THE LADY BY THE SEASIDE

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘹: 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳'𝘴 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺

        𝘐 woke up seven in the morning to get ready for breakfast, and as I entered the kitchen I noticed that my mom was already cooking and preparing everything. "You're early" she said with a smile as I greeted her, and I nodded as I started to help her with the preparation. I knew that New Year's day is a very important day and I wanted everything to be perfect. As I cut the vegetables and fruits and set the table for breakfast, my mom suddenly said, "Dear, I have a question for you."

    "What is it, mom?" I asked curiously, as I got interested and wondered what my mom wanted to ask me. I cut the vegetables and fruits and set the table for breakfast, but my mind was still on Kairi and how to see her again. I couldn't think clearly right now, but if my mom had asked me something, then I wanted to answer it the best way I could. My mom looked at me, as if she was searching for something. But she knew exactly what she wanted and finally, she asked me, "Do you like anyone at school..?" My mind immediately jumped to Kairi and I froze, my cheeks turning a bit red and my breath slightly catching in my throat. I wanted to tell her about how I felt about Kairi, but it was hard to find the words to say. So instead I stayed silent and just looked at my mom with a surprised expression on my face.

    "Well I mean, you're really popular in your school, so perhaps you like someone" my mom added, as she chuckled. That was true, I was a bit popular at school and lots of people liked me or wanted to be my friend, but I wasn't really interested in any of them. Kairi was the only one who had caught my attention and my mind still wondered about her, especially after what she had asked me. I wanted to answer my mom's question, but how did I do it? I felt nervous and anxious, and I didn't want to say something I would regret later.

    "Why aren't you saying anything?" My mom laughed, and then asked me, "Are you shy?" I didn't know what to say, but I didn't want to admit that I was shy. So I simply said, "No... I'm just thinking about what to say." She smiled and chuckled, saying, "Well.. Don't be shy! I didn't raise you to be this way." I felt a bit relieved as my mom seemed to be in a good mood, and I decided to tell her about Kairi.

    "Well, um... there's this girl, I mean, Kairi. We've spent a day together and I-..." My mom suddenly interrupted me, as if she already knew what I was going to say and she was just waiting for me to finally admit it. "I- I like her a lot" I said, finally admitting it. My mom looked at me with a warm smile, and she laughed, saying "I knew it! You're so cute! Now I'm gonna tease you so hard the next time we see her."

    I just stayed silent, staring at my mom and feeling a bit embarrassed. I knew that my mom liked to tease me, especially when topics like this came up. But I was also happy that she seemed so open-minded and understanding, and I felt a bit more comfortable and relieved. I wasn't sure if my mom would meet Kairi again, but if she did I didn't mind being teased about it. "It's fine... You can tease me all you want" I replied with a smile, and we both went back to preparing the breakfast together.

    After our small talk about Kairi, my mom sighed and said, "Oh my... I'm gonna miss you again Mizuki.." She said in a sad tone. I looked at her, not knowing how to respond. She was right, the holidays were almost over and soon I would have to go back to Tokyo and back to my normal life. I would have to go back to my school and classes, away from my mom. I didn't want to think about it, but the reality was that it was going to happen and I had to accept it.

    My mom looked at me and smiled, saying, "But I'm sure you won't be sad cause you and Kairi have the same school, remember?" She was right, and I suddenly felt more optimistic and excited. I had been missing Kairi but it wouldn't take long for me to see her again, and this time I was determined to make a move. "You can confess to her right away!" My mom giggled, and I felt a bit embarrassed but also happy that I wouldn't have to wait too long to see Kairi again.

    My mom laughed at her own joke and then said, "Now now, let's stop talking about the love of your life." I laughed along with her, and then she got serious and said, "Let's eat breakfast now and get ready for tonight's party." I nodded and sat down at the table, already feeling a bit hungry and excited for the upcoming party. But at the same time, I was still thinking about Kairi and trying to figure out what I would say to her if I had the chance. I kept looking at my phone, thinking that maybe I would hear from her soon...

                    "𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠.. ?"