The company trip marked the end of June, and before we knew it, July had arrived. Now that we were back home, the house felt strangely quiet without the constant buzz of our coworkers around. It was just me and Keiko for now. Rin hadn't returned from school yet, and the clock read just past 12 PM.
"Keiko… do you want to tell Rin tonight?" I asked, watching as she set down her bag.
"About me leaving for three months?" Keiko replied, her voice calm but thoughtful.
"Yeah."
She exhaled, leaning back against the couch. "Yes, nothing good comes from delaying it anyway."
"You're right." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I just hope she takes it well."
Keiko gave me a small smile, but she didn’t say anything. We both knew Rin wouldn't be thrilled about this news.
---
A couple of hours later, Rin finally came home.
"I'm home," she called out, her usual indifferent tone filling the house.
Keiko and I both greeted her. "Oh… you're back already?" I added, trying to sound casual.
"Welcome home, Rin," Keiko said, stepping forward.
Rin narrowed her eyes slightly. "Well, this is rare. You guys are both home at this time."
Keiko let out a soft chuckle. "Go clean yourself up and rest first."
"Mm." Rin nodded and disappeared into her room.
I turned to Keiko with an idea forming in my head. "Hey, since we have some free time together, why don’t we go out as a family?"
Keiko glanced at the clock—it was 3:17 PM. She hummed in thought before nodding. "It’s still early. I think we should."
I grinned. "Great. You should ask Rin first."
Keiko rolled her eyes playfully but went to Rin’s room. Meanwhile, I started searching for a good place to go. A park? No, Rin would probably get bored. A zoo? She wasn’t a fan of animals. A mall? Maybe—
"What are you looking for?"
"AHH!" I nearly jumped out of my seat, my phone slipping from my hands.
Keiko blinked at me, startled by my reaction. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you."
I grabbed my phone off the floor, feeling my face heat up. "It’s okay!" I quickly cleared my throat to change the subject. "S-so… what did Rin say?"
Keiko smiled at my flustered state before answering. "She’s fine with it. So, where are we going?"
"I’m still deciding…" I muttered, scrolling through my phone.
Keiko chuckled. "Let’s just go to the mall. I need to buy groceries anyway, and we can have dinner together there."
"Sounds good."
---
By 5 PM, we were ready and started walking toward the mall. It was about two kilometers away, so we decided to take our time and enjoy the walk. I walked slightly behind Keiko and Rin, watching them chat casually. It made me smile. I missed this. I missed the feeling of being a family.
How foolish was I before? I took these moments for granted.
"Rin, what do you want for dinner?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
Rin looked at me and shrugged. "I don’t know."
"Is there anything you’ve been wanting to try?"
She thought for a moment before pulling out her phone. "There’s this ramen place at the mall. I heard it’s good." She showed me the screen.
Keiko glanced over and smiled. "That looks nice."
"Alright then, let’s try it," I said, smiling at Rin. She didn’t say anything, but I noticed the slight curl at the corner of her lips.
We arrived at the mall and went straight to the ramen shop. The rich aroma of broth and spices filled the air as we sat down and placed our orders. When our bowls arrived, I took a sip of the broth and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Rin, this is really good. Thanks for the recommendation," I said sincerely.
She didn't respond, but I caught her smiling again as she focused on her noodles. She really was like her mom—too shy to handle compliments.
Keiko, too, looked pleased with the food. I was glad we came here.
But dinner wasn’t the main event of the night. Keiko still had to break the news to Rin.
After finishing her bowl, Keiko finally spoke up. "Rin, I have something to tell you."
Rin blinked at her. "What is it, Mom? Why do you look so serious? You’re scaring me."
Keiko took a deep breath. "My job is sending me to Hawaii for three months."
Rin froze. Her face slowly morphed from confusion to disbelief. "Wha—what?! Seriously?"
Keiko nodded. "Yes. I’m sorry, dear."
"B-but why?"
Keiko explained patiently. "The company is opening a new branch, and my boss wants me to help oversee it for the first few months."
Rin went silent.
I decided to step in. "Rin, it’s a great opportunity for your mom’s career."
That was when she finally looked at me—almost like she had just remembered I was sitting there. Then her eyes widened slightly as she came to a realization.
"D-does that mean I have to live with Dad for three months?"
Before Keiko or I could answer, she quickly added, "I don’t want to."
I felt a pang in my chest. "Rin… I know I’ve made mistakes before, but—"
"I can’t. I don’t want to," she interrupted, looking away.
To my surprise, Keiko lightly scolded her. "Can you at least be nice and give your dad another chance?"
I spoke gently. "I’m sorry, Rin. Please, believe me."
Rin let out a heavy sigh before mumbling, "Fine."
She still wasn’t looking at me or Keiko, but at least she didn’t outright refuse.
"Rin, I raised you to be kind, not to be like this," Keiko said with a small frown.
Rin hesitated, then muttered, "I’m sorry… Mom… and Dad."
Keiko smiled. "Alright, let’s go grocery shopping before we head home."
---
We ended up buying way too many groceries.
"Are you sure you’re okay?" Keiko asked, eyeing the sheer number of bags I was carrying.
"I-I’m fine," I said, even though my arms were shaking.
Keiko chuckled. "You’re trembling so much, you look like a vibrating phone."
To my surprise, Rin giggled too. "Stop pretending, Dad."
Hearing her laugh warmed my heart more than anything.
When we finally got home, I flopped onto the couch, my arms like jelly.
"Come here, Ryusei," Keiko called softly.
I glanced at her, confused, but obeyed. She took my hands and started massaging them gently.
I stared at her, completely touched. Even after everything, she still cared for me like this.
Overwhelmed, the only thing that came out of my mouth was, "I love you."
Keiko smiled but didn’t say anything—just continued massaging my hands, her touch warm and comforting.