Uncomfortable Truths

Chapter 26

Okay...chapter 26...let us do this! SPORTS FESTIVAL! YAY!

Along with some weird conversations

He's 5...seriously..we're closing in..and you shall get 2 epilogues folks...I hope you enjoy it...and only...2 more chapters until the surprise...though I'm sure all of you figured it out. But it'll be AWWWWWWWESOME! Also, I realized...this kind of became more of a Mei focused fic after a while, and I'm okay with that!

Chapter 26

"Too hot."

Hideki tossed and turned underneath his comforter and opened his eyes before peeking his head out from beneath the blanket and whined.

It was already past midnight, and his shirt was clinging to his back and chest thanks to the air-conditioning being broken. His moms had said it'd be fixed soon, and they'd given him a fan and let him keep his door open, but it barely helped. Except for the living room the entire apartment was so hot that they'd taken to eating sandwiches or other cold meals most nights and when he slept Hideki did his best to stay on top of the covers, but somehow he always managed to crawl under them while he was asleep and ended up getting covered in sweat.

Thankfully it was the last day of the school term, and Hideki was grateful that his teachers hadn't given him any homework since he was sleeping so poorly. Not only that but since it was almost time for his summer vacation, they'd spent a lot of time preparing for the combined sports and parents day.

But even with the lack of homework sleep didn't come any easier, and since his mama had left for a business trip a couple of days ago, he was anxious to see if she'd come back in time.

He knew she wasn't going to be gone long because she said her job told her she wouldn't be traveling a lot for a long time. But she still had some responsibilities in regards to her old trainees, and since she'd trained them her job said she was the one that had to check on them on them from time to time. But he still wished she would be there and before she'd left Hideki had given his mama Momotora as a good luck charm when she and his mom dropped her off at the train station.

As usual, his mom had been anxious, and before his mama left, Hideki watched as they shared a long hug and a kiss before his mama boarded the train and waved at them from her seat until the train left the station. After that, his mom had taken him to a movie and bought some watermelon and other fruits for dessert and then they spent the day cleaning the apartment, and his grandparents even came over for dinner and had even played with him before bed.

Luckily, Hideki noticed that his mom wasn't as sad as she used to be when his mama went away and it made things a lot easier around the house and she'd even taken him to see his great-grandfather for dinner the following night at the Italian family restaurant they frequented near the apartment and Hideki was as excited as he was nervous.

Luckily his great-grandfather had brought Fujikura-san along, so that made it a lot easier for them to talk. Hideki didn't know why, but the older woman had a calming effect on the older man, and he noticed that his mother seemed more talkative than usual. She didn't talk much to his great-grandfather, but she managed to keep a polite conversation, and she smiled when Hideki got excited about telling his great-grandfather about the upcoming events and their vacation.

"That sounds like it'll be quite the spectacle," chuckled the elder Aihara as he sipped his tea while Hideki finished swallowing his noodles and eating a clam. "Are you working hard with your class in preparation for the festival?"

"Yes, sir," answered Hideki with a firm nod. "I'm the an...anchor for the tug of war event. That what it's called, right Mommy?"

"Yes, Hideki," replied Mei after swallowing a forkful of her personal Margherita pizza. "If you're at the very back, it means you're the anchor, and you're one of the most important people on the team."