Clouded Minds

Chapter 10: Realization

Nishikata stood shivering at his crush's front door, no longer phased by giving the doorbell a ring. In fact, after his humongous failure several days prior plus learning that Takagi's crush was serious, he couldn't afford to be phased anymore. Hesitating had already cost him dearly and was a major reason he was standing right here anyway. Frankly, he would have felt too bad to come at all if Tanabe sensei hadn't asked him to deliver Takagi's homework and test results.

The door swung open to reveal Takagi's mother in a thick sweater. "Hi there Nishikata, we've been expecting you!" she said warmly, quickly ushering the boy inside and shutting the door to keep the frigid air out.

Nishikata followed Mrs. Takagi back into the kitchen, where several pieces of paper with graphs and small words lay strewn across the table. "Sorry about the mess," she said hastily, rushing to pick up the papers to give him a place to sit, "I'm just trying to solve a puzzle in the stock market and needed the extra space. There've been some odd fluctuations in the soybean sector this week and we're trying to figure out the best way to take advantage of it... but you're here to see my daughter, not me."

She chuckled to herself and shook her head. "No, no, it sounds interesting!" Nishikata replied, relieved that she didn't seem upset from him failing to take care of her daughter. "It was, um, soybeans? Do you buy them in cans?"

Mrs. Takagi laughed again, shaking her head. She looked and sounded just like Takagi. "You're very polite. Unfortunately, Takagi is still resting for a bit longer. You can wait here, or the TV is in the living room."

"...No, this looks cool," Nishikata said, settling into a chair. Brownie points with her mom seemed like a good idea, and maybe conversation could distract him from feeling upset.

A few minutes later, Nishikata was receiving an impromptu lesson on how to predict the stock market. Most of it went over his head, but it becoming clear how Takagi always earned way higher marks than him on their exams.

"Does Takagi ever look at these funds with you?" Nishikata asked, knowing she could if she wanted to.

"Well, she definitely could if she set her mind to it," her mother replied, matching his thoughts, "But she's far too interested in... other things." She smiled at him again, making Nishikata blush. "...Like books, giving away half of my groceries to her favorite people, and crocheting, for example."

While he didn't really understand her, something about her whimsical tone felt awfully familiar.

"...How are you two doing, anyway?" Mrs. Takagi continued.

"-I, uh, what do you mean?" Nishikata felt squirmish even though he didn't fully understand the question.

She took a few seconds to respond. "Well, after your date the other day, I... I was just wondering... well, I'm not making any sense, am I."

"Oh... it wasn't a date, ma'am, we were just hanging out," Nishikata corrected quietly, wishing it hadn't been received that way. Mrs. Takagi continued to smile at him, holding her papers in her hands and straightening them against the tabletop.

"No need to 'ma'am' me," she replied back with a chuckle. She then grew serious, pursing her lips. "Is she happy at school, then? I know my Takagi has a bad cold right now, but even before, I still..."

So her mom had noticed it too, go figure. Takagi was definitely going through something, and Nishikata wasn't sure if it was just her grandma's health. She had barely even talked with him since the hike, not even at school before she got sick. Nishikata really wanted to find out without royally screwing up again or pressuring her, to lift her spirits. But today probably wasn't the day.