301 Do You Remember What Your Mother Looks Like? (1/2)

He had helped Reo with her homework, played games together with her, and accompanied her outside...

Seiji may have been partially acting when he spent so much time with Reo, but he also truly wanted to help her out.

”Brother Harano...” The red in Reo's eyes slowly subsided after hearing his gentle and sincere persuasion.

The shadowy figures vanished, the mouths and eyes disappeared, and the black mist dissipated as everything returned to normal.

”I... don't know...” Reo muttered.

”If you don't remember, then take your time.” Seiji smiled faintly. ”By the way, are you hungry? How about I cook something delicious for you?”

Reo was rather confused.

'Why did Brother Harano say that to me? Did I... really do something terrible to Mommy?'

She couldn't recall anything at all, but it didn't seem like Brother Harano was lying to her.

He didn't say anything else in response to her denial. He treated her just as gently as always, just... he seemed sadder than usual.

Time continued to pass by.

Her mother's illness kept getting worse and worse, and apparently she would have to go overseas... to another country in order to receive treatment.

The way Reo understood it, that was a very, very far away place.

She didn't want this, and she wasn't willing to accept it!

Her mother smiled gently in response to her willful selfishness.

”If Reo doesn't want me to leave, then I'll just stay here,” her mother told her.

”But if you stay here, your illness won't be cured, and you'll end up dying,” Brother Harano said.

Death... Reo felt a chill from this.

It was as if she was looking into a deep, icy-cold, pitch-black abyss. In that abyss was something scary that she definitely didn't want to know about.

'Mommy... will die? No... I don't want this...'

Her mother was still smiling gently and looking at her.

However, Brother Harano was looking at her mother with an expression filled with sadness.

'...Is it my fault? Am I in the wrong to not want Mommy to leave?'

”Brother Harano... if Mommy goes overseas... will she be able to get better?”

”I don't know... it's just that if she stays behind here, she definitely won't get better.”

Why were things like this?

Reo felt like this was all so wrong.

Even going overseas might not cure her mother, and staying behind meant that her mother definitely wouldn't get better... this was wrong!

She felt discomfort and confusion...

After they finished visiting her mother, left the hospital, and returned home, she was still in a state of confusion.

Brother Harano finished cooking dinner for them.

She had zero appetite. He didn't eat anything either and simply sat across from her, watching her in silence.

”Brother Harano...”

”Yes?”

”That's something that you have to decide for yourself, Reo-chan,” Seiji told her gently. ”Perhaps it's a bit difficult for you, but since you've met with such a situation, you should face it head on.”

The little girl remained silent.

”Everyone is like this. After meeting with something painful, even if they don't want to, they still have to face and bear it before surpassing it. It's just like if you were walking on a road: if you suddenly fell into a pit and injured yourself, it would definitely hurt.

”But even if it hurts so much that you don't want to move, you can't stay down in the pit forever—that's no good.

”Telling yourself that you actually didn't fall down is no good either.

”Moving will hurt, but not moving at all will also be painful. And, as time passes, your situation will just become worse.

”You must climb out of the pit. If you can't do it by yourself, then you should call for help, and someone will come help you... such as me.” Seiji looked directly into Reo's eyes. ”I will help you. However, Reo-chan, first you must recognize the situation and make a decision by yourself. Do you prefer to continue on in your state of pain, or bravely face the pain?”

Reo didn't answer him. That night, she didn't say another word.

She only spoke again on the next day after visiting her mother in the hospital again.

”Mommy... you should go overseas for treatment.”

”...Is that alright?”