Act 65 * The Beginning
Source: April 2002 Lala
Summary by: melz (Thanks, melz!!)
Arima never expected to see his mother again, but now she has appeared at his school... in front of Miyazawa and the rest! What did Arima do? Will he listen to her this time? This act reveals the hidden mysteries of the Arima's past.
Continued from the end of Act 64 where Arima and gang meets his mother ...
Souichirou's mom is smiling brightly, calling him "Souichirou-chan", while Arima's in shock meeting her there. The rest of the gang was also surprised, and Arima's upset because they saw her. He tells Yukino to go home ahead of him, and apologizes (with a forced smile) that he won't be able to meet her at the libary to study today. Yukino and the other girls walk off wondering what was going on.
Immediately, Arima's face darken (scary -.-;;), simmering in clouds of anger. His mom, who's oblivous to his mood, laughingly jokes about Arima having so many girls around him. Arima rudely yanks her hand and shouts at her, asking why she was here at the school. She replies that she wants to tell him something, and she wants him to hear her out. But Arima coldly tells her that there's no need for that, and walks off. His mom tries to run after him and slips (melz: that's why I don't wear high heels.). Arima ignores her as she shouts for him to stop. Then he realized that other students were watching him in surprise, so he turned back (though he didn't help her up). He agrees to "hear" her, but not here at the school. She suggests they go to the city.
Her car happens to be a Mercedes Benz, and Arima wonders who this "high class" car really belonged to. As the car is moving, Arima wonders what everyone's reaction was to their meeting his mother - since she projected a "frivolous" look, they would probably know now that Arima's family is "different".
Anyway, they are now sitting at a cafe. Arima doesn't look too happy. His mom tries to joke to lighten the mood, but it didn't work ^^;; Anyway, she tells him that she heard from his "otou-sama" that Arima doesn't like being seen with a parent that works in a nightclub/bar, since he's an "elite" (his family, remember?). Arima replies that he doesn't really care. His mom is very happy to hear that, commenting that Arima looks exactly like Reiji (that's his dad's name, btw) and how she wishes she could go back to those old times.
Arima, with that stone face of his, asks what his father is doing now. She replies that they seperated after Arima was born, and that she didn't know what happened to him (Reiji) after that. Arima asks if it was because he's a horrible person. She laughs and comments that Arima really knows nothing, and she will tell him everything.
She continues saying that that Reiji could be describe as a nice (dict states "nice/fine/delicate/subtle") person. But there were family problems because he's an illegitimate child. Arima's current "father" (who's actually his uncle) and his real father had different fathers. In short, it was a shame to the family and because of the pressure of the family, the lover (Reiji's mother) was driven to suicide - that is, the double suicide of both mother and child.
But Reiji survived and was brought back to the family.
She then asks Arima to imagine how the family thinks of Reiji. Images of Arima's childhood came to mind - when he was tied up, and beaten by his cousins, saying that they were "just playing around" (from Act 61). He finally understands why his relatives always looked at him that way (because he looks like Reiji).
Then he remembers his (current) "father". He was the only one who supported Reiji, and protected Arima all this time. Arima thinks to himself that it was probably because he couldn't protected Reiji back then, now he's trying to protect Arima. And also why they avoided talking about his real dad. And that sometimes, his "father" would just look at him. Then Arima catches hold of his thoughts, and reminds himself that it was all in the past.
At present, Arima asks his mother if he really looks like Reiji. She replies that she has his photo with her, and reaches into her bag to retrieve it. As she hands the photo to him, Arima's heart started to beat faster, and he thought to himself, "Even without looking, I know it is true."
In that picture, Reiji, who looks about Arima's age, is posed next to a motorcycle, smoking a cigeratte. Seeing the picture, Dark Arima appears behind Arima (from end of vol 9) - Dark Arima probably signify his "bad" genes.
Arima's mom puts her hands on Arima and pleadingly tells him that she wants to meet Arima again. Arima immediately jerks back his hand away. She explains that back then, they were young and circumstances weren't good, which was why Arima was left behind. Also, it wasn't because she didn't try to contact him but she didn't want to cause him trouble. She asks that Arima would try to forgive her. And that they they could start a (parent-child) relationship from now on.
Arima's in shock, but in the depths of his heart, he thinks "This can't be true...." Didn't he remember that sometimes as a child, he was hit? But what she said so far does explains some of the mysteries, and he wants to know more of his past. What type of persons was his "dad" and "mom"? Why he had to part with them? Why was he given birth to, and then "thrown away"? If he could see everything clearly, he could be released from the hatred that has bound him within. Then he can climb those stairs together with Miyazawa (analogy from Act 64).
"But..". A pair of tiny hands grip on Arima's slacks. He looks down and sees himself as a boy. Young Arima is in tears, looking at him with pleading eyes, and shaking his head.
Arima jerks back to reality as his mom calls him. She continues to ask for a chance. Arima thinks of Miyazawa smiling, and with his heartbeart accelarating, he answers "alright..." (His eyes look really crazy as he says it, as though he had to be crazy to say it.)
His mom tells Arima that she will come to see him again tomorrow. Arima's face remains expression-less, when suddenly she says "What a beautiful child ...", and kisses Arima on his lips. Arima is dumb-founded. His mother notices it and walks off saying goodbye.
Arima starts to clean his mouth with his sleeve, thinking within:
"I have always decieved people. Has that woman, too, become skillful as a manipulator of people? What do you know, just because you are a mother who has given birth to me?" [Thanks Mitch, for clarifying this!!]
To be continued.......