Dinner…
Surprisingly…
Was edible.
"See?!" Harumi said, arms crossed, nose in the air. "I CAN cook."
Takeru chewed slowly.
"It's not bad."
"IT'S NOT BAD?!" Harumi clutched her chest. "That's a historic compliment!"
Mei had already eaten half her plate and was yawning, leaning against the couch.
"Haru-chan… it's good…"
Harumi smiled, satisfied.
While washing the dishes, warm water running over her hands, she thought.
She thought too much.
"It's now."
She remembered the silence before the fight. Mei's words. The look on Takeru's face when he ran off.
"If I put it off any longer… I'll lose the moment."
When she came back to the living room, Mei was already asleep sitting up, hugging a cushion bigger than she was.
Takeru was completely absorbed in the TV.
"That's your favorite show, right?" Harumi asked quietly.
"Yeah." He answered without taking his eyes off the screen.
Harumi waited. Waited for the episode to end. Waited for the credits to roll.
Then she waved her hand.
"Takeru-kun… come here for a sec?"
He turned off the TV. Came over.
But he came differently.
His body stiff. His steps careful. Like someone already bracing to hear something hard.
Harumi sat down on the floor of the room, leaning against the bed. She patted the tatami beside her.
"Sit here with me."
He sat. Not too close. Not too far.
Harumi took a deep breath.
"Can I ask something selfish?" she asked.
Takeru blinked.
"Sure…"
"Can you listen to me first?"
He nodded right away.
"Mm."
Harumi took a deep breath.
"I want to apologize."
Takeru froze.
"For bringing you two into my home on impulse," she continued. "It wasn't… the right way to do it."
She clasped her hands together.
"It must have felt like pity. Like charity."
He frowned.
"No—"
"Let me finish… okay?"
He nodded.
"I should have been more responsible. Even though I acted on impulse… I let things drift until they reached a breaking point."
She lowered her gaze.
"And it was only after you ran off… only after the fight… that I actually sat down to talk."
Silence.
"The fact that you ran away…"
Harumi raised her eyes, steady.
"That's on me."
Takeru's eyes went wide.
"I didn't give you enough security. I didn't make you believe how much I care."
She reached out her hand. Took his. Without asking permission.
"And it's okay now!"
Two simple words. With enormous weight.
"Trust isn't born ready-made," Harumi said, her voice soft. "It's built."
She squeezed his fingers gently.
"I understand that you don't trust me yet."
He swallowed hard.
"So… I'm going to start."
He looked up.
"I'm going to start by trusting you."
Takeru held his breath.
"I trust that you won't run away again."
Silence.
"And…" Harumi scratched the back of her neck, "I saw the police report."
The world stopped.
"You… saw it…?"
"I did." She smiled sideways. "And you know why I'm telling you now?"
He shook his head, embarrassed.
"Because if it had been before… maybe I wouldn't trust you. Maybe I'd look at you differently."
She tilted her head.
"But not now."
She squeezed his hand, firm, gentle, radiating reassurance.
"And I'm going to trust you, no matter what else you did, no matter what. We're not stuck in the past anymore, are we?!"
Takeru lowered his gaze.
"I know you feel ashamed," she said. "But you're not a bad kid."
She tilted her head.
"And you already know you don't have to do that anymore."
He blinked.
"Because…" she threw her arms open, exaggerated, trying to break the tension, "I SHOWED UP! And I'll work twice as hard if I have to!"
He laughed, despite himself.
"I'm going to chase down documents, school stuff, doctors, answers," she went on. "I know you two deserve more answers than I've given you, and I'm going to get them!"
She leaned in closer.
"And I'm going to be here to listen to your tears… and your cool news too."
Silence.
Then came the hardest part.
"About your mom…"
His smile vanished.
"She's going to say I'm an idiot. She's going to tell me to forget it."
Harumi thought:
"Maybe he'll hate me after this…"
But she said:
"Don't give up on seeing your mom!"
Takeru's eyes went wide.
"What…?"
"Keep going." She smiled. "There might come a day when you two can actually talk!"
She glanced away for a second.
"I know it's hard. And maybe… it won't happen."
But she smiled again.
"Even so… I want to believe it can."
His eyes lit up.
"So… I can keep seeing her?"
"Of course!" Harumi answered instantly. "Just let me know beforehand, okay?!"
He nodded, blushing, genuinely happy.
"Thank you…!"
Harumi stood up. Went and carefully picked up Mei from the living room. The girl woke just a little. Smiled. The kind of smile that lights up everything.
"Haru-chan…"
She wrapped her arms tightly around Harumi's neck.
"Sleep with me tonight?"
Harumi beamed, that goofy expression of hers spreading across her face.
"Is this a… slumber party?!"
"YES! But is it a problem if I'm already asleep?!"
"No… that's even better."
Mei closed her eyes, content.
Takeru went back to his game.
And the house…
Fell quiet.
A good silence. A safe one. Full of trust, slowly being born.
Like everything that truly matters.