Chapter 48: My Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

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Translator: Soafp

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Yuzuki hurriedly looked into a mirror and adjusted her bangs.

It seemed like it really was just a coincidence.

Maybe they had come to watch a movie together as mother and daughter.

I greeted Yuzuki's mother—Ayumi Kitayama.

“Long time no see, Aunty—no, Ayumi-san. Did you come to watch a movie?”

She had always disliked being called “Aunty” so I quickly corrected myself.

Ayumi smiled warmly and replied.

“Yes, that's right. And Ren-kun, you're… um…”

Before I knew it, Nodoka and Airi had pressed themselves close to both of my arms.

“…on a date, perhaps?”

“Ah, no, that's…”

I had been trying not to think of today's outing as a date, telling myself it was just shopping with female friends.

But while that might be one thing for Airi, even Nodoka had somehow declared it was a date.

At the same time, if I just admitted it was a date, I might come across as some shallow guy surrounded by two cute girls.

I couldn't think of a clever response.

More than that, I didn't even understand why Nodoka saw it as a date.

Airi answered in my place.

“Yes, we're on a date—the three of us. Right, Nodoka?”

“Huh!? Y-yeah! A d-date! Totally normal, nothing weird about it!”

“Well, I suppose that happens sometimes. Though now that I think about it, Ren-kun, you're quite popular, aren't you? Walking around with two such cute girls.”

“Haha…”

Somehow, Ayumi's gaze felt a bit sharp.

After all, she had treated me like her own son.

Ever since breaking up with Yuzuki, I wasn't quite sure how to act around her.

“So, what are the three of you going to watch?”

“Honestly, I'm not the one who made the reservation, so…”

I turned to Nodoka and Airi to ask, but their answer was unexpected.

“You know that anime you said you liked before? The movie version of it!”

“Huh? The new one that just came out?”

“Yeah, I thought you'd like it.”

“But what about you, Airi? Did you watch the original or the TV anime? You won't understand the story otherwise.”

“Of course I did. I watched the anime, liked it, and even bought and read all the original novels.”

So Airi had started spending money on her hobbies now that she had her own income.

I was honestly happy for her.

…Though the fact that her hobby was male-oriented harem stories was a little concerning.

Ayumi showed her ticket with a slightly disappointed look.

“Oh, it's different from ours.”

The ticket had the title of a popular Hollywood movie on it.

It seemed like something Yuzuki would enjoy.

If we hadn't broken up, I might have watched that movie with her.

“Well then, Ren-kun, after your date, would you come by my bar for a bit?”

“Your bar, Ayumi-san?”

“Yes. Of course, before opening hours. There's something I'd like to talk about. I'll get permission from the manager.”

After essentially divorcing her husband, Ayumi had started working as a bartender to raise Yuzuki on her own.

I didn't know the details, but I heard it had been very difficult at first.

Now, things had apparently stabilized.

“Alright. Please tell me the name and address.”

“Of course.”

She probably wanted to talk about Yuzuki.

Unlike Yuzuki, Ayumi was very cautious, so she wouldn't make unreasonable requests.

Still, like my own mother, she would naturally favor her daughter.

Nodoka frowned and muttered.

“You're making plans with another woman even though we're here!”

“Right? That was way too natural.”

They both knew that wasn't what it meant…

Ayumi placed her hands on her cheeks and twisted shyly.

“Ara, I've still got it! To think I'd make girls this young jealous!”

“…” “…”

I almost said something back, but held it in.

---

After watching the movie, eating, and even having coffee at a nice café, we parted ways.

Well, since Airi lived with me, it really just meant we saw Nodoka off and went home together.

When we got home, Airi asked:

“Did you have fun on today's date?”

“Yeah… It wasn't a date, though.”

“Are you being tsundere like Nodoka? Well, as long as you had fun, that's fine.”

After that, we talked about the day for a while.

Thankfully, she seemed to have enjoyed it too.

That gloomy aura she had when we first met was completely gone.

Looking at the clock, it was about time to head to Ayumi's bar.

Before I could say anything, Airi seemed to sense it and spoke casually.

“Ren-kun, don't lose to the charm of a mature woman.”

“…Ayumi-san isn't like that.”

“There's nothing more dangerous than the ‘married woman' archetype.”

“…”

I held back a mental retort about her describing things like some trope from web novels or eroge.

“Ren-kun, you do remember that tomorrow is the day you make your demand, right?”

“Ah, yeah. I remember.”

“Have you thought about it?”

“More or less…”

I nodded silently.

This strange exchange—being told to make demands—still made no sense to me.

Airi smiled happily.

“I'm looking forward to it. Well then, take care. Don't cheat, okay?”

“Out of everything, that's the one thing you really don't need to worry about.”

“I hope so.”

Chu.

As if to send me off, she softly kissed my cheek.

It was a little embarrassing, but it made my chest feel warm.

---

About fifteen minutes by train.

I went down the underground stairs leading to a bar tucked away in a corner of the entertainment district.

The “CLOSED” sign was still hanging, but I opened the door anyway.

“Oh, you're here.”

Unlike earlier at the movie theater, Ayumi now looked sharp and refined.

A white shirt, black vest, black pants, and a bow tie.

She had the unmistakable presence of a bartender.

“What would you like? I'll make it for you.”

“I'm still a high school student, you know.”

“Oh, I meant a non-alcoholic cocktail, of course.”

“I'm not really sure what there is.”

“Got it. I'll make you something sweet.”

Ayumi poured orange juice, lemon juice, and syrup into a shaker filled with ice.

Then she performed a smooth, elegant shake—the hallmark of a bartender.

“Wow… that really suits you.”

“Right? At first, I didn't close it properly and made a mess with everything spilling everywhere.”

She filled a glass with ice and slowly poured in the contents.

The bright yellow color stood out.

Finally, she added a slice of lemon and a cherry before handing it to me.

“It's called a Florida. Normally, you'd add a couple drops of Angostura bitters, but that would include alcohol.”

“It looks good, but isn't this basically just mixed juice?”

“Well… yes.”

Ayumi laughed softly.

I took a sip.

The rich aroma of orange spread through my mouth, followed by the sharpness of lemon tightening the flavor.

There was no way something I casually mixed myself could taste like this.

I was genuinely impressed by her skill.

“It's delicious. Someday, I'd like to try one of your real cocktails too.”

“Thank you. Time flies, you know.”

She smiled gently.

Now then, what did she want to talk about?

As I looked at her, she seemed to understand and spoke first.

“I heard what happened between you and Yuzuki.”

“…From your perspective, you probably can't understand me.”

Explaining that I saw a future where I'd be cheated on wasn't exactly convincing.

And naturally, a parent would believe their own child over someone else.

But Ayumi quietly shook her head.

“Honestly, I think it's mostly my fault… I never told her about her father.”

“Well… I don't think it's your fault.”

“But I still wanted to say this. I'm sorry. And also…”

She bowed deeply.

“Thank you. For saving Yuzuki.”

I blinked in surprise.

What was she talking about?

“I don't remember saving her…”

“It's the same thing. If the future you saw is true, Yuzuki wouldn't just betray you—she'd end up pregnant with that awful man's child, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you think a man like that would take responsibility? Without you, her life would have been completely ruined.”

Honestly, I had been so shocked by the idea of being cheated on that I hadn't thought that far ahead.

But what Ayumi said made perfect sense.

There was no way I would accept Yuzuki if I knew the child wasn't mine.

And that other guy would definitely abandon her the moment he got bored.

The future waiting for her was one where she'd be abandoned by everyone.

“I'm sorry, but that makes it even harder to say I saved her. I don't even know if that future has changed.”

“No, I'm sure it has. Yuzuki threw away all her cameras except the one you gave her. And she decided not to join the summer camp.”

In fact, ever since I broke up with Yuzuki, I stopped having those “nightmares” about her.

But I didn't know whether that meant the future had truly changed, or if I just stopped seeing her as part of my life.

I could only see bad futures—not good ones.

“Ren-kun, this is selfish, but I have a request.”

“A request…?”

“Please, just once, give Yuzuki another chance. I'm not saying you have to get back together. You can date someone else if you want. Just… give her one chance to be seen by you again.”

“…I'm trying to treat her normally. But… it's like trauma, it's etched into me…”

“I understand… Then how about this? In the end, the root of all this is that scumbag, right?”

Ayumi looked straight into my eyes and continued.

“I’m going to make Yuzuki deal with that scumbag with her own hands.”