Rules Were Made to be Broken

‣ scene 14 [face the facts]

"Hey, man," Mondo prodded. "You can talk about it. I won't make fun of ya or nothin'."

"Well..." Kiyotaka couldn't quite decide where to start. "I... guess I just don't know how to do anything else. I don't have any other family. And I sure as hell don't have any friends. What's going to happen to me if I just up and abandon them all of a sudden?"

Mondo studied him, as they were temporarily stopped at a red light, looking surprisingly serious.

"Guess it's not always so simple. But... frankly, from the shit ya said when you were drunk, they sound like terrible people. I dunno that they deserve so mucha your time n' devotion."

"...They weren't always like that." Kiyotaka stared at the light for the brief second that he saw its green glow, and then Mondo hit the gas once more and it blurred into the night sky. "They were really nice once. Always smiling, and really affectionate and proud of me. They just... stopped smiling at some point. I guess I've just been trying to make them happy again."

"I see. ...You just happen to love 'em."

Kiyotaka laughed joylessly and threw up one of his hands in disbelief.

"Don't sound so surprised! Don't most people love their parents?!"

Mondo shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. My mom's probably dead n' my dad's in prison somewhere. I don't exactly care to visit, either." His voice was spiteful when he said that. Kiyotaka wouldn't ask him to elaborate on something like that, so he tried to change the subject somewhat. Though he did wonder why he said "probably dead"— was he not sure? Did he have no contact with her at all?

"That's... unfortunate. A-Anyway, they've been a bit less critical recently, so maybe it'll get better soon. They're not on my case about getting married anymore."

Mondo made a strange face.

"N' why is that?"

"I, uh... met a very wealthy young woman in more or less the same situation. We're fake-dating now. We've got our parents fooled."

Mondo stared at him until he could see that he was serious, and then he laughed. Kiyotaka actually laughed along with him.

Every time he and Mondo met, Kiyotaka ended up divulging something embarrassing. It wasn't like he had to. It just happened, somehow, because Mondo had a strange way of making him feel comfortable. Occasionally annoyed, yes, but also like he didn't have to pretend to be the man his parents wanted him to be. Mondo seemed satisfied with what he really was. Even when he was drunk.

"I was gonna say," Mondo teased, sounding oddly relieved. "I woulda been surprised if ya told me you were actually seein' some chick."

Kiyotaka stiffened as Mondo snickered.

"Wha— What does that mean?!"

"Don't worry about it." Mondo cracked a wry little smile, and Kiyotaka tried to remember if he'd mentioned anything to the man about his orientation. Mondo changed the subject before he could ask. "But, well... if ya really do insist on stayin' this course and committin' to your act with this girl, ya gotta at least allow yourself some small rebellion."

"...Small rebellion?"

"Yeah. Doesn't have to be anything they find out about. Pick up a hobby or somethin', or maybe just go to a party. Start a fuckin' diary. I dunno. But you've gotta do something, or your head'll explode."

"...I don't know if I can come up with something like that..."

"Hey. You're smart. Really, really smart. You'll think of somethin' better than anything I could."