Tsunagari

Chapter XXIV.

After the final bell had rung, announcing the end of classes, Shunsui informed me that he has a rendezvous with a few girls from our school and that, therefore, I was free to go home, and didn't have to attend extracurriculars if I didn't want to. However, Mister and his friend didn't miss to inform me that I still had to prepare them their bentō for tomorrow at my home, and they gave me a list of what they wanted to eat for me to buy the ingredients.

On the spot, I accepted everything, for it offered me the occasion to pay my mother a second visit at the hospital for the day, but when I went through the list once again, I couldn't help but feel a bit cynical.

'Eh?! Where am I going to find these? Most of these ingredients are near impossible to find!'

I hung my head, dragging my feet under me in the corridor of the hospital.

'Shunsui really treats me like his slave. And the worse is Gōjun. He thinks that he can treat me like a slave too, as of right, because of Shunsui,' I mumbled to myself, dejectedly.

I had arrived in front of my mother's room now.

As I started to open the door, suddenly, a familiar, male voice came from behind me, asking, 'You're speaking to yourself?'

Flushing up in embarrassment, I looked around and my eyes fell onto the director of the hospital, who was holding himself there, several feet away from me, and giving me a small smile.

It was so unusual to find this man smiling that, just like the first I had seen a smile on his lips, I couldn't help but be dazzled by it.

'Shall we go out and speak for a moment?' he asked, and I took a glance at the door of my mother's bedroom for a second, hesitating, before I looked back at him, and nodded in answer.

I wondered how things were going on with his son. I had not had the chance to meet him again ever since the day we had taken a meal together.

He led me downstairs to his car and we found ourselves at the same restaurant as the other day, sitting at the same table. It was only after our respective meals had been served that he began to talk to me.

'I've been able to follow your advice,' he informed me.

I almost cringed.

Eh?! So soon?!

He's rapid!

But this shows how much he wants things to get better between his son and himself!

I held my breath, my heart pounding, as I inquired, in a murmur, 'And, how did it turn out?'

He took a deep breath and exhaled, 'Very badly. The moment he realized that I'm trying to get close to him, he completely closed on himself, just like he would always do. He doesn't speak much to me anymore ever since we have returned from our trip.'

My heart sunk; a feeling of profound disappointment and guilt washing over me.

Because of me, not only the gap between the dark-haired male and his son didn't reduce itself, but on the whole contrary, it has widened!

Jumping to my feet instantly, I bowed down, apologizing to him with fervor.

'Sit down again! You're putting me to shame there!' he uttered, under his breath, and I followed his eyes around of the room, at the people who were present in the restaurant and who were staring at us in puzzlement.

I flushed bright red.

I had been so quick to demonstrate my emotions that I had forgotten that we were not alone and had attracted everyone's attention on us, making us an object of curiosity!