Chapter 86
"Mieko!!"
Suddenly, a sharp voice echoed across the street.
When the two of them turned their heads, what caught their eye was... Mieko's mother, Tokiko, standing there with a demonic expression on her face.
"What are you doing, Mieko! Who is this?"
"It's Ryosaku-kun, mom."
Mieko released her arms from around Ryosaku and spoke clearly to her mother.
"This is... this is Ryosaku Takada... is that Ryosaku Takada?"
Ryosaku gently released Mieko from his embrace and faced Tokiko with a resolute look in his eyes.
"Mom, stop calling him that. It's rude to Ryosaku-kun. He took the time to come and see me."
"Mieko-chan..."
Ryosaku was touched once again by her concern for him even in this situation, and by the love she showed in trying to protect him.
"Mieko... you're crazy. This person... is the one who has ruined your life! You were bullied, you stopped going to school, you had to transfer schools... it's all this person's fault!"
"Mom... please stop."
"No. I won't stop. Ryosaku-san... do you know how much Mieko suffered...? How little Mieko was bullied, how she was hurt, how she was broken, how she spent every day crying at home..."
"......"
"I heard about you from Kaori, who is currently studying abroad in America. Kaori was very close to her younger sister, Mieko. So when Mieko came home from school that day feeling dizzy, Kaori was worried as soon as she got home and immediately called Teacher Suzuki, then rushed back to the school to ask what had happened. The teacher just said, 'I don't know. She was feeling unwell, but the health teacher wasn't there, so I asked her to take the day off and then I sent Minegishi-san home.' She didn't tell Kaori anything."
Ryosaku listens to Tokiko's story in silence, with his head bowed.
"But, Ryosaku-san, Kaori knew that you must have had something to do with Mieko becoming like that. After all... Kaori is Mieko's real sister. She's a kind older sister who was always there for Mieko."
"Mom..."
"You know, Mieko... she was actually supposed to go to a school closer to home, not the one she's in now. But, Ryosaku-san, if she goes to a middle school in the same district, she'll end up meeting the kids who bullied her in elementary school, right? Even though she went through all the effort of escaping from them, it's obvious that she'll end up being bullied again just like before...!"
"Mom, please stop..."
"You stay quiet! Ryosaku-san... Mieko... has become distrustful of men since then and hasn't had a single boyfriend. It's all your fault!"
Tokiko shouted, grabbing Ryosaku by the collar with both hands and shaking him violently back and forth.
"You have to apologize! Now, get down on your knees and apologize to Mieko right now! Remember the heartless, heartless actions you took!"
"Stop it!"
At that moment, Mieko's father, who had been silently watching what was happening from the back room, came out with a stern look on his face.
