Friday. 9:02 pm.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6ceFYeGsO
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Mika called 10 minutes ago. She sent me a message five minutes ago.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuBnL5hCPD
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Right now?16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj5U7hON3d
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At that point, I just stood where I was after getting off the train, and just stared at her. Not moving. Still. She was waiting on the platform, arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd5N4UZONK
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I am in trouble.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NP5KR3rPz
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I am in really big trouble.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjLfpWeCrE
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She hadn’t noticed me yet. And I hoped it would stay like that for a few more minutes. I was not ready to face her. Not yet.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBogqVVYjcq
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Her eyes caught me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSVUBI2aTq
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I stepped back a little. I thought maybe getting on the train was the best option to do at that moment. But… I slowly peeked at her… I guess there really wasn’t an option. Her eyes were the only option.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwlAKFYrlh
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Mika’s eyes cut sharper into me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwF6bSAEUb
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Without even saying a word, I knew what Mika wanted. I started to walk. Reluctant. Slow. Like what Kuroiwa usually did. Unhurried. Her look got sharper. My steps got faster. Then I stood right in front of her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8ODPEkLAU
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“You’re late!” Mika said. “You’re exactly thirteen minutes and twenty-six seconds late!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYtzvs2Wyd
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“That’s oddly specific,” I replied.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuizjalknl
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“It felt that long.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCVhua24be
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“Come on, it wasn’t that long.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrsfxEf8Hp
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“You made me wait for you here, alone, a young girl like me, on a train station platform. Where some creepy old men could be walking. And I am here waiting… ALONE!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnWsskAYC9
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“But there aren’t any creepy old men walking around?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFeQrnuQHU
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“There are still some possibilities!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAfcst5ml1
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“I was just ten minutes late.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHjiZQIOGh
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“That’s long enough! And it felt longer than that.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWizTcVJPt
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I sighed. “Alright, I’m sorry.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYpzWVgVgC
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“I don’t feel any sincerity from that apology,” she said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWPWIFjefr
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“I’ll buy you a pudding next Monday as my sincerest apology.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXtwdxuIma
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“Good. I don’t want the ones they sell in the cafeteria. I want the one sold at 7/11.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiee5OVlliD
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“That’s—”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDhU9u5G5K
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“I said it, you buy it. Done.” Mika gave me another sharp stare.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWrl6R6VPI
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“Oookay,” I said reluctantly.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMSnbmoqtX
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“Let’s go,” Mika gestured for us to move. She walked first and ended up in front of me. I walked fast until I caught up beside her, then I matched her speed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5WevwsTM9
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I glanced over at her. She started smiling as she muttered a chant to herself as we exited the train station.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsbzujpJSR
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—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexHUlcPtai
9:07 pm.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVnzqBEnCk
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Mika continued to chant while we walked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvL2mouc7Ci
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“Pudding~, pudding~.” Her smile got wider the more she chanted.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6VCnYNS1j
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“You’re too into pudding, you know,” I taunted her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡby62ZnKO8U
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Sharp Mika eyes appeared from their corner. “Are you calling me fat?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ1mDVrGt1
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“That’s not what I said.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdN0tePQYLN
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“That’s what you implied.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe48kUlKQS7
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“Then maybe you need to go on a diet.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPL8GObhOz
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“YOU, go on a diet, you’re 2 whole kilograms heavier than me.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslLQn39SMj
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“Sh-shut up!” I almost covered her mouth with my hand but she was quick to step back.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbySNhydcfk
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She smirked at me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ni4E33Unm
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“You’re slow, must be because of all that fat.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZjrm7C5sl
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“I am not fat, excuse me. And besides, I’m two kilos heavier than you because I am taller.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mUD6xGi3F
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qc59ieA2Y
“Hey! Height doesn’t have anything to do with it, and you’re only three inches taller!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIWEtKAauG
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“Three inches is still three inches. Admit it, you’re just short.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqy0ksAjPK
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“It is not that significant!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOY1fdeDE78
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“It is, though.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8J0umNB9v7
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“I am not that short!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ6fR6ABpf
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We stared at each other. Then we both laughed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDl74sq4mT
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“Seriously, I am not that short,” Mika said after we caught our breath from laughing.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AisDMWLEz
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I giggled and winked at her. Mika pouted briefly but then smiled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXSxrvFiYK
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We continued to walk, side by side.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWlAFcr9eg
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The street had become dark. And flickers of light, along with the shadows of bugs that were constantly hitting themselves on the bulb of the street light, were the only illumination that filled the night. I looked up at the sky. The moon was hidden. Then the night breeze started blowing into my skin that was not used to the cold, and now exposed to the air that suddenly embraced it. I covered myself. Mika just kept walking.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnkrzn1Cud
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“Too cold?” Mika asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuMfMRWu5u
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“It’s still May after all,” I answered.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutZOLknADE
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Quiet occupied around us for a moment. The sounds of our shoes stepping onto the concrete, next. I bathed myself in this silence that I hadn’t had for quite a while, which felt like longer than quite a while. Like almost the whole month of May. But it was nice to know that at least, I was given a chance before the end of the month for this kind of occasion. This kind of comfort.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0HvvvDkwz
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I moved my head slightly to where Mika was. Not to look at her but to free my eyes from all the stress I’d been having and cover it with nostalgia instead. Although the neighborhood mostly had houses with walls, and all my eyes saw were these concrete walls, these concrete walls carried memories that I had since I was a kid.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFazxauA36
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Then I noticed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeUYXlwpkd
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Mika had been holding her bag by the handle instead of using the shoulder strap like I did. She used two of her hands and her grip was tight.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyJwpPZT4J
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I looked at her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweD2gSSvbM
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“Are you okay?” I asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvUZVdVkzL
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Mika looked at me, stared into my eyes briefly and then resumed looking at the street. Her face was covered with worry. I was getting a little confused since we were just having a great time earlier. It was just banter, and it wasn’t like we were fighting. And we laughed too.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0U0o6lEkt
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“You know, I haven’t apologized to you yet,” Mika finally said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdJv0NxDPD
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“For calling me fat?” I smiled. “It’s okay, I called you short so we’re even now.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiEKgg4X23
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“No, not that.” I thought she was going to be defensive, but she was mostly quiet. “I was talking about what happened yesterday… on the rooftop.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpGlKQHweD
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I almost forgot about that.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsL0S6I9Uf
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I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Mika continued.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yLqVxmnii
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“I know you’re probably going to say I should not apologize, but I think I should. I still think I was right when I was preventing you from going to that guy’s apartment alone. But.. I shouldn’t have said what I said after that…”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGueOZ170y
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“That I was not going to pass no matter what?” I told her. Gently. Teasingly. But not accusatory.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRrUWepBHZ
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My eyes never left her when she stopped walking. I took a step twice before my body could stop after I noticed. I was in front of her. But she was still looking down. She looked up and stared into my eyes. Then dropped her head low.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtmqboiOzt
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“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry,” Mika said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoYSc23AD8
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I walked toward Mika and carefully pushed her shoulders to lift her up from her bow. My hands stayed on top of them when she finally stood straight.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4XXzQbV92
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“You don’t have to. You were not wrong after all,” I assured her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMB0WFnyfd
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“But still—”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqxNQEYlKk
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“I mean, even I agreed with you at that moment, you know.” I giggled. “Besides, no one knows what’s really going to happen.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoES0yfxGS0
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I looked at her but she didn't seem convinced. So I sighed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZeFzlHpYa
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“Fine, I forgive you,” I said. “So stop stalling us so we can finally go home.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36wnH4Ox3X
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I smiled at her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmhQfjNO6v
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“I was not stalling,” Mika said, and she smiled as well.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZJlhzdbn5
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I let her walk first before I caught up beside her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58LGRvDPm1
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“But didn’t you find him scary?” Mika asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmO1CO9Ty3x
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I thought about it for a bit. “...Yeah, he was scary, alright,” I answered. “But you know, if I kept getting scared, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on studying. He’s the one teaching me, after all.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcoSWEIouf
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“Yes, but… I always thought he was a delinquent. Since… the first day of school. He showed up with a bandage patched on his cheek and some bruises on his neck. It was horrifying, and Hina was terrified too. She didn’t talk the whole day,” Mika continued.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFABMPcwNf
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I remember all that but… “He had bruises on his neck? I didn’t know. How did you see?” I asked Mika.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQ3XS89Wtu
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“Well, I was sitting at the front when the teacher introduced him as a transfer student. I kind of got startled by his bandage patch that I accidentally looked at his neck, and then I saw them,” Mika explained.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTxAWogL8V
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“Hmm? The neck?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpMdWGmxBS
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“Don’t make it weird.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeWrohzyYs
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I giggled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqw4crj9j2
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“It’s not funny,” Mika said, finally back to her usual self.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM7RtLPKck
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“You know, Hina told me this morning that there’s a lot of difference between knowing someone, talking to them, and not caring at all,” I said. “I thought about what she said and it never really occurred to me at that time what she meant.” I paused. “But I thought, just being able to talk to Kuroiwa is enough to make me separate him from the rumors and all.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVLJfvAERi
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“Do you mean, you are not scared of him anymore?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyl0pGSY4la
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“Not really… I mean, I figured out later that talking to someone wasn’t enough to actually not be scared of them. But I figured out that the rumors weren’t true because of it.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQkwEiHWAP
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“So you’re intending to know more about him?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9umxGNlWgV
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I do.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmneXsR8HZS
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I kept it in my thoughts. I wanted to know more about him, but only to become more familiar with him. I was just afraid of him this afternoon, but I also saw the invisible warmth inside that ramen shop. His eyes never gazed at it, his ears never heard it, and his hands never touched it. But that warmth still existed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeVjSk7win
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Yet, doubts still lingered in my mind, filled by clusters of imagination that I was trying to navigate. The exit wasn’t open, but it didn’t mean it would stay closed forever. That was why all I could do was to keep moving forward, and maybe, if I knew him better, those thoughts would get erased and leave a picture inside my canvas of trust.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPD9p6wvPY
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“I chose to believe in him,” I said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Kp6jz9aPZ
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“Is that so?” Mika sighed. “You’re so impulsive sometimes.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26v6p5Nfcz
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“What do you mean?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT01x0RUAtT
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“What I mean is that you always just decide before you even think.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtuYQ12b8N
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“I-I thought of it, I mean, I really did.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYlaoI55Pq
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“Really?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEsNUYpiYL
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“I mean, ask me what a quadratic equation is.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdhCz9B61T
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Mika looked at me. She wasn’t convinced.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EwJbo5wvd
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“Okay, so what is a quadratic equation?” she asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuWL9WA0gh
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“A quadratic equation is an equation that has an X squared with a number beside it that’s not zero. Plus or minus an X with any number on it. Plus or minus any number. Equal to any number. Oh, and if the number beside the X and the one after it are 0, I don’t need to write them.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fk946t62e
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Mika lifted an eyebrow. “Well, technically you're not wrong, but that's not what the textbook said.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqLXenWw8V
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“But I understood it perfectly,” I said. “Wait a second, then.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmToEX8DGti
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I stopped walking and stood under a street light, then I started digging inside my bag. I took out a notebook and a pen, then flipped the back cover of the notebook. I began to write.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHLFzLGCtQ
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aW1rFSjSM
X² - 6X + 4 = 016Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECDpqsvE1X
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr63n6GuDGj
I showed her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUrUA4Efxm
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“This is a quadratic equation,” I explained.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5Swpgguad
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“Yes, it is,” she said nonchalantly.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGSGcJVoES
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0ZoOfEz6v
“See this X squared here? If the equation starts with it, then it’s a quadratic equation, right?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyMqnI6285
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“I agree, but not every time it is.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDiBaBGZET
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“Yes, like if the number beside X squared is 0, then it is not a quadratic equation.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m26KIxXMQ
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduAv8XF1i5
“Mhm.” Mika closed her eyes and nodded.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fxHrKeqcE
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I was getting impatient as she seemed not convinced.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVj1OrCSVxH
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“But that’s not the only way to find out,” I said. “Even if an equation starts with an X squared, even if the number beside it is not zero, it could still not be a quadratic equation.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2k9so2uEJ
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM19nhIhb1M
Mika opened her eyes. She opened them wide.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLEFGKlxtT
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“Huh?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUiw3K4eSO
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Then it clicked with me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9id7ke7kVJ
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“Hmm? You don’t know?” I teased her. I put up a smirk, feeling a bit superior since, for the first time, I knew something that she didn’t know. “Should I tell you? Hmm? Hmm?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdoAK5FO16
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5r5upu2aRD
Mika bit her lip. She opened her mouth, closed it, but in the end, she couldn’t resist asking.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa17mQCWRap
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYF2za1vAd
“What is the other way?” Mika asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVuYCbHjfo
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“Well,” I said, and wrote an addition on the equation. “If it’s like this, then the equation is not in its standard form.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZEq9Cgrvc
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I showed it to Mika.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGoHiFXK9y
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X² - 6X + 2X + 4 = 016Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFSIcvAeRz
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AVfZM8Cub
“Or like this,” I continued. I wrote another variation of the equation, then again showed it to Mika.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oVfLTzCNJ
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzchjcFRVC7
X² - 6X + 4 = X²16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYhJk39Hj3
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLnXseQexX
“Which do you think is not a quadratic equation?” My voice was smug.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0ldFue0wj
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“Wait, what do you mean by standard form?” Mika asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡii3A32KTbq
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“Eh? You don’t know?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFZm6sKq4C
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“It’s not in the textbook!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNdCIsiRW6
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“It is though.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzwBdzzlxE
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Mika bit her lip again. She was not liking how this was going, I could tell.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbBaDWJmeD
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“Fine, it is, but I just didn’t get that far yet.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq34NkmI98E
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“Don’t worry, Mr. Tanaka will teach us this on Monday,” I told Mika.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zf6IBEx1R
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Mika closed her eyes. She was frowning. Then she sighed and opened her eyes.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h5d8Txtex
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“Okay, you win. Just tell me,” Mika said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsCC8HjsOu
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I giggled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMdNO5oB1w
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“Standard form is the original form of the equation. Like this.” I showed her the original equation again. “And if it’s not like the default form, then it is not in its standard form.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKGFMyG8oc
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hvdh5ZoCN
“Then how can you make it into the standard form?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ihd1uQT5y
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoBvhZOrHm
“By simplifying it.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbN9Ku0U7q
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“How?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCvBXoQ5WQ
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“Combining the same expressions.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtrkihvcfi
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Mika paused for a second, tilted her head, and touched it with her fist while she crossed her arm to support the elbow of her other arm.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqujsxQtEzO
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A few seconds had passed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQmLv4SG22
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“Give me your notebook,” she said, finally.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQJRAV26zV
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I handed her my notebook and my pen. Then I went beside her and she started simplifying the variation of the equation I made.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpovRwztXL2
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SrFHcL9MJ
X² - 6X + 2X + 4 = 016Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaf2n7X5aNK
X² - 4X + 4 = 016Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EyldW5DsW
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xvGvJbQ5l
“That’s one,” Mika counted.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUzW9YM6Z2
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X² - 6X + 4 = X² 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9L7JpeTxA1
X² - X² - 6X + 4 = 0.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AbrkN5uUr
- 6X + 4 = 016Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9ANNnUu7V
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“That’s two, was I right?” Mika looked at me when she asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiRvSdgEjo
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“...Uh, yeah,” I said, hesitantly.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBrResGKPp
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“I see. Then… according to the textbook, the second equation isn’t a quadratic equation. I think I understand it now.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv87PSPESL
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The feelings of superiority were starting to fade. Erased. Trampled. Gone. I could not believe how fast she was able to understand it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXGOohAYP6
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“You learned all this from Kuroiwa?” Mika asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3i4CT688W
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“Yes,” I answered. “He explained it to me five times until I understood it.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa391dfDvaI
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It was actually fifteen times. And we started from the very beginning every time I didn’t understand.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGB37nop3L
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I felt embarrassed. How could I feel academically superior against a literal honor student? If I could melt right now, I should.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dvBG0v580
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“It’s quite impressive actually,” Mika said, suddenly. Her eyes were still glued to the notebook. “You were able to learn all of this in just one night.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtK15XFJ5X
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOGmf06XA7
“Well, it wasn’t without a lot of trying,” I replied.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzwlRGDC36
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“What about linear equations?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZl3DHX9pGk
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I choked on the air and started coughing. Pretending to cough at least.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmA8lQODWx
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Linear equation… uhh… linear equation. I didn’t know anything about linear equations. All Kuroiwa taught me was about quadratic ones. What is a linear equation?16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbULdT4qwu
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I wanted to ask. But then I remembered something Kuroiwa had said before we separated.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11j2xDCHaq
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Check your notes for the other parts we didn’t cover. All I taught you tonight were the most important ones since I anticipate where most of the points of the math exam would come from. The past lessons, you still need to review them yourself since we don’t have much time.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjymFnHvKc
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I covered my face with both my hands. And that also reminded me why I was late, because Kuroiwa had to walk me to the station. I said he didn’t have to, but….16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbUKdlPXGB
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You’re in my care at the moment, so I am responsible for your safety.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl08Xbtqhon
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I screamed… internally.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLVX5lNrgl
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“You still don’t know?” Mika asked me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWh2fByeWd
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I nodded. Two slow nods.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eY4Da5Gxl
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Mika smiled. Warm. It wasn’t like the smirk I showed her earlier.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClv2tcs5aD
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Now I was feeling more ashamed. Ugh.1234 copyright protection12ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrlXsPLVKb 尼

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“You’re stalling,” she said. “Let’s go.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFYSHGpIdm
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We started walking again. I looked up at the sky. The moon was still not there.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMRqTWztXX
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“It’s actually incredible,” Mika said, “that he was able to teach you all that in just a few hours. When I spent an entire week teaching you about linear equations. And yet you still don’t understand.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYCUagZCur
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I bit my lip and I smiled awkwardly then I hid the smile under my chin.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhzi3HGhl8
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgKvlvJAwA
“And that’s maybe why you chose to believe him,” Mika continued. I lifted my head and looked at her. “It’s because he knew what he was doing, and we didn’t.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsolHf5osB
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxytzyucSa
“I trust you more,” I said, my eyes emitted a certain worry.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipGeZKbYOf
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RowDl9HTm
“I know, and I didn’t say that because I want you to pity me.” She frowned and flicked me between my eyebrows.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82GjLLhkS2
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“Ow!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9yvmW2mkH
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“It’s just that… maybe I was wrong… maybe I was wrong about him.” Mika looked up into the sky. “There is no moon today,” she said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUaX4r0yY7
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A few minutes more and we were about to reach our homes. Her house was next to mine and it had been like that as far as I could remember.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGvuTtsI7C
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I stared at where she was staring and thought of the words she had just said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbHjEmfZIS
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“We all did,” I said to her, still looking up.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkUWhEE5nr
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But I knew she smiled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcYHwnmyNX
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—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE7cQtZFC6
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9:15 pm.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuVW2p5q6d
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“I’m home!” I announced myself by the entrance of the house. I was busy removing my shoes when Mom came out from the living room.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VIcAntl3Q
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuzhnI8MEQ
“You’re late,” Mom said as soon as she saw me. She sounded like she was about to lecture me but then, she turned her eyes toward the one who was beside me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oOTsvZDUF
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“Good evening,” Mika greeted Mom. “Excuse me for intruding.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP8DNjKevr
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“Oh, you’re here, Mika. Come in.” Mom’s voice sounded delighted.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKS9tsx9QNG
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Is she more glad to see Mika than me?16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuFX0iqh2j
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“Sorry we were late, exams were about to start soon and we had Hina to help us study.” Perfect excuse from Mika. I gave her a wink because she did not stutter this time unlike when we were still outside the house earlier. But she nudged me with her elbow and hit me in the ribs.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzj8amGLIbM
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I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath. Then continued to take off my shoes as I eyed her menacingly. I knew she didn’t like lying but she didn’t need to hit me that hard.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUYptG3koD
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyCTO4uHW6
After we were done, we headed to the living room, which also connected to our dining room and kitchen. At the dining table, I saw a portion of meat and potato stew in a bowl with a plastic cover around it. Mika and I sat at the dining table. Mom sat on the sofa in front of the television. She was watching some drama I hadn’t watched for about a week. I was curious about where the story was now when my Mom asked before I could.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0qGsyKHtv
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“Have you eaten yet?” Mom asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1vRAq4MO5
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I looked at the covered dish but it wasn’t tempting enough. After all, I had already eaten.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTYGMUhiWz
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZbvususiq
“We already ate,” I answered but someone kicked my foot. I opened my mouth at the suspect while I rubbed my shin. “What are you doing, Mika?” I whispered. But my whisper had sharpness in it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEok887th2
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“I haven’t eaten yet,” Mika whispered back.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2ZlPNG4B6
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“Then go eat at your house.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZTM9EjUGx
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd8ZqnkzIo
“Mom went on a weekend vacation with her friends and Dad is going to be late.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22moC8wn3G
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“How about your big brother?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZLnIZMEyk
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“He doesn’t know how to cook. You want me to eat cup noodles when your Mom’s cooking is better?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjkjawHkTA
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I conceded. I sighed and turned toward my Mom.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lFuFfHDDD
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“Mom, Mika is still hungry. We already ate but she still wants to eat more.” I looked at Mika afterwards. Her eyes were wide open. I felt her kick coming and I was able to avoid it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmoJFCRREt
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWjhgyZOEX
“Is that so?” Mom said as she stood and walked toward the kitchen.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuak44F3Ap
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Mika was preparing for another kick but my Mom approaching us prevented her from unleashing it. I stuck out my tongue a little toward her. She looked away instead.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJr9nM7fTl
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFuMBwM8Sd
Mom took the bowl sitting on the dining table and put it into the microwave. Then she took another bowl and filled it with rice from the rice cooker.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf30GrCBoJP
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9r0OcnHld8
“So, how’s your Mom?” Mom asked Mika while still waiting for the dish to heat up from the microwave. Mom leaned by the counter to look and talk with her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzgvCFDSjl
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“She’s okay,” Mika answered. She sounded stiff. “She just went on a weekend trip with her work friends today. She said she’s coming home on Sunday.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2fkYTC3U4
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1rawTSG8q
“Hmm… How about your Dad?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNOPU2WkTo
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“He’s okay.” Mika’s voice was getting even more stiff. ”He was very busy at the university today. He said he would work until night today and probably go home around eleven P.M.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXUMbfFxgM
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I snorted quietly. The way she answered both questions was mechanically the same. Like how she sounded when a teacher asked her a question during class, but more nervous and less dignified. She clearly was still shaken by the fact that she lied to my Mom when we were still at the entrance.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5kN3kISwl
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I felt Mika’s stare. Sharp.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcUkObuWiy
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“It’s nice that they’re doing well.” Mom continued. “Well, I haven’t really seen them that much lately.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV8JvgVgGd
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“Ah,” Mika tried to sound less monotonous this time but she still failed in the end. “Well, they have been very busy lately, and during the weekends they mostly come home late. Mom tries to come home early to cook for me and my brother, but sometimes she can't come home in time.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRUEfx5slT
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“Is that so? Well, can you tell your Mom that whenever she’s free, I’m inviting her to go to that salon we went to last time? I’ve been meaning to go but I needed someone to go with.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTKjgYqAeH
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“Can’t you just call her or text her, Mom?” I asked an obvious question trying to be witty.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fantkkWQt
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My Mom turned to me to answer my witty question. “Talking in person is more important than talking on the phone,” she said.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbGHNDEu9R
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“But you’re using Mika as a messenger.” I wittily replied.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2wZjUfZ82
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“That’s not the point.” Mom sounded a bit defensive. I giggled a bit. “Speaking of phones, you should’ve called me when you were planning to be late.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkwhN6Hb5d
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My smile faded. I didn’t feel witty anymore.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcetrjPvrF
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I looked at Mika. She smirked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeg4YF4okg
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“I agree,” Mika said, sounding less flat and sounding more smug, which I didn’t appreciate at all and I proved it to her with my eyes. “She never calls even when you tell her to.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Px1vjDXH2
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“Right?” Mom said. “No matter how many times you remind this girl, she always forgets.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Au345Wdxv
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“I am being unfairly teamed up here,” I said. I put my head on top of the dining table. Forehead kissing wood. I sighed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgEVVVOUpj
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“Listen,” Mom continued the lecture, “I am not trying to be strict with you, but you have to understand as well that people get worried about you. I didn’t buy you a cellphone just to be a decoration. I bought it so you could reach out to us whenever it's needed.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoRnb8FA8P
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My Mom’s voice was calm. But her tone had already adapted to being a parent, lecturing like a professor. It’s not like I don’t understand what she was saying. It was just that sometimes I got into the moment of what I was doing that I genuinely forgot. Like tonight, I was so focused on studying and wanting to pass the upcoming exam that I failed to message her.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Iv22djgxp
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I sighed in defeat.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSHSji97PL
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“I’m sorry,” I muttered into the dining table. I didn’t move for a few seconds then I decided to sit straight. Slowly. “Where’s Ruri, by the way?” I asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQzVdsldX6
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“Look at her, she’s just now remembering Rurika after getting scolded,” Mom commented. “She already went to sleep.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO44ZWJygQs
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My face dropped back onto the table. The table was comfortable. The table was my friend.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAUnZUiiyc
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“I’m sorry,” I muttered for the second time.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVnorG65XT
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The microwave timer went off. I turned my head to look inside the kitchen. Mom turned off the microwave, carefully taking out the bowl of meat and potato stew while wearing a mitten. I looked up toward Mika, and she looked a bit uncomfortable because of the lecture. I heard Mom start walking towards us and when she reached us, she placed the bowl of rice in front of Mika together with the dish.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XZhdQS8MD
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“Sorry, you have to hear all of that,” Mom said to Mika. “Just forget about it and eat, okay?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOF7jt6MGt
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“Yes, thank you,” Mika replied.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIgPiso0sT
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I, on the other hand, was waiting to get back to the comforts of my bed.1234 copyright protection12ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAu1n2qMZc 尼

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