Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Noah and Yume felt her getting close.
"Yume, is someone in your room?"
At her mother’s question, Yume answered in a voice that was far too high-pitched.
"What? No."
Her mother frowned.
"Your voice sounded strange."
"I’m tired."
"You said earlier that nothing was going on."
"Nothing is going on, it’s just the tiredness."
Mirai muttered.
"That was very contradictory."
Yume stepped on her foot gently and Mirai looked down.
"That was assault, you know?"
Her mother let out a sigh.
"I don’t understand what’s going on with you two."
Mirai raised her hand.
"I can explain it."
Yume covered her mouth.
"No, she can’t!"
Her mother’s eyes widened.
"Yume!"
Yume pulled her hand back immediately.
"Sorry."
Mirai straightened her clothes with dignity.
"As I was saying..."
Yume stepped in front of her again.
"Mom, didn’t you say you bought some things? They could get ruined."
"I bought vegetables and bread."
"The bread could get ruined."
"Does bread get ruined?"
"Depends on the bread."
Mirai looked at her.
"You’re getting a little desperate, don’t you think?"
"Yes."
The answer slipped out and the three of them fell silent.
Yume closed her mouth and her mother looked at her with concern.
"Why are you desperate?"
Yume had no answer, but Mirai did.
"Because she’s afraid you’ll find out she has..."
Yume interrupted her with a shout.
"A problem with an assignment!"
Her mother blinked.
"An assignment?"
"Yeah, a really difficult assignment."
Mirai looked at her sister.
"That’s what you’re calling it?"
Yume looked at her in terror.
"Don’t keep going."
Inside the room, Noah was in the middle of his escape maneuver.
He had already gotten half his body out the window, but the problem was that his backpack was still inside.
’Should I leave it?’
The bag had his notes, his ID, and his phone charger, so he couldn’t leave it.
He stretched out his arm and grabbed the strap with two fingers.
The backpack dragged slightly across the floor with a soft sound, so Noah froze.
Outside, her mother looked at the door again.
"I heard something."
Yume let out a laugh that convinced no one.
"It was my stomach."
Mirai observed her.
"Your stomach sounded like something dragging."
Yume gave her a threatening look and her mother started walking toward the door.
"I’m going to check."
Yume stepped in the way.
"No!"
Her mother stopped and Mirai, for the first time, looked surprised by the intensity of Yume’s reaction.
"Yume..."
Yume breathed quickly.
"Don’t go in."
Her mother lowered her voice.
"Honey, if there’s something dangerous..."
"There’s nothing dangerous."
Mirai said.
"Depends on your point of view."
Yume spun around.
"Noah isn’t dangerous."
Silence reigned for a few seconds.
Her mother’s eyes widened, Mirai smiled, and Yume realized it too late.
Inside the room, Noah also went completely still.
’Yume!’
Her mother spoke slowly.
"Noah?"
Yume raised her hands.
"Noah is a concept I have..."
Mirai couldn’t help herself.
"A concept, seriously?"
"Yes."
"Since when is Noah a concept?"
"Since now."
Her mother looked at Mirai.
"Who is Noah?"
Mirai opened her mouth and Yume covered it again.
"A high school classmate."
Her mother grew serious.
"A classmate is in your room?"
"No."
"Then why can’t I come in?"
"Because..."
Yume searched for an answer.
The pressure of Noah escaping through the window, her sister trying to reveal her relationship, and her mother who could turn the visit into a family interrogation about commitment, children, and financial prospects made her blurt out the first thing that crossed her mind.
"Because my room is indecent."
Her mother blinked.
"Indecent?"
"Messy. Really messy, and I don’t want you to see it."
Mirai finally pushed Yume’s hand away.
"Well, that’s partially true."
Yume whispered.
"I hate you."
"I accept it."
Inside the room, Noah managed to get the bag out the window. Now he just had to climb down, so he looked at the ground.
’Don’t make noise, don’t die, and don’t break anything.’
He lowered himself carefully, holding onto the edge, and let his body drop onto the grass. He landed badly but didn’t scream.
He stayed crouched for a few seconds.
’I’m alive.’
Upstairs, the conversation continued and her mother crossed her arms.
"Yume, I know you’re hiding something."
Yume swallowed.
"It’s nothing bad."
Mirai nodded.
"That’s debatable."
"Mirai!"
"I didn’t say it was bad."
Her mother sighed.
"Does this have anything to do with a boy?"
Yume felt the world stop while Mirai looked at her mother with interest.
Yume answered.
"It has to do with high school."
"That wasn’t a no."
"It’s a broad answer."
"Yume."
Mirai spoke calmly.
"Mom, I think we should talk about the possibility that Yume has matured emotionally."
Yume almost choked on her own saliva.
"I haven’t matured at all!"
Her mother looked at her.
"That’s not exactly a good thing to say either."
Mirai continued.
"I also think we should talk about family integration."
Yume lunged toward her again.
"No!"
Her mother took a step back.
"Family integration?"
"Mirai wants to talk about furniture."
Yume tried to correct herself, which made Mirai look at her.
"Furniture?"
"Yes, integrating new furniture into the house."
"That doesn’t make sense."
Down below, Noah circled the house trying not to be seen through any windows.
’Sorry, Yume.’
He wasn’t proud of running away, but if he stayed, the situation could turn into an involuntary family introduction and he wasn’t ready for that.
When he reached the street, he straightened his clothes and backpack and looked back at Yume’s bedroom window.
’I’ll text her later.’
Then he heard footsteps inside the house and decided to move away before anyone looked outside.
In the hallway, Yume was still blocking the door and her mother, growing less convinced by the second, looked down.
"Why do I feel like I’m missing something important?"
Mirai answered.
"Because you are."
Yume spoke at the same time.
"Because you’re tired."
Her mother looked at Mirai and then at Yume.
"Both of you are coming downstairs with me."
Yume tensed.
"Now?"
"Yes. We’re going to have tea and you’re going to explain what’s going on."
Mirai smiled a little.
"That sounds reasonable."
Yume looked at her sister in desperation.
"Don’t say anything weird."
"Define weird."
"Everything you want to say."
"Are you trying to censor me?"
Her mother started down the stairs.
"I can hear you."
Yume grabbed Mirai by the arm and whispered.
"If you say the word boyfriend, I’ll hide all your hair products."
Mirai looked at her seriously.
"That was low."
"I’m willing to go lower."
"You’re becoming dangerous."
"I learned out of necessity."
Both of them started down the stairs and Yume threw one last glance toward her bedroom door.
’Noah, please tell me you got out.’
She couldn’t check or go back; she could only trust that her boyfriend had taken the chance.
In the kitchen, her mother began preparing tea while the two of them sat at the table.
Mirai looked calm, but Yume looked like she was being accused of a crime that hadn’t even been proven yet.
Her mother set three cups on the table.
"Now, what’s going on?"
Yume opened her mouth, but so did Mirai.
Yume spoke first.
"I’m stressed about high school."
Mirai said at the same time.
"Yume is in a new emotional stage."
Her mother stayed still and Yume closed her eyes.
"Mirai."
"I said it carefully."
"That wasn’t careful."
"I didn’t say the word."
"But you circled around it!"
Her mother sat down slowly.
"A new emotional stage?"
Yume held the cup with both hands.
"It’s an exaggerated way of saying I’m growing as a person."
Mirai nodded.
"With outside help."
Yume tapped the table gently.
"High school!"
Mirai drank her tea.
"Among other institutions."
Her mother observed them.
"I’m going to find out, aren’t I?"
Yume forced a smile.
"There’s nothing to find out."
Mirai also smiled.
"That depends on how much you ask."
Yume looked at her and Mirai looked back, but neither had won.
Yume had stopped her mother from opening the door and Mirai had managed to plant enough doubt that the conversation wouldn’t end.
Her mother knew something strange was happening, even if she still didn’t have proof.
Meanwhile, somewhere down the street, Noah checked his phone with shaky hands and typed a quick message.
[I made it out. Sorry for the trouble.]
Yume felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, but she couldn’t check it in front of her mother and only drank her tea with a tense smile while Mirai waited for another opportunity.
The war hadn’t ended; it had only been postponed.
Comments