[The King's Avatar] The Misconstrued Situation With An Overdue Explanation

Chapter 27: Disheartening Setback

981 words, 5 minutes

While Tuesday October 7th marked the start of many good days for Akane, Monday January 6th marked the start of the worst days of her life to come.

It all started when she came home from university and got a phone call from her father.

~

Akane's social life went through tweaks that made her look forward to spending time with Chen Guo and Tang Rou.

Josaku was her friend, too, but he was also more than that. You could say he's what the Westerners would call her "boyfriend".

He showed her the importance of keeping loved ones close and cherishing the moments you spend with them, no matter how often they're had.

Which was why Akane was ecstatic to hear her phone ringing once she arrived home and seeing her father's number on display.

It's been so long since she last spoke in Japanese, too.

Dropping her backpack in the middle of the living room, Akane answered the phone and eagerly sat down on her couch. "Oto-san!" she shouted into the phone. 

"Hey, Akane." His hearty voice sounded through the phone quietly, as if it were nighttime and he didn't want to disturb any sleeping guests.

"It's been so long, I tried to get in touch with you and Oka-san  but nobody answered! I thought you were busy with work. How is everything?"

Her father didn't answer at first, but Akane waited patiently. That is, until he started to weep softly, confusing Akane. "Oto-san...?  I'm here... what happened?"

"Oh," he sniffled, grabbing a tissue from a box he'd kept nearby. "I'm so sorry to tell you this, my dear, but your mother..." Akane heard a gulp on the other end and felt a drop of sweat roll down her neck, not sure if she wanted him to continue.

"...is dead."

Her heart suddenly ached with a pain she never thought she'd experience in her life. "What?"

"Your mother died from a lower respiratory infection," her father specified, sniffling once more and wiping his eyes before continuing. Akane couldn't see his shaking hands holding the phone. "The doctor prescribed decongestants and recommended she drink fluids and get plenty of rest, but her condition didn't improve... she died a few days ago, and I'm still grieving."

"Wait, how did she develop an infection?" Akane wanted to know. She had so many questions now, and her spinning head didn't do a single thing to help her calm down.

"She caught it from a co-worker who had a severe flu. He was stupid enough to go to work in that condition..." The anger in his voice compared to his monotone reporting shocked Akane, who realized for the 3rd time already that this was serious.

"I'll never forget her symptoms," her father resumed in a quiet, non-jovial tone. "She had a terrible cough, and I would hear her suffering whenever she was short of breath and wheezed after exhaling. I was told to distance myself from her, but... she's my wife, and I love her. Doing that was torture, especially while knowing that she wasn't getting better."

Akane lost her voice for a good minute or 2. "Then why did you send me to Chongqing?" she demanded quietly.

"We wanted you to live abroad and find better work opportunities—"

"I COULD'VE FOUND SOMETHING IN NAGOYA WHILE TAKING CARE OF OKA-SAN!" 

Her father should've expected her to yell. Of course she would be outraged by this news. She was Akane. While she acted calm on the outside, he's known firsthand how she acts when she's passionate about something. Her whining over her piano lessons can attest to that.

"You don't understand, Akane—"

"WHAT'S THERE TO UNDERSTAND?! You sent me away and didn't let me spend time with Oka-san  during her last days!"

"Your mother and I wanted what was best for your future! You're a very bright young woman, Akane, we can't let you stay stuck in Japan when the world has so much to offer you!"

"I didn't ask for this..." Akane moaned helplessly. This was too sudden. Her life in Chongqing was just perfect before she heard this news.

"Akane, listen to me," her father said. It was amazing how quickly he went from crying over the phone to becoming the sensible role model Akane needed right now. She imagined him patting her back if he were next to her.

But now, her mother would never be able to do the same because she was dead.

"What happened to your mother was out of your control. It was even out of mine, and I visited her as often as I could."

What, did he secretly wish she went to study to become a doctor instead? Just because of something that happened so suddenly? That old cliché  dream many Asian parents had for their children?

It was now Akane's turn to begin sniffling and soon sobbing uncontrollably. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and had a breakdown on her couch.

"I truly wish I didn't have to break this news to you while you had your exams coming up," regretted her father. "But I had a feeling that if I delayed telling you any longer, you would eventually find out and resent me. You have a right to know, as she was your mother and she loved you very much. The sooner you found out, the sooner you'll recover and move on."

The sooner she'll recover... how did people even recover from losing their mother to an illness? Did they even?

"She's already been buried, God bless her soul. I shall visit her grave tomorrow with more flowers. I'll try to do my part and keep in touch with you more often since I know this will be hard on you. I love you, Akane."

Akane could only mutter a brief "I love you, too" before her father hung up.

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A/N:

C'mon, I tried to be reasonable here... what's a romance story without a little angst? :')

This is already making me miserable.

—Kaio