Chapter 1015: Mother’s Gentle Scolding
The hallway suddenly felt suffocatingly small, as if the walls were pressing in from all sides, squeezing the air from my lungs.
Every breath carried the heavy weight of Tomiko’s words — years of sleepless nights, endless silent sacrifices, and a youth she had quietly laid down so her sister’s life wouldn’t completely unravel.
She had given up her own chance at marriage, children, and personal dreams, all while no one had been there to catch her when she finally started to break.
"I’ll contact the best doctors," I said firmly, trying to inject confidence into my voice.
"The finest specialists in the world. There has to be sothing — new experintal treatnts, advanced therapy programs, clinical trials... anything that could help."
Tomiko shook her head slowly, her expression weary beyond words. "There’s no need, Jack." Her voice was flat and exhausted, like soone who had repeated this conversation in her head a thousand tis.
She wiped at her reddened eyes with sharp, almost angry movents. "I’ve already spoken to the top psychologists in Tokyo and even consulted doctors in New York and London. They all say the exact sa thing."
A bitter, hollow laugh escaped her lips, echoing painfully in the narrow hallway. "They say Kasumi suffers from severe emotional distress caused by prolonged trauma and abandonnt. There’s no dicine that can magically cure her. She’s... broken in a way that pills or injections alone can’t fix."
She turned away from , pressing a trembling hand flat against the wall as if it was the only thing keeping her upright. Her slim shoulders trembled visibly beneath the crisp fabric of her tailored business suit.
"They tell
she needs her daughters more than anything," she continued, her voice dropping into a fragile whisper.
"She needs to feel wanted again. Needed. Like she still matters in their lives. But how can I possibly give her that?" Her words cracked with raw pain.
"How can I make Yuko understand the depth of what she did? How can I convince her to stay this ti instead of running away again when things get hard?"
The raw desperation in her voice sliced through
like a knife.
I stepped closer without thinking, sliding my hand gently from her shoulder down to the small of her back, offering what little silent support I could.
"Oba-san," I murmured softly, my tone low and reassuring, "you don’t have to carry this burden by yourself anymore. I’m here now. I’ll talk to both Yuko and Haruna."
"I’ll make sure they truly understand how serious this is. I’ll do whatever it takes to make them stay and support their mother."
Tomiko’s breath hitched sharply. For several long seconds, she remained perfectly still, then slowly turned to face . Her dark eyes searched mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten painfully.
There was sothing so desperate, so raw and vulnerable in her gaze that it hurt to look at.
"I’m afraid..." she whispered, her voice cracking like thin glass.
"I’m so terrified, Jack. What if her sister cannot survive it this ti if Haruna or Yuko leave her again? What if the pain becos too much?" Fresh tears welled up as she gripped my hand tightly.
"Can you promise
— truly promise
— that you will make them stay with her? That they won’t abandon her again? Sister... she is all I have left in this world."
I held her hand gently but firmly, locking my gaze with hers. "I promise you, Oba-san. I give you my word. I will make sure Yuko and Haruna stay here and take responsibility. I will do everything in my power to help this family heal. You won’t have to face this alone anymore. Not now, not ever."
Tomiko nodded slowly, fresh tears slipping silently down her pale cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, almost embarrassed, trying to pull her usual composed self back together.
"Thank you, Jack... I’m truly sorry for dumping such a heavy burden on you like this. You’re still so young, and yet here I am..."
I shook my head imdiately, my voice warm and sincere. "Oba-san, please don’t apologize. I’m part of this family now. I already made a promise to Kasumi Oka-san, and I intend to keep it. I won’t let her down — and I definitely won’t let you down either."
She studied my face for a long, quiet mont. Her expression gradually softened, just a little. "Haruna is really lucky to have t soone like you. You’re a good man, Jack — kind, strong, and responsible. Not many n would willingly step into such a complicated family ss and promise to fix it."
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from behind us. I turned to see Kasumi, Yuko, and Haruna walking toward us down the hallway.
Kasumi looked at Tomiko and
with a gentle, curious smile. "What are you two talking about so seriously over here?"
Tomiko quickly straightened her posture and forced a bright, teasing smile onto her face, though the pain in her eyes hadn’t fully disappeared.
"Oh, nothing important... I was just telling Jack how lucky our Haruna is to have found soone as handso and kind as him."
She glanced playfully at Haruna and added with light mischief, "Haruna... if you can’t hold onto Jack properly, I might just steal him away and keep him for myself."
"Oba-san...!" Haruna’s face turned bright red as she blushed furiously, covering her cheeks with both hands.
Tomiko chuckled softly, clearly trying her best to lighten the heavy mood, but the exhaustion and sorrow still lingered just beneath the surface.
Kasumi began moving slowly toward the kitchen, her steps careful but determined. I stepped forward imdiately. "Oka-san, please let
help you with whatever you need."
She waved her hand gently, a soft smile on her lips. "No, no... how can our guest work in the kitchen? You should rest."
I put on an exaggeratedly sad expression, clutching my chest dramatically. "Oka-san... are you really treating
like an outsider already? I thought I had beco your favorite son by now. This makes
so sad..."
Haruna jumped in right away, grinning widely. "Oka-san, please let Jack help! You have no idea how good he is. He can cook all kinds of dishes, and everything he makes is incredibly delicious. Even sister Yuko loves Jack’s cooking!"
Kasumi turned to Haruna with a scolding yet deeply affectionate look, her traditional Japanese upbringing shining clearly through.
"Haruna... is this how I taught you to behave? Jack is going to be your future husband. How can you let him cook for you like this? It’s not proper for a woman to push such tasks onto her man."
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