[English] ~𝒟𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝒟𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓂~ Kenma x OC

Chapter 39: Searching for Satō Nanami

Two days had already passed since our return to Japan. Immediately after our arrival in Tokyo, Osamu had arranged for me to move in with them permanently. In a few days, he and Atsumu would also sign a declaration making them my guardians. I was finally free. I didn't know what would happen to Hikaru and my mother, but I would probably find out soon enough, after all, I was a direct witness and would certainly have to testify in court again. But I wasn't worried about that. Everything would work out, I was sure of that.

I was sitting in the living room with Osamu and Atsumu. We had decided to find my birth mother, but that was easier said than done. We only knew her name, everything else was unknown to us. I kept entering the name Satō Nanami into the search engine, but to no avail. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

Atsumu groaned loudly. "If we keep going like this, we'll never find her, ya!" he complained. 

Osamu gently hit him on the arm. "Concentrate, Tsumu. If you can't come up with any better suggestions, you'd better keep your mouth shut," he reprimanded his twin.

While the two of them were arguing, I scrolled through numerous newspaper articles. Suddenly I stopped. "I found something." My voice was shaky. My cousins ​​leaned over to me and read the article. Osamu pressed his lips together.

"The Satō Nanami? The famous volleyball player? I don't think so, ya," said Atsumu. Osamu was silent. My eyes darted nervously over the article. It all fitted together.

Osamu frowned. "When is this article from?" he asked. 

I looked at the date. "From 2005. That was almost seven months before I was born," I muttered. 

Atsumu clapped his hands. "Then we've got that sorted. It's her. I'm 99% sure. Now we just need to contact her, ya. That might be difficult though... As far as I know, she gave up her career in 2010 and no one has heard from her since, ya." 

While he and Osamu discussed how we could track her down, I was lost in thought. I remembered a conversation with my father after I told him that I wanted to join the volleyball club at my high school.

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"Volleyball?" My father's eyes began to sparkle. 

I nodded slightly. "Volleyball is a beautiful sport. There is only you, your team and the ball that you have to smash into the opponent's field. The captain of the girls' team also said that I had the perfect physique." 

Dad pulled me into a tight hug. 

Confused, I looked up at him. "Does it really make you that happy?" I asked him. 

His expression showed me how much it meant to him. "Of course, Izy! You actually make me very happy." 

My curiosity was aroused. "Why? You have no ties to Volleyball whatsoever." 

He immediately became more reserved. Was he hiding something from me? I tugged impatiently at his sleeve. "Tell me, Dad, I can see it on your face." 

He sighed quietly. "It's just that you remind me of someone I once loved very much. You have so much in common," he admitted. 

That was enough for me, I didn't want or need to know more. I hugged him tightly. My father whispered in my ear: "I'm so proud of you, Izy." 

And I was glad that I had him. I didn't know how I would live without him.

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The memory haunted me for the rest of the day. I didn't know where to start. Was this famous volleyball player Satō Nanami really my mother or was I mistaken? And how could I contact her? I was plagued by thousands of questions and couldn't find an answer to any of them. 

My cousins ​​were also at a loss. They did some more research, but couldn't find any new information about her. This led to the conclusion that she had completely retired after the end of her career. It was enough to drive me crazy. Even at dinner we couldn't tear ourselves away from our computers. 

At some point my smartphone made a sound that told me I had received a message. I picked it up and opened the messenger app.

Kenma: Hey kitten, I'm home now. Are you okay? I haven't heard from you today.

Kenma had to give an important lecture at his university today, so I didn't want to disturb him. For this reason, I just wrote him a message in the morning before school, wishing him good luck. I quickly typed my reply without giving away my messed up emotions. I didn't want him to worry.

Izumi: How did the lecture go? Get some rest!

He didn't need long to answer. I sighed. He immediately guessed it anyways.

Kenma: You're avoiding my question. What happened? Did you guys find something relevant? (Don't worry kitten, my presentation went really well.)

I had told him about what Osamu, Atsumu and I were planning to search for. Without thinking about it any further, I passed on our information to him via the messenger. 

About a minute later, my cell phone rang, signaling a call. Kenma's name flashed across my screen. I quickly answered the call. 

"This is unexpected news," he stated. I listened silently to his keyboard clattering in the background. Kenma muttered to himself, then made a triumphant sound. "I knew it." 

How? What? What did he know? "Kenma?" You could hear the curiosity in my voice. When he didn't answer me, I said his name again. 

Only then did he reply: "Sorry. I just remembered that I've met her before. She works as an elementary school teacher here in Tokyo and recently attended a lecture as a guest to tell us about semesters abroad. However, she introduced herself as Imura Nanami. Maybe she got married."

I could only stare at my phone in disbelief. Was it fate or just pure coincidence? 

"Do you know where she works? Where can I find her?" I wanted to know. 

The keyboard clattered again. "It says here that she works at Shimokitazawa Elementary School. And... wait a minute... she teaches afternoon classes on Fridays, if the website can be trusted," he told me. My breathing got faster. Tomorrow was Friday. 

"Do you want to go tomorrow? I don't have classes tomorrow afternoon and I can accompany you if you want," he suggested. 

Did I want to get to know her? Did I want to get to know this side of Dad's life? The answer was yes. I wanted to meet her, I wanted to tell her what had happened to Dad, if she didn't already know. 

Still, I felt strange about it. I had so many questions. Why did she leave us? Why did she never reach out? Why did they keep it a secret in front of me? 

"If you don't mind, I'd be happy to. I'd be happy if you came with me", I said after thinking for a while. 

After exchanging a few more words, we hung up and I explained the situation to Atsumu and Osamu. The two of them also agreed to accompany me. With a queasy feeling in my stomach, I disappeared into my room to finish the rest of my homework and prepare for the next day.