Mei POV
*Huff* *Huff* *Huff* *Huff*
It had been a couple of minutes since Hoshino left the car, leaving me alone in the passenger seat.
There should've been no reason for me to stay in the car, but even so, I remained seated. I simply stared at my lap, my vision flickering in and out with each ragged breath I took.
All I was doing was sitting. That was it.
I thought I'd wasted too much time lingering here, but every time I tried to leave the car, the strength would drain from my arms, making what should have been a light task I did every day feel like pushing against a mountain.
I was trapped in my own car with no way out. All I could do was come to terms with it.
It should've been something bad, but at least this way, I knew that it was only me in here.
And knowing that—I was able to continue sitting.
But that luxury didn't last too long as my phone buzzed, disrupting my isolation.
Without the slightest change in my demeanour, I pulled it out and glanced at the screen. It was a text from Mom.
Mom and I rarely exchanged texts, but recently, she'd been reaching out a lot more.
Reading her message, I let out a small breath and reacted with a thumbs up.
I guess… it's time to leave.
Mustering everything I had, I pressed my hand against the door handle and pushed it open.
The moment I stepped out, it was almost like chains had been fastened around my ankles, anchoring me in place.
Still, Mom was waiting for me, so I pushed through. I dragged myself up the driveway until I arrived at the front door.
I was now only a step away from my home. I just needed to take that final step, and I'd be there. It was just one measly step.
*HUFF* *HUFF* *HUFF* *HUFF*
Only. One. Step.
*BA-BUMP* *BA-BUMP* *BA-BUMP* *BA-BUMP*
And yet, I couldn't do it. My trembling legs refused to carry me any further.
Still, I tried to will enough strength into my arms to attempt to reach for the doorknob, but they stayed glued to my sides, unwilling to leave myself defenceless for even a second.
I thought about retreating back into the car, but my legs wouldn't allow even that.
I couldn't proceed forward, and I couldn't turn back. All I could do was stand there, keeping the door in my direct line of sight without even blinking.
Tears began to form in my eyes as the cool evening air dug into them. I still didn't blink—not until I physically couldn't stand the pain any longer.
From the edges of my vision, I watched time pass right in front of me. The sky went from a light shade of lavender to an all-encompassing black that swallowed the world in darkness.
The lamp above the doorway flickered on, its light falling over me like a spotlight.
I don't know how long I had been standing here, but my legs had gone numb. Everything had.
...Everything except for my mind, that is, which had been scrambling the entire time.
Scrambling over everything—and nothing at all.
Suddenly, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and saw a string of texts from Hoshino I hadn't noticed—but that wasn't the cause of the buzzing.
It was Mom. This time, she was calling me.
A cheery smile formed on my lips before I could even think about it as I picked up the call.
"Hey, Mom," I said politely. "Did you need something?"
There was a slight pause before Mom answered.
I let out a small giggle. That seemed to confuse her a bit, as she asked,
"It's nothing serious," I said, shaking my head—even though she couldn't see me. "It's just… I'm standing at the front door right now. I just arrived home."
Mom let out a shocked gasp.
Mom didn't hang up the call, but it sounded like she slipped the phone into her pocket. A second later, from the speaker, I heard muffled, yet heavy steps. Then—
*Click*
My head shot up. I heard the sound from the speaker, but also right in front of me—from the front door.
Without me having anything to do with it, the door slowly opened, revealing Mom. She was out of breath, her phone back in her hand.
Her eyes travelled up and down my body, as if she were making sure I was real—that I was okay. Once she was satisfied, she gave me a small, frail, but caring smile.
"Welcome home, Mei. I missed you."
I blinked, before letting out a small giggle. "Yes, Mom, I missed you too."
With that, the formalities should have been over. And yet—I didn't move. I couldn't. Staying this close to the house was already enough for me. Any more than this...
My stomach churned, but I didn't have the time to deal with that. Mom was standing right there, so before she could get suspicious, I had to continue the conversation and stall for time for as long as I could.
I opened my mouth, but before I could utter a single sound, she chuckled and shook her head.
"Oh, sorry. Where are my manners?"
Mom stepped out of the house and gently took my hand. "How could I forget? We've been doing this every day for the past week every time you come home. We can't break the streak now. Besides..."
Her face brightened in an almost childish manner. "Doesn't it feel like I'm walking you down the aisle?! Ah—I really can't wait for you to get married."
Hearing Mom ramble about such distant things had me lost, but I giggled regardless, letting her take the lead like she wanted.
Still holding my hand, she carefully led me inside, practically bouncing with joy. I wondered if it was because she was happy to talk to me and hold me this much, but before I could dwell too much on it, I found myself standing inside my house, staring straight into the living room.
All my thoughts were wiped away instantly—replaced with one primal, instinctual urge.
Run.
My leg twitched, and I spun to the door. But Mom had already locked it. Once she finished, she turned around and looked me in the eyes.
She held my gaze for only a few seconds before her eyes wandered downward.
"What's that?" she said, pointing down.
With a slight flinch, I followed her finger until it landed on the bag in my hands. My mind raced as I scrambled to assemble the words, fighting against the urge to run.
"Oh, this? I went out to eat today, but I couldn't finish it. So I brought it home thinking you would like it."
Mom let out a sharp gasp. "Really…?"
It was just leftover food, but Mom's hand was shaking as she reached for the bag.
"Is it okay if I… hold it?"
I responded as cheerfully as ever. "Sure! Help yourself."
I handed her the bag. The moment it reached her hands, she brought it close to her face and just… stared. I thought tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes, but the next time she blinked, they were gone.
With a deep breath—while clutching the take-out close to her chest with one hand—she squeezed my hand with the other.
"Thank you, Mei. This means... a lot to me."
I simply shook my head. Not because I was brushing off her gratitude, but because I knew she would've been grateful for anything I'd given her, since she was my Mom. So, as her Daughter, I had to fill my role too.
"It's no problem, Mom. I just wanted you to try it out and tell me how it tastes."
"...I will."
Still holding onto me, Mom began leading me into the living room. I felt the resistance in my legs pulling me back, but with Mom here, I was able to keep inching forward, even making it to the living room.
The moment I entered, my gaze never once left the stairs. I watched the movement of every single shadow, wary of even the faintest creak. With each one, my heart seemed to skip a beat—only for me to realize shortly after that it was nothing. Just something shifting or the wind.
Even so, I didn't stop.
Those stairs became my world—with everything around them fading into the background.
From somewhere far off, I heard a muffled voice, but it didn't matter to me. The only thing that did—were the stairs.
The voice grew louder and louder until, suddenly, it sounded like it was right beside me.
"Mei!"
I flinched, then turned. Mom was staring straight at me, gripping my shoulders, completely out of breath.
I blinked once. Then twice. Then the words rushed out.
"O-oh! Sorry, Mom! I didn't notice. I was spacing out a bit, is all."
Mom took a few breaths to compose herself before responding. "No, it's okay."
She took a small step back, leaving one hand resting gently on my shoulder. "You've been out all day, so of course you're tired. You don't need to apologize or anything. I should've understood that."
With a quiet sigh, she gestured toward the table. "Well, do you want to eat a little before going to bed? Or would you rather go straight to sleep?"
For a split second—short enough that I believed I was imagining it—her gaze flicked to the stairs, then back to me.
"Either way…"
Her voice dropped to an icy, almost inhuman cold. One that froze the very living room.
"It will only be the two of us. That—I can promise you."