At three o'clock in the afternoon, the construction company they hired came to their door.
Two workers in blue uniforms, holding tape measures and some tools of uncertain use, carefully measured the hole in the wall of the entrance.
He said he was going back to discuss the plan, so he left quickly.
Kato Yusuke ordered some ingredients from takeout, and Sayu used these ingredients to cook dinner.
Because it was rare to come to Hokkaido, someone ordered crab, so the dinner basically focused on crab dishes.
During this period, the mother never stepped out of the room.
Taking the opportunity of delivering water, Yusuke went to check it out. The food he put down in the morning was still in front of the door, with no trace of being tampered with.
Then at half past five o'clock, Ogiwara Kazusa went home.
Perhaps he was surprised by Sayu's actions in cooking, so he showed a very surprised expression for a moment, but quickly covered it up.
He walked to the kitchen with neither fast nor slow steps.
"Thank you for your hard work, how are you today?"
"As you can see, the situation shouldn't be worse than the current situation. The mother is already in a cocoon."
As if he was dissatisfied with Kato Yusuke's words, Ogiwara frowned in displeasure, but pretended not to hear, and asked Sayu:
"It smells so good. What did you cook?"
"elder brother."
Saki, who was wearing an apron, nodded in greeting and then answered: "I made crab salad, potato cakes, and chawanmushi."
"Hey, that's amazing. I'm sure Mom will be happy too."
Sayu immediately stopped talking and silently looked away.
Seeing this, Yi Sa pondered for a while.
"...I'm going to go see my mother first, you guys can get busy first."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the second floor, where only Yusuke and Sayu were left in the kitchen.
Not long after, the sound of creaking wooden boards was heard above the head.
There was a brief period of silence, but the footsteps quickly continued for a few seconds before stopping.
Judging from the layout of the first and second floors, the master bedroom of this home should be above the kitchen.
Although he couldn't see the picture upstairs, he could still recognize through the sound that Ogiwara Kazusa should have entered that room at this time.
Kato Yusuke turned to look at Sayu and saw that the other person had a worried and restless expression on his face. He was obviously very concerned about the above matter.
…
In the dark room, the curtains are closed.
Pillows and quilts were violently thrown to the ground.
The air was filled with a depressing smell, just like Ogiwara Kazusa's mood at this time.
It was in this environment that a slender figure was sitting on the head of the bed with his hands and knees, and his chin was buried in the two bent knees.
The weak light shone in from outside the door, illuminating a pale and haggard face. Not only were the eyes empty and lifeless, but the lips were also slightly rough due to dryness.
Looking at his mother like this, Ogiwara Kazusa could not help but compare it with the pictures in his memory.
Recalling the past, his mother once smiled heartily in front of his father. Even at a young age, he could see that his mother was a great beauty.
In contrast, the person sitting on the bed now seems to be dozens of years older, and his face is covered with traces of time.
That is not the norm for women of this age, but the fatigue caused by years of heart disease.
Even so, she can still vaguely see some of her former beauty.
Even based on her conditions, even if she finds a new man to marry, there will be many excellent candidates to choose from.
However, just such a person was destroyed by one person.
Obviously everyone can live with a happy smile, but the existence of a father makes everything mess up.
Why can't we just forget about our father and live happily as a family of three?
He thought about this more than once, and even had the idea of persuading him.
But as he grew older, and when he gradually understood how deep his mother's love for his father really was, he could no longer say such words.
"Yisha...?"
The woman on the bed broke the silence with a hoarse voice, allowing him to recover from the past.
"Well, it's me."
Ogihara Kazusa said softly, while bending down to pick up the pillow from the ground, and walked towards the bed.
"I'm back, Mom, drink some water."
He unscrewed the cap of the bottle of mineral water he got at the door and handed it over. The other person took the bottle and drank it one sip after another.
Goo, goo, goo.
It seemed that she was extremely thirsty, and the woman did not put down the bottle until half of the water in the bottle was gone.
"...Where's Sayu?"
"downstairs."
"That person is also there...?"
Ogihara Kazusa nodded silently.
The woman's breathing became rapid in an instant, and she stared at him and said, "Why should you let that person stay at home...!"
"This is Sayu's choice."
"What..." The woman's body trembled, one hand grabbed his wrist tightly, trembling her lips and asked: "Even you want to betray me...?"
Feeling the strength in his hand, Yi Sa slowly shook his head, put his hand on hers, and said comfortingly: "I didn't mean it, Mom."
"——Then why don't you kick him out!"
"Because Sayu's behavior is unpredictable, if she does something dangerous... I think you don't want to see that kind of thing, Mom."
Hearing this, the woman's eyes suddenly wavered, then she took her hand out of his and hugged her calf.
"Why should I be treated like that by a guy of unknown origin...by a guy who doesn't understand anything..." She murmured in a weak voice and bit her lower lip tightly.
Different from how tough she was just now, she also looked very weak at this time.
"...Do you also think that letting him take Sayu away is a good thing?"
Both his body and his voice were trembling slightly.
Looking at his mother's thin body, Ogiwara opened his mouth several times and then closed it again. There was a struggle in his eyes, but he still didn't know how to speak.
Unlike Yusuke Kato, who has a clear stance, no one can understand the entanglement and pain of the Ogihara family better than him, and no one understands his mother's mood better than him.
After a few beats, he seemed to have made up his mind and took a deep breath.
"Mom... I just want you all to be happy, that's all..."
"Happiness..." As she murmured this word, the woman's eyes were slightly dazed, and then she lowered her head and fell into silence.
"But... then..."
Her body trembled again, and the emptiness echoed in the room.
"Then what should we do..."
In an instant, Ogihara Kazusa was almost ready to cry.
Just as her mother left a scar on Sayu's heart, her father also left a huge scar on her heart.
This made her wonder how to survive while enduring the pain while taking care of one of the sources of pain - her own child.
The mother's feelings towards Sayu are too complicated, neither love nor dislove, but the product of a series of tragedies that distorted her feelings.
Through the weakness and confusion inadvertently revealed in his words, Yisa deeply understood this fact.
Grain oil
"Mom, let's talk to Sayu again and start by apologizing to each other..."
"Apologize……?"
"Yes, forgive each other, understand each other...and then think about what will happen from now on..."
Ogiwara Kazusa said slowly: "If you agree, I will call Sayu up now."
The woman did not respond to this, neither agreed nor refused, she just looked confused and was thinking about something.
Seeing this, Yi Sa just said softly, "I'll call her now", then got up and walked out the door.
His steps were light and slow, like a slow old man.
However, until he reached the door, the other party did not call him.
This made Ogiwara Kazusa suddenly feel certain in his mind, so he walked a little faster and walked out of the room.
After closing the door, he walked along the corridor with a creaking sound and headed towards the stairs.
Just as he was about to pass by the guest room, a hand suddenly stretched out from inside and dragged him into the room.
A slightly cold voice came into my ears.
"What do you want to do? Uncle."
Yusuke, who pulled him into the room, stared at him steadily and asked questions.
Although he was startled by this sudden situation, Ogiwara Kazusa quickly reacted and said with a smile:
"Eavesdropping is not a good idea, Kato-kun."
Kato Yusuke didn't care about this and just asked: "Why do you want Sayu and that lady to apologize?"
"Mother and Sayu need to understand each other. This is a step they must go through. I think so."
"Do you want Sayu to stay in Hokkaido?"
"Whether they leave or stay, it is up to them to decide. No matter what the outcome is, I will respect it."
Having said this, Yi Sa paused for a moment, raised his eyes slightly, and gave him a sharp gaze.
"Or do you want Sayu to live without family ties for the rest of his life?"
For two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, they stared at each other.
Five seconds, six seconds, seven seconds, they never said a word.
It was Kato Yusuke who broke the deadlock.
Without saying anything, he took a deep look at the other person and walked out of the guest room first, walking silently on the wooden floor.
Ogiwara Kazusa also followed out.
The two of them returned to the kitchen together.
Sayu, who was alone, was transferring the food from the pot to the kitchen counter.
When he saw them coming, he said, "Dinner is already ready."
"Um."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Yusuke and Yisha responded one after another.
As if sensing the unusual atmosphere, the girl tilted her head slightly in confusion, switching her eyes between the two, and asked: "What's wrong?"
"Listen to me, Sayu."
Ogiwara Kazusa came forward and said calmly: "Mom, she wants to talk to you."
"Hey, talk to me...?" Sayu's expression immediately became nervous, and then he frowned, "Why?"
Yi Sa nodded at this, as if he couldn't feel her resistance, and said to herself: "I just talked with my mother, and she also has some new ideas about you, so go and talk to her."
"but……"
Sayu hesitated and looked at Yusuke beside him, and saw that the young man had a serious expression on his face, but he did not speak.
"Nothing but, it's time for you to think about how parents and children get along. Of course, I will accompany you."
"But I don't think I can have a good relationship with her right away..." The young lady lowered her face and muttered softly: "After all, in my life so far, I have always been determined..."
The words that came from the heart made Ogiwara Kazusa's eyes flash with a hint of complexity, and then he slowly let out a breath.
"Even if it's for you and Kato-kun, this conversation is necessary. Let's try to give each other a chance, okay?"
"Then... I want Yusuke to come too..."
"--No."
Ogiwara Kazusa shook his head and interrupted her, "If Kato-kun is present, things may become complicated again. This time, let him wait here for a while."
Then he turned to Kato Yusuke and said, "Can I ask you for a favor? Kato-kun."
Sayu also looked over uneasily.
Under the gaze of the two people, Yusuke was silent for a while, then gave the latter a warm smile and whispered a good word.
Seeing this, Yi Sa nodded with relief and said to Sayu again: "Speaking of which, Mom, she hasn't eaten anything today. Let's bring her some food."
"I got it." Sayu looked away and nodded gently, taking off her apron and starting to tidy it up.
Divide various foods into small bowls individually and put them on the tray one by one.
"So... Yusuke."
The girl who picked up the tray tightened her face and took a breath, "I'm going to go..."
"good."
Under the leadership of Ogiwara Kazusa, the two left together.
Watching their figures disappear into the kitchen, soon, there was a creaking sound above their heads.
Kato Yusuke came to the kitchen counter in silence, used the spoon he found in the cabinet, and started eating with a steamed tea bowl.
…
That was a longer period of time than imagined.
When Sayu returned to the kitchen again, it was already 40 minutes later.
Compared to before she left, the girl's eyes became redder, with obvious signs of crying, and she looked distraught.
And Kazusa Ogiwara was missing from her side, probably staying upstairs.
I don't know if it was an illusion, but Kato Yusuke always felt that the constraints on her body seemed to have become heavier.
"Hey, Yusuke..."
Sayu slowly walked up to him and asked softly: "Can you go for a walk with me?"
Kato Yusuke did not respond immediately, but looked at her from top to bottom.
There are no visible scars on the outside, and his clothes are neat, but his spirit looks a little haggard.
Then he looked away, nodded and said okay.
"Let's go and change clothes."
"Um……"
The two of them changed into travel clothes, put on their shoes at the entrance, and then walked out of the house together.
Standing on the street in front of the door, Kato Yusuke turned to the people around him and asked: "Where are you going?"
Sayu just lowered his head and thought for a while, and then responded softly: "There is a park near here. I used to go there when I was a child. Let's go there."
"Then you lead the way."
"Um."
Just walking slowly under the glazed sky.
Neither of them spoke until they arrived at the park...