SILENT || Sugawara Yuri

CHAPTER | 22

ʚ|| Kei's POV ||ɞ

   She was always closed off and before it would barely faze me when she spoke but now I start to get flustered at the sound of her voice. She's the same girl but I see her in a different light, now I feel as if protecting her won't be enough.

⇉ ⇉ ⇉ ⇉ ⇉ ⇉

   After a shower I walked to the restaurant where I was told to meet them, when I got there I saw my mother waiting outside the building, she sat on a bench and looked at the koi fish that swam in the small pond. I walked over and she smiled up at me almost sadly.

   "What's wrong? Where's dad?" I asked.

   "Getting us a good seat." She smiled. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble leaving volleyball practice."

"No, it was fine." I assured her. "I see Akiteru isn't here yet."

"He'll be here soon." She replied. "His car stopped working but even so, he said he would make it. Is Tadashi coming? Or the girl? Sugawara right?"

I mentally cursed at my brother but at the moment I nodded. "Neither of them are coming. Also please don't bring it up during dinner, I'm not sure if I'm ready to mention her."

"Your father knows about her ... slightly." She told me and nudged me. "She's very pretty."

"Mrs. Tsukishim, your husband is waiting inside." A waiter came out. "I'll be escorting you two, to the table."

We both followed him and I could see my father on the phone, I pull the seat out for my mother and she thanks me, I look over to see my father with his back turned, this was the usual events that happened when he wanted to spend time with the family.
   Business calls all before us, he would try his best to get in as much work in as he could, until we met with him, then he would shut off his phone completely and have a beeper only used for critical emergencies and if someone beeped him with something unimportant they would be fired on the spot.
   I can't say I hate it. I'm just glad I have parents willing to make time for my brother and I, unlike Yuri and her brother or even Yamaguchi who is seen as a maid for his parents yet he refuses to admit it out loud.

   "Evening, Kei."

   "Hi dad." I sat down and he took the seat next to my mother and looked through the menu.

   "Sorry I'm late." We looked at Akiteru as he kissed our mother's cheek and gave our father a hug. "Car broke down, really need to buy a new one soon. Hey Kei."

   "Hi." I said and felt him pat my shoulder and sit next to me.

   "Right ... How's work dad?" He asked.

   "Great, a little stressful." He told us. "I was thinking about asking you to join me, you are the heir to the company after all."

   "You'd think he'd want to?" I ask. "He'll probably make a mistake and lie about it until he gets caught."

   I sensed their eyes linger on me for a moment but they drifted back to the menu. "Then you join him." Our father spoke making us both look at him. "As you all know I am opening another building here in Japan, it will be our main facility but it will be months before everything is officially transferred so I would like for you two to be the head of the facility."