"Rika-chan!" Naoko waved happily. There was a small crowd with her. The only ones I really knew well were Tsukino Shuji and Ishii Hanako. There were two more boys and two more girls - ones I've eaten lunch with.
"Hey, sorry I'm a bit late."
"It's fine! Come on, let's go in!"
The twins had apparently designed the costumes that we put on, and Haruhi was one of the helpers. Our group decided to break into two to solve different mysteries, but we kept regrouping and discussing. It was really fun. Detective stuff has always been cool to me.
After we solved the cases, we headed off to get crepes.
"I heard there's a musical," Hanako said as we all munched on our snack. "In the East Gym, maybe. Don't remember."
"I love musicals!" one of the girls said excitedly. "Let's go watch it then!" Naoko replied with a grin. "Sure." One of the guys shrugged.
"There you are!" I felt two hands grab my arms.
"Wah!" I nearly dropped my chocolate crepe in shock. Shuji glanced at me. The rest of the group was too engrossed in their conversation to notice. When I turned around, I found the twins grinning at me mischievously. "What are you two doing here? Don't you have super busy Host Club?"
"So Honey-senpai was right," Hikaru said slowly.
"What?" I snapped, brushing their hands off.
"You're mad," Kaoru replied simply.
"Of course I am! I nearly dropped my crepe!" I said with a frown.
"You're mad cause of that?" the twins asked.
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "So what are you guys doing here?"
"We came to tell you something!" They grinned and sparkles appeared beside them. "Come with us please!"
I eyed them suspiciously. "No thanks."
"Why not? Trust us! You won't regret it!"
"I'm about to go see a musical," I said, turning towards the group. Then I realized they were already down the hall.
"We're gonna leave you behind, Rika-chan!" Naoko called teasingly.
"No!" I yelled. The twins grabbed my arms, lifted me off the floor, and then began to cart me away. "No! Naoko-chan! Don't ditch meeeeeee!"
My cries were unheard as the twins sprinted down the halls. I gripped my crepe with both hands. It wasn't everyday that I got to eat a crepe. And it was chocolate too!
"Let me down! You evil twins! Demon spawn! Dog poo!"
They cackled madly at the last one.
At some abandoned and empty hallway, they lurched to a halt beside a door. And not any door, a closet door. Hikaru opened the door.
"What do you think you are d-" I was cut off as I went sailing through the air. "Dooooing?!"
I'm gonna die!
Luckily, I didn't. Because someone caught me. In his arms. Specifically Mitsukuni.
I blushed. "Mit-"
Then the door slammed shut. "You have thirty minutes!" I heard the twins squeal happily.
Um. What?
"Really?" I said as Mitsukuni set me down on my feet gently. I stomped to the door and pounded. "Oi! Let us out! Hikaru! K-"
"Ah, Rika!" He grabbed my pounding fist and then held a finger to his lips. "Shh! I'm taking a secret break!" "Oh."
"And the door isn't locked," he said. To prove his point, he reached over and twisted the doorknob.
"Oh."
Well, aren't I a bright one?
I smiled and then chuckled sheepishly. I rubbed the back of my neck. "I thought that... well..."
Mitsukuni grinned. "What do you have there?"
"Oh! It's a chocolate crepe!" I held said food item out towards him. "Want a bite?"
"Sure!" He took hold of both my hands and bit into the still warm dessert.
"Good right?" I asked as I ate some myself. He nodded. "So why are you on a secret break?"
"I wanted to look at the festival with you, but the Host Club makes it really hard," he replied. "Plus I heard there's starting to be rumors about the two of us."
"What kind of rumors?" I asked, eating while listening.
"Rumors that there's something going on between us," he said with a nervous giggle. Oh, of course there'd be stuff like that.
"Hey, Mitsukuni," I said. "If people ask me if there's something going on between us, I'll tell them no. Okay? And I'll say that, um, I see you more as a..." I stared at the ground in thought. "A little brother! And a cake test taster than a prospective boyfriend. Is that okay? I don't mean it though!"
He laughed. "Okay. What should I say then?"
"Hm... I'm a sister?" I suggested with a shrug.
"Sure!"
"Then, I'll call you, uh, Mitsu-chan then, okay?" I said. "Like how you call me Ri-chan."
"Okay!"
I guess he was fine with whatever. Well, now we have a barrier against rumors! Yay! We're one step ahead of those other manga couples!
I chewed on the crepe. "So now what are we gonna do? Hang out in a closet for half an hour?" Mitsukuni took a step forward towards me. Then he licked my bottom lip.
*# %&$!
"Mitsukuni!" I choked out as my face began to burn.
He grinned. "Rika's blushing face is the cutest."
No it's not! Nooo it's not! I lowered my head, embarrassed. Geez. "Are you mad?" he asked curiously.
I shook my head. "Opposite."
"Opposite?"
"I'm actually, um... re-really happy!" I squeezed my eyes shut. Uwaa, my face must be super red.
Mitsukuni was silent, so I glanced up at him uncertainly. He was looking at me, and under the dim light, it seemed like he was blushing too.
"Why are you blushing?" I asked. The heat was dying down slightly. "Ca-Cause," he said.
"That really explains a lot." I smirked.
He smiled. "You're cute!"
Great. I may as well paint my cheeks a permanent red. "Thanks," I mumbled, flushing again. He grinned cheerfully. I glanced at him again. "But why'd you do that?"
"Hm? There was chocolate on your lip!" he replied as flowers bloomed around him.
Ugh. That's great.
"Want some more then?" I held the crepe out towards him.
He nodded and took the whole thing. I sat down on the ground of the closet. It was a good thing this was an Ouran closet. Even the floor was clean, and the shelves in the back were dustless and neat.
Mitsukuni settled down on the ground across from me.
"You can have it all," I said.
"Yay!" He grinned, munching away happily.
"So what are we going to do? Just sit here?" I asked.
"I don't think I can go out," he said. "Sorry. If you don't want to stay here, you don't have to." "No." I pulled my knees towards my chest with a smile. "I want to stay here with you."
He smiled warmly. "Okay!"
We started talking, about the festival, the Host Club, and our class booth. I told him about how I played against Umari and the conditions, and how she wouldn't be bothering him anymore. He told me about what the Host Club was doing. They were taking turns riding in carriages that'd pick up customers and take them to the Central Salon: the room the Host Club was occupying for the festival.
"Oh yeah, Rika!" Mitsukuni said, suddenly remembering something quite happily. "We should go out some time!"
"Sure!" I grinned. "Like how we went to the amusement park?" He nodded with a smile. "Yeah! Where do you want to go?"
"I don't care." I shrugged. I thought for a moment, trying to think of places that we could go. But nothing really came to mind. "Oh, but when Christmas comes..."
"What?" he asked eagerly, leaning forward.
"And on New Years Eve," I said slowly. "Can we do something then?" "Ehhh? Do I have to wait that long?" he said looking disappointed.
"No!" I quickly shook my head. "I'm just saying that I'd really like to do something on those days. Especially New Years. Can we go visit the shrine?"
"Of course!" He grinned.
"Hey, senpais!" A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. "Five minutes left!" It sounded like Hikaru.
"That was fast," I murmured, checking my watch. The two of us climbed onto our feet.
"Hang on, Rika," Mitsukuni said. He took my hand and pulled me close. Then he kissed me, very quickly. "Okay!" He pulled away with a grin.
"You need to kiss me more," I replied, smiling. I grabbed his sleeve and kissed him back. It seemed he wasn't very bold when it came to things like this. But I felt him kiss me back.
"Keep it PG in there!" a yell came from outside. I blushed. "Sh-Shut up, Kaoru!"
"It's Hikaru!"
"It is not!" I said. "It's totally Kaoru."
The door opened and Hikaru smirked at us. "It's Hikaru."
I scowled.
"Time's up!" Kaoru said, poking his head over Hikaru's shoulder with a smile.
"See ya, Rika!" Mitsukuni patted my shoulder on his way out.
"All clear," Hikaru said. He glanced up and down the hallway. "Rika-senpai, you might want to wait another ten or so minutes, though."
"Why do I have to wait ten minutes before I can leave?" I asked. "I'm coming too." I stepped after them.
"No! You'll blow our cover!" Hikaru said, pretending to be oh so serious. He grabbed my shoulders with a panicked expression.
I kicked the door shut with my foot. "What cover?"
"Oh, Rika-senpai!" Chiyo waved from where she stood at the end of the hallway. "Hey! Let's go see the musical together! With Tomiko-senpai!" Tomiko came from around the corner with a shy smile.
"See?" I said. "There's no need for a cover."
"Yeah, yeah," the twins said. They both ruffled my hair as they walked the opposite way. "Bye, senpai!" "Bye Ri-chan!" Mitsukuni waved with a grin.
"Bye," I called back. Then I turned towards the two waiting for me. "Let's go see the musical then!"
The musical was pretty good. It was practically the same level as those professional musicals, as expected from a show by Ouran students. As we exited the gym, a voice called out towards us. "Chiyo! Come here!"
Chiyo stiffened beside me and then headed towards the voice with a smile. "Mom! Dad! You came!"
Chiyo's parents?! Tomiko glanced at me with a worried look. Maybe she knew about Chiyo's situation too, or maybe even more than I did.
Her dad was a tall, gruff looking man, with a short, graying beard. He had light brown, slightly longish hair and - guess what - stern, dark gray eyes. Her mom had long blond hair in a low ponytail and radiant blue eyes with a sharp look. Chiyo's appearance obviously took after her mother.
"Of course we'd come to see how you're doing," her dad said. He glanced at Tomiko and I briefly. "Are you going to introduce us to your friends?"
"Oh! Of course!" Chiyo turned towards us with a warm smile. "Mom, Dad, meet Kurosawa Tomiko and Hayashi Rika!"
I bowed. "It's nice to meet you." Tomiko bowed too, murmuring her greeting.
"Never heard of a Kurosawa before," Mr. Minami mused. "But Hayashi... Are you Hayashi Noboru's daughter?" I nodded, smiling politely. "Yes."
"How is Chiyo in school?" Mrs. Minami asked.
"She's very popular here," I replied. "And she has one of the best grades."
"Is that so." Mr. Minami seemed skeptical. He rubbed his beard in thought. "What do you think then,
Kurosawa-kun?"
Kurosawa-kun?"
Tomiko's face instantly turned red. "Chi-Chiyo-san is very re-respected here."
"Pardon me, I don't think I quite understand," Mr. Minami said. He leaned closer, towering over all three of us.
"Sh-She is gr-greatly respect-respected here," Tomiko said. A look of determination took over, and she stared up into his eyes. "Chiyo-san is a great person and very smart."
"I see. Well the two of you are her friends after all." Chiyo's dad turned away with a sigh. "If what they say is true, Chiyo, how come I haven't heard such good things from your teacher?"
"You already spoke to my teacher?" Chiyo asked, eyes widening.
He nodded. "It seems you haven't been stepping up. You know we expect you to do more than your part."
"I know," she said with a nod. "I've been doing my best, though." She smiled.
"Do more than that," Mrs. Minami snapped.
What? Do more than your best? Is that even possible?!
Mr. Minami sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair away. "It must be because of your ditzy personality."
"My personality isn't ditzy at all, Dad!" Chiyo said this with a grin. "I'm just cheerful! And-"
"Well you're too cheerful," he snarled.
"Th-There's nothing wrong with being cheerful!" Tomiko said, fiercely defensive. "I think it's great! Chiyo- san's ability to always smile. It-It makes her very likable!"
Mr. Minami frowned. Then he glanced at me. "What do you think then, Hayashi-kun?"
"Chiyo-san's cheerfulness is a very good part of her," I said with a serious expression. And here I thought Mom was bad. It seemed Chiyo had it even worse. "She is a very kind person, and she isn't 'ditzy' at all. Sh-"
He sighed. "As I thought, it's no good when you ask her friends." Wow. He just interrupted me. Talk about rude!
"We'll be leaving then, Chiyo," Mr. Minami said. He barely glanced at her as he and his wife disappeared into the crowd.
I glanced at Chiyo. She was staring at the ground with a calm, emotionless look.
"Chiyo-san, are you okay?" Tomiko asked quietly.
Chiyo glanced at her and then smiled. "Yeah. My parents are just a bit tiring, that's all."
"You know," I said. "You don't always have to smile. You can - It's fine to cry and get mad every once in a while."
Chiyo just smiled at me. "Thank you, Rika-senpai. And Tomiko-senpai, you were great back there! I can't believe you said so much!" Her eyes widened and became more excited.
Tomiko blushed, shaking her head profusely. "N-Not at all, Chiyo-san! I-I couldn't. I still couldn't."
"You can do it!" Chiyo said with a pat on Tomiko's arm. "Don't worry. You'll definitely be able to talk smoothly soon. Just keep working hard!"
Tomiko smiled. "Thank you."
Was it all a mask? Was Chiyo's bubbliness just a persona? I sighed as we parted and I headed towards the Central Salon.
"Rika, there you are." A finger tapped my shoulder. I turned around and found Mom standing there in full business attire.
"Mom! I thought you weren't coming," I said. Really, after meeting Chiyo's parents, Mom seemed a whole lot nicer.
She sighed, arms on her hips. "That's what I thought too, but my meeting was cancelled. I had some time, so I figured I could stop by."
I smiled, genuinely. "Thank you. Did Onee-san come too?"
"Yes. She's in the Central Salon right now," she replied. "Your dad couldn't make it, since he wants to take time off in November."
November... It must be for me. I nodded. "Then did you see my class's booth yet?"
"Not yet. Will you come with me?" she asked.
"Yes." We began walking towards the West gym.
"Oh yes, Rika. Next week, you'll be going on another date with Minoru-kun." Mom said this as if she were
"Oh yes, Rika. Next week, you'll be going on another date with Minoru-kun." Mom said this as if she were
telling me what we'd be having for dinner.
I nearly tripped, and Mom shot me a stare, warning me not to be a bumbling klutz in public. Or maybe she was telling me not to argue with her.
"Why do I have to go on another date?" I asked. "Isn't one good enough?"
"Well, is one date good enough with your Haninozuka?" Mom asked in reply. I watched the floor as we walked, then I shrugged. "Besides, I'm letting you date Haninozuka. In return, I only ask that you politely and sweetly go on a monthly date with Minoru-kun. That's not bad, is it?"
I nodded. "It isn't. What day is it?" "Next Saturday," she said. "Alright."
And so, by the time I arrived at the Central Salon, there was less than an hour left of the festival. Mom talked a lot with my teacher, and I couldn't just run off to the Host Club. Half way through, Kimiko joined us. She really liked the Venice.
I stopped by a bathroom on my way. As I was washing my hands, familiar voices began speaking. "Fine! Fine! I get it already, Aya! I'll give up on Honey, geez!"
Ah. It's Girl 1: Ashika Suzume.
"Good." Hayakawa let out a sigh of relief.
"No kidding! Maybe we can finally stop talking about the Host Club." It seemed Girl 2 was still hanging out with them.
"Ugh! But, Aya! After all of my - all of our - hard work, you want me to give up?!"
"Yes! Besides, Honey probably wouldn't make a good boyfriend."
"Yeah right. You used to agree with me that he'd make an interesting boyfriend," Ashika replied.
"Come on, Suzume." Hayakawa said in persistance. "There are way more better guys out there."
"I don't think so," Ashika said huffily.
"I totally agree with Aya!" Girl 2 interjected. "So, let's stop talking about the Host Club!"
"But the cake must have worked by now, Aya!" Ashika continued, completely ignoring Girl 2. "All we have to do now is get Hayashi to say she doesn't like Honey! Then, once Honey finds out, he'll give up on her!"
"It's a really long process, Suzume, and it's way too much trouble for what it's worth."
"I don't think so."
"But I do."
"Well you don't have to help me! I can do it by myself. Just like with the bow, but this time I'll strike Honey!" What? What did that mean?
I turned around slowly to watch the group of three gathered by the sinks. They must really like chatting in the bathroom.
"Ashika Suzume!" I called, stomping quickly towards them. "What did you just say?"
Her eyes widened and she backed up quickly. "Ha-Hayashi-san?! How long have you been there?"
"Since the beginning," Girl 2 answered for me.
"You knew?" Ashika shot a glare at Girl 2. "Why didn't you say anything then, you idiot?!"
She sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Why should I? It's not like you listen to me anyway. Aya's not so bad, but you're terrible."
"What did you say?!" Ashika leaned towards Girl 2. She shook a fist threateningly.
I grabbed that fist and pushed her against the nearby stall door. "Forget her! Tell me what you just said!" I seized her uniform collar tightly. "What did you say about a bow?"
Her eyes narrowed and a smug smile appeared. "Hayashi-san. That's right. I was the one who cut your bow and threw it in the pool. It was my idea too."
"I see," I said, staring into those bright amber eyes. My right hand dropped to my side as my left hand kept a good grip on her clothes.
"What are you going to-"
My fist cut her off, making contact with her cheek. I let go and she stumbled away to the side.
"What the fuck! Are you crazy?!" Ashika screamed, glaring at me. "You wanna fight?!" She threw a wimpy fist towards me. I caught it easily, then pulled her towards my right. There was shouting going on all around me, but I didn't give a damn about the other people.
A pair of hands began to tug on my arms. Hayakawa was yelling that I stop. I brushed her off.
Then I launched a hard kick into Ashika's stomach. She went flying away from me, slamming into the stall wall.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Arms wrapped around me, pulling me away. I fought against the force.
"Let me go! I'm not done yet!" There were too many people holding on to me. I could thrash and kick, but it was no use. She was getting farther and farther away. "Ashika Suzume! I am not done with you! My bow! I'll get revenge! For my bow! I'll snap you in half! I'll throw you in the ocean!"
I was tossed out of the bathroom, falling on my knees to the floor. "Calm down!" Some random teacher yelled at me.
There were idiots gathering around, whispering and gossiping about what had happened. I hated them all at the moment. They were all assholes, preventing me from getting revenge. My precious bow was in its sad state because of her.
"What you just did was absolutely unforgivable," that random idiotic teacher was saying. "We are going to the Chairman now!"
That idiot grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly away from the bathroom. We marched down several hallways until finally arriving at double doors. The idiot knocked on the doors. We were inside quite quickly.
"What is it?" Tamaki's dad asked.
"She suddenly punched and kicked a fellow student!" the teacher said. His grip on my arm was starting to hurt. There were definitely nails digging in.
"What?" Mr. Suoh sat up straighter. "What's your name?"
"Hayashi Rika," I said, staring with unfocused eyes at the edge of his desk.
"And the student you hurt?" he asked.
"Ashika Suzume," I replied.
"Well, at least you're being honest," Mr. Suoh said with a kind smile. "Tell me, Hayashi-san, why did you hurt Ashika-san?"
Huh. I thought he wouldn't ask.
I stared straight into his brown eyes. "During the summer, someone took my precious red bow, cut it in half, and threw it into the pool. Today, I found out that person was Ashika Suzume. That's why."
"Your precious red bow..." Mr. Suoh stared to the side in thought. "Ah, yes. Hayashi Rika, the one who was well known for having an obnoxiously large red bow in her hair." He smiled at me.
"Mr. Chairman!" the idiot teacher yelled. "Aren't you going to punish her?"
Mr. Suoh leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure your parents will take care of that. Of course, if this happens again, you will be expelled. I also expect that you take care of Ashika-san's hospital bill." He looked me in the eye. "And, you will need to apologize. It's understandable that you'd be mad at her, however, violence will not bring your bow back to its original state."
No, but I'd might be able to forgive her if I smacked her silly. Why do I have to apologize to that bitch? She didn't - and probably won't - apologize to me for fucking up my bow! And she poisoned me with some shit!
I kept a calm and poised expression. Nothing would get past this mask. It would be too dangerous.
"Well? Hayashi-san? Is that agreeable?" Mr. Suoh's head tilted to the side in question.
I nodded. "Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman."
He smiled. "Good. Now please wait outside while we contact your parents." The teacher practically dragged me outside of the office and kept squeezing my arm while we stood in wait.
Great. Mom is going to kill me. She's going to murder me. She's going to chop me up, mash me up, and then toss me out.
Shit.
When I heard hurried footsteps, I thought it was Mom here to kill me. Instead, it was Ashika's parents.
"You! You must be Hayashi Rika!" Mrs. Ashika screeched. Her short hair was dyed a hideous brownish-red color and curled in an Obaa-san manner. She looked old and ugly even with all that makeup and lipstick and fake eyelashes.
Ashika Suzume's dad had light brown hair, a color that was very similar to the Chairman's. There was very little hair, just a circle on top; he was obviously balding. His eyes were dull and small, and he was skinny and
just as ugly as his wife.
just as ugly as his wife.
I bowed at them anyway. Most of my motions and speech were automatic. If I let my real emotions break through, I'd be an angry, screaming mess. "Yes." I felt the stupid teacher let go of my arm. Glancing at it, I could see finger and nail prints embedded in my skin. Great. I brushed my arm lightly in hopes that'd help.
A hand grabbed my shoulder and jerked me up. Then Mrs. Ashika slapped me. She was glaring at me and looked furious.
"Disgusting child!" she shrieked. "How dare you hurt my Suzume!"
Ew. I wish I can puke right now. Blehhhh. She's so ugly!
I bowed again. "I'm sorry." There wasn't a millimeter of genuinity and truth behind that statement.
"You should be!" she snarled. She slapped me again. And it really did hurt. "You should be glad I'm not going to sue your family! Or press any sort of charges!"
Go to hell you hag.
"Atsuko." Mr. Ashika stepped forward and stopped her hand. What a surprise! There's someone that is
somewhat sane in this shitty family! He stared at me with cold brown eyes.
His hand was so fast, it looked like a blur for a moment. He smacked the back of my head. Damn it! Are they trying to kill all my brain cells? Or make me more pissed off? If they hit me one more time, I'll be sending them both to join their daughter in the hospital!
"I'm sorry, Atsuko," Mr. Ashika murmured lovingly to his wife. "I know you'd rather do this yourself, but I don't want you to dirty your hands."
"Oh, Atsushi." Mrs. Ashika stared up with a sweet gaze.
Bleh! Disgusting! Gross! Ew! I feel like I'm rolling in a tub of centipedes!
"Rika!"
Great, now comes Mom. Time to prepare for death. I hate them. They're all so damn annoying! All these stupid rules and expectations. Fuck society!
Suzume's parents turned towards Mom with disapproving stares. Oh damn. They'll blame Mom for not having taught me better, and then she'll be even more mad at me.
"So you're this child's mother?" Mrs. Ashika asked, pointing at me.
Mom glanced at me with a concerned gaze and then nodded. "Yes." Then she bowed, deeply. All the way to ninety degrees. "I am very sorry!"
"Mom." I brushed past the couple to her side.
"Fool," Mrs. Ashika said. "Don't you see that you should be bowing along right next to her?" She had a snide look on her nasty face.
Behind the calm mask was the desire to smash that face in with a fist. I let my body bend to match Mom's position. Then, I said quietly, "I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. Please forgive me for my rude and inexcusable behavior."
"Rude and inexcusable?" Mrs. Ashika said. "It's not just rude and inexcusable. It is unforgivable! Terrible! You insolent brat! You have hurt my darling child!"
Cause your "darling" child hurt my darling bow.
"I'm sorry!" Mom said.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I am extremely sorry. I regret my actions. I am foolish and shameful." "Still not enough," Mrs. Ashika said.
Not enough?! What the fuck, lady?! Go to hell already! I've run out of things to say! I don't regret my actions! I only wish that I'd waited until Ashika and I were alone, and then I'd get her! I wish I'd stalked her home. Gotten her somewhere alone and dark, where she wouldn't find out it was me. Besides, I could say this sorry bullshit all day long and not feel it a bit.
"What can I do so that you'll forgive my daughter?"
What? Aw, come on Mom! That's supposed to be my line! I saw her stand up straight, so I soon followed suit. "What can I do?" I asked.
Mrs. Ashika smiled, looking all pompous. "Our poor Suzume is in the hospital right now. You better pay for all the charges. And you, Hayashi Rika, I expect you listen to every single one of Suzume's wishes during school."
"Only during school?" Mr. Ashika asked.
Her eyes lit up. "You're right," Mrs. Ashika said. "Just during school isn't enough. Once school is over, I expect you to spend... three hours with Suzume until she leaves the hospital."
Dude, she was only kicked! And only once! How long does she have to spend in the damn hospital for that?!
I nodded. "I understand." Then I forced my tongue to form the two words I really didn't want to say, "Thank you."
"Good," Mrs. Ashika said. "The hospital is the one on OOO street. Good day." The two walked away with their heads held up too high.
Mom turned to me with a tired stare. "Let's go home, Rika." "I'm sorry, Mom," I said. "You even bowed for me-" "Enough." She patted my arm. "I'm tired. Let's go."