Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Yume Gives It Her Intellectual Best.
The footsteps coming up the stairs made Yume stop breathing for a second. Noah was inside her room.
Her mother was coming up, and for some reason Mirai seemed far too calm, which only made the situation worse.
Yume looked at her in panic.
"Don’t say anything."
Mirai raised an eyebrow.
"I haven’t said anything yet."
"You’re going to."
"You can’t accuse me of something I haven’t done."
"I know you too well and I can predict exactly what you’re going to say."
Noah glanced at the window, then at the door, then back at the window.
’No, not again.’
The footsteps were getting closer.
Yume took a deep breath, grabbed Mirai by the wrist, and opened the door before her mother could reach it.
"Mom!"
Their mother was in the hallway, just a few steps from the room, but she stopped when she saw Yume and Mirai coming out so quickly.
For a moment her expression looked confused. She was carrying a shopping bag in one hand and her work purse over her shoulder.
"Yume, why did you come out so fast?"
Yume closed the door behind her a little too quickly.
"I didn’t come out fast."
"Yes, you did."
"I-It’s nothing, really."
Her mother studied her.
"You look nervous."
Yume tried to smile.
"I’m not nervous."
Mirai, standing beside her, spoke calmly.
"The truth is she’s really nervous."
Yume turned toward her.
"Mirai."
"What? It’s super obvious."
Their mother set the shopping bag on the floor.
"Did something happen?"
"No."
Yume said.
"Something might have happened."
Mirai replied, prompting Yume to grip her arm even tighter.
"Mirai, I need to talk to you downstairs."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"How curious, especially right when Mom is asking what’s going on."
Yume felt like her life was slipping through her fingers.
Inside the room, Noah stood completely still. He could hear the conversation on the other side of the door, but he didn’t dare move. Any sound could give him away.
’I can’t believe this is happening again.’
He looked at the window, remembering that the last time he had escaped through it. He didn’t want to repeat the experience, but the door was blocked by a mother, a panicking girlfriend, and a sister who seemed to be enjoying the situation.
The window was starting to look like the more reasonable option.
Outside the room, Yume’s mother looked at her daughters with suspicion.
"Yume, are you hiding something?"
"No."
Mirai answered at the same time.
"Yes."
Yume clenched her teeth.
"I’m not hiding anything."
Mirai tilted her head.
"That depends on how we define hiding."
"We define it as not talking."
"Then you’re hiding quite a bit."
Their mother frowned.
"Mirai, what’s going on?"
Mirai opened her mouth, but Yume reacted instantly and cut her off.
"Mirai is upset because she lost her wallet yesterday!"
Mirai looked at her.
"I didn’t lose it, it fell."
"That’s losing it for a moment."
"And someone gave it back to me."
Yume tensed up as her mother smiled a little.
"That nice boy?"
Mirai glanced sideways at Yume.
"Yeah, that same boy."
Yume felt that sentence loaded with danger.
"Well, how lucky. There, topic closed."
"It’s not closed."
Mirai said.
"Yes, it is."
"Not when that nice boy turns out to be important to the family."
Their mother raised her eyebrows.
"Important to the family?"
Yume let out a nervous laugh.
"Mirai is exaggerating, you know how she is."
Mirai spoke serenely.
"I don’t usually exaggerate."
"That doesn’t help."
"I’m not trying to help."
Inside the room, Noah slowly backed toward the window with extreme care, avoiding stepping on anything that would make noise.
Yume’s room had too many dangerous objects for a silent escape: the chair, the backpack, several bags, a box next to the desk, and a pile of clothes that he wasn’t sure hid anything underneath.
’Step one: reach the window.’
Outside, Yume’s mother looked at the closed door.
"Why did you close the door?"
Yume answered way too fast.
"Just because."
"Yume."
"Because it was messy."
Mirai looked at the door.
"Yeah, it was really messy before."
Yume shot her a glare.
"Mirai."
Their mother looked at Mirai.
"Before?"
Mirai stayed calm.
"But it’s great that she’s been really active lately."
Yume almost shouted.
"Cleaning!"
"Yes, cleaning."
Mirai made an exact pause before adding.
"Among other things."
Their mother blinked, and Yume gave Mirai a light push on the shoulder.
"Let’s go downstairs. Mom must be tired."
"Not that tired."
Her mother said.
"Yes, very tired. You worked all day."
"That doesn’t mean I can’t ask why my daughters are acting weird."
"I’m not acting weird."
Mirai raised her hand.
"Me neither."
Yume pointed at her.
"You’re acting weird!"
Mirai looked at her mother.
"See? She’s nervous."
Their mother stepped a little closer to Yume.
"Honey, if you have something to tell me, you can."
Yume swallowed.
"I don’t have anything to say."
Mirai spoke in a low voice, but clear enough.
"Maybe something related to personal relationships."
Yume stepped in front of her.
"Academic relationships!"
Their mother looked at her.
"Academic relationships?"
"Yes, group projects, classmates, responsibilities..."
Mirai nodded.
"Close classmates."
Yume spun around again.
"Mirai!"
Inside the room, Noah reached the window. He opened it carefully. Even though the sound was minimal, he still froze, but no one outside reacted.
’Good.’
He leaned out. It was the same height as last time, an unpleasant memory.
Below there was a small space with bushes and a patch of grass.
’I don’t want to do this.’
He heard Mirai’s voice again.
"A person can be a classmate and something more."
Noah closed his eyes.
’I’m going to do this.’
Outside the room, Yume was already on the verge of collapse.
"Mom, do you want some tea?"
Her mother looked at her, confused by the sudden change.
"Tea?"
"Yes, I can make tea, or water, or whatever you want... downstairs... in the kitchen... far from my room."
Mirai raised an eyebrow.
"How specific."
"Because I know where the kitchen is."
"You also know where your room is."
"Everyone knows where my room is!"
Their mother observed Yume more closely.
"Yume, is there someone in your room?"
Yume froze and Mirai glanced toward the door.
Noah, with one leg already outside the window, felt his heart stop.
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