JSWGAS Chapter 28

The conversation on the bench in the corner of the gym ended without a conclusion. Kokonoe Taka hurriedly pulled Oikawa Tōru onto the return car, and then tried to appease the sullen Iwaizumi: the latter almost suspected that the two had gotten lost in the stadium, and was only a minute away from turning back in anger to find the lost children.

In the end, Iwaizumi Hajime was persuaded to calm down and was amused by a group of teammates who were good enough to be comedians. Oikawa Tōru vowed that he would never lose to Shiratorizawa again, swearing to make the opposite spiker—Wakatoshi Ushijima, whom he blurted out as ‘Ushiwaka’.

“In short, I will never lose next time!” he shouted, standing on the seat with one foot to declare, “I will make Ushiwaka cry to us too! Then the great Oikawa will generously say to him—’It doesn’t matter! You are still a little bit behind us in strength, just keep working hard to catch up with the great Oikawa’!”

Putting aside whether this dream will ever be realized, there were a group of teammates around cheering:

“Well said! Make them cry too!”

“Watch me block Ushiwaka’s spike!”

“Ooh ooh ooh! It’s getting exciting!”

In addition, Iwaizumi, who had veins popping out due to Oikawa Tōru’s heroic stance, pounced over with bared teeth and roared, “You brat, get down here! Don’t do dangerous things in the car, you idiot!”

Iwaizumi Hajime’s expression was too much like a criminal caught in the act of making Oikawa Tōru bleed on the spot, and the teammates were so horrified that they pulled him away. Oikawa Tōru, relying on his teammates to persuade Iwaizumi, laughed wildly in the end, and Iwaizumi had already killed him countless times with his eyes alone.

The coach had long since put on his earphones and eye mask, not wanting to see or hear anything, and his silent back exuded an aura of self-abandonment.

Kokonoe Taka did not join them. He sat alone by the car window in the last row, with his arm propped on the windowsill, tilting his head to look at the setting sun gradually receding outside the window, tossing his phone casually with his other hand.

He was distracted.

Kokonoe Sumiko called after a long absence, saying that she had returned to her home in Miyagi Prefecture. Her voice sounded good, soft and gentle, but sometimes she would suddenly be startled like a nervous wreck.

In any case, she seemed to have escaped from the shadows of that night. Kokonoe Taka breathed a sigh of relief, but she hesitated again, asking him where he was now, her tone hesitant.

Then the phone was taken over by another person. It was his grandfather Tsurumi, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. In the background of his mother’s flustered and quiet voice, Mr. Tsurumi said gently and sternly: “Come back soon, Taka, we have something to discuss with you.”

What did he want to discuss with him?

Kokonoe Taka thought hard, but was unable to find a breakthrough.

The Tsurumi couple hadn’t seen him for a long time. They lived in Hyōgo Prefecture all year round, and he and his mother rarely went back except for the New Year, and the connection between his mother and them was not very close.

They had spent a short time together in the hospital. Compared to Kokonoe Zhíyě, Kokonoe Taka could feel that Mr. Tsurumi’s attitude towards him was very complicated. He had the idea of wanting to care, but he always hesitated. He guessed that this was because his father’s mistakes against his mother caused this, making Mr. Tsurumi somewhat resentful towards him.

How annoying… he thought, I don’t want to be his son either.

But it matched the deductions made by the detective he met that night.

They arrived at school at six o’clock in the evening. Kokonoe Taka said goodbye to Iwaizumi and Oikawa and hurried home.

Iwaizumi, watching his back, frowned and pushed Oikawa: “Hey, what happened to you two before you came out of the gym?”

Oikawa Tōru: “…Why suspect me first, but this time it’s not me. Taka’s family called just then, and after he answered the phone, he was a little restless.”

He curled his lips, also a little listless.

Never mind, I’ll tell Taka next time to keep coming to watch the games—and I will definitely win.

……

…………

Kokonoe Taka didn’t expect so many people at home when he opened the door.

Kokonoe Sumiko trotted over and hugged him tightly, and before she could say anything, tears streamed down her face. He helplessly patted his mother, who was half a head shorter than him, patiently waiting for her to collect her emotions.

…It seems like I’ve seen a lot of tears recently.

He thought to himself, comforting his mother in a low voice.

Kokonoe Sumiko just couldn’t control her emotions for a while, but she quickly raised her head, wiped away her tears, and showed a worried smile, pulling Kokonoe Taka towards the living room.

The current Kokonoe home no longer had anything belonging to Kokonoe Hikohito. Kokonoe Taka had sorted out his mother’s old photos, put them in frames, and replaced the original photos. The living room also had new furniture, making it almost impossible to see the previous tragic state of this place.

Kokonoe Zhíyě sat on a single sofa, silently holding an unlit cigarette, while his wife, Yū, stood beside him, pouring water, and smiled at her grandson as he walked in.

The Tsurumi couple sat on the sofa a little further away from them. Mr. Tsurumi turned his head, while Mrs. Tsurumi showed a delighted smile and walked over quickly, “You’re back? Did you have fun?”

Kokonoe Taka put down his bag and followed her towards the sofa where Mr. Tsurumi was sitting.

“It was pretty fun, long time no see, Grandma.” He greeted politely, “How have you been lately?”

“We’re doing okay.” Mrs. Tsurumi pushed the silent Mr. Tsurumi, “Right, old man? Weren’t you pretty happy to come over with your daughter?”

Mr. Tsurumi sighed.

“Sorry, Taka.”

Mrs. Tsurumi immediately slapped him twice on the back, as if to reproach him.

It wasn’t until this moment that Kokonoe Taka realized where the strange feeling he had been feeling all along came from.

Grandpa Kokonoe Zhíyě and Grandma Kokonoe Yū remained silent, avoiding his gaze; while Mrs. Tsurumi tried her best to ease the atmosphere, because her husband had failed; Mr. Tsurumi’s eyes were firm and guilty, and his mother, Kokonoe Sumiko, clasped her hands tightly in front of her, as if she was about to cry.

It was as if they all knew an unfortunate piece of news, the protagonist of which was him, but he didn’t know it.

An uncomfortable irritability.

Kokonoe Taka didn’t sit down. He stood in front of Mr. Tsurumi and asked, “Grandpa, what do you want to say?” He paused, “And what does ‘sorry’ mean?”

As soon as he asked this question, Mrs. Tsurumi let out an annoyed sigh. She turned her head and led her daughter, who was standing there blankly, to the sofa, pressed her down to sit, and gently took her hand.

The guilt could no longer be found in Mr. Tsurumi’s firm eyes. “Taka, I am very grateful that you were able to save Sumiko.” As he said this, he stood up and bowed deeply. Mrs. Tsurumi also stood up with his movements, held down her daughter, and made the same movement.

“But Sumiko’s condition is actually not good, and she still needs a certain amount of time to recuperate. The doctor’s advice is to keep her as far away as possible from places that cause her psychological trauma.”

Starting with this sentence, the following became more and more fluent: “We plan to take Sumiko to England, away from here. In this land, she can only feel pain.”

“So.” He frowned slightly, and Mrs. Tsurumi was glaring at him fiercely, but he still continued, “Taka, are you going to come with us, or stay in Japan?”

So that’s how it is.

Kokonoe Taka glanced at his mother. He could see that he was trying to sort out the matter: “You’ve all decided?” But his somewhat sharp question clearly proved that his heart was not so calm, or rather, it was earth-shattering.

Mr. Tsurumi said in a deep voice: “We and Sumiko will definitely go, and the doctor also said that changing the environment can help her get out of this experience better.”

Kokonoe Sumiko interjected uneasily: “Actually, I’m fine—I can stay here.”

Mr. Tsurumi frowned: “Sumiko, we agreed.”

“But—”

Mr. Tsurumi interrupted him: “Even if you don’t agree, I will definitely make you leave here.” He vowed, “I must set you free, instead of continuing to be trapped in nightmares, unable to sleep all night, and crying secretly in the quilt…. I made a mistake before, and I regret that I couldn’t stop you in the first place.”

Kokonoe Taka looked at his mother: “…Is that so?”

She lowered her head stubbornly without saying a word. Mrs. Tsurumi next to her heavily replied in her place: “Sumiko has indeed not slept well during this time.”

“So, what you were just discussing was my future?”

He turned to look at Kokonoe Zhíyě and Kokonoe Yū, the former remained silent, while Kokonoe Yū nodded silently.

“…”

Decisions, more decisions.

In the end, life is made up of countless decisions, whether right or wrong.

He slowly walked to Kokonoe Sumiko, and the rest of the people watched his every move silently.

Kokonoe Taka squatted down in front of his mother: “Mom,” he asked, this was the question someone else had asked him before, “Are you… in a lot of pain?”

But just looking at this haggard woman herself could get the answer. Kokonoe Sumiko blinked, her face was terribly bad, but she still forced herself to show a smile: “I can not go.” She reached out and held her son’s hot hand, “I want to be with you.”

Kokonoe Taka stared at her.

A pale, fragile, and uneasy mother, as if she would fall down in the next second.

“It’s okay, Mom.” He said in a low voice, “I hope you… I hope you can relax a little.”

He shook her hand one last time, then stood up. Everyone looked at him, waiting for his decision.

“Grandpa, I’ll leave Mom to you.”

“…You’re not going with us?”

After a brief silence.

“I have no reason to leave here.” He finally said.

Or rather, there was a reason to stay. He had to find his own ‘answer’.

Mr. Tsurumi didn’t seem surprised, he nodded, “Kokonoe.” He called out to Kokonoe Zhíyě.

The latter then moved his stiff body, “If you don’t go to England with the Tsurumis, you will have to live with us.”

“…Go to Tokyo.” He said softly, “Yū’s and my jobs are in Tokyo, we can’t leave you alone in Miyagi.”

Kokonoe Sumiko was already silently weeping at this moment.

Leaving Miyagi…

Is this also a consequence of the decision? Is it also a pain that must be borne?

“Okay.”

He finally agreed.