Episode Nine: The Impertinent Persuasion —November 2032—
“Please do not force Meisa-san to grow up so quickly. She is still a child, after all.”
Far from showing any sign of leaving, I attempted to argue back, and the smile fashioned from Mother’s face vanished.
“…Sensei, what do you mean by that?”
“Meisa-san is often remarked upon at school for her mature demeanour. She is composed, adept at reading the atmosphere, and often seems to anticipate others’ wishes before acting. I suspect this talent is not innate, but a skill acquired later in life. She has likely been reading her mother’s expressions since she was very young.”
And probably the expressions of the men she has dated too. I believe Uehara-san’s tendency to belittle her own abilities stems from unpleasant experiences caused by this very trait.
But I—
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at, sensei. Reading the room isn’t inherently bad, is it? It’s a perfectly respectable social skill. There’s no reason to blame her for it.”
“I’m not blaming her. Quite the contrary. While I am an adult and a teacher, I find myself even admiring that aspect of Meisa-san.”
I affirm her.
I respect her as a person for possessing qualities I lack, for being neither arrogant nor cynical.
“Sensei…”
Uehara-san’s eyes met mine, wavering. I couldn’t know what she was thinking now, but I could only hope I’d given her even a little courage for what lay ahead.
In stark contrast, her mother’s beautiful face bore a cold anger.
“…That’s rather rude of you to say, isn’t it? I suppose I could lodge a complaint with the school about this sort of thing, couldn’t I?”
“Yes. That is entirely your prerogative, Mother. I cannot stop you. However, I will not retract what I said. It seems to me that Meisa has been suppressing her feelings for a long time. When was the last time she expressed a selfish wish to you? Do you remember?”
“Well…”
Her eyes darted about before she fell silent.
“Just the other day, I heard Meisa-san express her whims: ‘University sounds interesting,’ ‘I’d like to go if possible.’ I will support her whims to the utmost of my ability. However, as long as money is involved, there are limits to what I, a mere teacher, can do… I must ask you, the mother who has raised Meisa-san so carefully up to this point, for your cooperation.”
Bowing deeply, Uehara-san followed suit, sitting and bowing with a “Please.”
…For a moment, a heavy silence descended upon the room.
“…You. You’re neither her form tutor nor her careers advisor. Coming to our home to lecture us like this… Do you realise just how rude you’re being?”
“I do. But for me, ensuring Meisa-san has the environment to pursue her desired path is the absolute priority.”
“Did you think I’d grant your wishes just because you grovelled? How insulting…! I went to university myself, you know. I was raised with strict discipline by my mother. Through sheer effort, I got into a university considered quite competitive.”
Uehara-san and I listened silently as her mother suddenly began recounting her own past.
“I was relieved to get in… but heh, it meant nothing. After gaining admission and losing my purpose, I discovered love and did something foolish like having an affair with a professor… In the end, I became pregnant and dropped out. So, entering university without any purpose was pointless. I feel I only truly began walking my own path after leaving university, and I lead a fulfilling life even without a degree. I thought Meisa understood, since I’d told her all this.”
The way she glanced at Uehara-san infuriated me beyond reason. There was absolutely no justification for her to be blamed, yet she went on about her own pointless story, trying to elicit sympathy for her gentle self, still expecting me to ‘read between the lines’.
So I won’t do that. You could call it my forte.
“That is her mother’s life. It has absolutely nothing to do with Meisa-san, so I don’t believe it constitutes either an explanation or persuasion.”
“Then it has even less to do with you, sensei? Meisa’s life, I mean. Is going to university really that great? Is spending the money I earn on fun? Or are you trying to encourage Meisa to go to university even if it means taking on debt? What for?”
“The meaning of further education? Ask a teacher or search online, and you’ll only find similar opinions. Ultimately, she must find it for herself. I agree university isn’t everything in life. But please don’t narrow Meisa-san’s choices based solely on your own outlook. She’s only seventeen. She’s at an age where it’s only natural for the adults around her to support her in steering towards what she wants to do. I’ll support her academically with all my strength. I’ll look into scholarship programmes too. So right now, all I want is your permission. Is what I’m asking really that difficult?”
Pretending not to notice the flustered look on Uehara-san’s face, she stared intently at her mother, her eyes wide.
“…Truly, an astonishingly rude person…”
Muttering in exasperation, her mother exhaled deeply.
A silent interval passed, with no one speaking. Only the sound of cars passing outside and the voices of people coming and going reached my ears.
Normally, I wouldn’t mind the silence, but not now.
I could sense Uehara-san suffering from tension and anxiety. It was agonisingly frustrating that all I could do was silently urge her on in my mind.
After what felt like an eternity, her mother murmured suddenly.
“…What exactly do you want, Meisa? I’d like to hear it from your own mouth.”
A glimmer of hope appeared, and my heart raced.
“Ah, I… I…”
Yes. Uehara-san hadn’t spoken those words herself yet.
—Hang in there, Uehara-san.
“…I want to go to university! I don’t know what I want to do yet, but I want to study to find out!”
Hearing this childishly selfish desire, her mother closed her eyes once before slowly opening them again.
“…If you go to university… and end up living a lazy life like you did when you were with Mum, I won’t pay your tuition fees. And I won’t give you a single penny for fun either.”
With that, she firmly drove the point home to Uehara-san. It might have sounded cold, but it was undoubtedly the words granting permission for her to advance her studies.
Glancing involuntarily at Uehara-san’s face, it was glowing so brightly it seemed to radiate light.
“I promise! I absolutely won’t waste the four years Mum and my teacher have given me!”
“We’ll see about that. Anyone can talk the talk.”
“I will do it properly! I’ll prove I’m not like Mum!”
“Well, well, you’ve become quite the talker. Save the grand statements for after you’ve passed. And no repeating the year. You must pass first time, no matter what.”
Seeing this unreserved mother-daughter exchange, finally showing Uehara-san’s true self, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Uehara-san would surely be alright now.
“I know. …Anyway! Thank you, Mum!”
Watching Uehara-san cling to her mother, unable to hide her joy, her mother smiled as if to say, “What a hopeless child,” and stroked her head.
It was different from the almost too perfect smile she’d shown me earlier.
It was the first truly motherly expression I’d seen since coming to this house.