A Little HappinessTires screeched across asphalt as the red bicycle skidded to a flashy sideways stop by the curb. A red-faced Riho hopped off, glad for the heat generated by her wild ride. It might have been well into spring already, but it had been unexpectedly chilly today. The heavy weight of her winter uniform was finally a comfort instead of a burden after the warm days of the past week.
The dusty white exterior of her new home greeted her as she wheeled her bicycle in past the gates. After stashing her bicycle safely, she nodded shyly at the concierge before dashing up the stairs two at a time to reach the second floor of the apartment.
"Tadaima!"
Ai looked up from where she was folding clothes on the bed. Her face crinkled into a warm smile at the sight of her daughter.
"Okaeri." She only just managed to lay a stack of neatly folded laundry aside before her daughter all but flew into her arms. Even at the ripe old age of 12, Riho still repeated this little ritual with her Mama every time she came home. She was very much attached to her mother, to the extent that she had refused to be held by anyone else as a baby. Even after growing up, she was still somewhat iffy about strangers touching her in general.
"Did you have a good day at school?" Ai ruffled Riho's hair fondly. Riho continued leaning in her Mama's arms, not bothering to open her eyes as she replied.
"Pop quiz in math. Fujimoto-sensei. Is. Evil." The little girl pouted, letting her bag slip to the ground as she shifted to rest her head in Ai's lap, curling up on the bed like a kitten.
"It
is a little early in the term to have pop quizzes." Ai sympathized, patting her daughter's head. "But you better not have flunked, young lady."
Riho cracked open one eye and stuck out her tongue cheekily. "Of course not!" She puffed out her cheeks, releasing air slowly as she settled into a more comfortable position. "I do pay attention in classes..."
"Well I certainly hope so." Ai flicked a finger at Riho's forehead, her daughter's nose scrunching adorably at the act. Ai prodded her sleepy daughter insistently.
"Go shower. You'll get to eat right after, so scoot. Don't you have work later on?"
Riho's eyes flew open. "Ah! I almost forgot!"
Before Ai could say anything, Riho bounced up, hugged her Mama again, and then rocketed off in the general direction of the bathroom. Ai smiled and shook her head ruefully, picking up her kid's abandoned book bag and trotting out of the bedroom with it.
The ceiling-to-floor windows on the far side of the apartment greeted her as she moved the short distance towards the wider living area. Ai placed the bag on one of the chairs at the dining table, rounding it to head towards where she had food warming for the two of them on the stove.
While she was not a genius at housekeeping, Ai knew she was not completely inept, and a tiny place like this apartment was hardly too difficult to maintain. It was just her and her daughter, and while Riho should really at least try harder to tidy up after herself, the rest of the place was generally neat and tidy.
They had not had much opportunity to decorate the place as such, having moved in only a couple of weeks ago. There were two boxes still lying in the corner, untouched from when her own mother had mailed them to her a few days ago. They had actually not brought much along with them initially, just the essentials. Those two boxes would go a little further to help add some personal touches to their living space, which would be comforting seeing that they were going to be here for a good long while.
Ai made a mental note to herself to unpack those boxes after Riho left for work later. She was still setting the table when the musical jingle of her daughter's cellphone broke the silence. Without really thinking about it, Ai reached into Riho's bag and pulled the phone out.
One new message, it read. Ai was not the kind of mother who pried into the privacy of her child. Being little more than an overgrown kid herself when she had Riho, she had a bit more respect for the rights of her child. It was not so long ago when she was a rebellious teen (ok, maybe it was, but don't remind her!).
The new message didn't pique her interest, but the sender surely did.
07, it read. Ai knew immediately who it was. She was a fan of PLAY, after all, and knew all their nicknames. Since Riho couldn't very well put "Tanaka Reina" right out there in her contact list, she had had to resort to nicknames for the celebrities that were there.
As matter of fact, a certain Michishige Sayumi was
Usa-chan on that self-same list, though, according to Riho, the original had been
Ultimate Ichiban Kawaii in Known Universe, as inscribed by the owner of said number. Her daughter had sensibly shortened it later on.
Though, Ai thought wryly, Sayu did have an almost unhealthy interest in her daughter. Riho reported that Sayu was always randomly texting her, often to show concern or just ask after her in general. As her daughter put it, "it's really sweet, but I don't know why she is doing this".
Ai thought she could guess. Certainly,
one of the reasons was because Riho was her daughter. The Sayu that Ai remembered from all those years ago had practically worshipped the ground she walked on, or so Reina told her...
Which brought her back to Reina texting her daughter. Not unexpected, given their relationship at work. Ai had been surprised when she first heard the news, and more than a little amused. Karma had a way of coming back to bite you when you least expected it. Then again, it wouldn't hurt for Riho to spend time with Reina. She hadn't planned for it, but it would be good for them.
Though, if what Riho had told her at the beginning was true, Reina certainly had become a great deal more prickly and unsociable than before. The memory of Reina's innocent smile came to mind, and Ai shook her head violently to clear it.
It had been a long twelve years, and all of them had changed in that time. Ai felt immeasurably older herself, a stark contrast to her somehow still youthful peers. Motherhood was a heavy burden to bear alone, but Ai never regretted keeping the baby.
"Food~~♪" Riho skipped out with her towel still draped around her neck. Her cheeks were still flushed from the hot water as they broke into a wide grin at the spread on the table.
"Itadakimasu~" Ai looked on fondly as Riho popped a whole chunk of tofu into her mouth, chewing with a contented look on her face. She could regret nothing, seeing how wonderfully her dear daughter turned out. Even if the kid
did get on her nerves sometimes.
"You have a message." Ai handed the phone over to Riho, who opened the message and skimmed it quickly, a slightly furtive expression in her eyes. Ai felt a faint prickle of suspicion, but it faded as Riho resumed tucking into her meal with her usual vigour, making Ai wonder just where exactly the girl was stuffing all that food given how she never seemed to become anything beyond slender.
They did not speak much at first as both focused on their food, but as Riho slowed down after the initial rush to stuff herself silly, she started recounting her day as she always did. Little things usually, like what happened at school and random thoughts or observations that struck her. Ai listened, and offered either advice or opinion depending on the situation.
They had a very open relationship, since Ai was quite determined to be a friend to her daughter. Her own mother had often criticized her as being "too soft" on Riho, but Ai was adamant about raising Riho her own way. She was strict, but she also took time to listen to everything her daughter had to say. Communication was very important.
"So how do you find Reina now?" Ai asked casually as Riho finished her second helping of rice. Riho paused, contemplating the question.
"Tanaka-san is actually really nice, but she can be really scary about it somehow. She really does say things as they are!" Riho's eyes were wide as she recalled an incident she witnessed. "She made another girl cry because that girl wasn't prepared for her role. Chewed her out good. She's really serious about work."
"Sounds like her..." Ai mumbled, biting her lip. "Though she seems to be quite harsh."
Riho shrugged. "Tanaka-san didn't say anything that was wrong or deliberately mean. She just told the girl that she should be prepared for the role or just stay home otherwise, because it'd hold everyone up. I kind of agree, we shouldn't cause trouble for everyone else."
Ai pursed her lips disapprovingly. "A little tact would be nice."
Riho grinned impishly. "I don't know, I like her style. I wish I could be that straightforward too!"
"I hope you don't forget your manners." Ai said drily, reaching over to absently cuff Riho over the head. Though secretly, she agreed with her daughter. If only speaking her mind came easily to her!
"Yes Mama." Riho shifted restlessly on her seat, her eyes darting intermittently over at her phone. Ai puffed out a small sigh.
"You can use your phone if you're done eating."
"Hai!" Riho grabbed said phone and quickly composed a reply. A short one, it seemed, because she put it away just as quickly, an excited grin on her face. Ai wondered what her daughter was up to now. Her Mama senses were tingling.
"I'll help with the dishes!" Riho volunteered immediately as Ai began clearing the table. Ai eyed her daughter critically as she brought the plates over to the sink.
"I think it's time we went shopping for you. You seem to be growing again."
Riho brightened visibly at that. She loved shopping trips with her Mama, who had an impeccable eye when it came to the latest fashions. It was a good thing too, since Riho was notoriously indecisive when it came to picking things out for herself, and Ai was almost good enough to be a fashion consultant in her own right.
"So what's on the schedule later? You're with Reina right?" Ai asked as she handed a plate for Riho to dry. Her daughter nodded.
"Tanaka-san's helping me a little before my own photoshoot, you know, the one I told you about...I still can't believe I'm going to be a model at all!" The excitement in her voice was palpable, making Ai smile.
"I'm sure you'll do fine. Mama will be cheering for you." Ai glanced at the clock on top of the fridge.
"You should go get changed. I'll help you dry your hair after you're done." Riho nodded obediently and scooted off towards their bedroom. Ai stacked the rest of the now-clean dishes together and started putting them back in their places.
There was a comfortable domesticity to their routine, and Ai couldn't help but feel oddly content despite the familiar sense of terror that always accompanied the realization that she was very much becoming a housewife. While she had mostly accepted motherhood and all its attendant duties, a tiny part of her resisted becoming completely domesticated and out of touch with the working world. Giving into that routine felt like a defeat of sorts.
Ai wanted to be more than just a mother and a housewife. She loved her daughter and the home they would build together in this new place, but she wanted to figure out a way to fit her own dreams into the equation. She never considered the prospect impossible, merely a difficult problem to solve. And solve it she would, eventually. That was just the way she was.
And in the meantime, she had to go take care of her daughter before Riho managed to somehow destroy the hairdryer. Granted, the kid was barely more than a toddler when it happened the first time, but Ai could never bring herself to forget the state of her poor hairdryer after little Riho somehow managed to make the thing explode in a shower of sparks and smoke. No one was hurt, other than the hairdryer, but it was not an incident easily forgotten.
Fortunately, Riho remembered nothing of the incident and could thus not replicate it (hopefully). Nevertheless. Ai quickened her steps. She had a responsibility to fulfil.
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Just a prosaic little chapter about domestic tranquility~
Setting up for more events. Fast forward, fast forward...
And hoi, two wedges again?!