Dreams Upon A Silver Pine Branch

Chapter 28: Hypothesis

Lee found Kenta and Miyuki playing with the fish at the koi pond. The middle-aged man quietly sat beside his nephew, who was too busy watching the cat balance herself on a big rock at the pond's edge to notice that the professor had joined them. 

"For a cat with no tail, Miyuki is surprisingly good at balancing herself, don't you think?" Lee remarked after a minute or two of complete silence. "You'd think having no tail would disadvantage her, but she seems to have adapted to her physical difference." 

"Oh, good evening, Uncle Lee. What are you doing out so late?" 

"I could ask you the same question, Kenta. Aren't you supposed to be in bed already?" 

The boy laughed nervously before saying bedtime during the weekends should be more flexible since he wouldn't have to get up as early as on the weekdays. 

"Compelling argument, but that's not really why I asked," Lee said. "I wanted to know why you're out here all by yourself when usually Akira is close by. Don't tell me you fought with her?"

"That's exactly what happened. She seems angrier than she's ever been, though. I can sense that this time she's very, very cross with me. I think she hates me now for not being on her side about the whole drama with Ezekiel not being from an affluent family," Kenta sighed while twirling a stray strand of his hair, "and I'm afraid that there's nothing I can do to help her see that just because Aunt Chiharu thinks Ezekiel isn't a good match for her doesn't mean she has to force the poor guy to drastically change. Actually, I have a question for you. Why does Aunt Chiharu think the way she does? Since when did she care about someone else's financial status? I mean, it's not like Akira has no clue what she's getting into when she started dating Ezekiel." 

"I have a feeling that Akira thinks differences in their economic backgrounds are no big deal," Lee answered calmly, "but that's a very naive outlook. Different economic backgrounds might not matter much when a couple is still in the casual dating stage, but I can guarantee that when the relationship is entering a more serious stage the couple is going to have to navigate the dreaded money talk. If in the future Ezekiel and Akira are not on the same page when it comes to, say, budgeting and spending, then it could spell disaster, do you get me?" 

"It's not like Akira can't start learning how to budget," Kenta shrugged, "and it's not Ezekiel's fault that he was born in a household where he has to be careful with every penny he spends." 

"True, but what I'm getting at is that there's no telling how Akira would adjust to a different lifestyle if or when she and her partner decide to have a place of their own. Would she be happy living with someone working a blue-collar job when she was raised by parents with white-collar professions?" Lee asked. "That's basically what Chiharu is worried about. I believe her worries are also intensified by the fact that she's terminally ill. You have to forgive her, Kenta." 

"Forgive her?" 

"Yeah. Chiharu's only looking out for Akira because she's not sure who would take care of our daughter when she eventually passes away. She doesn't want Akira to end up living a difficult life. No parents want that for their children, ever. I hope you understand where she's coming from," Lee gently squeezed Kenta's shoulder, "and please don't think badly of her." 

"I won't ever think badly of her," Kenta smiled, "but I think the way she phrased her concerns isn't the best. She's being too harsh on Ezekiel and that causes Akira a great deal of stress. I'm very afraid for her, honestly. I'm so afraid this drama is gonna drive a wedge between them. I mean, I know couples get into squabbles every now and then, but not every couple with a rift between them is strong enough to bounce back from their squabbling."