[14 July:11:30 AM]
[Chapter 3-Choices]
[Chapter 3-Choices]
Taro stood hesitantly at the door, his hand hovering over the handle. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.
"I didn’t come to Japan for more than two years. I haven’t even contacted them for over a year. Will they accept me?"
His hand trembled before he slowly pulled it back, his mind drowning in scenarios—some warm, some cold, and some devastating.
Suddenly, he felt a warm touch on his shoulder.
Startled, Taro turned around.
It was none other than his mother, her eyes glistening with emotion.
“Taro, what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice filled with surprise and warmth.
“Mom… I returned to Japan for work reasons,” Taro replied, frozen in place, unsure of how to react.
His mother smiled gently. “Why are you standing there, Taro? It’s rude not to hug your mom.”
Without hesitation, she pulled him into a warm embrace. Taro, overwhelmed, reached out and hugged her back, his emotions flooding as memories of his childhood rushed to him.
“Oh, Taro, how long has it been since I last saw you? You were my little boy then, but now you’ve grown into a man,” she said, holding him tightly.
“I missed you so much, Mom,” Taro whispered, feeling a sense of relief he hadn’t felt in years.
His doubts melted away. A mother’s love, he realized, was unbreakable.
“Let’s go home, Taro,” his mom said, smiling warmly.
“Let’s go,” Taro replied, nodding.
---
[At the Apartment]
Taro stepped into the apartment, memories flooding back as he scanned the familiar surroundings.
“Remember, Taro? This was your old apartment,” his mom said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
“Yes, Mom. I remember everything,” Taro replied, his eyes lingering on every corner of the room.
He set his bag down and turned to his mother. “Mom, can I have something to eat?”
“Obviously, Taro,” she replied, heading to the kitchen.
As Taro sat down, he thought about the village food his mom used to make.
“This kind of food is rare in the city, especially in the West,” he said to himself.
“How long has it been since my Taro had good food?” his mom asked from the kitchen.
“Quite some time, Mom,” Taro replied.
She soon returned with a steaming plate of food. Taro eagerly started eating, savoring every bite like it was a piece of heaven.
“How long are you in Japan this time?” his mom asked, watching him eat with a smile.
“About a week,” Taro replied between bites.
“Want to visit the mountain house we still have?” she suggested.
The mention of the house sent a wave of childhood memories rushing back.
“You want to go there?”
“Yes.”
“That house is in the mountains,” Taro said hesitantly.
“I know.”
“Don’t you remember what happened with Dad the last time we were there?”
“That was a year ago,” his mom said calmly. “And so what? Your dad is dead now.”
Her words struck Taro like a thunderclap.
“Dead? How did he die?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“I killed your dad after the fight we had because of you,” she said bluntly.
Taro froze, unable to process her words. “Why did you do that?! That’s a crime!”
“So what? What your dad did was unacceptable,” she said coldly.
“That doesn’t mean you kill him!” Taro shouted, his voice cracking as he bolted out of the house.
---
How could my own mother do that?!
How could she?
I knew she hated Dad, but not to this level.
Taro’s thoughts spiraled as he stumbled down the street.
---
[Incoming Call: Kaito]
Taro answered the call, trying to steady his voice.
“Taro, my guy! I heard you’re in Japan. Where are you right now?”
“In front of my old apartment,” Taro replied.
“You free this evening?”
“When?”
“Like 3:00 PM.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, good. I have something to tell you!”
“Where are we meeting?”
“Let’s meet at Nyan Cat Café.”
“Bet.”
The call ended, and Taro took a deep breath. Kaito’s familiar voice had eased his nerves, if only slightly.
---
Just as he felt a moment of peace, his phone buzzed.
[New Text from Unknown Number]
"The village is a lie."
Taro stared at the message, his unease growing.
“The village is a lie?” he muttered to himself. “What village? What lie?”
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