Vol. 2 Chapter 31 – Mother and Daughter

“Before me…? No, no, no, he’s family, I wouldn’t think that…” (Reiya)
“Really…?” (Hikaru)

From beside me, she placed a hand on my knee and asked anxiously.

“Really, really. Liking your family is a good thing… If anything, I’m happy to learn a new side of you…” (Reiya)

In fact, the revelation that, excluding her father, I was her first love honestly made me want to jump for joy right then and there.

Not that I actually would, of course.

“Then, even though it’s a little embarrassing… maybe I want you to know a lot more about me…” (Hikaru)

Saying that, she leaned her body against me coaxingly.

“Um… Your mom’s right here, so if possible, maybe tone it down a bit…” (Reiya)
“No way, if you don’t let me, you can’t look…” (Hikaru)
“Reiya-kun, you seem to have it much tougher than Naoki-san did…” (Mitsuki)

Across the table, she laughed, half exasperated, half congratulatory.

After that, while looking through the album, I heard various stories about Hikaru from her mother’s perspective.

Stories from the era I didn’t know, her achievements in tennis up until now, and so on.

Hikaru seemed embarrassed at times, but somehow, by the end, she got into it herself and eagerly shared various things.

“Ah, look at the time… I need to start preparing dinner soon. Reiya-kun, you’ll stay for dinner too, right?” (Mitsuki)
“Eh, you don’t have to go to such trouble…” (Reiya)
“Don’t be reserved. It’s more fun when it’s lively, right? Naoki-san is away on a business trip for a while, and it’s been ages since Taiju moved out.” (Mitsuki)
“W-Well then, if you insist…” (Reiya)
“Okay, Hikaru, will you help too? You want to let your boyfriend taste your home cooking, don’t you?” (Mitsuki)
“Yeah!” (Hikaru)

The two stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

“Phew…”

Alone in the living room, I let out a big sigh and slumped my shoulders.

That was tense…

I was incredibly tense, but more than that, I was relieved to have been properly accepted.

Hikaru’s mother seems like a nice person, and I feel like we can build a good relationship.

“Haa… Still, that was mentally exhausting…” (Reiya)

My body went limp, and I sank deep into the sofa, leaning back.

After spending some time alone with nothing to do, the meal was ready, and this time the three of us enjoyed dinner together.

Every time I took a bite of something, Hikaru would ask, ‘Is it good?’ or ‘Which one tastes better, this or the last one?’, but she never told me which dishes she had made until the very end.

And so, dinner ended, and it was time for me to head home.

Hikaru’s mother offered to drive me back.

“Ugh~… I want to see you off too~…!” (Hikaru)

Just as I was about to get into the passenger seat, Hikaru grabbed my sleeve, looking dissatisfied.

“I understand how you feel, but you’re staying home! You ate too much dinner today, plus cake, so you need to do extra training and stretching!” (Mitsuki)
“I’ll do it properly when you get back~…” (Hikaru)
“No. I let you stay out overnight every week, so when you’re home, you listen to what I say.” (Mitsuki)

Was that her weak point? Hikaru puffed out her cheeks with a muu and fell silent.

“I’ll message you as soon as I get back. The computer’s connected now too.” (Reiya)
“Okay… Then, be careful, okay…? Also, don’t let Mom fill your head with weird ideas, alright?” (Hikaru)

The hand clinging reluctantly to my sleeve let go.

“Yeah, see ya.” (Reiya)

I closed the door, and the address I gave was entered into the navigation system.

As the car started moving, I waved to Hikaru through the window.

She came out of the garage and waved back enthusiastically, but her figure disappeared after we turned the first corner.

At the same time, Hikaru’s mother spoke up.

“Sorry about that, pulling you away forcibly. But I really wanted to talk to you alone.” (Mitsuki)
“Eh? What do you mean…” (Reiya)

Her slightly serious opening instantly brought back all the tension that had dissipated.

Could it be? Is she going to say something like, ‘I couldn’t say it in front of Hikaru earlier, but considering her future, I really want you two to break up’…?”

Just as I was getting trapped by revived negative thoughts—

“Don’t look so scared. It’s not about breaking up or anything like that.” (Mitsuki)

Hikaru’s mother laughed, blowing away my fears.

“R-Right…” (Reiya)

Relieved that my worries were unfounded, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Actually, it’s the opposite… I wanted to tell you how truly grateful I am.” (Mitsuki)
“Grateful…? I’m sorry, I don’t really recall doing anything deserving thanks… If anything, I’m the one who should be grateful, getting treated to dinner and even driven home…” (Reiya)
“Ahahaha! I see, I see, that must be it.” (Mitsuki)

Not understanding what she meant, I tilted my head, and she laughed heartily.

“That girl, you know? She’s a genius.” (Mitsuki)
“…A genius?” (Reiya)

That word came out of nowhere, causing even more question marks to pop up above my head.

“Yeah, I was often called a prodigy around her age too, but she’s a true genius, completely beyond comparison.” (Mitsuki)
“Is that… about tennis?” (Reiya)
“Hmm… Well, I think she could have succeeded in any sport she tried, but I suppose this is primarily about tennis? Her eyesight and ball touch, especially, are innate gifts. Regarding ball touch… it’s like the ball sticks to her racquet? In her case, it’s closer to catching and throwing than hitting it back… But anyway, I didn’t mean to talk about technical stuff like this…” (Mitsuki)

She interrupted herself, having been talking animatedly and happily about her daughter’s talent, and changed the subject.

“But, perhaps because she was too much of a genius… Before I knew it, it seemed like she was carrying the expectations of everyone involved with her entirely on her shoulders. I always told her to play for herself and enjoy it… but maybe that backfired somehow. Anyway, because of that, after she injured her knee last spring, she fell into a pretty serious slump…” (Mitsuki)
“Yes… I heard about that from Hino-san.” (Reiya)
“I see. Hikaru back then… she was really dwelling on it. What if the injury got worse and she couldn’t play tennis anymore? Wouldn’t she be worthless if she couldn’t meet expectations? I’m sure she was thinking things like that constantly. So I asked Ayaka-chan for help too, tried to do something about it… But no matter what I or Ayaka-chan told her, the expectation for her to keep trying hard at tennis inevitably crept in, and it didn’t work out well.” (Mitsuki)

Mixed with the sound of the car engine, her sad voice echoed, seemingly recalling that time.

“And then, the hero who appeared was you!” (Mitsuki)
“A h-hero… me?” (Reiya)

The sudden shift in the conversation’s tone left me a little bewildered.

“Yes. This is just my guess, but I think Hikaru genuinely had fun being with you. So, maybe for the first time… she was able to imagine a version of herself who would be okay even if she couldn’t play tennis anymore. Thanks to that, she was able to face tennis again, and that’s why I’m so grateful to you.” (Mitsuki)
“But honestly, it was more like a blessing in disguise… I wasn’t really thinking that far ahead…” (Reiya)
“That’s fine, isn’t it? All’s well that ends well, right?” (Mitsuki)

Being told that so nonchalantly made me relax a little again.

“I-Is it really okay…? She might have quit tennis and ended up like me, a cynical indoor type girl…” (Reiya)
“That would be her life too. She’s my precious, precious daughter. The most important thing is that she lives happily, whatever form that takes, right?” (Mitsuki)
“Hah… I see…” (Reiya)

Nodding, I recalled the words Taiju-san had said before.

‘When I quit tennis too, Mom’s stance was just ‘do whatever you want.’

I see, that certainly seems to be the case.

“But the truly hard part for you starts now, you know?” (Mitsuki)
“…Meaning?” (Reiya)
“The girl right now, she’s truly in an invincible state… To put it in terms you’d understand, she’s basically got a Star?” (Mitsuki)

She said this laughingly, mixing in a reference to a famous national game.

“Before, she was moody and her performance fluctuated wildly, so when she lost, she lost easily. But I can’t really imagine her losing now. This is probably your influence too, but during play, she seems to be constantly in the zone, in the best possible mental state.” (Mitsuki)
“I-Is she really that good…?” (Reiya)
“Yes, that good. So she’ll probably win the upcoming US Open Juniors too… and then she’ll breeze through the lower-tier tour tournaments in no time, make a spectacular pro debut at the Japan Open… and break into the world top 10 ranking with almost no struggle… I think this isn’t some distant dream, but will become reality within a few years.” (Mitsuki)

Her words, coming from a former pro player, carried far more weight than my own amateur speculation about what might happen.

“But, you know that the pro tennis tour is incredibly demanding, right?” (Mitsuki)
“That… yes, I did some research myself, so I know.” (Reiya)
“I started dating Naoki-san… my current husband, when I was still active, but even then, meeting occasionally during the tour was the best we could do… We couldn’t really do many couple-like things. If you’re going to date Hikaru, you’ll naturally need that kind of resolve… Do you have it?” (Mitsuki)

The atmosphere in the car suddenly turned heavy again.

Waiting for the traffic light to turn green, she looked at me intently, as if gauging my resolve.

She had said she didn’t intend to make us break up, but the atmosphere suggested that depending on my answer, she might.

However, my answer to that was already long decided.

“…I don’t.” (Reiya)
“Eh? Y-You don’t…?” (Mitsuki)

Perhaps not the answer she expected, she asked again, sounding slightly taken aback.

“No, I don’t. Honestly, being separated from the person I like for long periods so often… that’s absolutely impossible for me.” (Reiya)
“…So, does that mean you’ll break up when the time comes?” (Mitsuki)
“No, that’s even more impossible.” (Reiya)

My non-committal answers seemed to confuse her now as she gripped the steering wheel.

“I really… admire her more than I even realize, and I like her like crazy. So, it’s not resolve to endure being apart… It’s resolve to follow her anywhere.” (Reiya)
“Follow her… Hey, it’s green…” (Mitsuki)

Surprised by my words, she noticed the green light and the car started moving again.

“So, what do you mean? Are you planning to accompany her on tour?” (Mitsuki)
“Yes… Eventually, I hope I can do that.” (Reiya)
“Well… I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem if her team grew by one person now… We could probably fabricate some title like Assistant Mental Coach Special Supervisor…” (Mitsuki)
“No, no… Of course, I plan to do that on my own strength, at my own expense…!” (Reiya)
“At your own expense!? Considering the tour schedule, that would cost millions of yen per year, you know?” (Mitsuki)
“Yes, honestly, it’s incredibly tough… and I don’t think sheer willpower will be enough… But still, giving up before I even start is the one option I don’t have…” (Reiya)

I stated my resolve once more.

Unlike Hikaru, I’m just an ordinary high school student, a dime a dozen.

I know that saying something like this at this stage probably sounds like an empty dream, just talk.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a reason to do nothing.

“Then… maybe you should just rely on Hikaru? She’d probably perform better on tour with you by her side, too. And just between us… companies are lining up in droves wanting to become major sponsors once she debuts professionally, so money won’t be an issue either, you know?” (Mitsuki)
“Even if Hikaru wanted that… that kind of relationship isn’t what I truly want.” (Reiya)
“I see… If you’re that determined, then I have nothing more to say. By the way, if you had intended to take that sweet offer and become a kept man, I was actually planning to kick you out of the car right here.” (Mitsuki)
“Eh…?” (Reiya)
“…………Just kidding.” (Mitsuki)

She said it with a straight face and a cold voice, making it sound not at all like a joke.

“But, I see, I see… I was always curious about what kind of boy Hikaru was dating and what kind of romance she was having… but for better or worse, you’re quite beyond a typical high school student, aren’t you~…” (Mitsuki)
“Th-Thank you… I guess…” (Reiya)
“Well, I also married after a rather complicated great love affair… Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.” (Mitsuki)

Just as her mother gave a wry smile, the car stopped.

“Is around here okay?” (Mitsuki)
“Yes, this is fine. Thank you very much. For going out of your way to drive me.” (Reiya)

I thanked her again, opened the door, and got out of the car.

“No, no, don’t worry about it. I had fun hearing all sorts of things too. Goodnight, get home safe. And… good luck. I’m looking forward to the day we can cheer her on together from the family box at Wimbledon.” (Mitsuki)

Leaving behind those slightly premature words, the car drove off down the road.

The curtain of night had fallen around me, and unusually, the stars were shining clearly in the sky.

Among them, I found a large, brilliantly shining star and a small star nestled close beside it.

A faint light that seemed like it could vanish if the air grew even slightly hazy.

But maybe, just because it’s far away, it’s actually shining just as brightly.

I didn’t know what star it was, but I felt a strange sense of kinship with it.

“…I have to try harder.” (Reiya)

Letting out a deep breath, I muttered to myself and took a step forward.