Olivia's fingers tightened around Kafka's hand as they finally stopped in front of the towering tree she'd chosen earlier. Her head tilted back, eyes going wide as she stared up at the massive trunk that stretched high into the canopy above them.
The bark was textured and lined with faint ridges, but the tree itself seemed impossibly tall, so tall, it felt like it could rival their house in sheer height.
"Wow…" She whispered under her breath, her voice a full of awe and unease. The sheer size of it felt almost intimidating now that they stood directly below it.
She swallowed hard, clutching lightly at the fabric of Kafka's shirt with her free hand. "Kafi…earlier, when you said you could climb the tree, I…" She hesitated, biting her lip as her eyes traced the trunk all the way up to where the fruit hung. "I didn't really think too much about it. I just agreed because…well, I believed you."
Her grip on his shirt tightened as her voice softened with worry.
"But now that I'm looking at it, at how huge it really is, I…I don't know if I have the same level of confidence anymore. I don't know if I can let you climb something this big. What if you slip? What if you fall? I…" Her brows furrowed, and she gave a small shake of her head. "I don't think I can watch you get hurt like that."
Kafka turned his head toward her, his usual teasing grin softening into something gentler. He placed his hand over hers where it clung to his shirt and squeezed lightly.
"Mom, there's no need to worry. Really. I promise you, it's fine." He stepped closer, lowering his voice in that calm, reassuring way he seemed to use when she got too worked up. "I'm actually pretty experienced at climbing trees like these. I've done it multiple times right here in this grove, in fact."
She blinked at him, still not looking convinced.
"One of the jobs I did to help the landowner out was climbing these very trees to harvest the fruit. So trust me, I know what I'm doing."
Olivia stared at him uncertainly. "You say that…but—"
"Tell you what." Kafka interrupted smoothly, a little smirk curling his lips now. "If I show you a live demonstration, maybe you'll believe me."
"A…demonstration?" She echoed nervously.
Before she could ask what he meant, Kafka had already released her hand and strode toward the base of the tree.
"Kafka, wait—"
But he didn't wait. In the blink of an eye, he crouched slightly and sprang upward, his hands gripping a ridge in the trunk. His legs pressed against the bark, and with astonishing speed and fluidity, he began scaling the tree.
"K-Kafi?!" Olivia's voice cracked with panic as she watched him ascend.
His movements were impossibly swift and precise, his hands and feet finding purchase on the smallest of holds. It didn't even look like he was struggling; he climbed with the effortless grace of an animal in its element.
In mere seconds, he had climbed nearly ten meters into the air, higher than Olivia thought possible.
Then, to her absolute horror, he let go.
"Kafi!" She screamed, her arms shooting out instinctively as if she could somehow catch him from such an impossible height.
But instead of plummeting to the ground, Kafka twisted his body midair and executed a flawless backflip, landing with perfect balance right in front of her.
"Ta-da~" He said casually, a smug grin plastered across his face as if he hadn't just given her a near-heart attack.
Olivia stood frozen for a moment, her eyes wide in shock. Then, snapping out of it, she rushed forward, her hands flying to his arms and shoulders.
"Are you crazy?! Are you hurt?!" She exclaimed, patting him all over in a flurry of panicked movements. "Does anything hurt? Did you land wrong? You could've broken a bone or, or worse!"
"…Here, lean on me, if you've hurt your legs, I'll carry you back, okay?!"
"Mom!" Kafka laughed, gently grabbing her flailing hands to stop her. "I'm fine. Look."
To prove it, he jumped lightly on his feet and wiggled his legs around like a kid showing off.
"See? Nothing's broken. I'm perfectly okay. Stuff like this is no big deal for me."
Olivia stared up at him, her breath coming in shallow gasps as relief flooded through her. "…You…" She murmured, then shook her head. "You really scared me just now."
Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Just what on earth happened to you while I wasn't around?!"
"Hm?" Kafka tilted his head innocently.
"I mean, you climb trees like some circus performer! Did you secretly join a circus while I was away? Or maybe you've been training at the zoo with monkeys?" Her voice rose as her hands landed on her hips. "What I saw just now isn't something any normal human can do!"
Kafka chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well…you know, humans did evolve from apes. Maybe it's in my blood?"
"That's not funny!" She shot back, though there was a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Relax, Mom." He leaned casually against the tree trunk, his grin widening. "Boys just like climbing trees, you know? And since coming to this town, where there are tall trees everywhere, I've done it plenty of times just for fun. It's second nature to me now."
Olivia crossed her arms and exhaled heavily, though there was a reluctant smile on her face. "You're…unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."
Kafka stepped closer and tapped her nose lightly with his finger. "But you're impressed, aren't you?"
"…I'll admit it." She muttered, avoiding his gaze. "That was…kind of amazing. But also reckless! You really scared me half to death."
Kafka only chuckled warmly, enjoying the mix of pride and exasperation on her face.
Olivia's gaze lingered on the towering tree in front of them, her arms folded tightly across her chest. There was a small furrow in her brow, and her lips pursed slightly as she spoke, not with anger, but with something that almost sounded like envy.
"You really are lucky, Kafka." She said quietly, her eyes following the winding trunk as it disappeared into the canopy above. "With your strength and those climbing skills of yours, you can scale this tree so easily…go all the way to the top, pluck the fruit straight from the stalk, and…" Her voice softened further. "You'll even get to see the view from up there. I can't even imagine how beautiful it must be."
Her fingers flexed absently at her sides as she stepped closer to the trunk, almost like she was drawn to it.
"I mean, I'm fairly athletic myself, I've hiked mountains and walked trails with no paths, but…" She lifted her hands and pressed them against the bark.
The rough surface was hard under her palms, the ridges too large and uneven for her smaller hands to find a grip. She tried curling her fingers around it and giving a tentative pull, but her feet slipped uselessly on the ground.
"I can't even hold on properly.. " She admitted with a sigh, stepping back and shaking her head. "There's no chance I could climb something like this. Not even a little."
Kafka, who had been leaning lazily against another tree, pushed off and approached her with an amused glint in his eyes.
"So…" He began slowly, almost teasingly. "Does that mean you want to climb the tree?"
Olivia's head shot up at him, her cheeks warming slightly. "What? No!" She said quickly, waving her hands. "I don't want to climb it, well, not exactly."
"Not exactly?" He echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean…" Her gaze drifted upward again, thoughtful and wistful. "I suppose it's not the act of climbing I want. It's more about…"
Her voice trailed off before she gathered her thoughts and continued.
"I think it would be fascinating to actually reach the top. To see the fruit still clinging to its stalk with my own eyes. To pluck it myself, it feels like it would be such an experience."
She glanced off to the side now, her voice softening with her train of thought.
"And…I'd like to see the view from up there. To feel the wind blowing against my face and see the sun from such a high place…I imagine it would look beautiful."
Kafka tilted his head as he studied her expression. There was a dreamy light in her eyes, and though she seemed hesitant, he could tell she wasn't entirely joking.
Olivia let out a small laugh and shook her head, trying to brush off her own words. "Listen to me, going off on another whim. It's just a silly thought—"
Before she could finish dismissing the idea, Kafka's voice cut in, calm but with a firm edge that made her freeze.
"If you want to climb the tree so badly, Mom. Then…" He said smoothly. "…I'll just help you do it."
Her head whipped toward him, her eyes wide. "What?"
"I'll help you." He repeated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"Y-You're joking, aren't you?" Olivia stammered, blinking at him in disbelief. "Even if you tried to help me, there's no way I could climb a tree like this. I mean, even when I was younger, I couldn't—"
"I'm not saying you'll have to climb it yourself." Kafka interrupted, shaking his head with a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Olivia furrowed her brows, confused. "Then…what are you saying?"
"To her utter shock, he pointed at himself and said it plainly. "I'll carry you."
"Wha—?!" Olivia's mouth fell open slightly as her brain stalled for a moment.
"I'll carry you all the way to the top." Kafka continued casually, as if he were proposing nothing more serious than a walk through the park. "Just like how I carried you yesterday, remember? It's no different."
Olivia's jaw nearly dropped. "Yesterday you…you carried me to our bed from the kitchen! That's completely different from climbing a tree with your mother hanging off you!"
"Not really." Kafka said with a small shrug. "If I could carry you up a floor without breaking a sweat, I can definitely carry you up a tree."
He then crossed his arms casually, giving her a cheeky grin. "And you want to see the fruit on its stalk, don't you, Mom? Feel the breeze from the treetop?"
"…Then I'll take you there. You'll get to experience all of it. And you won't even have to lift a finger."
Olivia's face turned crimson. She stared at him in utter disbelief, her mind racing.
"Kafi…do you even hear yourself? You're saying it like it's nothing! This tree, this isn't some tiny shrub in the backyard!"
"It is nothing." Kafka said lightly, as though carrying his full-grown mother up a massive tree was as easy as breathing. "It'll be the perfect little adventure for you, Mom."
"…Besides, I really can't help but want you to see the view from the top, seeing how much you clearly want to see it."
Olivia raised her hands slightly, trying to protest, but no words came out. She had never in her wildest dreams imagined her son offering to do something so ridiculous, so crazy.
And yet, something deep inside her fluttered at the thought of such a adventure.
But unbeknownst to her, Kafka was already plotting how he'd 'tease' her once they reached the very top.
Up there, she'd be completely in his grasp, with no way to back down, no choice but to listen to whatever he said.
After all, at that height, he would be her only anchor…and he fully intended to take advantage of that.