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

Chapter 33: Nagoya = Home

1017 words, 5 minutes

Readjusting to life in Nagoya surprisingly wasn't that difficult.

Akane felt safer staying somewhere familiar, speaking in a language she was more comfortable with and chilling with her father.

She hadn't forgotten their lovely house situated in the outskirts of Nagoya, nor did she forget the intricately designed wood interior and the freshly "roasted", nutty sugar smell of hojicha  tea wafting between the modern architecture.

Akane admired her reclaimed bedroom by the doorway; a big window covered by white curtains, a bed with white sheets and a black-white-grey striped blanket tucked underneath a lone pillow, her wardrobe containing all the clothes she brought with her and her old wooden desk now displaying her family pictures instead of notes.

She collapsed on the bed, feeling at home but also wistful because the one that made it feel like home was missing.

~

"Oto-san..." she called out from the living room. Her father was studying some blueprints, but his knowing eyes acknowledged her.

She slowly took a seat in front of him. "Did Oka-san  fear death?"

Her father was willing to gently push aside the blueprints and rest his elbows on the table. "Surprisingly, no," he replied somberly. "That's one of the things I admired about your mother. She was brave and tenacious when she needed to be, and she had love for you that was so fierce it blinded me." To emphasize, he squeezed his eyes shut.

Akane gently dabbed her eyes with her fingertips. "I thought she would be scared because she didn't feel ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To die."

Her father inhaled deeply. "She didn't worry about things like that when she had us," he informed her.

Akane's perplexed expression showed she didn't understand, so her father elaborated. "Her own family became the one thing she lived for because over the years, she developed a love so strong nothing could scare her."

Her mother's family became the only thing she lived for? Was Akane that selfless? She wasn't even sure how that worked. "How?"

"You're still young, so you won't understand it fully until you develop this love yourself," explained her father, taking a careful sip of hojicha  tea. "One day, you'll develop a bond with someone so strong that nothing can separate you. And even if a force does—working overseas, travelling, business conferences, friends and family—"

He clasped his hands together in a way that showed he accepted this long ago. "—you'll always go back to them."

Her father gave her a reassuring smile and extended his arms. Akane understood what that meant and walked around the table to hug him. He patted her back a few times before they parted. "Go get some fresh air," he suggested. "I'm sure your friends will be happy to see you if they're not busy."