Book 3: Chapter 6 (1/2)

“Mother? Hakaru? What are you doing here?” Kira asked, her face turned away so she didn’t have to meet our eyes.

Sasori and I glanced at each other and then I crossed my arms. “What do you mean? You called me? You said you needed help.”

“That…” Kira shook her head, “I’m sorry, that was just a joke. You didn’t need to come out here.”

“A joke?” I responded in disbelief. “What joke?”

“Kira!” Sasori stepped forward, a no-nonsense expression on her face. “What are you doing coming out of a love hotel here in town so late at night? I’m your mother, and-“

Kira’s expression turned angry in an instant. “Oh, you’re my mother now? When have you been my mother? When you were fucking other men? When you decided to destroy our family? You, and dad, and Hakaru’s dad… you’re all cheaters, you all deserve each other!”

“Your father? What do you mean by that?” Sasori’s brow furrowed as she reached out to grab Kira’ arm.

“Forget it!” Kira brushed her off, pulling back. “Just keep doing whatever you want to do. That’s how things have been so far!”

“Kira…” Sasori’s expression looked hurt for a moment.

“Kira… if you’re in trouble, I need to hear it.” I cut in.

If I just let Sasori keep going, she’d likely just be arguing with Kira all night.

“You…” Kira’s glare was no less diminished when it turned to me. “What right do you have to care! When have you ever cared about me and any trouble I’m in. Aren’t you too busy banging your sister and Akiko? Yeah… I heard about that!”

“Kira, my sex life has nothing to do with this.” I said, neither confirming nor denying her statements, “You’re a friend of mine, and I want to help, especially when you call me asking for it!”

Kira stepped back, looking uncertain for a moment, but then she shook her head and her angry expression returned. “You haven’t been my friend in years. Even you chose sex over me.”

When she said that, her eyes immediately snapped to the backseat of the car. She seemed to have noticed Eiko was there from the moment she had walked over. She was still unconscious and sleeping steadily.  Kira shook her head, an ugly expression on her face.

“Kira…”

“It seems that some things never change. We should have left the past in the past. My calling you tonight was a mistake. My only mistake.”

“Kira, we’re worried about you.” Her mother spoke up.

It was then that Kira glanced at the pair of us again. Her eyes danced back and forth between the us like she was suddenly having a revelation. Suddenly, her anger turned into disdain and a sneer filled her face.

“So, that’s how it is… I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you betrayed me.”

“What?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“You were supposed to make my mother suffer! You were supposed to blackmail her and make her miserable. Yet, here the two of you are, practically acting like a married couple.”

The pair of us turned to each other. We were standing together, our bodies touching. We were all but holding hands with similar expressions on our faces. We had approached Kira as a united front. Sasori wasn’t distraught or angry. Rather, her concern was completely on Kira, as was my own. From the look, it was like we were a couple admonishing our child after we caught her doing something bad. Except, I was a high school kid no older than Kira, and I was supposed to be ruining Sasori’s life in Kira’s eyes. I realized now how it would seem like a betrayal.

“That’s not…” Sasori stepped away from me, but couldn’t stop a blush from reaching her cheeks.

Well, that wasn’t helping things at all! I let out a sigh.

“Kira, I used Sasori to find out where you are. I’m concerned about you. You called me, and I came.”

Kira lowered her head, her angry expression only diminishing slightly. “Well, next time, don’t.”

“Kira…”

“Goodbye, Hakaru…” Kira sniffed and I realized tears were falling down her face. “If you’re going to keep fucking my mom, and least have the decency of being a bit more discrete about it. It wouldn’t do well if the school found out about it like they did with your sister.”

Kira turned around and started walking away.

“I won’t give up on you!” I said, my eyes narrowing.

Kira paused for a moment. “I’ve already given up on myself.”

She continued on, walking away. Sasori shot me a look. She seemed a little upset.

“What?” I said, shooting Sasori a blank look.

“You should have done more! Why are you letting her leave!”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not her parent? What can I tell her to do? She’s right. We’re barely friends anymore. Let’s just go. Whatever happened is over. She can make it home safely on her own.”

Sasori lowered her eyes. “I’ve… never been good with being open with my daughter. I always kept a distance between us that could not be crossed. Tonight just made that feeling much more solid. You want to hear something strange?”