| Fan Fiction |
by ferine
“Okaasan… did Yui visit you?” Maki tried to mask all her confusions and looked directly into her mothers eyes.
Hiyono was unprepared for her question. She knew her daughter was smart, but the question came too quickly. And the way Maki was looking at her made it seem as though she had seen through her. What did she give away in her questions? Yui had told her to keep her visit a secret as she did not want to jeopardize her friendship with Maki.
“No…”
“So how did you get to know Yui?” Maki picked up the pancake that Hiyono had left on the side table and offered it to her, making it seem as though she was asking a casual question.
“Pi…”
“Pi?” Maki realized that the tone of her voice had turned into a defensive one, almost as if she doubted her mother and she immediately regretted it.
Hiyono frowned at the tone of her daughter’s words. Maki had never used that tone on her before. “It didn’t matter how I learn about Yui. You just have to answer me how she is related to Pi,” Hiyono straightened her back and looked at Maki sternly.
Maki faltered under Hiyono’s gaze. Instead of answering, Maki simply looked away. She had never lied to her mother before, and she is not able to especially when Hiyono is gazing at her like that.
Hiyono nodded knowingly, “I had hoped it wasn’t true. Listen to me Maki, leave Pi. You’ll only get hurt.” Hiyono’s gaze turned into those of tender motherly affections. She was truly worried for her only daughter’s situation.
“Okaasan, you don’t understand. It’s not what you think it is. Pi, he is…”
“Engaged to Yui. And you knew it, didn’t you? Then why did you allow yourself to enter a relationship with him?” Maki had always been a sensible girl, she was forced to be. Since young, Maki had never enjoyed her childhood. Her father became a heavy gambler after he was retrenched when Maki was only five. Hiyono who suffered from anemia could not work for long hours. As a result, Maki was forced to take the burden of protecting the household that any other five year-old would not have to. At a young age, Maki had to face all sorts of people, all sorts of situations and she had since developed a strong sense of right and wrong. Not only so, she never allowed herself to get hurt because she couldn’t afford to. In that case, what made her plunge into such a difficult situation?
“Okaasan, don’t worry about me. I will never allow myself to get hurt. I know what I’m doing…” She wasn’t so sure anymore, but she had to let her mother be at ease. For the first time in life, she was doing something for herself. Even though she knew it was wrong somehow, she couldn’t leave him anymore. And the only path to choose was to place her trust in him.
Hiyono sighed, her daughter can be very stubborn when she wants to. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
---------------
Maki exited the ward, the words of Hiyono weighing down on her heart. Was she going to get hurt? No matter how she looked at her relationship with Pi, it was going nowhere. Tetsu would do anything to stop them from being together. With Tetsu’s influence all over Japan, it was difficult to escape from him. She didn’t know how far the gang extended beyond Japan but even so, it would be peanuts for Tetsu to track them down if they escaped.
Escape?
Elope?
That was out of the question even. What would happen to her mother? She just recovered from her heart attack and was not fit to travel far. And after she recovered? Hiyono would not allow her to do such a thing. How she knew her mother. Despite being ill, Hiyono never bowed down to fate. Even though her father ran up huge amounts of debts Hiyono never compromised on her principles to repay their debt. No matter what happened, she would insist on repaying their debts the proper way. What to do and what not to do, Hiyono had her way of differentiating black from white. To Hiyono, there was no such thing as grey area. She couldn’t even imagine how Hiyono would react if she were to learn that she had gotten married to Kame in order to repay their debts.
Oh gosh! What was she thinking? She’s married! Kame… she nearly forgot about that. She only ever treated Kame as a friend but truth is, she is married to him. Would Kame be hurt? Not only him, but Yui too. She could tell that Yui is really in love with Pi. Putting herself in Yui’s shoes, she could understand how much Yui wanted Pi to be by her side.
The thoughts that filled her mind blinded her from the person that was walking towards her from the opposite direction. It was not until Maki bumped into that person that she realized who it was.
“Ah…” Maki gasped.
Shun simply nodded in acknowledgement before brushing past her.
Pi’s voice suddenly rang in her head, “She was a really sad woman… I often found her crying by herself. She’s always looking at the picture of a young boy and I’ve always wondered who he was… today I finally found the answer…”
She rapidly turned around and called out, “Chotto!”
Shun stopped in his tracks without turning around.
“Could we talk for a while?” Maki asked. The coldness of Shun during the confrontation with Tetsu remained in her head. The hatred for his mother was evident.
Shun did not speak for a moment then he turned his head slightly to the right, “follow me” he said and continued walking down the hallway.
---------------
“Well, talk,” That was the first words that Shun said when they reached a secluded stairway of the hospital.
Shun walked towards a railing and leant against it lazily, placing one of his hands in his pocket.
“I may not be the best person to say this but, about your mother…” Maki noticed that Shun stiffened his back a little at the mention of his mother. “I think you have some misunderstanding.”
u
Shun turned his face away defiantly, his breathing became heavier.
“I am raised as a single-parent family. My dad was as good as gone when I was five. My mother had poor health; she was hospitalized several times up till now. Even though she could not protect me as a usual mother could have, I have no doubt that she loves me.” Maki paused for awhile, observing Shun, he looked less tense now but he still had his face turned away. “What I want to say is that I believe there is not a single mother on earth who would not love their child. There may be circumstances that they are unable to care for their child but that does not mean that it would stop their love for their child. And I believe that your mother is no exception. I heard she used to cry herself to sleep looking at your photo.”
.
.
.
“Is that all you have to say?” Shun asked nonchalantly.
Maki bit her lip in embarrassment. Yes, this was all she had to say.
Shun smirked when she did not reply and looked at Maki. “Maki neh?” She nodded to confirm her own identity. “I’ve heard that you were forced to marry Kame because of the debts your father ran up over the years. Tell me… would you forgive your father for landing you in your position today?” Shun held Maki’s sight, challenging her to refute him.
Maki opened her mouth but no words spilt out.
Shun smiled coldly, “Pretty words are always easy to say. But let me tell you, there are exceptions in this world. Your father is one, Hiroko is another one. Some people are born betrayers, they do not feel guilt even after they have hurt the ones closest to them,” Shun stared off into the distance before continuing. “These are the people who do not deserve forgiveness...” Then almost as an afterthought Shun said, “Maki… who are you trying to protect? Kame? Pi?”
“Eh?”
“If not why would you tell me these out of a sudden?” Shun turned to face Maki.
“Not everything has a hidden agenda,” Maki replied. “Aren’t you here listening to me when you have nothing to gain in return?”
“Maybe,” Shun smiled lightly. “But I would still advise you not to trust people too much. I’ve never met anyone like you, I really wonder how you lived past those years with that trusting attitude of yours?”
“Perhaps that’s the reason I lived past those years. I don’t waste my energy trying to find out the hidden agenda of everyone around me.”
Shun turned his back and started walking down the flight of stairs, “You’ve got my admiration Maki. By the way, I am here listening to you in return for you shielding me from Kame’s gun. And that’s how I know you are the kind of person that can be trusted. Perhaps that’s the reason why both Kame and Pi have fallen in love with you.”
How true it is that a person on the sides could see the clearest. But Shun had already gone too far away for Maki to hear when he spoke the last sentence. What Maki did not know of Shun was that she had created a ripple in his thoughts under his cool façade.