Game Changer | Petalz 🌸🍃

Chapter XXI Part II

On the way to the Nakamuras' house, Kazuha updates her parents about her injury, her tone sounding way too cheerful for such a serious topic, making Sakura smile as she sits beside her listening. Then her parents apologize to her repeatedly for not being able to attend any of her matches this season so far, but Kazuha assures them that it's not a big deal and that there'll still be plenty of occasions for them to attend since the season just began. After that, they switch their conversation to more lighthearted topics. Kazuha laughs at her dad's lame joke and promises her mom to dress warmly and eat her meals regularly.

While silently observing their interactions, Sakura can't help but think about her own parents and how she misses moments like these, them just talking while spending their time together in the most mundane of ways, as a family. She supposes it's one of those things people only learn to appreciate once they lose it. That simple sense of belonging. The reassuring presence of one's parents. She wonders whether they sometimes think about this, too. Do they miss each other? Does her mom ever miss her? Wishes she and dad would come back?

Probably not...

"We're here," Mrs. Nakamura's announcement pulls her out of her thoughts.

The woman parks the car on a driveway outside a two-story house. It's much larger than Sakura has imagined, modern in its design with sharp angles and expansive glass panels. The S-class Mercedes in which they arrived should have clued her in that they weren't going to some old, tiny house. It's just that from what Kazuha had mentioned about her parents, Sakura assumed they were mid-level employees at some small company, while clearly they were anything but.

"Please make yourself at home," Mrs. Nakamura tells her when they enter the spacious hallway.

She takes off her shoes and, following Kazuha, steps further inside, taking in the expensive-looking yet still somewhat cozy decor with wooden floors in warm brown hues and family photos hanging on the walls, bathed in soft ambient light. To the right, past the entryway, there's a large kitchen with gray marble counters and dark cabinets.

"I'll prepare us something to eat. You girls must be starving," Mrs. Nakamura says.

"I-I can help," Sakura offers, still feeling like she isn't really supposed to be here and trying to compensate for the fact.

"It's okay. I've got this. You can go with Kazuha to see her room." Mr. Nakamura smiles at her warmly before he follows his wife into the kitchen.

Kazuha doesn't seem too thrilled about the idea, judging by the grimace her dad's words elicit, but tells Sakura to follow her anyway. They go upstairs, and Sakura smiles at the photos lining the wall, showing Kazuha at various stages of her life.

A tiny Kazuha posing with what Sakura guesses is her first medal; a slightly older Kazuha cheering with her dad at a stadium; a teenage Kazuha with grime on her cheeks and a ball under her arm, sporting a jersey of her middle-school soccer team. But her favorite must be the one where Kazuha sits cross-legged on a picnic blanket between her parents in a park under the cherry blossom trees, grinning toothily at the camera with the familiar blue Nike ball lying in her lap.

They reach the door to Kazuha's room and stop. "Can you give me a moment? There's probably a mess in there," the girl says, avoiding Sakura's gaze.

Sakura casts her a doubtful glance. "Zuha, when was the last time you've been here? And also, you and a mess? Come on."

Kazuha sighs in defeat and opens the door, letting Sakura enter first.

For the most part, it's a regular room. There's a neatly made bed, a desk with a computer monitor, a closet, and a bookshelf. Nothing out of the ordinary—if not for the amount of Sakura's posters on the walls.