Both of them fell silent for a moment.
"You shouldn't have given my number to anyone else." Hiroshi Makoto spoke up, "Although I don't recall ever saying that you shouldn't do this, you should be clear about this."
Chiaki remained silent.
"I don't object to you having a boyfriend, but I definitely won't easily approve of it," Hiroshi Makoto continued lightly.
"Over eighty percent of high school boyfriends break up. You think that your relationship will last forever is actually quite fragile, just like a cup made of ice — it shatters with a single drop. Even if it doesn't shatter, it'll melt over time.
"The more invested you are in a relationship, the more you'll regret it after the breakup — you should understand this.
"Don't get too addicted to this adolescent game, otherwise you'll be the one suffering in the end."
"… You're right, Dad," Chiaki responded lightly.
"But I'm already addicted, and I want to play this game with him for the rest of my life.
Even if I can't do it, even if I regret it and feel pain … I think it's worth it. "
"That's just what you think right now." Hiroshi Makoto looked directly at her. "You'll definitely change your mind in the future."
"Perhaps … but I won't forget." Chiaki also looked directly at him.
The famous artist looked directly at his daughter's face.
"You'll forget." After a moment of silence, he averted his gaze and spoke in a cold tone.
Then, the waiter arrived with the dishes.
Exquisite porcelain plates and bowls were placed on the table. The dishes had the beauty of a work of art.
Not only did they look beautiful, but they also tasted amazing. But right now, Chiaki was thinking about the food at Seiji's home.
At this time, Seiji and the others were having dinner as well.
Compared to the exquisite dishes in front of her, she wanted to go back to Seiji's home and eat their daily meals together.
…
Seiji took a bite of a bun.
He bought the bun from a convenience store. It was piping hot, filled with filling, and tasted quite good.
Why was he eating the bun? That was because he was currently outside, waiting near the restaurant where Chiaki and her father were having dinner.
Although he respected Chiaki's decision to let her face Wakaba Hiroshi Makoto alone, he never said that he would wait at home.
Going to that restaurant to eat was also an option. Money was not a problem, but Seiji preferred to go home and eat Little Shi's dinner, so he just ate a bun to fill his stomach.
Suddenly, something approached him from the side. He turned his head and saw a grey-furred dog.
The dog's eyes showed its desire for food.
After looking at it for a moment, Seiji took a piece from the bun and threw it in front of it.
After the grey-haired dog ate the bun, it looked at Seiji Mukai again.
Seiji finished the rest of the buns and spread his hands to indicate that he had finished all the food.
The grey-haired dog blinked and left in disappointment.
Seiji remained where he was, waiting quietly in the wind.
…
After the dessert, it was tea.
Smelling the fragrance of the tea, he slowly took a sip, tasting the bitterness and experiencing the sweetness as the end of this delicious meal.
"Dad … I want to know …"
"There's nothing to say about your mother," Hiroshi Makoto didn't wait for his daughter to finish, and said lightly, "Don't pay attention to it, don't think too much."
"Why?" Chiaki asked.
"Because it's meaningless," Hiroshi Makoto's eyes flashed, "it's meaningless for you to know about someone who is no longer here."
"In that case, all history is meaningless, and the school should cancel history classes," Chiaki said coldly.
It was impossible to cancel history classes, so that sentence didn't make sense.
"She's not history, not a famous or important person, just a woman who has no impact on the world after she's gone," Hiroshi Makoto said.
"The history you learn in school is like a famous painting, it has great value to the world and to mankind."
"As for your mother, she's like a child's graffiti, worthless to the world, and destined to disappear."
"You've never cared about it before, and that's good, as long as you continue to not care …"
"I care!!" Chiaki suddenly shouted.
Her face revealed anger, sadness, resentment, helplessness, and so on; it was a complex expression.
"How could I not care! She's my mother!! "
"But you never told me … apart from some paintings where I couldn't see her face, I didn't know anything else!
I wanted to know, but I couldn't get an answer even if I asked you, so I could only force myself not to care.
But I really don't care!!! "Chiaki's voice sounded like she was about to cry.
"I want to know my mother's name, what kind of person she was, if she's still in this world, where is she if she's still here, where is her grave if she's no longer here, where are her belongings …
Even if these things are worthless to the world, they're of great value to me! Because I'm her daughter!! "
Faced with his daughter's sudden outburst of emotions, Hiroshi Makoto's eyes widened slightly, as if he had received an impact.
Tears flowed down from the corners of Chiaki's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Dad …
You've raised me up, and you've never mistreated me; I'm truly grateful …
"But … this isn't normal …
"I want to know … what mother is to you …
"This daughter of mine … to you … just what exactly am I …?"
Her tears dripped into the teacup.
Hiroshi Makoto lowered his gaze and looked at the teacup, remaining silent for a long time.
After Chiaki calmed down, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears.
At this moment, she really wished that Seiji was by her side.
Even if she was only holding his hand, she could feel his warmth.
'Should I send a distress signal?
As long as I take out my cell phone and make a call or send a message, he'll immediately rush over!
'He'll definitely arrive very quickly … if he sees me like this, won't he immediately attack Dad?'
She recalled her conversation with Seiji earlier, and how he pretended to be a delinquent, causing Chiaki to have the urge to laugh.
Just thinking about it gave her courage.
'Let's not summon a delinquent boyfriend yet. Otherwise, if he really breaks Dad's bones, things won't end well.'
Just as Chiaki was thinking about this, the famous artist slowly turned to look at her again.
"It's a dream …"
He spoke in the same flat tone of voice.
However, there was a different emotion in his words than before.
Chiaki returned to her senses and looked at her father as well. She saw that under his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes revealed an expression that she'd never seen before. It seemed to be sadness, helplessness, and melancholy …
"Your mother is nothing but a dream to me.
I remember some scenes where she was around, but I can't recall her name or face …
"As for my memories of her … I think they're important … but they're all just my fantasies …
"That's because everyone doesn't know her … especially you, Chiaki.
"In my 'memories,' she's with you, taking care of you, loving you, and raising you … You're the one who should know her the most.
"But in reality, you just said that you don't know her at all …"
Hiroshi Makoto took a deep look at Chiaki.
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