It was a pointless lie. After all, the first thing I said was "Are you okay, Mei?" Still, I couldn't let her Mom think—or believe—that. She might get the wrong idea about us, and I didn't know how comfortable Mei was with that—or if she even wanted that. On top of that, I knew absolutely nothing about her Mom. I knew her Father was strict, but her Mom was a mystery. So, as rude as it would seem, I couldn't help but keep my guard up around her.
Her Mom seemed to find my deflection funny as she let out a surprisingly loud laugh. "Hahaha! You're funny—but don't do that again. I might wake my Daughter up if I laugh that loudly again."
So they're sleeping in the same room? That's the first I've heard of it. Maybe it was a recent development…
"Also…" she continued, her laughter dying down. "You don't have to lie about it. I already know."
My heart stopped, and my blood went cold.
She… knows?
What does she mean by that?
How much does she know?
Is she going to tell her Father?
Did I… just make a mistake?
Before I could even formulate my response, Mei's Mom spoke again.
"You're the one who's been taking care of my Daughter, aren't you?"
Those words came completely out of nowhere, throwing me for a loop. I couldn't even begin to think what she could've meant by that, and I didn't need to. Just hearing her tone was enough.
There wasn't any malice or suspicion in her voice. Instead, it was… warm. Cheery. And full of…
Love.
At least, that was what I'd imagine love would sound like.
Her words wiped every trace of anxiety from my head, but the whiplash of it all left me dazed, leaving me unable to say anything but a stunned, "...I beg your pardon?"
Her Mom laughed—again. "Hahaha. Sorry, I probably confused you, didn't I?"
"Uh, yeah. I apologize, but I don't know what you're talking about."
"Well, let me explain." A soft rustle came over from the other end, as if she were pulling the phone closer.
"You've been hanging out with Mei every day since summer started, right?"
"Yeah," I answered—respectful, but careful. I could have continued playing dumb, but if I did, the conversation wouldn't get anywhere. If I wanted to know more, I had to give something away.
No—that's just an excuse…
"Any parent would think your friendship started recently," she continued. "But that's not true, is it?"
She was right. While we did start hanging out recently, we'd been talking to each other long before that. Ever since–
"Since sports day ended," she finished for me. "Am I right?"
If she knew this much, then there was no point in hiding it anymore. No matter what I said or what lies I made, I doubted she'd believe them.
"Yeah, that's right."
Mei's Mom didn't respond at first. From her end, there was nothing but faint static, rustling, and breathing.
It was understandable. She'd just gotten confirmation about something she'd probably been speculating for a while now. And from the looks of it, she cared about Mei—a lot. Of course, this would be a lot to take in.
So, instead of rushing her, I just remained silent and gave her space.
After a few seconds, a sniffle broke the silence.
I didn't hear it.
Then came another. And another. The sniffles were growing much louder.
But I didn't hear those, either.
I just cleared my throat as gently as I could—a subtle reminder that I was still there.
"Sorry—about that," she said in a broken voice.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. Just take your time—and make sure not to wake up Mei."
She laughed for a third time, a small hitch of it caught between her sniffles. "Haha. Thank you."
"It's no probl–"
"No. Not for making me feel better."
I paused, letting her go on, sensing the shift in her mood.
Taking that opportunity, she added, "Thank you for helping my Daughter. For being there for her," her voice firm and resolute now.
"Lately, whenever my Daughter comes home, she's always on her phone. Which started ever since sports day. At first, I didn't mind. After all, my Daughter's social life is none of my business."
She took a deep, shaky breath, steeling herself once more.
"She's always had friends. But for the first time, she looked… genuinely happy while she was talking to you. At least, that's what I think, anyway."
She ended her explanation with a forced, half-hearted laugh.
I didn't say anything. It was a lot to take in. I hadn't just learned more about Mei—but I'd learned more about her Mom as well. Who, in this moment, was the one who mattered more.
Not because I valued her more than Mei, but because throughout our whole conversation, every time she mentioned her Daughter, she always did so with such… care. Even I couldn't miss that.
And most of all, the way she delivered that last line and laugh felt… off. Almost like self-deprecation.
Maybe I could say something like, "No, I think you're doing a great job!" or "You're a good Mother!" But she wouldn't buy those fake words—especially from a stranger.
So, I decided to do what I thought was right. Starting with—
"Excuse me," I said, seemingly out of the blue. "Is it okay if I ask for your name?"
"Uh, sure," she replied, slightly confused. "My name is Yae. Yae Roi."
I cleared my throat. "Well, for starters—thank you, Auntie Yae. Wow—I think it has a nice ring to it."
From the other end, I heard a sharp, shuddering breath. Just before she could say anything, however, I went on.
"Thank you for talking to me. I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed our talk. I'd love to do it again sometime."
She let out a sniffle—the loudest one yet. She took a few deep breaths, then answered in a strong, renewed voice.
"Yeah… I'd love that. Thank you, Hoshino. I enjoyed our talk, too."