Hoshino's Mom (Nana) POV
Let's rewind time a bit to Monday—the first day of exams.
My kids and Husband had just left, leaving me alone in the house. The loneliness that always settled in their absence never got any easier to handle; I'd just gotten used to filling the time.
I returned to the couch and started scrolling on my phone, watching whatever short-form videos came my way. If I wasn't cooking or cleaning, this is what I usually did. It wasn't like there was anything else I could do anyway—even if I wanted to.
Or at least, that was how it usually went.
Today was different.
I simply did whatever I could to pass the time, waiting impatiently for the clock to strike the arranged meeting time.
The moment the clock struck twelve, the doorbell rang.
I gripped the cushions of the sofa and got up carefully, giving my legs time to adjust to the sudden weight. Once my body had steadied, I made my way over to the front door with heavy steps.
Just before I opened the door, I adjusted my posture into something tall and strong—and put on an angelic, graceful smile.
The door opened with a soft creak, revealing my visitor.
"Hello," I said, giving the standard greeting. "It's been a while since I last saw you… sister."
My sister—Cass—rolled her eyes with a contemptuous snort, her hand stuffed inside the pockets of her leather jacket.
"You don't have to act like that in front of me, Nana." She grabbed the edge of the door and pulled herself inside. "We're sisters, after all."
I took a step back, giving her the space she needed without collision. Even so, she took another wide step forward, her shoulder shoving mine aside as she walked past me.
The corner of my eye twitched, but my smile remained unchanging.
Without even apologising, she kicked off her shoes and walked into the living room like she owned the place.
A headache slowly began to settle in, my head pulsing faintly.
You haven't changed one bit…
I pressed my fingers against the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath, easing the pain and swallowing my displeasure.
Once the pulsing subsided somewhat, I closed the door, neatly tidied her shoes, and followed her into my own home.
"Is there anything you'd like to drink?" I asked as I filled a cup with water and took my medication.
Cass stared at me from the couch, her legs hanging off the sides.
"...You still take that stuff?" she asked, ignoring my question. "I thought you would've gotten better now that you're older."
I let out a small sigh. "Well, the headaches don't go away. You should know that by now."
But before she could get the wrong idea, I added, "But it has eased up over the years."
"I see…"
With a sigh, she straightened her posture, sitting on the couch semi-properly. At the very least, her feet were on the floor—but her legs were spread wide, and one arm was slung over the back of the couch.
She never did answer my question.
"Anyway," she said, moving on. "How are the kids doing? It's exam season, isn't it? How's that going for them?"
"I don't know," I replied, preparing her a cup of coffee—even though she hadn't asked. "I haven't been starting conversations that'd end up making me lose my temper and turn them against me."
Cass let out a low chuckle. "...Wow. You really are serious about this, aren't you? I never took you as the type to swallow your pride."
Of course, that was what she'd think. That was all she ever saw.
Little did she know that swallowing my pride was the thing I did best—and most.
It wasn't like I could blame her; no one else was aware of it, either.
"Whatever," I said, staying on the subject of my kids. "It's not like I need to ask them to know how they'll do. I know Hoshino will be just fine."
Cass whistled. "That's true, I guess. That kid has been smart for a while now. How about Lily, though?"
I paused for a moment, short enough that Cass wouldn't catch it, but long enough for me to pick my words.
"...Lily's doing fine, too. She's not as good as her Brother, but she's good enough. I'm still proud of her."
I didn't mention that Lily had told me she wanted to become a doctor. If I told Cass that, and Lily failed, it'd only be a blemish to our reputation.
I carried Cass's coffee over and handed it to her before sitting on the couch across from her. She took it without so much as a thank you.
"Is that so…" she said, her usual rough voice turning slightly solemn. Nostalgic, even. "They're really growing up, aren't they?"
She raised the cup of coffee and took a long sip. After two seconds, she set it firmly on her lap with a deep, satisfied breath.
"...I miss them, you know," she said, seemingly out of nowhere, her thumb tracing the rim.
"No—not just them. Su, and you, too. I miss all of you."
Cass slowly looked up and stared me directly in the eyes. Her usual sharp glint was… gone, replaced with something softer—maybe even regretful.
"...We all do."
I didn't say anything, but her words continued to linger in the living room.
...Wow.
How wonderful.
Being told you're missed, being told your family was missed. Isn't this what everyone wanted to hear? Did this not make you feel welcomed? Loved?
…
My posture remained perfect, my breathing remained stable, and my smile remained pure. But inside—my muscles, my nerves, my mind—it all went cold.
…I don't want to hear these words.
My mouth slowly opened, spitting out words as tactfully as it always had.
"You didn't meet them in secret, did you?" This time, my tone carried a subtle, sharp threat. "I told you not to be seen by anyone."
Cass froze, her eyes widening. Her lips moved up and down, but not a single sound ever slipped out. She probably didn't expect me to ignore her earlier statement completely. No—she knew I would. She'd lived with me for decades. She just chose to hope otherwise.
That was her mistake.
Realizing that, she brought her cup up again and took a sip. By the time it returned to her lap, the arrogant glint in her eyes had already returned.
"Yes, yes, you don't have to worry," she said with a lazy wave. "I did exactly as you said, like the good sister I am. But is there any point to it?"
It shouldn't have been a big deal. It was just a question, and a good one at that. Yet for some reason, it irked me in the wrong way. It wasn't that she was questioning my orders or what I was thinking—it was something more.
And I knew exactly what it was, and what she was implying. And because of that, my mouth moved on its own.
"Don't be stupid," I said, my tone dropping low. "My children may be young—but they aren't stupid."
Cass scoffed. "Really? No offence, but Lily's an airhead, and Hoshino... well, I doubt he'd actually care about it—or anything, really. I doubt they'd think too hard about it if they saw me."
I bit my tongue, keeping myself from snapping and distracting myself from the pain throbbing in my head.
...And that is where you're wrong, sister. You don't know anything at all.
My Daughter may have seemed like an airhead—and she was to an extent—but most of the time, it was just because she wanted to have fun. In truth, she was scarily similar to me. Maybe it'd take her a while, but she'd get suspicious eventually.
And then there was my Son. I couldn't tell what he was thinking—and that was why I needed to be vigilant. Just the tiniest thing could set him off. And it'd taken me a long time to figure that out.
Still, I didn't tell Cass any of this. It wasn't her business, and it was a secret better kept. Besides, it was a useless argument.
I took a deep breath, composing myself and steadying my tone. "Okay, so the kids haven't seen you. Did anyone else? Did Su?"
While I doubted my Husband would notice anything, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Cass placed a hand on her chin, scrambling through her memories of the past two weeks she'd been here.
"...No. I don't think he's seen me. You did tell me to stay at a hotel far from where you live and told me the places you often frequent, after all. It was basically impossible to run into them as long as I avoided those."
Suddenly, she stopped, a memory flashing across her face. "Oh yeah—I did see one person, though."
If that were true, then it had to be someone from Su's side of the family. They wouldn't notice anything, so it wasn't too bad. Still, I'd rather they didn't go spreading the word around and result in my Husband finding out, so I'd have to ask who she'd run into.
Luckily, everything should be under control–
"I ran into Julie at a party."
Those naive thoughts vanished in an instant.
…What?