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The first thing that came to Hiyoko's mind, was that she was too late.
She could insist that she wasn't, but clearly she had missed her chance to influence in the first place. It wasn't like she tried to do anything malicious. Hiyoko had her reasons and even if she thought, sometimes Takashi couldn't accept some of her methods, Hiyoko still thought: mother knows best.
"What is it, Takashi?" She asked as if the glaringly colorful brochure she was just handed for, didn't scream his whole intentions to her.
Takashi scratched his neck bashfully. "It's a school I want to attend. I have done my research and it's actually pretty cheap. It's a bit closer to the town, but I can get there with the early buses."
Hiyoko stared at the glossy folded paper for a while, trying to make sense of his words. She didn't even feel the need to read what's written there, Takashi's words were enough to paint the picture.
Takashi was always an obedient child.
Hiyoko didn't think he ever acted rebellious, except for that time when she found out, he had gotten himself tattooed after he met someone who basically changed his life.
That was the only moment Hiyoko blew up in rage and hit him, and she had regretted it ever since, but she also thought that Takashi had learned his lesson the hard way. He hid his tattoo and never acknowledged it again, just like Hiyoko wished him to be.
He had no longer shown any rebellious action and had been a poster child of the mother's good son.
Now, what is with this twist and turn of events?
Hiyoko didn't want to limit Takashi's wants. She would welcome him if he had something to ask or talk about.
But this seemed strange, a tad suspicious too.
Unfortunately, she didn't have enough proof to bring it up, because she didn't think Takashi had done anything that warranted her negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts—all Takashi wanted was to show her his preferred school, Hiyoko! She mentally chided herself.
"So," Takashi started, Hiyoko looked up to see him and she had him stared back at her with hopeful eyes. "What do you think?"
What I think is, you must have some hidden motives behind this, Hiyoko wanted to say.
Takashi had done well in his school. He wasn't a prominent star student, but still, his grades were good and he had never gotten in any trouble. Hiyoko didn't know much about it, but she heard he excelled in extracurricular activities too. Takashi was always satisfied with that, then why suddenly he had preferred something to himself?
Takashi had never asked her anything, why the sudden change of heart?
The first thing that came to Hiyoko's mind, was that she was too late.
She could insist that she wasn't, but clearly she had missed her chance to influence him in the first place.
It wasn't like she tried to do anything malicious. Hiyoko had her reasons and even if she thought, sometimes Takashi couldn't accept some of her methods, Hiyoko still thought: mother knows best.
She should be telling Takashi first about which high school he would go to. She should be the one to get him into the conversation, not the other way around.
Did Takashi think she would not care?
Hiyoko did think about it, but she didn't think he would need to talk it out with her son, when her son was always so accepting of anything she offered him to.
The thought almost made her feel guilty.
"Wait a second, sweetheart," she scrambled to get her work bag and rummaged through it. She was sure she had printed out some documents about this kind of thing. She had to think of Luna and Mana too. She wasn't that ignorant to her children. She cared about them. Just because she hadn't had the opportunity to discuss this kind of thing, didn't mean that she was apathetic.
What she was looking for ended up in her other purse; neatly folded, almost unforgettable.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about this, Takashi. Just haven't found the right time."
Unfolding the papers, she spread them on the table. They were the admission forms, not the brochures. Hiyoko was confident about her choice, she didn't think further to get anything to convince her son because she was certain Takashi would accept it.
"It's the high school I used to go to," Hiyoko said. Since she didn't have much for Takashi to read, she had to improvise. "It's a very good school and I think it will suit you, Takashi. I know how much you love doing arts, and the art club is pretty famous for accommodating the members. There's also plenty of sport clubs if you prefer that. And it's closer to our home, you don't need to take multiple busses to get there."
Hiyoko saw Takashi trying to process the flood of information and struggled to find words.
She could be diplomatic, it was Takashi who approached her first with the topic, after all.
"About your choice of school, Takashi, is there anyone you want to get there with?" She didn't bother to dodge the bullet, aiming straight to the topic.
Takashi wasn't known for his bold choice, unless he had a strong reason. And his strong reason is usually tied to someone who influenced him.
Hiyoko didn't want to do the name-dropping, but she had her own suspicion about the culprits responsible for this.
"Um, some of my friends were talking about going there, so I thought—" The shift of gaze, avoiding hers when Takashi answered was enough proof to confirm her suspicion.
Friends? What friends? Which friends?
She might not be able to recall them, but she knew her son entangled himself with some troubled kids before.
Hiyoko had heard about this kid named Mikey, who led a gang of delinquents and it seemed that Takashi had been forced to get along with them. Takashi had never come clean to her about this sort of thing, but even if she didn't know a lot about it, she knew enough that Takashi had the experience of mingling with the wrong crowd.
Did Takashi have gone too far with them?
How could Hiyoko not be able to prevent it from happening?
"Do you wanna go too?"
Takashi looked down, avoiding her eyes even harder.
"Yeah," he mumbled softly, scratching the side of his head. "I do."
The first thing that came to Hiyoko's mind, was that she was too late. She could insist that she wasn't, but clearly she had missed her chance to influence in the first place.
She saw it. The gesture. Something that Takashi apparently had developed when he was thinking of a specific someone.
That gesture of scratching the side of his head, the side that hid his dragon tattoo.
This whole thing had to be related to this kid, named Draken.
It wasn't like she tried to do anything malicious. Hiyoko had her reasons and even if she thought, sometimes Takashi couldn't accept some of her methods, Hiyoko still thought: mother knows best.
Draken was a bad influence on him. Prompting Takashi to get himself tattooed (to match him too!), hanging out together in a brothel (Takashi had insisted that Draken did live in a brothel, like Hiyoko needed more reasons to forbid her son to get along with that kind of person)—what else, oh yeah, Draken was also the one who introduced Takashi to the troublemaker, the gang leader, Mikey.
She had repeatedly shown her dislikes to the kid, and Takashi had no longer shown any association to him, but maybe she was wrong.
Maybe it was just her who didn't know.
"Takashi, I think this school is the best for you," Hiyoko tapped the admission form. "Going to some unknown school only to follow people who also go there, is a bit risky. You are a bright student, and I want you to have the best education there is. "
Takashi looked up at that, and Hiyoko had told herself that the sadness and disappointment momentarily graced his face, would be worth it.
She only wanted the best for her son.
"You can still see your friends outside the school, can you?"
Hiyoko tried to act diplomatic.
She could.
Takashi should have known that Hiyoko didn't have any ill-intent by doing this. She couldn't have Takashi thinking that he wouldn't have the choice.
But high school hopefully would be a busy time for him, and those interactions would not be happening.
She only wanted the best for her son.
Takashi was silent for a while, before he seemed to finally accept the defeat. "Yeah, you're right."
Hiyoko smiled, trying her best to hide her satisfaction.
"You're okay with my school choice, then?" She asked, taking his hand.
Takashi heaved a long sigh, but gave her a smile too as he squeezed her hand.
"I think you know what's best for me."
Hiyoko whipped her hand triumphantly in her mind.
Damn right, I do.