Russ Gold's fanfic > Red String > The Hospital Room
Based on characters and situations created by Gina Biggs. All Red String characters copyright Gina Biggs
Kenta winced as Emi and the girls stormed past him. This wasn’t supposed to be the way things went. He’d worked so hard for all them, only trying to make sure that they had everything money could be. Hadn’t he been a good provider? Hadn’t he made sure they had nothing to fear? And now this.
It took time for him to be willing to look at his son, who was now sitting up in bed, a neutral expression on his face. The doctors had done a great job, and Kazuo looked perfectly healthy, at least physically. And now it was just the two of them alone in the hospital room, and Kenta wasn’t exactly sure what to say. He’d faced down irate customers, overly ambitious subordinates and aggressive business rivals, but meeting his own son’s eyes was somehow harder than any of that.
He tried, hoping at least to see some resentment; that would only be natural, after all, but Kazuo just looked at him, waiting for his father to make the first move. But what was he supposed to say?
Then suddenly, he knew.
Sitting next to his son’s bed, Kenta stared at his hands and said quietly, “You know, when I was your age, there was one thing I cared about more than anything else –” He looked up and saw Kazuo watching him, a bit of curiosity in his eyes. It took Kenta a few tries, but he managed to stammer out, “the violin.”
The surprise in his son’s eyes was clear. Kenta smiled a bit. “Didn’t know that, did you? I used to be incredibly good; I played in the school orchestra, not first chair, but still a proud first violin. Some friends and I had formed a string quartet, and through savings and with some help from your grandfather, I acquired a good quality violin – it cost me more than $5,000, but the tone…” He sighed happily, remembering how that instrument had felt in his hands, and how it had responded to the bow.
“My grandfather insisted on my coming into the business, but I refused. I wanted to play the violin. I had aspirations of joining a professional orchestra, and sitting in a dreary office just didn’t appeal to me. Your grandfather insisted, and when I refused again and again… he smashed my violin. I found the remains of my instrument on the bed along with his personal check for the amount I’d paid for it.”
He looked Kazuo in the eye again. “I got the message. I joined the business and worked my way up. I learned to love the intricacies of the job, provided for your mother and you kids, and eventually made so much money, I could buy a thousand violins. But I’ve never played a note from that day to this. Do I miss it? Sure. But I’m successful. I can hold my head up with pride, and my family is well provided for. I wanted the same for you, Kazuo. I wanted to make sure you were never hungry, never lacked for anything you needed. I thought I was doing the best for you.”
He looked away. “I might have been wrong. This… indicates that you really do hate the office and that you’ve loved your… cooking… more than I ever loved the violin. You win. I never realized. I thought you would come to see that I was right. And I almost lost you because of it.”
“I still think you’re making a mistake, but I’m willing to let you make that mistake. You tell me what you need to get started. I can buy a small restaurant, or… I don’t really know the cooking business. And… I guess I understand what you see in that little blonde girl of yours. She’s the one who found you, you know. And she stood up to me in a way that I don’t remember too many people doing. I withdraw my objections to the two of you being together.”
Kazuo cleared his throat. “She’s moved on, Dad. She has a new boyfriend now.”
Kenta flinched at the news. “I’m really sorry, Kazuo. I guess I can see how you came to this point. Losing her on top of everything else must have been the last straw.”
“No, I’m actually happy for her,” Kazuo said, smiling. “Makoto’s a great guy and if I can’t be there for her, I’m glad she found somebody else.”