Kakegurui Fine Wine [KIRARI X SAYAKA] -- ONESHOTS

Chapter 162 Mother's Embrace

"...Mother."

With the echo of that word, Sayaka's facade of untouchable strength in her feminine face, shattered like fragile porcelain into billions of pieces. The schoolbag she bore, royal blue as a midsummer's night sky, slipped from her grasp completely, thudding onto the floor like an anchor from a ship thrown overboard into a stormy sea. The sound rang out like a death knell in the quiet room as it hit the wooden boards beneath her feet.

Her knees met the hardened floor with a hollow thud in a desperate fall, her momentum carrying her forward in a desperate crawling dash. Her face, usually soft and vibrant with confidence, was a mask of raw, burning anguish. Violet eyes, once full of life and sparkle, now clouded over with a deluge of unspoken terror, brimmed with cloudy tears that clouded her radiant pupils.

She lunged towards the only source of comfort in her devastating chaos - her mother. She collapsed into the familiar, comforting embrace, her body shaking as though seized by a winter chill, she felt herself completely broken, vulnerable, but at home. The salty trail of her tears soaked the fabric of her mother's green dress, her sobs restrained only by the gritting of her teeth through the corners of her lips, the fierce battle against the onslaught of her grief.

The world, once full of joy and promise, had become a smoky mirror of despair, her life's rhythm distorted into a disjointed symphony of raw pain. Her mother held her, offering the only solace in this tempest of emotions, her gentle hand running soothing circles on her back, one hand stroking her soft dark hair, she whispered silent promises of better days and comforted the distressed girl.

Eventually, they found themselves seated across each other on the yellow couch, the warmth of the freshly brewed green tea doing little to thaw the ice that had settled in Sayaka's maiden heart. Her mother, a silent observer, traced the silent trajectory of her despair reflected in those violet orbs, now dimmed, dulled, devoid of their usual vibrancy.

"What makes your eyes weep with sorrow?"

Her mother's voice was barely above a whisper, a feeble attempt to bridge the chasm that grief had carved, she was gentle in her speech.

Sayaka's gaze dropped, the weight of her turmoil too great to bear. Yet, she knew there was no refuge in evasion. Her mother's intuition was a compass that always found the way. Her secret pain stood unveiled, completely unchallenged.

"It's..."

She began, her voice barely a rasp, choked on a sob that threatened to break her composure once more. She held on, clenching her jaw in determination, as she hoped to find the courage to speak.

"The... president."

Her confession was nothing more than a murmur, each word punctuated by an inward flinch. Fresh tears flooded her vision, spilling over the brims of her closed eyes as she willed them away, gnawing at her lower lip until the taste of iron filled her mouth.

"She fired me... completely."

Her voice broke on the last word, the pain of it crashing over her like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless. The echo of her statement lingered in the air like a haunting specter. The future, once filled with hope and dreams, was now a chasm of unknown depths. The pain was so raw, so deep that it seared her insides, making her question her very existence. It was as if a rug had been pulled from under her, leaving her grappling with the harsh reality of free fall into an abyss.

"I'd never believed a day would come, when her shadow would no longer intertwine with mine..."

Sayaka's confession hung heavy in the air, her fingers trembled, threatening to shatter the immaculate cup that held her still-warm tea. Her violet eyes, once lively mirrors of her spirit, were now two bottomless pools of despair, sinking into the amber liquid that mirrored her broken reflection.

"But worse...to see her led by another, as though I was a specter, right in front of me, in the very aftermath..."

Her voice wavered, faltered, strangled by a rising sob that forced its way past her defenses. The dam within her heart broke, releasing a torrent of raw pain that washed over her, consuming her in its wake. Her vivid memory, a cruel replay of the most agonizing day of her life, left her spirit as shattered as a dropped vase, fragments of her joy scattered like errant puzzle pieces.

"It felt as if I had ceased to exist, my heart fragmented into a million shards..."

Sayaka's hand instinctively moved to her chest, clutching at the phantom throbbing pain that throbbed with each heartbeat, the violent reminder of her fractured love. She swallowed hard, blinking away the fresh wave of tears that threatened to cascade down her cheeks.

Her mother, a silent sentinel of empathy, moved closer, wrapping an arm across her trembling shoulders. Her touch, tender and reassuring, was an anchor in Sayaka's stormy sea of despair.

"Sad it may be, but it's not the end of your world, is it?"

Her words, soft yet unwavering, were a lighthouse amidst the raging storm. She reminded Sayaka that her ship was yet to sink, the shore was yet to be completely lost from sight.

"Your girlfriend never pronounced an end to your bond."

Her mother's voice was a soothing balm, the beacon of hope in Sayaka's world that had been plunged into darkness. She gently nudged her, reminding her of her premature surrender to despair.

"These matters of the heart are intricate, my dear."

Her mother's voice held a sage-like wisdom, the legacy of battles fought and won, of tears shed and smiles regained.

"Time has a peculiar way of mending even the most stubborn of wounds. You may feel broken now, but remember, even the most magnificent of dawns follow the darkest of
nights."

"You should not let this hurt you, but let it serve to your guidance to be better than you were, ever before"