Chapter 19: Chapter 17.5: A promise with the one I like

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Two days later, the Fukuda family arrived at the ‘welcoming’ Harada mansion. Even though Kentaro had already informed them through Haruki beforehand about the agreements from before, they already knew what kind of family they were dealing with so they weren’t swayed by their fake display of kindness.

Their sole purpose had been to see Kentaro and Yumiko, thus other people were of complete unimportance to them.

Even the two who’d known each other for quite a while, Satoshi and Akashi, never said anything beyond mere greetings. It appeared that their friendship from that time long ago really was a thing of the past.

“I can’t believe that piece of dog-shit! After fifteen years of complete indifference, he finally decides to marry you?!” Maki cursed out loud as she stomped at the ground in the flower garden Yumiko had brought them to.

Four people - two mothers and two sons - had settled under a nice pavilion at the very center of that garden, where there were about six chairs surrounding a small white marble round table. Even by the way the group was sitting, one could easily tell that were currently engaged in some serious gossip.

Yumiko laughed a bit when she saw her friend fuming like that, “But he did occasionally visit me before and after Kenta left…”

“Don’t defend him, mom,” Ken also stated. “We all know he’s trash like the rest of them.”

Haruki was the only other person who seemed normal, “Why are sitting in a circle and whispering like we’re plotting something?”

“Maybe we are plotting!” Maki snapped at him, “Let’s just take Yumi and Ken-chan then make a run for it. They won’t catch us!”

“Maki…” Yumiko felt a little helpless but at the same time so happy that she’d finally gotten to meet these people again. She turned to Haruki and said with a smile, “You sure have grown up, Haru-chan.”

Being addressed that way, the teenager still couldn’t help feeling flustered. He then mumbled, “I… hey, I’m not that little anymore…”

Yumiko went on, “And thank you for being patient with my son. I’m sure he must’ve been a lot of trouble to deal with back then; so much that I worried about him all the time.”

Haruki scratched his temple, still embarrassed, “It was nothing really. He wasn’t all that difficult.”

Maki snorted, “Ha! You should be glad someone with a clear conscience even bothered to praise you so much, you good-for-nothing.”

“LET ME BE HAPPY THIS ONCE, YOU HAG!!”

“I DARE YOU, CALL ME THAT AGAIN!” and with that, they were immediately at each other’s throats.

Yumiko seemed worried as she turned to Kentaro who was sitting there casually while his mind wandered elsewhere.

It didn’t look like he was going to act at all!

“Shouldn’t we do anything to stop them?” his mother asked.

Only then did his focus return, though he simply shook his head and shrugged, “Don’t mind them. This is within the ordinary.”

“Oh,” Yumiko went along with what she’d been told.

“You see what I have to deal with?” Maki finally complained after a bit, shoving Haruki away and scooting closer to her friend, “This big mess. Look at him just grinning there like an idiot.”

“You two are more similar than you think,” Yumiko chuckled. “So that must mean Ayame is the one who grew similar to her father?”

Mei and dad aren’t similar at all, Haruki thought.

“Well, when she was younger, she was a quiet and obedient kid. She kind of reminded me of her grandmother,” Maki said thoughtfully. “But the older she grew, I could see a bit of Akashi in her too. Speaking of which, where is he? Couldn’t he navigate himself from the restrooms properly?”

“Akashi,” Yumiko reminisced on the name for a while, “So you guys are still together and happy then?”

Kentaro and Haruki stared at her simultaneously, obviously unaware of the meaning behind that question. However, Maki simply laughed.

“You never expected it, right?”

“Honestly, at most I thought your marriage would only last for about five years at most,” Yumiko scratched her head awkwardly as she laughed along with Maki. “I never pegged Akashi Fukuda as serious enough to be tied down for life. I thought you just married another man with a similar name as him. Didn’t think it was the same Akashi from back then.”

“Hey, you guys, should I be worried?” Haruki had to ask, glancing from one woman to the next a couple of times. “Just what kind of person was dad back then?”

“I’m sure you can make a rough judgment, considering that he was once close friends with Satoshi Harada,” Maki stated, wiping the corners of her eyes. “He was so bad that your grandfather still doesn’t trust him to this day.”

Haruki rubbed at his temples. If that’s the case, then how the heck did you two hook up???

“Hey, don’t look so stressed,” Maki gave her son a loud hard swat on the back. “These are just some old memories. Your father’s nothing like the man he was more than fifteen years ago. I guess you can say I’m the woman who changed him,” she finished off proudly.

However, Haruki stared at her blankly before blurting out, “Gross.”

“YOU—” Maki hadn’t had the chance to retort when she suddenly spotted her husband coming their way. The first thing she said was, “Did you fall in?”

“Can you not look down on me?” Akashi took a free seat beside Kentaro. He then turned to Yumiko with a grin and nodded in acknowledgment, “Lady Ginger, you’ve sure seen better days.”

“I’m glad to see you stuck around,” Yumiko smiled, “I’d have killed you if you hadn’t.”

Akashi raised his hands in mock-surrender, “As if I’d leave my precious Maki behind. Oh yeah, is it true you’re getting married to that person?”

Yumiko sighed, “Unfortunately, yes. I’m not so lucky.”

“Was it being discussed in the mansion?” Kentaro furrowed a bit.

“No, he told me himself while we were ‘catching up as old buddies’,” Akashi told them, which self-explained the main reason why he’d met up with them a little late. He then added seriously, “You should be especially careful of him.”

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He’d directed the last statement to Ken, who nodded in agreement.

“Believe me, I’m quite aware.”

“Honestly that man,” Maki couldn’t help but still feel irritated, “Does he think marriage will pin you to him forever? Does he think you won’t be able to file a divorce in the end?”

“I think it’s precisely because he knows I won’t be able to do it,” Yumiko gave a helpless smile. “And it’s true, I wouldn’t be able to, especially if he ever threatened me with my Kenta.”

“Mom, don’t worry, he won’t be able to hurt me. He needs me,” Kentaro assured her with a smile as he hugged her with one hand. “If something like that does happen in the future, just know that he’s lying, okay?”

“And we’ll be there to support you,” Maki looked determined. “I would have gladly taken you away right now if I had any evidence against him. If he tries to beat you up, even once, call me immediately.”

“If he tries it, I’ll ruin him,” Ken said darkly.

Of course the adults would think the kid was just talking bravely for his mother’s sake, but only Haruki knew the amount of seriousness behind that promise.

…

“You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?” Haruki asked when he and Kentaro were finally alone under that pavilion.

The adults had headed in another direction, taking a tour around the estate and catching up on what had been happening this entire time that they’d been separated.

Kentaro leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, a mischievous smile curving his lips, “Oh? Does this person think I’m keeping secrets now?”

“I-it’s not that I think you’re keeping secrets. I just… want to know if you’ll really be coming back after this,” Haru mumbled, avoiding the other person’s eyes. “With everything that’s happened, I can’t help but feel as if your father’s only giving you guys one last taste of freedom before you’re completely locked away again.”

“And you don’t want that?”

“Of course I don’t. That’s why I’m worried.”

That might be the case, Kentaro felt a lump form in his throat. The fact that he’d be separated from the person in just three years was too hard to take in. Still, he smiled.

“If that really does happen, then what will you do, Haru?”

Haruki eyed him weirdly, “I see, so it’s going to happen then?”

The other person chuckled, “I’m just saying. You never know what goes on in that man’s head.”

Haruki furrowed, “Then I’ll come take you back.”

Ken: “???”

“Heck yeah, I’ll come get you,” Haruki scoffed. “Tsk, I didn’t make High School plans with you for you to suddenly get taken away in the process. You’re the one who even picked the school for us. And what about our high school sweet-hearts? Nah, you’re not going anywhere.”

Kentaro looked down smiling, a little sadness evident within his eyes, “You make it sound so easy.”

“Isn’t it? You’re the one who’s making it sound difficult,” Haruki stood up to stretch his limbs. “Now come on, let’s go. Show me around this damned estate of yours. At least let me see what it is that makes the Haradas feel so proud of it.”

However, Kentaro kept sitting there, seeming as if he wanted to say more but at the same time hesitating. In the end he just asked:

“Will you keep your promise?”

“Eh?”

Ken went on, “If I do get dragged back here, will you promise to come take me back?”

Haruki released a long exhausted sigh, “You…. Fine how about this,” he extended his right pinky towards the younger kid. “Let’s promise like this.”

Kentaro gave him an odd look, “What.... are you doing?”

“A pinky promise of course,” Haruki sighed once more and took Ken’s hands in his instead, since the other person couldn’t understand what was going on. He then locked their right pinkies and waved them up and down. “Like this, I promise to come take you back. How’s that sound?”

Kentaro stared at their interlocked pinkies before returning his gaze back to Haru’s face. In the next moment, he snickered.

Haruki felt a little flustered and looked away, “Dumbass. You think I don’t know that this is childish?”

“No, no, I’m honored, really,” Ken waved their interlocked hands again, “Pinky promise with Haru-chan.”

“You don’t get to call me that, Kenta-chan,” Haruki hauled the other person to his feet before finally breaking their connected hands. He turned to walk away with his hands shoved his own pockets while speaking, “Now let’s go before I change my mind.”

Kentaro followed behind, “I could call you something else.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“I really think it’d suit you.”

“Keep your strange thoughts to yourself.”

Kentaro grinned and said no more on the matter. He really felt lucky having this person around him.

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