Chapter Text
“Hebihara-sensei! A-Are you sure about this? We can just get her a taxi anyway,” asked Mamizuka-sensei with a look of surprise on her face.
Taizou, who’s already carrying Shizuka on his back just waved his hand back. “It’s fine”
It was a cold chilly night in Tokyo, the teachers had just finished the celebratory party for the completion of the yearly exams. Rather unusually, the boring Heibahara-sensei decided to join the other teachers – and rather unusually too, the cold Heibahara-sensei found himself carrying his ex-wife back to her house
“A glass of bourbon and you're completely knocked out. Your weakness against alcohol contrasted your personality,” he mumbled to the unconscious Shizuka.
As they went farther into the night, Taizou was left alone with his thought. Slowly, he began to grasp just how uncanny the turns of events had been. Why in the world did he offer to carry her home? Mamizuka-sensei was right, they could’ve just ordered a taxi. What would happen if she suddenly wakes up?
“Mmm….Ugh…What is it now, Taka?”
Shizuka’s sudden interruption of his reflection left him jumping in surprise, “Ka-Kamitani-sensei..”
“Huh? What do you mean where’s dad?”
Another sudden interruption stopped the man from elaborating on the awkward situation. Is she talking to herself? He thought.
“He’s gone. Believe me, he’s never coming back.”
Wrinkles of surprise appeared on his forehead. “So you hate me that much huh?” That question was accompanied by a seemingly defeated expression. Deviating from his usual stone-face, the moonlight reflects the sadness on his face.
After a good 10 minutes of absolute silence, the pair finally reached the front door to the Kamitanis’ house. In the corner of his eye, he could see clear marks of different sizes – resulting from the time Hayato smashed a baseball bat to the wall because of what he called ‘batting’ practice.
The slender-faced man knocked on the door exactly 3 times. The first one is slow and gentle, the second one is loud and clear, and the last one has to be aggressive and with pace.
But no one answered.
Taizou grabbed the keys from Shizuka’s bottom-left pocket. “Heh, you still put it there huh? I told you it’s the easiest to pickpocket.”
As he slowly pushed the front door inward, his nose picked up the rich perfume of the gardenia bloom dancing with a mild smell of coffee. He tilted his head to the side as he realizes what the big mirror cabinet is for. Hayato’s sporting goods, which is now half-full. He sees the small kitchen counter, the coffee machine releasing the familiar smell, the different cabinets that always seemed to be full. The little particles of salt lightly sprayed across the floor.
A flash of nostalgia bestowed upon him, It’s all..the same!
Or so he thought, when he looked to his left – expecting the sight of a normal living room, with the blue leather couch, a small carpet with a glass table on top of it, and a 40” TV with sports DVDs placed inside the cabinet. But what he met was not the organized set of furniture he had chose himself, but pieces of crayons laying across the floor, drawings of power rangers plastered on the wall, DVDs of the new series, Power Ranger Megaforce accompanied by toys and figures which he just couldn’t recognize inside the cabinet.
At that moment, it dawned on him. He, no, they truly had a healthy, cheerful, and normal toddler living in this house. It struck him like lightning. Perhaps all this time, he-
“Un….Ughh…It smells good…Home…” she blurted.
“Ack!” The alert sent shockwaves into his brain, pulling him out of the sentimental picture he had been drifting in. Looking at the clock, he noticed the time, half past midnight – the kids must be sleeping right now, he thought. Besides, I’m sure that Hayato will freak out if he sees me here.
He picked the short-haired woman up and slowly lowers her to the bed. He can see clearly how red she was, should I cool her down? He asked. His mind suddenly threw him back to the time he accidentally catches a similar scene on TV. The man was blushing hard as he started to unbutton the woman’s shirt. Taizo just smirked at the thought. What is he, a high school student?
He was about to leave when he glanced at her one last time. She had a splendid figure. Her waist was tapered, completing her slender legs. Her state of drunk-ness highlights her chest, making her puff her breast a little. Her elegant nose perfectly complimenting her soft lips. Her hair was midnight black slightly covering her eyelids, and had she had her eyes open – her honey-glazed eyes would’ve invited him to stare. She really is beautiful.
Whether it was the alcohol slowly affecting him, Taizo subconsciously moved in closer. Close enough to see the glint of soy sauce on her lips.
It seems like Cupid decided to pull out. The world had slapped him with the gift of conscience. "How could I even contempt such obscenities is just….Ughh.”
He just sighed defeatedly. Closing the bedroom door behind him, he can’t help but notice the room across from him. It had stickers reading, ‘Taka and Hayato’s room,’ with broken wooden board reading, ‘KEEP OU’
His superego is telling him to get out of here. Run away, run back to the sweet comfort of loneliness. But in a rather cliché and irrational way, his ‘heart’ anxiously urges him to take a peek. He took a deep breath, “They’re my sons after all.”
He carefully pulls down the door handle. He tiptoed across the room, the two of them were sleeping on a futon. Where did you guys learn to snore like that? He smiled. Picking up the small light, he can see a mixture of baseball posters and power rangers taped on the walls. It was weird seeing Taka’s stuff getting mixed up with Hayato. It’s messy as hell but the fact that the two brothers can share their room without creating a sense of separateness warms his heart.
He bent down to Taka and slowly caresses his bangs, “Forgive me.”
“Mama, were you the one sneaking around in my room last night?” Hayato asked from the other side of the door.
The message didn’t exactly reach Shizuka, but the sound woke her up from her slumber. She ruffles her hair and began recalling the events of last night. So I had a sushi-eating contest with Kumatsuka-sensei, drank a glass of Maker’s Mark, and…..and what else?
She was about to ask Hayato when she saw a piece of paper in the corner of her eyes.
To Shizuka,
You were unable to walk after drinking some alcohol last night. You were unconscious so I decided to bring you home. Since you are very clearly weak against alcohol, please stop and think before chugging any kind of it at parties.
I noticed that you labeled sugar as ‘salt’ and salt as ‘sugar’. Be sure to switch it up before you accidentally make your son drink salted tea for lunch.
I also noticed that Taka is getting along with his brother well enough to sleep together. I thought that he’d want to be with you 24/7. The house seems livelier with him huh? But remember to make him pick up his toys and crayons after using them. I believe that it’s the perfect method to make him more disciplined and organized.
P.S. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to……
She dropped her phone to the ground, a look of puzzlement splashed across her face, “This guy..”