𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 {𝐔𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫}

Chapter 69: Lovely Life

*Ushijima's POV*

Just as I'd told my mother I would, I came home after lunch in the evening. I found her seated at the kitchen table with her work laptop.

"Welcome back. Sit."

Her expression was cold and full of disdain. I set my belongings down and pulled out the chair at the opposite end, ready for whatever it was she wanted to speak to me about.

"I've received a message from your father."

That surely wasn't what I was expecting to hear. It was difficult to mask my surprise. I hadn't had contact with the man in roughly ten years. The last time I'd seen him was when he'd moved out for good, leaving his manic wife and broken-hearted child behind.

"What is it?" I asked, wary of what the answer would be.

She clasped her hands together and sighed. I knew the mention of his name had the potential to make her furious. Her temper was intact for the time being.

"He wants to see you."

I blinked in disbelief. I'd recently told y/n that I was going to find and reconnect with him for my own closure, but I didn't think that would happen so soon after, and I definitely didn't think he would make the first move.

"Did he say why?"

"No, but I assume it has something to do with your having graduated. Perhaps, he feels he no longer has to run away from the responsibility of parenting you and can freely return to his son without guilt."

I couldn't completely dismiss the theory, but it wasn't one I would take seriously. She had a habit of slandering her ex-spouse. It was one of the only subjects that could successfully get under her skin.

"What else did he say?" I pressed.

"If you agree to it, he'll visit next week. I can't stop him from making the trip here, but I will never let him back into this house. If you want to meet him, you must choose a different location, somewhere far away where I won't have to look into the eyes of that coward."

She was seething through her teeth. I could sense just how much resentment was bubbling up.

"Is that all?"

"No."

She paused to switch tones.

"I also want to formally congratulate you on your academic achievement."

"There's no need."

Her gaze lowered to the hardwood that separated us.

"I should. Despite that distracting sport you obsess over, you've managed to focus on your studies enough to reach this point. I only wish you would give it up and reassess your priorities. Nonetheless, you've done a good thing."

If that was her best attempt at praising me, I was utterly underwhelmed. Though the words themselves were shallow and backhanded, they were genuine. She was glad I'd finished high school with satisfactory performance.

"Now that my education has been completed," I started, "I will continue pursuing volleyball as a career through my scholarship. I'll go far, and I won't stop. If you accept that truth, it will be better for both of us. It is not my goal, but it will surely please me if, one day, I can make you proud."

*Your POV*

My boyfriend had told me about the bomb his mother had dropped on him. I'd done my best to help him through the emotional preparation. My effort seemed to have paid off because, after his father's lengthy stay in Miyagi, Ushijima felt as though their relationship had been somewhat smoothed over. I expected that he'd never "get over" the irreversible pain that man had caused, but it was possible he'd be able to live the rest of his life with relative closure.

I myself had much to do. My plans were laid out in my mind, and, as impossible as it seemed, I could make them happen. It was my turn to progress.

The next year involved what I'd set out to do. The early development stages of my new lifestyle were beyond exciting. I was advancing into an adult, but more so, someone I really liked. The new sense of independence, in turn, made me bloom into the person I wanted to be, and my self-love began to thrive because of it. I was happier than I'd ever been.

Ushijima was also invigorated by the prospect of professional athleticism. He had scouts lining up in hopes of recruiting him. A grand future was guaranteed for the promising young player, and he had every desire to share it with me. One of the many reasons I had to believe so was that we'd moved in together.

I could remember how shocked my mother and Ukai were when I'd told them I was going to. They thought I'd be knocked up by age twenty in such constant close proximity to him. Fortunately for them, I wasn't interested in having children at this time, not even with someone as tempting as my boyfriend. After all, we weren't even married.

Everything looked as though it was falling into place.

I unlocked the door to my shared apartment, recognizing the click and entering the foyer. After slipping my shoes off and exchanging them with indoor slippers, I traveled to the kitchen to see a certain shirtless, olive-haired man wearing an apron that said, "Kiss the chef." He'd adopted it as his own because of how often he cooked despite it being mine.

I followed the directions and gently pulled his head forward so that I could kiss him on the cheek. He smiled contently at the action, continuing to stir the pan.

"How many times do I have to tell you it's dangerous to have so much exposed skin near ingredients that spit?" I passively forewarned.

"If I burn myself, will you kiss it to make me feel better?"

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle.

He'd become substantially more comfortable expressing himself as our relationship continued, including his flirtations. I had no complaints regarding the shift and always returned the favor.

"You're home later than usual." He commented.

I plopped down on the couch with a huff.

"Yeah, I was checking the animal shelter again for any new arrivals. They had quite a few since last time. You should come with me tomorrow. I think you'd like this big white cat I saw. He reminds me of you."

"In what way?"

"He likes me."

He set the spoon down, leaving the dish to simmer while he sat beside me. His arms, now larger than they used to be, lifted my thighs onto his lap so that I was straddling him. He looked at me with adoration through half-lidded eyes.

"It sounds like he has good taste."

The tip of his nose touched mine before he began nuzzling into the crook of my neck, his face rubbing against the sensitive skin. I hummed in response to the affection he knew I craved.

"I love you."

The vibration of his deep voice and the warmth of his breath tickled.

"I love you too."

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