"Father to Daughter" - Chapter 10
A little bit shorter chapter than usual, but an update nonetheless ^^
Chapter 10
“It’s getting a bit late. It is probably about time that you get home Takeshi.”
“Uh, yes, yes! I was just about to leave!” Takamura messily stuffed his books in his bag. As he stood up he pull the bag on his should. “I’ll, uh, see you later Reiko.”
When he glanced over at Sho, he felt it was a mistake to say that. He rushed out of the house as quickly as he could.
Reiko stood up calmly, trying not to show her embarrassment, and walked towards her room.
“Wait. Right. There.”
Reiko closed her eyes tightly. Her father’s voice had never sounded this scary before.
“Turn around,” he commanded.
Reiko slowly turned around, her head down.
“Come here.” Sho pointed in front of him.
Reiko took her time approaching her father.
“So?” Sho folded his arms again.
“W-what?” Reiko asked timidly.
“Why was he here?” Sho pointed to where Takamura had been sitting.
“He just came for tea…and I helped him with homework,” Reiko explained while being sure to avoid all eye contact.
“Oh, I could see that very well,” Sho said in a sarcastic tone.
Reiko blushed.
“Having a guy over while you are at home alone? Reiko, you are better than that.”
“We…were just kissing…it’s not anything bad…” Reiko’s voice was getting quieter and quieter.
Sho took a deep breath, about to scold her even more.
“I’m home!!” Myu yelled from the front door. She looked at the other two surprised. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, go do your homework,” Sho pointed to her room.
“Eh!? But what about a snack?” Myu pouted.
“Just go!” Sho yelled.
Myu jumped at the volume of her father’s voice. She quickly scurried to her room.
“You didn’t need to yell at Myu,” Reiko mumbled.
Sho put his hands on his hips. “Well you have put me in a VERY bad mood!”
“I didn’t do anything wrong! I just kissed him! Is there something wrong with kissing somebody!?” Reiko finally yelled back.
“Who did you kiss?” Myu poked her head out of her room.
“Do your homework!” Sho and Reiko shouted at the same time.
Myu quickly shut her door.
“You were home with him alone! Who knows where that kiss could have gone!?”
“I wasn’t going to have sex with him! You are completely overreacting dad!”
The distance between Sho and Reiko narrowed as they kept shouting at each other.
“Mom wouldn’t have cared that I kissed some guy I liked! She would have been happy for me!”
“Well Reiko, Mom isn’t here! So you have to listen to what I say!”
“And whose fault is it that she isn’t here!?” Tears stung Reiko’s eyes as she yelled these words.
Sho opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again. There was no way he could argue with that.
Reiko stared at Sho hard, just waiting for his response.
“I’m going out.” Sho slipped on his shoes and slammed the door shut.
Reiko fell to the ground as she bawled.
Her shaking hands reached for her phone.
“Hey Reiko! Did everything work out with your dad?” Takamura asked the moment he answered the phone.
There was silence. Reiko couldn’t get out the words as she struggled to keep her crying quiet.
“Reiko? Reiko? Are you there?”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore as she let out a loud cry.
“T-Ta-ke-e-s-shi. I-I-I-“
“Reiko!? Reiko!? What’s wrong?” Takamura panicked.
“I-I-I y-yelled at my d-dad and-“
Reiko bawled again.
“Reiko, I can’t understand you. Try to calm down.”
Somehow Reiko was able to explain what happened, although it took many minutes to get it all out.
Takamura was silent on his end. Slowly taking in what Reiko had told him.
“Takeshi?” Reiko wasn’t sure if he was even on the phone anymore, it was so quiet. She had suddenly become very aware that she was using his first name.
She was about to say his name again, but she heard his steady breath on his side of the line.
“Reiko…do you blame me for your bullying?” He finally spoke.
Reiko wiped her remaining tears. “W-what, no!”
Once again there was silence.
“Why are you asking that right now?”
She heard Takamura take a deep breath. “Because…if you don’t blame me for your bullying anymore…then why do you still blame your dad for your mom’s death?”
Reiko was taken aback by this question.
“I’m sure he is hurting the most about your mom dying…I know I was blaming myself a lot when you were getting bullied. I can’t…I can’t even imagine what I would be feeling if you died because of the stress my fans caused you,” Takamura explained very soberly.
Reiko put her face in her knees. What had she done?
She had never thought about her dad’s feelings.
How could she have missed it?
Saying her mom’s name in his sleep…having nightmares…They must be related.
“Takeshi…” She liked saying his name this way.
“Yeah Reiko?” Takamura’s voice was so sweet sounding.
“…Don’t ever blame yourself for what happens to me.”
“I can’t make any promises,” Takamura answered bluntly, but made a laugh at the end.
Reiko hugged her knees tightly.
She really liked this guy too much. She didn’t want him blaming himself.
She didn’t want her dad blaming himself either…
She had made a mistake. All these years…she was the one that was wrong.
Now she finally understood her mother’s feelings.
Reiko sat on the couch anxiously. Her dad still wasn’t home and it was getting really late.
Finally she heard the door open and footsteps stumbling in.
“Dad?” Reiko got up from her seat to greet Sho.
Sho was silent as he struggled to take off his shoes.
He had been drinking.
“Dad.” Reiko watched her father with sad eyes.
Sho was struggling so much with his shoes, he sat down to pull them off.
“I’m sorry Dad…” Reiko rubbed her arm.
He sat there with no response.
“Dad?” Reiko hovered over Sho.
Still no response.
As Reiko leaned over more, she saw a tear fall down to the floor.
H-he was crying?
She froze.
She had never seen her dad cry. He always hid those types of feelings. Even at her mother’s funeral. All he did was zone out the whole time.
Sho covered his eyes with his hands, trying to stop the tears.
“Papa…” Reiko’s lip quivered as she fell to her knees. She embraced her dad from the back and dug her face into his shirt.
“I’m sorry Papa. I’m so sorry.”
Sho slowly placed one of his hands on Reiko’s.
“I love you Reiko,” he whispered.
Reiko cried harder.
“I-I love you too Papa. You are the best dad in the world.”
Reiko felt her father’s whole body shake violently as he cried.
“I miss her so much Reiko.” His grip around Reiko’s hand tightened.
Reiko moved her body so she was sitting next to him instead of behind him.
“Why don’t you ever show it?” Reiko asked, wiping her own tears.
Sho looked over at Reiko and gave her a small smile. “Because I have to be strong for you and Myu.”
“That’s stupid,” Reiko muttered.
“Eh?” The bluntness of his daughter surprised him.
Reiko looked back over at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
“We are a family. We are supposed to work together. Rely on me and Myu a bit more.”
“Stop trying to do everything on your own. We are married now, which means we need to work together!”
Sho rubbed his eyes.
“C-Chisa?”
“Huh?” Reiko cocked her head.
Sho kept rubbing his eyes.
Reiko gave a little chuckle. “Dad, you’ve been drinking too much. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
Sho tiredly lifted his head.
Myu was snuggled closely to his chest and Reiko was on the other side of Myu. Somehow the night ended up like this, all three of them sharing one bed.
Sho could imagine Chisa on the other side of Reiko, staying close to not fall off the crowded bed. She would sense that Sho was awake and peek over Reiko’s body to see him.
“You’re awake?” She would say sleepily.
“Nn.” Sho patted Myu’s back gently.
Chisa would readjust herself to get in a more comfortable position.
“Is something on your mind?”
Sho looked over his two daughers. “They are beautiful, aren’t they?”
Chisa would give a small smile. “They are.”
“They look a lot like you.”
Chisa would cock her head. “You think so? I think Reiko looks more like you.”
Sho watched Reiko breathing steadily.
“She has a guy she likes now. She is really growing up fast.”
Chisa would chuckle. “Is Papa jealous that he isn’t the number one man in his daughter’s life? I can only imagine how you are going to react when Myu gets a boyfriend!”
Sho knew she was teasing him, but he ignored it.
“I’ll be lonely once Myu leaves me too,” he admitted.
Chisa’s smile would fade. She would stare at Sho with her sad eyes. “I’m sorry I left. But I am always watching over you three from a distance.”
She would place her hand on Reiko’s arm.
“Your daughters aren’t going to leave you though. I left them here for you. Even if they move out and get married, they will never forget you so don’t feel lonely Sho. They both love you very much.” She would squeeze Reiko’s arm. “Even this troublesome one here. I think she took too much after her Papa.”
“W-what is that supposed to mean?” Sho propped up on his arm.
Reiko moaned as she readjusted herself.
“Shhhhh! You are going to wake Reiko up!” Chisa would place her finger to her lips.
“Sorry,” Sho whispered.
She would give him one of her bright smiles. “Now get some sleep. You know I can’t sleep if you are awake!”
“Right,” Sho muttered, lying himself down again.
“Dad?”
Chisa disappeared.
Sho lifted his head again. “Yeah Reiko?”
“You are awake?”
Sho propped himself up so he could see Reiko better. “Yeah, I am. Is there something wrong?”
She shook her head.
“I just had a dream…”
“Hm? What about?”
“Mom.”
Sho stared at Reiko.
“She was here…with us right now,” Reiko said in a low voice.
Sho reached over Myu and place his hand on Reiko’s head as he could see her start crying. He reached down and wiped her tears.
“That’s because she is here.”
Reiko looked back at her dad, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes. “What?”
Sho went back to lying on his back. “Maybe it’s just something I made up in my mind, but I think whenever we are together as a family like this, she is here with us too. I can feel her presence here.”
Sho could hear Reiko give a smile. “That sounds nice.”
Sho closed his eyes. “It does, doesn’t it?”
Chapter 10
“It’s getting a bit late. It is probably about time that you get home Takeshi.”
“Uh, yes, yes! I was just about to leave!” Takamura messily stuffed his books in his bag. As he stood up he pull the bag on his should. “I’ll, uh, see you later Reiko.”
When he glanced over at Sho, he felt it was a mistake to say that. He rushed out of the house as quickly as he could.
Reiko stood up calmly, trying not to show her embarrassment, and walked towards her room.
“Wait. Right. There.”
Reiko closed her eyes tightly. Her father’s voice had never sounded this scary before.
“Turn around,” he commanded.
Reiko slowly turned around, her head down.
“Come here.” Sho pointed in front of him.
Reiko took her time approaching her father.
“So?” Sho folded his arms again.
“W-what?” Reiko asked timidly.
“Why was he here?” Sho pointed to where Takamura had been sitting.
“He just came for tea…and I helped him with homework,” Reiko explained while being sure to avoid all eye contact.
“Oh, I could see that very well,” Sho said in a sarcastic tone.
Reiko blushed.
“Having a guy over while you are at home alone? Reiko, you are better than that.”
“We…were just kissing…it’s not anything bad…” Reiko’s voice was getting quieter and quieter.
Sho took a deep breath, about to scold her even more.
“I’m home!!” Myu yelled from the front door. She looked at the other two surprised. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, go do your homework,” Sho pointed to her room.
“Eh!? But what about a snack?” Myu pouted.
“Just go!” Sho yelled.
Myu jumped at the volume of her father’s voice. She quickly scurried to her room.
“You didn’t need to yell at Myu,” Reiko mumbled.
Sho put his hands on his hips. “Well you have put me in a VERY bad mood!”
“I didn’t do anything wrong! I just kissed him! Is there something wrong with kissing somebody!?” Reiko finally yelled back.
“Who did you kiss?” Myu poked her head out of her room.
“Do your homework!” Sho and Reiko shouted at the same time.
Myu quickly shut her door.
“You were home with him alone! Who knows where that kiss could have gone!?”
“I wasn’t going to have sex with him! You are completely overreacting dad!”
The distance between Sho and Reiko narrowed as they kept shouting at each other.
“Mom wouldn’t have cared that I kissed some guy I liked! She would have been happy for me!”
“Well Reiko, Mom isn’t here! So you have to listen to what I say!”
“And whose fault is it that she isn’t here!?” Tears stung Reiko’s eyes as she yelled these words.
Sho opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again. There was no way he could argue with that.
Reiko stared at Sho hard, just waiting for his response.
“I’m going out.” Sho slipped on his shoes and slammed the door shut.
Reiko fell to the ground as she bawled.
Her shaking hands reached for her phone.
“Hey Reiko! Did everything work out with your dad?” Takamura asked the moment he answered the phone.
There was silence. Reiko couldn’t get out the words as she struggled to keep her crying quiet.
“Reiko? Reiko? Are you there?”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore as she let out a loud cry.
“T-Ta-ke-e-s-shi. I-I-I-“
“Reiko!? Reiko!? What’s wrong?” Takamura panicked.
“I-I-I y-yelled at my d-dad and-“
Reiko bawled again.
“Reiko, I can’t understand you. Try to calm down.”
Somehow Reiko was able to explain what happened, although it took many minutes to get it all out.
Takamura was silent on his end. Slowly taking in what Reiko had told him.
“Takeshi?” Reiko wasn’t sure if he was even on the phone anymore, it was so quiet. She had suddenly become very aware that she was using his first name.
She was about to say his name again, but she heard his steady breath on his side of the line.
“Reiko…do you blame me for your bullying?” He finally spoke.
Reiko wiped her remaining tears. “W-what, no!”
Once again there was silence.
“Why are you asking that right now?”
She heard Takamura take a deep breath. “Because…if you don’t blame me for your bullying anymore…then why do you still blame your dad for your mom’s death?”
Reiko was taken aback by this question.
“I’m sure he is hurting the most about your mom dying…I know I was blaming myself a lot when you were getting bullied. I can’t…I can’t even imagine what I would be feeling if you died because of the stress my fans caused you,” Takamura explained very soberly.
Reiko put her face in her knees. What had she done?
She had never thought about her dad’s feelings.
How could she have missed it?
Saying her mom’s name in his sleep…having nightmares…They must be related.
“Takeshi…” She liked saying his name this way.
“Yeah Reiko?” Takamura’s voice was so sweet sounding.
“…Don’t ever blame yourself for what happens to me.”
“I can’t make any promises,” Takamura answered bluntly, but made a laugh at the end.
Reiko hugged her knees tightly.
She really liked this guy too much. She didn’t want him blaming himself.
She didn’t want her dad blaming himself either…
She had made a mistake. All these years…she was the one that was wrong.
Now she finally understood her mother’s feelings.
Reiko sat on the couch anxiously. Her dad still wasn’t home and it was getting really late.
Finally she heard the door open and footsteps stumbling in.
“Dad?” Reiko got up from her seat to greet Sho.
Sho was silent as he struggled to take off his shoes.
He had been drinking.
“Dad.” Reiko watched her father with sad eyes.
Sho was struggling so much with his shoes, he sat down to pull them off.
“I’m sorry Dad…” Reiko rubbed her arm.
He sat there with no response.
“Dad?” Reiko hovered over Sho.
Still no response.
As Reiko leaned over more, she saw a tear fall down to the floor.
H-he was crying?
She froze.
She had never seen her dad cry. He always hid those types of feelings. Even at her mother’s funeral. All he did was zone out the whole time.
Sho covered his eyes with his hands, trying to stop the tears.
“Papa…” Reiko’s lip quivered as she fell to her knees. She embraced her dad from the back and dug her face into his shirt.
“I’m sorry Papa. I’m so sorry.”
Sho slowly placed one of his hands on Reiko’s.
“I love you Reiko,” he whispered.
Reiko cried harder.
“I-I love you too Papa. You are the best dad in the world.”
Reiko felt her father’s whole body shake violently as he cried.
“I miss her so much Reiko.” His grip around Reiko’s hand tightened.
Reiko moved her body so she was sitting next to him instead of behind him.
“Why don’t you ever show it?” Reiko asked, wiping her own tears.
Sho looked over at Reiko and gave her a small smile. “Because I have to be strong for you and Myu.”
“That’s stupid,” Reiko muttered.
“Eh?” The bluntness of his daughter surprised him.
Reiko looked back over at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
“We are a family. We are supposed to work together. Rely on me and Myu a bit more.”
“Stop trying to do everything on your own. We are married now, which means we need to work together!”
Sho rubbed his eyes.
“C-Chisa?”
“Huh?” Reiko cocked her head.
Sho kept rubbing his eyes.
Reiko gave a little chuckle. “Dad, you’ve been drinking too much. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
Sho tiredly lifted his head.
Myu was snuggled closely to his chest and Reiko was on the other side of Myu. Somehow the night ended up like this, all three of them sharing one bed.
Sho could imagine Chisa on the other side of Reiko, staying close to not fall off the crowded bed. She would sense that Sho was awake and peek over Reiko’s body to see him.
“You’re awake?” She would say sleepily.
“Nn.” Sho patted Myu’s back gently.
Chisa would readjust herself to get in a more comfortable position.
“Is something on your mind?”
Sho looked over his two daughers. “They are beautiful, aren’t they?”
Chisa would give a small smile. “They are.”
“They look a lot like you.”
Chisa would cock her head. “You think so? I think Reiko looks more like you.”
Sho watched Reiko breathing steadily.
“She has a guy she likes now. She is really growing up fast.”
Chisa would chuckle. “Is Papa jealous that he isn’t the number one man in his daughter’s life? I can only imagine how you are going to react when Myu gets a boyfriend!”
Sho knew she was teasing him, but he ignored it.
“I’ll be lonely once Myu leaves me too,” he admitted.
Chisa’s smile would fade. She would stare at Sho with her sad eyes. “I’m sorry I left. But I am always watching over you three from a distance.”
She would place her hand on Reiko’s arm.
“Your daughters aren’t going to leave you though. I left them here for you. Even if they move out and get married, they will never forget you so don’t feel lonely Sho. They both love you very much.” She would squeeze Reiko’s arm. “Even this troublesome one here. I think she took too much after her Papa.”
“W-what is that supposed to mean?” Sho propped up on his arm.
Reiko moaned as she readjusted herself.
“Shhhhh! You are going to wake Reiko up!” Chisa would place her finger to her lips.
“Sorry,” Sho whispered.
She would give him one of her bright smiles. “Now get some sleep. You know I can’t sleep if you are awake!”
“Right,” Sho muttered, lying himself down again.
“Dad?”
Chisa disappeared.
Sho lifted his head again. “Yeah Reiko?”
“You are awake?”
Sho propped himself up so he could see Reiko better. “Yeah, I am. Is there something wrong?”
She shook her head.
“I just had a dream…”
“Hm? What about?”
“Mom.”
Sho stared at Reiko.
“She was here…with us right now,” Reiko said in a low voice.
Sho reached over Myu and place his hand on Reiko’s head as he could see her start crying. He reached down and wiped her tears.
“That’s because she is here.”
Reiko looked back at her dad, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes. “What?”
Sho went back to lying on his back. “Maybe it’s just something I made up in my mind, but I think whenever we are together as a family like this, she is here with us too. I can feel her presence here.”
Sho could hear Reiko give a smile. “That sounds nice.”
Sho closed his eyes. “It does, doesn’t it?”