"W-Wait... No... Mom!?" I gasped. After processing the news from my teacher, I packed my things and hurried to the school entrance.
Soon, my brother arrived in his car to pick me up.
"Onii-chan..." I said as I got into the passenger seat.
My brother just nodded at me with a serious expression before starting the car. As we drove away from school, I couldn't contain my worry anymore.
"Onii-chan, what actually happened to Mom? Is she okay?"
My brother kept his eyes on the road and remained silent for a moment before finally responding, "You'll see when we get to the hospital later."
His vague answer only made me more anxious. We didn't speak for the rest of the drive.
When we arrived at the hospital, I spotted my father in the waiting area. He looked tired, but his expression wasn't as grave as I had feared.
I approached him immediately. "Dad, what actually happened? Where's Mom? Is she alright now?"
My father placed his hand on my shoulder. "Your mother is awake now. Go inside to see her—your sister is already there."
Hearing that Mom was awake brought me immediate relief. I rushed to the hospital room without waiting another second.
"Mom!" I called out as I entered the room.
There she was, lying on the hospital bed with my sister sitting beside her. Mom looked pale but managed a weak smile when she saw me.
She gently looked at me. "Akemi-chan… you are finally here."
"Akemi-chan, lower your voice," my sister warned.
I slowly approached my mother's side and said, "Mom, are you okay? What happened?"
"It's nothing, my dear. I just collapsed earlier—probably tired, that's all."
"Geez, didn't I tell you before? Don't push yourself too hard," my sister said with a worried sigh.
"No, you're lying. I know you've been sick all this time. Please tell me, what disease do you actually have?" I begged her.
"Actually..." my mother had difficulty saying the words.
My sister turned to me. "Akemi-chan, you should not be asking Mom like that."
"Onee-chan, you know, right? About Mom's disease? Please tell me the truth."
My sister then looked at my mom with a concerned expression.
Mom nodded at my sister. "It's okay, Yuuka. Tell her the truth."
My sister then told me about my mother's disease, and I was shocked by what I heard.
"Wait, what did you say? Cancer?"
"Since when? Why didn't I know about this?"
"It actually started 3 years ago."
"Wait, it was that long time ago!?"
"Well, we didn't actually mean to hide it from you. But back then you were so young, and we didn't want you to worry about me," my mother gently told me, trying to calm me down.
She looked at me with a forced smile. "But don't worry about me, okay? I will be alright."
From her expression, I knew that she was not actually doing well.
Mom… I thought while feeling sad.
I had been too focused on Hikaru-kun, without paying attention to my mother's real condition.
A wave of guilt washed over me. How had I not noticed Mom's struggle?
I had been so consumed with my own feelings for Hikaru-kun that I hadn't seen what was right in front of me.
I need to forget about Hikaru-kun for now and take care of my mother instead.
"I see, thanks for telling us, doctor," I heard my dad's voice from outside.
Then both my brother and my father entered the room with sad-looking faces after talking with the doctor outside.
"Dad, Nii-san," my sister said after they entered the room.
My mother looked at them. "What's with that face? Cheer up."
"Did the doctor say something earlier?"
My brother spoke. "The doctor said you need to stay at the hospital from now on for monitoring."
"I see. There's nothing we can do, then—just do as they asked. I'm okay with it."
"Akemi-chan, listen to this. From now on, I need to stay here, so you need to listen to what your sister and brother ask of you, okay?"
"But Mom, who will cook and take care of me now...?"
My sister leaned in. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that for now…"
"But I don't like onee-chan's cooking. It doesn't taste as good as yours."
My sister got upset and started messing with my hair. "What did you just say, Akemi-chan? Repeat that!"
"Onii-chan, help me! Onee-chan is so mean!"
My brother laughed. "You deserved that, Akemi-chan, after what you said earlier."
My father and mother were laughing as they saw the two of us act like this.
Half an hour later, my father asked my big brother to bring my sister and me home.
"Mikio, I think we're done here. Can you bring your sisters home now?"
"Understood. Hey, you two, we're going home for now. Let's go…" My brother called to the two of us.
"I'm going to stay here for a little while to talk with your mother. Afterward, I'll take a taxi home."
"Understood, hey you two, we're going home for now, let's go…" my big bro called to the two of us.
"Akemi-chan, remember what I asked earlier, okay? Please get along with your siblings, okay?"
"Okay, mom, understood," I replied.
"Yuuka, please take care of her, okay."
"Leave it to me, Mom. Don't worry about that. From now on, just take a rest, okay?"
After that, my siblings and I returned home, leaving only my father and mother together in the room. I guess my mother has something to say with my father that she didn't want me and the others to hear.
From that day, I focused on taking care of my mother day by day, setting aside my feelings for Hikaru-kun.
I still glanced at Hikaru-kun from outside his class occasionally, but not as frequently as before.
Meanwhile, at home, my relationship with my siblings had grown closer, especially with my big sister. Even though she didn't cook as well as our mother did, she was doing her best to cook and take care of me in our mother's place.
She even became better at it after trying so many times.
Each day at the hospital, I noticed Mom getting thinner. Her hospital gown looked bigger on her.
"Oh, Akemi-chan, you're here again."
"Yes, Mom. I came right after school."
I would sit beside her bed and tell her about what happened at school that day. Mom listened even though she was tired.
"You don't have to come every day, Akemi-chan."
"I want to. I really miss you at home."
"Hey Mom, do you want to know? Onee-chan's cooking is better now."
"Really? That's good to hear. It looks like she managed to do it," my mother said, clearly relieved.
"Mom, you look so much slimmer than before. Are you alright?"
"Don't worry, my dear. I'm okay."
She got tired faster when we talked. At first, she could talk with me for hours, but after a few weeks, she would fall asleep after just talking for a little while. The nurses came to check on her more often.
The hospital nurses began to recognize me. I did my homework beside her bed when she was resting.
Through it all, Mom kept smiling at me. She was happy that I was there with her every day despite her condition getting worse.
Sometimes I saw my brother and my father talking with the doctors in the hallway, looking serious, but they always changed the subject when I came near.
A month had passed. Today, I got my exam results—and I managed to get first place in my class.
My classmates were shocked by my achievement and looked at each other in disbelief.
"What? Minato-san got first place?" "I can't believe it. Her grades were always average." "I never knew she was this smart."
I ignored what they said and thought to myself, If I show this to Mom, I'm sure she'll be happy.
After school, I rushed to the hospital as usual and showed my exam results to my Mom.
"Mom, look! I got first place in my class!"
"Really!? That's great, Akemi-chan! As expected from my daughter. I'm so proud of you," she said, patting my head as she looked at the paper.
"Thanks, Mom." I sat beside her and told her about my day at school, like always. She listened happily.
Then, suddenly, she started coughing again.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, my dear. Just a little cough."
I let her rest and left for home.
On the way back, I thought to myself, Mom's condition doesn't seem to be getting any better… I really hope she gets well soon.
Lately, I hadn't been thinking about Hikaru-kun as much.
Forgetting about Hikaru-kun wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I still glanced at him sometimes when I passed his classroom, but not every day like before.
Mom needed me now, and I couldn't let myself be distracted by feelings that suddenly felt so trivial.
When I was with Mom at the hospital, I didn't think about him at all.
What was the point of chasing after a boy who never even noticed me—when my mom needed me more than anyone?
One month had passed since then, and now the rainy season had arrived.
At school, I was doing my usual routine when I got called by my teacher, asking me to meet her in the teachers' lounge.
I rushed to the teachers' lounge and suddenly saw my big brother waiting for me there.
"Sensei, did you call me?"
When my eyes turned to my brother, I immediately asked him, "Huh, Onii-chan, what brings you here?"
Then my homeroom teacher spoke, "Minato-san, pack up your things now. You need to leave right away."
"Huh, what actually happened?"
My teacher leaned in. "Well, it's about your mother..."
My brother turned to me. "Akemi, we need to go now. Pack your things. I'll wait in the car."
"Sensei, thanks for letting her go. I appreciate it."
"It's not a big deal. I understand about your mother's situation, don't worry about that."
"Then please excuse me, I need to go now."
I then rushed back to my classroom.
After I was done with my packing, I got into the car and my brother drove me to the hospital.
As we arrived, both of us rushed to Mom's hospital room. When we entered, I saw both my older sister and my father standing by her side. My sister was crying, and I saw tears falling from my father's eyes.
My sister was sobbing. "Mom, stay with us... please."
I immediately rushed over to them. "Mom, Mom..." I cried, leaning over her while my brother followed me from behind.
"Oh, Akemi-chan, Mikio... both of you finally arrived..."
"Mom, please be strong. You'll be okay, right?" I said, my voice trembling.
My sister looked at me and said, "Akemi-chan..."
"I'm sorry, Akemi-chan... I can't hold on much longer..." my mother said, gently touching my cheek.
"No way... You told me before that you would be okay."
"I'm sorry, Akemi-chan... I can't hold on much longer..."
"Akemi-chan, listen to me," she said. "You need to be strong now. I've seen you grow these past months. Be yourself and be honest about your feelings. Don't try to do everything by yourself. I know you'll be okay even when I'm gone."
She looked at my older brother and sister.
"Mikio, Yuuka, take care of your little sister. Look after her for me. And take care of each other too. Don't fight with each other. I'm proud of both of you. I'll always be proud of all three of you."
My siblings nodded as they held her hands.
She looked at my father. "And you, honey, Thank you for everything. For our life together and for our family. I'm glad I spent my life with you. Please take care of our children. I'm sorry I have to go. I love you."
"I love you too. You don't need to apologize for anything. Wait for me, okay? I'll join you soon."
"No, don't say that. You need to stay longer. The children still need you."
"You're right, I'll take care of them until they're grown up, like you wanted."
"Thank you all," my mother said quietly. "I love you all."
Then her hand became limp in mine. Her eyes closed and she stopped breathing, but she still had a small smile on her face.
"Mom!" I cried. Everyone in my family was crying. My sister hugged me from behind as we cried together for our mother.
The hospital room was filled with sorrow and grief over Mom's passing. The heavy rain outside mirrored our sadness from losing her forever.
A week had passed since Mom's funeral. Everything went back to our usual routine, but the house felt quiet and full of sorrow, unlike before.
Because of that, I shut myself in my room, isolating myself from the rest of the family.
I lost the person I loved the most. I felt like I had nothing left now. Even at school, no one wanted to be friends with me. It was better for me to stay home than go to school.
Then I heard my sister knocking and calling from outside my room.
"Akemi-chan, open the door. Let's have dinner."
"I don't want to eat..."
"Come on, how many days have you gone without eating properly? Aren't you feeling hungry or sick? We're all worried about you, you know."
"Please, onee-chan... leave me alone."
"Still not coming out, huh?" my older sister sighed and walked back to the kitchen.
Later, after dinner, she brought a tray of food and placed it in front of my room.
Then she knocked on the door.
"Akemi-chan, I'm leaving the food here. If you're hungry, it's okay to eat," she said before heading to the kitchen.
After she left, I opened the door slowly and took the food tray that she had left earlier. I did that whenever she left the food for me. But most of the time, I only ate a small portion—I couldn't finish it at all—and left the tray back outside my room.
A few days passed, and I still stayed inside my room, isolating myself from the other family members. Every day, my sister came to my door, begging me to open it and eat properly because she was so worried about me, but I ignored her and remained motionless.
One day, my sister did the same thing as usual, but I kept ignoring her, and she left for the kitchen.
After a moment, I heard a loud bang, like someone had slammed the dining table in the kitchen, then I heard my brother yelling.
The yell was closer to my room; I could guess that my big brother was coming to the front of my room.
"I can't take this anymore! How long is she going to keep shutting herself in that room? We need to get her out of there. She's making all of us worry!"
"Wait, Nii-san…" my big sister called out, chasing after him.
When he reached my door, he shouted, "Akemi, open the door now. That's enough already. Don't make me break it down! Your teacher has already been calling me—you've been skipping school too much since Mom passed. You might get suspended if you keep doing this."
But I didn't respond. I stayed silent and ignored him.
"Alright. I'll count to three. If you don't open it, I'm breaking this door."
"Three… two… one…" he counted, but I still didn't open it.
When no reply came, he kicked the door hard, breaking the frame as it flew open.
After the door opened, both my brother and sister found me sitting in the corner of the room, wrapped tightly in a blanket.
My brother approached me. "There you are… how long are you planning to sit like that?"
I didn't reply and just stayed quiet. My brother sighed.
"Huh… this kid…"
He turned to my big sister. "Yuuka, go talk to her. Try to convince her."
"Huh!? Why me? I thought you were the one who wanted to do this?"
"She's closer to you than me. It's better if you do it. Besides, my foot's killing me after that kick earlier, haha."
"I'm counting on you now, Yuuka," my brother said, then left my room.
My sister sighed. "Geez, Nii-san… you're really hopeless."
After my big brother left, my sister approached me and sat beside me.
"Akemi-chan, are you okay? Are you still sad about mom's passing?"
I nodded. "Yes..."
"I see..."
"Well, I was sad too, but you need to move on and accept that she's gone."
"Also, remember, didn't she tell you to stay strong after she was gone? I'm sure she must be sad seeing you acting like this."
I began to cry. "But... she was the one I loved so much... how can I not be sad... nee-chan... she always listened to what I had to say..."
"What about me? Don't you love me too? And what about dad and Nii-san?"
"I do love you too, and the others, but it's not the same as how I loved mom. She was different."
My sister suddenly hugged me while I was still wrapped in a blanket and said, "It's okay, Akemi-chan. You can cry, but from now on, you need to move on."
"She might not be with us anymore, but it's okay. From now on, I'll be here for you—I'll take care of you. You can tell me anything, alright? So please... don't be sad anymore," she said, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
"Really!? Can you listen to my problems like mom used to?"
"Sure, you can tell me anything."
I returned her hug and said, "Thanks, onee-chan. And... sorry for making you and the others worry about me."
"Let's get out of here now. Clean yourself up, then eat, then apologize to dad and big brother for worrying them, okay?"
I nodded. "Understood."
"First, let me remove this blanket from you."
As she removed the blanket that was wrapping me, she looked at me with a shocked expression and said, "Akemi-chan, you... you..."
"What's wrong, onee-chan? You're looking at me as if I'm a ghost."
"Look at yourself in the mirror now."
I moved to the mirror in my room and looked at my reflection.
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"Is this...? What happened?" I shouted, shocked by my reflection. My body had become significantly thinner from not eating properly for the past week.
"Onee-chan, did I...?"
"Yes, Akemi-chan, that is you. You've become thin."
Then both my father and big brother rushed upstairs to my room.
"Yuuka, Akemi, what's wrong? What was that noise?"
I turned to both of them. "Onii-chan, Dad."
My big brother asked, shocked and not recognizing me.
"Who are you?"
"My goodness, it seems my youngest daughter has lost weight."
"Also, you look like your late mother when she was younger."
"Wait... Akemi?" my brother stared. "I can't believe it."
My sister chuckled. "Who else would it be, Nii-san?"
I stood in front of them and bowed my head. "Nii-chan, dad, I'm very sorry for worrying you this past week. Please forgive me."
"It's okay, my dear. I know you were sad about your mother. I was sad too, but don't isolate yourself again, okay? Your mom would be sad if she saw you like this. Let's clean you up first, then we'll have dinner and talk downstairs."
"Yuuka, please take care of her."
My sister grinned. "Leave it to me."
I went for a bath while my big sister cleaned my room. Then she cooked dinner for us with my big brother helping her in the kitchen.
After bathing, I joined the others at the dinner table.
The food smelled good—my sister's cooking had really improved.
"Akemi-chan, I made your favorite dish today," my sister said as she placed a plate in front of me.
"Thank you, onee-chan," I said, then took a small bite.
It tasted better than I expected.
My big brother cleared his throat and said, "Akemi, about earlier... your school called me. They said you need to return to school as soon as possible before you get suspended."
I nodded. "I understand, Onii-chan. I'll go back in a few days."
While we were eating, I noticed my dad smiling at all of us even though I could tell he was still sad about Mom's passing.
My sister was confused and turned to him. "Dad, what's wrong? Why are you smiling like that?"
My father shook his head. "It's nothing, I just remembered some things from the past. Your mother used to love seeing all of us eating together like this."
After dinner, we all gathered at the small family altar for Mom.
When it was my turn, I clasped my hands together and said, "Mom, I promise to stay strong as you wished. I won't make everyone worry about me anymore."
Later that night, my sister finished her homework and was getting ready to sleep when I suddenly entered her room.
"Onee-chan... can I sleep with you tonight?"
She looked at me with surprise but quickly smiled. "Okay, I don't mind."
I climbed into her bed and she turned off the light. We both lay there in the darkness.
"Are you feeling calmer now?"
"I'm okay now... somewhat."
Both of us were lying on my big sister's bed, talking about past events with our Mom.
After a while, my sister turned to face me and said, "Akemi-chan, if you want to tell me about your problems, I'm ready to hear them. You can tell me anything, just like you did with Mom."
I felt hesitant at first, but then I decided to be honest and tell her.
At first, I told her about my problem at school—being isolated by my classmates and other students.
My sister sympathized with me and said, "I see, poor you, Akemi-chan. Damn them all! How dare they do this to my cute little sister?"
"But why did you keep this from me all this time?"
"Because I didn't want to bother you. Also, I wanted to focus on Mom as my priority back then."
"Yes, you're right. We were really worried about Mom back then."
"Also, Onee-chan... there's this boy in my school named Hikaru-kun. I... I like him."
My sister sat up quickly. "What?!" "You like someone?"
I told her everything about my feelings for Hikaru-kun.
She patted my head. "Wow, I never expected that you would like someone too."
"Don't worry, one day, you can do it too. You can tell him how you feel."
I suddenly made a request to her.
"Onee-chan, can I ask you for something?"
"What is it?"
"Can you teach me how to dress up properly? To become popular like you at school? Also, how to cook too?"
She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll do anything to grant your request. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you how to do all that you asked, bit by bit."
My sister grinned. "I'll make you look better than before and make those classmates who isolated you regret what they did to you. You'll see."
"Thanks, Onee-chan," I said before suddenly feeling sleepy. My eyes started to close.
She chuckled, noticing my drooping eyelids. "Sleeping already?" "It's okay, my dear sister. I promise I'll take care of you like Mom asked," she said while playing with my hair.
As I drifted off to sleep, I heard her whisper, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll make sure Akemi-chan feels happy again after this. I promise."
From that day, I started learning everything from my sister—how to dress up, how to socialize with others, and also how to cook properly.
"Start with the knife," she said, guiding my hands as I cut the vegetables.
I clumsily tried to imitate her. "Like this, Onee-chan?"
"No, no, hold it more firmly. Yes, that's better."
She also suggested changing my hairstyle by cutting my hair a bit shorter and tying it in low twin tails instead of my current twin braided style.
She also suggested that I wear contact lenses instead of my current glasses.
"Trust me, Akemi-chan. This will suit you better," she said as she carefully trimmed my hair.
"Now, let me teach you how to put in contact lenses. Isn't it hard?"
My sister demonstrated to me. "You'll get used to it. Just open your eyes wide and place it gently."
After she was done with my makeover, I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't believe it was me. I looked like a completely different person.
Both my big brother and father complimented me on my new appearance.
My brother adjusted his glasses as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Wow, is that really you, Akemi?"
My father smiled. "You look good, Akemi-chan."
I thanked them for giving me their support. "Thank you, everyone. I couldn't have done this without you."
Three days had passed, and now I was ready to return to school after being absent for almost two weeks.
"This is bad, I must hurry." I ran to my classroom, rushing because I woke up late this morning.
As I arrived at my classroom, I opened the door and saw my homeroom teacher was still taking attendance.
"Sorry I'm late..." I apologized to my teacher while still gasping from rushing.
Everyone was confused and whispered to each other.
"Huh, who is this?"
"Anyway, she looks cute..."
Why are they looking at me like that? Is something wrong with me?
Does this uniform look odd? Well, this is onee-chan's old uniform. My own hangs loose now.
Calm down, Akemi. No need to be nervous... You can do it...
"Sensei, do we have a new transfer student today?"
"No, I didn't hear anything about that."
My homeroom teacher suddenly approached and asked me, "Who are you? Can I help you? Did you get the wrong classroom?"
"What are you talking about, Sensei? Of course this is my classroom. It's me, Minato Akemi."
"Eh...!!!" The teacher and my classmates were shocked by my presence.
To be continued…..Amemonogatari X