Disclaimer: How did you like the 'deposit' joke at the end of the last chapter? Hopefully there is is a chuckle in there somewhere.
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She isn't sure what she thinks dinner with Mamoru will be like. The thought has been haunting her all day which is leaving her stomach in knots. She's been sitting in her room at her desk all day, staring at the blank word processor open on her laptop. They said he would arrive around 5:30 that evening. She wanted to make any kind of excuse to get out of looking at that man tonight. She still had an hour an a half before he would come over. Her mind drifts to the night before.
...
Her father came home last night and she couldn't be happier to see him walk through the front door. He smiled ear from ear upon seeing her. She ran over and hugged him and shed some tears for him. She is still afraid he could deteriorate after that. Kenji put on a brave show the night before while they waited on Ikuko to finish dinner.
"I just closed the case management software after several hiccups and glitches. I got so mad then my chest began aching." He explains to Usagi, "I called for Ikuko to call 911 right before I fell on my ass."
Usagi is choking up listening to him talk about becoming sick. She even hears her mother sob while she's cutting cucumbers up.
"Ikuko, I'm okay. Nothing else is going to happen. You saved my life by making me take Bayer medicine." He assures her in an attempt to comfort her. She shakes her head and sniffles. Seeing that she is calming down he turns back to his daughter and his tone changes, "You remember Mamoru Chiba?"
Ugh.
"Yes, daddy." She done her best to fake interest. Everyone wants to discuss him but her.
"He's a fine man. He dropped by once before I fell asleep then while I slept. You remember he used to intern with me at the office? He just suddenly quit one day after you left. Decided he wanted to be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon."
"I know." Usagi responds, annoyed the conversation about the bane of her existence was lasting longer than she liked.
"You know he asked me if I knew where you were going to college? I can't for the life of me figure out why that mattered."
Mamoru Chiba, is now going to be known as the stalker. What a flippin' creep. Why did he care? He made it plain as day that I don't matter. Usagi shifts uncomfortably in her seat, it goes unnoticed by her parents.
...
Usagi grabs her cellphone and dials Setsuna's personal number. She needed to know how everything is managing without her. It isn't that she believes she is some hot shot attorney, but the associates that work under her authority and paralegals do manage to fumble quite often.
"Setsuna speaking."
"It's me, Usagi. I just wanted to touch base with you."
"Oh hey! The place hasn't burned to the ground if that is what you mean. I've stepped in to manage and I learned real quick why you tend to do more work than you are required to do. I heard two paralegals arguing over double spaced versus single spaced documents and I almost lost it."
Usagi grins, "Ha! That is just too odd. Plan to phase yourself out because I should be back Monday."
"Actually, there is an issue, Usagi."
"What kind?" Usagi sits straighter in her chair. Was she about to be fired? Did she do something wrong? As far as she knew, she followed every ethical and procedural rule.
"Vermin got into the plumbing. It caused a massive leak on every floor earlier today. Everyone was told to work from home. Feel free to use more vacation days though."
Stunned by the admission, Usagi searches for a response, stuttering, she manages to tell her, "That...Setsuna, I can't stay home longer."
"Is your father okay?"
"Yeah, he came home last night."
"Spend time with him. Get up with your old high school friends. The city is a drag right now." Setsuna explains, "The streets are covered in snow, you'll hate it."
Usagi groans before saying bye and hanging up. That is just perfect. How do they have such a massive vermin problem? What is up with that? She can understand taking her time getting back to the city due to snow but the building having a vermin problem? Isn't the building newer? She pushes her fingers through her hair before standing up and walking to her suitcase to grab some clothes for tonight.
Ikuko would be upset if Usagi came down to eat in pajamas with a guest showing up for dinner.
Usagi watches from her perch on the staircase as her parents greet Mamoru warmly. All this warmth built on lies and omissions on his part. Her nostrils flare and she chews on her bottom lip.
Mamoru is all smiles as he gives Ikuko a hug then Kenji. He treats them like a second family. They aren't his family, they're hers. Looks like he knew to dress nicely too. He's wearing dark gray slacks and crisp white button up and a lighter gray sweater over top the long sleeve shirt. He doesn't much older than he did back in high school. His shoulders are broader, he certainly kept up with exercising too.
When Ikuko pulls away to return to the kitchen, his eyes immediately find hers and they're locked. Her expression doesn't betray her as she manages to keep a look of indifference glued on her face.
Kenji, the oblivious follows Ikuko to the kitchen leaving them alone in silence. Mamoru opens his mouth but as he does, the door behind him opens and Shingo walks in. Usagi's younger brother looks at them and smiles before heading into the kitchen without saying a word. Mamoru turns back to Usagi.
"Hi," He begins.
"Evening." Usagi responds as clipped as she can, pulling her knees tightly against her chest.
"Your mother insisted on me being here."
"You could have made any excuse in the world. You didn't. So here we are." Usagi points out. He opens his mouth to search for the words to say, he must realize nothing is going to smooth this situation over. He looks down at his shoes, second guessing coming over more than likely.
"Should've brought the wife with you." Usagi states rolling her eyes.
Mamoru's head snaps up and those cobalt eyes lock on to her bright blue eyes. They're the shade of a perfect storm, his brow knits together and his hands clench into a fist. "I'm not with her. Again, if you'd let me explain-"
"I don't care if you are with her or not. It doesn't change what happened." Usagi hisses before quickly shutting her mouth when she hears her father stepping back to the hallway.
"You kids come on, the roast is finished." He says before turning back around. Usagi stands and begins her trek down the stairs and as she turns to join her family, Mamoru grabs her arm, keeping her.
She spins on her foot, glaring at him. Shivers run down her spine as she takes in his dark expression, eyes drinking her in and he speaks very clearly, "Why would I have asked you to be my date if I wasn't interested in you?"
Floored, Usagi's brain couldn't function. Circuits go haywire leaving her without the ability to form any kind of response. She's sure she looks flabbergasted. She can once again feel her heart against her sternum. She is sure she hasn't felt this in years. No, stop it, Usagi.
Mamoru continues, "I'm not a bastard you imagine me to be."
"You insulted me quite often." She snaps, pulling her arm free from him. Usagi's ability to speak finally kicks in with vengeance. How dare he! She walks toward the kitchen before either of them say anything else. His admission bothers her, it sparks those jitters once again. It is all a big joke to him. Nothing more.
She walks into the dining room and takes a seat next to her brother whereas her parents sit on opposite ends of the table and Mamoru sits opposite of her and her brother. Her father begins passing dishes around the table so everyone gets their share of the meal. Usagi sits quietly most of the evening and listens. Shingo talks about Hotaru and college, her mother tells them about the latest murder mystery she's finishing from a new author.
"Tell us about that lung tree story, son."
"Ah, I don't know, Kenji. Everyone else might not enjoy it." Mamoru responds hesitantly.
"Nonsense, it isn't everyday you see something like that."
"Go ahead, do tell us." Ikuko encourages him, dabbing her napkin at the corners of her lips. Usagi reaches for her glass of water, wishing it would've been wine instead.
"This patient comes in complaining of breathing issues and told us he already been two different doctors. We scheduled him for scans then an exploratory procedure. Once we got in there, I found a small tree growing in the lung tissue."
"Cool!" Shingo says, grinning.
"Life finds a way." Usagi mutters, everyone chuckles. Mamoru isn't sure she is attempting to be nice or mean but he cracks a smile regardless. At least it is some kind of conversation.
"Usagi is an attorney, Mamoru." Kenji tells him, which catches Mamoru off guard. He looks at her father then at her only to see she's glaring at her father. He pays it no mind though. "I figured she'd set her heart on becoming a cartoonist with all that manga she read in high school. Nope, shocked the hell out of us."
"Dad, he doesn't want to hear any of this." Usagi says hoping to deter the conversation. She didn't want to relive anymore of the past tonight. It is bad enough that the past is sitting across from her.
"My baby girl is a hot shot back east. What type of law do you practice again?" Ikuko chimes in, beaming at her daughter as she speaks. Seeing how proud and hearing them brag on her, Usagi relents.
"I practice family law, mostly divorces."
Mamoru stares hard at her, not completely sure what to make of that information if he's honest. Did she do it because of him? Because of what she thought she saw that night? Maybe she done it for the money, he heard divorce rates were up.
"Unfortunately she has to leave this Friday and work on Monday. That's only three days away."
Clearing her throat and mentally preparing herself, Usagi looks at her parents and tells them, "Actually, I'll be home awhile longer. Seems the building has a vermin problem which caused a water leak. Everyone has been ordered to work from home." She turns to Mamoru and watches as the gears turn in his brain. What did that look mean? What is he planning?
"Oh that gives us more time!" Ikuko says smiling even bigger.
"I still have to work, mama." Usagi reminds her. She didn't dare tell them about her unused vacation time. Kenji and her mother swat their hands playfully in the air at her declaration.
By 7:00 pm, Ikuko cleared the dishes and admonished Mamoru several times for trying to help. Usagi sighs and rolls her eyes at the sight. Even she knows it is no use trying to help her mama clean up after a dinner. Shingo disappears upstairs to his bedroom at some point and Kenji asks Usagi to walk Mamoru out despite her protest.
"Really, it is not a problem." Mamoru protests the idea.
"What kind of dinner host would we be?"
Usagi hushes knowing that she isn't going to win this argument with her father. She walks toward the door, Mamoru says goodnight to everyone and follows her. She grabs her jacket and wraps it around her then opens the door and steps outside on the front porch, he follows her outside.
"I meant it all, Usagi." He says once more, hoping she listens.
"I'm supposed to believe none of that was premediated? You're full of shit. You just wanted to insult me once last time before you graduated. you succeeded, Baka. Goodnight." Usagi states coldly, glaring at him.
Mamoru sets his jaw firm and shakes his head before turning quickly to leave. He's beginning to think there is no talking sense to her. He's beginning to believe that she's too far gone to see that it wasn't his fault. There was no point in arguing anymore tonight as he had an early shift to work in the morning.