Chapter 134 - You need a lesson for messing with me

"You are my father." The boy scans him with his dark eyes. Except for his eyes and lips, he has Rie's features. There's no doubt that he has his mother's attitude and father's wits.

Kiyohira stares at the boy with a half-opened mouth, unable to digest the words. He doesn't doubt those words. But...

He suddenly has a son out of nowhere.

And...

Where's his wife?

"I want to go back to mother," The boy says in german to Tsuchiya Tsumi. 

"You can't." Tsuchiya Tsumi replies, "My job is to deliver you here. I will come to pick you up after a week."

"Aunty, I will go easy on her next time. Take me back. I don't want to stay here." The boy bats his eyes and smiles innocently. "Tell her not to be mad at me. I will be good. I won't test her IQ again."

"Her orders are strict." Tsuchiya Tsumi returns the same smile. "But I will give her a call. If she changes her order, I will take you back."

Tsuchiya Tsumi puts the phone on speaker. 

[I am not changing my orders.]

"Mother, I am sorry. Please take me back." The boy switches to german again. "I will not make you eat vegetables."

[You little...! Stay there and make your father eat the vegetables. You gave me hell for the last two weeks. You need to learn your lesson.]

Rie. Kiyohira is surprised to hear Rie reply in fluent german. She's really alive.

"Mother, I am only 4. I make mistakes. I will let you off next time when you make a mistake. Please let me come back." 

[Spend a week there. I am sure that your father is rich enough to provide two meals a day.]

Kiyohira's lips twitch. Rich enough to provide two meals? Is that all she thinks of him? Is that all she has to say about him?

"But I like what you make." The boy's tone change. It's filled with endless sorrow. "How will my stomach survive without my mother's food?"

[You should have thought about it before you went on a hunger strike.]

"I only wanted to see him once." He sounds agitated this time. "Mother, you are responsible for me as an a.d.u.l.t. You cannot suddenly make me stay away from you."

[Yuta, he's your biological father. I kept my word as an 'a.d.u.l.t' and sent you to your father. You can see him to your satisfaction for 168 hours. Test his IQ. Give him puzzles. Do whatever you want.]

"Mother, will you be able to sleep without me?" The boy pouts. "Who will cuddle with you if I am gone for 168 hours?"

[...]

"You won't be able to see me for 168 hours. Your eyes will sweat when you miss me."

[...]

"Who will give you a hug when you need energy in the next 168 hours?"

[...]

"Who will give you a kiss every morning for the next week?"

[...]

"Mother, can you live without me for seven daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays?"

They are frequently changing languages smoothly, never speaking in Japanese once. Kiyohira gapes at his son. Is he really four? He doesn't talk like a child.

Kiyohira takes a long step and takes the phone from Tsuchiya Tsumi. "You can't take him."

He just found out that he has a son. It's like someone suddenly dropped a bomb at his house again. He's not been prepared to take all of it suddenly. She's going to take him away just after giving him a glimpse of his son? Not happening!

Rie's voice is cool and unperturbed. [Oh, you are also there.]

He takes a long and deep breath. "Umezaki Rie, why did you fake your death that night? Why did you leave all of us?"

A short silence. [I didn't fake it. Everyone assumed that I am dead. Is it my responsibility if others believe that I am dead when they didn't find my corpse?]

Kiyohira glares at the phone. "Of course, it is."

[Then, I am irresponsible. Yuta, give him the papers.]

Yuta puts his bag on the chair and unzips it. He takes out the papers and places it in front of Kamiyama Kiyohira. The father and son gaze at each other seriously.

"Divorce papers?" He scowls at the phone as if Umezaki Rie's face is there. "Is that all you have to say to me?"

"How could you be..." So cruel. He doesn't understand. How could she send his son with the divorce papers? This woman is crazy. "Umezaki Rie, where are you?"

[Sign the papers. You are allowed to remarry. Don't choose someone like Chisa again.]

Choose Chisa? Kiyohira grits his teeth. "Rie, are you insane? When did I ever choose someone else other than you?"

His question is replied with another question.

[Do you want to spend time with your son and get to know him?]

"Of course, I do," Kiyohira replies in a beat.

[Take care of Yuta for a week. Show your best points. I know that you don't have many.]

"Mother!" Yuta shouts. "You can't let me stay here. I can't live without you. I am sorry for the hunger strike."

[Yuta, it's only for a week. Didn't you want to see your father and check whether he has an IQ to be your father? Hmph! You need a lesson for messing with me.]

"Mother, please." Yuta's lips tremble. "I wanted you to come with me."

Yuta's plans have failed.

[If you don't want to stay there, get him to sign the papers.]

Beep.Beep.Beep... The line is disconnected.

Father and son look at the phone with disbelief. 

Yuta won't stay. He turns to say the same to Tsuchiya Tsumi. But Tsuchiya Tsumi is gone. He gasps in horror. "She left already."

Kiyohira also notices that Tsuchiya is gone. He had questions for her. 

Yuta furrows his small brows. "She tricked me."

"I know that feeling." Kiyohira sighs.