Coming back home, exhausted from work but expecting somebody home, isn't a bad feeling.
"Tsumiki~ Megumi~ I'm home." I called out but I didn't hear anything in the house.
Strange.
It was already late and school should've ended a couple of hours ago. So I went and called Satoru.
"Hello. Gojo Satoru here~"
"Gojo, where's the kids?"
"Oh, the school called earlier and I'm on my way. But don't worry. It's nothing serious."
"Nothing serious? Are you sure?"
"Yeah. They'll be home a bit late but I'll drop them off."
"Fine. Tell them I'm making dinner."
"Oh- Can I stay for dinner?"
"Sure."
=====
Dinner was peaceful. Compared to my worry earlier, Megumi and Tsumiki seemed to be fine. Other than Megumi's usual silence, the dinner was fun. Especially with Satoru's antics.
"Ok. I'll clean up here. You two clean up yourselves." I said to the two kids.
"I can clean up." Tsumiki offered but I stopped her.
"No, it's fine. I have something to discuss with Gojo." I glared at the blindfolded guest of ours sitting 'innocently'.
"Eh?"
=====
"Why did the school call?" I asked with my back to him, washing the dishes.
"It's nothing serious. you don't have to be all over the kids, Aiko. They're old enough to look after themselves."
"As long as I am taking care of them, I'll take care of them. It's the responsibility of an adult and my choice." I wiped my hands on the towel and faced Satoru. "What's so wrong in worrying about the kids I've practically raised for these past few years?"
Satoru just stood there, looking at me like he was observing me. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because they're kids. They don't deserve a whole lot of burden just because they're caught up in our world. Just because they were born with some sort of responsibility doesn't mean they have to carry it alone. They're kids and they should be kids. Shouldn't you be more familiar with that?"
Satoru kept quiet at my outburst and I also kept quiet, waiting for him to digest the words I said and hopefully, say what I wanted to hear.
"Megumi beat up a couple of guys in his school. I don't know the reason but he was fine."
"Of course he is. He takes lessons from you." And I left him there.
=====
I knocked on Megumi's door. "Megumi. We need to talk."
He opened the door and there he was, standing behind the door in his pajamas.
"I'm not gonna make this long. If you were doing it for a proper reason, that's fine. But if you did it just because then I'm kicking you out of this house." Megumi kept quiet but he didn't hold any eye contact. But the way he is relaxed means he wasn't that much of guilty.
"...They were thugs. Bullying other kids just because they're stronger. Or terrorizing the streets just to have fun." Megumi whispered loud enough for me to hear.
That made me breathe a bit better. "I see. But always remember. You're not some kind of hero. You can't save everybody. And not everybody will appreciate what you've done."
"I already know that."
"Good. But I'm still gonna say it over and over again even if your ears bleed. I just want you to walk down the path you won't regret." I smiled but the memories rushing in my mind were anything but happy.
"I don't care. I just want to do what I think is right."
His attitude may be a bit rude, but the morals I've taught them are there. And that was enough for me. "Gimme a hug?"
Megumi just walked past his door and lowered his head for me. I hugged him close but he did not do the same. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He mumbled.
=====
When I went back to the living room, Satoru was already gone.
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