Hope Will Find Its Way to You

Chapter 9: Trust and Honesty

Chapter 9: Trust and Honesty

The sun shined brilliantly across the windows of the Café Parisian where Hinata's mother sat quietly, tea lying there on the table getting cold as music played in the background. Preoccupied with the welfare of her son, voices of her surroundings gradually muffled away as her mind drowned in thought and worry that she nervously fiddled with her fingers over her lap. Suddenly, her ears picked up on a conversation behind her right close to the entrance door between two crew members.

She peered at the two as she listened in.

"Have you heard? Two members of the high class snuck into the steerage yesterday."

"The steerage? Why would they do that?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Ha, that's folly."

"Commander Juzo had to go and search for 'em too."

"Was it a couple?"

"Probably so. Heard he found 'em in a compromising situation too, but ya didn't hear this from me."

"Bet ya they had a good ol' wackin!"

The rest of the conversation blurred away as her face contorted with worry.

'Perhaps it was Hajime?'

She immediately shook her head at the absurdity of the idea, finding it almost laughable that she would suspect her very own son to have been engaging himself in that kind of ill-manner or any for that matter. She didn't notice when her husband came and pulled a chair that she nearly jumped out of hers.

"Hajime hasn't shown up yet?" He asked as he seated himself next to her.

"Not yet, dear."

"That's unlike him. Should we have woken him up?"

"I don't know. He probably had... quite a long night, I suppose. Better let him rest." She tried to mask her concern, but it showed and he quickly picked up on it. He knew it was unusual of her not to be excited about the events of the party.

"You seem worried."

"I'm just... concerned about Hajime and how he's been progressing thus far with the elites."

"Isn't he getting along fine?"

She gave him a smile before shrugging her shoulders. "You're right, dear. I'm needlessly worrying over nothing again, aren't I?"

"Like all mothers do; you just want what's best for our boy. Have a little faith in him."

"Well, I think he just needs a little encouragement from his father, too." She then nudged him playfully before saying, "Probably best when I'm not around, you know? Man to man."

Chuckling, he assured her saying, "Alright, I'll talk to him."

Back in the suite, Hinata gradually woke up to a painful throb in his head that had him wincing as he rolled over in bed, praying this killer headache would go away but with no use. But that was to be expected from all the drinking he did, he thought as he opened his eyes.

Looking at the time, he realized he was late for breakfast. He grudgingly sat up and looked over to the adjoined door and wondered if his parents had tried waking him up.

That was when it occurred to him; how would he explain to his mother where he was the night before? But other than that, what Komaeda had said that night kept echoing in his mind.

What do I do, Hinata-kun? I'm falling more and more for you.

Although he imagined how difficult it might have been for Komaeda to open his heart and make himself vulnerable, he admitted his heartfelt feelings that were most honest and true. On the other hand, Hinata had been hiding the truth from him and that tugged painfully at his heart with guilt.