Volume 2 - CH 7.2

“Is there a student named Kokonoe!? I’m sorry, but call him right now!”

In the midst of the whirlwind, he must have been in a state of blood. The man rushed into the staff room with a desperate look on his face. There was not the slightest trace of his normal appearance. Even the casual observer could see that he was in a state of panic.

“T-Tojo-sensei?! What’s wrong?”

“That student! His name is Kokonoe. I contacted you the other day. What is he doing now?!”

Although upset by the sudden visitor, he had no choice but to respond. Even the principal, Yoshinaga, is only one person in charge of the high school. The other party was an alumnus of the school and a prominent local figure.

And above all, he is a member of the prefectural assembly. Hideomi Tojo is known for his enthusiasm for education. He was not a person to whom careless behavior would be tolerated.

“He is currently under house arrest—“

“Remove his suspension and call him out right now!”

“What on earth is going on? He was ordered by Tojo-sensei—-“

“I didn’t give any orders! I’m just saying that I don’t like the idea of having a student like this in the school!”

His words were filled with the self-protection typical of a politician. At the very least, he left an escape route so that he would not be held responsible.

But despite this, Tojo in front of him looked out of place.

What in the world had happened to this man—

Everyone wondered that, and Tojo spit out a few words as if he were trying to squeeze them out of his mouth.

“If this continues, I will be doomed.”

Hideomi Tojo has served three terms as a prefectural assembly member for 12 years. He was thinking of entering national politics at some point.

His daughter asked him for a favor.

Hideomi was very fond of his only daughter, Erika. Hearing Erika’s story, Hideomi was furious. He could not bear to have such a student attending the same high school as his daughter.

Moreover, the high school where he was going to flounder was also his own alumnus. What the man is doing is a crime, no doubt about it. What he is doing is not only unbecoming of his alumnus, but also unacceptable.

When he visited the school the other day, he was proud of the students who were working hard in their studies.

Hideomi picked up the phone. If he had taken the trouble to corroborate Erika’s testimony, even a fraction of the time, the situation might have been different.

But it was all in hindsight.

A few days later, Hideomi received a phone call from an official of the prefectural federation.

The contents of the call caught him by surprise. The party’s official recognition had been canceled. This was an impossible situation.

Hideomi was officially recognized by the ruling party. He was a member of the largest faction in the prefectural assembly, which held the majority of seats. The revocation of his party certification meant that he would no longer be able to obtain the support of his organization in future elections, and he would have to work as an independent. Naturally, his plans to switch to national politics would be thrown out of the window.

There was no way they would accept such a thing. There must be some mistake!

Hideomi was furious and immediately protested, but received a curt response.

It was an instruction from Rishu Himiyama.

Rishu Himiyama. He has been a member of the Parliament for eight terms and has served as Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Although he has already retired from national politics, his hidden influence has not diminished in the slightest.

–This is absurd.

It is incomprehensible. It is no wonder, then, that for Hideomi, who aspires to national politics, Rishu Himiyama is a man above the clouds. He had never even met or talked with him before.

There was no way he knows me. From Rishu’s point of view, I was a stone on the side of the road. Why would this person have done such an impersonal thing as asking for his official recognition to be revoked?

However, there was one thing I knew. If I could get Rishu Himiyama’s attention, it would be a tremendous stepping stone for my entry into national politics.

The ground of Rishu Himiyama is strong. Who will succeed him, and the struggle for his successor, is also attracting attention. If I can succeed him, I will make a great leap forward.

On the other hand, if I am disliked by Rishu Himiyama, then there is no future for me.

A phone call came again to Hideomi, who was shocked and dismayed. It is Haruhiko Himiyama.

He is a career bureaucrat working for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Haruhiko tells him in a cold voice.

Hideomi, who knew what was going on, turned pale. How could this happen!

Hideomi was not ready to make the transition to national politics at the earliest opportunity. This was no time to be dreaming.

On the contrary, if he did not get this problem under control right now, there would be no future for him.

If things continue as they are, I will be ruined! Hideomi instructed his secretary to cancel all plans and hurried to his old school. It was shallow. It was shallow. He thought it was an insignificant problem. He failed to check the facts.

That meant, as it was, that Hideomi Tojo lacked the qualities of a politician.

It was a blunder that could have been branded as such.

I never thought that student would have connections to Himiyama!

An innocent student has been framed. It was not even imaginable that there would be a connection with Himiyama.

Regretting his own foolishness in failing to check the facts, Hideomi was driven by frustration.

“Thank goodness! I’m so glad…….”

I was at the hospital with my mom. A detailed examination for breast cancer.

The result of the ultrasound was “no abnormality”.

Mom said that the probability of breast cancer was low to begin with.

However, there was no way she would be okay with it. The mere suspicion of breast cancer is enough to make a woman feel uneasy.

And it is too heavy to carry alone without talking to anyone.

My mother’s hands were trembling until the results came in. Holding my hand, she endured her fear. Now, perhaps in relief, she was holding my hand even tighter.

“I’m sorry……. For making you stay with me.”

“I had a lot of free time. There’s not much else I can do.”

It was a normal time of day since I was under house arrest, but it was a time when students were at school.

I was a delinquent, walking around in plain clothes at such hours.

I might call myself a yankee at the very earliest. It would be like Yukito Kokonoe Yankee Form. However, I don’t have a nail in a bat or a wooden sword.

It is an eternal mystery why people buy wooden swords on school trips.

“No, that’s not true. If you hadn’t been there, I might have been crushed. Just having you by my side was reassuring. Thank you.”

My heart aches at the sight of my mother. The blue face finally regains its freshness.

Why Mom? Why me?

“I wish I could have taken her place. ……”

It should be me who should suffer. It should be me.

It shouldn’t be you. Mom shouldn’t be the one to suffer.

It should always be me who should bear the karma, and I should be the one to take such a role.

“You’re so sweet. But I don’t want you to say that to me again.”

Her tone was strong, without saying whether or not she meant it. Mom’s expression stiffened.

“Mom?”

“I’m sorry. I’m the one who has neglected you. ……”

The tears are gradually accumulating in Mom’s big eyes.

Unable to bear the sad look on her face, I hurriedly change the subject.

“Right. Let’s go out to eat together later when Nee-san comes home. I found out about a great restaurant the other day.”

Of course, I will pay for it, yes. For someone like me who doesn’t usually spend much of my allowance, how can I not spend it economically at a time like this?

When I turned on my phone to call the general, the incoming calls were a horror.

The voicemails were also horrendous. It was too much trouble, so I decided to pretend I didn’t see it.

“I’m surprised that Yukito would ask me out like that. …… Right. I’ll have to tell Yuuri. I think she noticed that I was acting strange too.”

I wonder how anxious she was. I’ll never understand it.

Fear of death. Craving for life. She had been suffering for a long time until that narrow moment.

All I can do is to act as gently as possible to dispel her concerns.

Watch me. Let’s try some of the special moves I learned on the Internet to cheer her up!

“I’m glad Mom is okay. I love you, Mom! I’m going to marry mom!”

Gah! And then, Mom sprays a damaging effect. Eh, is she okay?!

Dwahahahahahahaha! Did you see the power of this?

I did a search on what makes mothers happy and found that it makes them happy when their children say this to them at an early age.

Looking back, I don’t remember saying that when I was a little boy. At my age, people may not like to hear me say it, but I would like to continue to cherish the spirit of challenge.

“—-I really wish you were my husband.”

I almost get sucked into her moist eyes. That’s not right. Did I make a mistake?

“Uhm, Mom? Why is your face so close ……? What happens twice happens three times. I’ve been seeing this pattern a lot lat—ee–lyyy—–!”

…… It was just amazing. I won’t mention it in depth.

“I-I’m so happy, I just couldn’t help it! …… but I really mean it.”

I don’t know what to do. The colorfulness is increasing. It is like a girl in love.

“I was going to start over as your mother, but you’re spoiling me and I’m getting worse and worse. I can’t take it any more, because I’m going—- to get —–serious.”

I make a proposal to my mother, who is holding on to me tight, that I have been thinking about for a while.

“Listen, there’s a place I’d like to go with you sometime.”

“…… with me?”

“Yes.”

It is a journey of self-discovery. It is one of the mental illnesses that conscious young people tend to fall into, but in my case, it is a journey of self-discovery, so I don’t want people to equate me with a conscious young person.

I am Yukito Kokonoe, a man who does not suddenly go to India and wake up to a new self. I have doubts about me.

Until now, I didn’t care about anything. Nothing bothered me. I don’t even get hurt anymore. My mentality is as highly shock absorbent as alpha gel. No matter what anyone said or did to me, I wouldn’t get hurt. So it didn’t matter.

I didn’t care about myself or anyone else. Just like I don’t care, no one cares about me anyway. That’s all right. That would take care of everything. That’s how I gave up everything.

I must not be able to go on like this. If something in me doesn’t change, I will repeat the same thing. I will continue to cause pain to someone else.

Why did Mom cry just now? Why did she kiss me? What was Hinagi trying to prove? What did Shiori want to do as a manager?

I probably know what the feelings are that are directed at me.

I know, I just don’t understand. I thought I had lost it. But it was definitely there.

A hand clutched at the answer that vaguely emerged.