Got some extra time to myself today so time for Mei's POV chapter. 680+ views ya'll are awesome. Let's get this started
"I'm home." Mei said as she entered the apartment taking her shoes off and placing them orderly on the floor.
"Welcome home Mei, is your grandfather with you?" Ume asked as she sat up from the couch where she had been laying and trying to relax at least a little bit while waiting for the chairman to arrive.
"Huh? No, why would he be?" Mei asked confused looking to her step-mother who she could see had a very rosey hue to her face indicating she had been drinking but her face was also very puffy indicating she had been crying. "Are you alright mother? Did Yuzuko do something else?"
"I need to talk to him..." Ume sighed "I need to speak with the both of you." she grabbed the pill container and stood up from the couch staggering slightly before walking over to the dining table sitting down "Go ahead and get changed. Your grandfather should be here soon. I'll explain when he is here to the both of you." Mei looked at her and at the pill container for a moment not entirely sure what was going on before giving a nod and heading to her room to get changed.
'What's with the pills? Mother must have pretty severe anxiety though with a daughter like that who can blame her I suppose.' Mei though as she changed
Mei changed quickly and returned sitting down at the table across from her mother waiting for her to say something though it seemed like she was serious about waiting for her grandfather to arrive. Mei quietly sat upright ant attentive looking over her step mother with a stoic face but inwardly she worried a bit. It was unfair of Yuzu to put such a burden on the woman the way she had. Speaking of which where was the blonde idiot? She didn't seem to be here. Did mother leave her in jail at the police station? Would certainly serve the delinquent right. Mei eyed the pill container though still curious as to what exactly was in it.
Roughly twenty minutes of awkward silence later, there was a knock at the door. Ume stood up and walked to the door opening it to reveal the chairman, looking stern and composed as ever. "Good evening Mr. Aihara." she said giving a bow and standing to the side allowing him in. "Can I get you something to drink? It's been rough for all of us i'm sure." she said
"Good evening... Ume was it? I would prefer to make this quick as possible so I will have to decline your offer for a drink." he said entering the apartment. He spots Mei and gives a gruff grunt of acknowledgment of her presence but otherwise returned his attention to Ume. Mei simply nodded acknowledging his presence as well though she was quite curious and concerned as to why he was there. He wasn't seriously considering Yuzu as apart of the family was he?
-Flashback-
Mei knocked on the chairman's office door "You called for me grandfather?" she said
"Come in Mei." the chairman responded
Mei opened the door stepping inside the stately office closing the door behind her and walking forward standing attentive in front of her grandfathers desk waiting for the man to speak who was filing paperwork she assumed was probably the delinquent's expulsion papers.
"I just received a call from your new step mother." The director said still working through paperwork crossing things out and signing next to them.
'probably trying to apologize for the delinquent and beg for her spot back in the school I'm sure.' Mei thought
"Why didn't you tell me Yuzuko was your step sister?" he said looking up at her sternly from the paper work as he sat his pen down on top of them and leaned back in his leather chair placing his fingers in a pensive scholars cradle. A look Mei understood to be often irritation but sometimes curiosity
"It seemed irrelevant to the situation at the time." Mei replied
"Family is never irrelevant." The director replied. "Do you realize how sending one of our own to jail looks?"
"She is my step-sister but she is not family." Mei replied "She is an Aihara by marital connections of our parents and little more."
"She still bares our name Mei." the director snapped sternly "For any Aihara to be sent to jail is a disgrace to our entire family name and more importantly being sent by another of us is even worse. While I take full responsibility for such an action, I ask that you do not hide familial connections behind your distaste for the way they act."
"She was breaking school rules and her reaction was uncalled for, familial ties should not deter discipline." Mei replied stoically
"This is not up for debate Mei. Discipline can be metered out in a more productive and will do less damage to our family name." The Director responded
"Why are you defending her?" Mei asked confused. She was a delinquent who broke the rules and who's response when called on it was utterly vile.
"I am protecting the family name as I always have Mei." The chairman said. "Further more you do not deserve to call anyone out on their lack of discipline today after such a shameful showing this morning." The chairman glared over his fingers at the raven-haired girl. "Such an act could of gotten us sued where it not for your step-mothers naivety on the subject and familial connection to us."
"I couldn't just stand there and let her spout such putrid vile despicable hate at us!" Mei retorted
"SILENCE!" the director shouted back "You assaulted someone over a few inconsequential words Mei! If she had bruised or defended herself in the police report you could have been in a much greater amount of trouble! Think before you act! You are the heir to the Aihara name. You do not get the luxury of impulsive recklessness!"
Mei did her best to keep her emotions hidden though a bit of anger and betrayal would seep through the cracks in her stoic behavior which the director would notice but not comment on.
"Of course grandfather my apologies." she said "I will do my best to avoid such outbursts in the future."
"Now go... I have an expulsion to revoke." he said returning to the paperwork crossing things out and signing his name
"Of course grandfather." Mei said giving a bow and exiting the office.
-Present day-
"Of course sir." Ume said entering deeper into the apartment and offering him a seat at the head of the table which he took. Mei would sit down next to him while Ume remained standing. Ume pulled the pill container out of her pocket and placed it on the table before bowing deeply to the senior Aihara prompting a bit of confusion from mei."Please if you can find it in your heart, forgive my Yuzuko for today." she said remaining in her deep bow. "She wasn't herself today, she's hurting deeply. I know it's no excuse, I won't try to make this into one. I can only apologize and explain." The Chairman looked at Ume with a nearly imperceptible change to his outwards expression though Mei who had been used to seeing him noticed the ever so slight change as surprise which further surprised her as he normally did not show any cracks in his stoic expressions.
"Yuzuko has fought with serious depression since her father died." Ume began to explain still staying in her deep bow of respect for the senior Aihara. "I am deeply sorry for her actions today, she feels little more than pain, anger, and sadness when she hasn't taken her medicine in a while. I am a terrible mother, I haven't remembered to remind her to take her medicine since we moved. I promise she is a good girl at heart she just has a hard time dealing with higher class people ever since the accident."
Hearing that Yuzuko was fighting with such a serious case of depression hit Mei like a truck. 'I assaulted her and she was... oh god what have I done?' Mei thought to herself. 'I'm a terrible person... no worse... I'm a terrible step sister.' The black haired girl raised a hand to her hair taking a few strands and fiddling with them in deep contemplation.
"Ume sit down and explain to me what it is your talking about." The chairman said motioning towards the chair across from Mei next to him.
Ume looked up and sighed standing back up walking over and sitting down. "Yuzu's father died six years ago in a drunk driving accident. Yuzu was closer to her dad than anyone. She loved him so much that his death crushed her. She couldn't even bring herself to say goodbye at his funeral, as if the mere act of abstaining from doing so would keep him alive in her heart, but she knew he was gone. The man that struck and killed my husband was from a well off family. I've tried to push it all out of my mind as much as possible to try and be here in the present for Yuzu, I've forgotten his name, but I still remember the man's face clearly. The man had not a single ounce of remorse for what he had done. He took away my best friend and husband, but most importantly..." Ume's hands balled into fists "He took away Yuzu's father." Tears began to stream down Ume's face which she brushed away as best she could.
'No wonder she's depressed. I miss my father deeply and I haven't seen him in five years, and he's still alive. She can't even speak to him anymore. He's gone.' Mei though gripping more tightly on her hair
Ume and her grandfather continued to speak as Mei continued to grip her hair and think about the situation 'I was too hasty to pass judgment. She didn't deserve any of what she is going through today and it's just as much my fault as anyone else. I'll have to make it up to her.'
"I... I see." Ume replied to something the chairman had just said looking over at Mei who's head was now hung in shame as she played with her hair nervously. A shocking sight to Ume as the girl was normally so naturally reserved. "I will forgive you, the both of you... now at the moment we have a greater concern. I haven't been able to contact Yuzuko all day. She ran away from home when I confronted her about the events from this morning after picking her up from the police station." Ume explained which caused the chairman to sigh.
'your forgiveness means nothing to me... I have to ask her... she has to be the one to forgive me for what I've done.' Mei thought
"I will be off now. Mei. I suggest you apologize to your step-mother. And if you get the chance, to Yuzuko." Mei gave a nod
'of course I am going to apologize... but will she accept it?' the chairman grunted in response to her head nod before heading out of the apartment.
Hope ya'll enjoyed. Next chapter we'll be back to yuzu.