xxddmm

Chapter 27 - When summer comes...

Late June.
The sun had already set, but it was still unbearably humid. The air was sticky, making this already unpleasant evening even worse.

"Sorry, Yuu, but next week's looking pretty packed too."
"You seem busy. Don't tell me... you're finally going back to school?"
"Shut up."

...And yet, in this moment, I could forget all that discomfort.
This irreplaceable time with Yuu...

Even if it's just through a screen.

"Still, that's two weekends in a row you've been unavailable. What's going on?"
"Huh? What's this, Yuu? You miss me? Feeling lonely?"
"Well... yeah, I guess..."
"Aww, I adore your honesty. Love you, Yuu~."
"...Are you drunk, Yami-senpai?"

Nope. Here I was, sprawled on the bed in my room at my parents' house, video chatting with Yuu.

"You know, since we haven't seen each other lately, we haven't done each other either. Must be tough for a guy your age, right? All pent up and stuff~."
"Could you stop with the shameless jokes already? It's embarrassing!"

Even though I could see his face, not being able to touch him made my feelings spill out as these bold, reckless words.

"Hey, should I send you a special video to help you out? With some sexy audio thrown in~?"
"Absolutely not! You know about revenge porn, right, Yami-senpai?!"
"Aww, so you're planning to betray me someday, Yuu? That's so sad~."
"That's not what I'm saying at all! Jeez, enough already."
"Oh, so you don't want it? Hypocrite~."

I wasn't drunk. I wasn't high, either.
But still, I'd get caught up in my own provocations, letting them excite me as I piled on.

Using dirty talk to get myself hyped up, trying to ignore everything else.
And why did I need to hype myself up so much? Well...

"Hey, um... everything's fine, right? Yami-senpai?"
"Huh? What is?"
"Being at home... it's okay, isn't it?"
"...Yeah, it's fine."

It was because of this place. My parents' house.

I hadn't been back much in the past six months -- or really, longer. And now, being here again, I remembered just how much I hated it. It made me sick to my stomach.

"See? My room's got a lock on the door now. Plus, my dad's been acting all scared of me lately, so he's keeping his distance."
"You're really sure you're okay? Promise me you won't hide anything if something happens."

But for now, just for now, I had to play the role of the Matsushita family's one and only daughter. Not happily, but I had no choice.

"Don't worry about me. You know me, Yuu. I'm not the kind of girl to just quietly take crap lying down."
"Well... yeah, you're definitely the type to dish it out instead."
"Excuse me? Being so cocky for someone like you."
"Hey, if I were cocky, I wouldn't just sit back and take it, would I?"
"Ahaha, fair enough~."

Why was I forcing myself to do something that's just normal for other people but practically impossible for me?

It was obvious -- I had a reason I couldn't avoid.

"......!, ...agh! ......!"
"...! ...! No, ...!"

"Hey, Yami-senpai?"
"What?"
"Didn't I just hear something really loud over there?"
"...The connection's bad, maybe?"

My voice cracked just a bit on that last part.

"No, that wasn't it. It sounded like glass or dishes breaking. Something really loud..."
"Maybe it was outside? Oh, there's a drunk guy wandering around in front of my house. Could be that?"

Of course, that was a lie.

I could hear it clearly too.

From downstairs came the sound of screaming, things shattering, heavy thuds, and all sorts of chaos.

It was the same thing that had become a regular occurrence in the Matsushita household lately: the divorce negotiations, which were really just another screaming match.

............
............

I was the one who started it all.
Or rather, I was the one who set the whole thing in motion.

Back in May, I returned home, bowed my head to my parents, and tearfully told them I wanted to go back to school.
Mom was overjoyed, and Dad, visibly relieved, welcomed me back with open arms.

Next, I hit them with, I want to catch up on my studies at a cram school, and asked for a big chunk of cash.

Dad, who's never had a problem with money, didn't hesitate. He handed over a credit card without a second thought.

...He never would've guessed that I'd use that money to dig into his private life.

And oh boy, did I find stuff.
Multiple mistresses (all young, of course), luxury cars, expensive jewelry, and even a couple of apartments.

Sure, technically there was nothing illegal about any of it -- it was all his money.
But I knew exactly what would happen if my jealous, dependent mother found out about it.

After that, I played every card I had.
I hired a lawyer on my mom's behalf, pushing to get that guy out of our lives for good.

Don't underestimate the former honor student turned street-smart survivor.
Over the past year, I've learned how to get dirty and how to stay alive.

...And I've gained the will to fight tooth and nail to survive.

The result?
Somehow, Dad ended up being the more reasonable one.

He caved to my threats and agreed to leave the house and live on his own.

Judging by how easily he gave up, it seemed like he was already regretting his marriage to my mom.
Seriously, what was he even after? What a twisted creep.

But then came the unexpected twist...
Mom completely lost it when Dad brought up divorce. And now, we're stuck in this mess.

So for now, I can't leave this house.

I have to keep Mom calm, get Dad out of here peacefully, and finally restore the normalcy I've been longing for.

............
............

The chaotic noises downstairs are getting worse and worse.

"Oh man, those drunks are out of control. Looks like the cops finally showed up."
"Is it really that bad where you live, Yami-senpai?"
"Ugh, I just want to get out of this house already."

I turn off the camera, cupping my phone to muffle the sounds of this house, trying to keep it all from reaching Yuu.

"Anyway, let's hang out again sometime? Whenever you're free."
"...Yeah, sounds good."

Curled up on my bed, hugging my knees, I shrink my world down to just me, my phone, and Yuu on the other side of the screen.

"Hey, Yuu. When summer comes..."
"Yeah?"
"I wanna go on a trip with you."
"Oh, nice. Where to?"
"Hmm... maybe the beach?"
"...Yami-senpai, you'd probably look great in a swimsuit, but the beach totally doesn't suit your vibe."
"Shut up."

The crashing and screaming from the living room grows louder.

There's a siren in the distance now. Looks like a neighbor called the cops.
People are gathering in the street, not drunks, but spectators.

...Nope. None of that exists. I can't hear anything.
Because right now, none of it matters to me.
I can't see it. I can't hear it...

"It's a promise, okay? Promise me, Yuu..."
"Yeah. When summer comes."

I'm Matsushita Ayami, and I'm just one step away from the family collapse I've been waiting for.

When summer comes.
Then, I'll finally...