novelinnhs Chapter 56. The Meeting at the Hospital
Chapter 56. The Meeting at the Hospital
On a public bench shaded by trees outside the hospital, Hoshino Kaoru found the letter that Shoko-sensei had given him.
After opening it, he glanced at it briefly.
It was a notice issued by the student council.
[Announcement Regarding the Abolition of the Kendo Club]
[Within its first year of existence, the Kendo Club has never conducted any club activities. During this period, more than twenty students suffered injuries of varying degrees while participating in the club's selection process, which is a serious violation of school regulations.]
[Considering that there are only two members and that they are occupying school resources, the student council ultimately made the following decision]
[The Kendo Club will be disbanded this month. The school will no longer provide club funding or activity rooms. All Kendo Club members are advised to take note.]
[Student Council]
The kendo club... is it going to be abolished?
Xun frowned, wondering if she was really that unlucky.
After much effort and countless beatings, he finally managed to join the kendo club, only to receive news of its disbandment just a few days later.
He would never believe it was all a coincidence.
Someone must be jealous of his identity as "Minister Yanagi no Shita's boyfriend," which is why they resorted to this method.
Those despicable guys in the student council!
Just as he was feeling indignant, his cell phone started buzzing.
He glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw it was an unread message from LINE.
[You can come up now, Mom wants to see you.]
It was a message from Kobayashi.
Kaoru stood up and, guided by Kobayashi, took the elevator. Soon, she met her at the door of a ward in the corridor.
Seeing him come up, Xiaolin's face looked as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.
Without saying a word, Kaoru arrived at the ward door. He raised his right hand, intending to knock, but Kobayashi opened the door first and pushed him inside.
In the ward filled with the bitter smell of medicine, the woman lying on the bed stared out the window, completely unaware of the commotion around her, until Xiaolin said "Mom," at which point she belatedly turned her head.
"Ah, nice to meet you. You must be Hoshino-kun. I've heard Chio mention you before."
The middle-aged woman looked Kaoru up and down with a smile on her face. At first glance, her features were almost exactly the same as Kobayashi's.
"What a handsome boy! I heard from Chio that you've been taking care of her. She really likes you. She mentions you every time we chat, so I'm curious to know what kind of boy he is."
Perhaps because she had spoken too much at once, the middle-aged woman was a little out of breath and started coughing.
Xiaolin glared at her with a reproachful look, sat down on the edge of the bed, and fed her water.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hoshino Kaoru. I'm a student in Class A, just like Chio, and I'm currently dating her."
After formally introducing herself, Kaoru straightened up slightly, found a chair, and sat down next to Kobayashi.
Their shoulders were almost touching, and smelling the fabric softener scent emanating from him, Kobayashi could clearly feel that... his body temperature was a little high.
After spending some time together, she found that... she became more and more dependent on Kaoru.
As her boyfriend, Xun is always there for her, handsome, never indifferent, and very gentle and considerate.
He was exactly like the perfect boyfriend she had in mind. The thought that they would be separated on Friday and that he would be with other girls made her feel a little resentful, and the idea of "wanting things to stay like this forever" began to sprout in her mind.
No guy wants to like a vain girl like you.
The words Kaoru had said to her came back to mind.
Vanity... If I could change that, would it mean the other person would fall in love with me?
Xiaolin's face showed a conflicted expression.
"Chio, could you please ask the nurse for a fruit knife? Mommy wants to eat an apple."
The middle-aged woman lying in bed spoke.
Xiaolin stood up and managed a soft "Oh." As she watched the woman leave the ward and until her footsteps were no longer audible, a kind smile, the kind that only appears when faced with the most genuine family affection, appeared on the middle-aged woman's face.
"Hoshino-kun, you're not Chio's boyfriend, are you? Your relationship should just be that of ordinary friends."
For a moment, Xun's face froze.
However, he quickly recovered from his surprise.
"Well, my relationship with Kobayashi is temporary, but... how did you come to that conclusion?"
"From the child's nervous reaction, and from the way you look at him."
The look in his eyes... is that it?
Xun had always believed that his disguise was flawless, but now, after less than a round of fighting, he was defeated and his true identity was exposed.
It was a complete defeat...
"That child always thought her mother was slow-witted and that she could keep it from me as long as she didn't tell me, but that's not how I am. As that child's mother, no one knows her better than me."
The middle-aged woman's face revealed the gentle expression that a mother would show when facing a newborn baby.
"Hoshino-kun, you must have something you want to say to me, right? Chio will be back in a little while, so if you have something to tell me, it's better to do it now."
—Even my inner thoughts were accurately guessed.
If this body felt completely exposed when facing a young lady who could discern lies, then now, facing Kobayashi's mother, Kaoru's heart, along with everything in her mind, felt utterly exposed.
"Thank you. In that case, I'll just get straight to the point."
After the other party noticed her inner thoughts, Kaoru actually breathed a sigh of relief.
There's one last step to complete the mission.
It will be very difficult for him to take that step.
However, if it were Kobayashi's mother, things would be much simpler.
"You should know about this, right? Kobayashi is vain and spends money without considering his own circumstances. The friends he makes are all people with completely wrong values."
A look of surprise appeared in the middle-aged woman's eyes; she hadn't expected that any man would know about this.
As if unable to understand the thoughts in the person in front of her, she fell into thought and nodded gently after a while.
"Yes, I know, but Hoshino-san should understand, right? Girls her age are past the age of being disciplined by their parents. Whether she picks up bad habits or makes some wrong decisions, it's all her own decision. As her mother, all I can really do is... be an observer."
"Yes, I know, but things are different now. I can correct her bad habits."
In Kaoru's eyes, there was a determination that moved her deeply.
Everything he said was correct.
Just listen to him.
His face revealed that determination.
Would you like to hear my plan?