The Author's POV

"Ren, are you listening to me?"

As I absentmindedly lifted and lowered the spoon in my hand, I heard a familiar voice tickle my ears.

"Ren!"

The voice grew louder with every passing second, and before I knew it, it was right next to my ear, startling me out of my daze.

"Ren Dover!"

"Huaa!"

I screamed as my hand reached out for the corner of the desk to stop myself from falling.

Unfortunately, my efforts proved futile as I inevitably still fell to the ground.

Bang—!

"Ugh."

With my butt feeling the cold hard ground, I slowly raised my head to see my mother's face looking down at me. She had a rather worried look on her face.

"Are you okay Ren? Did something happen?"

"No."

Pressing my hand against the ground and picking up the chair, I sat back down. Then, picking up the spoon, I took a mouthful of cereal and ate it.

"Ren?"

"Mh, I'm just..mhm, I've got a lot to think about..mh."

"Don't speak while you're chewing."

With a small rag in hand, my mother sat down next to me.

Supporting her chin with both hands, she leaned her body a bit.

"Be honest with me. I can tell that something happened. You can tell your mother, I'm all ears."

Lowering the spoon in my hand, I turned to face my mother.

My brows soon furrowed and I sighed.

'Fuck it.'

"...I'm going to leave again."

Immediately following those words, I closed my eyes expecting my mother to go bonkers.

But...

"Hm?"

To my surprise, I did not hear my mother lose it even after half a minute had passed.

Upon opening my eyes, I was surprised to see my mother smiling at me. The sight caused my brows to jump up.

"Mom?"

"See, it wasn't so hard to tell me was it?"

"...What?"

Opening and closing my mouth, my head tilted.

I was legitimately very confused at the moment.

"...Are you not angry at me for leaving again?"

"Angry?"

Cocking her head a little, her neat blonde hair gently fell over her shoulder. Plucking her lips a little, she asked.

"Why should I be angry?"

"...Ehm."

Raising my hand to scratch the back of my head, I didn't know how to respond.

'What's going on?'

This wasn't the reaction that I had expected from her. Was there something wrong with my mother?

Was she sick?

Worry instantly flashed across my face.

"Don't look at me like that."

frown on her face, my mother slowly stood

the table, she walked toward the kitchen

for her to start speaking. In

why

because I didn't

"Right."

body, I met my mother's eyes. They looked an awful lot

think I'll get angry over you leaving? You're already an adult. What you do with your life is up to you. I can no longer control you like when you were a kid as your

her face as she leaned

you from doing whatever you

my mother let

trips. Just so that I don't have to worry about where you are all the time. You can do

"...Okay."

the bowl of cereal in front of me, I slowly nodded my

"I'll do that."

from the faucet in the kitchen, the sound of the water echoed throughout the room. While putting one of the plates in the sink,

"When are you leaving?"

suddenly paused. Bitterly smiling, I

"Most likely today."

trip any further and therefore had

fact, I

to do in order to ensure that the trip was going to be successful. I had already contacted Smallsnake about

real problem was something

'Jin.'

him was still on full steam. But in order for that to work, there were some things that I needed

"Haa..."

escaped from my

to be a

hand with a new one, she placed the old

you going to be

"I'm not too sure."

"I s—"

Clank—!

and a familiar figure appeared. While rubbing her eyes

Nola dragged the bear behind her and slowly walked toward the kitchen table, and helped herself up. It was clear that she was still sleepy as

myself, I got off my seat

"Sleepy?"

"Mhhh."

this, she did not react as she simply lowered

'How cute.'

the blink of an eye, a large

"Hey, Nola."

"Mhh..."

"Look, look."

the bear touched Nola, her mind cleared up a little and

"Waah!"

out

soon as I noticed her reaction as I

Nola?

"Brother!"

eyes glowed with excitement. Extending both hands, she jumped

was almost twice Nola's size, making it appear as if she had

"Mhh..mhhh..mhh..mhh.."

bear tightly. The sounds persisted for a

"Nola?"

as my

she stop

up from my seat, I circled around the bear to discover Nola's

"Hey, Nola."

placed my

"Nola."

started to set in from there

"Hey Nola, Nola, Nol—"

"Booo!"

"Whoa!"

the ground. Raising my head, I was met with the sight of Nola extending

"Hehehe."

had been fooled, I glared in

think that you can get away

Mother! Haha, hehehe,

I ticked Nola's sides.

fact, she was especially ticklish. Just tickling her legs would send

"Hahaha, brother! Stop!...hhahaha..."

ten seconds. I wasn't cruel enough to

better have learned

I will...never do it

of the bear on the

was needless to say that she had learned her

when I stared at Nola. Lowering

"Stinky brother."

thought, let's go for

"Kyaa! Noooo...ahahhahah!"