Menma was quiet, as he sat in front

Menma was quiet, as he sat in front of his mother at the kitchen. He had already stopped crying and was at the moment enjoying a cup of hot ramen, but he kept silent, occasionally throwing his mother hesitant glances as he blew the steam coming out of his cup.

"Is this... what your father usually feed you?" Hinata asked, breaking the silence. She bit her lower lip, seeing Menma only shook his head in response.

"I-I see. I thought you guys eat this a lot."

"Not really."

"Oh. Okay." Hinata just narrowed her eyes, watching as her son heartily gulped down the curry-flavored instant ramen that he requested right after he ceased crying. It had been an hour, but Menma's eyes were still noticeably swollen, and his voice remained sounding raspy. Not only that he had waken up on the wrong side of the bed, he also appeared to get up hungry, too, asking for a steaming cup of hot ramen after the long period of cry had exhausted him out.

"This one's curry. Dad usually buys the black and red one with a cow's picture on it."

"Is that so? I-I thought they all taste the same." Hinata studied her son's impassive face and sighed. "Are you mad at me, sweetie? I'm really sorry."

Menma looked at her curiously. "Huh? I'm not mad. Curry tastes okay, too."

"I'm not talking about ramen, Menma-kun. I mean- Never mind." Letting out a deep breath, Hinata just smiled and gently wiped Menma's lips with her hand. "Did your father get the recipe I slipped in your notebook?"

"I dunno."

"Oh? So he hasn't make spaghetti for you, yet?"

The little boy thought for a moment. "He did ask Sakura-chan to cook one the other day... but it wasn't good." He continued in a shy whisper which made Hinata giggle.

"You shouldn't say that, honey. That's not nice."

"I think dad thinks the same thing. He said your spaghetti is the best."

"He said that?"

"Yeah. You should come with us next time, mom. They really have a huge kitchen there."

Hinata's lips pulled into a smile. "I'm just going to make your dad another recipe. Make sure to let him know, okay?" She tilted her head as the little boy's lips turned into a pout. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Mom," he sadly looked at his mother, "why aren't you and dad talking?"

Her hand stopped fiddling with her chopsticks, and she looked at Menma who innocently stared back. "W-What?"

"I said, why aren't you and dad talking?"

"W-Well, that's..."

"And why aren't we celebrating your birthday at daddy's house? You said birthdays are important, right? So why is he not here?" He innocently asked. "Why do we live in a different house? Don't you want to live with him? It kinda sucks to have two houses sometimes, mom. I can only see my dad during Saturdays and Sundays, and when I'm staying with him, I can't get to see you. Why can't we all just live in one house?" Pouting his lips, Menma continued, his chin resting on his palms. "It will be more fun! And dad's house is huge! Haruno-sensei is there most of the time. I think she lives there. Why is she living there? Is dad sick?"

More 'why's' escaped the little boys lips, his questions coming out one after another. It could be that the ramen was too hot or Menma's questions were too hard to answer, but Hinata sensed that she was, literally and figuratively, starting to break out in a cold sweat.

"Mom, why aren't we all living together? Did you guys have a fight?"

"Sweetie..." Hinata bit her lip, unsure of how to answer Menma's questions. "T-There are things that a kid like you might not be able to understand."

"Like what?" Menma frowned.

"L-Like... Umm... You see, Menma-kun, Sakura-san is... Or I mean, y-your dad and I are... W-We aren't really... like... t-together."

"I know that." He replied briefly, causing Hinata's eyes to grow wide.

She brushed her fingers across her fringe and looked at the boy closely. "Y-You do?"

"Yeah! You live here, and he lives there. Isn't that why you're not together?"

"That's right, honey, but what mom meant was-"

"That's why I told dad that we should move there and live with him at his huge house so the three of us can be together! Don't you think so, mom?"

A sad smile spread across Hinata's face after letting out a deep sigh. She, then, reached for her son's face and gently cupped his cheek. "You'll understand things better soon, Menma-kun."

"What kind of things?"

"Lots of things." She answered, giggling at her son's curiosity. Setting her cup noodles aside, her hands reached for a round box and pulled the cover off, revealing a layer of cake the same shape as its box and covered with thick brown chocolate icing. "Hey, let's cut the cake you bought me. It looks really great. Thank you, honey." She said, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "And I'm really sorry if I ruined your surprise."

"Yeah..." Menma's eyes saddened as he pouted. "Where did you go? Dad was worried."

Hinata quirked her eyebrows. "Worried?"

"Yeah! We called you many times, but you never answered."

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, honey. Uncle Kiba and I went out for dinner, and I forgot to bring my phone. But I swear; if I had known that your dad would drop you off today, I really would have gone home sooner. I really had no idea." Hinata explained, as she put a slice of cake on Menma's plate.

"Yeaaah... Of course you don't. It was a secret. And you can't tell secrets to anyone even if it's mom or dad." He said proudly, as he grinned. "I didn't even tell him about it until we're done with dinner."

"What?!" Hinata cried out suddenly.

Menma licked the chocolate off his fork and stared back at her. "Dad said you're not supposed to tell secrets to anyone, that's why I didn't tell him right away."

"So he never knew anything about it?"

"Nope. I only told him about your birthday because I wanted him to buy balloons. You should have seen his face when I told him in the car, mom. It was funny!" His laugh slowly died down, and his blue eyes lingered on the perplexed expression on his mother's face. "Are you mad? I just wanted to surprise you."

"W-What? Of course not, sweetheart. It's just that, earlier, I think I've..." She paused, anxiously biting her lips as her gaze traveled from the balloons hanging around her kitchen wall, to the slice of cake on her plate, to the basket of flowers resting on the table, dredging up memories of how each piece was once sprawled outside her apartment door. She couldn't help but recall how her breath hitched the moment she caught sight of Naruto's bright yellow hair, and the way her heart sank when she saw the look of contempt on his face. She remembered his words that stung, the mockery in his voice, and the blood that trickled down his cheek when Kiba punched him. She ignored the pain she saw in his eyes, thinking he deserved it, but hearing now Menma's words made her start thinking that maybe, there was a side of the story she needed to find out. "I think I did something really, really wrong." With her white eyes downcast, Hinata uttered mostly to herself. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Are you alright, mom? Don't worry, I forgive you."

She smiled at the little boy, kissing him again. "T-Thank you. And thank you for the wonderful surprise, sweetheart. It's really sweet. The flowers look beautiful, too."

Menma smiled widely. "Dad bought it for you. I only asked for the cake and balloons."

"I-I see." One hand moved to clutch the fabric close to her chest, feeling her heart tighten, a pang of guilt slowly creeping down the pit of her stomach.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 2:

Menma adalah tenang, saat ia duduk di depan ibunya di dapur. Dia sudah berhenti menangis dan pada saat menikmati secangkir ramen panas, tapi dia diam saja, sesekali melemparkan ibunya melirik ragu-ragu karena ia meniup uap yang keluar dari cangkirnya. "Apakah ini ... apa yang ayahmu biasanya makan kamu kamu? " Hinata bertanya, memecah kesunyian. Dia menggigit bibir bawahnya, melihat Menma hanya menggeleng sebagai jawaban. "II lihat. Saya pikir kalian makan ini banyak." "Tidak juga." "Oh. Oke." Hinata hanya menyipitkan matanya, mengamati anaknya sungguh-sungguh menelan ramen instan kari rasa bahwa ia diminta tepat setelah ia berhenti menangis. Sudah satu jam, tapi mata Menma itu masih terasa bengkak, dan suaranya masih terdengar serak. Tidak hanya itu ia terbangun bangun di sisi yang salah dari tempat tidur, ia juga muncul untuk bangun lapar, juga meminta secangkir ramen panas setelah lama tangisan telah habis dia keluar. "kari ini seseorang. Ayah biasanya membeli satu hitam dan merah dengan gambar sapi di atasnya. " "Begitukah? II pikir mereka semua rasa yang sama." Hinata mengamati wajah tanpa ekspresi anaknya dan mendesah. "Apakah kau marah padaku, Sayang? Aku benar-benar menyesal." Menma menatapnya penuh rasa ingin tahu. "Huh? Aku tidak marah. Curry rasanya baik-baik saja, juga." "Saya tidak berbicara tentang ramen, Menma-kun. Aku berarti Sudahlah." Membiarkan keluar napas dalam-dalam, Hinata hanya tersenyum dan dengan lembut mengusap bibir Menma dengan tangannya. "Apakah ayahmu mendapatkan resep aku menyelinap di notebook Anda?" "Aku tak tahu." "Oh? Jadi dia belum membuat spaghetti untuk Anda, belum?" Anak kecil berpikir sejenak. "Dia tidak meminta Sakura-chan untuk memasak satu hari yang lain ... tapi itu tidak baik." Ia melanjutkan dengan bisikan malu yang membuat Hinata tertawa. "Anda tidak harus mengatakan bahwa, madu. Itu tidak baik." "Saya pikir ayah berpikir hal yang sama. Ia mengatakan spaghetti Anda adalah yang terbaik." "Dia mengatakan bahwa?" "Ya. Anda harus datang dengan kami waktu berikutnya, ibu. Mereka benar-benar memiliki dapur besar di sana." bibir Hinata menarik tersenyum. "Aku hanya akan membuat ayahmu resep lain. Pastikan untuk membiarkan dia tahu, oke?" Dia memiringkan kepalanya saat bibir anak kecil itu berubah menjadi cemberut. "Apa yang salah, Sayang?" "Bu," katanya sedih melihat ibunya, "mengapa tidak Anda dan ayah berbicara?" Tangannya berhenti bermain-main dengan sumpit, dan dia menatap Menma yang polos menatap kembali. "A-Apa?" "Aku berkata, mengapa Anda dan ayah tidak berbicara?" "W-Yah, itu ..." "Dan mengapa kita tidak merayakan ulang tahun Anda di rumah papa? Kau bilang ulang tahun yang penting, kan? Jadi mengapa dia tidak ada di sini? " Dia polos bertanya. "Mengapa kita tinggal di rumah yang berbeda? Apakah kau tidak ingin hidup bersamanya? Ini agak menyebalkan memiliki dua rumah kadang-kadang, ibu. Aku hanya bisa melihat ayah saya selama hari Sabtu dan Minggu, dan ketika aku tinggal bersamanya , saya tidak bisa melihat Anda. Mengapa kita tidak bisa semua hanya tinggal dalam satu rumah? " Cemberut bibirnya, Menma melanjutkan, dagunya menempel di telapak tangannya. "Ini akan lebih menyenangkan! Dan rumah ayah sangat besar! Haruno-sensei ada sebagian besar waktu. Saya pikir dia tinggal di sana. Mengapa dia tinggal di sana? Apakah ayah sakit?" Lebih 'mengapa yang' lolos anak-anak bibir kecil, pertanyaannya keluar satu demi satu. Bisa jadi bahwa ramen terlalu panas atau pertanyaan Menma itu terlalu sulit untuk menjawab, tapi Hinata merasa bahwa dia, secara harfiah dan kiasan, mulai merambah keluar keringat dingin. "Ibu, mengapa tidak kita semua hidup bersama? Apakah kalian bertengkar? " "Sweetie ..." Hinata menggigit bibirnya, tidak tahu bagaimana untuk menjawab pertanyaan Menma itu. "T-Ada hal-hal yang anak seperti Anda mungkin tidak dapat memahami." "Seperti apa?" Menma mengerutkan kening. "L-Seperti ... Umm ... Anda lihat, Menma-kun, Sakura-san adalah ... Atau Maksudku, Anda-y ayah dan aku ... W-Kami tidak benar-benar. .. seperti ... t-sama. " "Aku tahu itu." Dia menjawab singkat, menyebabkan mata Hinata tumbuh lebar. Dia disikat jari-jarinya di pinggiran dan menatap anak itu erat. "Y-Anda lakukan?" "Ya! Anda tinggal di sini, dan ia tinggal di sana. Bukankah itu mengapa Anda tidak bersama-sama?" "Itu benar, madu, tapi apa ibu dimaksudkan adalah-" "Itu sebabnya saya mengatakan ayah bahwa kita harus pindah ke sana dan tinggal bersamanya di rumah besar itu sehingga kami bertiga bisa bersama-sama! Jangan Anda berpikir begitu, ibu? " Sebuah senyum sedih tersebar di wajah Hinata setelah membiarkan napas dalam-dalam. Dia, kemudian, meraih wajah anaknya dan lembut menangkup pipinya. "Anda akan mengerti hal-hal yang lebih baik segera, Menma-kun." "Apa hal?" "Banyak hal." Dia menjawab, cekikikan di keingintahuan anaknya. Mengatur mie cangkir ke samping, tangannya meraih kotak bulat dan menarik penutup off, mengungkapkan lapisan kue bentuk yang sama seperti kotak dan ditutupi dengan coklat tebal coklat icing. "Hei, mari kita memotong kue Anda membeli saya. Ini terlihat benar-benar hebat. Terima kasih, Sayang." Dia mengatakan, menempatkan ciuman di bagian atas kepalanya. "Dan aku benar-benar minta maaf jika saya hancur mengejutkan Anda." "Ya ..." mata Menma yang sedih saat ia cemberut. "Di mana Anda pergi? Ayah khawatir." Hinata Roarke terangkat alisnya. "Khawatir?" "Ya! Kami menelepon Anda berkali-kali, tapi Anda tidak pernah menjawab." Dia menggigit bibir. "Maafkan aku, Sayang Paman Kiba dan aku pergi keluar untuk makan malam, dan aku lupa membawa telepon saya Tapi aku bersumpah,.. Jika aku tahu bahwa ayah Anda akan menurunkan Anda hari ini, saya benar-benar akan pergi ke rumah lebih cepat. Aku benar-benar tidak tahu. " Hinata menjelaskan, saat ia meletakkan sepotong kue di piring Menma itu. "Yeaaah ... Tentu saja Anda tidak. Itu rahasia. Dan Anda tidak bisa mengatakan rahasia kepada siapa pun bahkan jika itu ibu atau ayah." Katanya bangga, karena ia menyeringai. "Aku bahkan tidak memberitahunya tentang hal itu sampai kita selesai dengan makan malam." "Apa ?!" Hinata berteriak tiba-tiba. Menma menjilat coklat dari garpu dan menatap ke arahnya. "Ayah bilang kau tidak seharusnya memberitahu rahasia kepada siapa pun, itu sebabnya aku tidak memberitahu dia segera." "Jadi dia tidak pernah tahu apa-apa tentang hal itu?" "Tidak. Saya hanya bercerita tentang ulang tahun Anda karena saya ingin dia untuk membeli balon. Anda harus melihat wajahnya ketika saya mengatakan kepadanya di dalam mobil, ibu. Itu lucu! " Tertawa perlahan-lahan mereda, dan mata birunya berlama-lama di ekspresi bingung di wajah ibunya. "Apakah kau gila? Aku hanya ingin mengejutkan Anda." "A-Apa? Tentu saja tidak, Sayang. Hanya saja, sebelumnya, saya pikir saya sudah ..." Dia berhenti, cemas menggigit bibirnya sebagai tatapannya bepergian dari balon berkeliaran dinding dapurnya, dengan sepotong kue di piring nya, ke keranjang bunga diletakkan di atas meja, pengerukan kenangan tentang bagaimana masing-masing bagian pernah tergeletak di luar pintu apartemennya. Dia tidak bisa membantu tetapi ingat bagaimana napasnya memasang saat dia melihat rambut kuning cerah Naruto, dan cara hatinya tenggelam ketika ia melihat ekspresi penghinaan di wajahnya. Dia teringat kata-katanya yang menyengat, ejekan dalam suaranya, dan darah yang menetes di pipinya ketika Kiba meninju. Dia mengabaikan rasa sakit ia melihat di matanya, berpikir dia pantas mendapatkannya, tapi mendengar kata-kata sekarang Menma itu membuatnya mulai berpikir bahwa mungkin, ada sisi cerita yang ia butuhkan untuk mencari tahu. "Saya pikir saya melakukan sesuatu yang benar-benar salah." Dengan mata putih tertunduk, Hinata diucapkan sebagian besar untuk dirinya sendiri. "Aku-aku minta maaf. Aku sangat menyesal." "Apakah kau baik-baik saja, ibu? Jangan khawatir, aku memaafkanmu." Dia tersenyum pada anak kecil, menciumnya lagi. "T-Terima kasih. Dan terima kasih untuk kejutan yang menyenangkan, Sayang. Ini benar-benar manis. Bunga-bunga terlihat indah, juga." Menma tersenyum lebar. "Ayah membelinya untuk Anda. Saya hanya meminta kue dan balon." "II lihat." Satu tangan pindah ke kopling kain dekat dengan dadanya, merasakan hatinya mengencangkan, sebersit rasa bersalah perlahan merayap menuruni perutnya.