CHAPTER 83 : The Weight of Expectations
The happiness lasted exactly until Noriko reached home.
For the first time in years, her heart felt light.
The entire day replayed inside her mind like a movie.
Kota's endless teasing.
Max's awkward smiles.
The accidental moments.
The laughter.
The feeling of belonging somewhere.
For a few precious hours, she had forgotten everything.
Forgotten the pressure.
Forgotten the expectations.
Forgotten the future that had already been decided for her.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she approached the mansion.
Then she froze.
Standing in front of the gate was her mother.
Arms crossed.
Phone in hand.
Face dark with anger.
Waiting.
Noriko's smile disappeared instantly.
The woman immediately stepped forward.
"Where the fuck did you go?"
Noriko didn't answer.
Her mother raised her phone.
"Are your phones just for display?"
Still nothing.
"I've been calling you all day!"
The woman's voice rose.
"Texting you all day!"
She waved the phone in front of Noriko's face.
"Am I a joke to you?!"
Noriko simply looked at her.
No anger.
No fear.
No sadness.
Nothing.
Just exhaustion.
That somehow made her mother even angrier.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Silence.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Silence.
"Of course you don't."
Her mother scoffed.
"Because you're selfish."
Noriko quietly walked past her.
The woman blinked.
Then exploded.
"Don't ignore me!"
Noriko continued walking.
Not a single word.
Not a single reaction.
Nothing.
Years ago she would have argued.
Years ago she would have cried.
Years ago she would have tried explaining herself.
Now she simply didn't have the energy.
The mansion doors opened.
Noriko stepped inside.
And immediately saw James sitting in the living room.
He stood up the moment he saw her.
His eyes brightened.
"Nori—"
"Not now, James."
The words came out before he could finish.
James stopped.
The smile on his face faltered slightly.
Noriko didn't even look at him.
"I'm tired."
Her voice wasn't angry.
It wasn't cold either.
It was simply empty.
The kind of voice someone used when they had nothing left to give.
James opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Noriko walked past him.
Her mother quickly entered behind her.
A forced smile appeared on her face.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, James."
She laughed awkwardly.
"She's just tired."
James looked toward the staircase where Noriko had disappeared.
Then smiled gently.
"It's okay."
"You don't have to apologize."
The mother sighed dramatically.
"Honestly, I don't know what to do with her anymore."
James shook his head.
"No really."
"It's fine."
He grabbed his coat.
"I know she's tired."
The mother looked relieved.
"You're too understanding."
James chuckled.
"I'll just come back tomorrow."
"Of course!"
The mother immediately escorted him toward the door.
"Thank you for being patient."
James nodded politely.
Then left.
The front door closed.
The mansion became quiet.
Too quiet.
Upstairs—
Noriko entered her room.
Locked the door.
And collapsed onto her bed.
She didn't even bother changing clothes.
She simply stared at the ceiling.
Her mind refused to stop.
Max's face appeared first.
Then Kota's.
Then the three of them sitting together during lunch.
Then the waitress.
"What a beautiful family."
Noriko covered her eyes.
A shaky laugh escaped her lips.
Then tears followed.
One.
Then another.
Then another.
"Why..."
Her voice cracked.
The room remained silent.
She remembered Kota calling her future mother.
Remembered Max turning bright red.
Remembered laughing.
Actually laughing.
Not the fake smile she gave to wealthy guests.
Not the polite smile she gave to business partners.
A real laugh.
The kind she hadn't made in years.
A tear slid down her cheek.
"Why did today have to end?"
Her phone vibrated.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
She slowly picked it up.
Wedding planner.
Wedding planner.
Relative.
Relative.
Her mother.
Another wedding planner.
Then James.
Noriko hesitated.
Before opening the message.
Only three words.
Rest well, Nori.
Her chest tightened.
James really was a good person.
Kind.
Patient.
Reliable.
The kind of man any mother would want for her daughter.
The kind of man she should love.
The kind of man she wished she could love.
But when she closed her eyes—
The face she saw wasn't James.
It never was.
Noriko slowly locked her phone.
Then turned to her side.
And cried quietly into her pillow.
Meanwhile...
The complete opposite atmosphere existed several blocks away.
"Father."
Max looked down.
"What?"
Kota pointed dramatically.
"Look."
Max followed his finger.
There was nothing.
"What am I looking at?"
"My future."
"What?"
Kota nodded wisely.
"My future."
Max stared.
Then smacked the back of his head lightly.
"Ouch!"
"Stop saying weird things."
The father and son were walking through a shopping district near their hotel.
The day had ended.
But Kota still had enough energy to power an entire city.
Max, meanwhile, was running entirely on coffee and stubbornness.
Eventually they stopped near a small ice cream stand.
"Stay here."
Kota immediately sat on a nearby bench.
"Yes, father."
Max narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Why are you acting obedient?"
"I am always obedient."
"No."
"I am."
"No."
"Fine."
Max sighed.
Then walked toward the stand.
Kota leaned back against the bench.
Watching people pass by.
Couples.
Families.
Tourists.
Children.
He swung his legs.
Then sighed dramatically.
"My father is hopeless."
A random passerby glanced at him.
Kota ignored them.
"If I don't help him, he'll die alone."
Another passerby looked concerned.
Kota continued.
"The burden of a son is truly heavy."
A nearby teenager started laughing.
Kota crossed his arms.
"No one understands my struggles."
"You're six."
The teenager said.
Kota pointed at him.
"Exactly."
The teenager walked away.
Confused.
A few minutes later—
A woman approached.
Beautiful.
Stylish.
Confident.
Several shopping bags hung from her arms.
She noticed the small boy sitting alone.
And smiled.
"Hey little guy."
Kota immediately remembered Max's words.
Don't talk to strangers.
So he remained silent.
The woman blinked.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
She waved.
"Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
Kota stared into the distance.
Like a wise monk.
The woman tilted her head.
"Huh."
Still nothing.
She crouched slightly.
"Maybe you're shy?"
Nothing.
"Maybe you're angry?"
Nothing.
"Maybe you're secretly a tiny mafia boss?"
Nothing.
The woman laughed.
Then stood up.
"Huh."
She looked genuinely confused.
"Maybe he's deaf."
Kota almost reacted.
Almost.
But he held firm.
His father would be proud.
The woman smiled softly.
Then gently patted his head.
"Well."
She adjusted her shopping bags.
"You seem like a good kid."
Kota blinked.
The woman smiled again.
"Take care, okay?"
Then she walked away.
Kota watched her leave.
Silence.
Then—
"Father."
No response.
Because Max wasn't back yet.
Kota continued anyway.
"I have obeyed your teachings."
He nodded seriously.
"Though she was very pretty."
Pause.
"Actually extremely pretty."
Pause.
"Like movie star pretty."
Pause.
"I think I deserve an award."
A moment later Max returned.
Holding two ice creams.
"What are you staring at?"
Kota looked toward the direction where the woman disappeared.
Then looked at Max.
"My future."
Max nearly dropped the ice cream.
"Not this again."
Kota accepted his ice cream.
"Thank you father."
"You're weird."
"I learned from you."
"That's offensive."
The boy grinned.
The father sighed.
And both started eating.
Meanwhile—
The woman reached her car.
She opened the door.
Then paused.
For some reason—
She looked back.
Toward the bench.
Toward the small boy.
Toward the man sitting beside him now.
Something felt familiar.
Strangely familiar.
But she couldn't understand why.
The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came.
She shook her head.
"Must be jet lag."
Then entered her car.
And drove away.
Completely unaware.
That fate had just crossed her path with someone connected to a future she couldn't yet imagine.
Back in her room—
Noriko sat by the window.
Looking at the city lights.
The tears had stopped.
But the pain remained.
She hugged her knees.
And whispered softly to the empty room.
"I wish today never ended."
The city remained silent.
And somewhere beneath those same lights—
Three different lives continued moving toward a collision none of them were prepared for.
END OF CHAPTER.