Keiko sung slowly. Her hand was on her cheek and her fingers tapping against the wood. Her eyes pierced the homework. Not a single line was filled in. She kept tapping hoping something would come to her. Normally, that would be the case.
She felt off. Something wasn't right.
She groaned and slouched further in her chair. Maybe she should take a quick nap. She shook her head and brought herself back. Homework first, naps later. Keiko sung louder. The words were slow. It was a song she heard on the radio. Songs were said to soothe the soul.
They became louder and quickly Keiko's body moved to each syllable she was singing. It was a sad song. She remembered when she first heard it. It was by some horrible singer, dreadful and depressing. While her friends were moved to tears, she was losing her lunch. If some words hadn't somehow stroked her heart, she would've hit herself.
She moved herself a little, pencil still in hand. Her eyes did not leave her assignment for an instant.
At the same time, Mrs. Yukimura was peering into her daughter's bedroom. By the look on the girl's face, she could tell it was 'boy troubles'. She laughed a bit. How silly her daughter was.
Didn't she know?
That was all part of love's cruel joke.
You could sing all the sad songs you wanted, but it wasn't going to get you anywhere.
Because words are just words and they only go so deep.
The woman winced when she heard the high note lifting itself high in the air. It got only so high and then broke into pieces. She watched as her daughter twirled the pencil in her hand made another awful note.
Mrs. Yukimura had enough. She pushed the door open all the way and went into the room. Keiko stared at her and turned the stereo down. The woman made way to her bed. Keiko raised a brow. Mrs. Yukimura bounced up and down on the mattress. She looked at her daughter's lifted brow. That was teen speak for: What the hell do you want?
"What happened?" She asked.
She already knew.
It was rare to see that heartbreaking face. There was no anger, irritation, nothing malicious, just pain. "It's just something at school mom. You don't have to worry about it."
"Oh, but if it concerns your education, I do." The woman played the card quick. She knew how it went too well. She watched as the girl turned away from her.
The woman could only guess what was going on in her head.
Keiko bowed her head slightly. They didn't take anything she went through seriously.
"Dear, everyone has to go through this. Everyone. There isn't a single person who hasn't been upset because of someone else," Mrs. Yukimura sang the last word. Her note broke just as easily.
Keiko blushed. She knew. "Things change, people change, and sometimes you have to get into a flow of different things. You're both growing up a lot. That just means there's room for change in your relationship."
Keiko shook her head. "He hates me."
The woman frowned.
"Did he tell you that?"
"He doesn't have to." She smiled, "I already know."
He ran out on her again. That made the second time since he came back to life. Just the mention of spending time with her made him shiver.
He said stalking.
She said concerned.
He said nagging.
She said reminding.
It seemed like all her good deeds were wasted. She was misunderstood.
"Keiko you know Yusuke better than anyone." The woman said. "Does he really look like he hates you?"
Keiko nodded.
"If Yusuke hated you, he'd tell you."
That was true.
Yusuke wasn't considerate to the ones he hated.
Heck, he wasn't very considerate at all.
Mrs. Yukimura smiled. "Every woman and man has to go through it. That's the way things are." Her words were soft. Quickly, the woman got to her feet and made way to the door.
"I think you should give him some time." The woman said. "No sad songs are going to make things go by faster." It'll make it a lot slower. The woman knew the ways of a broken heart, waking up and feeling worry go through her. To her, it seemed to happen just yesterday.
The woman closed the door behind her and made way to the bathroom. Suddenly, she heard her husband's footsteps. How she knew they were his, she didn't know. She turned to him. That was her heartbreaker standing before her. The champ that stole her heart and still held it captive. She smiled.
"What was that all about?" The man asked.
"Don't worry about it." She said as she walked away. She needed a long hot bath.
A few moments later, the teenager creaked downstairs. To her left was the phone. She grabbed the receiver and began pressing buttons. "Hello?" Keiko asked. "Hi, Atsuko san, how are you?" Keiko nodded again as the woman told her a bit about her day.
"How's Yusuke?" She asked. There was a pause. Keiko smiled. She already knew.
"Did he tell you where he went?" She asked. "No, that's okay. No message." The girl hung up the phone. She didn't tell her mother one thing.
She hadn't seen Yusuke in over a month.
Keiko turned her head toward the stairway to see her mother smiling sheepishly at her. How did she….
Keiko smiled.
"Are the sad songs going to continue?" The woman asked.
Keiko shook her head.
"Good, because you can't sing a note."
"Thanks for cheering me up." She said sarcastically.
The woman took note of that, but smiled. "You're welcome."