/
47. A sudden guest
It was an exchange that started in a hurry, and although it was the first one, it was quite a good harvest.
I was glad to have a talk with them.
I went back home after that, and unexpectedly, this day, my Mom came home. Earlier than usual today.
“Welcome home, Mom”
When I met Mom at the door, she looked behind her and urged someone, “Now, now, come in.”
“A guest?”
It was rare for Mom to bring people home. And this time, the other party seemed reluctant to come in.
After waiting for a while, a small girl appeared from behind the entrance door.
“
Rie?”
She was a group member when I was in my last year of Middle school, Rie Etou.
“


”
Her small body shrunk even further, and she looked like an abandoned cat.
“I just happened to meet her on the street, so I brought her here.”
“You brought her here
 Huh? Mom, do you know Rie?”
I haven’t introduced her before though

“Yes. I know her. But, let’s leave the details for later. For now, come in.”
With a confused face, Rie looked at me as if asking for help.
“It’s too late to step back now. So, come inside first.”
Rie was in a state of confusion, but so was I.
“
 I-I’m sorry, for the sudden visit
”
Rie was terrified and walked to the living room, being wary of the surroundings and careful not to touch the wall or an ornament. It was as if, an electric current would flow if she ever touched it.
“

But, why?”
No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand why Mom invited Rie to come here.
“Well, of course, I know her. Not only Rie-chan, but Makoto-chan, and Yuuko-chan too. I’m in regular contact with their parents.”
It felt as if I just hear a massive spoiler.
In short, it could be said that Mom, and their parents secretly formed a “Mama Association”. How unexpected.
“I didn’t know

”
And based on Rie’s tone when saying that, it seemed she didn’t know either. That meant, their parents must have kept it a secret too.
“We secretly exchanged information on a regular basis.”
“Right
 once again, but why?”
“Well, in order not to give birth to conflict. In the case of boys’ parents, they’re considerate about things like school visits. That’s why we shared information in other places.”
“Speaking of which, Mom, you didn’t always come to school visits
 I thought it was because you were busy with work.”
When Mom didn’t come, it was Sis who came in her stead.
In fact, even when I was in elementary school, Mom would come once a year, or even not at all.
However, there was one strange thing when I was in middle school.
It was as if she kept her distance from school as much as possible.
Which led to a question.
But, how did she know others’ parents?
Before I could ask Mom about it, she continued her words,
“Actually, I thought it would be better not to interact with others’ parents, but I found a name that I knew.”
“
..Hmm?”
“You see, Yayoi-san was a “Flying Disc” player.”
“

Hmm?”
“Eh? You know that my mother was a player?”
“Of course, I know. She was a player in one of the few mixed sports. I saw her on TV.”
A sport called “Flying Disc” was a sport where you threw a disk
 anyway, since it was a mixed-gender sport, it was quite popular in this world.
Of course, having men participate in the game, must have made it a sport with a lot of viewers.
And of course, outside the special ward, it would only be going to be an all-girls team.
And Rie’s mother, Yayoi-san, seemed to have been a member of an adult team in the past.
She had already retired now, but when she was still active, obviously, the game she participated in was broadcasted on TV. And that was why Mom knew about her.
“Rie’s mother, was that amazing huh
”
“Because she retired before I could see it myself, I only know about it by word of mouth.”
Yayoi-san was a player at a major company that had a “Flying Disc” team in-house.
It was a popular competition, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that companies staked their prestige on it. In any case, any company was seriously competing with rival companies.
Of course, there was preferential treatment for players.
And that was probably why Rie was able to live in the Special Ward.
“And that amazing person’s daughter was in Take-chan’s group, right? When I knew that, I thought that I should talk to her.”
“I see

”
As a result, Mom became friends with Makoto and Yuuko’s mother too, and secretly formed a “Mama’s association”

“Still, I’m surprised that our parents have been meeting behind the scenes.”
Rie nodded slowly to my words.
“Mother
 she might have said something suggestive at times. Just that I didn’t realize it.”
It seemed that Rie had a few things that came to mind.
“Come to think of it, she’s a player of a mixed-gender sport, so it can be
”
I saw a mixed double in badminton and tennis before, but still, it’s rare for men and women to compete together in sports.
“Yeah. Mother’s only strength was her motor skills, so she chose a sport that gave her the most opportunities to interact with men.”
Thank you for your honesty. But maybe it’s better not to say that?
“I-I see
 but that’s not the only thing she can be proud of, right?”
Or else, she’s just like me

“Hmm, there was a time she was laughing while saying her nickname in school was “KYM” “
” “KYM”
..?”
What does it mean?
“I couldn’t guess the reason, so I asked her, but she just laughed and didn’t tell me anything further.”
“I wonder what’s the meaning? Well, it may not be a good one
 Anyway, through the flying disc
 d-did she manages to become close to a man?”
“That’s, she got so into it, and practice every day, running and throwing discs every day, and when she heard the people around her got a partner, she practiced even more, and got scouted by a company.”
“T-then?”
“I heard she was doing nothing but special training there.”
“In short

?”
“She was so involved in the sport that she didn’t get a chance to search for someone
 Huh? Why are you crying?”
“Ah, that’s
”
Damn it, my tears

“Take-kun? Eh? Eeeeh?”
“Somehow, I can relate to her and I can’t think of it as someone else’s story
”
“B-but, do you need to cry?!”
Rie, even if I tell you, you won’t believe it.
As a fellow sportsman, I’ve a lot of sympathy for your mother.
I’m sure she was sweating hard during practice. She must have sweat so hard that it came out from her eyes when she saw men and women walking side by side in the city.
Yeah, I understand it. I understand it very well

For a while, my tears didn’t stop. Couldn’t be stopped.
TN : So, it wasn’t actually KYM, it’s a word I made based on the meaning of the kanji “ç©ș気” (からけ) -> which literary means, empty/no/zero atmospheres, or used by Japanese people in the old times to say that you can’t read the mood, recently not used as much.
And thus, I changed it into “KYM”, which is “K(uuki) Y(o)m(enai)”, which means, people who can’t read the moods, the same as the initial intention. And in English, it’ll be “Kill Your Mood”.