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Chapter 5 â To Move Forward\nVolume 2\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nAfter catching up with her, I stepped into the Enami house while talking about random things with her.\n
I always feel nervous when I stand at the entrance of the Enami house. Is it because of the unique atmosphere? Or is it because Iâm not used to entering someoneâs house?\n
The hallway still had scars from that day. The surface of the paint was peeling off.\n\n
âEh?ăWhatâs wrong?â\n\n
Enami-san gave me a suspicious look when I stopped moving.\n\n
âNo, nothing.â\n\n
I quickly took off my shoes.\n
After all this time, itâs amazing how far weâve gotten. The scene at that time was shocking.\n
The bloodshot eyes, the loud voice that seemed to intimidate people.\n
And most importantly, she didnât care if she damaged the hallway at all.\n
Compared to the despair I felt at that moment, I had managed to rise considerably. It was the result of careful step-by-step progress. Considering that the result could have been very different with just one wrong button, I really felt like patting myself on the back for a job well done.\n
Enami-san opened the door to the living room.\n
A chilly breeze touched my skin. Still, it wasnât that cold. It was proof that the heating system was working properly.\n
However, apart from that, my body shivered a little.\n\n
âHm?\n\n
My brain instantly felt some kind of discomfort. However, I couldnât immediately recognize what it was.\n
But still, something was different.\n
I took a closer look at the inside of the living room.\n
There was hardly any garbage anymore. The kitchen, and the rest of the house, was neat and clean. The tattered furniture was still there, but I realized what it was when I thought about it.\n\n
âEh?\n\n
Why, I wondered.\n
For example, the lace curtains by the window. The top and bottom were connected by a faint joint. But now it was completely separated, and the lower part had fallen to the floor.\n
And, the carpet on the floor. It should have been stretched from one end to the other, but it is now curled up or turned inside out.\n
Another example, on the dining table. There are pieces of broken dishes scattered all over the place, even though nothing was supposed to be there. All the pieces were supposed to have been collected, which meant that they had been broken anew.\n
Enami-san who was next to me seemed to have noticed this as well.\n\n
âNo wayâŠâ\n\n
Enami-san scrunched up her hair in irritation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mother Enami sleeping on the other side of the dining table as usual. There is only one person who would do such a thing.\n
And then, it happened.\n\n
ââOh?â\n\n
Maybe she noticed our footsteps or the sound of the door opening and closing.\n
From the back of the room, I heard the usual voice.\n
Shortly after, Mother Enami stood up. She was still wearing her pajamas, and she approached me with a thin shawl draped back over her shoulders.\n
Her expression. Her movements. The tone of her voice. Everything was the same.\n
But I knew. A slight change in the living room. I knew it was this personâs doing.\n
I thought everything was going to be fine. It was the same with this room. Since Mother Enami had been quiet for a long time, and I could see her as a good mother, I had a feeling that slowly and gradually, her state of mind would be cleaned up.\n
It was just hubris. If it had been that easy to solve the problem, Enami-san would have taken care of it on her own.\n
We kept moving forward and backward. There was no way it was that easy to just move forward.\n
Mother Enami stood in front of me and smiled.\n\n
âOh my.ăYouâre here again today, Naoya-kun.â\n
âYes. Iâm sorry for coming without notice⊠I was wondering how your health isâŠâ\n\n
I think it was my instinct to be a good boy that allowed me to respond so quickly.\n\n
âFufu. Iâm almost okay now. I think itâs thanks to you guys. My feverâs gone down.â\n
âIâm glad to hear that.â\n\n
Enami-san beside me was silent. She looked puzzled by the current situation.\n
The reason she had been in a good mood lately was that she had been relieved of the emotional burden she had been carrying. However, the signs of a relapse in mother Enamiâs condition have made her earlier jubilant mood sink as if it was a lie.\n\n
âThat flashy kid is not here today, huh?â\n
âItâs just me. Iâve been asked to do a favor for Enami-sanâŠâ\n
âOh, really? Is it about studying or something?â\n
âThatâs just the usual thing. Actually, itâsâŠâ\n\n
I didnât know how she would react, but I knew she wouldnât be in a bad mood just because she found out.\n
So I said it.\n\n
âIâm here to teach her how to cook.â\n
âCooking? Eh? To Risa?â\n
âYes.â\n\n
It wasnât a particularly bad reaction.\n
Itâs just that studying has been replaced by cooking. As long as she doesnât mind us using the kitchen, there shouldnât be a problem.\n\n
âThatâs unusual. I canât believe Risa would ask you to do that.â\n
âThatâs not true. Enami-saâŠRisa-san wants to cook for mother.â\n\n
Enami-san also looked at Mother Enamiâs face.\n
But still, the bad change did not happen. Her eyes widened in surprise, but her face was soon overshadowed by a smile.\n\n
âIâve heard some good thing. I didnât know that at all. Thanks, RisaâŠâ\n
âItâs nothing bigâŠâ\n\n
Looking away to the side, Enami-san said softly.\n\n
âWhat in the world is going on here?\n\n
Even though we were talking, it didnât seem like Mother Enami was in a bad mood.\n\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nTN: Two chapters today⊠for the old times sake.\n\n