Kindness Under the Moonlight
On Sunday night, a calm silence filled the living room of the Sorano family.
“Ouch… damn it…”
Lying on the sofa, Subaru winced in pain. His entire body ached from the workout the day before. Even the slightest movement sent sharp pangs shooting through him.
Mio, tidying up in the kitchen, glanced over at Subaru.
“Subaru, is it really that bad?”
“…Of course, it’s bad.”
Mio chuckled softly, setting down her task and walking into the living room.
“I told you, didn’t I? Don’t push yourself so hard.”
“…This is all Yuto’s fault.”
Mio laughed lightly at Subaru’s grumbling, sitting down at the table with a thoughtful expression.
“Hey, Subaru. Did something happen with Kanon-chan recently?”
Subaru froze for a moment.
“Huh?”
“It’s just… Kanon-chan hasn’t been coming to the café lately, has she?”
Mio’s voice was gentle, but there was a probing edge to it. As a mother, she had clearly noticed her son’s changes.
“…Nothing happened.”
Subaru avoided her gaze as he replied, but Mio continued to watch him. Her eyes were kind yet unwavering—a mother’s gaze that refused to let him escape.
“There’s no way it’s ‘nothing.’”
Mio crossed her arms, letting out a dissatisfied sigh.
“…And today, it wasn’t Kanon-chan who came to the café, was it? It was someone else, right?”
Subaru’s eyebrows twitched slightly, a reaction Mio didn’t miss.
She fixed her gaze on him.
“Come on, tell me the truth.”
“…There’s nothing to tell. Kanon and I—”
Subaru trailed off, furrowing his brow and biting his lip. He seemed reluctant to admit something, even to himself. Mio’s steady gaze, a mix of kindness and determination, didn’t waver.
“Subaru.”
That single word left him with no escape. With a resigned sigh, he finally gave in.
“…Fine. I’ll tell you everything.”
Silence fell over the living room, making the quiet of the night feel even heavier.
“…Kanon and I broke up.”
Subaru’s confession came out softer and weaker than he had expected.
Mio’s expression shifted slightly.
“What? You broke up? Why?”
Her question was gentle, but her concern as a mother was evident.
Subaru looked down, biting his lip. The pause in his response spoke volumes about how difficult it was for him to talk about this. Discussing relationships with his mother was embarrassing enough, but explaining the end of his bond with Kanon was even harder.
“…I thought I was doing my best to take care of her.”
His voice was hoarse as he began to speak.
“But… Kanon said I was too kind, that it was boring.”
Mio’s eyebrows twitched slightly. She stayed silent, letting him continue.
“And then…”
Subaru gripped the sofa cushion tightly, his fingers digging in. His shoulders trembled slightly.
“Kanon cheated on me.”
The words came out haltingly, carrying a heavy weight. They lingered in the room, sinking into the silence.
“Cheated…?”
Mio’s expression changed, quiet anger flashing across her face. The air around her shifted entirely.
“…Yeah. I saw her with another guy.”
Subaru’s voice carried pain, frustration, and a hint of self-deprecation. He stared at the edge of the table, unmoving. The more he spoke, the more his misery seemed to pour out.
“—Unbelievable.”
Mio’s voice was low and restrained. For a moment, her warm eyes turned icy cold. The gentle mother Subaru knew seemed to vanish. Mio slowly clenched her hand on the table, her knuckles whitening.
“…Kanon-chan is banned from the café from now on.”
“What…?”
Subaru looked up in surprise.
“Wait, Mom… that’s—”
“Only natural, don’t you think?”
Mio smiled coldly, a stark contrast to her usual warmth.
“After what she did, hurting you like that… she’s not welcome at Pleiades ever again.”
Mio’s tone was calm, but an unyielding chill laced her words, like a freezing wind.
“Banning her is just the start… What else should I do, I wonder?”
The faint smile on Mio’s face sent a shiver down Subaru’s spine. Her anger toward the girl who had hurt her son burned quietly but intensely, with a hint of calculated menace.
“…Mom, calm down.”
Subaru’s voice wavered, his expression tense. He had never seen his mother this angry before, and her intensity left him uneasy.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. —For now.”
Mio said lightly, standing up as if nothing had happened. Yet, her presence remained heavy and imposing.
“…Mom, you’re scary.”
Subaru muttered quietly. Mio turned back to him with a soft smile—this time, her usual gentle one.
“It’s okay, Subaru. I’m only here to protect you.”
Subaru sank deeper into the sofa with a long sigh. He hadn’t expected his usually gentle mother to be this frightening. Yet, despite the sting of Kanon’s betrayal, Mio’s fierce protectiveness felt strangely comforting, making his heart feel a little lighter.
“Subaru.”
At the sound of her kind voice, Subaru looked up.
“You did nothing wrong.”
Those words made Subaru’s eyes waver slightly.
“You treated her with kindness, didn’t you? There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“But—”
Before Subaru could object, Mio continued.
“If she found that boring, then that’s Kanon-chan’s issue. Calling someone’s kindness boring is selfish and immature.”
Though her tone was calm, her words carried unmistakable anger. Each one struck Subaru’s heart like a sharp blade, driving home how much his mother cared for him.
“Cheating… How could she do that? She wasn’t thinking at all.”
“…No, Kanon isn’t—”
Subaru tried to defend her but couldn’t finish. The pain of her actions and his own feelings of betrayal overwhelmed him.
Mio let out a slow breath and quietly sat down beside him on the sofa.
“Subaru.”
“…What?”
Her voice was gentle, filled with love.
“You don’t have to pretend to be strong right now. You’re hurt, aren’t you?”
Subaru didn’t respond, lowering his gaze instead. Mio noticed the faint glimmer of tears in his eyes.
“…I’m pathetic.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I thought I was taking care of her, but… it all felt pointless.”
Mio placed her hand on Subaru’s head, gently stroking his hair like she used to when he cried as a child.
“It wasn’t pointless, Subaru.”
“…”
“Caring for someone is never meaningless. Even if it didn’t work out, your feelings weren’t wrong.”
Those words made Subaru relax slightly, the heavy weight in his chest easing just a little.
“…Thanks.”
Subaru mumbled softly. Mio smiled gently.
“It’s okay. Talk to me whenever you need to.”
Subaru didn’t reply, closing his eyes instead. The silence that returned to the room wasn’t as heavy as before. It carried a quiet warmth.
Mio, holding her quiet anger as a mother close to her heart, smiled softly as she returned to the kitchen.