Chapter 19 Farewell, Mom
"The Final Exam will be held in 3 days... I wonder what actually is Elsword's promise that it took quite a long time to fulfill..."
Rena's pondering this thing as she study.
She's not paying attention to the teacher since she's caught in her own world.
"What if... He actually didn't love me at all? Or he's just playing with my feelings?"
Rena frowned as the thought kept on disturbing her.
She didn't want to doubt Elsword, but if this keeps on going, it seems like they will not ever going out together, so she's afraid.
She's afraid that her love is just an unrequited love.
She shook her head.
"No, no, I must trust him..."
Aisha who noticed her weird attitude poked her shoulder.
"Kya?!"
"What's up, Rena? You looked like you're in a trouble."
Rena's happy that Aisha noticed her uneasiness, but she doesn't want her to get worried.
"It's nothing, Aisha, I'm just having a hard time learning this subject."
Rena smiled, Aisha seemed to be convinced too.
"I see, the subject is quite hard indeed, we only have 3 days left, but let's do our best."
Aisha nodded in confirmation.
And then she resumed her study.
Rena sighed in relief.
-After School-
"Hey, Rena."
Elsword visited her classroom which is a very rare occasion.
If it's the normal her, she would be very happy.
But now, she just smiled and walk toward him.
"Yes? Quite rare to see you coming here."
"Yes, because I have something I need to tell you."
She tilted her head.
Then, Elsword held her hand and took her to the rooftop.
"What happened, Elsword?"
"... Rena, about my promise..."
Rena's breath stopped for awhile.
This topic is not a topic that she really wants to hear.
"-What is it, Elsword?"
"... I think, I can't go out with you."
"-! *Gasp*"
Rena've already expected this.
She isn't really surprised, but...
"W-Why?"
She still wants to know why Elsword said that.
"... I have my own circumstances."
Elsword's words stabs Rena's heart really hard.
Her tears started to flow.
"... W-Why..."
Eslword who saw her tears moved closer to her while reaching out his hand.
But, Rena move backward while shouting;
"Don't touch me!"
"Rena..."
Rena just doesn't understand why.
Elsword said that he will surely go out with her and he said that he 'love' her, but now he said that he can't go out with her.
"I never... Knew you're such a jerk..."
Rena's tears flowing unstoppably.
Elsword can't help but feeling guilty.
Hence, he turns around.
"... That's all that I wanted to say."
Rena's tears flows even more.
But Elsword, who heard her sobbings, didn't look back.
Not even once.
"-I'm sorry."
He left the rooftop.
Rena who's left alone, cried.
She cried so loud, but no one's going to hear it.
After she's done crying, she went back to her home.
Her mother saw her whose eyes are red.
She rubbed her daughter's cheeks.
"What happened, dear?"
"... Please leave me alone, mom..."
Her mother immediately get what's happening.
She let her daughter get back to her own room.
"... Poor Rena..."
Her mother still found it hard to believe.
Her expectation is Elsword probably said mean things to her.
But her mother is pretty sure, that Elsword's not that kind of man.
Rena buried her face in her bed.
She just doesn't care of what will happen next.
Even if she died, she probably won't even care about it.
"... This pain... Is broken heart's pain..."
She's hurt pretty deeply.
The one that she always loved this whole time.
Actually was the one who hurt her.
"... Elsword... *Hic*"
She sobbed again.
She remembered her experiences with him until now.
"After all of the things we've gone through together, how can you just end it like this...?"
She fell asleep as she sobbed.
She must be pretty tired.
-Elsword's House-
"... Tsk..."
Elsword's clenching his fists.
He's not in the mood to talk to anyone.
He tears a piece of paper on the table that read; Notification.
"... Damn it... Damn it all...!"
He landed his fist to the wall.
His fist bleed due to the skin being tore by the rough wall.
But he doesn't care of what happened to his fist.
His tears fell.
He gritted his teeth.
"... I'm sorry... I can't keep my promise..."
Saying that, he left the house.
-The Next Day-
Rena head to the school like usual.
Her steps are weak.
She's not recovered from the shock yesterday yet.
Rena entered the class.
She found that Raven and Aisha are having a serious talk.
She thought that it might be about the final exam since they only got 2 days left.
Aisha noticed Rena and quickly called for her.
"Rena! Hurry up! Come here!"
Rena thought she's going to ask about some question that she can't answer.
So she sighed and walked to her.
"What is it, Aisha?"
"Have you heard the news?"
"News?"
Raven said something about news, so they're not talking about the exam.
Rena tilted her head in confusion.
"What kind of news?"
"Elsword's mother... Passed away yesterday..."
-Hospital-
Elsword's sitting beside her mother's dead body.
Her mother's very healthy the last time he saw her.
The doctor said that her mother's going to be fine.
But then, this happened.
The doctor came into the room.
Elsword who saw him, grabbed his collar in anger.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HER!? YOU SAID THAT SHE'S FINE!"
The doctor stares at him right in the eyes.
He immediately understood that the doctor got something important to say.
So he let go of him.
Elsword sat on a chair.
The doctor sat in front of him.
"What happened to your hand?"
The doctor noticed Elsword's wounded fist.
But he just kept silent.
Sighing, the doctor opened his mouth again.
"... Elsword, this is from your mother."
"-What is this?"
The doctor handed him a memory card.
He took it and pondered what's that thing for.
"Put it in your phone or your pc and you'll know what it means."
The doctor sighed.
"I don't understand either, but... Your mother forced me to keep her worse health from you."
"... What did you say?"
Elsword immediately lift his head.
"-Your mother didn't want you to worry, so she begged me to not let you know about her bad condition, she's actually having a Last stadium cancer."
"But... She still looked pretty fine when I visited her before!"
"That's just her putting up a strong front. You'll know everything if you look into that memory card, Elsword."
"... Did you look at this memory card, too?"
"No, but I'm the one who helped her that time."
Elsword nodded.
He looked at his mother's body.
And he held her hand.
"... Thank you for accompanying my mother, doctor."
"It's nothing, it's a doctor's job to help his patient."
"... I will leave mother's body in your care."
"You're not going to do a burial?"
"... No, mother would surely happy if her body can be used to save humans, that's just her character after all."
The doctor nodded.
"I understand."
The doctor patted his shoulder.
Elsword looked at him.
"Take care of yourself."
"... I will."
And then, he left the hospital.
He returned to his home.
He inserted the memory card into his phone and he opened the folder.
There, he found a video with a title; 'For Elsword my dear son'.
He hesitated to open the video.
But he must do it.
And so, he opened the video, her mother's smiling face can be seen.
"Elsword."
"... Mom..."
Her mother's smile is very gentle.
She didn't look like she's going to die anytime at all.
"I'm sorry, Elsword... I didn't tell you about my condition."
"..."
His mother smiled.
But the smile seemed to be a sad smile.
"I don't want you and your father to be worried, so I always putting up a strong look, did I do it well? You didn't expect me to have a cancer, didn't you?"
His mother giggles.
She's still so young, her age's only 33.
She get married with Elsword's father at her young age.
"To tell you the truth... Mother's very sorry to force you to look like Elesis... I just can't get over to lose my precious daughter... But, it's already too late to apologize isn't it?"
His mother looked pretty sad.
She really felt guilty.
"Elsword, you've fallen in love, right?"
"-!"
That caught him off-guard.
He never expect her mother will noticed it.
"I knew it from your behavior these days, there's not much difference, but a mother can tell if her child is having a trouble you know?"
His mother giggles.
Elsword can felt his cheeks went red in embarrassment.
"But, you seem to keep your promise."
The promise.
A promise that he must fulfill no matter what.
"You can forget that promise... Now that I'm not there, I don't think there's any need to keep the promise, right?"
Elsword nodded weakly.
His promise with his mother...
"It's just too much for you to handle, back then when you finally against the idea of being Elesis' substitute... You promised that you'll show me that you can surpass Elesis in exchange of being able to live as a boy didn't you?"
His promised his mother.
His mother kept on urging him to be Elesis' substitute.
But he finally had enough of it and will show his mother that he's better than his sister.
His mother already knew from the start, that no matter what, he will never able to surpass Elesis, the prodigy.
But, she still played along with him.
Because that was the first time where Elsword started to rebel against her.
"You've done what you can, I appreciated your hard work. But it's enough... You don't have to worry about me, I'm already starting to see you as yourself since you rebelled against me, Elsword. You're clearly not Elesis."
"Mother..."
"You're a teenage boy, you will eventually fell in love, and when that happened, you will have a hard time in studying, right?"
It's true, since he realized his feelings toward Rena, he can hardly concentrate in his study.
He is a very fast learner, but without concentration, his talent will just wasted.
"I bet you asked the girl you love to wait until the final exam so that you can concentrate more in your study to show me that you can surpass your sister, but that's just going to torture you. Don't underestimate the feeling of longing for someone, also, don't hurt her feelings when I'm gone, girl's heart is delicate, fufufu..."
His mother giggles weakly.
Elsword sighed.
So his efforts until now are in vain.
Since his mother's already stopped seeing him as Elesis long time ago.
And his mother also understand Elsword really well, she knew that Elsword will still keep his promise when she's gone, even if that means he must forget Rena so that he can concentrate in his study more.
"Elsword, I think I don't have the right to say this... But, I love you, Elsword... From my deepest heart... Don't make me worried, okay? It looks like I've reached my limit... I will see you again in heaven, my dear son... I wish for your happine... ss..."
And then, she collapsed, the video ended immediately.
That must be when his mother didn't open her eyes anymore.
*Drip*
His tears are flowing, but he didn't sobbed even once.
He's able to let his mother go in peace, because his mother already gave him her blessings.
He's unwilling, but he must be strong.
People are bounded to death.
No one can escape death.
"... I love you too, mother... Let's meet again one day, in heaven..."
Right after he said that, his house's door's being knocked loudly.
He wondered who is it.
"Elsword! Elsword!"
Rena's voice can be heard outside.
Looks like she've heard the news about his mother's death.
It's already after school, no wonder she's here.
If he's still the same as yesterday, he would ignore her.
But, he stood up and opened the door.
"Elsword! I've heard it from Aisha and senior... Your mom...?"
He let her in.
And they're facing each other.
Elsword took a deep inhale and exhaled slowly.
"... It's okay, now."
Elsword smiled.
Rena's surprised by how fine he looked.
Elsword looked at her face.
The face of the girl that he love.
The person that he kept longing for.
'She must've rode a taxi to come here, what a dumb girl...'
Thinking that, he hugged Rena.
Rena who's surprised immediately broke the hug.
"W-What are you doing? I thought you said that we're not going out..."
"... I will tell you about my promise that I mentioned before, now."
They sat next to each other in his room.
Elsword told her how he's being forced to be Elesis and his promise to surpass Elesis, including his mother's last video.
Rena's really surprised.
After telling her everything...
*SLAP*
A slap landed on his cheek.
Different from before, this time, the slap hurt pretty much.
"Rena...?"
"IDIOT!"
Rena stood and shouted at him.
Her tears are flowing.
It's totally the same as last time.
"Who do you think I am!? If you said from the start that you want to concentrate on study of course I will allow it and won't disturb you! There's no way I will not try to understand your condition! Saying that you can't go out with me after you said you love me... Hurt me more than when you rejected me that time!"
Elsword can't find a word to reply.
He's totally at the fault.
It's because he doesn't understand a girl's heart.
But then...
Rena hugged his face to her chest.
"But... I'm glad... That you still love me..."
Elsword felt really guilty for what he said yesterday.
He lowered his head and let Rena hugged him.
The comfort surpassed everything in the world.
"-I'm sorry, Rena..."
"It's okay... I forgive you..."
Rena patted and caressed his head like a loving mother.
He missed this feeling so much.
And then he broke the hug and grabbed Rena's shoulders.
"Rena... I know I'm very insensitive, saying this after my mother's death... But if you like it..."
He mustered all of his courage.
"Do you want to go out with me?"
His mother's wish is for his happiness.
He understood it that much.
He doesn't want his mother to be worried.
He must be strong.
Rena's really surprised, but she smiled as her tears flow gently.
"... I do, Elsword... I've been waiting for that sentence..."
"Rena..."
Their faces are getting closer and their lips met each other.
Elsword realized.
That death is not something to be sad for.
The person who died will never wish for the others to be sad for them.
They wish for the happiness of those who are important to them.
Even now, he's sure that his mother's smiling at him.
Elsword swore.
That he will protect Rena and will never hurt her anymore.
They embraced each other as they kiss.
'Good bye, Elsword.'
Elsword can hear his mother's voice, but he guessed that it's just his feelings.
But he need to reply.
'Have a safe trip, mom.'
And he bid his mother farewell to welcome his future.
Chapter 19 Farewell, Mom End