well, it’s a thank you for looking after Yui from now on, so I’ll make time for that.”
Mina said, changing from her usual high heels into sneakers and stretching, looking very motivated.
◇
“Hmph!!”
Clang! The sound of a metal bat hitting a rubber ball echoed powerfully.
Mina, in the batter’s box, swung so hard that one hand came off the bat after she finished, sending the ball flying.
“Whoa, she’s like A-Rod.”
Yuuki muttered, watching from behind the net.
The batting cages they had come to in Hyodo’s car were a little outside of town, and because the land was cheap, the grounds were spacious and the distance to the backstop net was quite far, but Mina was easily hitting the ball to the very top of the net.
“Phew, it feels good to do this after a long time.”
Mina said with satisfaction, shouldering her bat and stepping out of the batter’s box.
“That’s an amazing swing. You must have swung a lot in the past, right?”
When they had talked before, she had said she was a spectator when it came to baseball, and that she only went to the batting cages to unwind from work…
“Ah, when I first started this company, I hit a lot of roadblocks. So I came here every time, and before I knew it, I could do this much.”
“How many roadblocks did you hit…?”
Even to Yuuki, who had experience, Mina’s swing was not at the level of someone who had just “played for fun.”
It was something that could only be acquired after tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of swings.
The fact that she had come every time she hit a roadblock meant that she had struggled that much to manage her company. He thought that was genuinely amazing.
And because of that, there must have been things she had to give up.
“Mina-san… can I ask you one thing?”
“What? If it’s my three sizes, the last time I measured was last month, from the top, 96, 55…”
“No, no, not that.”
Yuuki said, regaining his composure and speaking in a serious tone.
“…Is a child really a burden?”
“Hm? Are you talking about Yui?”
“Yes. Is Yui really a hindrance to your work?”
At his words, Mina’s cheerful expression changed, and she frowned in displeasure.
“Hah, so you invited me here to talk about that… I’m going home.”
Mina said, putting down her bat and starting to leave.
“Ah, wait! Please listen to me a little longer.”
“My opinion hasn’t changed. I’ll talk to her again as promised, but I’ll prioritize her choice then, too.”
“Then, before that, please answer my question. Is Yui a hindrance and a burden to your work?”
When Yuuki persisted, Mina sighed and said.
“Hah… you’re stubborn, too.”
Then Mina looked at the strikeout corner of the batting cages.
Mina took a thousand-yen bill from her wallet and handed it to Yuuki.
“Come to think of it, you were a pitcher, right? Then, if you can get a perfect game before you use this up, I’ll answer anything.”
She said with a mischievous look.
Strikeout is a game where you throw twelve balls and try to hit nine targets.
This simple game is surprisingly difficult to hit all nine targets on purpose, and a perfect game is something that even professional baseball players rarely achieve.
For a thousand yen, you can only try six times. There are very few people who can confidently nod their heads and say they can achieve a perfect game in that time.
But Yuuki…
“A perfect game is all I need, right?”
He said, and went into the strikeout corner.
◇
When Yuuki’s father caught his pitches during catch or pitching practice, he was very particular about one thing. He would not catch any ball that was off target, and would make Yuuki go and get it himself.
For Yuuki, if his control was even slightly off, he would have to run a considerable distance to get the ball, so at first he thought it was a huge pain in the ass, and he thought, “What’s this old bastard saying when he can’t even throw the ball back to where I’m aiming?”
But since he had been playing catch like that since he could remember, the habit of “throwing the ball accurately to the target” was ingrained in his body.
Yuuki went into the strikeout corner and first used one game to warm up and get a feel for his body today.
(A little too much on the fingers today.)
Then, in the second game, he hit all nine targets as if it were nothing.
“…Phew, my stamina has really dropped.”
He was already out of breath. He hadn’t lost much muscle strength because of his physical labor, but he could feel his cardiopulmonary function declining.
“…”
Mina stood there with her mouth agape, looking a little stunned.
“Yuuki-kun, you’re pretty amazing…”
“I’m focusing on control, not speed.”
“No, that’s not the point.”
Yuuki came out of the strikeout corner and said.
“Then, Mina-san, please answer as you promised. Is Yui a hindrance to your work?”
At his undeniable tone, Mina said as if resigned.
“If you ask if she’s a hindrance… well, she’s not a handful.”
“Then why do you try to keep her away?”
“That’s not it. As I said before, the reason I told her to stay in Japan this time was for her own good.”
“No, I’m talking about before that.”
That’s right, Yuuki was talking about her usual behavior.
“It’s true that you’re busy, Mina-san, but it’s not like you have absolutely no time to spend with Yui, right? After all, you have enough time to go to that restaurant you took us to sometimes, and to come to the batting cages with me like this.”
“…”
Mina fell silent at his words.
What had made him wonder was what Mina had said when they had dinner at the restaurant before: “Being able to eat here whenever I want to.”
In other words, even though she was busy, she sometimes had enough time to drive for a few hours and eat what she wanted. It was just a long meal, not a proper day off, but she could still have invited Yui to eat with her.
But as far as Yuuki had seen, Yui had never once been invited by Mina to meet. He had only seen them together twice. Once was at the birthday party that Yui had invited her to, and the other was when she came to suggest that Yui stay in Japan.
To Yuuki, it seemed as if Mina was intentionally avoiding Yui.
“Could it be, Mina-san… that you dislike Yui? You can be honest with me. Even if that’s the case, I won’t tell Yui, and we’ll take her in. We like Yui. It’s better to be with people who like you than with people who don’t, right?”
“…I don’t dislike her. There’s no lie in that.”
“Then why do you intentionally avoid her?”
“That’s…”
Mina hesitated for a moment, then sat down on a nearby bench and sighed.
“Hah, I’m in a bind. To be honest, it’s not very cool, so I don’t really want to say it.”
Mina said, looking off into the distance.
“I don’t know how to act around her… that’s right, at some point, I just didn’t know how to act around her anymore.”
And with that, Mina began to tell her story.
◇
Her father was indifferent.
Her mother was overbearing.
To put it bluntly, the family Mina grew up in was rotten.
Her father was rarely home. It was especially bad after they moved from New York to Japan. As a tall, reasonably good-looking foreigner, he must have been very popular with women, because he had several mistresses and it was a good thing if he came home once every few months.
Her mother, as if in retaliation, tried to control Mina completely. From what she wore to what she played with to what lessons she took, if she didn’t follow the schedule her mother had decided for her, she would throw a tantrum.
Mina had managed to endure it, but when her mother finally put a surveillance camera in her room, and her father, knowing about it, said nothing to her mother, she finally reached her breaking point and snapped. When Mina smashed the surveillance camera on the floor, her mother…
“Mina-chan, why won’t you do what I want?”
She said, tears streaming down her face.
“…Go to hell, you old hag.”
That was the moment Mina completely cut ties with her parents in her heart.
She didn’t want to be with these shitty parents for a second longer, and the thought of living off their money made her sick to her stomach.
As soon as she graduated from high school, Mina turned down the university she had been accepted to and started living alone in a town far away, without telling her parents where she was going.
While earning her daily bread and funds by working at night, she started a game company, something she had secretly enjoyed doing, and worked desperately.
So that she wouldn’t have to rely on anyone, so that no one would interfere with her, so that she could live on her own.
So at the company, she acted as a thoroughly one-man president. And with her own judgment and instructions, her business performance grew, little by little.
…She wouldn’t trust anyone, she would live by her own strength.
It was then that she met the man who would become her husband.
That day, an executive of a listed company had come to the high-class club where Mina worked, with his subordinates in tow.
It was a reception with all the hostesses on duty, and Mina, who was about to leave, was stopped and had to sit at a table.
(…Tch, I want to go home and think about the software plan.)
Mina was in a bad mood that day.
The company’s performance had been stagnating recently.
The hostess job paid well, but it took up a lot of time, and she had to suck up to the customers. That was deeply unpleasant.
(…I’ll grow the company’s performance and quit this job as soon as possible.)
The man Mina was assigned to was named Takuya Horii.
He was a thin man in his early twenties with round-rimmed glasses. His appearance was, unlike Mina’s, quite ordinary, but his gentle smile was impressive.
But this man, Horii, no matter how much Mina, who was sacrificing her precious time to entertain him, tried to talk to him, he would just laugh awkwardly and say, “Hahaha,” and the conversation would not liven up at all.
Mina, with her blessed appearance, was the number one hostess at this club, and she had no small amount of pride in that.
And, coupled with her irritation, she ended up saying something like this.
“Hey, you! What’s with the bored look on your face when I’m entertaining you?”
It was a pretty problematic statement for an employee, but for Mina, if she got fired for it, she would be able to concentrate on game production, which was more than fine with her.
However.
“Oh, my apologies. I was actually forced to come here by my boss, so I was a little nervous.”
Horii said, bowing his head honestly.
“…Oh, I see. You’re not used to places like this.”
“No. And a woman more beautiful than anyone I’ve ever met came, so I was even more at a loss for what to say.”
“I-I see.”
Mina was a little taken aback by the completely unexpected and direct compliment.
“Besides, unlike the senior managing director and the others, I’m not very good at talking… um, if you don’t mind, could you tell me something about yourself, Mina-san?”
“About me?”
“Yes, if you have any hobbies, that would be fine.”
“My hobby is… well, games, I guess.”
“Oh, I see. I’m quite particular about games myself.”
“Oh, that’s an interesting thing to say. You have some nerve saying that in front of me. Let’s start with your favorite hardware, shall we?”
That night, they talked animatedly about games until the club closed.
The basic rule of hostess service was to get the customer to talk a lot about themselves, but that day, Mina ended up talking much more.
And two days later, they met again at the coffee shop where she always had lunch, and there they talked for a long time again. This time, they talked not only about games, but also about their private lives.
Before she knew it, it had become a daily routine for Mina to meet Horii and talk while eating.
One day, when Mina was complaining that her company’s work was increasing and she couldn’t keep up, Horii said.
“Mina-san, you try to do everything yourself just because you can. Why don’t you try delegating more to your employees?”
Mina, who at the time hated being told what to do more than a cockroach suddenly appearing in the toilet, was half-pissed off and about to snap, but…
“Both you and your company’s employees don’t look like you’re having fun at work, Mina-san. Games are supposed to be fun to make, so I think you’ll make better things if the creators also relax a little and work freely and happily.”
When he said that, she thought, well, there’s some truth to that.
Horii was a gentle and reserved man, but what he said was sometimes sharp, and even if Mina got irritated with his opinion, he would not waver and retract what he had said.
So, she delegated some projects to her employees and actively listened to their opinions. As a result, the atmosphere at the company improved dramatically, and the stagnating performance began to grow little by little. When she told Horii about this…
“I see, that makes me happy.”
He smiled as if it were his own accomplishment. Seeing that, Mina thought.
…Ah, having other people around isn’t so bad.
It was a feeling she had never had before. So, on a holiday, Mina called Horii to the city hall, thrust a marriage registration form at him, and asked him to become her family.
Horii, of course, was wide-eyed with surprise at first, but then, as if exasperated…
“That’s so like you, Mina-san.”
He said, and wrote his name on the marriage registration form.
She quit her hostess job after getting married, and the following year, Mina became pregnant.
While working as much as she could, she safely gave birth to Yui.
But, although Yui was born healthy, she refused to suckle at Mina’s breast. Apparently, some babies refuse to breastfeed from their mothers.
The doctor told her that it didn’t mean her daughter disliked her, but while she was fine with her father, Yui would cry as soon as Mina tried to hold her.
“Mina-san’s gaze is quite intense.”
Takuya said with a laugh.
She was keenly aware that she was not cut out for raising children.
Well, it couldn’t be helped. It was the same as work; if she was bad at raising children, she should just focus on what she was good at.
Mina asked Takuya to become a stay-at-home husband so she could concentrate on her company’s work, and she focused on her work more than ever before.
And then, a mobile game business that a new employee had come up with became a hit, and Mina’s company grew rapidly.
Aside from her slightly awkward communication with her daughter, it was smooth sailing. Everything had started to go well since she met Takuya.
However.
That Takuya contracted a terminal illness. By the time it was discovered, it had progressed considerably, and the doctor gave him a few years to live at most. It felt as if the ground beneath her feet was crumbling.
Mina was thinking about how to spend the remaining time with Takuya, but…
“The company is at a crucial stage right now, Mina. Don’t worry about me, I’d be happy if you could earn money for my treatment.”
“…I understand, Taku. I’ll earn enough for you to get the latest surgery overseas or whatever you need.”
There was no point in the latest surgery when he had already been given a terminal diagnosis, but Mina told herself that and immersed herself in her work.
Looking back now, she might have been trying to avert her eyes from the reality that her husband, who had supported her, would soon be gone. And a few years later, Takuya passed away.
Mina was at work and could not be with him in his final moments.
At the funeral, Yui did not shed a tear and just stared at Mina.
Her gaze felt as if it were blaming her.
And then she suddenly realized what kind of person she was in her daughter’s eyes.
A mother who rarely came home and couldn’t even be there for her father’s death because of work.
(…Ah, I am.)
She had become the same kind of person as her indifferent father, whom she had hated so much.
It might be too late, but she wondered if there was anything she could do for her daughter.
One day, her daughter was looking at an amusement park brochure.
She could manage to make time for one day to go with her.
Mina asked.
“Should I take you there sometime?”
Her daughter paused for a moment, then…
“…No.”
She said, shaking her head.
“I see…”
“…Yeah. Good luck with your work.”
Ah, right.
What a nerve I have.
Fortunately, her daughter was a responsible child even on her own.
Yeah.
That’s right, children grow up on their own. She had been the same.
There was no need for her to be with a mother like this. This child had her own life.
And so, Mina immersed herself in her work again.
Her work went better and better, and her company grew to be counted among the leading game makers in the country.
◇
“…And so, in short, I’m probably just being a coward. I don’t have the confidence that she likes me.”
Mina finished her story.
A self-deprecating smile played on her beautiful features.
“…”
Yuuki was speechless after hearing Mina’s story.
As expected of someone who had built a famous company from scratch, she had lived a pretty extraordinary life.
And at the same time, he felt that there were some parts of her that were similar to him. Especially regarding her parents, Yuuki, like Mina, had grown up with excessive interference. Well, his family was probably better than Mina’s…
“Yes… in that case, it’s a little hard to understand the feeling of loving your parents, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. I really can’t imagine it.”
Even Yuuki had a strong feeling that his parents were annoying. Mina must have hated her parents from the bottom of her heart.
That’s why he thought she couldn’t imagine that Yui liked her.
“That’s why, when I saw Yui looking so happy with you and Kotori-chan, I thought, ‘Ah, Yui likes these two.’”
Mina looked straight at Yuuki and said.
“At least, she likes them much more than she likes me. So, as you said before, it’s better to be with people you like. It’s true that I’m running away from Yui, but it’s also true that I wish for her happiness.”
“…I see.”
Yuuki nodded deeply upon hearing that.
“So, it’s not that Yui is a hindrance to you, right?”
“I won’t say it has no effect on my work, and I can’t make as much time for her as a normal parent, but I can go out to eat or play with her sometimes. Well, she’s a good kid who doesn’t cause much trouble to begin with.”
“But you don’t have the confidence that Yui likes you?”
“At least, not compared to you guys. And more than anything, if I were a child, I would hate a parent like me.”
“Then, if, for example.”
Yuuki said.
“If Yui really likes you and wants to be with you, you wouldn’t mind taking her to America… is that right?”
“Of course. As I said before, I don’t dislike her. I know it’s rich coming from me, but I think of her as my precious only daughter.”
Mina said with a confident tone.
“…I see.”
Yuuki nodded deeply again upon hearing those words.
And then.
“Yeah, then there shouldn’t be a problem.”
He said happily.
“Eh?”
Mina looked at him with a blank expression, not understanding what he meant.
“So, in short, all we need to know is that Yui likes you and really wants to go with you, right?”
Yuuki said, taking out his phone and operating an app.
On the screen was a recorded video.
The video showed Kotori and Yui talking in Yuuki’s room.
◇
—The other evening.
“…This should be fine.”
Kotori, alone, had placed her smartphone in recording mode between Yuuki’s textbooks. She had just gotten it and wasn’t used to it yet, but she couldn’t afford to fail this time, so she had Yuuki check how to use it over and over again.
“I’ll have to explain and apologize to Yui-chan later.”
In short, it was a hidden camera. After a while, the doorbell rang.
“…Phew, okay.”
Kotori took a deep breath, tapped the screen to start recording.
And as usual, she went to the entrance and unlocked the door.
“…Excuse me, Kotori.”
“Yes. Welcome, Yui-chan.”
Yui, who had come home from school as usual, came inside.
As soon as she entered, Yui sniffed the air and said.
“Smells good…”
“Yes, we’re having a hot pot with lots of vegetables and meat today.”
Yui raised her hands in a “yay” gesture. Kotori served a generous portion of the hot pot ingredients onto a plate, and brought it to the table where Yui was waiting, along with freshly cooked rice and barley tea.
“…Let’s eat.”
Yui put her hands together politely and began to eat.
Kotori also served herself and ate with her.
It was a scene that had been repeated for nearly two months.
But today, Kotori had something she had to do.
“Hey, Yui-chan.”
“…Hm?”
Yui looked at Kotori while munching on some pork belly.
“It seems your mother’s move is as early as next week.”
Kotori deliberately brought up the topic.
“…Yeah.”
Seeing Yui look down, her heart ached a little.
But that’s why she had to be strong and ask what needed to be asked.
“After we finish eating, I’d like to talk to you for a bit, is that okay?”
Yui nodded silently.
◇
“Thank you for the meal… it was delicious again today.”
Yui finished her dinner and bowed her head to Kotori.
“Yes, thank you.”
Kotori also finished her portion and said.
Still, both Yuuki and Yui always said it was delicious, so it was very rewarding to cook for them. Ah, I’m so happy, she thought.
And now, she was about to possibly destroy a part of that happiness herself.
“…So, Kotori, what did you want to talk about?”
“Yes.”
Kotori stood up once and sat down next to Yui again.
“Yui-chan. Please, just one more time, let me hear your feelings.”
And she looked straight at Yui.
“About your mother… what do you really want to do?”
“…”
She felt a slight waver in the depths of Yui’s blue eyes.
“…I already told you.”
“Yes, I heard you.”
“I’m staying here… I’m not going with my mom.”
“Is that your true feeling, Yui-chan?”
Yui nodded.
“…Because that would make everyone happy.”
“That’s right… your mother might be able to concentrate on her work, and Yuuki-san will be able to reduce his workload and focus more on his studies. And.”
Kotori placed her hand on her chest and said.
“I’ll be able to stay with you, Yui-chan.”
That fact was very happy for Kotori, and a smile involuntarily spread across her face.
“But.”
Kotori pushed aside that happiness and said.
“I think that’s not your wish, but the wish of those around you.”
Kotori placed her hand over Yui’s small one and squeezed it gently.
“Please tell me your own wish, without thinking about us. Please speak only for yourself.”
And then, she said the words that Yuuki had once said to her, to the girl who was so much like her.
“I want to hear your selfish wish, Yui-chan.”
“…”
Yui was silent for a while, her hand still held by Kotori.
Kotori silently stared straight into Yui’s eyes, without looking away.
It’s okay, it’s okay, you can be honest about your feelings, she tried to convey without words. And after more than a minute of silence, finally…
“…The truth is.”
Yui’s small voice echoed.
“…I want to be with my mom. I love Kotori, too, but I really don’t want to be separated from my mom.”
Yui said, as if squeezing the words out.
“Thank you. For being honest with me.”
Kotori said with a smile, and stroked Yui’s head.
Actually hearing Yui say that she wanted to go with her mother, even though she had asked for it herself, made her feel a little lonely. But at the same time, she understood Yui’s feelings very well. After all, for a child, a mother is a special existence.
“That’s right. If I could spend time with my mother, I would want to, too.”
Kotori said, remembering the warmth of her late mother’s hand from her childhood.
“…But.”
Yui said, prefacing her words.
“I’m staying here… if that’s what my mom wants, I won’t be selfish.”
“Yui-chan…”
Yui’s words carried a strong sense of determination.
Just as Yuuki had been unable to answer when Mina asked him, it was not something a child of this age could suppress their feelings for just because they were a “good kid.”
“Why, why so much?”
Yui answered Kotori’s question.
“…Because my dad was like that, too.”
Yui was talking about the time when Mina’s company’s performance was starting to grow, and her father, Takuya, had fallen ill.
◇
Yui still remembered that time vividly.
White walls and a white bed, and on that bed, her emaciated father.
Her mother, in a suit, had come from work and was talking to her father with a worried look on her face.
Yui, with a lower perspective than now, was looking up at her parents.
At that time, Mina still came to the hospital every day to visit.
But one day, Yui’s father, Takuya, said to Mina.
“The company is at a crucial stage right now, Mina. Don’t worry about me, I’d be happy if you could earn money for my treatment.”
At the time, Yui didn’t understand it well, but it was true that Mina’s company was at an important stage where its performance was starting to grow significantly. Mina looked sad when she heard those words.
But she quickly returned to her usual strong expression.
“…I understand, Taku. I’ll earn enough for you to get the latest surgery overseas or whatever you need.”
She declared.
“Yeah. That’s my Mina-san.”
Her father said with his usual gentle smile.
“You can stay a little longer, Yui. I’ll have Hyodo send you home later.”
“…Yeah.”
Seeing Yui nod, Mina turned on her heel and left the hospital room.
“…”
“…”
Silence fell in the hospital room after Mina left.
“Phew.”
Her father let out a big breath and leaned back on the bed.
And then.
“Kuh… ah.”
Her father was crying. Her father, who had always been a calm and composed adult to Yui, was desperately trying to suppress his sobs.
“…Dad?”
“Ah, sorry, Yui. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Even as he said that, large tears fell endlessly onto the sheets.
“…I really want to say it. I want you to forget about the company and stay with me until the very end.”
“But,” her father said, taking off his glasses and wiping his tears.
“I can’t do something so uncool. I’ve been by Mina’s side and seen how hard she’s worked to get this far. This is her chance, and it’s finally here.”
Her father said, stroking Yui’s head.
“Please keep this a secret from your mother… Yui.”
“…Yeah.”
Seeing her father’s red, swollen eyes and his smile, Yui could only nod.
Since her father had been hospitalized, a housekeeper would come occasionally, but Yui was often at home alone.
And then, one day.
Yui came down with a fever and was bedridden. The housekeeper took care of her, but she felt so helpless that she ended up calling Mina’s company.
When the receptionist put her through to Mina, she said one word, “Wait,” and hung up.
And after a while…
“How are you feeling, Yui?”
Her mother had come to her.
She was so happy, so relieved, and she still remembered how much lighter her heavy heart felt.
…But.
“Yes, yes. About that matter… I’m very sorry.”
While Mina was looking after Yui, she was constantly on the phone, apologizing.
She later found out from one of Mina’s employees that while she was with Yui, another company had snatched a contract, costing her a deal worth hundreds of millions of yen.
Oh, what have I done?
Yui thought.
She had interfered with her mother’s work, the very work her father was supporting with such pain.
A few years later, her father passed away in the hospital.
Her mother became even more engrossed in her work, rarely coming home.
Yui no longer had to visit her father, and she found herself spending more and more time alone.
◇
“But… I’ll never say I’m lonely. Just like my dad did, I’ve decided not to be a burden to my mom. Because she’s kind, and I know she’d drop everything for me again.”
“…Yui-chan.”
After hearing Yui’s story, Kotori couldn’t find the right words to say.
But she knew that, even though she was just a small child, her resolve was real.
Yui’s eyes were the same as when they first met, filled with a strong will.
Nothing she could say would change her mind.
Not unless it was Yui’s mother herself…
“You’re a truly kind child, Yui-chan.”
All Kotori could do was gently stroke the kind, strong girl’s head.
She glanced towards where she had hidden the smartphone.
(…The rest is up to you, Yuuki-san.)
◇
“…I’m sorry for secretly recording your conversation with your daughter. But I really wanted to convey Yui’s feelings.”
After the video finished playing, Yuuki deleted the data in front of Mina.
He had conveyed Yui’s true feelings; the video was no longer needed.
“…”
Mina was silent for a while, looking stunned.
And then.
“…What’s with that Taku? Trying to act all cool.”
She said with a small laugh.
Mina stood up from the bench.
“Yuuki-kun, I’m afraid something urgent has come up, so our date is over.”
“Yes. I’m sorry for taking up your time. My senpai is giving me a ride to my part-time job, so I don’t need a ride back.”
“…I see. Thank you.”
Mina said, then turned her back on him and walked towards Hyodo’s car.
“At this time, Yui is probably with Kotori, getting ready to move!”
Yuuki shouted at her back. Well, he had done what he needed to do.
Now it was up to that mother and daughter. Whatever the outcome, he and Kotori had decided to accept it.
“…Well, I guess I’ll hit a few more before senpai gets here.”
Yuuki exchanged the rest of the thousand yen Mina had given him for tokens, stepped into the batter’s box, and took his stance for the first time in a long while.
◇
Mina got into the back seat of Hyodo’s car, which was waiting in the parking lot.
“How was the batting cages after so long?”
Hyodo asked in her usual flat tone.
“It was a good change of pace. More importantly, our destination isn’t the office, but…”
“Your home?”
“…”
Mina looked at Hyodo’s face in the rearview mirror in surprise.
Her usual poker face was softened by a slightly mischievous smile.
“President, you should feel free to impose your personal matters on us more.”
“I see… I guess I was fighting a one-man battle again.”
…Hey, Taku. I really can’t do this without you.
She said to her late husband in her heart.
“We’re departing.”
Hyodo returned to her usual tone, made a precise turn, and started driving down the road.
As she listened to the quiet hum of the luxury car, memories of her pregnancy with Yui flooded Mina’s mind.
At first, it was like, “Oh, so this is what being pregnant is like.”
Of course, she had been trying, so it was to be expected, but her periods had always been light, so she had a hard time imagining herself pregnant.
But having a child was a real pain. Morning sickness, a big, heavy belly, and emotional instability due to hormonal and neurological imbalances—it was all a hindrance to her work.
She had wondered every day why God had made it so you had to go through all this trouble to have a child. Was he kidding?
Giving birth, in particular, was just plain painful.
Damn it, I’m never getting pregnant again, she had thought, using her anger as fuel to endure the pain and push the baby out.
But when she saw her newborn child…
(…Ah, so this is how cute they are.)
Yes, it was a cliché, but… her child, born from her own pain, was cute.
So incredibly cute.
So cute that the pain of childbirth vanished.
Small, with short limbs, so weak that you knew it would die if left alone—that existence was so precious. She wanted this child to grow up happy. That’s what she thought.
Not a life like hers, where she hated her own parents and used that as motivation, but a life where she could be happy to have someone by her side.
So she named her Yui.
A name Mina had chosen with the wish that she would live a happy life connected to the people she loved.
And she would become a parent who could create a warm home where her daughter could feel that way.
At that time, she was sure that’s what she had thought.
“…I’d completely forgotten how I felt back then. I’m such a hopeless mother.”
Mina muttered with a self-deprecating laugh.
“We’ve arrived.”
Hyodo said, stopping the car. Mina got out and walked towards the apartment.
It was supposed to be the way home, but the scenery was still unfamiliar.
That in itself was proof of how much she had been avoiding facing her daughter.
Mina climbed the apartment stairs, one step at a time.
It was far too late, but with the resolve to finally face her daughter properly.
When she unlocked the door and went inside, her daughter was, as Yuuki had said, preparing to move with Kotori.
She was just about to put the game that had been in front of the TV into a cardboard box.
Yui was surprised by her sudden appearance. When she looked at Kotori, she gave a small nod and moved away from Yui’s side so that Mina could talk to her. She’s a really good kid, she thought.
Mina sat down directly in front of her daughter.
“…What’s wrong?”
It felt like the first time they had spoken while looking each other in the eye in a long time. Until now, she had always been unable to look her in the face when they talked.
“Hey, Yui… there’s something I haven’t told you.”
“…Yeah.”
“I want you to come to America with me.”
Yui’s eyes widened at Mina’s sudden words.
“…Really?”
“Yes, I do.”
Mina said, looking straight into her daughter’s eyes without wavering.
“If you’re willing, Yui… will you stay with me?”
“…”
Yui was frozen in place for a while, unable to speak. But eventually…
“…Yeah.”
She gave a small nod.
“Are you sure? You won’t be able to be with Yuuki-kun and Kotori-chan, who you’ve become so close to. But even so, you want to be with someone like me?”
“Yeah.”
Yui said, her eyes welling up with tears.
“Mom is loud, and a little rough, and she’s never home… but I want to be with her…”
“Yui!!”
Mina hugged her daughter.
The daughter whose body she hadn’t been able to touch since she had cried so much when she held her as a baby, afraid that she would be rejected again, had grown so much.
“I’m sorry… I was a coward, and I couldn’t understand your feelings…”
“I might be a bother to your work, but still… I want to be with you, Mom.”
Tears streamed from Yui’s eyes.
The loneliness that the strong, kind little girl had been holding back for so long flowed down her cheeks in large drops.
“Yeah, me too. To be honest… I’ve always, always wanted to do this.”
This time, her daughter didn’t reject her embrace.
Mina continued to gently hug the precious being who was crying silently in her arms.
She suddenly felt like she saw the ghost of her late husband in front of her.
(…Taku, I’m not confident without you, but I’ll try my best from now on.)
When she said that in her heart, Takuya’s ghost smiled that familiar, gentle smile.
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