Visit - Volume 2

(One month later)

"It's going to be okay."

Jiro's expression was gentle as he gave Natsuo a reassuring squeeze on his trembling knee.

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked his anxious boyfriend, who had been drumming his leg and fiddling with the couch cushion while waiting for the doorbell to ring.

"You can leave," Natsuo assured.

The doorbell didn't ring, but someone knocked on the front door. Jiro leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, reminding him once again that everything would be alright.

The two of them rose from the black sofa and Jiro opened the door for their guest. He bowed deeply to the brown-haired woman and ushered her in with a gracious smile.

She acknowledged him with a formal nod and said in a polite voice:

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Takuya."

Natsuo surveyed the woman cautiously when he saw her dressed so casually for the first time. She wore leggings that reached her knees and a long buttoned light blue tunic. He was a little startled to see her in such a carefree outfit, which was a stark contrast to the formality she usually presented.

"I'm off to the gym now. See you later," Jiro wished as he left, nodding encouragingly at Natsuo.

"You look better," Saika said to her biological son, whom she had last seen in handcuffs while taking him to the mental hospital.

"Are we in trouble?" Natsuo asked nervously.

"I certainly hope not," Saika said, trying to remain optimistic that they had outrun the danger they were facing and were no longer involved in crimes.

She had made an odd and unexpected contact asking if it would be okay for her to come over. They had always met when Saika was on duty as a police officer, not as a normal person.

"Then why did you call?"

"I wanted to see if you were doing okay," Saika said, emphasizing the genuine concern in her voice.

Natsuo hesitated, unsure of what to make of Saika's sudden reappearance after all this time. He wondered if she was hiding something from him.

"I think so. We returned back to school."

"Glad to hear that," she smiled.

"Do you drink coffee?" He asked, gesturing at the kitchen in the background.

(A while later)

Saika placed the white porcelain cup on the table after finishing her coffee. She could tell from her son's tense body language and averted eye contact that he was stressed.

"What is it you hope to gain from this visit?" Natsuo asked, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

"As I said, I was worried about you," she answered.

"Why? Do you understand what I'm like?" Natsuo continued to question her intentions.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know my history. I got involved with the yakuza and drugs. You arrested me for a murder I didn't do and let me go free for a murder I did,” Natsuo reminded, unsure how such a high-ranking officer as she could even glance at him without disapproval.

"I am aware of that," Saika replied neutrally.

"And that I am in a relationship with a man you consider an ex-criminal?" Natsuo added, expecting some sort of reaction from her.

"Are you happy with him?"

"Yes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"In that case, I don't have anything against it."

She gave him a warm smile, conveying that she had made the decision to accept him and his son's situation. Natsuo stopped clutching his fists and his stiff shoulders dropped, ending his nervousness.

"I bought some photographs if you want to see them."

She reached into her leather bag and took out a white envelope, dropping the photos in her hand. She slid the first aged photograph along the wooden table and Natsuo looked at it with lowered eyes.

A man and a woman stood next to each other with somber expressions on their faces. They were wearing dark yukatas and on the horizon stood majestic Mount Fuji.

"My parents," Saika explained, adding that her father died more than ten years ago and her mother passed away last winter.

"Did you contact them?" Natsuo asked as he drifted back to the moment when Saika revealed that she was his biological mother, imagining a stern-looking Masashi and a doleful Noriko in place of the two people.

"I got the impression that you didn't want me to do that," Saika said, her chest heavy with guilt as she thought about the couple to whom she had given her child.

"I don't."

"Then I will respect that."

They were shrouded in heavy silence for a while. Saika pondered her words as her son kept staring at the photograph.

"I apologize for my words back at the police station."

Her shock at finding out the truth about that boy was still fresh in her mind. She had intended to keep their connection hidden inside the police station, but she didn't mean for him to disappear completely. A part of her realized that she wanted to include him in her life, despite the fact that it could potentially cause her issues at work.

"And I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you. If I could undo my choices, I wouldn't have given you up."

Her remorse had been building for months, especially since she discovered what her son had been through.

"I would have resigned from the police academy and raised you by myself. My parents would have disgraced me but..."

Natsuo didn't know what to make of her words. He was surprised, yet he felt a sense of relief as if some burden had been lifted off his chest.

"My purpose was not to intrude on your life anymore," she said sincerely, not completing her sentence.

She was satisfied with the fact that he was feeling better and saw no other reason to stay since she didn't think he could ever forgive her. It was only appropriate for her to move on.

"I'll take my leave now. Take care," she continued, putting the photographs back in her purse.

Saika was about to thank him for the coffee and hospitality when he glanced at her.

"If you don't mind, I would like to see the pictures..."

His voice was gentle and calm, but there was a hint of something else - curiosity, or maybe longing - in his eyes. His gaze rested on her and there was a slight smile on his face as if he was trying to make her feel at ease.

(Almost two hours later)

Natsuo escorted his biological mother out of the house when she was leaving. As they exited they were overwhelmed by the beauty of the setting sun and the warmth of the evening air.

"I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me, but you can always call me or come to my house whenever you want."

"Thanks... I will keep that in mind," Natsuo said shyly. He couldn't deny that his mother's words brought him a sense of comfort and reassurance, no matter how difficult it was for him to admit it.

Natsuo returned inside when Saika left their yard. Jiro was running over thirty minutes late and Natsuo immediately looked at his phone, but there were no texts from him.

Both understood the danger of being captured again or even getting killed by the yakuza. To make sure they both stayed safe, they had agreed to always let each other know where they were going and when they expected to be back. If they were late, they could track each other's exact location with a phone app, but they agreed to use it only if they had failed to contact each other.

Natsuo opened the app as he sat on the couch and was relieved to see Jiro in their neighborhood.

He waited patiently for him. When Jiro finally opened the door and Natsuo walked over to greet him, he noticed a lipstick stain on his face.

"What's this?" Natsuo asked his voice heavy with suspicion and stroked the slimy spot on his jaw.

"It's nothing. Rei just got a bit carried away," Jiro replied, a faint smell of alcohol on his breath.

She was a girl in their class, a year older than them. Jiro had bonded with her the most in the last few months, often spending time with her outside of school.

"I thought you were going to the gym. And have you been drinking?" Natsuo questioned in a tense tone.

"It was just a few beers," Jiro answered with a shrug and avoided his insecure eyes.

Leaving his boyfriend feeling confused and uneasy, he walked away without giving him the usual greeting kiss...