Fri. 01/09, 18:03
Once he got home, he kicked off his shoes and rushed to his room, collapsing onto his bed.
— Finally.
His room was sparsely furnished. A low table with a small cushion meant to serve as a chair, a tiny three-drawer dresser, barely big enough to store anything, yet Tora had only managed to fill about one and a half drawers with clothes. His "bed" was just a mattress laid on the floor, and a few worn-out secondhand books were stacked in a corner.
On paper, it might have seemed sad, but in reality, the room was brimming with life thanks to its decoration. Several small cushions were arranged in a carefully coordinated three-color pattern, and the neatly made bed was covered with a black-and-white floral-patterned duvet. The trash bin was empty, as if it had never held any waste. Lastly, a large black rug with arch patterns, five millimeters thick, covered almost the entire floor, though, to be fair, the room wasn't that big to begin with.
All the furniture and accessories (except for the mattress) had been gathered by Tora himself from the sidewalks. They were things destined for the trash anyway, so no one would have come to complain. The most challenging piece had been the dresser, which he'd had to transport in parts.
His stomach growled in protest, but he didn't head to the kitchen right away. He already knew there wouldn't be anything prepared, and he was far too exhausted to cook something for himself. Instead, he opted for a quick twenty-minute nap.
After his stomach let out its tenth rumble, he finally gave in and reluctantly went to find something to eat.
He inevitably had to go through the living room to reach the kitchen, which meant he had no choice but to pass by his father. He was already anticipating the questions and the answers he would have to give.
His father was always in the same spot on the couch, his attention glued to his phone, where he spent most of his time after coming home from work. Although he gave the impression of talking to Tora, in reality, it was just for show. Even more surprising, he didn't even listen to the answers Tora gave, or if he did, he never reacted.
— How are you ?
— Bad, someone died today.
— Where were you ?
— At school.
— Did you study well ?
— No.
— Ok.
As unrealistic as it might have seemed, that was exactly what had just happened. What was even the purpose of it all ? He hadn't even shifted his gaze from his screen, he seemed hypnotized. For Tora, there was nothing unusual about it, he had been used to it for a long time. After a long silence, he realized he had the green light to leave. He slipped through an adjacent door to reach the kitchen, closing it behind him before letting out a long sigh. He cracked four eggs, sliced half an onion into thin strips, did the same with a tomato, and, of course, seasoned the eggs with salt and pepper before mixing everything in a pan to make an onion and tomato omelet. A toast, black tea, and an omelet : his dinner was ready.
The door suddenly opened, making Tora jump. A tall woman stood there. Her face, with delicate and well-proportioned features, immediately caught the eye. Her deep black hair cascaded down her back in a silky flow, reaching the middle of her spine. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were subtly highlighted by almost imperceptible lashes. Her porcelain skin, smooth and luminous, evoked an almost unreal beauty, reminiscent of a doll. Her lips, a soft peach color, harmonized perfectly with her small, delicate nose. This stunning creature was none other than Tora's mother.
"How did my father manage to marry such a beautiful woman ? That mystery remains, to this day, unsolved."
She completely ignored Tora's presence and began preparing food with a gloomy expression. A few moments later, her older brother entered. That was when her mood completely changed.
— Amayaka ! How was your day ?
— It was great ! I learned that my homeroom teacher was also the one who trained the very famous Fu Chang.
— You're kidding me ! The most renowned and highest-paid doctor in all of Gehennie ?!
"What does that even matter ? Just because she was his teacher doesn't mean he succeeded in life because of her. She was just one of many teachers he must've had."
— Exactly, and she even congratulated me for my outstanding marks during my entrance exam. I even came in first place.
— Oh, my darling ! I can't tell you how proud I am of you !
— I… would really love to have a new TV in my room, he said with a fake embarrassed look.
— I thought you liked the one you have ?
— No, I love it, it's just that there's a brand-new model that recently came out, and apparently, the technology is so advanced that it seems like things are popping out of the screen, well, that's what they say, haha. But it's a bit expensive… it's around 6 000 euros.
"6 000 euros ?! That's the price of a car !!"
Tora involuntarily choked on the shock. He pounded his chest several times and swallowed painfully. As a result, his brother shot him a sideways glance, irritated, while their mother pretended not to have heard anything.
— Oh, but of course, you don't even need to worry about that, it's as good as done. It's not every day that someone gets into the best university in the whole country !
She gently petted his hair while he grinned like a silly 8-year-old whose whim had just been granted.
— But I won't have to worry, right ? You're not going to waste your time on video games and neglect your studies, are you ?
Her question had a menacing tone. All the grace and beauty she had displayed moments earlier vanished in an instant.
— No… I swear, he stammered in fear.
— Well then, everything's fine ! she said enthusiastically, slipping back into her role as the sweet mother.
This woman was hiding something behind her deceptively benevolent behaviour. She cared only for her own interests and never considered her children as real human beings, but rather as trophies she could flaunt. That was why she constantly pressured them about their studies.
Which brings us to Tora's exceptional case. Unlike his brother and the rest of his family, his "limitless stupidity," as his mother would put it, had completely exempted him from any pressure or family control. There was no need to worry about him or go to the trouble of raising him because no one expected anything from him. It was as simple as that. This might seem like a good thing, at first glance. He was free to act however he wanted, in a way.
But that also meant he was no longer considered a full member of the family.
As a result, his mother never cooked his portion, his parents didn't spend a single cent more than the bare minimum, and everyone avoided speaking to him or listening to him. It was as if he had been banished from his own home. Tora called it "the rule of three" : no money, no food, no discussion. Normally, you're supposed to learn it at school, but since Tora hadn't managed to learn it there, his parents had to explain it to him in their own way. Just kidding !