It was eleven in the morning, yet my mother was still working on her laptop, while my father quietly read a book.
Adults were impressive—they knew how to keep their emotions in check. I wished I could learn from them.
Sitting in the living room across from them, I cleared my throat to get their attention.
"Yumiko?"
My mother was the first to notice me. Her eyes widened as she looked straight at me.
I nodded with a faint smile.
"Mmm…"
My father stared as well, his expression showing just as much surprise.
"I…" I drew in a deep breath. "I've decided to do things the right way. I want to become someone Grandma would be proud of."
"I see…" My father closed his book, as if he already understood everything just by looking at me.
"Before I say anything, I think you have a lot you want to tell us, don't you, Yumiko?" My mother shut her laptop.
"That's true, then… I…"
My voice stayed steady and neutral throughout.
I began from the beginning—how I had felt lonely ever since I was a child. I understood now that adults had to work, and that their time was consumed by it, but for a child, that was impossible to grasp.
They weren't the only ones at fault. I was to blame too for staying silent. I should have spoken up, asked them to spend more time with me. I knew they would have done everything they could—but I had never taken the initiative.
Even so, they weren't innocent either. As parents, they had made plenty of mistakes, and I pointed them out.
As I spoke, I expected irritation on their faces, but instead, my mother looked glad to hear me, while my father kept the same stoic expression as always. Hadn't Grandma ever told him he needed to change that? So I reminded him too.
After pointing out their mistakes, as well as my own, I went on to talk about my experiences in elementary and middle school. I didn't want to hide anything. I wanted to trust them.
"And with that, you're caught up with me." I let out a small sigh as I finished.
I ended by telling them what had happened on Friday—how they had beaten up a boy I had met, someone who had given me advice. That kind of intimidation had gone too far, almost like a warning of what would happen to me if I didn't obey.
If they could use others to threaten me, then I could do the same. My parents were influential. I couldn't wait to see their faces when those people got what they deserved.
And if that wasn't enough, I would crush them myself.
"You know, you didn't have to hammer in so much that we were bad parents." My father sighed.
"She has a point. I devoted too much time to work, but it's not as if I could—"
"You're the one running the company. You can arrange your schedule." I didn't hesitate to tear down her weak excuse.
But my mother only smiled.
"With that new hairstyle, you've become pretty assertive too." The look she gave me felt oddly comforting—like that of a proud parent.
"If I'm not, I don't think I could ever reach you. Especially you, Father."
"You're a lot like your grandmother. Not only in how you resemble her youth, but because she, too, scolded me for my attitude." My father rose and walked until he stood right in front of me. "I'm certain my mother is proud of you."
My parents had always had a peculiar way of acting, so unless I spoke to them like this, they hardly listened.
"I know. Still—I want to become even better!"
I didn't want to settle for who I had been.
"Yumiko." My mother hugged me from behind. "I'm glad that the little girl who once struggled to walk has grown enough to call us out on our mistakes."
"That wasn't necessary to bring up." I turned my face away, embarrassed.
"It is. I don't want you to think we never paid attention to you. You've always been our little girl. But now, I know you've grown up." She gently stroked my head.
"That's good to know." Her touch felt comforting.
"From now on, we'll go out together—shopping, cooking, making up for lost time." She tightened her embrace.
Had she always been like this?
For a moment, I didn't recognize her.
"It's been a long time since I've seen that side of you." For the first time, I saw my father smiling.
"That's cruel of you, saying it like I was nothing but a nuisance." She pouted, almost like a high schooler.
"I've got plenty of college memories that prove it." He sighed, as if the recollection itself was exhausting.
"I don't recall it being that bad… more like you eavesdropping and barging in between people."
"All right, all right, no need to remind me." Cornered, my father gave in.
Apparently, they shared many stories I had never heard.
"Sweetheart, don't you have something to say to Yumi?"
Yumi? Who was Yumi?
Had I just opened Pandora's box?
I looked at my father, and with his eyes he told me this was my fault—so I had better endure it.
"I want to apologize. As your father, I failed to give you the time you needed, to truly understand what you were going through. But I want to make things right, so I ask for your forgiveness." He bowed toward me.
I had always seen my father as someone serious, a man who never showed his emotions. My grandmother once told me he did it to protect himself, so seeing him apologize shocked me.
"Father, I…"
"Don't forgive him so easily. He's failed as a father—the least he can do is pay for our beauty salon visit and our shopping day." My mother said this teasingly, pointing at him.
I smiled at that.
"You heard her! After that, I'll think about it!"
I teamed up with my mother.
"Two against one, that's unfair." He sighed. "Fine, I suppose this is my punishment for having such a beautiful wife and daughter."
"Flattery won't save you. Right, Yumi?"
Now I understood why my father preferred keeping his stoic mask on—my mother was like his nemesis.
"As long as it's the three of us together, I won't complain."
"My daughter is so kind and beautiful."
Why did he say that like he was relieved I didn't take after my mother?
"Let's not waste time. It's still early and we've got plenty to do—let's go!"
At first, I had my doubts, but now I only felt stupid for taking so long to say what I truly thought.
…
It had only been three days, but it felt like I had been away from school much longer.
Yesterday, I had spent the whole day with my parents—we went to the mall, where they bought me new outfits, and then to the beauty salon, because my mother insisted I needed a new hairstyle.
I had never worn a styled cut before, but at the salon I looked through a catalog and chose one with bangs, plus two long spiral locks that hung over my shoulders. I thought it was called twin drills. I liked it.
We ended the day dining at an elegant restaurant. I had completely forgotten just how high my parents' salaries were.
Speaking of school, today they both came with me, but we split up at the entrance since they had things to discuss with the principal.
"Tomorrow I'll come along too—I want a few words with your principal."
I felt chills when I remembered the sinister look on my father's face yesterday.
"What a coincidence, I was planning to go and talk to that man too," added my mother.
I decided I preferred her cheerful, laid-back attitude—she could be scary enough already.
Leaving that aside, ever since I had walked in, I had felt everyone's eyes on me.
So this was what popular girls felt?
I had never received so much attention before, so it was new… but it felt comforting. Now I understood why they enjoyed being in the spotlight.
The first thing I wanted to do when I reached class was talk to those two, to set things straight. But when I entered, I saw their seats were empty.
Now that I no longer felt afraid, I could finally say what I had always wanted. It wasn't that I had lacked the words before… I simply hadn't believed I was allowed to use them. But now, things were different.
They usually arrived early—it was strange they weren't here yet.
Well, sooner or later they would have to show up, and when they did, we would have a nice little chat.
"Someone like that was in our class?"
"Her hair is gorgeous."
"Is she a new student?"
"She's really pretty. Do you think if I confess, she'll go out with me?"
As I took my seat, I overheard my classmates whispering.
As for what that last guy said, not even in his dreams would she go out with him.
Still, hearing all those compliments sent my ego straight to the clouds. Not a bad feeling, honestly.
The bell rang, signaling the start of class.
But the seats of both girls remained empty. They hadn't shown up.
When it was time to switch teachers, I stood and walked over to the desk next to mine.
Before, I would have hesitated, maybe even struggled to ask a simple question—but I wasn't who I used to be.
What was his name again? I had been here for months, yet aside from those two, I hardly knew anyone else's name. Well, it didn't matter.
"Do you know anything about Yamada and Suzuki?"
I placed my hand on his desk, since he looked completely spaced out.
"I… uh… no…"
Why was he acting so nervous?
"Cat got your tongue?"
He lowered his head.
"Hey, you! Answer me!"
When the guy in front of me couldn't get a single word out, I turned to the next desk and asked the class rep instead.
"That's not really the way to…"
She started to say something, but it wasn't the answer I wanted.
"Just do it!"
She froze, practically jumping at the sharp tone of my voice.
Could no one answer my question? Or maybe it had something to do with the way I was asking it?
"Let me rephrase. I want to know why Yamada and Suzuki didn't come to school today. I've got some things to discuss with them, so could you share that information with me, Rep-chan?"
Strange… I had been way nicer this time, yet the class rep looked like she was staring down her worst nightmare, ready to bolt.
I had followed all the basics of proper conversation: held eye contact, kept my tone serious, even addressed her position with a softer note.
Later I would find out my words had been taken as a death threat.
"They won't be coming back to school."
"Hm?"
I turned toward the girl who spoke up. She used to hang around those two sometimes, though they weren't especially close.
"What do you mean by that!?" I raised my voice, losing control for a moment.
Did they transfer schools?
The girl flinched, but she didn't look away from me.
"On Friday, both of them, along with the captains of the soccer and basketball teams, were victims of a robbery. But on top of that, all four of them were beaten badly. That's why they won't be coming back."
"That's karma. Isn't it great!?"
I couldn't help but laugh when I heard that, drawing the eyes of everyone in the class.
"You're Miura-san, right?"
"You got a problem with that!?"
The few times she had hung out with those two, I had always been dragged into their mockery as well.
She lowered her gaze.
"If anyone's got a problem with me, say it now!" I spoke loudly, making sure the whole class heard.
I didn't hold anything against the others, but if they had something against me, better to settle it straight.
No one dared to respond.
"Thought so."
With that, I went back to my seat, since the teacher would be arriving any moment.
I had wanted to talk to them myself, but if they weren't coming back to school, there was nothing I could do about it.
With that matter settled, only one thing was left on my to-do list.
Last time I had walked him back to his classroom, so I already knew where it was. Now I just had to find him at lunch.
Humming a tune in my good mood, I waited for the bell to ring so I could go see him.