Chapter 16

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Chapter 16:

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“..Money?"

Ami-san asked with a disgusted look on her face.

Even for family members, lending or borrowing money can cause major conflicts. Um, a few of my friends have also been involved in financial disputes because of that.

"Yes, money! Lend me about 300,000 yen!”

"There's no way I can lend you that much money," Ami-san said as if she were shunned.

Although 300,000 yen is a large amount of money, it is not an amount that I cannot lend. I don't know how much Ami-san earns, but she must be earning more than me. So I don't think it's an amount she can't lend either…

However, psychologically, she must not be able to lend it to her…

If I were to lend Yuka 300,000 yen - in effect, it would be like giving her the money - Instead I would rather spend it on Riko. That's human nature. That's what people are like.

“Please!"

Not giving up, Yuka begged her.

“I'll definitely pay back the money I borrowed later!”

"I don't trust people who use the word ‘definitely’ lightly."

As expected, Ami-san shunned her.

Realising that she couldn't ask her sister for help, so she attached herself to me in a hug.

"I'm sorry, but I can't lend you money either."

I refused mercilessly.

“What are you going to do with three million yen? Is it for bail money for your boyfriend who got caught?”

Yuka shook her head. 

“No, I'm in debt…”

“You have to work to pay it back."

I felt like I was shoving her away.

“I can't work and pay back three hundred thousand yen…”

“It's not impossible, you can pay it back in less than ten years if you save and cut back on your living expenses.”

However, Yuka's response was: “I have a baby in my belly.”

Riko, Ami-san and I were all surprised by her sudden confession.

“Is it the child of your boyfriend who got caught?”

"Probably, yes."

“...No, but still, if you work hard after you have the baby, t..”

“I don't want to work.”

Finally, her true feelings spilled out.

Both Ami-san and I couldn't help but glare at her.

And Riko, who had been silently listening to the conversation, had a dead look in her eyes the whole time, as if she had become disillusioned with her mother. 

I thought she was happy to see her mother again for some reason, but her face seems to have shrivelled and disappeared. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It would have been better for her to never see her mother again, so at least she could have the illusion of happiness.

Yuka said, "Hey, whoever you are, lend me some money. If you don't lend me the money, …I won't be able to live from now on…”

Ami-san was about to open her mouth to say, "Go home," but before she could, Riko stood up briskly. The chair fell back with a thud.

"...Riko?" Yuka said.

Then, Riko's hand hit Yuka on the cheek.

A sharp sound was heard throughout the room.

"What are you doing, is this how you behave towards your mother?"

"You're not my mother!"

Riko yelled at her. Riko's tone of voice was different from usual. She must be very furious.

"If you borrowed the money, work for it and pay it back yourself!"

With a thud, she poked her mother in the chest with both hands.

Tears were flowing from her eyes.

“I don't give a damn what happens to you! Go back! Don't ever show your face in front of me again!”

Her voice was faint at the end, as if she didn't usually raise her voice to this level.

Yuka couldn't hide her upset at her daughter's rejection of her and her declaration of insulation.

She said, "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry, Riko … Please forgive your mom…”

"...”

Riko didn't reply, but just shook her head in silence.

She didn't want to have any more conversations with Yuka. Or does she not want to be disappointed in her mother any more?

“...Okay. I'm going home.”

Yuka chuckled and walked like a ghost to the front door.

When she finally left, Riko collapsed on the spot while Ami-san gently hugged her and comforted her by gently stroking her head. Riko cried in Ami-san's chest.

Ami-san seemed to be Riko's real mother. Yuka is her birth mother, but she is not a good parent to Riko.

I went after Yuka and called out to her in the hallway.

"Yuka."

“...Kazuma."

I grabbed a bill from my wallet and shoved it to Yuka, saying, "This is like a parting gift. It's not quite enough for 300,000 yen, but please take it.”

"...Thanks."

Yuka hurriedly shoves the crumpled bill into her pocket.

“Yuka, if you care about your daughter, don't ever show up in front of Riko again.”

“…yes."

“It’s a promise.”

“All right. I'll never show up in front of Riko again.”

Let's hope she's telling the truth.

“Kazuma, make sure Riko is happy.”

"I will, even if you don't say so."

I sighed inwardly, who are you to say that? It was you, the mother, who was supposed to make sure she had a happy life. You are so self-centred.

"Don't ever break your promise, okay? See ya."

I was about to close the door, but Yuka called out, "Wait.”

“...We'll probably never see each other again, so I'm really sorry about what happened in …high school.”

I laugh lightly and say, "Hmm.”

“It's too late to apologize for something that happened so long ago.”

Then I closed the door.

That was the last time I saw Yuka, so I don't know what happened to her after that. Was she having a baby and raising it, or was she lying about having a baby in the first place? What happened to her boyfriend who got caught?

I don't know anything about her.

...To be continued!

---

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