@kawaii beam: lol rapunzel's hair?
@astro18: i know ~ and yet I spoil you even more kinda
@aya-chii: well comment now cuz here comes another one~
and don't worry, TakaGaki will NEVER be over
@risa_ai: NEW PERSON
um i think you need to upload the sig in a photo-sharing site and then use the link to upload the sig? Haven't changed my sig in a while...
yay~ Kame fan~
@oddball: LOL that did sum it up well
@arisa03: lol omg i know there is a shortage of KameShige... hm...
@yukirei: yay~ another one~
@Sora-chan: Eh it wasn't THAT interesting anyways... just Jun being a bit more serious than usual and being teh chill person she is (at least in this fic)
@reikoshi: lol psht I'D fall for Eri
@Tian_Yuan: of course I plan to write more! I just don't know what yet
@Haruka: LOL this is already SUPER long and you want a SEQUEL?
thank you so much for the comments/thanks everyone~~
I guess fast updates = happy readers = more comments = happy me
So despite my schedule, I wanted to finish this chapter~
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Chapter 88 How strange. This was a strange moment. Of course, odder things had happened to Risa, including falling in love with a woman six years older than her who happened to be her teacher and having a friend who dressed up as a boy to win a girl’s heart, but this was quite strange as well. Rather, it was frightening.
Risa stared at her door handle with an unwavering gaze as though she was casting a spell on it. When she had stuck her key in the front door to open it a couple seconds ago, she had found that the lock was already turned. She was sure that she locked the door before going to school that morning despite the rush to catch up to the turtle. But alas, the door was clearly unlocked.
The bean stared at the door handle for another good minute, trying to decide whether to walk in and see if there is an intruder in her home or run right to the police station that instant. But then again, there were no markings around the key hole that the lock had been picked so a key had been clearly used. Perhaps the apartment patrol officer had used the spare key to get in? But for reason? She didn’t remember ordering any packages…
Mustering up her courage, Risa boldly grabbed the door handle and slowly opened the door. She quietly stepped into her home, removing her shoes silently. She heard some clacking noises in the kitchen; was it really a burglar?
Swallowing hard, Risa took off her backpack and held it by a single strap, positioning herself to be able to swing it if need be. She carefully crept down the hall and into the kitchen. From a couple feet away, around the corner, she saw the back of a familiar person who was digging through the refrigerator. Exhaling sharply, Risa dropped her backpack.
“Mama?”
The woman by the refrigerator jumped at the sound of herself being called and quickly turned around to face her daughter. She grinned, revealing the bright smile that Risa had genetically inherited, as her eyes shined.
“Risa-chan!” she exclaimed. “You’re home!”
The mother skittered over to her daughter with her arms open and hugged her tightly. Still confused, Risa gently tapped her mother’s back.
“Mama?” she said again. “What are you doing home so early? It’s only mid-noon; don’t you have work?”
“I did,” Mama Gaki answered. “I’m done for today, though. So I came home.”
“Did you get laid off?” Risa asked in a panicked tone. “What’d you do this time?”
“Mou, Risa-chan! Mama is sad!” the mother pouted. “I just came home early because I wanted to see my cute daughter and your first instinct is to assume that I got laid off? And that it was my fault? If anything, it would be the economy’s fault and my asshole-of-a-boss’s fault.”
“You know, normally, parents tend to retrain vulgar language usage in front of their kid,” Risa grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Maa, I guess I’m getting scolded by my adorable daughter again today!” Mama Gaki sighed, giggling as she hugged Risa some more. “I guess I still have much to learn…”
“So, did you get laid off?” the bean asked again.
“Heavens, no!” Mama Gaki gasped. “That would be terrible. If I lost this job, then I’d really have to work as a hostess or something.”
“Mama, you’re a middle-aged woman,” the bean moaned tiredly. “Middle-aged women don’t work as hostesses.”
“I could pass for a twenty-something year old woman though,” Mama Gaki smiled. “Don’t you think so?”
“… Okay, Mama, really, why are you home?” Risa questioned, deciding to ignore her mother’s never-ending immature comments.
“I took an early leave,” the mother shrugged. She walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. Risa followed and stood in front of her.
“You never take a leave,” the bean said. “Did something happen?”
“Well, you tell me,” the mother replied. “Your principal already filled me in on everything as to why you are suspended for a week, but I want to hear it from you.”
Oh, shoot. Risa gulped as her body stiffened. Her mother could be immature but when it came to school issues… Well, how would she react to school issues? This sort of thing had never happened before since Risa had always been the best student in the school. Her mother had never had to worry about such things. But now that she got suspended… just how angry and disappointed would her mother be?
And even worse, if the reasoning for her suspension had also been revealed, then Risa knew she was in bigger trouble. She couldn’t imagine her mother’s shock when Nakazawa-sensei told her that her perfect daughter and the epitome of her pride and happiness had been caught in a scandal with her teacher. What would her mother think of her now? Was she a monster to her?
“… Everything is as you heard,” Risa answered quietly. “I… I’m suspended because I’m in a relationship with Takahashi-sensei. And the whole school found out. Sensei is being transferred at the end of the year… for me, it’s just suspension.”
Risa looked at the floor, not daring to look at her mother’s face. She did not wish to see the apparent disappointment. All she heard was a deep sigh from her.
“Risa—”
“Mama, I’m sorry!” Risa said quickly without looking up. “I… I tried so hard to be a good daughter so I wouldn’t worry you. My grades never slip and… and… I make my own lunches… and… I just, I-I tried! I really tried! But… I can’t help but love Sensei. I, really, tried so hard… I’m sorry I let you down. I know you might think this is wrong, but… I really, really do love her. I’m sorry, Mama, I—”
Before Risa could continue to rant, she felt a pair of warm arms embrace her lovingly. She stopped and blinked in confusion, surprised by her mother’s action. She was… hugging her? But why? Why wasn’t she yelling at her, telling her that she was disappointed in her? How could her mother still remain so warm…?
“… Mama?”
“Shh,” the mother hushed, rubbing her daughter’s worn back. “It’s okay, Risa. Calm down.”
“But… but aren’t you furious with me?” Risa asked. “I got suspended! You’re not… you’re not upset?”
“Of course not,” Mama Gaki said. She backed away and cupped her daughter’s face, examining the daughter that had grown up so quickly. “Have I ever been upset with you before?”
“No…” Risa mumbled. “But… but this time around—”
“Hontou ni ganbatteta ne?” Mama Gaki said, smiling proudly. “You really did your best out there. You’ve been through a lot recently, haven’t you?”
“Mama…” Risa felt the warmth of her mother’s hands on her cheeks. It was the warmth that she had missed for so long, the warmth that she should’ve received more as a child… The warmth that she had lived without, allowing herself to become a grown-up child…
“I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to be there for you, sweetie,” the mother sighed, smiling sadly. “Even though I’m supposed to be your mother… I often find myself in your care more than I find you in mine. I’m so sorry you’re stuck with a mother like me, Risa.”
“Don’t say that, Mama!” Risa argued, taking her mother’s hands and squeezing them. Her hands were a lot bonier than she remembered; the result of laboring 365 days a year to give her daughter the good life she deserved. “You’ve been working to support me all these years… There isn’t a day that goes by without my being grateful for you. You’re the reason I believe a god exists… To have gotten such a wonderful mother… I love you, Mama.”
“I love you too, my Risa,” the mother said, her voice breaking as she flashed a bright smile again. Her daughter had indeed grown up into such a beautiful young lady who knows how to care for others. That wasn’t something she had taught; it was a self-acquired trait. And as a mother, she couldn’t be more grateful to Risa for becoming who she was. “And I want you to know that no matter what, I’ll always be proud of you. I’ll always be your ally and I’ll always trust that you know what’s good for yourself. You always did.”
“… Arigatou, Mama,” Risa mumbled, trying to hold back her tears.
She immediately hugged her mother again, savoring her mother’s touch as long as she could. She couldn’t remember the last time they had hugged like this. Life had kept them so busy all these years, they had forgotten the few enjoyments in life. Survival was first and foremost for them after the loss of their husband and father. It hadn’t occurred to them that part of surviving also meant being with each other, as family.
“That’s my girl,” Mama Gaki chuckled, patting her daughter’s back. “Now, don’t you have someone you need to be with?”
“… I do?” Risa asked, confused.
“Yes, and I won’t stop you from going,” the mother said quietly. “If you wish, then go be with her. She’s a good person, Risa; I trust her as I do you.”
Risa’s blinked a couple times before smiling gratefully. These little moments were the things that reminded her as to why her mother was her mother and why she was the daughter.
“ Arigatou, Mama!” Risa quickly pecked Mama Gaki on the cheek. “I love you!”
With that, the bean quickly dashed out of the house, shutting the door behind her. The mother could hear her daughter’s footsteps echoing as she ran downstairs. She was probably too excited to wait for the elevator to come.
Sighing, the mother sat back down on the sofa to rest her tired body. She looked at the small lamp table beside herself and spotted the picture frame standing on it. She picked it up and stared at the familiar scene captured in the photograph: a kind-looking man and a smiling woman beside him, together with a tiny girl that had the same smile as the woman, showing a peace sign. The mother stroked the face of the man gently with her fingers and smiled.
“Our daughter has really grown up, nee?” she said, chuckling to herself. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t come back tonight.”
The mother stared at the picture for a while, imagining what sort of response the photographed person would give her. She sighed again.
“I never had what it took to be a mother,” she whispered. “But… did I do well this time… Anata?”
** ** **
Risa bent over as she breathed hard. Her uniform felt sticky from sweating while running but she didn’t care. She was finally here, to the place that she wanted to be at, and she was planning on staying.
Straightening her back, the bean pressed the doorbell. She almost had to grab her own shaking hand from reaching out and continually abusing the doorbell as she was waiting. After what seemed liked years, however, the door finally clicked open. There stood her lover, wearing a camisole with comfy sweatpants, her long brown hair traveling down her back.
“Risa!” Ai said, surprised by the sudden visit. “What are you doing here? It’s getting late—”
“I wanted to see you,” Risa huffed, still trying to catch her breath. “Can I… can I come in?”
“… Of course.”
The teacher revealed a small smile as she stepped aside to let her girlfriend in. She wasn’t sure whether it was such a good idea for Risa to be at her apartment like this after what happened that day, yet she couldn’t completely hide her joy at seeing the young girl.
Risa mumbled a phrase of excusing herself as she stepped into her teacher’s home. She twisted her neck this way and that as she pulled on her collar uncomfortably, allowing her skin to breathe a bit more. Ai passed her as she headed towards the kitchen.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked. “It looks like you ran all the way here… you look thirsty.”
“No, I’m fine,” Risa said quickly. The truth was that her throat indeed was feeling a bit scratchy but water wasn’t what she wanted the most right now.
“You know, I didn’t get a chance to thank Kamei-san properly today,” Ai said, coming out of the kitchen to face her lover. “It was very brave of her to do that for you.”
“For us,” Risa corrected, smiling. “I thanked her plenty for what she did; don’t worry.”
Ai smiled as she gently stroked her girlfriend’s cheek. As she dropped her hand, Risa quickly grabbed it and held on.
“I… I wanted to tell you,” she started, “that… I wish you hadn’t done what you did in the principal’s office today.”
Ai sighed. “Risa, I had to—”
“I know, I understand why you did it,” the bean said quickly. “But think of how I must feel. How can I ever feel comfortable going to school now when I know it’s the result of your sacrifice? I mean… the price of letting me stay was for you to… leave. That’s not what I want.”
“Nor is it what I want,” Ai replied. “But you have to understand, Risa: I chose this for myself. Nakazawa-sensei was actually willing to let me stay, despite what will happen to the school’s reputation. But I told her to send me away. If I stay, it wouldn’t be easy for either one of us.”
“And it’s easy to stay apart from each other?” Risa asked, her voice cracking. Despite her wish against it, she could feel the waterworks coming on already. “How long are we not going to be able to see each other? We’re not talking about just days, we’re talking years!”
“I know that,” Ai said softly. She gently took her girlfriend into her arms, knowing that if Risa started crying, she wouldn’t want to show such a face to her. “But you have to promise me, Risa. Promise me that you won’t give up, no matter what. Graduate high school and graduate college. I want you to follow your dreams and do what you want to do. Don’t be like me…”
Then, Risa burst into tears as she started to vocally cry out, sobbing into Ai’s shoulder. Farewell was so near; she could feel it. She felt as though a large hole was being punched out of her heart, a piece of her life being chopped away. But she knew that Ai wasn’t crying right now. She was too busy trying to stay strong for the bean, so she would quickly gain the strength to move on. Risa knew that.
“I… I p-promise,” she croaked, tightening her embrace with the older woman. “I… I won’t be weak… I’m going to quickly become an adult… and I’ll meet you again… I promise.”
“And that’s girl I fell in love with,” Ai grinned, leaning back to look at her over’s face. “When I see you years later, I expect you to be the person you wanted to be.”
“I… I won’t forget you,” Risa blubbered on. “I… I’ll miss you… but I won’t let you go…”
“Hey, don’t say that now!” the teacher laughed. “I’m not leaving until the end of the school year, you know.”
“I guess you’re right,” Risa laughed along, wiping her tears with her sleeve. “It’s not goodbye yet…”
“It’ll never be goodbye,” Ai assured. “No matter where we are or what we’re doing, it’ll never be goodbye for real.”
Smiling, Risa nodded in agreement. Ai smiled as well and she leaned it to kiss the girl she loved, sweetly on the lips. Risa kissed back slowly, matching her pace to her lover’s, as she wrapped her arms around her neck. The sinful act was what originally threw them into this mess yet they knew neither one of them would be able to stop. The kiss was too powerful, the desire too great, for anybody to break them apart. As their passion grew more and more, they lost all senses connecting them to reality. And before they realized, the two lovers were making out heavily in bed, wanting nothing more than each other. As they continued to commit their loving act, a simple hopeful phrase echoed in their minds, as though it was supporting them to hang on and don’t give up.
It’ll never be goodbye.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who doesn't love Mama Gaki?
And the end draws NEARER~~ *dramatic music*
ALSO: If you haven't noticed, the poll has changed!
These are couple of the many ideas I have floating in my head. I just wanted to see which sounds the most intriguing to you guys
These are only KEY WORDS, not the title~ I tried to pinpoint what each fic is about in a couple words
The couples are all set for each story already too. But I'm purposely not telling you guys which couple is featured in which fic cuz then, there's bias
Again, the poll is JUST FOR FUN. It doesn't determine for sure what I'm writing next. Because what if I have a splendid idea for a story after this fic is over? And it wasn't in the poll? That'd be a shame..
So~ have fun!!!
Topic: Chigatte mo Iin da yo! ~Mainly TanaKame, TakaGaki~ [FINALE - Ch. 93 - (1/30)] (Read 409637 times)