Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
Using a navigation app on my smartphone, we finally arrived at Yamazaki-kunâs house, which was an extremely commonplace detached house with a tiled roof. It wasnât particularly new, nor was it particularly old. Likely having been built towards the latter half of the ShĆwa era, it was such that if you walked around Fukui then you would see a house similar in appearance every fifty metres or so (but only in the urban area). On the somewhat seasoned wooden name plate, we could make out the fading Yamazaki family name.\n
I dropped Yua off in front of the house and left the bicycle in a corner of a nearby parking lot. Yua shot me a glance as if to askăNow what?ă, but I didnât hesitate to press the intercom.\n
Pi-n, Po-n.\n
The intercom bell rang, its sound also commonplace. I buttoned my shirt all the way up, and fixed my loosened necktie. Taking Yua by the hand, I made her stand right next to me. After about ten seconds, we heard a wary voice.\n
ăâŠYes?ă\n
ăGood day! Iâm Chitose Saku, Kenta-kunâs friend. Weâre in the same second year class and Iâve become the class representative, so Iâm here to deliver some printouts!ă\n
Choosing language that was polite but not too formal, I gave the intercom camera an invigorating smile.\n
With a few taps, I lightly nudged Yuaâs back from an angle that wouldnât be seen by the camera.\n
ăPleased to meet you. My name is Uchida Yua. He doesnât seem to have been coming to school lately, so I was a little worried if Kenta-kun was doing alrightâŠă\n
As expected of Yua.\n
A step more reserved and graceful than myself, but getting to the heart of the matter while giving it a nuance of familiarity. This is exactly why she was the first person I asked.\n
ăTo have come all this way, oh my goodness! One moment, Iâll be there in a short while.ă\n
After a brief period of hustle and bustle resounding from the other side of the door, the pitter patter of light footsteps approached. She had probably been hurrying to clean up whatever was in sight.\n
ăSorry to have kept you waiting. Iâm Kentaâs mother.ă\n
A woman in her mid-forties peeked out at us, looking slightly battered. Her wrists and cheeks looked more haggard rather than slender, and her hurriedly bundled hair was also parched, with conspicuous strands of grey. As if performing an evaluation, she subtly looked at us from head to toe, then returned her gaze to our faces once more.\n
ăOur apologies for the sudden intrusion. I hope we didnât bother you.ă\n
While bowing slightly, I intentionally gave her a refreshing smile. Next to me, Yua also lowered her head.\n
ăYou arenât being a bother at all, far from it! Itâs a little messy, but please feel free to enter.ă\n
Speaking in a voice that had now risen about two tones higher, Yamazaki-kunâs mother laid out slippers for the both of us. The fact that her son had friends who came to visit him out of concern was one tone. Perhaps how they appeared to be by all accounts a handsome couple popular at school was the second tone.\n
At times like these, itâs useful to look presentable. It allows you to enthusiastically skip a number of the steps required to gain the other sideâs trust during the first meeting. Moreover, parents inevitably draw a line when faced with a teacher, but theyâre usually welcoming if itâs friends of their son. Kura-sen had probably considered this too, hence why he came to me instead.\n
She led us into the living room, and after sitting down on the sofa, we were offered cups of teas with tea bags in them. I drank from my cup as-is, while Yua accepted some milk and turned hers into milk tea before taking a sip.\n
ăBefore I forget. These are todayâs handouts.ă\n
I held out the set of printouts that Kura-sen had entrusted to me, and Yamazaki-kunâs mother took them in her hand, looked them over briefly, then heaved a big sigh.\n
ăMy son has really caused you a lot of troubleâŠă\n
Cutting off those words, I folded my hands in my lap and mumbled while looking down.\n
ăIs Kenta-kun well? Itâs been bothering me for a long time, but I wasnât sure what to say, and while I was stuck on that, time passed. âŠI really wish we could have come much sooner.ă\n
ăIâm really sorry that heâs caused you such concern. Even I havenât managed to find the words to say, so itâs only natural.ă\n
Yamazaki-kunâs mother raised her head and looked at me.\n
ăAs his mother, Iâm really glad that his friends have come to visit. Iâve always been worried that heâs all alone at school.ă\n
I did hear he had friends at school who shared his interests, so thereâs no mistaking the fact that he wasnât alone. Well, itâs true that the two of us might be a bit more flamboyant than his actual friends, though.\n
ăHas Kenta-kun not said anything to you either? Um⊠about the reason why he doesnât want to come to school.ă\n
Yua spoke hesitantly as she asked the question.\n
ăItâs embarrassing, but he hasnât told me anything. In January this year, he suddenly said he wanted to take time off from school, and since then heâs locked himself up in his room. I leave food in front of his room at particular times, and he does seem to eat. It also looks like he leaves his room when Iâm out shopping and in the middle of the night, butâŠă\n
ăItâs reassuring to hear that heâs eating well.ă\n
Sensing that the atmosphere was about to get heavy, Yua skilfully cut in.\n
ăIâm really sorry. Thereâs a pretty young lady like you worrying about him, and yetâŠă\n
Seeing a guilty look rise to Yuaâs face, I took control of the conversation.\n
ăNo, no, for a guy of our age, itâs deathly embarrassing to whine to your parents, so thatâs completely normal. In fact, itâd be more of a concern if he talked to you every day about his problems.ă\n
As lighthearted as possible, as if nothing was wrong.\n
ăIs thatâŠso. Heâs my son, and yet I donât quite understand him.ă\n
ăWell of course. Even we donât understand ourselves that well. If you donât mind, would you allow us to have a short chat with Kenta? If possible, among Kenta, myself, and Uchida, just the three of us. I think he might be stubborn if his mother is around.ă\n
ăThat is actually something I would request of you here, but it might be too demanding even for you. Even when his homeroom teacher was here last year, he said he didnât want to talk to them and told me to turn them away.ă\n
ăI donât mean to be rude, but a homeroom teacher is the same as a parent. There are some things that high school students can only talk to high school students about. He might still be stubborn towards us, but we donât plan to give up. I want us to graduate together, and donât care how many times we have to come here. So afterwards, would you mind just watching over what we do in silence for a while?ă\n
Yamazaki-kunâs mother gasped in surprise and nodded with slight tears in her eyes.\n