Lesson Learned

But it's made with love

"Morning!" Mitsuko yawned and stretched, walking into the kitchen, and then nearly did a double-take when she saw her dad making pancakes in his suit with an apron on. "Uh...?"

"Don't ask," Gakushuu commented from the table, drinking some coffee.

Mom smiled sheepishly from where she was sat. "Um, your father offered to make pancakes..."

"Oh." Mitsuko peered around her dad to see the pancakes. "That's...new."

Dad patted her on the head and gave her a plate. "I just thought it would be nice after..." His smile was tight; the swelling on his face had gone down and the bruises were less dark but they were still blemishes painted over his left eye and right cheek. "I thought it would be nice."

"Right..." She shrugged off her confusion and smiled. "Thanks, dad!" Her smile grew. "You could even make them for Karma on Saturday!"

Dad's expression darkened. "No."

"Gakuhou..." Mom chided, narrowing her eyes. "He'll be our guest."

Dad grumbled something darkly under his breath before returning to the pancakes on the hob.

Mitsuko rolled her eyes and sat at the table with her family, adding some lemon on the pancakes.

Gakushuu sighed. "Can't you just have a sleepover at Akabane's house..."

"Gakushuu," mom reprimanded. "Don't be rude."

Her brother scowled and poked at his pancakes. "It's not like his house would be crowded..."

Mitsuko kicked him under the table, earning a glare. "He likes hanging out here."

"I wonder why," dad remarked dryly, sitting down with them with his coffee and pancake.

She smirked. "Yeah, it's a mystery." She rolled up the pancake a took a large bite, enjoying the taste which brought back a wave of nostalgia. "The pancakes are nice..." The taste was similar to how he used to make the pancakes, but it was less sweet and wasn't quite how she remembered in it.

"Well, thank you," dad replied, sipping his coffee. "I know it's been a while since I made them."

Mitsuko hummed, eating them silently when old memories started to surface like wisps of old smells.

Their dad seemed to notice the unsure look on her face and patted her on the head, causing her smile faintly.

***

Telling her classmates about her father trying to kill himself for a second time hadn't been as hard of a conversation than she'd thought, and it had felt relieving.

"Well, shit," was all Rio could say when Mitsuko finished telling her what had happened last night. "That's..." She paused from braiding her hair from behind her, the two of them eating lunch with their friends. "I think I kind of feel bad for your dad..."

"Same." Sugaya looked like he'd lost his appetize, lowering his bao bun. "Sorry you had to deal with that, dude."

Mitsuko sighed, knitting the final touched to the rainbow scarf she'd been making. "Yeah, it wasn't exactly the easiest night." She shrugged, looking up at her friends who looked disturbed. "But we got through it."

"And what about Asano-kun, is he okay?" Takebayashi frowned, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, are you all okay now?" Nagisa asked from the desk nearby, sitting with Karma, Sugino, Okuda, Kanzaki, and Kayano.