A Fighting Chance

Chapter 9

Gorou: You're right, I could use the fresh air - as he got up and stretched his legs before he put on shoes - I'll be back soon.

Miki: Alright - as she went back to the kitchen and heard the front door close and the lock clicked.

She continued to scale the fish, she was going to cut some up for Issei to use, since he had left a note for his parents about using some of the fish to make something for lunch tomorrow. About 10 minutes later, she finished scaling and was beginning to gut them, when the landline rang. She gave a huff of annoyance as she was disturbed in completing her task, but she still washed her hands and wiped them before answering the phone.

Miki: Hello, Hyoudou Residence, may I know who is speaking?

????: Miki?

Miki: Mizuki?

Mizuki: It is you, it's so good to hear from you, my receptionist said that a Hyoudou Gorou called and I had to call back. How have you been?

Miki: I'm doing well, I see you have your restaurant, congratulations!

Mizuki: Thank you and what about you?

Miki: Well, I will be starting work again, it's going to be an empty house here, until the evenings.

Mizuki: Really? And how is Ise-kun?

Miki: He's doing much better.

Mizuki: Better? Was he sick?

Miki: No, no, he has moved on from his perversion after an incident that happened earlier in the year, he's currently at work now.

Mizuki: Ah, well, I would say that the church has suppressed Irina's and I see what you meant by an empty house, you're all working, guess it's similar to our situation here.

Miki: Yeah, I know on some days, Ise goes from his club activities to work.

Mizuki: He's in a club? Wow, he must be busy.

Miki: Yeah, on the weekends, it's work and train, then on the weekdays it's school, train, and work.

Mizuki: Train? What's he training for?

Miki: He has a tournament coming up in about two weeks, it's for martial arts.

Mizuki: That sounds exciting! I wonder if they stream it, I'd like to watch it, but then again, the time difference.

Miki: Yes, Gorou mentioned that, he went out for a walk, relieving some stress after trying to find you.

Mizuki: Which I may ask, what took you guys so long, I thought we were friends?

Miki: Don't give that tone with me, you're the ones who left without telling us where you would be staying, oh, poor Ise was hoping for a postcard or something from Irina-chan.

Mizuki: You're right, Irina was feeling the same.

Miki: Yeah, he didn't make friends until middle school since you all left.

Mizuki: He was alone for that whole time?

Miki: Yeah, the two "friends" that he got were a bad influence on him, but it didn't help that we were not able to discipline him after his perversion was reignited.

Mizuki: Why didn't you?

Miki: You remember how I told you about my two miscarriages, right? I feared that I would lose my boy if I did discipline him, so I let him be, but I also held him in a bit of contempt. We have been able to move on from it together as a family, Ise and Gorou went fishing yesterday, they caught six fish.