The Crisis World XX

Chap. 37: Requesting Permission for Tournament Preparation

The end of semester exam day arrives.

The atmosphere became quieter and more tense than usual. Both at school, and in my group. Herlin and I have done everything we can in the face of the final exam this semester. Even Kudou and Hira also helped us.

Why did we study so hard, you ask? Because we both cannot fail. And if it fails, additional lessons are already waiting for us in the summer break which means there is no time for The One Tournament.

A tournament that aims to find out whether my abilities have developed or not. At least I have to win some games there and maybe take Herlin's revenge.

From what I've heard, Herlin has had a terrible experience in that tournament. So it might be a chance for me to be cool in front of her eyes.

But then again.

It will happen if I can pass the final exam this semester well.

"Then, please begin."

Me and all my classmates turned over the paper when the teacher had allowed it and started answering. We all worked quietly and those stressful days lasted for an entire week.

**

A week later, after school the teacher shared the results of our exam and then I also accepted it.

My eyes widened when I saw all the results of my exam and without being able to hold it anymore, I took out everything inside my head by shouting while raising my paper high.

"I PASSED ALL THE LESSONS!!!"

Even on the way home, my face still could not hide the happy expression that emanated there. Until then Herlin commented on it.

"Can you stop that happy face of yours?"

"You can't see people happy, can you?" flat say. "By the way, how's your exam?" continue many.

She did not answer him directly, but instead took out all her test results from inside the bag. All of his papers contained test papers whose average grades were one hundred and ninety. The smallest grade is a math lesson that has a value of ninety.

"I got ugly. I can't get a hundred of them."

"The ugly out of it all?!"

I can only sigh because of his nature. Either he was arrogant or just plain, but the important thing is we both managed to graduate.

Then the next step is also no less important and also tense — at least for me. What we're going to do next is ask my mother for permission.

Herlin told me that in order for me to be more focused in the tournament later, I had to finish all the affairs that could interfere with my concentration in the match.

Well ... for this one I agree with Herlin. I don't want to let my mother worry anymore just like before. So here we are now.

"But do you really need to come? I can take care of it myself, you know."

"If you die in that tournament, your mother can know where she's going to go" Herlin said.

"Te-killed?! The tournament also cost the lives of its participants?!"

I wasn't told about this one! What the hell is this creepy tournament! The spirit within me that had originally soared to sky-high, was now instantly shattered upon hearing that.

"Of course not. Already, hurry up and get in first." But it turns out he's lying. You fucking woman.

I can't tell when he's serious and when he's joking. All of his words came out of that robot-cold face that sounded the same. By the way, we both went straight into the house.

"I'm home! Mom, my friend's coming!"

"Welcome! Did Kudou and Hira come to visit?"

But his speech weakens when his guess is wrong and all he sees is a blonde woman. Oh yeah, I just remembered that I never brought a girl friend home. It explained the surprised face my mother displayed.

But please stop, Mom. You make me look pathetic.

"He's my classmate, Ririsaka Herlin." I introduced Herlin and she immediately lowered her head as a sign of greeting. "Sorry to interrupt" said Herlin.

But mother did not say another word, and suddenly approached Herlin quickly and held her cheek while taking the whole shape of her face very seriously.

"Mother ... What did you do?"

Herlin wanted to keep her face away from my mother because she felt a little surprised, but so far she was still able to endure it. To be honest, I was also confused by what my mother did.

"P-excuse me ...?" Herlin tried to make a sound for my mother to return to her consciousness and removed Herlin's cheek from her hand.

"It turns out she's really a girl!" My mother suddenly spoke happily and afterwards kept her hand away from Herlin.

"Of course she's a girl. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Mother has never seen you close to a woman in the sixteen years you've lived. But there will finally be a bright spot for your future! I am so happy!"

Gkk! My heart felt pierced by an arrow, then split in two, and then crushed in a press machine. I can't believe that my own mother underestimated this popular child.

I never bring a girl friend home, but that doesn't mean I need to worry. Your son needs to be hugged by a woman and cry in her arms, Mom! I'm not that sad, I swear!

"Pity." Herlin looked at me.

"Stop." I will not let Herlin sow salt on my wounds any more than this. So I stopped whatever he wanted to say next.

"Let's stop talking about how pathetic my son is. Go, Herlin-chan! I've made something for this lunch."

"No, I—"

But Herlin did not get a chance to say a single word again and his hand was instantly pulled by Mother. While I just sighed looking at it and went inside.

"When I told you I'd do it myself" I murmured.

"Oh yeah, what about your test scores?" Mom opened the conversation while we were eating.

"Mom didn't have to worry about anything about it, I passed all the lessons."

"Heh~ What about you, Herlin-chan?" I don't know why my mother's usual reaction made me feel marginalized.

"Not too good. I can't get a hundred in all the lessons."

"I told you, your grades are great!"

"But wouldn't it be better if for example it could get a hundred all?"

"That's true, but I've never seen someone who could get a hundred in all the lessons. That's why hearing your rant say that your bad grades piss me off."

"Hmm .. so it is. I guess Yuuki-san told me to get a hundred all when I said 'do your best'." Herlin touched her chin recalling what Yuuki-san said earlier.

"I don't understand where that wild thinking comes from."

Well ... I can't blame him. He has always trained himself to be perfect in every way, even in small things like this. Training him to relax seems like it will take some time.

But I realized that Mom was only watching the two of us while holding her chin and smiling, making me a little misbehaved.

"You guys are pretty familiar, huh? You never said you had a girl friend this familiar, Iraya."

Herlin and I looked at each other. It was never thought to introduce Herlin before to my mother because — you know why. But I just realized, bringing Herlin suddenly like this made the atmosphere quite awkward.

"All right, I'll bless you!" Suddenly Mother spoke something that made no sense.

"Eh?!! Waita minute! What does it mean to 'restui us'?!"

"Hm ...? You guys didn't come here to ask for Mom's blessing?"

"Of course not!"

"Iraya, what do you mean? We're here to ask for your mother's blessing, aren't we?" said Herlin plain.

"God, it's true."

"Not that!"

I'm sure Herlin's barbaric brain won't get to what my mother really meant. So I'm trying to straighten out the misunderstanding that's going on here as much as possible.

We continued eating as I straightened things out before things got worse. Luckily, Mom understood and now she told me to wash all our old dishes.

"So you guys want to go somewhere? And so you want to ask permission from Mom?"

"It's true." Herlin nodded.

"It's not a strange place, really." I shouted from the kitchen before Mom accused me of going to a strange place again.

"Where are you going?"

"Himawari Orphanage, where I live. Our orphanage held an event this summer and because Iraya said she wanted to help prepare it, I was happy to accept it. But the show was quite time-consuming, making Iraya have to stay there for approximately a week."

Herlin explained the situation. Of course it was just an excuse he made up. There are no summer events at the orphanage during the summer, I will attend The One Tournament in Tokyo later. And to keep Mom from worrying, I had to lie to her. Again.

"So ... If you can, is Iraya allowed to leave?" pinta Herlin's.

"I beg you too, Mom!" I screamed from the kitchen.

Mother did not answer directly. He thought for a while in silence which made us tense up as well. So quiet, only the sound of taps inside the house for a while.

"If you may know, has Herlin-chan been in an orphanage since childhood? And are you ... lonely?" ask Mother.

"Both of my parents died when I was little. Although not too remembering his face, but I remember the warm embrace he gave first. So just remembering that, is enough for me. I also have people I care about in the orphanage."

Mother stretched out her hand and grabbed Herlin's cheek, looking at him with a look of pity. I wanted to re-leash it, but this time Herlin did not fight back. His eyes just widened as if feeling something at the simple touch of my mother.

"Sure, I'll allow it. And also, don't hesitate to stop by here after that. This house is always open to welcome you."

"...."

Herlin did not speak another word. He stood up and bowed his head in thanks for being well received and for his food, then left here.

"Iraya, I'll wait outside" he said as he went outside.

"Hey, wait for me!" His nature suddenly became strange. And after finishing the dishes, I immediately caught up with Herlin.

"Oi!"

Herlin waited right in front of the outside door while pensively waiting for me. He was holding onto a cheek that had been rubbed by my mother, as if it was something meaningful. It is just an ordinary elusan.

"Why did you run away, anyway?" my many.

"Nortus ... You got into Black Rain to get stronger, right? To be able to protect the people you love, right?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"Jawab it."

Her nature became strange when Herlin met my mother. I don't know what he was thinking about earlier, but for the question just now of course the answer was obvious.

"Do I need to clarify it again? Of course that's my goal."

"I understand. We'll meet again tomorrow at the orphanage. For today, you just rest."

"Good ...."

And Herlin went straight home. I offered to drive her, but she refused and told me to rest because tomorrow we're going to Tokyo.

I then went back inside while thinking about Herlin's sudden change in nature. He looked like he was overwhelmed by something inside his head. I don't know what it is.

"Is Herlin-chan home yet?" ask Mother.

"Ah, yes."

"It's a pity that I wanted to give him food to eat at the orphanage."

My mother was busy cleaning our table and talking without looking at me. But this was a good time to ask her, let alone her change of nature occurring after she spoke to my mother.

"Mom, did Mom say anything that weighed on Herlin?"

"Burdered? Nothing, ah. Mom just asked about when she'd been living in an orphanage and whether she felt lonely, that's all."

Something must have happened while I was washing dishes that I didn't know about. Whether it will affect him later or not, I need to find out immediately.

"You don't have to worry too much." Cecilia suddenly spoke.

"What?"

"He only remembers the memories of the past. I don't think there's much more to it and there's nothing you can do either."

Memories of the past? But why in such a random time. I really don't understand what's really going on or maybe he's just making it up.

"Know what you know about human feelings."

"Are you talking about something?!"

But my words were so loud that Mom could hear them and assumed I was commenting on them. He with a terrible smile walked slowly towards me while carrying a kitchen knife.

"I-it .. I'm not .. wait a minute, Mom!"

"Dare to answer, huh?!"

"It's a misunderstanding!"

And on that day, I could barely see the summer sun anymore.

Seriate