Chapter Text
The sun stands at its zenith, shining down on the world, trees reaching up to embrace the warmth. Spring’s bloom has passed into summer, pale greens darkening into lush foliage. A bird sings, competing with the soft breeze rustling through plants and children’s laughter ringing from a nearby park.
A tilted window gives a taste of what some would call the perfect day, only there are other things on Tsubomi’s mind right now.
“I just don’t understand why we have to do this now. Wouldn’t it be better after I’ve already moved out? I’m just taking up extra space this way, and then what’s the point of moving at all?” Tsubomi caps the marker in her hand and tightens the elastic around her pony tail. That’s one more box taped shut and labelled, one more section of her childhood carved from her room. With a huff, she lifts the box and stacks it on another by the door. “I know you’re moving out but why am I?”
Her mother pauses in her efforts of taking apart Tsubomi’s bookshelf to swipe the hair from her face and looks up at her daughter. There is a slight exasperation behind the exhaustion from the work they’ve already completed today. This isn’t the first time Tsubomi has asked this exact question but the lack of a proper answer makes it hard for her to feel too guilty.
“Can we not talk about this now? I thought you always wanted more room.”
Of course. Of course that’s what she would say. Tsubomi isn’t sure why she expected any different. Her parents’ divorce this spring came with little shock, and while it wasn’t exactly pleasant, Tsubomi has to admit that the prospect of not having to listen to passive aggressive dinner talks every day is a huge relief. Her mother is mostly moved out already, taking up residence in a bigger house in the neighbouring district of Seasoning City. Moving Tsubomi with her was always decided too, and they waited until summer to put the plan into motion.
She knows now is the best time, the second year of high school has neither the shock of reorientation in a new system, nor the crushing stress of her final year, but it doesn’t make the situation any more fun. After all, the house she’s leaving – now her father’s house – has been Tsubomi’s home ever since she can remember, and only yesterday she found herself choked up over a scribble on the wall beside her bed, crude flowers and hearts drawn by a four-year-old Tsubomi who saw the tapestry in kindergarten and immediately tried to recreate it.
She doesn’t want to move, even if it’s the better choice, even if it’s only fair to her father. Of course she will visit him, the agreement was for her to spend every second weekend here, but fact of the matter was that her main residence would be at her mother’s house, which meant that the bulk of her belongings would have to go. Tsubomi should feel grateful, at least they all agreed to move her old furniture too, to give her some sense of familiarity in the entirely new and empty house.
It’s times like these that she wishes she had a sibling, anyone to share this with, someone who is going through the same thing she is, who she could garner sympathy and comfort from – right now Tsubomi just feels alone.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she takes a deep breath and shrugs, turns away from her mother, picking up another folded box from the floor and resumes wrapping up her entire life in ugly brown cardboard. This is not the time for that.
-
The house is…white, for lack of a better word. White, empty, bright, lonely. There are no frames decorating the walls, no carpets to cover the plain wooden panelling, all Tsubomi can hear is the strange echo every movement makes, no furniture to soften the sound. She swallows.
“Isn’t it great? This one’s so much bigger than your other room!” Her mother spreads her arms wide, gesturing at the emptiness as if it held paradise.
Maybe it does, maybe it will, one day. When everything is unpacked and there are new pictures on the walls and new books sorted into shelves, maybe. Tsubomi has a sneaking suspicion that the feeling of home will come quicker than she expects, and it terrifies her.
“Yeah, I really love it,” she finds herself saying. She points at a corner and gestures vaguely. “Maybe my mirror could go over there? The sun would come from the side, so there’s always enough light.” Her mother’s relieved smile is worth the effort to lace her voice with optimism.
“That’s right! And your bed by the other window? We’ll get you some nice curtains of course. Do you want to start unpacking now or later? I have an idea!” she gasps and puts an arm around Tsubomi’s shoulders. “How about you take a short breather and explore the neighbourhood a little? We can always start when you come back.”
Tsubomi knows what this is, she knows her mother is trying her very best to make her feel like the changes aren’t all that bad, and she understands. It’s her fault after all, both of Tsubomi’s parents, really. Her father already has a list of things they could do together when it’s time for her to stay at his house (not Tsubomi’s house anymore). They’re jumping at the chance to grant her every wish she might have, and as selfish as that is, Tsubomi is secretly convinced that she deserves it.
She’s sure she’ll feel terrible about that later.
For now, though, Tsubomi smiles, nods and hugs her mother close. “Thanks mum.” And means it.
It’s a little darker outside as the move took up most of the day’s sunlight. Thankfully, the days are long and the air warm, and Tsubomi can meander around at her own pace, not bothered by worrying about getting lost. It’s easy to find her way back later, past the lovely café and cinema adjacent to a park much like the one from her childhood.
There, she pauses and walks over to sit on one of the swings, lazily swinging back and forth. By now, there are no more children playing, the late hour belied by summer’s seemingly endless light. It feels fitting, after all that chapter in Tsubomi’s life has surely ended.
She remembers the neighbours’ surprised faces when the moving vans came to pick up her mother’s share of furniture a few months earlier. It feels much longer than that.
Loneliness makes its way into her chest again, digging a hole made of misery. School will resume in a little while and Tsubomi can’t wait for that. She’s told a few friends, only some of the closest, when her parents first tossed her world upside down. Since then, there hasn’t been much talk of it, mostly because Tsubomi expressed her wishes to not want to think about it quite adamantly. She’s moved out now, though, and the topic will without a doubt come up again.
Hopefully, Tsubomi is making this out to be a much bigger deal than it really is. Her life can’t be that interesting to everyone else.
-
The first week of school is worse than she imagined. Tsubomi was prepared for the inevitable looks of pity and steels herself, smiling and waving off concerned classmates asking if she’s all right. It’s not that she doesn’t trust them with her true feelings but she certainly doesn’t want the rest of the school to know about the scratching emptiness in her chest.
However, when Mrs. Onishi pulls her aside before class starts and offers to let her sit out of that day’s test, Tsubomi nearly flinches.
How did she find out? She would have assumed that it went without saying that this wasn’t something to spread around, especially to a teacher, so who told her?! They’re standing by the teacher’s desk, and while Mrs. Onishi kept her voice down, Tsubomi can feel the eyes of all her classmates digging into her back, trying not to stare so obviously.
Fury roils in her stomach, making her feel sick, making her want to- no, she won’t give anyone that kind of satisfaction. She hopes no one can see her hands shake, from anger or something else – Tsubomi can’t tell.
Mrs. Onishi is still looking at her, sympathetic softness in her eyes, so she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and smiles sweetly, thanking her for the offer but ultimately turning it down. Behind her mask a fire blazes. She will do good on this test, even if it’s sheer determination that gets her there.
A week later the results are handed out and Tsubomi doesn’t let the self-satisfaction show when she scores second in class. She doesn’t talk about the div- the move again.
-
One more year. Only one year until Tome is free, well, relatively speaking. People sure tend to hype up graduation a lot more than it deserves, and while she can say that her school career hasn’t been the most exciting, it wasn’t all bad either. Especially with recent developments, Tome thinks, maybe she’ll even miss walking home after classes end.
School has just begun again, and while Tome isn’t particularly happy about that, her surprise at seeing the second-year Takane Tsubomi wait for the same train and even get off at the same station as her definitely dispelled some of the boredom of routine.
Up until recently, walking home has always been a sort of annoyance in Tome’s eyes, since tragically, her house is out of everyone else’s way, and so, she’s forced to wave goodbye to her friends while they continued walking and chatting together. How dare they have fun while it takes her half an hour of lonely silence to get home??
Okay, well, it’s still silent. Only now, Tome isn’t alone, and that’s the development of the year here. She hasn’t really exchanged a lot of words with the other girl though, and all she knows about her is that even in Tome’s year, Tsubomi is one of the more popular girls, and that apparently, she’s pretty good at sports.
Oh yeah, and her parents got divorced this year.
Yikes.
Tome heard there was quite the custody battle, and that Tsubomi’s mum has a rich new boyfriend, and that’s why they live in a mansion now. She heard he’s some foreign star, that’s why no one knows who he really is.
Okay… Tome isn’t sure how true that last part is, mainly because there sure aren’t any mansions in her neighbourhood but who knows? She’s not about to start stalking the girl for gossip.
She does want to be her friend, though, if only to have some fun on her way home for a change. They could have fun together! Tsubomi isn’t even wearing headphones as far as Tome can see, so she’s practically inviting her to start a conversation, naturally. It’s all quite clear where this is headed in the long run.
Tome almost stops walking and squints. What kind of thought was that? Where does she think this is headed? Hold your gay horses, you’re not even friends yet, what the hell.
She shakes her head and shoves that train of thought away for now, way away. There’s enough time to worry about that some other time. Right now, Tome is a girl on a mission. There will be no more silent walks, not if she can help it.
-
She’s getting used to taking much longer than before to get home from school, Tsubomi notes. She isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or not, since the shorter her perception of the way is, the sooner she has to face the reality of her new home, still too-empty and too-sterile for her to feel comfortable. The rooms don’t echo anymore, thankfully, but the kitchen utensils are all in the wrong places and the light switches don’t work like they do at ho- at her father’s house.
Truth be told, she is walking deliberately slow to drag this out as much as it needs to be. Mornings are better, mornings mean she gets to leave early and quickly, no time to consider the alienating feeling of sitting on a chair she’s barely ever sat on.
At least the weather is nice today. Tsubomi can finally make up for the days busying herself with packing and shoving furniture around, this time the only music she needs are the breeze and the birds, tittering cheerfully somewhere nearby.
A cry rings out behind her. “Hey!”
It’s a girl’s voice, and surely it can’t be meant for her. No one from school lives anywhere near here, and while it’s true that Tsubomi knows a few people from neighbouring schools, why would they call out to her? She keeps walking, maybe the yelling girl will catch the attention of whoever she’s calling to.
“Heey! Takane Tsubomi!”
Damn it.
She slows but doesn’t stop, doesn’t even turn, hoping that the girl would take the hint. ‘Yes I’m waiting for you to catch up but I’m not committed enough to give you too much of my time, sorry. Too busy trying to enjoy myself.’
The girl doesn’t take the hint and barrels to a stop next to her, almost tripping over her own feet, carried by momentum. Choppy black hair makes Tsubomi do a double take, and suddenly she’s ready to offer a lot more time than would ever be necessary.
A crooked grin reveals none other than Kurata Tome, one year above Tsubomi at Salt High and the cause of many a straying thought during slow hours in class. That’s unfortunate wording. Tome is… interesting. It’s been a while since middle school but Tsubomi clearly remembers her running up to her in the girl’s locker rooms and asking if she had interest in joining her Telepathy Club.
“Asking” is probably an understatement. There were a lot more intense stares and raised voices involved, even after Tsubomi said she’d already signed up for Tennis Club. Her perseverance sure was admirable, apparently she ended up asking nearly the entire school to avoid her club from being abolished.
So what if Tsubomi kept an open ear out for more news on her upperclassman? She’s allowed to do that… even three years later.
Most importantly though, what is she doing here? Does she live here?? Okay, time to be cool. Tsubomi can do that.
Tome runs a hand through her messy hair and starts walking at Tsubomi’s pace, enthusiastic smile still in place. “Heya, you’re a second year at Salt, yeah? Kurata Tome, third year!” She holds out a hand, which Tsubomi takes, still reeling a little.
“I know who you are,” she wants to say but stops herself. Maybe a little too forward. It really isn’t but who knows. Instead she settles for a small smile. “Nice to meet you, Kurata. Uh, I’d introduce myself, though it looks like you already know who I am.”
What.
Luckily, the other girl just laughs and releases Tsubomi’s hand and grips her bag instead. “Yeah, looks like. Tome’s fine, though!”
Relieved that she isn’t off put or worse, offended, Tsubomi relaxes a little and lets her smile widen. “In that case, please call me Tsubomi.”
“Will do, will do.” Tome nods gravely and buries her hands in the pockets of her jacket. It’s so warm out, why does she need it? “So Tsubomi, you live around here then?”
Ah.
So she’s heard too. Immediately, Tsubomi’s mood plummets, momentary excitement gone. It must show on her face because Tome starts and waves her hands around with wide eyes. “Oh, sorry! I don’t mean to be nosy or anything, it’s just I’ve never seen anyone from Salt around here, ‘s a little out of the way of everything,” she says sheepishly and vaguely gestures at a street sign. Her ears are flushed red, so Tsubomi takes her for her word.
“Yes, I moved here this summer. It’s nice.” She knows how stiff she must sound, even though she’s doing her best to inject it with some ease.
“It is!” The other girl isn’t at all perturbed by her snippy reply. “Don’t know why more people don’t live here. Though I guess the ones who do go to other schools. My brother went to Salt, you know? That’s really the only reason I’m there too.”
She seems determined to make conversation, switching from topic to topic whenever Tsubomi doesn’t offer a lot in return, but Tome doesn’t seem to mind. The girl is an inexhaustible well of energy apparently, and Tsubomi wonders how she hasn’t swallowed her own tongue yet.
It does wonders for her mood, though. The earlier nose-dive is slowly unfurling again, climbing back up the way it came, and she finds herself content with listening to Tome’s ramblings on a backdrop of late summer. For once, it’s not her commandeering the main share of attention, it’s nice.
Too soon, they reach the street that parts them, nearly crashing into one another as each girl heads the other way. Tome laughs again and pats her shirt down. “Guess that means were splitting?” She sounds disappointed somehow but that’s probably unlikely, surely that’s just Tsubomi reading in a little too deep.
“I guess so.”
Seconds pass and neither of them makes any indication to continue on their way. This time it’s Tsubomi who breaks the silence, surprising herself. “Do you want to meet up in front of the gate tomorrow? We can walk home the entire way this time. I’d love to see you again.”
Another beat passes and Tsubomi doesn’t register what she said until Tome gapes at her, mouth open and eyes locked to hers.
Oh god.
Quickly, she takes a step back and laughs, short and definitely forced. “Um, I mean. If you want? I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t but I just thought that- I mean you came up to me today and so I thought-“
Tsubomi is saved from her stammering by a wide grin, threatening to split Tome’s face in half. “Yeah!” She near-shouts, balancing on the balls of her feet. “Of course! I’d love to walk you ho- uh walk home with you! So I’ll see you tomorrow, then? That’s great, okay bye!”
Within seconds, Tome is gone, rushed down her side of the street as if chased. Tsubomi can only stare, hand half-raised in goodbye. Belatedly, she feels heat rush to her face and her mouth clips shut at the realization. That doesn’t mean anything, it can’t mean anything.
And what Tome said, that – well that was a mistake too, obviously, considering how she ran. What else would she have meant? They’re friends now – tentative friends – and friends walk each other home when they live close to one another. And get really excited when thinking about the next day. And blush even more when remembering the other’s smile.
Clearly.
-
Dinner is quiet. It’s not the comforting silence she walked home to and it’s not the tense, forced air during a test at school. The sole noise comes from wooden chopsticks on plastic, takeout no one really wanted to eat in the first place. Tsubomi’s mother worked late today, so that’s all there was time for.
It’s not like Tsubomi didn’t offer to cook in her stead but quick reassurances and “It’s fine, sweetie!”s made her back down again. So, she’s left scrambling to think of something to talk about and Tsubomi can tell her mother feels the same. Refusing to be the one to engage first, she lets her thoughts drift instead.
This isn’t the first time words fail her – in fact, it’s been happening a lot more lately, and Tsubomi doesn’t appreciate it in the least. Sure, the usual phrases are easy, same old routine every day, polite with teachers and friendly with classmates. Now and then there’s enough time for gossip over homework and on the tennis court, lunch is mostly spent trying to understand everyone when they talk over one another.
Only last year Tsubomi would be right in the middle of everything, cracking jokes and laughing along to the wild stories her friends would wildly exaggerate. She’s still at the very centre, still cracking jokes and still laughing along, but now she feels disconnected somehow, like a part of her is missing, and the more she searches the more it distances itself, sinking under waves of white empty space.
Tome made talking look so easy, even if there is barely a response, so how come words elude her now, when it’s expected of her?
Tome.
In the ten minutes it took them to walk the short distance, she managed to somehow drag Tsubomi away from the hollow echo that awaited her at home. The realization came as soon as she was forced to walk alone again, no more stories pleasantly filling the silence, and a heavy feeling settled in her stomach.
Tomorrow she’ll make it up to her, Tsubomi decides.
“Did something nice happen today?”
Her mother’s sudden words snap her attention back to the dinner table and she looks up with a start. “Sorry?”
“You’re smiling,” she says and puts the spoon down next to her bowl. “Did something nice happen at school?”
“No.” Tsubomi’s reply is immediate and short, and at her mother’s frown she quickly continues. “Not at school, I mean. On the walk home. I think-“ her thoughts go back to Tome’s wide grin when she so inelegantly asked about tomorrow. “I think I made a friend today.”
-
Before she falls asleep, Tsubomi wonders why they didn’t also make plans to walk together in the mornings.
-
Cryptid [17:12]:
i have a problem
Gay [17:12]:
Shoot
Cryptid [17:13]:
im gay
Gay [17:13]:
That’s a problem?
Cryptid [17:16]:
nO you ass let me FINISH
Gay [17:16]:
You’ve been typing for ten minutes?????
Cryptid [17:17]:
you keep interrupting me how am i supposed to focus!!!!!
Gay [17:17]:
Type faster
Cryptid [17:19]:
ok so u kno how its been like three weeks now since i first ran up to tsubomi like a fool and weve been walking home every day so far now right?? ok not true there was that one time she went to her dads and honestly the fucking heart attack she gave me that day like wITHOUT TELling me she jus dtropped off the SFACE of the earth!!!! but its ok cause i got her numbre after that like HOOO OK NIcE remember how you snet me like 388937 winky afces after that!!! rude honestly wtf ANYWAY basicLALY you already know this bUT im GAY shes so CUTE Hve u seen her???!!!?!!?!? and!!!! i thiNk!!! she likes me back maybe!!!! but imNOT SURE!!!!!!!!!! its hard u kno its so hard i don’t know what to do i wanna ask her on a DATE MAYBE WHAT DO I DO IM DYING SQUIRTLE
ok im done
Gay [17:20]:
Holy shit
That’s 20% more typos than usual
Cryptid [17:20]:
IS THAT YOUR ONLY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS
Gay [17:20]:
You think I’m gonna leave out an opportunity to make a well timed humorous input
Cryptid [17:21]:
humorous my ass youre supposed to help me
Gay [17:21]:
I was getting to it!!
So impatient
Anyway yeah!!! Ask her out holy shit
It’s not like you’ve been exactly subtle with your gay lmao
Cryptid [17:21]:
says u
Gay [17:22]:
SHUT
We’re talking about you here >:(((
I saw her last week but that’s ok I won’t tell you what she said
Cryptid [17:22]:
NO TELL ME
TERU PLS
TELL ME TELL ME TELLE ME E
Gay [17:23]:
Nah
Ask her out tome I’m serious, you better take my advice
Cryptid [17:23]:
ldkjadklsg fine jesus
Gay [17:23]:
And tell me how it went~~ ;)
Cryptid [17:24]:
fucker
Gay [17:24]:
❤
-
“Mum, can I ask you something?”
They’re in the living room, the kitchen just cleaned up after dinner, and for once the words don’t cut through the empty space. There are big pillows in a corner to lounge in now and Tsubomi has quickly claimed it as her own. Her mother has wrapped herself in a thin blanket, seated in the big blue wing chair under the tall reading lamp they picked out at the store the week before.
She looks up from her book, eyebrows raised. “Of course. What did you want to know?” The surprise is almost unnoticeable in her mother’s voice but she can’t hide it entirely.
The tension has thinned considerably since Tsubomi first moved out, silences no more awkward but instead comfortable and warm. Even so, conversation material has been sparse but Tsubomi supposes that could simply stem from the fact that there is one person less to add to the energy.
It’s becoming harder and harder to imagine how her father could fit into this scene, and vice versa her mother at his house, even if her memory protests with the contrary. It’s a very odd sensation and Tsubomi doesn’t think she knows how to feel about it yet.
She traces the pattern on the carpet, shallow pulls of nervousness keeping her eyes glued to the soft fibres. The question she’s been burning to ask sticks to the top of her mouth, reworded over and over again only to end up at the start. There’s no way out now, it seems.
“How did you and dad fall in love?”
It feels like a record scratch, as if her words suddenly stop time, and even though the room was already silent before, now a greater gaping emptiness takes its place with chilling unease. Tsubomi watches her mother’s face cycle through several different emotions, too quickly to determine, and immediately wishes she hadn’t spoken.
“What… Why- That’s a little out of the blue?” She settles on utter confusion, furrowed brows and an uncertain smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
The subject of the divorce – of her father is… Tsubomi knows she has to count herself lucky that her parents get along at least somewhat, that their names aren’t unmentionables in the other’s household. So, she would sometimes tell her father how her mother’s work has been going, or send his regards whenever Tsubomi would go back home after spending the weekend. Still, there was an unspoken rule that further digging was taboo, and she had no reason to go against it.
Until now.
Tsubomi finally looks up, fingers still running over the soft carpet. She wets her lips. “I was just wondering. Just because you’re divorced now, doesn’t mean you weren’t in love once, right?”
The silence drags on as her mother doesn’t say anything for a while, and Tsubomi desperately wishes she’d put on music before dropping a bomb like this in the middle of a nice evening. Anything to focus on besides straining her ears for a response. She looks away.
“What’s this really about, Tsubomi?” It finally comes. She almost winces because as usual, her mother manages to hit the nail right on the head.
“It’s probably stupid,” she starts and drags her gaze back up to her mother’s face, half shrouded in shadow by the lamp’s light. “No, I know it’s stupid. Logically it doesn’t make sense but I can’t stop thinking about…” A pause, and Tsubomi collects the thoughts floating in her head. “What if I fall in love one day, and I’ll think I love that person forever but- but then I just don’t anymore, years later. Or- or they fall out of love with me, and I’ll be left all alone.
“I know you’re- you and dad are doing all you can to make this as painless as you can for me, and I appreciate that! I really do because. Because I know I’m the only reason you’re still in contact but what if I’ll get divorced one day and I won’t be able to do that – can’t do that for some reas-“ Tsubomi is not someone who cries easily but she’s practiced this conversation enough times in her head to know the tells and cuts herself off.
She risks a glance at her mother, who has put her book aside completely, and motions for Tsubomi to sit with her. After a moment of hesitation, she complies. There isn’t a lot of space left but they make it work, sitting closely pressed together under the blanket that now also covers her. It smells familiar and she latches on to that, kneading her hand into the fabric.
It’s almost funny, counting the number of tense silences in the last few months but Tsubomi doesn’t feel like laughing.
“We were co-workers, back when I was still in university.” Her voice is soft, quiet, full of an emotion Tsubomi thinks is melancholy. “You know how we got together, your dad finally working up the courage to ask me out for a movie after I dropped at least seven hints already.” She laughs a little, shaking her head at the memory. Tsubomi tries to imagine her parents, only a few years older than her and almost smiles despite herself.
Her mother shifts and sighs. “That wasn’t when I fell in love, though. I think for me, that was a few months later, I don’t know if I can pinpoint it to anything, it’s so long ago now. One day I just thought that I want to be with him forever, and it looks like he did too because we got married barely a year after first getting together. I know that’s awfully soon, believe me, your grandma complained about it enough.” She pauses again and traces the lines on Tsubomi’s palms.
“I know it’s not easy, and I know that this isn’t fair to you. We tried to give you enough time to get used to the idea but that was wishful thinking. Despite how everything turned out, I’m happy – and I think your dad is, too. It might seem like a terrible situation now but this change doesn’t have to be bad, it can be a new beginning too. For all of us.”
The churning feeling of upset is still there, low and heavy, but Tsubomi thinks she can see the beginnings of something else forming. She’s too tired for it to be something fantastical as hope, more like a subdued calm settling in the cavity of her chest, like the blanket she still clutches to.
She nods and lets her shoulders relax, finally. They sit there for another half hour, both relieved to have had this conversation after months of bottling it up and swallowing down any form of distress.
Tsubomi’s mother taps one finger on the back of her hand, hesitant but almost teasing. “Is there something specific that brought this on? You know… you can always tell your mum everything…” She trails off and Tsubomi has to bite her lip to not smile so obviously.
“And what if there was?”
“Then I think I’d love to know more…” The finger halts, poking Tsubomi’s hand and her mother continues, going for the kill with sly glee. “Is it the girl you always walk home with? Tome, I think you said.”
Tsubomi freezes, treacherous heat rushing to her face as soon as the words are out. She tries not to let it show but she might as well be holding up a huge flashing sign for all the good it does under her mother’s gaze. She is nothing if not observant.
“Maybe,” she chokes and wishes the blanket would swallow her whole. “How did you guess?”
That elicits a laugh, the trademark loud peal she’s used to. It’s been so long since Tsubomi has heard it. “Sweetie, you’re always smiling when you come home, and then immediately hide in your room to write her. I know because you told me yourself.”
This is the worst day of Tsubomi’s life. She thought she was so careful!
Her mother is still laughing. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. Tell me about her! I want to know who’s good enough to have stolen my daughter’s heart.”
“Mum!” she gasps and stares at her, cheeks burning.
“I’m just joking! But I do think you should tell me more, anyway.”