CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX – FAVORS
Against the dimness of his room, Kenta blinked once, and then a few more times in case his eyes were playing tricks on him, taking advantage of his sleepiness this early in the morning. Still, it was no use. If there was anything that could not lie about whatever it displayed, it would be technology, and there was no mistaking the fact that his cellphone had just notified him to a message from Monika—one that seemed to have a certain tone of plea in it.
"good morning kenta. is it ok if i ask for a small favor? sorry for the early text, i just felt the need to ask :("
Kenta sat up on his bed, unsure on what to feel as he read the message over and over. Concern, surprise, elation and anxiousness warred in him. Going for a while without any consistent conversations with Monika on text, the last thing he expected from her was this, and he began to wonder whether or not it was a good sign. I should reply, at least, he told himself as he rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes. After going through a number of responses in his head and on his phone, he managed to type out a tentative reply.
"yo, good morning. wat is it?"
Giving Monika some time to respond, he got up and began preparing for school, his mind wandering over the possibilities as to what Monika was having problems with—for what else could they be? If she texted me this early, there might be something wrong. Again, it was a startling change of pace after days of dreariness, exacerbated by the dismal weather that had prevailed on Eishima at an on-and-off basis, enshrouding the city in a dim, chilly veil. In the shower, Kenta let the cold water perk up his senses, sending shocking rivers of iciness through his veins. It was a jarring sensation, but also a livening one, and it always perked him up on what would usually be an uneventful, lonely day. Naturally, his fellows in the quartet were the exception to the tedium, but Kenta always found himself receding to the sidelines when he was with them, especially when Natsuki and Yuri were around to be with Daisuke and Naoki, leaving him as the odd man out again.
When he had finished getting dressed for school, he saw that Monika had replied. "i'll explain later at school. if it's ok, can we talk before class? i'll be outside the library"
Kenta sighed to himself, his worry picking up a little. "ok, see u there!" he texted out, thankful that his reply did not sound as anxious as he felt.
His mother looked up with a touch of surprise when she heard him coming down the stairs for breakfast. Kanae was already sitting at the table, mixing some pickled radish with her bowl of rice and fish.
"You're up early," she said when he approached the table.
"Woke up before my alarm went off," Kenta lied, taking his seat from across her spot and picking up a bowl of rice for himself. When Kanae kept staring at him, he added, "What? Not the first time that happened, right?"
"No, that's definitely the first," his mother joked as she busied herself with some fried salmon on the stove. "Do you want this salmon, or would you like the eel better? I haven't cooked any yet."
"Anything is fine with me, Mom," Kenta replied as he fumbled with his chopsticks. Quickly, he took some pickled radish and scrambled egg rolls on a small platter before taking another look at his cellphone. Monika had not sent any reply after his last message, but he set his phone down next to him on the table just in case she did.
"You're looking pretty worked up," Kanae pointed out. "Are you having problems with your homework again?"
Kenta looked around distractedly for a second. "What? No, that's not it," he said. "I'm just . . . well, yeah, I'm trying to, er . . . see if I got everything up to snuff. Just last week, I almost forgot to review for our Social Studies quiz, so I'm, uh, contacting Naoki to make sure I don't forget anything again." The lie came easily enough, he mused. His previous track record of notoriety when it came to academics would certainly help the duplicity.
"Oh, make sure everything's all in place!" said his mother sternly. "You told me that your exams are coming up soon. I don't want you skipping out on any more requirements before then!"
"Don't worry, Mom. I won't," Kenta insisted. He took some of the fried salmon that his mother had just finished cooking and began to eat posthaste, reeling at the hot mouthfuls of rice burning his tongue and chewing as fast as he could. Kanae watched him with a slightly confused frown on her face, as if she was still trying to figure out the cause of his obvious agitation this early in the day. Kenta tensed a little under his sister's gaze, feeling that she could see right through him.
Thankfully, their mother provided an unwitting distraction. "So, is that December trip at the office pushing through, Kanae?" she asked. "Your team leaders are gonna have to book things quick if they want accommodation for you guys this close to the holidays. I heard that the ryokan around Tokyo are starting to become full already. It might be the same at Kofu already."
"I think our bosses already have that sorted out with that place they mentioned," Kanae replied. "Something about a friend of theirs who owns a complex somewhere in the city there, so yeah, it'll push through."
"Good, because I've started prepping a list of things I want you to buy there," said their mother, her mood changing from worry to excitement a flash. "Mrs. Saionji told me that the rice cakes they have there are just to die for, and the wine is as consistent as ever. Maybe we'll be able to stock up on a bottle or two for Christmas, and the rice cake should make a nice little gift for the annual potluck over at Mrs. Akitsuki's—"
"Mom, you do know this won't be a field trip, right?" Kanae deadpanned. "This is a team-building event."
"I know, but that doesn't mean you can't buy anything, right? This'd be the first time in a very long time that anyone here will be able to leave the city and go somewhere else. Plus, Yamanashi is surely prepping for the holiday season too, so any goods they have will be topnotch at this time of year. What better time to buy than now?"
"Okay, okay, but no promises! I'll see if I can look for some stuff on our free time."
As soon as he had finished his bowl, Kenta stood up and went for a drink of water. His mother and sister watched him go with surprise. "Running late for something?" Kanae asked.
"Yeah, Naoki told me that he and Daisuke are gonna be waiting in the convenience store a block away from the school," Kenta lied as he finished his drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I wanted to meet up at school, but they told me they're on the way already, the little dolts," he added to further screen the duplicity.
"Don't forget your umbrella!" his mother told him. "And try to be home early. I might need some help preparing some of the veggies I bought for dinner!"
"Yeah, yeah, will try!" In a flash, Kenta snatched up his phone from the table, bade them goodbye and bolted out of the house with his school bag and umbrella. All around him, the rain fell lightly over Eishima, a portent of heavier showers in the afternoon just like the ones that had fallen in the past days. By the time he reached the first block down the street, his shoes were already soaking wet, but he pressed on a brisk pace regardless. Compared to the sluggish manner in which he had endured the past few days, everything suddenly came as a hectic blur, but it gave Kenta some measure of peace all the same. He dodged past the cars on the streets, bumped into more than a few pedestrians along the way, and soon had his shoes wet from all the puddles he had run across.
Surprisingly, Monika was not yet around when he arrived at the library around ten minutes later. Kenta looked up and down the corridor for her, not wanting to wander too far in case she did show up. Parts of his uniform were cold and wet, left unshielded in the rain during his haphazard trip to school. Still, wet shoes and clothes were the least of his worries at the moment, and even the uncomfortably coarse sensation on his tongue where he had burned it in his hurry to eat a piping hot breakfast mattered little. Monika's usually early, he mused. Earlier than me, that's for sure. Did . . . Did something happen?
"Oh, Kenta!"
Kenta turned around as soon as he heard her voice. Monika was hurrying towards him, a relieved smile on her elegant face. In an instant, the coldness on his uniform was beaten back by a comforting sensation of warmth that caressed his being, as if the sight of her was a breath of cool, fresh air after days of enduring nothing but blistering, choking smog.
"I hope I didn't make you wait long," said Monika worriedly. "Mr. Fujita ran into some traffic on the way here."
"No, no, it's all good!" said Kenta, fighting hard to keep his excitement and joy contained. "I arrived here only a few minutes before you did."
"That's a relief." Monika sighed. "I wanted to come here earlier, but I needed to sort out a few things at home before I left."
"No problem, I understand. Mom and Sis were pretty surprised, though. It's not every day that I wake up without sleeping through an alarm," he joked. The two of them laughed, and at that moment it sounded like the best thing Kenta had heard in a long while. In an instant, the grim weather and the cold he had endured felt like nothing, as if nothing had changed between them in the past couple of weeks. He wanted to kick himself inwardly for all the times he might have missed out on chatting with Monika, but he focused on the matter at hand, not wanting to get carried away and jinx any goodness coming his way.
"Now, what were you texting me about? It sounded pretty urgent," he asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh, um . . ." Monika hesitated, looking around at her as if she was expecting someone to be standing there listening to them. When she had made sure that no one was around, she looked straight into Kenta's eyes.
"Is it okay if we talk somewhere a little quieter?"
For some reason, Kenta felt his heart skip a beat, but he also took note of what lay beneath Monika's beautiful features: tiredness, the same kind that he had seen back when she seemed too overcome by stress during that one evening at the Cocoa Connection—the same evening when he coincidentally received a thinly veiled reprimand from her mother to stay away. In that moment, he felt like he understood.
"Uh, o-okay, sure. Go right ahead," he replied.
Giving him a small smile, Monika walked past him and led the way to the nearest staircase. Kenta followed dutifully behind her, his brain racing all over again. If she needed to speak to him in private like this, he could only wonder what exactly was happening, and he prepared himself for it. He wanted nothing more than to talk to her openly again, to assure her that everything would be alright, that he had been waiting for so long to be able to talk to her again like they had done back at the festival. And though her mother's shadow still loomed ominously behind them like a restless shade haunting a once-cheerful abode, Kenta knew that there was no way to stop his current encounter with Monika now.
When they had reached the staircase, Monika immediately turned to him. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know I haven't been able to talk to you much these past few days, and yet here I am dragging you along."
"Hey, no worries," said Kenta. "I understand why you've been busy, alright?"
Monika sighed. "Thanks. I really appreciate that. I'm just . . . nervous. You see, we're gonna be having our official evaluation today in front of our advisers. That's in preparation for January."
"Oh. I think I remember you mentioning that, yeah. Sounds pretty scary," Kenta remarked.
"Yes, I agree." Monika laughed a little. "It's been rougher than anything, to tell you the truth. We had a few hiccups here and there, and Takeo's even more on edge than I am. We're doing our best to help everyone get in shape, but we can only hope that it passes our advisers' standards. Otherwise, it'd set us back, and everyone's morale will be shot. That's the last thing we need when the topics for the actual competition roll in. At this point, I'm more worried about this than I am about my part in the December sessions. I didn't think I'd get this worked up about it, but here I am."
As if sagging from the figurative weight on her mind, she sat down at the foot of the stairs. Kenta followed suit, sitting at her right. "How about your folks?" he asked her with a bit of reluctance, Mrs. Steinbeck's look of disapproval flitting past his mind's eye. "I hope things are going well at your place."
"Well, things are normal as can be there. And by 'normal' I mean nothing much has changed," Monika stated dryly. "Mom and I talked a few times before, and Dad as well whenever he's not in his study. And of course, business arrangements every week, meaning I get to be alone in the house for several nights in a row. Honestly, though, I don't mind. At least I have fewer things to be stressed about, right?"
"That's true," said Kenta, wondering if he was part of those fewer things as well.
Monika reached out to take his hand, as if she sensed his thoughts. "I'm glad you're here, Kenta. I feel a lot better with you around right now. Again, I'm sorry if I haven't had a lot of time lately to reply to you. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Kenta grinned, savoring the feel of her soft fingers intertwining with his. "That's okay. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."
Monika smiled back. "If things go well later for us in the evaluation, maybe . . . maybe we can go over to the Connection for a quick coffee? My treat. It'll be just like old times."
"You're saying that like it's been years since we last talked to each other," Kenta quipped, chuckling. Still, he could not suppress his excitement enough. Coffee at the Cocoa Connection sounded like paradise compared to the loneliness he had been enduring for a while now.
Monika laughed with him. "It feels like that, to be honest. Besides, I think I'm going to need that coffee whatever the outcome is at the end of the day. What do you say?"
Kenta shifted shyly where he sat. This is it, boy. Things are finally looking up. "Alright, but only if you let me pay for my own stuff this time. I just got my allowance the other day, y'know?"
"Okay, fine," Monika conceded. "The covered walkway near the gate, that's where we'll meet up. That way, I can tell Mr. Fujita that I'll be going somewhere, so he doesn't have to wait for me. Deal?"
Kenta nodded readily. "Deal."
The day passed by without too much incident, though Monika felt the tiniest bit of relief at that. After how hectic things had been, she knew that she could scarcely handle anything else that might throw a wrench in the wobbly machine that was their club's status. In spite of Takeo's protests and fears about their performance, their team had managed to pull through in their practice on a consistent scale at least, enough to go ahead with the evaluation instead of having it postponed for whatever reason. Himari's absence was something that strained tensions further, and some of the club members soon began voicing their own woes and complaints as their vice president doubled down on his near-draconian handling of their mock debates. Monika felt for them, but knew that she could do little to change things. It was a testament to her eroding resolve that she was starting to lose her patience with herself more and more with each passing day, to the point where she began to set her standards unnecessarily high where her homework and club duties were concerned. Her parents ate at the dinner table like nothing was happening, oblivious to the burden she bore. Her mother had been slightly more lenient, though her demeanor still remained professional as always; at times, Monika could only wonder how the plans of their anticipated move to Osaka were doing.
She looked around at the audio visual room that they had been allowed to use for their evaluation, where their junior members were busy making sure that everything was in its proper place for the evaluation, from the chairs their advisers would be seated on, to the podium where the moderator would preside over the mock debate, to the tables where the opposing teams would be situated. Monika could not commend her fellow members enough on the efforts they were putting in despite the stress and anxiety that was creeping inexorably upon them. Some of them even drew a measure of comfort and reassurance from the fact that even she shared their fears and worries, that the great Monika Steinbeck was just as scared but also as willing to push through as the rest of them were. If it meant giving her team members the focus and support they needed to do well, then she was more than willing to stand as their beacon, no matter how battered she was becoming.
Of course, that did not mean she was willing to shoulder everything alone over and over, and Monika soon found herself thinking of Kenta again. The passing days had left her with so much stress, words and paperwork crammed into her brain that she barely had any space to remember talking or replying to him. Such thoughts always came late at night, when she was already too tired and disgruntled to properly compose a message, followed by guilt the following morning about missed chances and messages that could have been sent the night before. Now, though, with her anxiety climbing steadily as soon as the week crossed into Thursday, she was unable to hold it off any longer. Monika could not shake off her guilt at how Kenta was so receptive of her in spite of everything, with his own obvious excitement proving to her how much he had missed her company. She could only hope that after their evaluation, she would be able to make things up to him in some way.
Wanting to keep her mind busy and distract from her anxiety, Monika stepped out in the corridor where the teams were going over their own arguments and facts for the evaluation. She watched as everyone read in terse silence, focusing intently on the data that the other members had collected and typewritten for them. In an effort to help them feel more prepared, Monika went around to make sure that their parts were well-rehearsed by now, knowing that at the other end of the corridor, Takeo would be doing the same with the other team. The topic that had been given to them did not make things any easier. "Is it viable to change the contemporary grading system in Japan's educational institutions?"Where other students were concerned, such a question was bound to fit the standards of a penultimate requirement in class, but for Monika and the debate club, it was standard fare at this point where debate competitions were concerned. While her juniors managed to find articles online that helped their side, a sizeable portion of their research had taken their team to other schools across Eishima, where they conducted surveys with teachers in an effort to prove whether changing the old system is needed or not. A hectic process to be sure, yet Monika knew that it would only get more difficult once their topics for the nationals would be relayed to them by the competition's organizers in the weeks leading up to the event. That would give them enough time to research, but only if they would not be set back by failing their evaluation.
Takeo showed up with the opposing group ten minutes before call time. He looked as serious as ever, showing no green around his gills about the impending evaluation. Monika always admired him for that, even if it did feed his ego and made him insufferable at times. She walked over to him and asked, "Everything in order?"
"Quite. Not exactly perfect, but there isn't a lot that we can do about that at this point," Takeo replied with a touch of disdain. "I've heard that Professor Ogawa and Professor Abe are on their way from the faculty. Let's just hope nothing else happens that'll derail our preparations. Heaven forbid we'll end up in worse shape this close to January after this."
"It'll be fine," said Monika, though more for her own assurance than for Takeo's.
"I'll believe that once today is over. Besides, there's still December to go. We've got a lot of ground to cover."
"Yeah, I remember just fine."
Her vice president eyed her for a moment before letting out a short sigh. "About what happened with Himari a couple of days back . . . I apologize," he said stiffly. "I might have been a bit too forceful with you."
And with the rest of the club, that's for sure, Monika mused to herself, though she knew better than to poke that jab at Takeo now. "It's fine," she replied instead. "We all just want what's best for the club, and we display our nerves in different ways, after all. Well, we're here already, so might as well try our best and make do with what we've managed so far."
Takeo nodded, his pale blue eyes looking grim. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
Tensions rose to a crescendo when the entire panel of advisers had finally been seated at their respective places in the center of the AV room, facing the small stage they had set up. It was a relief that evaluations never required them to dress for the occasion, as is the standard protocol in debate competitions; Monika knew it would only add more anxiety and an unwelcome feeling of self-consciousness for everyone involved on the stage.
Soon, the competing teams took their places at the tables, with the moderator seated at the podium just a little off center behind them. Monika hung back, watching with the rest of the club behind their advisers. Takeo stood like a sentinel near the stage, scrutinizing the proceedings with his keen, piercing gaze, ready to assess his juniors' performances and make notes on what to tell them later.
The presentation began with a formal greeting from the moderator, the role of which was filled by one of their professors to keep things impartial. Brief introductions were made involving the participants of both sides; in a formal contest, Monika knew that such introductions went on longer, but the evaluation necessitated that the proceedings progress quickly to the matter at hand. A brief moment of silence was observed, just enough for the teams to adjust their bearings, before the moderator formally opened the debate with the first question related to the parent topic.
When the affirmative team delivered the opening speech for their argument, Monika found herself breathing a little more shallowly than usual. Keep your poise, guys, she muttered to herself, even if she knew her juniors could not hear her thoughts. Speak clearly. Make the most out of the minutes. Debates offered speakers from both teams an average of three to four minutes to deliver their arguments, meaning that much of their practice focused around the speakers formulating compact, precise speeches that will forward their arguments with as little padding and as much concision as possible. These rudimentary factors on delivery and formulation of arguments were more important than the idea of winning the argument. Of course, such a prospect was easier said than done, especially in the light of a national competition as well as verbal tics and mannerisms unique to each speaker, but such were the challenges one must overcome in formal debating. Monika remembered the first time she had joined a contest, and she would not soon forget how terrible she felt afterwards, like she had just endured a bout of flu. The judges involved always looked like they were cut from the same cloth, always looking at them with steely eyes and permanent, pensive frowns, at least until they started speaking to fire questions at both teams.
As the debate progressed, Monika took note of the small mistakes that her juniors committed unwittingly—a rebuttal that went beyond the minutes, an idea that was repeated unnecessarily in a speech, a few lulling moments where a speaker tried to gather as much of their thoughts as they could within milliseconds. At times, Monika could not tell if she could actually spot the errors for herself or if her nervousness was making her see and hear things. Next to the stage, Takeo's expression had not changed, though she could already sense the gears working inside his head as he watched out for any and every lapse that could be made. In spite of the clashes they had recently, there was something about the unease in her vice president's features now that made Monika sympathize with him at the very least.
The speeches and rebuttals wore on. One side was now arguing that other schools in Japan have already adapted to certain changes and looser standards where grading was concerned. The rebuttal came about its effect on the quality of education. Having listened to both sides in piecemeal sessions with both teams in separate classrooms, Monika found herself admiring the efforts her club members had displayed in gathering information and now presenting it to one another. The timekeeper's minutes-long vigil was the only obstacle that they had yet to master, though the extended arguments stretched less and less with each back-and-forth. Once, Monika spotted one of their advisers giving a short nod as he listened in, and though she did not want to assume that it was blatant approval regarding the club's performance thus far, she was willing to let it fuel her optimism.
At long last, their advisers' questions came. The tension in the room stretched as taut as a bowstring as both teams anticipated the queries that they were about to receive. Monika closed her eyes, sharing in her juniors' fears as she listened to the questions and responses. The tone of the speakers, only subtly colored by nervousness, rang out clear and true, and she found herself cheering them on in her mind. Takeo remained still, his arms folded across his chest, his mouth twitching at the corners as if he wanted to answer the questions himself to spare everyone the risk of performing poorly. Still, there was no way for him or Monika to tell whether they were doing well or not; as always, their advisers responded with curt nods and no words as to what they thought of the responses. Monika had always hated that part in debates, where complacency and uncertainty mixed together in a nerve-wracking cacophony, making her wonder if her arguments had been good or bad.
Her cellphone buzzed suddenly from inside her pocket. Feeling relieved that she had remembered to put it on silent mode beforehand, Monika took it out and saw a text from Kenta. In spite of its simplicity, she found herself smiling at it.
"good luck 2 u guys! u got this! #fightfightfight"
Waiting under the shade of the walkway close to the school's front gate for the past hour, Kenta fought hard to contain his excitement and anxiousness. He hoped that the message he had just sent to Monika did not come at a bad time—in the middle of an important part of their evaluation, for example. Still, after the worry that was plaguing Monika earlier, he could not help but offer what reassurance and support he could, even as he felt embarrassed and reluctant still. He busied himself with his phone as he idled, hoping to keep his composure steady as the minutes ticked by. Nearly everyone had gone on home already, with the exception of a few students that had club activities, the faculty members, and the school's maintenance staff. The rainclouds over Eishima had relented with a light drizzle now, though the air lingered like autumn's ghost searing through the countenance of pedestrians on the streets. His mother had reacted with both surprise and annoyance when he told her that he might not be able to run her errand with the vegetables for dinner, but relented when he lied that he was caught up in a small group meeting for a project.
Fifteen more minutes passed. The longer Kenta waited, the more he could feel his skepticism coming into play. Chief among his worries was the warning that Mrs. Steinbeck had given him, the same warning that still lingered at the fringes of his thoughts. Kenta was sure that he would not be able to walk past the Cocoa Connection without remembering his first serious encounter with Monika's mother, and the thought that he was going against her word put him on edge. He had not dared yet to inform Monika about it, not wanting to add more to her worries and prove Mrs. Steinbeck's notions true. Thus far, he was grateful that nothing he said or did seemed to give away the notion that he had been cowed into keeping his distance from Monika. Now, though, he could only imagine what new development he would share to Naoki and Daisuke, and Akihiro as well if chance permits. No doubt they would be happy for him, though also unaware of the risks that ran with this new development. Kenta still feared the potential awkwardness that awaited him and Monika later, most likely stemming from his own reluctance still, but the invite was now cast in stone. To back out now due to cold feet would mean disappointing Monika further, and after what Kenta had seen from her earlier, that was the last thing on his mind.
The sky was starting to grow dimmer, and still Kenta pondered and waited and idled by. Considering how much time had passed, he knew that the debate club had to be close to wrapping up the evaluation, and it fueled his anticipation at a steady rate. He stood up from the bench he had occupied and tidied himself up, but the nervousness in him remained.
It'll be fine, he told himself, rubbing his hands together to ward off the cold of the weather and his own trepidation. Nothing's gonna go wrong. She'll make it out of there happy, and it'll be all good from there. No one knows, and no one's gonna be there. Not her club members, not Wonder Boy Takeo, not her mom, just me and her. He reached for his phone in his pocket, close to sending Monika another text message just to ease his worries when the soft tapping of shoes against concrete made him look around.
Immediately, his blood ran cold.
Mrs. Steinbeck was there, walking straight towards him. She looked as imperious as ever with a black leather overcoat and brown scarf over a purple bodycon dress. A black umbrella shielded her from the rain, though she did not lower it when she crossed over into the walkway towards him. Kenta wanted to double back and check if what he was seeing was not a mirage of some sort, but he found his body failing him as he stood there frozen with apprehension. For a moment, he remembered a saying that Naoki had explained to him in middle school before that seemed to fit his situation. Speak of the devil, he recalled, yet he stamped out the thought immediately, not wanting to find out if Mrs. Steinbeck can read minds and possibly react to the notion of being comparable to a devil.
When she was standing across him a short distance away, Mrs. Steinbeck's eyes swept over him, their piercing green color making him feel like Monika was the one looking at him so dismissively. The feel of it made Kenta recoil a little, and though he stood his ground, he felt like nothing more than a mere upstart compared to the figure of unmistakable authority before him. The emotion—or lack thereof—beneath Mrs. Steinbeck's stare told him all that he needed to know.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Yamaguchi," came the cold greeting.
Kenta nodded as respectfully as he could. "G-Good afternoon, ma'am. Nice to s-see you here," he stammered, though he cursed himself immediately afterwards at how awkward his courtesy sounded. Paying little heed to his attempt at politeness, Mrs. Steinbeck glanced over at the school's main building as she closed her umbrella, before turning back towards him.
"You're waiting for Monika, aren't you?"
The bluntness and sheer accuracy of the question, in spite of the casual tone in it, instantly derailed Kenta's composure. "Er . . . I . . ."
"I assumed as much. As for me, I thought I'd drop by to see if she's done. Rather surprising how some business soirees can end rather early, but that's how fickle certain transactions can be."
When Kenta said nothing to that, she turned to him again. "I thought I had made myself clear the last time we spoke, Mr. Yamaguchi, yet here you are."
Think, dammit! Think of something to say, anything! Even so, Kenta found his mind drawing blanks, unable to utter anything without it being colored by guilt and terror, affirming Mrs. Steinbeck's notions. He wondered if Monika knew of her mother's arrival, and whether she would see them talking like this. What would happen then? Everything seemed to pass by in a blur, and his extremities soon began to feel numb from the sheer dread that gripped him.
"I have no doubt that Monika must have asked you to wait for her here," Mrs. Steinbeck remarked, "and I had hoped that you would see the sense in refusing her. But also, I can tell how stressful the past weeks have been for her, so I can see her reasoning. I will admit, withholding Monika from you is a rather cruel notion for both of you. After all, it's obvious to me that she really does admire you, Mr. Yamaguchi, judging from the way she is willing to make up time in order to enjoy your company."
Kenta felt his heart leap a little at that, though he waited anxiously for the rest. A tiny part of him wanted to protest, to show the same kind of defiance to Mrs. Steinbeck that he had shown himself when he went against her word and send those sporadic messages of comfort and encouragement to Monika, at the risk of distracting her and being found out. Instead, he could only wait for the next words to come from her mouth, trying to see if anything would lead to a dressing-down or a rehash of what happened previously at the Cocoa Connection. He fixed his gaze on the rain, on the puddles across the school's courtyard, trying to keep his face impassive, but there was no stopping his ears from picking up on every word Mrs. Steinbeck would say.
"How are your parents, Mr. Yamaguchi?"
Kenta looked around in surprise at the question. Mrs. Steinbeck was staring at him expectantly, waiting for his reply. "Er, they're fine, ma'am," he said. "My mom's at home, as usual."
"And your father?"
"He's at Okinawa. He works there as a, um, business employee."
Mrs. Steinbeck nodded with what seemed to be approval. "Quite far from home," she remarked. "And how long has he been working there?"
"He's gonna hit his fourth year this coming April, I think," Kenta replied.
"I see. That kind of dedication to both work and family deserves to be commended."
"Y-Yeah, you're right about that, ma'am."
After a short pause, Mrs. Steinbeck went on. "I'm sure you know just how much effort and how many pains your parents go through in order to help you secure your future. They plan for what lies ahead for you, and make sure that you manage to pull through with as little adversity as possible. For me and Monika, things are no different. You might be thinking that I'm simply making things miserable for you two, but it's not quite as tactless as that, Mr. Yamaguchi. As her mother, I only want what's best for Monika. If I can spare her the rough journey I've had, I would, but I'm afraid the world doesn't work like that."
As he listened, Kenta felt disarmed. Anticipating a severe rebuke, he took note instead of the hints of concern and even regret in Mrs. Steinbeck's tone, transforming her in his eyes from a cold figure of authority to someone's mother. Unwittingly, it brought him flashes of his own parents, of his strict but understanding mother, and his hardworking, goal-driven father.
"I have to tell you once again that her future is what matters to me the most," Mrs. Steinbeck continued. "I don't want her to become boxed in by the trials she may face, lacking the tools and resolve she needs to truly shine and reach that proverbial mountaintop. Some might say that we are pushing her unnecessarily, and I'm certain she thinks so as well, but . . . if she has seen what I have seen, and if she knows just how difficult the road ahead gets, she would understand. No one has any idea how much I would like to just go back in time and tell my past self all the things that I had yet to know before, but such is the benefit—and the pain—of hindsight. I have no doubt that your parents think the same with you, Mr. Yamaguchi. That's why you strive like everyone else in your studies, I'm sure.
"That's why I am not going to waste any effort doing so with Monika. That is the sole reason why we want her to move to Osaka with us, to give her as much of a proper foundation as we can." She drew in a deep breath, her elegant features tinged with palpable seriousness. "I will admit that I've had my lapses with her, and I haven't been there for her as often as I should be. That is why I want to do this for her, to help her find a sense of trust again, to show her that we only want the best for her. She is smart, diligent and strong, and can definitely thrive here in Eishima even without us—after all, that is how she had lived for a very long time now. But it's time that we took her under our wing at last, and make sure that she does not encounter anything untoward for her future."
Untoward. That's me, right? Kenta sighed, the gravity of Monika's move to Osaka returning in full force to hound his mind all over again. It was a thought that he rarely focused on, not wanting to acknowledge it for fear of making it come true and make the following years colder and lonelier. But it was a futile effort, he knew. Once again, Mrs. Steinbeck's words simply proved it to be not only true, but inevitable as well, and now with her motherly sentiments taken into context, it all made proper sense no matter how pragmatic her intentions might sound.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Kenta said at last. "I didn't mean to look like I was trying to distract Monika from her priorities. I just . . . wanted to help her feel better, less stressed." And I just wanted to be with her so much, he wanted to add, and though he did not say the words, he could feel Mrs. Steinbeck sensing them from him all the same.
"I understand," Mrs. Steinbeck stated. "Thank you for having that in mind for Monika, but I'm sure she'll be fine on her own. Whatever you two have planned this afternoon, go ahead with it. I just hope that in the coming days, you can do us both a favor and start giving her the space she needs."
If anything, the declaration sounded more like a command than anything else in Kenta's mind. "I . . . I'll take it up with her, sure," he said lamely.
"Very well." Mrs. Steinbeck looked around again and tightened her overcoat around her frame. "It's getting dreadfully chilly here. Monika might take a little while longer, so I think I'll go on ahead of her." She turned to walk away, but looked over her shoulder one last time at him. The gleam in her eyes looked both sympathetic and stern. "I know you want her to succeed as much as I do, so I hope you can take into consideration where I'm coming from here, Mr. Yamaguchi."
"I-I'll see if I can, ma'am." Even in his hearing, Kenta could tell he was being defiant, opting to give hints of his hesitation instead of conceding outright. Regardless, Mrs. Steinbeck paid no heed to it as she nodded and moved down the covered walkway, her heels clicking against the concrete path, her umbrella opening right as she left the walkway's shelter. Soon, she rounded the front gate and was out of sight, and Kenta heard the sound of a car door being closed. Beyond, the Steinbeck family car lingered for a moment in the rain before driving off.
As her club members rejoiced with palpable relief and joy around her, only vaguely aware of the words of delight and triumph being exchanged, Monika kept rereading the second message Kenta had sent. Everyone seemed keen on celebrating the success of their evaluation—as they should, given the sheer amount of effort they had put in thus far—and she knew that she should be sharing in the elation as well. But the suddenness of Kenta's message, coming only a short while after his previous one, had her wondering if something came up.
"hey there. sorry 2 tell u this, but mom just called me and told me that sis is gonna come home l8, and she needs me 2 help her the grocery store. can't wriggle my way outta this one, that means i'm gonna have 2 pass on the coffee. i'm rly rly sorry :( hope ur evaluation went well… ah who am i kidding, I'm sure it did :D see ya around!"
Monika set down her phone. I knew it was too sudden, she thought to herself. I didn't check first to see if he'd be free to go. Maybe . . . Maybe some other time. Yes, that's it, next time. Still, the sensation of hollow sadness persisted, and somehow everything went back to dreary normal, deflating her mood considerably. She had half a mind to text Kenta, to talk to him some more and at least break the good news to him. But something in her mind seemed to be stopping her, forcing her to come up short in finding the right words or the proper amount of resolve to even message Kenta again. At the back of her mind, somehow she formulated the notion that the universe was punishing her further for her lack of focus on him.
A tap on her shoulder made her snap out of her stupor. "Miss Monika?" a voice rang out.
Monika looked around to see one of her juniors standing next to her. "Yes?"
Hesitating for a moment, her junior asked, "A-Are you okay?"
"Yes, Yua, I'm fine." As if to prove so, Monika straightened up and put on an open expression. "What is it?"
Her junior nodded and smiled. "Everyone's planning on eating somewhere downtown to celebrate later. Sir Takeo's coming along as well. You should join us!"
The bright tone in her voice made it hard to refuse. Sighing inwardly, Monika knew that she could at least look forward to one other good thing today. "Sure thing," she replied, smiling back.
A/N: Another long haul for this chapter, and I sincerely apologize for it. The past couple of weeks have been hectic with writer's block, chores and tutoring, to the point where I just lack either the time or the energy to write. Thankfully, I had more than enough help from my best friend cheering me on and giving me ideas, and I'm proud of what I turned in. This actually ended up going one page beyond my usual quota of fifteen pages, since I couldn't cram it without sacrificing a few parts that would do better being left in. I hope it all makes for a good read for you guys.
As you might've noticed, things are picking up in the plot, so I hope that this means I'll be able to follow through with future chapters a lot faster since I'll be focusing on the growing conflict for all four couples and what follows after. See you in the next upload, and thank you so much for continuing to stick with this story. Cheers!