V3Ch4: Part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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“…………”

“…………”

We were in one corner of the living room!

While Ayana and my mom were happily preparing shabu-shabu in the kitchen, I was sitting across from Seina-san.

“…………”

“…………”

Although there was no longer any tension between me and Seina-san, the sudden visit brought about by my mom… well, it was bound to be like this.

Glancing briefly at the kitchen, where Ayana and my mom were having a lively time, contrasting starkly with the quiet atmosphere between Seina-san and me, it was like night and day.

(But it was so sudden… well, it must be tough for Seina-san too. Her only support, her daughter, is over there.)

Well, I’ve got to do my best!

Steel myself like a samurai facing a battle, I opened my mouth.

“That… was unexpected, right?”

“…..It really is”

“Ah… yeah.”

“…..It really is”

“… yeah.”

I’m… too weak, it makes me want to cry.

When I asked if it was unexpected, the look in Seina-san’s eyes as she turned towards me seemed to say, “You should know by now,” and her voice carried a sense of exhaustion.

While her expression didn’t clearly indicate any distress, it was evident that being in this house was quite uncomfortable for Seina-san.

“Alright…”

If that’s the case, I’ve got to try even harder.

Since my mom is getting along well with Seina-san, and Seina-san had previously mentioned wanting to build a good relationship with my mom, this situation is an excellent opportunity.

“Seina-san, I’m glad we can meet again, even under these circumstances.”

“Towa-kun…”

“I’ve been thinking that we should create an opportunity like this eventually. I know you may not be fully prepared yet, but I believe my mom means well… as her son, let me say that.”

She means well… right? I trust you, Mom?

Well, I’m not really worried about this… but since I brought up the topic, Seina-san’s expression has improved.

“I understand. I thought I’d have to have this conversation eventually, and when I unexpectedly encountered the person I needed to talk to, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest… and when I was suddenly hugged, it reminded me of the past and frightened me, but I also felt that I needed to gather courage.”

“…………”

I’m sorry, Seina-san.

If you just listen to what she’s saying, it’s entirely my mom’s fault… but despite her words, Seina-san continues with a smile.

“So don’t worry, Towa-kun.”

“Ahaha, that’s a relief.”

Well, then, maybe I don’t need to worry too much… I hope?

Taking a break from talking, Seina-san looks around.

“Is there anything interesting here?”

“…I thought it was a very warm home.”

Ah… that’s incredibly heartwarming to hear.

Even though only my mom and I live in this house, I’ve never felt lonely… I’ve personally experienced the warmth of this home.

Ayana has said similar things before, but hearing it from her mother, Seina-san, made me incredibly happy.

“Ok~ay! Everything’s ready~!”

“Towa-kun and Mom, please join us too.”

Oh, it seems dinner is finally ready.

Hearing my mom’s voice, I noticed that Seina-san’s shoulders shook again, so I took her hand.

“Let’s go, Seina-san.”

“…You’re really kind, Towa-kun.”

“Well, I can do this much.”

Feeling like a knight escorting a princess, I headed towards the table.

I sat next to my mom, and Seina-san sat next to Ayana… meaning, we were seated facing each other with our respective families.

“So, it’s shabu-shabu, huh. Feels like it’s been a while.”

Actually, it’s been a while since we’ve gathered like this with a decent number of people.

Apart from the meat, everything else was already in the pot, simmering and enticing our appetites with its bubbling sound.

“Don’t worry, Towa-kun. The pot won’t run away even if you stare at it.”

“No, no, I’m not doing anything childish like that.”

“Eeh? Really? Is that true?”

“…Well, because it looks delicious, what can I do?”

She hit the nail on the head, but I quickly brushed it off.

Not only Ayana, but also my mom and Seina-san, smiled affectionately at me. I couldn’t help it, so I clasped my hands together.

“Let’s dig in.”

“Ara, resorting to force, I see.”

“Shut up.”

You’re the one who created this situation, don’t mock me.

Setting aside my mom, who had been having fun all along, I made my move first and took some meat and tofu, trying to balance it out.

“Alright, uhm…”

As for the shabu-shabu accompaniment, should I go for ponzu or sesame sauce? I’m definitely a sesame sauce person.

So when I reached out for the sesame sauce, it was unexpectedly handed to me by someone.

“Are you into sesame sauce, Towa-kun? Here you go.”

“Ah, thank you.”

It was Seina-san who handed it to me.

Since there were both ponzu and sesame sauce near Seina-san, it wasn’t strange for her to pass it to me… but, how did she know?

“Seems like Seina-san knew you wanted sesame sauce?”

“How did you know, Seina-san?”

“Well…. it was just a hunch.”

For just a hunch, she seemed to know from the beginning…?

Ayana, sitting in front of me, nodded as if she had some idea of what was going on, but when our eyes met, she just smiled.

“It’s strange. Hey, Towa-kun, I’m getting hungry, let’s eat.”

“Right… let’s!”

Well, there are some things I’m curious about, but for now, let’s just enjoy the delicious meal in front of us.

“…Mmm, it’s delicious.”

“It’s so tasty♪”

The flavor of the meat coated in sesame sauce is irresistible!

Of course, not just the meat, but all the other ingredients also complement each other perfectly, enhancing the deliciousness even more.

(…Mom and Seina-san aren’t eating, huh?)

While we kids were enjoying our shabu-shabu, the two adults hadn’t touched the pot yet and weren’t even talking.

Both my mom and Seina-san didn’t have gloomy expressions, but they seemed to be watching each other’s reactions.

(Ayana… she’s not worried at all.)

Returning my gaze to my mom and Seina-san, I noticed Ayana wasn’t showing any signs of being troubled.

She ate her shabu-shabu with relish while occasionally glancing at my mom and Seina-san, seeming curious about what they were talking about.

Probably… she’s not worried at all.

Not worrying isn’t in a bad sense, but rather, Ayana probably believes that my mom and Seina-san can handle it well.

“…. Fue, probing each other isn’t my style. We’re all gathered around the hot pot, so let’s not make it gloomy.”

It seemed like my mother couldn’t bear the silence anymore, so she spoke up. Her words acted as a catalyst to break the silence, and I followed suit.

“The root cause of this is partly due to your actions, Mom. Are you regretting it?”

“I’m not!”

“Don’t say that so confidently!”

I retorted sharply and lightly tapped my mother’s shoulder.

“Ouch?!”

It wasn’t painful enough for her to cry out loud, but at least my jab got her to start talking.

“I didn’t intend to stay silent forever. I was observing you. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a conversation like this.”

“Yeah, it has. It feels like it’s been ages since then.”

“Indeed… a really long time has passed.”

Although I was curious about my mother and Seina-san’s conversation, Ayana and I decided to focus on enjoying our meal. In this atmosphere, it didn’t seem like there was any room for us to join their conversation.

“To be honest… just because Towa forgave you doesn’t mean I can forgive everything. But I suppose you’re the more wicked one.”

“No, I’m much the same. I can never say that I did nothing, or said nothing. Even if my mouth were torn apart, I couldn’t say such a thing.”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why I headed to where you all were at that time… At that moment, I was so consumed by anger that I couldn’t see anything around me… I even felt like I wanted to kill you all.”

When my mother said she wanted to kill them, her eyes were deadly serious. While my mother genuinely cares for me, her words at that time scared me.

“…?”

At that moment, I noticed that Ayana was trembling. Though neither of us was directly being stared at by my mother, there was an indescribable sense of fear that made my spine tingle. Perhaps Ayana sensed it even more strongly than I did.

I gently stood up and approached Ayana.

“Ayana.”

“Towa-kun…”

I stroked her head reassuringly and embraced her shoulder.

“It’s okay, Mom isn’t angry.”

“Eh?”

Yes, my mother’s words were strong, and her aura was intimidating… but she wasn’t angry. I couldn’t explain why, but I just felt that way instinctively. Maybe it’s because I’m her son.

“I told Towa I’m not dwelling on it anymore. But when I remember, it’s not that easy to let go… It’s really troublesome.”

“…”

“But yes… that’s right. Towa… my beloved son is moving forward with determination. So I should also face forward… It’s much better than being dragged down by the past forever.”

After saying that, my mother smiled. The earlier tense atmosphere and ominous words seemed to disappear, replaced by a calm demeanor. Seina-san’s expression softened for a moment but quickly hardened again.

“I…said horrible words just because I didn’t like him. I said words that even hurt my own daughter…I thought about it many times, but I was really stupid. Just like you have a son, I have a daughter…I know exactly how you feel.”

Seina-san might be considering things from the opposite perspective now. If it were Ayana who had the accident instead of me… She’s her precious daughter, so it would definitely be painful, even if the approach was wrong.

“I haven’t directly said it… I’m not trying to make excuses. I’m truly, truly sorry.”

Seina-san bowed her head as she said this.

To be honest, I don’t feel like she needs to bow her head anymore. I don’t want her to go that far. But right now, it’s a conversation between the parents. So, for now, all I can do is watch over my mother and Seina-san.

“Mom… You’ve really changed, haven’t you?”

As Ayana said this, it was clear that Seina-san’s transformation was significant.

Accepting Seina-san’s apology, Mom nodded once, wearing a smile that could charm even her son.

“I accept it. As Towa’s mother, I accept your apology.”

Upon hearing Mom’s words, Seina-san looked up. Tears flowed down her cheeks, threatening to ruin her carefully applied makeup, and she seemed to be biting her lip, trying to hold back her tears.

Perhaps… No, surely Seina-san had been worrying about this all along. By being forgiven as a mother herself, Seina-san was finally freed from the shackles of the past.

“Seina-san.”

I called out to her then.

“Mom and I have accepted your apology. So, this matter is settled now… We’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact in the future, so please, let’s get along.”

“Ah…”

Seina-san was completely undone at that point.

The amount of tears streaming down her cheeks only increased, and she seemed to be trying to hide her face with incredible force using the handkerchief I gave her.

“Mom, it’s okay. You did great.”

“Ah, Ayana…!”

As Ayana gently stroked her back, I couldn’t help but feel warmth. But at the same time, it seemed as if Ayana was consoling her older sister.

(That just goes to show how young Seina-san looks.)

It might be strange to think about such things in this situation, but the fact remains that both Mom and Seina-san… and even Hatsune-san, all looked much younger than their actual age.

While I was lost in these thoughts, Mom clapped her hands.

“Now then! Since we have such a wonderful hot pot in front of us, let’s not waste time sniffling and start eating!”

“Well, you’re the one who created this atmosphere in the first place!”

“Ouch!?”

I gave her shoulder a smack again, just for good measure.

Why do you have to hit me like that? I thought as I returned her gaze firmly.

“Muu… My son is being so cold today.”

Even though she was pouting like a petulant child, it suited her a little!

But, Mom’s words made sense. With such a delicious meal in front of us, it would be a shame to let it sit there untouched.

“Come on, Mom. It’s delicious, so let’s eat.”

“Well… Alright. I’m fine now.”

Encouraged by Ayana, Seina-san, who had finally calmed down, began to eat.

Come to think of it, I just realized something. The fact that beer was served in front of Mom and Seina-san means that Seina-san is staying over tonight, right?

Even if Mom drives her home, she can’t drive after drinking alcohol, but on the other hand, it’s not safe to let Seina-san walk home at this time of night, whether or not she’s consumed alcohol.

“Is Seina-san staying over tonight too?”

“Maybe… It seems likely. Will Ayana-san lend her some clothes?”

If she’s staying over, that would probably be the case… Well, I’ll leave that to Mom.

“Come on, have a drink too.”

“…I’m not really good with alcohol, though.”

“Oh, really? You don’t want to?”

“No, it’s not that I can’t drink.”

Even though she said it was okay, Seina-san reluctantly started drinking her beer.

“You’re still barbaric! Barbaric, but… but a really good kid!”

“Ahaha… Um, thank you?”

In the end, she ended up getting really drunk.

“I’ve never seen Mom like that before. She never drinks at home either.”

“…I feel like she’s a completely different person now.”

“To tell you the truth, I feel the same way. Mom is more of the type to serve drinks to others.”

Ah… I can imagine that.

If I were served drinks by such a beautiful woman, I’d probably end up drinking way too much.

“…But isn’t she a bit too weak?”

After scolding Mom with her face all red, she suddenly started praising her with a face that looked like she was about to cry. Her emotions were all over the place.

Is this the power of alcohol…? I should be careful with alcohol in the future too.

“It’s been a while since I had beer, and it’s delicious… huh?”

At that moment, Seina-san, who had regained her composure, looked towards us with a determined gaze… and then suddenly stood up.

“!?”

“Hii!?”

Humans tend to get startled by sudden movements.

Both Ayana and I were startled by Seina-san’s sudden actions, and I even ended up hitting my pinky toe on the table leg… Ouch, it hurts so much!

While I was writhing in pain, Ayana expressed concern for me, but just then, Seina-san suddenly hugged me.

“Towa-kun, I’m a terrible person. To you… to you… Uwaaah!”

Even though she’s weak to alcohol, she’s crying so much!?

“Hey, Mom! Please don’t hug Towa-kun!”

Saying that, Ayana tried to pry Seina-san off, but her hug was so strong that it wasn’t easy to remove her.

But more importantly… there’s something I’m a bit concerned about as a man.

It’s the fact that I’m being pressed against her cheek by the hug, and her bre*sts, which are even larger than Ayana’s… They’re incredibly soft and feel good… I know Ayana would definitely get angry if I said something like this, but I’m just curious, not excited.

(Is that… the smell of alcohol…)

Because the moment I should be enjoying the softness of her large breasts, I’m overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol, which would normally be pleasant.

“Hey! You’re not taking my son!”

Mom joined the fray and hugged us from behind… What is this?

Being hugged by my own mother from the front and my mother-in-law from behind… What is this situation? Help me, Ayana.

And my wish was granted.

“Both of you, stop it! Towa-kun is going to smell like old age!!”

However… it was an incredibly powerful blow.

Upon hearing Ayana’s words about the smell of old age, both Mom and Seina-san froze… Literally, they didn’t move at all.

They stayed like that for a while, but then they slowly let go of me and murmured in defeat.

“…Right. We’re already getting up there in age, huh? Haha.”

“Old age smell… You’re right. I’m like an old hag trying to cover it up with perfume. Haha.”

Watching the two of them laugh like broken machines, Ayana snorted disdainfully… Is this hell?

“Ayana, I think you went a bit too far with that just now…”

“To get Towa-kun back, a little sacrifices must be made.”

“But that’s not just a ‘little’!”

Both of them look like their souls are leaving their bodies!

While there are plenty of hurtful words for women, I guess ‘old age smell’ is a bit too much… Well, not just for women, but for fathers too, it’s probably the last thing they want to hear from their daughters, right?

(Being told ‘You smell like dad!’ and despairing, there’s definitely a dad like that somewhere…)

Anyway, leaving aside the dad situation, Ayana’s words seemed to pierce through the two mothers like sharper than any blade.

Mom and Seina-san, who were hugging me, separated with a dejected air, and instead, Ayana hugged me tightly.

“Punishment complete.”

I thought to myself… Isn’t Ayana the real demon here?

“Now, Towa-kun. Let’s finish the rest of the food.”

“…Yeah.”

Maybe it’s best not to dwell on it too much.