The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 142~♫

 His middle son also needed a few moments to absorb the information. His hand raced to his head as if he remembered that he was supposed to have them long. It felt so natural to him to have them short now.

"It was... I just..." he stuttered, struggling to find the proper words. "It got hot... so I donated them..."

Rigaku didn't need much to realize Aiyoku was scared he had disappointed his father. No matter how happy he was with this change, they still looked for their father's acknowledgment.

Before Rigaku could defend his brother, their father rushed, hugging the blonde sibling. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Aiyoku returned the embrace, searching for a hint of what caused this.

His father let him go after a few seconds. His face held no shade of disapproval or anger. Nothing but a smile played across his face as if he had visited an old memory.

"Father, are you okay?"

The older man wiped the tears of his eyes. "I'm sorry. A wave of nostalgia washed over me." He put both of his hands on the ball of his walking cane. "You've reminded me of Kazue."

"Do you mean our mom?" Kagetsu asked while munching on a cat cookie.

"Yes." He nodded. "She used to have long locks which reached her waist. I loved how it copied her body like a cape." The old man sat down on the stand, resting his legs. "We were dating for a couple of months when she suddenly came with short hair. At first, I didn't recognize her.

"I thought she was somebody different. Only when she spoke up, I realized she was Kazue. It puzzled me why would she go for such a drastic change. Asking her made her blushing.

"A few days ago, it was windy, and as she was returning from her job, she had heard a woman's scream. Turning around, a wig landed on her face. After the first confusion, Kazue had learned this woman had lost all of her hair because of cancer. She also used to have it long, but since that illness, she had to wear a wig for the rest of her life."

Everybody listened to him, and Ueno in the back felt awkward. This wasn't a story she should listen to, but it fascinated her.

"Kazue then donated her hair for people with a similar fate." He let out a deep sigh. "She donated twice." His eyes landed on Aiyoku. "Hearing you that you did the same reminded me of her face of pure bliss, learning she could help others in another way."

Aiyoku scratched on his face. This wasn't a story they had heard about their mother. Father usually kept it short, as if he didn't want to talk about her. Seeing the tears in his eyes, it wasn't hard to guess why.

"Was there any problem?" Ri inquired after a short pondering. "I've noticed a few visitors seemed to be agitated."

Ueno moved slightly back. There was no need for her now. Her presence would only poison the lighthearted atmosphere here.