It was finally the day Namida Asakura decided to go back ho.
To Minami, it felt as though a war was finally over.
However, a very embarrassing one.
A war which she had repeatedly lost to her mother.
Namida Asakura was the worst opponent.
That morning, when Minami entered the living room, she imdiately beca suspicious.
Namida was smiling.
Not normally.
Not that ’about-to-ruin-your-day’ kind of smile.
Nor a teasing one.
A different kind of smile.
One which worried Minami even more.
"Mom."
"Good morning."
"What are you planning?"
Namida looked really surprised.
"Nothing."
"That’s impossible."
As usual, Kuro was entering the living room, carrying groceries.
He glanced at both girls.
Then quickly escaped.
"NOPE."
"GET BACK HERE."
Unluckily for Minami, she managed to catch him.
Kuro sighed.
His survival instinct betrayed him once again.
The morning al was quite peaceful.
Which was odd.
Very odd.
The apartnt was silent.
No teasing.
No embarrassing comnts.
No showing old photos.
No ’futute son-in-law’ statents.
Anything related to Namida was strangely absent.
Including her.
Namida Asakura was behaving unexpectedly well.
So well, it was actually scary.
Minami frowned.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
"Why are you acting normal?"
Namida laughed.
"Such a horrible thing to say."
"Answer the question."
"I am normal."
"That’s a lie."
Kuro drank tea in silence.
The smartest decision ever.
Namida packed all the other items she brought after eating breakfast.
The train would arrive in a couple of hours and she needed to pack.
Her suitcase rested next to the door.
It was finally ti to leave.
The apartnt was cleaner than Minami rembered it being in her life.
Cleaner even than when Kuro first visited.
All the ss was organized.
Laundry was neatly folded.
Shelves were arranged properly.
Kitchen looked as if it belonged to an ideal family.
Strange how Minami managed to clean the entire apartnt without even noticing it.
A strange sensation filled her chest.
Gratitude?
Really?
What a weird feeling.
"Thank you."
Kuro raised an eyebrow.
"For what?"
"The apartnt."
"Oh..."
Such an ordinary reply.
Although Minami felt the atmosphere turning extrely awkward afterwards.
Fortunately for her, Namida existed.
Therefore, the awkward situation could not last forever.
"Daughter just thanked for the cleanliness."
"Mom."
"Historically important occasion."
"Mom."
"Should we record this?"
"Mom."
Kuro laughed.
Minami regretted it already.
Around noon Namida stood up.
"Kuro-kun."
"Yes?"
"Could you please help carry my suitcases downstairs later?"
Minami imdiately pointed her finger at her mother.
"No."
Namida looked confused.
"What do you an?"
"No secret conversation."
"Secret conversation? Whom with?"
"With you."
"I did not ntion secret conversation."
"You implied it."
Namida grinned.
Her dangerous smile appeared.
Minami knew she was dood.
After lunch Kuro found himself carrying Namida’s suitcase towards the apartnt entrance.
It was quite nice weather outside.
The sky was blue.
The atmosphere serene.
For a mont they remained silent.
Then Namida smiled.
"Thank you."
"For carrying luggage?"
"For helping Minami."
It was an imdiate and sincere reply.
Complete opposite of the usual one.
Kuro stopped walking for a minute.
Namida kept going towards the door.
"My daughter is very hard to please."
"Not at all."
Namida chuckled.
"She is really stubborn."
"She definitely is."
"Also independent."
"Totally."
"Begs for help even less."
"Yeah."
They exchanged glances.
Then laughed.
Because each of those statents was absolutely true.
Namida’s face grew softer.
"You know."
"What?"
"She seems much happier lately."
Kuro looked at her surprised.
"Happier?"
"Yes."
Namida directed her glance towards the sky.
"Last ti we talked on phone, she was always tired."
She lowered her voice.
"A bit lonely too."
Such words shocked Kuro a bit.
Minami seed completely fine to him in school.
Competent.
Strong.
Capable of handling everything alone.
Yet behind that exterior...
She lived alone.
Worked day by day.
Shouldered responsibility.
Maybe she was a little lonely.
Namida smiled.
"But recently?"
She looked much relieved.
"She laughs a lot more."
For so reason, it reminded Kuro of their beach trip.
The festival.
The cleaning of the apartnt.
The argunts.
Teasing.
Smiles.
Maybe Namida was right.
Then unfortunately the sincerity lasted only thirty seconds.
Because Namida imdiately followed her statent with:
"Thank god for that."
"For what?"
"Well now I do not have to worry about her future husband anymore."
Silence.
Kuro stared.
Namida smiled.
Dang her dangerous smile!
It killed the previous atmosphere completely.
Gone.
Back upstairs, Minami impatiently waited for them.
Right after entering the apartnt, she jumped up.
"What did she say?"
"Nothing important."
"That’s a lie."
"It isn’t."
"Sure it is."
Namida looked happy.
Which proved everything.
Minami suffered.
Again.
It was finally the ti to leave the apartnt.
The station was packed with people.
Everyone was busy.
Namida held her train ticket.
Minami accompanied her.
Kuro was nearby.
This ti they didn’t joke around.
There was even a bit of an emotional atmosphere.
Namida looked at her daughter.
Then smiled.
"My little girl beca a teacher."
"Mom."
"You have your own apartnt."
"Mom."
"You have students that respect you."
"Mom."
"You have friends."
Minami turned away from her embarrassed.
Namida chuckled quietly.
So things never changed.
Then she unexpectedly hugged her daughter.
In public.
A complete surprise for Minami.
Her greatest fear!
"Mom!"
"I’ll miss you."
These words made Minami pause.
Then after a long while, she hugged her mother back.
Only briefly.
However.
Namida’s smile grew even brighter.
Namida pulled away from her daughter.
Then glanced at Kuro.
The atmosphere changed a bit.
Namida bowed her head.
It was sincere gesture.
"Thank you."
Kuro stared at her.
"For what?"
"For taking care of my little girl."
There was no joking involved.
Neither any misinterpretations.
Only gratitude.
Pure and simple.
The train was arriving.
Namida picked her luggage.
Then suddenly turned to look at them.
She smiled.
Her familiar dangerous smile.
Minami knew she was in trouble.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
"Don’t."
"Don’t do what?"
This innocent act made her laugh.
Not at all.
Namida leaned a little towards Kuro.
Then whispered:
"Please continue taking care of her."
Minami’s face turned bright red.
"MOM!"
A few passersby stopped to listen.
Namida chuckled.
Kuro looked away embarrassed.
Suddenly the station beca uncomfortably hot.
Namida stepped aboard the train.
Then quickly returned to the window.
Embarrassing herself further.
Wave after wave.
Minami responded reluctantly.
The train started moving away slowly.
Then picked up its pace and disappeared out of sight.
The visit was finally over.
Thankfully.
Silence enveloped them.
A calming silence.
A peaceful one.
The first in many days.
Minami breathed deeply.
The war was over.
She won.
Just barely.
However, she won it.
Then Kuro showed her sothing in his hand.
Small tal object.
Sothing very familiar.
Minami stared.
Then froze.
Her apartnt key.
Silence.
Total.
"How?"
Kuro shrugged.
"Tell ."
Minami buried her face in her hands.
Not again.
Really, not again.
She had forgotten her key again.
After successfully proving she could live on her own!
Kuro chuckled.
Not loudly.
But sohow it worsened the situation.
Minami groaned.
"I hate this."
"You’ll manage."
"Unfortunately."
They started heading towards the apartnt.
Sun was shining brightly.
The city moved around them.
Everything was returning to normal.
As far as it was possible with Kuro and Minami’s life.
Walking, they didn’t talk much.
The silence was pleasant.
Not awkward.
Neither forced.
Natural.
Minami cast a glance aside.
Kuro was walking calmly beside her.
Not expecting anything.
Not pressuring her.
Simply taking her as she was.
Surprisingly, it made her smile.
The most dangerous mother was finally gone.
But the chaos she left behind...
It would probably stay for a very long ti.
That night, after coming back ho, Minami fell to her bed.
The atmosphere of the flat seed very strange for so reason.
Just days before, she used to listen to her mother yelling, Kuro helping out with all kinds of things, etc., and now there was nothing but silence around.
She looked at the ceiling.
Recalling how helpful Kuro was when he was working.
Cleaning the floor.
Cooking als.
Fixing so stuff.
Carrying the boxes.
Listening to her mother’s constant teasing.
A smile crept across her face.
She did not even realize how much she started thinking about Kuro.
This was really annoying.
Extrely annoying.
Eventually, however, fatigue won.
Her eyelids got heavier.
Then fell close.
And she fell asleep.
In her dream, she ca back ho after a long and tiring school day.
As soon as she opened the front door, she heard a familiar voice saying,
"Welco ho, Sensei."
Minami stopped.
Kuro was standing in the kitchen and was wearing an apron.
For so reason, the sight was extrely natural.
"Don’t call Sensei."
"Why?"
"I want you to stop when we are alone."
For so reason, her own voice sounded extrely calm, even to herself.
Kuro smiled.
"Welco ho, Minami."
For so reason, her heart missed a beat.
The dream went on.
Dinner was already served.
And everything had been prepared by Kuro.
As usual.
Of course.
Because the Dream-Kuro turned out to be even better at everything than the Real-Kuro.
After dinner, Minami sat down on the couch exhausted from all the work.
Then Kuro brought her so tea.
And started massaging her shoulders.
"Do you have a long day?"
"Yes."
"You are working too much."
Dream-Minami relaxed.
The atmosphere was warm and comfortable.
As usual.
Days passed in minutes.
The dream fast-forwarded.
There were more pictures on the walls, more furniture...
... And suddenly...
A wedding photograph.
Minami gasped.
Next to her was Kuro.
They looked happy.
But her face reddened almost imdiately after that.
"What kind of dream is this?"
However, as always, dreams never answered any questions.
Disaster struck.
The front door burst open.
Akari ca rushing into the flat with Aoi following after her.
And both looked extrely intimidating.
"KURO !"
Akari pointed dramatically.
"She has stolen him!"
Aoi adjusted her glasses.
"Elimination is the only logical choice."
Minami backed up slowly.
"Where are you coming from?!"
Akari drew her toy sword.
Aoi already had an elimination plan worked out.
They stepped closer.
Step by step.
nacingly.
Minami scread.
The whole dream world collapsed.
She woke up screaming, panting heavily.
The room was dark.
Silent.
Real.
After a while, she hid her face in her pillow.
"... What was that?"
Her heart was still beating.
And unfortunately, she could not help but recall so parts of the dream.
Particularly,
"Welco ho, Minami."
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