JSWGAS Chapter 29

Chapter 29 29.

Chapter 29 29.

29.

Mr. Tsurumi decided to take his daughter abroad after the New Year.

During this time, Kokonoe Taka gave up loitering around in the volleyball club as an outsider and went home on time after school every day. His mother, who had changed her name back to her maiden name Tsurumi, would also come out to greet him every time.

These were the few moments they had left to spend together, and both of them were aware of this fact and cherished this time even more. Kokonoe Taka didn’t want his mother to continue tormenting herself by leaving him behind when she went abroad alone. He was the most qualified person to say this: he wanted the mother he had saved to find happiness.

And if he was a stumbling block on her path to happiness, he hoped she could bravely step over him; if one day, his mother became a roadblock hindering his progress, Kokonoe Taka believed he would cross over her without hesitation and continue to move forward.

“I like the ballads you hum, and I also like the elegant and beautiful mom in the photos,” Kokonoe Taka said to her, “I know you still want to play the violin again, want to stand on the stage again—that’s great, you can do it.”

“But if it means abandoning you, I can’t do it.”

Sumiko replied.

“This is not abandonment.” Kokonoe Taka let her feel his pulse, one beat after another, exceptionally strong, “As long as you still love me, as long as I am still your son, I will always be with you.”

Sumiko couldn’t help but ask, “Then why don’t you want to go to England with me? You can receive a better education there, and we won’t be separated—”

“Because…” Kokonoe Taka thought for a while, “I feel that the answer I need is on this land.” He pondered, “Just like you can’t give up music, I can’t leave here for the time being either.”

Having said that, Tsurumi Sumiko didn’t need to say anything more. She obeyed her son’s idea, but later she couldn’t help but worry whether Kokonoe Taka would be isolated because of his place of birth if he transferred to Tokyo? Would he not be able to make friends? Would he not be accustomed to the environment in Tokyo?

She could only anxiously circle around the room, muttering, “You’ve grown taller again, I have to buy you some new clothes.”, “Can your nutrition keep up?”, “That’s right, I have to pack the things you want to take…” and so on.

Kokonoe Taka didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and could only accept his mother’s rambling concern. When they were packing things, they found a set of big bad wolf onesie pajamas in the innermost cabinet of the room. It was said that Mrs. Oikawa next door gave it to him when he was a child. Oikawa Tōru also had a set, but it was a little crocodile version of the suit.

After he expressed that he had no impression of this, Tsurumi Sumiko unconvincedly flipped out the photo album, and quickly contacted Mrs. Oikawa next door. The two women, whose psychological ages added up to perhaps only twenty years old, excitedly flipped out their respective children’s childhood photos for comparison. In the end, they felt dissatisfied and quickly rushed to the shopping street for a big purchase.

Oikawa Tōru, who returned home that night, looked like he had been struck by lightning when he saw his childhood friend next door appear in his house, looking like he had no love for life as he was put into a cute and ridiculous big bad wolf suit. And when he opened the door, he was discovered by his own mother because he was stunned and missed the best escape time. Even after he came back to his senses and struggled in every way, he could only put on a female Little Red Riding Hood suit with an equally desperate expression.

“So why is it Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf…”

Kokonoe Taka sat next to him with a wooden expression, his ears even twitching twice: “Because these are the only two sets of such a large size in the shopping street.”

Oikawa Tōru, who was wearing a Little Red Riding Hood with a bow on it: “…Then why didn’t you stop them?”

Kokonoe Taka: “Good question.”

Tsurumi Sumiko was rarely so happy, why should he stop them? Kokonoe Taka thought innocently, anyway, it’s not me who’s wearing women’s clothes.

In the end, he could only apologize in his heart to Oikawa, who he had dragged into the muddy water.

Of course, he also secretly collected a copy of the embarrassing photos left behind by the two mothers afterwards.

At this time, Oikawa Tōru didn’t know the sinister intentions of his friend next to him, and showed a resigned expression, “Why haven’t you come to the volleyball club lately?” he asked.

And this question made Kokonoe Taka’s heart tense—he hadn’t told Oikawa Tōru and Iwaizumi Hajime (mainly because Oikawa would be troublesome if he got upset), that he would transfer to Tokyo at the latest after the New Year. The reason, of course, was that he didn’t know how to open his mouth, so he chose a shameful but useful escape.

Before he could rack his brains to think of what excuse to use to muddle through, Oikawa Tōru hummed nonchalantly, tugging at the bow on the top of his head: “Well, it doesn’t matter, after all, Aunt Sumiko finally came home, it’s good for you to spend more time with her.”

“But you still have to come to watch my next game!”

…Although he didn’t have to worry about how to muddle through, but: “Tōru, are you actually this considerate?”

What he noticed was another point.

Oikawa Tōru seemed to be hurt by his distrustful gaze, and started yelling as usual: “Damn it! What do you mean by that! I am originally a very considerate person!”

“No,” Kokonoe Taka murmured, “It’s really surprising that a rotten person like you…ah no, I mean a self-centered guy like you can think about others.”

Oikawa Tōru looked like he wanted to bite someone: “That’s too much! I’m angry! I’m really angry this time!”

What a familiar scene—Oikawa Tōru once again started a cold war with Kokonoe Taka, but at least this time he remembered to bring his pink lunch box, instead of having his mother call Kokonoe Taka at the door and ask him to deliver it to Oikawa’s classroom.

Iwaizumi Hajime was like the real mom of two quarreling sons, helplessly reaching out to the other when one of the sons refused to reveal why they were quarreling.

The person who was approached looked innocent, “I couldn’t hold back,” he replied frankly, “so I said what was on my mind.”

Iwaizumi Hajime was speechless: “…Don’t bully people too much, that guy is just waiting for you to coax him now.” He squinted and thought for a while, “It’s okay even if you don’t coax him, it’s probably just acting.”

Kokonoe Taka was amazed at his instantaneous defection: “How ruthless.”

But he liked it.

Kokonoe Taka happily shared the ‘Little Crocodile Onesie Tōru’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood Tōru’ he had obtained from Mrs. Oikawa with Iwaizumi Hajime. The latter expressed shock and neatly accepted these precious photos, deciding to use them to threaten Oikawa Tōru next time he made someone angry.

“Then don’t expose me,” Kokonoe Taka said, and then sighed almost imperceptibly.

By that time, it shouldn’t matter even if he was exposed.

“Hajime.” The headache and entanglement that only arose when dealing with Oikawa Tōru hardly appeared in front of his other friend, Iwaizumi. He didn’t hesitate much before saying, “I probably won’t be studying in Miyagi after the New Year.”

Iwaizumi Hajime immediately raised his lowered head, “Huh?”

Taking advantage of his inattention, Kokonoe Taka reached out and ruffled the other’s hedgehog-like hair: “That is—my mother is going to England with Grandpa to recuperate, and I don’t want to go with them. But if I don’t leave, I will live with my grandfather in Tokyo.”

“That’s too sudden, isn’t it?” Iwaizumi Hajime was shocked by the news, and said after a while, “Then you won’t be able to go to the same middle school with us afterwards?”

“Yeah.” Kokonoe Taka was a little dejected, “Sorry.”

Iwaizumi Hajime stared at him fixedly for a long time: “…I always feel too uneasy leaving you in unfamiliar Tokyo.”

Kokonoe Taka was silent for a moment.

“Hajime, are you my mom?”

“…”

“Your expression is so scary.” Kokonoe Taka gave a dry laugh, “But Hajime, you asking this really sounds like a mom! Tōru that guy is sometimes right…it hurts!”

Iwaizumi Hajime smiled sinisterly: “Did you get infected by the Trash River and become a blockhead? Do you want me to help you wake up?”

Kokonoe Taka immediately admitted his mistake: “…I’m sorry, I was wrong, Hajime, please forgive me.”

Iwaizumi Hajime then retracted his hand, “…Do you really have to go?”

“…Yeah.”

Iwaizumi Hajime scratched his hair irritably: “Have you thought about what school to go to afterwards?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet, I only found out about this not long ago.”

“You haven’t told Oikawa yet, have you?” Iwaizumi Hajime said rather laboriously, and after receiving an affirmative answer, he clicked his tongue fiercely, “…That guy will definitely throw a tantrum with you.”

He emphasized: “Definitely will.”

“Isn’t he already throwing a tantrum with me now.”

“It’s not this level of petty squabbling.” Iwaizumi Hajime pointed out painfully, “It’s okay if you don’t leave, the one who will suffer will definitely be me—” Thinking of how difficult Oikawa Tōru was when he was angry, Iwaizumi Hajime’s expression darkened a bit.

“…I always feel, Hajime, sorry.”

Iwaizumi Hajime: “…Forget it, I’m used to it.”

This sentence was really a bit tragic, and it seemed that this misfortune would continue for quite a long time.

“When do you plan to tell him?” he asked again.

“I’ll see when there’s a chance to say it…” Kokonoe Taka waved his hand a little weakly.

Iwaizumi Hajime’s face was full of disappointment, and finally he sighed heavily, “Never mind that blockhead.” He turned and said, “Why don’t you talk about yourself?”

“What’s there to talk about about me.”

“Don’t be so strong in front of me.” Iwaizumi Hajime scratched his cheek irritably, and said to his friend who wouldn’t listen to reason, “What do you think? Sad, angry, reluctant, what do you think? I don’t believe the garbage you say, you and Oikawa are the same in this regard, you can’t be trusted.”

“Hajime…”

“If you say I’m like your mom again, I’ll hit you, the serious kind.”

Kokonoe Taka dodged Iwaizumi Hajime’s gaze as if trying to escape, but to no avail. In the end, he had to force himself to move his wandering eyes back.

“What’s there to talk about about this,” he muttered, “…I just chose the most advantageous side. It’s also good for Mom to leave this place, just like she was able to bravely stand up for me, I can’t let her be trapped in place because of me instead. I’m just her son, not all of her life…”

“…”

“Grandpa and Grandma will definitely be distressed about their daughter, I originally thought they would abandon me directly because of Kokonoe Hikohito. But they at least asked me in the end, and were willing to take me abroad, although I refused.”

“…”

“It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.”

“So there’s nothing to be sad about.”

He concluded.

Iwaizumi Hajime looked down and found a tissue from his backpack. While searching, he thought that he had really become this guy’s caring mom…He was clearly just a kid too. Damn it. So angry, I’ll go back and beat up Trash River!

“You and Oikawa are really just as difficult to deal with,” he said, handing the thing in his hand to the other party, “When you say these things, you should wipe your tears clean first.”

“I’m not crying.”

“Okay, you’re not crying.”

That’s why I said you’re not trustworthy in this regard at all.

Kokonoe Taka lowered his head, and his usually clear vision was a hazy and dreamy blur. His lips were tightly bitten, and he couldn’t help but tremble. He was very unfamiliar with tears, and didn’t react immediately when he felt his nose sore and his eyes swollen, until the warm liquid welled up. His body craved a deep breath, so that his compressed chest could ease a little, and he finally became familiar with this feeling.

If humans could control their emotional fluctuations, then they wouldn’t be humans, but robots, right?

Without looking, he knew how embarrassed he looked at this time. He was clearly always pretending not to care, and even cried in front of Hajime.

So embarrassing.

His eyes blinked uncontrollably, and then more tears fell to the ground. Kokonoe Taka hurriedly took the tissue that Iwaizumi Hajime handed over, and covered his face tightly.

“So embarrassing…”

“It’s just tears, you’ve seen mine too.” He was talking about that time in the ward, Iwaizumi Hajime’s directness was sometimes difficult for even him to handle, “You cried pretty ugly.”

Adding an evaluation by the way.

“…If you’re comforting people, please don’t add that last sentence!”