Chapter 34 - Mom's Friends Visit Part 2

The intercom speaker at the Saiki's front house gate clicked, an indication that someone picked up on the other side, but nothing was said.

For a brief moment, Aoi was slightly unsure of herself. General courtesy dictated that she should not come over uninvited and Aoi did like Kurumi as a friend and wanted Kurumi's good opinion; this unannounced visit could be seen as impolite.

Kurumi's absence, though, had been felt deeply within the mom group. The mom's cafe breaks and neighborhood meetings just did not have this happy wholesome spunk anymore. What if something happened to her?

"Greetings. This is Kaidou Aoi. Is Saiki Kurumi home?" said Aoi into the intercom, "I'm here for a neighborly visit."

There was no response, but the front gate clicked, an indication that someone was letting her in.

A little bit peeved by the lack of vocal greeting as a courtesy, Aoi opened the front gate and walked to the door. She pressed on the secondary doorbell and heard it go off from the outside.

Surprisingly, it was Kusuo who came to the door.

That was strange. School was in still session for the day. Did Kusuo turn into one of those hikikomori? A shut-in? He certainly looked like one, still in sweat pants and sweaters. It was like he didn't even change his clothes since the last time Aoi saw him more than a month ago when Shun made that public stunt.

That couldn't be it. If he did become a shut-in, then he would not have answered the door.

Looked like Shun wasn't dramatizing the truth when he said that Saiki Kusuo withdrew from school. That, or he skipped school.

And did he...get taller?

Aoi had to tilt her head upwards to briefly meet his eyes that were perpetually hidden behind green shades, whereas he used to be more eye level. Kusuo had been by the Kaidou family home enough times as a member of Shun's four-boys friend group for her to unconsciously feel the difference.

There was a almost gaunt leaness about him, too; it was likely an optical illusion since he did get taller.

Children had a habit of growing horizontal, getting a little chubby, before growing vertical.

"Well, hello Kusuo-kun. I hope today finds you well," greeted Aoi pleasantly, her deeply ingrained politeness surfacing. "Is your mother home?"

Kusuo gave her a curt nod. "Yes. Please come in, Kaidou-san" he said briefly, looking somewhat preoccupied.

Aoi followed Kusuo into the house.

This was not the first time Aoi had been at the Saiki-home. She had briefly came inside for a few minutes, for whatever Kurumi had forgotten at the house in one of those 'mom's break time' sessions. The house was just as Aoi remembered, but with an air of disinfectants, like a hospital during the graveyard shift.

Something was missing. An absence. Something that Aoi could not quite ascertain.

Kusuo took Aoi's visitation gifts and set them on the kitchen countertop. He directed Aoi to the dining room table and asked her to take a seat.

It was then that Aoi noted Kusuo's behavior and observed it to be oddly wary, mechanical, and rote. He said the bare minimum of words to be solicitous and polite, but not welcoming.

Aoi brushed it off as an inexperienced young man, not used to the task of hosting.

Aoi would have to tell Kurumi of her observations as a note of improvement. Kusuo was not on par with Shun in hosting skills. A proper young man should know how to put his house guests at ease. It was a mother's job to teach etiquette to her children and notable flaws were a reflection of a mother's poor instructions.

Kurumi would appreciate Aoi's advice. Hands-off style of parenting or not, proper etiquette was as foundational to their identity as being the people of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Kusuo did know how to set the table for serving snacks and light refreshments.

Very quickly, delicate little china cups, saucers, spoons, sugar squares in serving glasses, and whatnots were set out. In addition to serving the almond sponge cake that Aoi brought, he also put out variety packets of tea bags and digestive biscuits. He peeled and cut two persimmons into bitesize pieces and placed them on a dish. To add color to the fruits so to make them appetizing, he added purple grapes and cut pears. He didn't say anything during the preparation.

Aoi had known Kusuo to be reticent, but this felt off. There wasn't that usual air of the mildly annoyed omnipotent teenager who was terribly inconvenienced by something as boring as spending time with their parent's friends. God knew how much Aoi understood that, having to raise Shun and his habit of fantasy story writing and the ambitious Sora who had yet to meet with complete academic rejection. Toki was an overly capable third-grader who was slowly drifting to that age of know-it-all little squirts.

"Let me go wake my mom up," said Kusuo once he had set the table with serving dishes and plates.

"Oh no, don't do that," said Aoi immediately. She mentally berated herself. No wonder Kusuo had been muted this entire time and Kurumi was nowhere to be seen. He was being considerate of his mother by keeping his voice volume down. Aoi reached for her purse, already getting up. "Don't wake her up from her afternoon nap on my behalf, Kusuo-kun. You should've told me. I'll come back another time."

Kusuo shook his head. "No. Stay. My mother has..." there was a pause, "...been sleeping too much. Seeing people would be good for her."

The words were strangely demanding, with a hint of something that Aoi could not pinpoint. She did retract her hands from her purse.

"I'll be back," Kusuo muttered before going up the stairs, leaving Aoi by herself.

There was utter silence in the house for a few moments, except for the mild, quiet hum of the refrigerator. There were a few steps that could be heard, and some unintelligible, muffled talk from Kurumi, but otherwise, it was deathly quiet.

Soon enough, Kurumi came downstairs, seemingly with Kusuo's help.

"Hi, Aoi-san," said Kurumi torpidly.

Aoi had to stare.

Kurumi's hair was sticking out at odd angles. She seemed thinner somehow, to Aoi's brief reactionary jealousy that quickly evolved into concern. Kurumi's eyes seemed to be sunken in. The usual rosiness to her cheeks was absent. Her wrist seemed thin enough to spontaneously snap. Her usual characteristic cheer was a ghost of its former self.

Kurumi seemed to notice Aoi's reaction. It was painfully obvious to Aoi that Kurumi was forcing a smile on her face. "Let me go freshen up a bit," she said, her voice cracked from disuse. "Please excuse me for a few minutes."

Aoi watched Kurumi walked by and into the corridor into the bathroom. Soon, the ventilation fan of the bathroom was turned on. There was the sound of a running faucet and splashing of water.

The situation left Aoi and Kusuo alone again.

Aoi stared at Kusuo now, noticing how his usually distant, cool expression had taken on mild concern at the corridor where Kurumi had disappeared into. He stared at that corridor for a good while, as if he could see through the walls. His arms were crossed.

"Kusuo-kun, what happened?" asked Aoi, a frown on her face. Any idiot could see that something occurred to her friend Kurumi.

"I'm not sure," said Kusuo, his gaze unflinching, though he absently fidgeted with a ring on his finger.

Aoi frowned. That did not seem like the Kusuo she knew. Kusuo always struck her as one of those arrogant, confident know-it-all teenagers. "What do you mean?"

"She was getting back to routine," Kusuo was saying, more to himself than to Aoi. "But she's sleeping more and barely has any appetite." Kusuo shook his head, breaking his unblinking gaze at the hallway where Kurumi disappeared into. "I really thought she was getting better. She hasn't cried or talked about him, when it was all she could do before. It's like a switch was flipped."

"What are you talking about, Kusuo-kun?" asked Aoi.

Kusuo looked ahead. His voice dropped to a muted hush. He sighed heavily. "Ani's dead."

Aoi blinked and furrowed her brows at Kusuo. "What?"

"You've heard me," said Kusuo through gritted teeth, volume low, as if to avoid anyone else hearing his words.

Aoi had to confirm it though. "Your Onii-san?" she asked, her voice whisper-quiet.

Kusuo's expression didn't change, but his silence and dour expression did seem mildly more ireful than normal.

Aoi's hand unconsciously went to her mouth, to cover a gasp.

Aoi immediately understood Kurumi's recent absence.

Aoi could not imagine her own reaction if she were to lose one of her children. Inconsolable grief would have been an understatement. Leaving the house would have been impossible.

"Was it an accident?" asked Aoi. Young people were notorious for taking unnecessary risks with 1-tonne vehicles, and too many traffic jams were caused by young people taking vehicular risks.

"In a matter of speaking," he said.

"It wasn't?"

Kusuo only shrugged. "He burned up," he said in a topic terminating way.

Aoi frowned deeply. There was something that Kusuo wasn't saying, but she did pursue the topic any further. It was obvious to her that Kusuo was clearly upset and did not want to speak more on the subject.

"Look, don't bring it up unless she does. And even if she does, steer the conversation away. I can't..." Kusuo trailed off, seeming at a loss for words. Eventually, though he settled the words "...she can't go back to the way she was."

Still trying to get over such shocking news, Aoi did not respond to Kusuo's rather impolite command with her unusual internal critique.

Aoi was about to ask more questions, but there was a sudden change in Kusuo's expression.

The normally flat affect morphed, a faint reassuring half a smile surfaced. The posture changed, from its usual stiff, rigidity to something a little more relaxed.

It was probably the most cheerful outward expression that Aoi had ever witnessed on Shun's eternally cantankerous friend. That glazed look about the eyes, though, remained.

Kurumi emerged from the corridor. Her hair was now brushed smooth and rearranged to frame her face. She had on a fresh set of clothes, with a half sleeve button-up shirt and modest-length skirt. Her cheeks must've been pinched to force some color into them. Her usually inviting cheer, was back, though muted. She seemed more steady on her legs, now.

"Aoi-san," Kurumi beamed like her old self again. Her voice was high-pitched school girl way. "I'm so glad to see you. How have you been?"

From there, the interactions and conversations proceeded like any other neighborly friendly visit.

They all sat at the dining room table, Kurumi and her son sat on one side of the table while Aoi sat on the other. They chatted while helping themselves to snack tea. There was the usual modest exchange of how well each other are doing, the status of other mom friends.

It sounded like Nendou Midori finally allowed Nakanishi Kouta to move back in, now that the green-haired man is a world-famous magician and can afford certain indulgences. According to Midori, it sounded like her boyfriend still got along with her son well, which was Midori's main concern.

Kuboyasu Yoko said that she had been trying with Rean for another baby, since she was feeling her biological clock's devious whisper. So far, no success, but they had not given up yet. It did not sound like she was too serious about the effort, though.

At the mention of babies, though, Kurumi's expression did take on a slightly confused look, like she was not sure how she felt about the topic that should have brought all women squealing and fawning over.

Aoi quickly steered the conversation away from Kuboyasu Yoko. Even without a glance to check, Aoi could feel the dagger glares from Kusuo.

Aoi artfully redirected their conversation to their favorite local male actor, Mugami Toru and his new project with the superstar actress Goriki Ayame. The two women went completely fangirl over celebrity relationship and juicy gossip surrounding the two actors and the tabloid's suspicions that Mugami preferred older woman, considering that he had dated one of those ugly 50-something years old heiresses of a multinational conglomerate. Mugami denied that allegation, but the said wealthy heiress refused to publicly denounce such a juicy rumor.

The two fangirls then spoke shamelessly that they could still strike it rich with handsome young men.

Kusuo kept mute the entire time the two women conversed. He was so quiet that he seemed to melt into the very air. He only moved when he saw that it was time to replenish the tea, or fill their plates with digestive biscuits or other snacks. He seemed relieved that the chatter focused on the inane, clearly avoiding the Kurumi's unusual behavior from earlier and the reason why Aoi was visiting.

And whenever Kurumi's gaze was not turned to Kusuo's direction, his gentle half-smile fell immediately. The moment Kurumi's turned her head toward Kusuo, though, the mask was plastered back on as if nothing was wrong.

After nearly three-quarters of an hour of pleasantries, though, Kusuo gently tapped his mother's shoulder to get her attention. He looked at her meaningfully.

"Oh. It's time, isn't it, Ku-chan? You're running off?" asked Kurumi.

Kusuo only blinked, for which Aoi thought that meant 'yes.'

Kurumi seemed disappointed, and that despondent look from when Kurumi first came down the stairs flashed across her face.

"Will you be back for dinner?" she said hopefully.

There was a two-second silence.

Before waiting for Kusuo's answer, Kurumi said, "I'll save you a bento box in the fridge. In fact, let me fix you a small thing to take with you, okay? Can you wait five minutes?"

Again, without waiting for Kusuo to respond, Kurumi got off the dining room chair and into the kitchen, humming to herself and pulling out the pickled food containers and other cold cuts.

Aoi watched the exchange between the Saiki mother and son, slightly envious.

It seemed that Kurumi knew her son so well that he did not have to say a word and Kurumi already knew what he wanted to say.

If only Aoi could achieve that with her children, with Shun, the child she worried the most about. She knew her worry of Shun's future bordered on the irrational and caused her to treat Shun harshly, but she could not help it.

Shun was Aoi's first baby and all mothers held their first baby in that special place that all subsequent children could never be. The first one gets more of the attention, more of the worry and more of the mistakes. If Shun did not succeed in the real world, in her heart, she would have failed as a mother no matter how wildly successful her other children became.

Aoi's expression became crestfallen at that thought.

Kurumi must felt like a complete failure when she heard the news.

Even if it was nothing that Kurumi could do, the loss of her first child must have felt like an unrecoverable blow to her entire being.

Aoi looked at Kusuo now, suddenly realizing why his behavior seemed so unusual.

The poor boy must have been taking care of Kurumi for some time, when it had been the other way around all his life. He must have been so disquieted by his mother's conduct that he interacted with the dreaded mom's friends voluntarily.

Kusuo, though, seemed to be occupied with staring at Kurumi's snack plate that was placed at an off-angle to him. The intensity of his gaze seemed fearsome enough to make milk curdle.

The plate was full, and untouched.

"So, Kusuo-kun," called Aoi, as casual as she could, now realizing what Kusuo had been trying to do. If she kept up the casual conversation, as if nothing happened, then it would contribute to going back to normal. "Did you get a part-time job?"

Those green-shaded eyeballs darted to Aoi. He gave a nod so faint that Aoi thought that she imagined it.

"What's the job?"

Like usual, Kusuo shrugged. "It's nothing important."

"Oh. You can tell me," encouraged Aoi. "We all have to start somewhere. What are you? A busboy? shelf-stocking boy? receptionist? Delivery boy. Cashier?"

"I'm..." there was a pause, like usual. It was as if he was having a hard time thinking of an appropriate word to describe what he was doing. Perhaps he was not as much of a genius as Aoi had originally thought. Finally, he settled for, "an administrator."

"Like an office manager?" clarified Aoi. "You run copies, stapling things, binding and such?"

"That's part of it," Kusuo admitted.

Aoi nodded knowingly. Entry-level jobs were typically menial, and Kusuo struck her as the type who didn't do menial work, especially if it was a humbling experience.

"Well, as long as you keep your grades up," said Aoi, her instinct to nag on grades creeping in. "You are in your third year. Speaking of which, finals are coming up next week. Are you prepared?"

"Yeah," said Kusuo. "The paperwork is in."

Another strange response.

Before Aoi could inquire further, Kurumi popped out of the kitchen, a small box wrapped in a pink cloth in her hand. "Here you go Ku-chan."

Kusuo received the wrapped box mutely, appearing to be neither pleased nor displeased by the package.

Just then, there was the sound of a pot lid dancing and the sizzling of water.

"Oh! It's boiling over! Be a minute."

Like a busy bee, Kurumi rushed over to the kitchen again, quickly reducing the heat on the stove range and putting in whatever she was cooking.

Aoi frowned slightly. Kurumi was known to be scattered-brained. But for Kurumi to start an entirely new cooking activity while a guest is over, seemed a little strange. Still, Aoi explained it away in her head that Kurumi was unlikely to be in the right state of mind and probably won't be for a while, and maybe even for the rest of her life. Mothers who outlived their children were often never quite the same after such loss.

Aoi would have to arrange for the mom's friends to do a little thing for Kurumi at some point, help Kurumi get back on her feet.

Aoi would also have to mention this to Shun too. Aoi vaguely recalled some of Shun's more off-handed comments, asking after Kusuo. A lot of people at school must be worried sick since they all seemed to be in a group of close-knit twelve friends. Aoi thought the party that Shun and his friends were planning was for Kusuo. They were working on some sort of secret banner.

Kusuo, though, was already walking toward the door, looking distractedly at his phone. It sounded like several emails had come in and from the look on his face, he might be keeping a copy machine occupied for quite some time.

Aoi ran to catch up with Kusuo to the front door.

Was Kusuo seriously going to work, looking like hoodie-wearing shut-in?

"Kaidou-san, I have a favor to ask," said Kusuo as he put on a pair of his usual dressy but comfortable walking shoes.

Yes. He was going to work looking just that casual, whatever work was. Maybe it was one of those venture capital, internet startups, social media companies. Those risky boom and bust style companies usually cared little for the traditional attire and behaviors of work. Respected industries like Mitsubishi or Sony would never allow such sloppiness.

"Anything," responded Aoi automatically.

"Can you get my mother to eat something before you leave?" asked Kusuo.

Aoi blinked. Her mind slowly understanding why Kusuo was staring so intently at Kurumi's plate earlier. In the end, she nodded hesitantly.

"My father will be home in about half an hour or so," continued Kusuo. "They're still not getting along well so they might start fighting. You should leave before it gets awkward."

Oh. Aoi was going to leave before that happened. She was not that close to Kurumi to be caught in between the relationship between husband and wife. Still, Aoi could not help but be curious. "Why would they not get along?"

"Something to do with Ani," answered Kusuo, that hesitance and uncertainty about him, "something that happened, before I was born." Like earlier though, the word was said in a manner that cut off all further probing into the details.

It was a sensitive moment, one that Aoi was conscious enough to be aware of and not press further. "Well. I'll do my best to help your mother out," said Aoi, skillfully turning an interaction from a place of discomfort to reassurance. As a full-time businesswoman in her past life, before children, she had to face many situations to diffuse fray nerves.

For now, her inner thoughts schemed of how she would press the local mom friends into service.

Aoi and Kuboyasu Yoko were great at making meals, granted that Yoko was better at traditional meals and Aoi tend to sprinkle her fares with an international flavor. Nendou Midori would be invited to help, of course. Aoi just had to make sure that Midori did not go for her usual method of spicing everything with either rice wine or liquor. That last plate of drunken chicken curry made Aoi sang karaoke for an hour and a hungover the next day.

Trying to reassure Kusuo, Aoi reached out and placed a hand on Kusuo's shoulder, similar to that time when she drove him home weeks ago.

He was hot.

Not as hot as he was weeks ago, but enough for Aoi to retract her hand and notice the difference. It did not seem like the heat that Hairo-boy exhibited. No, the Hairo-boy was always sweating because he was always exercising and working out, generating body heat. Kusuo's heat was hot enough to scald.

Aoi frowned. She distinctively recalled how Kusuo said something about him and his older brother were always like 'this.' And how he only said that his older brother had burned up.

Aoi suddenly stared at Kusuo in realization of what was happening.

"Not. A. Single. Word," said Kusuo, stressing every syllable. He seemed to know exactly what was in her head. "It'd only worry my mother."

"But Kusuo-kun!"

"It's managed," said Kusuo meaningfully. "I should be," There was a deep breath, "will be, fine." Kusuo opened the door. "Don't tell people about this."

"Why?"

"I want...need things, to go back to normal. I don't want an uproar." He snorted a little. "We still haven't told my maternal grandparents. They shouldn't hear it from someone else."

Before Aoi could inquire further, she saw Kusuo's dour resting expression suddenly morphed again, back to that mask of calm, almost happy expression.

Kurumi had somehow snuck up behind Aoi.

"I'm sorry," apologized Kurumi. "I thought to start making teriyaki and a grilled sandal, for when Papa get back."

The strangeness of the words made a drop of sweat form on side of Aoi's head. Had Kurumi gone deranged?

Kusuo, though, looked away almost shyly. He checked his watch and seemed anxious to leave.

From her vantage point, Aoi could see the watch was digital and a reading of a red-colored "40.0C" flashed.

Was it already 4:00 p.m. already?

"Bye, Ku-chan," chirped Kurumi, forced happiness in her voice.

With that, Kusuo stepped across the threshold and closed the front door.

The two women went back to the table.

This time, Aoi went into the kitchen. She decided not to help, but to take over. She tossed the grilled sandal into the garbage and rummage through the fridge.

The fridge was poorly stocked. Mostly frozen foods, TV dinners and condiments.

Not a problem. Aoi had worked with poor ingredients before. She should still be able to whip up something nutritious. From the looks of it, Kurumi's cooking seemed lacking. The water was left boiling for probably the last ten minutes without any added ingredients. The teriyaki chicken did not appear to have been soaked in a marinade and likely to be dry like chalk if cooked.

Aoi was breaking every single social convention of politeness with this action, but with her forceful personality, she was able to banish Kurumi to the table of snacks.

Aoi was going to make good on her words, even if she would end up in an uncomfortable situation once Kurumi's husband returned. It was the least that she could do for the boy who convinced Shun to come home.

By the time that Aoi got home from her visit of the Saiki family, she was greeted with a kitchen steeped in carnage.

It appeared that Sora felt, as the second woman in the house, that it was her job to make dinner because mom wasn't home, yet.

Under Kaidous Aoi's strict tutelage, Sora was taught how to cook the rice, stir fry a rudimentary meat dish, mix the salad and prepare basic miso soup.

Direct, like her mother, Sora barked orders to her brothers like she was the boss of the family. Her face took on the expression of a killer robot, with a matching imaginary red eye, when Shun dared to utter a lackadaisical response to washing a mixing spoon.

Since Toki adored his older brother, the boys ganged up on Sora.

It was a challenge that Sora refused to back down from.

So even though the food did make it to the table, there were burnt sleeves, food stains at weird places on the countertops and enough sauce spatter to resemble a horrific stabbing crime scene.

Aoi walked in on Sora holding a butter knife threateningly, a smear of jam on the knife, at Shun.

"I don't care if you think the dishes are going to dry on their own. You wipe it dry!" hollered Sora.

"Not with the rag that you're using," reasoned Shun. "You just used it to wipe up spilled ketchup. It'll only make dishes dirtier."

"Then wash the rag in the sink, you blockhead. Are you really this dumb?" shot Sora back.

"You were occupying the sink! I was just waiting for the sink to be freed up!"

While the two argued the technical domestic details, Toki was already at the table, happily spooning hazelnut spread directly from the jar into his mouth, completely ignoring the small bowl of rice and plates of side dishes.

"Ah hum," Aoi cleared her throat, her arms crossed, tapping a slippered foot with impatience.

Sora and Shun looked at each other, suddenly realized just the war zone they had made of the kitchen and they've been caught red-handed.

The two partners-in-crime pointed at each other. "It's his/her fault!" they cried.

Instead, Aoi began to laugh. A hearty, throaty laugh.

Sora and Shun stood, stiff as their mother approached them and hugged them close to her. She kissed both of them once on the cheek, for which both children's faces turned deep red.

Such direct physical display of love was nearly taboo in their culture and both nearly pushed their mother away. It was only their exposure to western cultures, during that time when they lived in America, that they understood that this could be normal and acceptable.

"Mom, not in front of..." Shun trailed off, too embarrassed to continue. This recent "mom is nice and isn't Dark Reunion" sentiment felt nice and mortifying at the same time.

Sora gracefully accepted her mother's outward display of care and affection. She did stick out her tongue at Shun though, when mom wasn't watching.

Toki, feeling left out, abandoned his half-eaten jar of hazelnut spread and pulled at his mother's skirt. "What about me, mama?"

"You too, Toki," said Aoi and gave Toki a kiss that deliberately was accompanied by the kissing sound.

"Ew! Mom! Stop! It's gross!" complained Toki, wiping at his face.

Aoi did not care. She felt unusually glad to feel and touch her three children close to her. She gave an extra tight hug to Shun, feeling usually happy that he was peacefully going through high school.

"Mum? Did something happen?" asked Shun once Aoi let go. He noticed that mom's eyes were liquidy. "Did dad extend his business trip again?"

"No. Nothing happened," said Aoi, honoring her words to Kusuo earlier. She did wipe at her eyes a little. "Come on. Let's eat dinner."

AN: Slowly but surely, we march.

Kusuo always struck me as a person who slowly recognizes his wants, since he's always so distracted by his telepathy.

Except in this case, what he wants, he cannot get. What he needs, is barely holding together. I also wanted to explain, in an off-sided way, why Kusuo would be envious of the delusional Kaidou Shun, since Kaidous Shun has something that Kusuo could never have.

The grass is always greener on the other side, I suppose.

Thanks everyone for encouraging me every chapter!