The Lover In Dream

Childhood Bonding

It was almost two o'clock in the morning, but Takai was still restless unable to sleep. He sat staring at the crowded city streets from the apartment window. While downing a bottle of drink that has been held since. Takai recalled the time when he met Kubo first, he really wanted to know his true heart.

He remembers thinking, that was before Takai grew up.

The noise of a large car passing by rubbed Takai's ears to make him have to wake up from sleep, when he opened his eyes there were several large cars parked right next to the yard and visible from large glass. He continued to look at the car whose contents began to be dismantled while hugging the bolster. This morning he fell asleep right next to a big glass without a pedestal.

"Uhhhhh" Takai who was a child at that time grimaced.

The woman folded her long sleeves and saw bruises all over her hands. He sighed deeply and then looked back at the car that started coming again. Increase the length of parked cars.  It has been a year big house beside the house is empty, the house was once lived by one of the ministers. But after the minister was transferred to Tokyo, the house became empty. The complex in which he lived was no ordinary complex. To get there, they had to pass through a large gate guarded by several guards. The house inside the complex was not occupied by just anyone, there were several ministers, artists, national athletes, and entrepreneurs great entrepreneurs. Therefore, if there is a large car that accompanies the move of one of the houses there. That's a natural thing. And that's where Takai grew up.

His parents are the owners of a well-known game development company in Japan, no responsibility there are three companies owned by his parents. His parents also have several school-based charitable foundations to support creating the best graduate people and working in companies owned by his parents. It looks perfect, but not that perfect. Takai's parents are just two people hiding behind a mask of kindness.

Takai almost has an older brother, but on that fateful day his mother had to lose the only future successor to their family fortune due to a car accident. On the day of the accident, his older brother had to have a car accident while on the way to pick up Takai who was sulking because he was not picked up at school.

From that day on, all the luxuries were lost from Takai's life. Takai was branded spoiled until finally killing his own brother. The attitude of both his parents also constantly turned violent. From yelling to hitting him. All the luxuries he enjoyed since childhood began to disappear one by one. Takai who also lost his only brother, also simultaneously had to lose the sweet attitude of both his parents.

Despite being treated unfairly, Takai persisted. She continues to try to replace her brother's position by continuing to learn and become the best student at her school every year. He wanted to make amends, to prove to his parents that he could replace his dead brother. The attitude of both parents is getting worse and worse, initially his parents just beat him using their hands. But at the end of this his mother hit using some stuff at home. Leaving behind bruises that continue to grow every day. And Takai just accepted all of that as penance. Mistakes he never made.

As the afternoon approached, Takai saw a car had just entered his yard. Then a little boy followed by a woman and a middle-aged man got out of the car. And before long his mother screamed to call his name to go downstairs.

"Wear" Takai said slowly.

"This is Kubo, our new neighbor who lives next door" explained his mother.

That day, Takai gets acquainted with Kubo and starts to become close friends.

*****

"You leaving?" Kubo asked when he saw Takai coming out of the gate of his house.

Takai just nodded, with a shabby and exhausted face.

"Come, come with my car" Tawar Kubo.

"Gausah, I'm on foot" said Takai.

"Away" Kubo said.

"Father I walk" Takai insisted.

"Judah I'm on foot too" The boy got out of the car and arrived and followed Takai's small steps.

That morning, the two of them walked to the school which was quite far from their home.

*****

Kubo looked at Takai's bedroom lights that were still burning from his room, but it was past from midnight. The short message has not been answered since this afternoon. This afternoon when they came home from school, they had a fight because Takai did not like to be touched by Kubo. Though Kubo only pulled Takai's hand, but Takai's reaction was excessive. The fifteen-year-old woman had to scream in pain and was about to cry. When Kubo forced himself to look at Takai's hand, the woman insisted on refusing.

Kubo was curious when he saw the silhouette of a woman from behind the curtains, was floating an invisible object towards a small child that Kubo thought was Takai. Before long there was a faint faint sound of screaming from the voice that Kubo was familiar with. Not once, but several times Kubo saw it happen through a silhouette that looks behind white curtains. Takai also often found new wounds on his body. When Kubo questioned him, Takai always dodged him for many reasons.

All this time, even though they have known each other closely for years. But Takai wasn't always being honest with her. He never explained why the woman had to go on foot from home to school a long distance away. Or about why Takai's body always has a new wound. Or something else that Kubo finds awkward. Takai always said that his relationship with both his parents was very good. Even Takai was grateful to have both parents like them. But Kubo could not believe it after seeing it almost every night and seeing a new wound on Takai's body the next morning.

Shortly after hearing Takai's screaming voice and seeing his mother leave Takai alone, Kubo ran to pick up his phone. He then called Takai while looking at him from the window. Hoping that Takai would pick up the phone.

"Hello" said Takai weakly at the end of the phone.

Kubo wanted to ask, but he held him back. Worry Takai is embarrassed or just not feeling good about her.

"I woke up from my sleep" replied Takai.

Kubo knew the woman was lying, but he couldn't force her to be honest either. Finally Kubo took a funny mask he bought with Takai a few days ago, and put it on. He then stood straight in front of Takai's window where Takai could see him clearly.

"Open window curtains" Force Kubo.

Shortly after Takai opened the window curtain, the woman smiled. Then laugh out loud.

"I told you you'd look funny while wearing it" Ledek Takai.

Maybe he can't help Takai. But he can comfort Takai for a while. The man continued to act silly behind his window, until Takai finally asked him to stop because he wanted to sleep. Because tomorrow is exam day for school graduation. After the phone disconnected, Kubo knew Takai was lying. The woman was curled up on the floor crying. But there was nothing else Kubo could do but keep looking at the woman from a distance. He was prepared if anyone would hurt him again.

*****

The school exam was over, after Kubo returned home from school and took Takai on foot to go home. Today, at the corner of Takai's lips was injured, a former bumped. But Takai reasoned that the glass he used to drink last night suddenly broke and injured the corner of his lips.

"Not here the way home "Miss Takai.

"Follow me down" Forced Kubo.

It had been half an hour they walked, but the direction Kubo took Takai home was not towards home. Except towards the city center. Then they stopped right by the side of the big city street. There is a police station in downtown Osaka. Made crowded with people passing by people who step foot quickly chasing time worried that the green light that lights up will quickly turn red again.

"You can't go on like this, you have to report to them what your parents have been doing all this time" Kubo explained.

Takai rounded his eyes, shocked because Kubo knew about what his parents did to him.

"You mean ?" Takai said pretending.

"I know, I know your parents caused this wound"

This time Kubo forced Takai to roll up his two long sleeves and exposed all the bruises Takai had.

"Wounds that you can't explain, this is all you can't explain because your parents did this, right? Even the wound on your lips this morning, I saw it. When your mother hit you and..."

"Stop, I beg you. It's all my fault, not theirs" Cut Takai.

"People there will help you, you can't keep holding back like this" Kubo told the police station.

"Every parent will also make mistakes, they are just ordinary people. And every time they make a mistake, they have to know it's wrong. Someone has to rebuke them" Kubo added.

Takai fell silent, he then stepped forward as the green light turned red. But his feelings are still worried. While on the road, his steps stopped. Contrary to her tears flowing. He recalled his brother at the time, the look on his parents' faces at the funeral, and how sad he felt that day.  The woman turned around, and ran towards Kubo and hugged him tightly. His shoulders were shaking as he continued to cry. Slowly, Kubo started touching Takai's back trying to calm Takai down for a moment.

"Just hug me like this" Lirih Takai.

"I can hold everything" he added.

"Even if I had to die from torture, I would still love them and would never blame them for my death" Takai explained.

"Whatever they are, they're still my parents"

Takai's last words touched Kubo's heart, and he felt guilty for judging Takai as weak as that. Maybe even before Kubo came, Takai had already been treated unfairly like that. And he can hold on until this second. Kubo could feel how Takai loved his parents so much that he could endure all the pain alone.

"I promise, I will always be here, just come and hug me until you calm down" Kubo promised.