Chapter 29: Overbearing apology

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Translator: Soafp

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A public holiday on Wednesday.

The previous day, I had given my parents a heads-up that I’d be visiting. I figured I should at least make an appearance.

With a somewhat heavy heart, I headed to the living room as soon as I woke up.

Maya was nowhere to be seen.

──Is she out meeting her lover, Naoki, again?

It’s no wonder I’d think that. I no longer had any trust left in Maya.

The empty house only served to irritate me further.

Maya.

Instead of staying here to apologize to me, she must have something more important to do.

──This is absurd.

This irrational anger, bordering on baseless accusations, was my true feeling.

If I were to voice it, I’d probably end up losing even my friends.

With a wry smile at my own twisted self, I decided to head to my parents’ house a bit early.

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I drove for a little over an hour.

Arriving in my hometown two or three hours ahead of schedule.

Getting off the highway and driving around for a bit. It didn’t exactly lift my spirits, but…

Seeing the familiar yet different scenery helped me not think about what my parents would say.

But.

The small peace brought by this brief escape was shattered when I saw the car parked in my parents’ driveway.

A white Cube. The number plate matched.

──Why is Maya’s car here?

Despite there being an open spot next to Maya’s car.

I parked on the street, slammed the door shut, and in my anger…

……

I hesitated to enter my parents’ house. Why am I faltering now?

Well, I do have a bit of a complex about my parents, so I'll give myself a pass on this one.

So, I decided to peek inside from the outside.

Making sure not to be noticed, I approached the back door instead of the front.

…Okay, no one has noticed. Let’s see what’s going on inside…

“…Could you please raise your head now, Maya-san?”

“…”

“There’s no need to come here repeatedly, day after day. And yet…”

Quietly, I peered inside.

What I saw through a half-opened eye was Maya, still in a kneeling position, unmoving. My parents were trying desperately to get her to stop, to no avail.

“…But this is all I can do. I truly apologize…”

“That’s not it. That’s not the issue. Every day, every day, repeatedly. Even if you apologize to us…”

“…The mistake I’ve made and the trouble I’ve caused didn’t affect just Kazunari. I’ve also caused great trouble to you, father and mother-in-law…”

“…”

So that’s Maya’s game.

She quit her job and just stayed at home. I thought she was just lounging around, but instead, she was coming here to apologize to my parents while I was at work?

I thought living at my parents’ place would spare me from Maya’s disruption, but I was naive.

What does she want?

From my parents’ perspective, Maya’s apologies must be nothing but a nuisance.

Despite her desperate actions supposedly for her own sake, she’s only causing more trouble for those around her.

Predictably, my dad, unable to hide his bewilderment, spoke to Maya.

“…Maya-san. The reason we asked you to reconsider the divorce was, frankly, just for appearances. If you two were to divorce immediately, people would gossip that Kazunari was ‘the man whose wife cheated on him and then got divorced.’ We thought it would be better to wait a bit, for his sake.”

“…I’m very sorry…”

“But if Kazunari’s health is going to deteriorate, then that’s a different story. If worrying about appearances ends up harming him, that’s missing the point.”

“…Please, forgive me…”

My dad showed a bit of irritation towards Maya, who couldn’t engage in a proper conversation.

Then, my mom joined in.

“…Maya-san, why don’t you want to divorce Kazunari? If you love your affair partner so much, wouldn’t it be better for both of you to separate and be with him? Wouldn’t that make you both happier?”

Good question. That way, I could also claim alimony from Maya.

But Maya replied.

“…Because I don’t want Kazunari to forget me. The thought of Kazunari forgetting about me is more painful than anything.”

Her incomprehensible answer only confused my parents even more.