Monday, 03/19/2001, 6:09 a.m.
Click!
The light turned on with a snap.
Once dark, a small and modest room was now revealed.
Aside from a worn nightstand, an old mirror, and a small bed, there was nothing particularly remarkable in sight.
A floor with cracked tiles and a ceiling with peeling paint completed the scene.
Standing next to the light switch he had just turned on, a young man of ordinary appearance, dressed in white pajamas, looked sleepily around, barefoot. His black, sharp eyes tried to focus. His next action was to open the curtains of the window on the other side of the room.
"Grrr..."
The sun's rays struck the boy's tanned skin and dazzled his eyes, making him groan.
Stepping away from the window and turning off the lights, the young man stood in front of the mirror to try to fix his unkempt black hair. A slight expression of puzzlement appeared on his face as he looked at his reflection in the glass. His eyes briefly shifted to the nightstand. On it rested a 2001 calendar set to March, several books and study instruments, and a messy pile of cards with images of monsters and strange symbols. A sigh escaped the boy's mouth, and he then shook his head and returned to grooming himself.
"Haaa..."...
A few minutes later, the young man left the room. His destination was a bathroom in a similar state to the bedroom. There, he finished washing up and taking care of some of his basic needs...
Once done, the young man stepped into the hallway of the place.
Amid the cold, the rough floor, and the lingering darkness of the corridor, the scent of fried eggs and coffee hung in the air.
"Haaa..."
Inhaling deeply, the young man licked his lips and then headed toward the kitchen with a strange expression.
There, wearing a stained apron, moving between the sound of sizzling oil and a chattering coffee maker, a woman was preparing food.
There was no sign of anyone else in the place but the two of them...
Aside from the basics needed to get by, the apartment only featured a large painting of three people, faded by the light from an unpainted ceiling, and a law degree in the name of a certain Yumiko Osako...
After briefly looking around the small space that made up the apartment, the young man walked up to the woman and then spoke in a routine tone.
"Good morning, mother."
While the young man took a seat at a small table for four on one side of the apartment's living room, the woman smiled, turned around, and looked at the boy. She looked very young, had black hair, sharp features, green eyes, average height, and a slim build. Her voice came out in a cheerful tone as she resumed her task.
"Oh, it's you, Shin? Good morning, love! Sit down, sit down, I'll have this ready in a moment... By the way. How was last night? No more nightmares after that? You know you can tell me anything, right, Shin?"
With a visibly uncomfortable smile and a brief pause of silence, the young man named Shin sat at the table and then responded to his mother in a measured tone. Meanwhile, his gaze roamed over the woman's back and the rest of the apartment with a mix of expressions.
"No. All good... mother... By the way, as I told you yesterday, I'll be back a bit late today. Around nine, I think... Mr. Kashiwagi wanted me to help him organize last week's merchandise. He said he'd pay me something extra for it... Oh? Right, that's true. Do you want me to bring something back from the store? Like eggs, milk, I don't know, something we're out of?... Eh, this? Mother? Are you listening to me?"
The woman went silent for a few seconds. Meanwhile, she prepared a couple of eggs with bacon and toast on a plate and then served a cup of hot milk with coffee. After that, she walked toward the table, tray in hand. Her face showed a conflicted expression. Shin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He gripped the edge of the chair and remained silent, sweat dripping from his forehead. Then, the woman spoke, her tone uncertain.
"Shin, I..."
By that time, the table had already been served, though Shin had not touched the food. His gaze did not move from his mother, standing beside the table and still silent.
Walking up behind Shin and hugging his head, the woman spoke. Shin shuddered at the contact, now pale.
"...You know I don't like you working, right, love? You should focus on studying and having fun with your friends. Like all the other boys your age. I... I'll work as much as needed, okay? Money won't be a problem soon, I promise. I'll talk to Mr. Kashiwagi so—"
Interrupting his mother with an alarmed expression on his face, Shin shook his head. Though his expression had noticeably relaxed.
"Ah-ah, so that's it? No, it's nothing serious, mother. I can have a job and do everything else without any problem, I assure you. My grades are going well and I can promise I'll make some friends soon. I just want to help out a little here, okay? Sorry for making you worry... Besides, helping you is my duty. After all, I'm the man of the house now, right?"
Tightening her embrace, the woman kissed Shin on the head. Her eyes were red, though a bright, toothy smile shone on her face.
"I'm so proud of you, did you know that? So proud. You make me the happiest mom in the world, sweetheart. I love you, love. I love you so much... Now eat, or breakfast will get cold. I'll go prepare your bento. Oh, and don't forget to take your raincoat today, okay? It's been raining a lot lately and your cold still hasn't gone away completely..."
AN/One chapter per day. 100 power stones today means one extra chapter the next day. Each chapter is made up of four acts, plus a prologue and an epilogue, and finally a special act — each ranging from 800 to 2000 words. Leave a comment and report any issues below. You can buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/s/8e7c3d4725. 6 more parts in the previous link. 7 in chapter 2.