271: Kazusa Has Grown Up

Chisato walked towards the car as he greet Youko.

"I happen to be picking up Kazuya for dinner. Suzumiya-kun, if you're free, come with us."

Youko removed her glasses and extended an invitation with a smile.

Kazusa replied first for her lover, "I have a part-time job later. Why did you suddenly come to school today?"

She bent down and closed the car door with her right hand, her long black hair cascading in the air. 

Her expression and words conveyed impatience, lacking respect for her elders.

But this was the normal dynamic between mother and daughter, and Chisato was accustomed to it.

"My daughter, who is studying hard, has just finished her exams. As a parent, it's only natural for me to pick her up, isn't it?"

After Youko said this to her daughter, she turned to Chisato and winked mischievously with her left eye.

While her daughter took a small step to the left to block her view, she spoke coldly and complained, 

"It's a shame that you can tell such lies without changing your expression. It's really scary."

"What are you talking about? Kazusa, if you're with the boy next to you, you'll become an adult sooner or later."

"We wouldn't lie to each other."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?"

"What do you think?"

Seeing her mother nibbling her lower lip, Kazusa instantly understood.

"Boring!"

"Ah, if you can't even handle this level of teasing, Suzumiya-kun will have a hard time accommodating you in the future."

"You don't need to worry about our affairs!"

The dialogue between mother and daughter is as comedic as ever.

But now is not the time for such conversations.

"Aunt Youkok, if your car continues to park here, it could lead to trouble next time," Chisato remarked as he noticed a traffic police vehicle approaching at the end of the street.

"Ah, indeed."

Reminded of the situation, Youko stopped joking. 

As a well-known celebrity in the music field, she didn't want to end up in the tabloids being reprimanded by traffic police.

Youko put on her sunglasses again and said, "Kazusa, get in the car."

"Who wants to get in the car without being told in advance?"

"Okay, let's avoid trouble right now."

Her boyfriend's words carried much more weight than her mother's.

Watching her daughter obediently comply, Youko shook her head slightly and sighed, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

"Suzumiya-kun, get in the car too. You have to go to work, right? I'll take you there."

"Thank you for your kindness, but I can just take the tram. It won't be a problem."

"Really? Then work hard, and I'll see you later."

"Yes."

As the vehicle drove away, Kazusa turned her gaze from the window.

She crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat, watching her mother's face through the rearview mirror.

"So, what's going on?"

Though they had spent more time apart than together since childhood, Kazusa understood her mother very well.

In fact, she already had some answers in mind, but she still held out hope that her mother simply wanted to pick her up from school.

Although her mother had returned from abroad some time ago, they hadn't talked much while living under the same roof. As the daughter, she often spoke defiantly.

However, it was undeniable that this recent period had been the most relaxing and comfortable time Kazusa had experienced since childhood.

The lack of family affection was compensated by her mother's return, and the love she felt for Chisato combined to bring her great happiness and peace of mind.

"Hey, I was discovered after all. Kazusa has grown up."

Youko, wearing sunglasses, concealed her eyes, but her cheerful tone made Kazusa sigh slightly.

"Actually, Mom has to leave tomorrow, so I came to pick you up today so we could enjoy a nice meal and talk. After all, we don't know when we'll see each other again."

"..."

Really…

"Oh~ You didn't react at all. The last time I left, you were so angry you said you'd never come back."

There it was again, the forced cheerfulness covering up the sadness of parting.

As a mother, she couldn't help but notice how much Kazusa wanted to be by her side, yet for so many years, she had maintained that distance.

But it doesn't matter; the situation is no longer what it once was. Now, she has Chisato by her side.

Taking a deep breath, Kazusa faced the fact calmly.

"I never said anything like that."

Youko chuckled.

"Is there anything you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"Then let's go directly to the restaurant where I made a reservation."

"Sounds good."

Youko glanced at the rearview mirror, her mood softening and growing more somber.

Suffering from leukemia, her body's negative feedback had become increasingly severe in recent times. 

She had begun experiencing low-grade fevers and intermittent difficulty breathing, and the frequency of bleeding from her nostrils and gums had also increased.

If she continued to live at home, it would only be a matter of time before her precious daughter discovered the truth.

Finally, she was able to smile happily, find her new life goal, and work hard for it. As a mother, she couldn't hold her back.

"Kazusa."

"What?"

"You know, you look better when you smile more. Keep it up."

"Suddenly, you're saying something embarrassing. Are you becoming more and more like an aunt?"

"Hahaha~ Although I don't really want to admit it, at my age, I am already an aunt."

…

After watching Kazusa and her mother leave, Chisato walked toward the tram stop.

In fact, he wasn't going to work today, as Kazusa had assumed.

He had taken the day off because it was the day he and Iroha had agreed to meet.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived in front of Toei Shinjuku Station.

After looking around, he entered a Mai Kee restaurant, ordered a meal, and took a seat by the window to eat.

In the middle of his meal, he took out his mobile phone and sent a location message to Iroha.

She quickly responded with a location message, followed by a pitiful cat emoticon wiping away tears and a text that read,

"[Senior, I'm on my way here. The tram is super crowded!]"

Chisato took a bite of his burger, contemplated for a moment, and then typed a reply.

"[Change the meeting place. I'll wait for you in front of the tram stop now.]"

Another quick reply followed.

"[No need! It's so hot outside, Senior; just wait in the store. I have two stops left; I'll be there soon.]"

She added an energetic and cheerful rabbit emoticon, which suited her light and cute demeanor.

She's such a soft girl.

When most people see such chat records, they likely think about the person who sent such a message.

But Chisato felt a bit uneasy.

Some things, if you don't know about them in advance, won't lead to many unwarranted assumptions.

After their meeting in the apartment that day, he had instructed the Dark Wings to send their subordinates to follow Iroha closely, checking in every other day to report.

He did the same with Utaha.

He didn't worry too much about Iroha since she was already safe with him.

Eriri had a simulated memory of her interactions with the Dark Wings, and she was always alert. 

He didn't think the wild crows were clever enough to monitor her without being noticed.

His current unease stemmed from the information he received from the crows watching Iroha.

He had some vague suspicions but knew that to confirm them, he still needed to observe her behavior during their upcoming time together.

While he pondered these thoughts, Iroha arrived at the meeting place and opened the store door, panting slightly.

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