Chapter 25: Extra 3: Kagari's Head is a Garden of Flowers

TL Note: Final boss of schizophrenia

Author Note:

A heartwarming family story about Kagari and Yuri-mama. Probably

Extra 3: Kagari's Head is a Garden of Flowers

It was a bitterly cold, snowy winter day.

"Ugh!"

A mother who was hospitalized for delivery felt a sharp discomfort in her lower abdomen, different from normal morning sickness, and immediately pressed the nurse call button.

"The baby is being born."

Feeling this, the mother, in a daze, called an ambulance.

The mother was rushed to the delivery room. Preliminary ultrasounds and other tests showed no problems, and everyone assumed the birth would go off without a hitch.

However, that belief changed once labor began.

Breech birth.

Normally, babies remain in the womb head-down, meaning they're born head-first. This is said to be due to the fact that, since the head is the largest part of the baby, once the head is out, birth can proceed smoothly, and the difference in mortality rate depends on the position of the umbilical cord.

For this reason, if a breech position is discovered during pregnancy using an ultrasound, doctors will try to correct the position through exercises and external stimulation, but when the baby becomes so large that this is no longer possible, a C-section will be suggested.

The ultrasounds up to that point had shown no problems, and the mother had intended to give birth naturally. Her doctor had also told her that there would be no problems.

However, on the day of delivery, for reasons unknown, the baby... In other words, my head and feet had switched positions, resulting in a breech position.

They say that giving birth in a breech position can be very damaging to both the baby and the mother.

The doctor in charge recommended that the mother undergo an emergency C-section. Of course, there is also the risk of death from a C-section.

The mortality rate from C-sections has decreased significantly compared to the past, but it still involves inserting a scalpel into the abdomen, so it's not risk-free.

Mama made an immediate decision.

"Please!"

The pain of inserting a scalpel into the abdomen and the possible after-effects must have crossed her mind.

But Mama wasn't afraid of anything like that.

"I was going to give birth to my beloved daughter. I would never let her die."

For that one reason, even though it must have been terrifying, Mama accepted the emergency C-section.

And so I was born into this world.

"Ah, ah..."

"Wow, Kagari-chan is amazing! You've built the blocks so well!"

"Kyaa, kyaa!"

As usual, Mama and I were playing in the living room.

At the time, I was still a baby, so I didn't understand what Mama was saying, but I knew she was praising me, and that made me happy.

She loved me. That was the only thing I was sure of.

"Maybe Kagari-chan is a genius! She's so amazing!"

"Aaah... mmm!"

Those were very happy days. 

"...Uh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a bad mother. I'm sorry..."

"Ah, uh.... Tah, ah."

But one day, those happy days were suddenly gone.

As a baby, there was no way I could have noticed the changes in Mama, who grew haggard with each passing day. And even if I had noticed, there probably wasn't anything I could have done.

Mama hugged me, tears streaming down her face and sobbing.

Mama's divorced.

Yes, that's what they said.

That's true, because I can no longer remember what my father looked like, so I had only heard it from them.

Apparently, the man who was supposed to be my father had foolishly been having an affair with another woman. In other words, he was cheating. He cheated on Mama, abandoned her, and then us, and disappeared on his own.

I cannot understand at all how an ordinary person would abandon my mother, the greatest woman in the human race, and choose an ordinary woman.

I will never be able to forgive someone who caused my beloved mother so much sadness.

From that day on, my mother started working to make a living and save money.

After my mother started working, I was often taken care of by my mother's mother, my grandmother.

My grandmother would take care of me in place of my mother, who was at work during the day. At the time, I was a baby and couldn't be left alone at home.

I was saddened by this as a child. Not only was I afraid of losing my beloved mother, but even more so, I was afraid of my grandmother.

My grandmother loved my mother. When she talked to her, her voice was happy and her eyes were gentle.

But to me...

"Ahh... ah, ah."

"...What is it?"

It was a very cold look.

She had no interest in me whatsoever, and only saw me as someone she was looking after because Mama asked her to. I wasn't even etched in her mind.

Grandma was only interested in Mama.

"Yuri-chan, would you like some tea? I've prepared scones today too!"

"Well, I have to go to work now... But at least I'll have enough time for tea..."

"Great! Just wait a moment, okay?"

It was hard to believe they were the same person.

When Grandma looked at Mama and when she looked at me, it was as if two identical-looking beings had swapped places.

"Ma, ma..."

The first time I was able to call Mama by my own mouth, she wasn't there.

It was the first time I'd spoken a word, as I'd always thought of Mama, who was away at work.

"Congratulations on starting elementary school, Kagari-chan!"

The dry sound of crackers popping echoed throughout the room.

On the night of my elementary school entrance ceremony, my Mama and I were having a little party.

On the dining table were pizza, gyoza, and two cakes. Pizza is my favorite, gyoza is Mama's, and cake is a special celebratory food.

We are one family. It was a tradition in our home to celebrate special occasions together by eating one of each of our favorite foods.

"Hehe, thanks, Mama."

By the time I started elementary school, I was able to understand words, and, unlike before, I was able to converse with Mama.

That made me very happy.

By that time, Mama's workload had increased, so I was dying to have even a little conversation with her.

"Hey, Kagari-chan, can you put on your school bag just one more time and show it to Mama?"

"Again?"

"Yes, please, is that okay?"

"Hmm! If Mama wants to see, sure!"

I still vividly remember Mama saying this to me when we were relaxing after finishing the cake.

I hurried to my room and brought out the shiny red school bag she'd bought me a while ago, and put it on in front of Mama.

"What do you think, Mama? Does it look good on me?"

"...Sniff. Yes, yes. It looks good on you, Kagari-chan. It really, really looks good on you."

Mama was probably pushing herself too hard at the time. 

On top of the expenses that had piled up around starting elementary school, the additional expense of a randoseru was a major blow to our financial situation, which could hardly be described as thriving.

If I were to say it now, I would have been fine with a second-hand one. I would have fully understood our family's situation.

But one day, while I was out with my mother, I happened to see a brand new randoseru,

'It's shiny, red, and so cute.'

That's what I said. If I could go back in time, I would punch myself as hard as I could. But the fact that I can't is incredibly frustrating.

Randoseru prices vary widely, but the one I wanted was a high-quality leather randoseru.

Randoseru are all the same. As long as they're the same shape and can hold textbooks, it's fine.

Just because I said that, Mama, who had always felt that she had never been giving me enough, began to want to grant at least this wish.

She increased her workload even further and somehow scraped together enough money to buy me a brand new leather school bag. When she saw me wearing it, she was so moved that she cried.

Seeing Mama like that, I decided to stop being so selfish.

"...I'm home."

"Welcome home, Kagari-chan!"

When I returned home from middle school, I quietly announced my arrival, and I heard Mama's voice from the living room.

"Mama, today..."

"Sorry, I've made dinner for you again today, so you can eat first and go to bed, okay? The bath will be ready soon!"

"...Okay."

When I entered junior high school, I was an outsider in my class. I didn't have any friends, and every day I would go to school and come home without saying a word.

And as I got older, Mama's workload increased even more, and she would prepare dinner for me almost every night before going to work.

The reason she had so much more work was because of that jerk. He had cheated on mama, and his child support payments had been drastically reduced.

It was a huge blow to our already struggling finances.

When I asked Mama later, she told me that she had spoken to that jerk, but that he couldn't send her a large amount of money because his child with the other woman was getting older and needed more money.

Mom is a kind person, so when she said that, I couldn't say anything harsh to her. I thought that if I asked for something unreasonable, the other family's children would suffer.

If that was the case, I could just work hard, and there were only two of us in my household, so I thought we'd be fine.

Honestly, if she had to choose, I wanted her to choose me. I wanted her to abandon a child she'd never even seen and forcefully take the money for me.

I wanted her to be ruthless, because that's what the law requires.

I know that's one of Mama's good points, though.

My conversations with Mama decreased day by day, and I began to feel lonely.

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"..."

When I entered high school, I tried to act like a cheerful person so as not to stand out in class. I was terrified that if I failed to make a good impression in high school, I'd have to go through those hellish three years again. 

"Hey, let's talk!"

"...What's this all of a sudden? Shut up."

I'd failed, and I couldn't even stand out in class.

I didn't know what to do anymore, so I couldn't leave my room.

"Mama... Mama..."

Alone, I hugged my knees and cried.

I didn't know how to live anymore.

I was bullied at school, and when I got home, my mom worked hard to support me, so we only had a proper conversation on the weekends.

"I... I want to see you."

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"I love you, Mama!"

"Yeah, I love you, too, Kagari-chan."

Mom and I are good friends again, like we used to be.

Well, we've always been good friends, but not just in our hearts, we're also really good friends in everyday life. We talk every day, hug each other, and confirm our love for each other.

When I hug her, she hugs me back.

When I offer my head to her, she gently strokes it.

When I tell her I love her, she says she loves me back.

I'm not afraid of anything anymore. Because my beloved Mama will always be with me. Even high school is a piece of cake.

Because....

Because....

"Because I'm a good girl, and Mama approves of me!!"

Author Note:

Kagari is a girl who has created memories like these over the past 16 years.