Mother

Yamada Ryosuke drove fast yet careful enough after finished filming the 24H TV drama, “Mom, I’m Okay.” He was heading towards his family’s house. Suddenly he wanted so badly to see his father, mother and sisters. It was only two days ago he visited them in between his crazy schedule, yet it felt like he hadn’t seen them for years. He knew that perhaps it was the effect of his drama.

Arriving at the house, he quickly got off his car and sprinted towards the door. He slapped his own forehead when he reached the door but just realized that he had left his key in his apartment. So, while he impatiently wanted to go inside, he pressed the bell button on the intercom. Only a few seconds later he heard the voice he had missed so much.

“Oh, it’s you Ryosuke,” the exclaim came from his mother, and soon the door opened.

When his mother’s figure appeared behind the door, a wide smile broke on his face.

“Mom!” he took a long stride and threw his self at his mother, hugging her excitedly. “I miss you sooo much!”

His mother laughed at the sudden embrace. Patting his back while stiffling down her laughter, she replied, “Miss you, too, Ryo-chan.”

He pulled away a moment later and grinned in embarrassement.

“Come in?” his mother gestured, and he obediently followed her steps.

“Is everyone home?” he directly asked as they reached the family room.

“No. Your Dad is still in the restaurant, Chihiro hasn’t returned from work yet, but Misaki is still home.”

He frowned as he realized what it meant when his little sister was still at home in the afternoon, “Does Misaki-chan has a night shift again?”

“Yes.”

“Why does she still keep working at that store, and moreover taking night shifts?” He complained. “She is a girl. I’m worried if she is out at night times.”

His mother smiled, then whispered, “Don’t let Misaki know, okay? Your father secretly fetchs her whenever she has night shift.”

“Eh?” he followed his mother, keeping his voice low. “Really?”

His mother nodded, “That’s why don’t be too worried. We’ll definitely watch over her.”

He sighed in relief, “Yokatta.”

Looking upstair, he said, “I’m going to my room, Mom.”

He didn’t wait for his mother’s reply, but as he took a step, he was halted.

“Ryosuke, wait a second!”

He turned around only to see his mother rushing towards his direction with a worried look.

Standing before him, his mother who was slightly shorter than him held both his shoulders, observing him from head to toes.

“Wh-what is it?” he nervously asked.

A disapproval look appeared on his mother’s face.

“You are so skinny, Ryosuke!” his mother exclaimed.

He gulped as he noticed the stern glint in his mother’s eyes. He expected a scolding, but he struggled to explain before it did come, “It… It’s for my drama, Mom.”

His mother crossed her arms on her chest, “The 24 hour TV drama?”

“Uhn,” he nodded, a little timidly.

“When will the filming finish?” she probed more.

“Actually it’s already finished a few hours ago.”

His mother’s eyes brightened slightly, “Then do you still have schedule today?”

He shook his head.

“Good. You have to stay for dinner then,” his mother instructed then went to check on the refrigerator. A few seconds later, his mother belowed, “Misaki-chan!”

He heard his little sister rushing steps descended the stairs, and soon Misaki showed herself in the room.

“Eh? You’re here?” it was Misaki’s reaction noticing his presence.

He frowned slightly, “You seem unhappy seeing me, Misaki-chan.”

He knew that Misaki was just acting cold, but deep down she was happy having him in the house. Such a tsundere she was.

“Don’t start any bicker you two,” their mother’s voice interrupted.

Misaki walked pass him towards the kitchen, asking, “What did you call me for, Mom?”

“Help me buy more meat, chicken, strawberry...,” his mother went on with the shopping list as Mika frantically grabbed anything she could find to write down the things their mother mentioned.

“Are we going to have guests?” Misaki curiously asked.

“No. Just we’re going to put on some weight to your brother.”

At this, Misaki turned to his direction, “Yah, you indeed look like a walking skeleton.”

“Oi, oi!” he put his hand on his waist, glaring in annoyance.

“Just be quick, Misaki. I need to prepare the dinner soon,” their mother once again cut them off.

“Got it, Mom,” Misaki grabbed the money on the table, and started walking away.

“Hey, Misaki-chan, I’ll go with you,” he hurried to her side.

Sitting in the foyer to put on her boots, she refused, “Nope. I’m going alone.”

“Eh? But I can drive you to the grocery,” he insisted.

Finished with her boots, Misaki turned around facing him, “It’s just a couple blocks from here. No need for driving. Moreover, you’re tired, aren’t you? You look like you haven’t slept for days.”

Before he could form a reply, Misaki had already opened the door, bellowing, “I’m going.”

Sighing, he replied, “Be careful.”

While staring at the closed door from where his little sister had walked out a moment ago, slowly his lips curved up. He realized that his little sister was just being considerate over him. She always knew when he was not feeling well.

“Just clean yourself up, Ryosuke. I’ll call you when the dinner is ready,” he heard her mother hollered across the room.

“Hai!”

With a lighter heart, he stepped up towards his bedroom. Plopping down on his bed, he took in his surroundings.

“It’s always been good to be home,” he smiled and muttered to himself.

**********

Ryosuke didn’t plan to stay over night, but he was also reluctant to return to his apartment. In the end, he did not refuse when his parents asked him to stay for the night.

Staring at the ceiling above, he thought over so many things happened recently. He felt grateful that Jump was given the chance in this year 24H TV.  Not only worked with their senpai and any other public figures, they also did many things they never thought they would ever do in their life. They encountered many wonderful persons, and they learned many things from them. Doing the program felt like they could see life from another point of view, making them appreciated it even more.

“Ryosuke.” A voice suddenly called out, accompanied by a knock on his door. “Are you sleeping?”

He sat up immediately as he recognized the voice belonged to his mother.

“Not yet,” he replied.

A second later, his door was pushed open, and his mother entered the room.

There was a faint smile as she walked up to his bed.

“What is it, Mom?” he tilted his head to his mother who sat down beside him on the bed.

His mother shook her head, her smile widened slightly, “Nothing.”

“Eh?” he didn’t buy it. “Come on, tell me Mom. Is there something troubling you?”

She shook her head again, but this time her eyes brimmed with tears though her smile still pasted on her face.

He widened his eyes, going into panic, “Eh, eh... what’s wrong? Mom...?”

Her smile only widened more as a single tear dropped from her eyes, “You’ve grown up, ne.”

Her voice was so soft. It was a rare chance to see his mother this emotional.

“Eh?” he was confused seeing his mother.

She laughed shortly while brushing her tears off, “Gomen, for showing you this side of me, Ryosuke.”

“Eh... are you really okay, Mom?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just become sentimental after reading your article.”

“Article? Which one?”

“Your recent Think Note.”

“Ah...,” he could guess which one she meant, that was the one in which he talked about his role in the 24TV drama and his family. “Did I make you sad, Mom? Should I not talk about Misaki-chan like that?”

“That’s alright. It’s just... you reminded me about those hard times.”

“But everything is fine now, Mom. I’m already an adult, so does Chihiro-neechan and Misaki-chan.”

His mother smiled but it felt sad when she told him, “Yes, you all have grown up become wonderful adults. Of course I’m happy, but...,” she paused and looked away.

“But...somehow part of me feel sad. Perhaps every parent feels this way. Seeing their children grow up and live their own life. It is as though you were just born yesterday but suddenly you’ve become a man, and soon will build your own life separared from us. Part of me feel scared of losing you and your sisters, Ryosuke.”

Listening to his mother heartfelt words and witnessing tears silently flowed down her cheeks, he was so touched that he didn’t realize his own tears had also wetted his face.

He reached out and drew his mother into his embrace.

“You’ll never lose us, Mom,” he assured her. “We’re your children and will stay that way till the end.”

He heard his mother heaved a sigh before her words came, her tone a bit more cheerful, “By the way, Ryosuke... I don’t think I can bear watching your drama.”

The sudden remark got him amused, “Mou... why is that?”

“I don’t want to see you die.”

He chuckled briefly, “That’s just a role, Mom. It was Ryohei-kun who would die in the drama.”

“Still, it is your face that I will see. Can’t you just ask the director to alter the plot? Maybe insert some miracle so that Ryohei would survive the cancer somehow?”

This time he laughed earnestly, “Mom... this is based on a true story, you know.”

“I know,” he heard her complaining tone. “But I can hope, right?”

He realized that if he answered her, their talk about the drama plot would never end. So, while now they sat side by side and his mother’s head rested on his shoulder, he thought about an idea to cheer her up.

“Mom, let’s go out,” he suddenly had an idea.

“What?” she raised her head from his shoulder, facing him properly.

“Let’s go out,” he repeated, a big smile on his face.

“Where?”

“Anywhere is fine. Shopping? Eating? It’s been awhile since we go out together.”

“Aren’t you busy? You still have tour, too, right?”

“We’ll just go in my day-off then,” he suggested.

“Let’s go with the others, too,” she smiled back replying him. “It’s been long since we have a family outing.”

He hesitated, “But my day-off will be in weekdays for several months ahead. I think Dad, Neechan, and Misaki-chan will be working then.”

“But it’s not fun if they don’t come with us,” his mother frowned, making her looked slightly like his older sister.

His mother was right. It would not be a family outing if there were family members could not attend. For a moment, he considered some option, and when he got an idea, he grinned excitedly.

“Mom, let’s just go the two of us,” he practically bounced on the bed.

His mother sent him a questioning gaze.

“You know, I have promised myself to buy presents for you all if my first movie Ansatsu do well. Now that it did, I need your help. You know the most Dad, Neechan, and Misaki-chan’s like and dislikes afterall.”

His mother smiled and nodded, “Alright. It’s a date then?”

He grinned excitedly, “Yeay, a date with my Mom.”

His mother laughed, and gone was the trace of her sadness. He smiled to himself as he saw that. He do wish that no matter hard the future will be, Kamisama will grant happiness to his family in the end.

When a few weeks later he got a day-off, he picked up his mother to stroll around searching for presents for everyone in Yamada family. Just they never expected that their so called date would appear in a certain magazine, titled “Yamada Ryosuke’s Scandal”.

**********

(Posted on October 9th, 2015)

A./N.: I just had the urge to write it down when I read about Yamachan’s shopping date with his mother. My imagination reeled off. Hope you enjoy this XD