Hallo everyone,

my writtin exams are over and there has been one big shocker of a grade I desperatly need to fix. So I'll take my time with the next chapter.

starrat: Thank you :)

Daughter of the Oceans: It will come to light in this chapter and thank you for reading :)

Savage Kill: Hmm I wonder but it will be revealed in this chapter. Enjoy

Eilimakk: Yeah they are xD Moving the counrty on your own is tough but it worked out well. Ushiwaka is doing his best xD

curlystruggle: Kardashian Drama xD never heard that before. I'm glad you're proud of her :D

Whovn2: I thought of my book that I have. It's called "children are different". And thank you I will do my best.

Anyway, I hope you guys can forgive me for taking so long. I am still reading the manga (if you don't go check it out) and I still enjoy writing this, but I have been drowning in Boku no Hero Academia, to which I might write a fic as well.

Stay bouncy my little sunshines!


Chapter 48 - An unexpected event

"That would be ¥2180, please," the man informed them.

Tamiko watched as Ushijima pulled out his wallet to give the taxi driver the requested sum. They nodded and thanked each other before the car turned around and left them on the road. Tamiko gazed after the car, the only one driving on this road. When the sound of the engine faded away only the sound of nature was left. A peaceful place with a wide meadow, a wall and branches reaching over its brim.

"Where are we?" Tamiko asked.

Ushijima didn't answer. Instead he took her hand and guided her along the wall, Tobio following them. After a while they reached a gate, a very large gate. It must be at least as tall as a basketball hoop and Tamiko suspected that the walls were probably just as thick. The wood of the gate looked ancient, dark and littered with small cracks. Yet it was still in excellent condition. Whoever lived here didn't want to be disturbed by unwanted guests. She started to wonder which type of guests they were. To seemingly test this, Ushijima walked over to a small speaker system and pressed a button. He told the intercom his name and stepped back.

The siblings waited in anticipation for the gate to open to let them in or to let guards out. Clearly they had watched one too many samurai movies. A few seconds later the gate opened. Tamiko's jaw almost dropped to the floor and Tobio's eyes grew wide. Behind the open gate stood a gigantic estate with a well-groomed garden and a traditional Japanese building. A few people in black kimonos were walking around carrying utilities. They didn't speak to each other so it was very quiet.

"Toshi-kun," Tamiko managed to say. "What is this?"

"A building," he answered and his eyes met with hers. "I want you to meet someone who could possibly help you."

Her eyes widened but then grew small again. What was he thinking? They had sat on the train north for about 30 mins and then had taken the bus to the middle of nowhere. And hidden behind a wall and big gate lived a person who could help them. Was he befriended with the Yakuza or something? As she analysed the place more closely it became less likely. However, the people in the kimonos seemed to bow a little when they saw Ushijima. He couldn't be a simple guest. Tamiko's suspicion grew but she kept quiet. She didn't want to ruin the serenity and tranquility of this place with her words.

When they entered the building two women offered to take their jackets. Wordless they complied and Ushijima waited for the siblings. The Kageyama siblings weren't used to such service and looked very lost. They followed Ushijima, who seemed to know his way around this place. When they reached a door Ushijima paused his steps. The siblings watched him take a deep breath, close his eyes and open them again. Then he opened the door.

The first thing that hit her was the scent. A mix of lillies, old books and candle fumes came oozing out of the room and into their noses. Then she saw a woman in a fine white shirt and a fine bowler haircut sit at a desk stacked with mountains of paper. She didn't look up. She just kept writing. The only sound in the room was the distant singing of the birds, penetrating from the outside, and the pen scratching the paper. The siblings followed Ushijima as he silently stepped into the room. The woman kept writing until she paused, lifted the pen to insert the cap and placed it on the table.

"Hello, mother," Ushijima said and bowed slightly.

Tamiki almost gasped out loud but the siblings copied him and bowed to the woman. Now it was clear. This was Ushijima's home. This was where he grew up.

"Hello Wakatoshi," the woman answered and gave him a small smile. "You've grown again."

"Only 1.7cm," he answered.

Tamiko and Tobio stood as straight and formerly as they could and watched the woman. It wasn't a clear memory to her anymore but Tamiko started to compare the photo she had seen with the real woman before her. Not much differed except the age showing on her skin. The woman looked tired, maybe even struck with grief and worry. But she didn't want to be overhastly with judgements. Instead she stayed silent and watched.

"It's good to see you again, my son," the woman said as she hugged him.

Ushijima hugged her back. A smile grew on Tamiko's face. It was very obvious to her that this woman loved her son dearly and it made her feel joyous to the bone. It also became clear to her that this was the place where he had grown up. Many childhood memories must be floating around this place. She started to wonder if he would ever tell her anything about his childhood. All she knew was about the left-handed-issue, divorce and his volleyball passion coming from his father.

The two parted and the woman turned to the siblings. She had beautiful eyes, stern yet friendly, a contradiction that seemed to just work. It was clear now what Ushijima had from which parent. A perfect mixture of both.

"Welcome," the woman said. "I'm Ushijima Masako, Wakatoshi's mother."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the siblings said in unison.

"I'm Kageyama Tamiko and this is my younger brother Tobio."

Masako mustered the two and turned to Tobio first.

"I followed my son's instructions to watch the spring tournament on television. Congratulations on getting this far," she said.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said.

"It is important to follow one's passion. Volleyball doesn't interest me in the slightest, yet it is my son's passion and I don't want to restrain his future to suit my wishes."

It wasn't very clear but Tamiko suspected that this mentality had been accepted over time. But every parent had wishes for their children's future. She had learned from books, magazines and the parents in the library that giving their child freedom to choose their future was a very difficult feat. Many want them to follow in their footsteps or to avoid them. Respect towards the woman grew in Tamiko's heart and then she turned to her.

"And you're the one who captured my son's heart," Masako said as she turned to Tamiko.

Tamiko flinched. Those words oozed with hostility. Right then and there she didn't know what to do or say.

"I don't mean any harm," the teen insisted.

"That may be so but I know what young women long for. Wealth," she started. "Especially if they can seduce the source of that wealth."

Tamiko's eyes widened and her lips parted a little. A boiling pool of words was ready to burst out of her but she resisted. She knew the woman was accessing her, watching her every move, listing to every word she said. Tamiko felt very unprepared. If she had known she would be tested, then she would have prepared herself.

Masako sighed and turned to her son. The ace was a little worried. He didn't expect for his mother to step forward with such accusations but he knew Tamiko. She had wasn't greedy. Not at all. But there was also something else that bothered him a little more than his mother's behaviour.

"Where is grandmother?" he asked.

Tamiko saw it immediately; sadness in the woman's tired eyes.

"She has been feeling unwell for the last 5 days. She's being taken care of in her room.," she answered.

"I see," he said.

Both mother and son stood quietly. There was an unspoken understanding between the two, something the Kageyama didn't know. But Tamiko could guess what was going on. Judging from their body language it was a grave situation. The grandmother's health was deteriorating. With the permission of the mother the three went to the quarters of the old woman. They entered in silence not to disturb. A young woman was wiping an old woman's face clean, bowed and left without a word. Ushijima immediately kneeled beside the woman and carefully took her old thin hand into his.

"Grandma," he said. "It's Wakatoshi."

"Yes, I can see that," she smiled. "How lovely to see you again, my grandson. You've become a fine young man."

"I'm still a teenager," he answered.

The old woman smiled and her eyes met with Tamiko's.

"And who is this?" she asked.

"I-I'm Kageyama Tamiko," Tamiko sputtered. "And this is my younger brother Tobio."

"Oh, two unfamiliar faces," she whispered. "How lovely, how lovely."

The three watched as the woman gazed up at the ceiling with a smile on her lips.

"I never would have thought I would see the day," she smiled. "My grandson brings a girl home."

Tamiko felt her cheeks burn a little. She felt honoured to make the old woman smile despite standing before death's door. The face was so thin that the cheeks caved in a little. Strength had left the body a while ago and now she could only lie there and wait. Wait for the moment she was set free from her restraining body.

Suddenly Tamiko became afraid. Ushijima had told them they would stay here for this weekend. What if his grandmother passed away while they were here? His mother was already not fond of her but if her arrival followed with the death of her mother what would she think of her then? Unbeknownst to her she was squeezing her eyes shut. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Give me your hand, my dear," the old woman said.

Tamiko was a little uncertain about this request but reached out for the old woman. Thin fingers took her hand. Her hand was warm and soft. Weakness strained the fingers, age having taken its toll. Tamiko had never touched such old hands. It sent a strange tingle through her.

"Tell me about yourself," she asked.

What was there to tell? Was there even anything worthy or interesting to be told? She thought for a moment. Then she told the woman about all sorts of things. That she was in her grandson's class, worked part-time in a library, played piano and did karate. All the while the old woman listened, occasionally nodding. Ushijima and Tobio watched and listened in silence. Both realised that she left out a few crucial details but most likely on purpose. Ushijima listened carefully. Some things he knew but others were new to him. Like her having been in a choir during middle school. When the old woman asked about her family Tamiko paused.

"Family is something we cannot choose." the old woman smiled.

Unbeknownst to them Masako Ushijima was standing behind the door and was listening. The woman already knew why her son had brought those two here. But she wanted to know what it was worth.

"Tell me about you family," the woman asked again.

Tamiko tried swallow the big lump in her throat and began to speak. At first they were father mother and daughter. A year after Tobio was born it all went downhill. Tamiko could still recall a few arguments but what had stayed with her was watching her mother burn all the photographs of the father. Over the years she had forgotten his face, his voice. The mother had taken a turn for the worst. She was mostly working and leaving her children by themselves. She went on to talk about the recent meeting. The old woman smiled when a year rolled down Tamiko's cheek and thin fingers squeezed her hand.

"I can feel your uncertainty," she whispered. "And yet you are so brave."

"I'm not brave, ma'am," Tamiko insisted. "I'm struggling every day. And it's getting harder every day."

Tamiko sighed heavily and took another deep breath. A smile tugged at her lips.

"But I'm glad that your grandson has been supporting me this much."

"I'm sure he did," she smiled back.

Next to her Ushijima had a little blush on his cheeks. He pressed his lips to a thin line while Tamiko thanked the grandmother for raising a fine daughter who raised him so well. The old woman also talked with Tobio, who told her how amazing Ushijima was in volleyball. He told her about the match between their teams and Tamiko could only smile at her brother.

That evening they all are dinner together. Tamiko and Tobio were overwhelmed by all the food that was offered to them. Tamiko settled with a simple meal. The other choices were too extravagant for her. In the end the dinner was a little awkward since nobody spoke. What was also a little overkill in Tamiko's eyes was, that they all got their own room. Ushijima had his old bedroom while Tamiko and Tobio got their own rooms. How big was this place? Before Tamiko went to sleep she lightly knocked on Ushijima's door.

"Can I come in for a moment?" she asked him.

Ushijima's room was a slice of nostalgia. It was as if the room hadn't changed since his elementary school days. Shiratorizawa middle school was also a boarding school which Ushijima had attended. Volleyball posters and other merchandise connected with volleyball filled the room. Otherwise the room was neat and tidy and simple. And it was a large room with access to the gardens. Ushijima had opened the doors to let the cool breeze into the room. If there was one thing that Tamiko had learned in Tokyo it was that he preferred to sleep in a cool room.

While she looked around Ushijima sat down by the door and continued to drink some water. He stayed silent. Since the meeting with his grandmother he hadn't spoken a word. Tamiko could tell that he was worried for the old woman. When they had left the room the woman had called asleep again. The fear that she wouldn't wake up anymore was very present. Even Tamiko herself feared it. In silence she sat down next to him and gazed at the night sky.

Her eyes wandered from the roof of the building and vegetation of the garden to Ushijima who was also looking at the night sky. Tamiko pressed her lips together and placed her hand on his. He reacted to the touch immediately and gazed into her eyes. After he had taken a deep breath he leaned forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder. Realising his dilemma she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulder. They exchanged no words. They didn't need to.

When she left to go to bed she placed a soft kiss on his lips and wished him good night. His eyes stayed closed after the small kiss even after she closed the door. When he opened his eyes again he glanced at the door before going to bed as well. He had a lot of trouble falling asleep. If only he would share a room with Tamiko. Her presence alone calmed him down. But he didn't want to go against his mother's wishes and orders. She was the head of the house after all.

The next morning everyone's fear had come to pass. The old women never woke up in the morning. It must have been fate. During breakfast Tamiko didn't dare to eat anything. Tobio ate little just like Ushijima. The mother wasn't even present. The staff was decorating the corridors with white flowers. The Buddhist shrine was covered with a white piece of paper as tradition would have it. Tamiko and Tobio were briefly left by Ushijima so he could attend his duties to the deceased as a relative. When he came back he looked sad. Tamiko hugged him tightly which he returned. They stayed in the room in silence when a woman entered

"The mistress wants to speak with you," she informed them.

She lead them to the room where they had first met them. Masako Ushijima sat at her desk, signing one piece of paper after the other. Probably the funeral invitations. They had probably been made beforehand but only now did they know the time of death. Everyone in this building had expected it. Yet they were still mourning. The mother wore her usual getup with blouse and fine trousers but her face looked sad. When she noticed them she gestured for them to sit down.

"My condolences for your loss," Tamiko said and bowed a little.

"We have all been expecting it," she answered.

"That may be so but you are mourning," Tamiko told her but then pulled herself back. "I'm sorry that it had to her during time we are here."

Masako shook her head.

"We all expected her to pass sooner. When I told her that Wakatoshi was going to come with his first girlfriend it lit a last fire in her. I guess she wanted to meet you before she passed."

Tamiko's eyes widened.

"Then I hope I lived up to her expectations," she said.

"To hers most likely,"

Silence invaded the room. Tamiko understood what she had meant by that. She had lived up to the grandmother's expectations but not to hers. At least not yet. She wanted to make sure.

"If you had all the money in the world, what would you do with it?" she asked.

The question came out of nowhere and Ushijima froze when his mother asked. He glanced over to Tamiko and he didn't see what he expected.

"I would open a family day care," Tamiko answered without hesitation.

Masako raised an eyebrow when she noticed the sudden sparkle in Tamiko's eyes.

"Some parents often don't know what to do in what situation and if I ever get the chance to study then I want to give those parents an opportunity to have a day care where they can also receive ideas and tips on how to raise their child. Children are our future so they should be prepared for the world we will leave them in."

Masako listened in silence as Tamiko swooned over the idea of helping to raise children to become independent adults. After all the excitement had drained out Tamiko grew quiet and apologized for her outburst. Masako blinked a few times and glanced over to her son. He patted Tamiko's head softly while her face became red with embarrassment. A smirked played on the woman's lips.

"When Wakatoshi told me he was bringing you along he told me about your situation," she began. "I was very sceptical about his idea and since you are his first girlfriend I wanted to see for myself what kind of person you are."

Tamiko swallowed. She felt like she was being reviewed which essentially was really happening. Her first clenched on her lap as she listened.

"Wakatoshi has always been a little oblivious towards understanding people's intentions so I was afraid that he had been fished by a girl who was only after his heritage. I do realise now that he never told you anything about it."

Tamiko nodded and stared at the floor before her. Masako paused her speech for a moment to watch her son glance at Tamiko.

"I think he has made the right choice."

Both Tamiko and Ushijima glanced up to the woman. This time she gave them a genuine smile. Tamiko couldn't help but smile back at her.

"And I don't agree with this mother of yours moving to America with you," Masako added. "But we will need to act as soon as possible."

She turned to her computer and began to click around before starting to type something.

"Wakatoshi, I have contacted your school since you will be attending the funeral in two days. I don't mind you two tagging along but I have no authority to excuse you. I have arranged a driver to get you two home."

"Thank you, Ushijima-san," the siblings said in unison.

"Regarding your mother," she added. "I'll see what I can do for you. Since the divorce I have custody over Wakatoshi until he turns 21. I don't want him to move out of the country but I know that when you two have to move he will not be very happy. I will even take over your custody of I have to."

Tamiko was awestruck and Tobio's jaw fell open. Can't we go to the law and complain, she remembered. Hope somehow blossomed in their hearts and when the siblings left the Ushijima household, they thanked them again for their hospitality and their willingness to help. Ushijima and his mother watched the car carry them into the distance when he turned to her.

"Thank you, mother," he said with a bow.

"This is a fight we will win," she smirked and walked back to the house.