Volume 4 Chapter 3

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♥

First night of Obon.

Since her daughter and granddaughter had not visited for a long time, though probably around 80% because of her granddaughter, my mother made a huge feast.

“Mm, so good. Grandma, your food is as good as ever,” Miu praised her while stuffing her mouth with karaage*. TL/N: Deep-fried food, usually chicken.

My mother was overjoyed at those words, showing a smile on her face.

“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart! I’m so flattered, Miu-chan. I’ve made a lot of food, so don’t hesitate to eat as much as you want.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to clean my plate.”

Following her words, Miu ate enthusiastically.

“Fufu, it’s so nice to see youngsters eat with so much appetite. I’m not motivated enough to cook this much when I’m alone with grandpa. Lately, we’ve mostly been eating prepared meals from the supermarket,” Said in a calm tone and smiled softly.

Harue Katsuragi… My mother.

She had long and well-kept hair and a kind expression on her face.

She looks like she’s 40, but she’s actually about to turn 70.

Just like me, for better or worse, she has a childish face that tends to make people believe she’s younger than she actually is.

“But Miu-chan really has grown. Not too long ago she was graduating elementary school and now she’s a full-fledged high schooler. No wonder I’m so old already,” said my father happily, drinking a beer. It looked like he couldn’t hold back the happiness of seeing his granddaughter after so long.

Fumihiro Katsuragi… My father.

He had short grey hair and a wrinkly face. He was already over 60 years old, but his physique was robust, probably due to working as a carpenter.

“You’ve become a beauty.”

“Really? It’s probably because of my handsome grandpa’s genes.”

“Haha. You with your compliments again. Are you looking for some Obon gift money?”

“No, no, not at all. I was just saying what I was thinking. Grandpa, should I pour you some more beer?”

“Hahaha. You’re really kind, Miu-chan. Grandma, this girl is a sweetheart.”

“Fufufu. She certainly is.”

My parents were completely delighted with their granddaughter, who they had not seen since a long time ago.

And Miu was also doing pretty well.

It was as if she knew what the elderly wanted.

“By the way, Miu-chan, how’s high school? Are you having fun?” Asked my father, as if gossiping.

“Yes, I’m having fun. Though it’s a bit hard. I have to work harder now since it’s an advanced level high school.”

“Miu-chan, don’t worry too much about your studies. Have fun while you’re young. I didn’t even go to class half the time.”

“Miu isn’t like you.” Interrupted my mother, slapping my father.

And she then turned to Miu again.

“If you’re having fun, that’s all that matters. So… how’s everything going?” Smiling mischievously, she asked, “Did you get a boyfriend already?”

“Paghgh,” my father choked on his beer. “W-What are you saying now, grandma? B-Boyfriend…?”

“Oh? What’s so weird about it? She’s in high school now, so it wouldn’t be weird for her to have had a boyfriend or two. Miu-chan is so cute, I bet there’s a flock of boys chasing after her.”

“No, no, no! It’s too soon for Miu to have a boyfriend! I won’t allow it. I absolutely won’t allow it.”

“She doesn’t need your permission to date anyone, does she?” Said my mother, shocked at seeing my father acting like an obstinate father.

“So, Miu-chan?”

“D-Do you, Miu-chan?”

“Well…”

My parents made a pretty delicate question, but Miu didn’t look offended and answered with the same light-heartedness as ever.

“Not now. There isn’t a boy worthy of me,” she said happily.

“Oh, so that’s how it is.”

“L-Look, I told you.”

My mother looked disappointed and my father felt relieved.

I looked at the three of them with a heartwarming feeling in my chest and kept enjoying my mother’s home cooking for the first time in a long time, when suddenly.

“Oh, but…”

Miu’s next words took me by surprise.

“Mom got a boyfriend not too along ago.”

“…Nngggg?!”

I was choking on the potato salad inside my mouth.

“Cough, cough… H-Hey, Miu…”

Perplexed, I looked at Miu and what I received in return was a sadistic gaze.

“Right, mom? You’re completely in love.”

“Wha…”

What the heck is this girl thinking?!

What’s she saying in a place like this?!

“Oh my! Is that true, Ayako?” My mother’s eyes opened in surprise, but immediately smiled happily. “Geez… When did that happen? If you found a nice man, you should have told me.”

“No, well, it’s just… w-we’re still not dating yet…”

“Hmm? Is that so? But you said ‘yet,’ which means…”

“…I-I think that there’s a chance for us to date.”

“Oh, my… You’ve been having a lot of fun behind our backs. So, what kind of man is he? What does he do for a living?” A happy mother was drowning me in questions.

And my father.

“…O-Oh… I-I see… W-Well, you’re already over 30, so it’s natural for something like that to happen. T-That’s good, isn’t it…?”

He spoke with a calm voice, but his words became awkward.

Unlike Miu’s case, I could feel how flustered he was this time.

“Hey, Ayako, what kind of man is he? Tell your mother.”

“No, well… Uhm, uhm…!”

Miu~~!

I was angrily staring at her while screaming internally, but she kept eating as if nothing was wrong.

After dinner, I went to take a bath.

“Haah…”

Immersing myself in my parents’ house, I let out a deep sigh.

It was a complete horror.

My mother was throwing a barrage of questions at me and my father, who was drinking happily at the beginning, lost his good mood and started to drink alone in silence.

“Geez… What’s Miu thinking of?”

Somehow, I managed to free myself from that annoying situation by saying ‘I’ll tell you everything when we officially start dating.’

But in the end, I’m simply postponing the inevitable.

Oh… I see.

If I start datting Takkun, I’ll have to officially tell my parents one day.

…I-I don’t want to do that.

What face should I make when I tell them?

That my boyfriend is a university student 10 years younger than me.

And that he’s also the boy next door who I’ve known for a long time.

My parents know how much the Aterazawa family has helped me for the last 10 years.

So… I don’t know what kind of face they’ll make when they find out I put my jaws on their only son…

“Uuh…”

I’m conscious of it, but our age difference isn’t that simple to dismiss by just saying ‘If there’s love, age doesn’t matter.’

I’m over 30 and I have a daughter.

That’s no position to fall in love freely by getting carried away by my feelings.

I can’t help but worry about looks from the people surrounding us, my parents included.

Of course, Takkun thought about it already, and I… when I accepted my feelings, I decided to prepare for several things.

It was too late to worry about my position and giving up on our relationship.

But… When I faced reality again, I lost some confidence.

Haaaah… I can’t say it.

I don’t want to tell my parents about Takkun.

I was reflecting about my own feelings in the bathtub, when a voice suddenly came from the dressing room.

“Mom.”

Behind the frosted glass, I could see Miu’s silhouette.

“What’s wrong, Miu?”

“Can I get in too?”

“Huh…? W-Why…?”

“I’m coming in.”

Without waiting for my answer, Miu took off her clothes and entered the bath.

Long extremities without any excess of fat, young and tight skin, a small ass. My daughter is a true beauty… Her figure is simply enviable.

Her youth… Her youth is dazzling.

“Mom, make some space for me.”

After a quick wash, Miu got into the bathtub.

This bathtub was a bit bigger than our house’s, but it was still too small for 2 people to get in together.

“W-What’s wrong, Miu…?”

I couldn’t believe she was taking a bath with me.

This is very unusual.

She always looks disgusted when I forcefully get inside the bath with her.

“Hm, no particular reason. I simply thought it was be faster this way,” she replied indifferently. “My grandparents are going to take a bath after this, won’t they? Both were considerate and let us get in first, so I thought we should bathe quickly.”

“…”

“Well, that was just a pretext… I wanted to talk with you alone for a bit,” Said Miu.

“Talk…?”

“Yes, talk. Well, it’s not that I want to talk, but I thought you wanted to say something.”

“…Yes, I have something to say,” I looked straight at her. “What was that earlier? Why did you tell them I have a boyfriend?”

“Oh, you’re still mad about that?”

“I’m not mad about it… I just want to know why you did it.”

“Does it matter? It was bound to happen sooner or later. When you get married, you’ll have to tell my grandparents anyways.”

“G-Get married…?! E-Even if that happens in the future… everything has steps to follow.”

Steps, or rather, mental preparation.

“You only made it worse by telling them now… If they find out he’s a 20 year old university student… I have no idea what they’ll say.”

“I do. They’ll probably say they’re opposed to it. That’s why I didn’t say more about it,” said Miu unconcerned. “Well, I know it was a little insensitive from my part… but if you don’t get rid of all the obstacles, you’ll only keep putting more and more things on hold to solve later.”

“Ugh…”

She looked straight at me and my words got stuck in my throat.

But even then, I managed to answer her.

“I-I already told you everything is fine. When we return, I’ll make sure to talk with Takkun.”

“I wonder if that’s true. Knowing you, as soon as you see his face, you’ll try your hardest to avoid him, like you did this morning.”

This morning… Ah, that…

When I fell by Miu’s lie, I hid in the car.

“…T-That was different. I had my reasons for it.”

“Regardless of those reasons, you’re simply shunning him.”

“Shunning him…?”

“Yes, you’re avoiding him because you love him too much.”

“T-That’s…”

Hmm.

I think the situation is too complicated to be explained in such simple words, but I guess that’s what it is… in simple terms.

I love him, but when I see his face, I lose my composure and I don’t know what to do, so I avoid him, even if it’s unintentional… Ah… She’s right.

Looks like I’m really shunning him.

“Well, shunning the boy you like is something very common for a girl in love. Some of my classmates do it too.” Miu continued, “But let me tell you something, mom.”

“…No need to. I understand it for the most part, so you don’t need to say it.”

“A woman in her 30s shunning the man she likes… is very embarrassing.”

“…I told you not to say it!”

I’m sorry, okay?!

I’m sorry for acting like a teenager despite being over 30 years old!

“Geez, for real, what happened with that dramatic development from last time? Where did my mother, who cried and shouted passionately about her love, go? After that, I thought you were completely ready to give the next step and have a happy ending,” Miu didn’t stop spitting poison on me.

“…T-That was my intention. But you know, I was a bit dramatic, or rather, very resolute and determined… and well, I learned the lesson that if you put too much eagerness into something, you’ll end up getting carried away and doing dumb things…”

“Hmm, how to say it… Aren’t you conscious that everyone you know, including Taku-nii, is supporting you in your path to love?”

“Supporting me…?”

“Due to your indecision, everyone does as much as possible to clear your way so you can easily reach the finish line. Thanks to everyone’s support, you finally got on track… but then you sprained your ankle in your first step.”

“Am I that terrible?!”

I sprained my ankle on my own after having that much support?!

It’s even a little funny…

If this was an entertainment show, I would have received 100 points.

“Uuh… I know. I know I’m doing something pathetic. Despite everyone supporting me… I’m really useless… I’m ashamed of myself.”

“…Well, I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed of. Everyone is doing it on their own without asking them to. Sounds good to hear that they’re supporting you, but on the other hand, that means they’re cornering you so that you can’t back away,” Said Miu with light sentimentalism.

Unlike the piercing tone from before, her voice had turned somewhat soft.

“In a certain way, it has become hard to back away when the entire world is supporting you so much. You start feeling as if you can’t fail, and even if you succeed, you feel as if it’s inacceptable if you don’t succeed in a grandiose way… I also think you’re under a lot of pressure.”

“Miu…”

“You simply didn’t start at the right time… and started to march on your own without any direction. You know what they say, a well paved asphalt road is actually the worse kind for your knees.”

“…”

A warm feeling extended on my chest.

Yes, Miu is a good girl.

I thought she had come to criticize me for being so pathetic, but it’s not like that.

In her own way, Miu looked worried because I was being so clumsy.

She seemed to be, in a certain way, feeling guilty for having pressed me in my love life.

“…Thanks, Miu,” I said. “For worrying about me.”

“…I’m not worried. I’m simply sympathizing with you.”

“But what you say is true… Maybe I didn’t start at the right time.”

Thanks to the people that surrounded me, and above all, Miu, I realized what I felt for Takkun.

If it wasn’t for her, I would probably still ignore my own feelings and we’d still be stuck in a no relationship in which we’re more than friends, but less than lovers.

To put it simply, I was forced to do something.

But…

“But I’m very thankful. If it wasn’t for everyone’s support, if you hadn’t given me the push I needed, I would have never done anything,” I said. “Thanks to you, I managed to give the first step.”

“And giving that step, you sprained your ankle.”

“S-Shut up.”

After coming out of the bath, I started to prepare the guest room’s beds.

“Up it goes… Careful.”

I took out two futons from the closet and threw them on the floor.

And while I was doing this monotone work…

“A sprain, huh…”

I remembered the conversation with Miu in the bathroom.

Certainly, my love life could have been like a paved road.

Takkun is eager and chivalrous, but is sometimes passionate and even managed to convince his parents.

And my daughter, who could be the biggest obstacle in our relationship, was incredibly helpful, trustworthy and smart enough to put up an act, pushing me to act. She was the best daughter ever, who was worried about her mother more than anyone else.

Oinomori-san is tough, but kind, and Takkun’s mother is a good person… Unlike me, every other person involved in my love life were wonderful people.

And thanks to that.

“A 30 year old single mother x a 20 year old university student.”

A love story, that would in any other circumstance been a narrow road full of obstacles, turned into a beautifully paved asphalt road.

The only thing left was, to walk straight. A simple route that 100 in 100 people could complete… and I sprained my ankle taking my first step.

“Haah…”

I felt disappointed in myself.

And just like Miu says, everything around me was so perfect that it inadvertently started pressuring me… But even then, I’m the only one responsible for all this.

There’s nothing more shameful than falling on a flat road.

“…Oh, now that I think about it.”

I suddenly remembered the past.

Speaking of falls and sprains.

In the past, it happened to me once.

I’ve lived a very healthy life, without getting injuries or mayor diseases, but I sprained my ankle once in the past.

And that time, obviously, he helped me out…

♥

It happened 5 or 6 years ago.

I don’t remember what season of the year it was, but I do clearly remember how he looked.

He was about to finish middle school and had stretched a lot.

But he was still a little shorter than me.

And besides.

He addressed himself in a more childish way and called me ‘Ayako mama.’

“Haah… What a problem.”

I was on my way home from the nearby supermarket.

There was ground meat on sale, so I was excitedly walking on the street because I was going to make hamburger steaks that night… when I suddenly fell down.

There was nothing on the road, but I fell nonetheless.

And well…

When you grow up, falling on the street is more embarrassing than it is painful.

Besides, it’s even more embarrassing that I fell for no reason on a flat road.

I wonder if it’s due to a lack of exercise.

Lately, I haven’t done much exercise at all.

“…Ouch.”

I put my hand on the railing next to me and rubbed my right ankle.

Fortunately, there was no one on the street at the time, so no one saw me the moment I fell.

I wanted to leave before someone saw me, but when I gave a step forward, I felt a strong pain on my ankle.

It looked like I had sprained it when I fell.

…Despite it being a flat road.

“Is it fractured…? Looks like it isn’t.”

When I took off my shoe and sock, I saw my ankle was slightly swollen.

The pain wasn’t unbearable, but if I gave a step, the pain suddenly increased. It was going to be pretty hard to walk.

“W-What do I do…?”

It’s embarrassing to call an ambulance for something like this, but it would be pretty hard to walk back home like this. What should I do…?

I didn’t know what to do at the time and it was then when it happened.

“Ayako mama…?”

Takkun, who was coming back from class, passed by that road.

He was dressed in his school clothes and was carrying his backpack on his back.

Immediately, he suspected something was wrong when he saw my bare feet. Takkun ran to my side in a hurry.

“What happened, Ayako mama?”

“Takkun… Well, you see, I fell down and sprained my ankle.”

“Eh… A-Are you okay?!”

“Yes. It doesn’t hurt that much, but… It’s hard to walk. It’s most likely just sprained.”

“That’s terrible…”

Takkun looked really worried.

And then, with a serious look, he thought for a moment.

“…”

After a few seconds, a determined look appeared in his eyes.

He moved his backpack to his front side and crouched with his back facing me.

And then, with a resolute voice, he said, “Ayako mama, get up!”

“…H-Huuuh?!”

I was surprised.

With ‘get up’ does he mean…

“I’ll carry you to the hospital.”

Like I thought, he meant that.

Carry? Me? Takkun?

An adult woman being piggybacked by a middle school boy?

“I-It’s okay. It’s not such a big injury.”

“Don’t underestimate a sprain. It’s better for a doctor to check up on it as soon as possible.”

“…But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to bother you so much. Besides… you know… I must be heavy. I recently… gained some weight… yes, it was actually only a little, but I gained some weight…”

“I can handle it. I do exercise in the swimming club.”

Takkun had no intention to back down.

“…Uhm. Well then, if you could.”

Overwhelmed by the pressure, I decided to accept his offer.

Ah… but this is really embarrassing.

Even if there was no one here, I was embarrassed of being piggybacked at this age.

Besides, the person who’s going to carry me… is a middle school boy 10 years younger than me.

What will people think if they see us?

Once more, I looked at Takkun’s crouched back.

So fragile and thin.

No matter how much he has grown, he’s still smaller than I am… and he’s probably lighter than me.

I felt very guilty for making a boy like that piggyback me.

“I-I’m getting up.”

Still hesitating, I got up on his back.

“…Ugh.” Takkun groaned in pain for a moment.

“Y-You see? I’m heavy, aren’t I? Don’t overexert yourself, you can put me down.”

“…It’s alright, you’re not heavy at all. You’re as light as a feather.”

Saying those words, clearly trying to act tough, Takkun gave a step forward.

One step, two steps, three steps.

At the start, he staggered a bit, but when he got used to it, little by little, his steps became more stable and he walked normally.

“See? Everything is fine.”

“That’s true… You’re amazing, Takkun.”

I felt a little impressed.

Amazing.

I wonder when Takkun became so strong.

“Hold tight, Ayako mama, I’ll carry you to the hospital quickly.”

“Y-Yes, all right.”

Following his dependable voice, I tightly held him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed my body tightly against his.

“…”

And then, his steps started to stagger again.

“A-Ayako mama… You don’t have to hold so tight. Uhm… your breasts are pressing against me.”

“Huh…? Ah, s-sorry.”

I hurriedly started to straighten up. Since I held him without thinking, I ended up pressing my breasts against him.

It’s true.

Takkun is a middle school boy already. He’s in the middle of puberty. He’s at that age where he’s starting to be interested in breasts.

It’s not like before, where we could take baths together, show him my bra or hug him as much as I wanted inside the curtains!

Oh, Takkun’s ears are all red…

Uuh… What do I do? Seeing him get embarrassed makes me embarrassed too. And I just noticed that since he’s piggyback carrying me, he’s holding my ass cheeks.

I wonder what he’s thinking while he’s touching my ass. I hope he’s not thinking something like ‘Ayako mama has a much bigger ass than I expected.’

“…Ayako mama,” perhaps because there was an awkward silence, Takkun spoke. “What would you have done if I hadn’t passed by?”

“…What I would have done, you ask. Maybe just bear the pain and walk home or to a hospital?”

“You can’t do that. You should have called me if you had any problems. We exchanged numbers the other day, didn’t we?” He said, sounding really worried.

That’s true, Takkun already has his own cellphone.

He just got into middle school, but it isn’t unusual nowadays.

When I was a kid, no matter how much I begged, they wouldn’t buy me one until I got into high school.

Miu is finishing up elementary school right now, but is already making a ruckus saying ‘I want one, I want one,’ so I guess I’ll have to buy her one when she gets into middle school.

“Uh… But wouldn’t it bother you if I called you for something like this?”

“It wouldn’t bother me at all,” he said with a serious expression. “If you’re in trouble, I’ll go running to the end of the Earth if necessary.”

“Fufu. Thanks, Takkun. It makes me really happy even if you only say it to be considerate.”

“I-I’m not saying it just to be considerate, I’m being serious,” He objected seriously, but at the same time he looked really adorable.

There was still some childishness in his voice, face and attitude.

But… the way he walked with me on his back made him look really manly.

Her small back now looked bigger and more reliable…

“You’ve grown, Takkun,” I said sincerely.

When I met him, he was just a cute boy who looked like a girl, but before I realized it, he had grown so much he could walk with me on his back.

“…Of course,” replied Takkun, a little embarrassed. “I’m not going to be a kid forever.”

“Fufu, you’re right.”

“And I’m going to keep growing. Soon, I’ll be taller than you.”

“I see. Then, when you grow up and become a handsome and wonderful man… I wonder if I should apply to be your wife.”

“Huh?!”

I said it as a joke, but I got an unexpected answer.

“Ahaha. Oh, Takkun, it was just a joke, don’t be so surprised.”

“A-A joke…”

“I wasn’t being serious. You wouldn’t like that, right, Takkun? That a grandma like me became your wife.”

“…I wouldn’t mind it,” Said Takkun, with a calm, but firm voice.

Without turning his head towards me, he kept talking, with his ears completely red.

“I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

“Takkun…”

He probably only said it to be considerate, they were just empty words.

I was sure of that.

When I spoke self-deprecatingly, the kind Takkun had no choice but to go along with my joke.

But his voice sounded so serious and full of determination that surprised me and made my heart beat faster.

“…”

No.

No, no, no, no, no!

No, no, this is weird!

Why did I get surprised?

Why is my heart beating faster from the words of a boy 10 years younger?

Uuh… This is bad, this is simply too much. It doesn’t matter that I’ve lived a life without having any encounters with men, I can’t believe my heart is beating so fast because of my middle schooler neighbor.

Geez… This is your fault, Takkun.

Everything is his fault.

Completely.

Despite being so small, why is he so cool?

♥

While I was submerged in nostalgic memories, I felt a sort of tingling from embarrassment and happiness.

“…Now that I think about it, I think that was the last time. After that, he stopped addressing himself in a childish way and he stopped calling me ‘Ayako mama.’

Suddenly, his voice started to change.

He started to develop his secondary sexual characteristics, his voice became much deeper and he soon became taller than me.

He started to address himself in a more mature way and started calling me ‘Ayako-san,’ using honorifics.

I remember having feelings of happiness and sadness at the time.

“Surely, the current Takkun… could easily piggyback carry me.”

Not just piggyback, but even princess carry me easily.

In fact… He had already done so.

He really has grown.

He’s become so tall, mature and cool…

“…No.”

He didn’t do that.

He didn’t become cool.

Ever since he was young, Takkun has always been cool.

He was like a prince was always ready to help me when I was in trouble.

That’s why… yeah.

It would be more correct to say that he had always been cool, but had become even cooler. In other words, the current Takkun is the coolest… Ah, but when he was a kid, he was so cute and adorable…

“…Oh, Ayako.”

While I was ruminating on my own, my mother came up to the second floor.

It looked like she had just taken a bath and was in her night gown.

“I came to prepare the futons.”

“It’s all right, I can do it on my own. Where’s Miu by the way?”

“She’s downstairs, teaching your dad how to use a cellphone.”

This is a common occurrence with the elderly.

Grandchildren teaching their grandparents how to use a phone.

My mother and I started to extend the futons on the floor.

“Are you going to visit the Niozakis’ house tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

The Niozakis are Miu’s father’s family.

The family my sister married into.

Well, her husband was the third child, so it’s not like she had expressively joined the Niozakis, but her last name did change.

That’s why Miu had originally been born in this world with the name ‘Miu Niozaki.’

After my sister and her husband’s death, I took care of her and changed last name for mine.

Every year, we visit the Niozakis during Obon.

I want her paternal grandparents to see their granddaughter… and I also want to visit their graves.

My elder sister, and Miu’s mother… Miwako Niozaki rests in the Niozaki family’s grave with her dear husband.

We always visit the grave together after greeting the family.

“By the way, Ayako,” asked my mother after we finished putting the futon. “Do you really not want to tell me about your boyfriend?”

“…Y-You’re so persistent.”

I thought the topic was over, but it looked like she hadn’t given up yet.

A mother’s curiosity is terrifying.

“What do you mean persistent? It’s natural for me to be interested in my daughter’s boyfriend.”

“Like I said before, he’s not my boyfriend yet.”

“But it’s a matter of time, isn’t it?”

“That’s… Anyways, it’s a secret for now! We’ll talk when everything is settled, so don’t ask for now,” I ended the conversation forcefully.

“Geez. I don’t know why you’re being so reserved… I’m simply asking out of curiosity, you know? No matter who it is, I’m not planning to meddle with your love life,” said my mother, surprised at my attitude. “Does he know about your relationship with Miu?”

“…Well, yes.”

“Then, that’s fine. It looked like Miu also supported you. If you and Miu think he’s a good person, then I won’t say anything.”

“…Uhm.”

“I’m sure that your father feels the same. Well, just like any father, he has reserved feelings about her daughter getting married… But you’re already at a good age. Maybe there won’t be a second chance like this one, that’s why he won’t say anything. Even if he’s against it, I’ll definitely stop him, so don’t worry. Don’t lose this chance, Ayako.”

“…”

As expected, the conversation was progressing under the supposed premise that I was going to get married.

Well, taking into account my age, I guess it’s normal to think that this ‘dating’ as ‘getting married.’

But… My couple is still just a university student.

She’ll definitely be against it.

My mother’s attitude right now is like ‘Thanks for taking my over 30 year old daughter’… But when she finds out that he’s a 20 year old university student, and the only son of the family that has helped us so much, I’m sure that she’ll be incredibly shocked.

I-I can’t tell her…

At least not for now.

“…I think it’s about time you start thinking about your own happiness.”

While I was digressing on my own internal conflicts, my mother murmured in a dignified voice.

“During the last 10 years, you’ve been doing your best to raise Miu-chan, Miwako’s memento, on your own. I’m sure that there are many things you had to endure and that didn’t turn out as you wanted. But even then, you managed to raise a wonderful girl on your own.”

“Mom…”

“Geez, even though you’re my daughter, sometimes you do really unthinkable things. I was really surprised when you said you’d take custody of Miu-chan at Miwako’s funeral. I thought ‘what kind of silly things is this girl spouting?’.”

“Ahaha…”

I remember it. When I took the decision to take care of Miu 10 years ago… My mother looked really worried.

In the beginning, my mother was completely opposed to me taking care of Miu.

I was very conscious that she was thinking about my life.

But I was very stubborn and didn’t back down.

I don’t know how many times we argued behind Miu’s back.

But in the end, my mother started to back down and little by little, supporting my choice.

“I can tell you now… You see, if you started saying ‘I can’t do it after all,’ your father and I would have taken care of Miu-chan. I spoke with your father about this.”

“Really?”

This is the first time I’m hearing about this.

“Because… I thought that it would be completely impossible for you,” said my mother with a deep sigh. “How could a woman in her 20s who had never been married nor raised a kid, raise a girl on her own? I was thinking you were simply getting carried away by momentary emotions and that you’ll soon reach your limit. I spoke with your father and we decided that if you started to complain about how hard it was… We’d take custody of Miu-chan immediately. We thought that we could manage to raise at least one more girl.”

“…”

It wasn’t like they didn’t trust me.

They just thought of a way out for me just in case.

I’m sure that it’s nothing but the deep love that my parents feel for me.

“But Ayako, you’ve been raising Miu-chan alone for the last 10 years. You never complained and you fulfilled your role as a mother,” said my mother.

She looked straight in my eyes and smiled softly.

“We didn’t understand our daughter at all. We underestimated your determination.”

“…No,” I shook my head. “When I took care of Miu… I thought I was ready. ‘I’ll show them all I can raise Miu on my own’ I told myself.”

I’m the only one she can rely on.

I have to do something.

I armed myself with that determination.

With an arrogant determination, as if I was drunk on heroism…

“But I wasn’t… Like you said, I was simply getting carried away by my emotions.”

My emotions and an excess of confidence.

I understand that now.

After having raised my daughter for the last 10 years, I realized that.

I realized how dumb my initial resolve was.

“But I… wasn’t alone,” I said. “I couldn’t have done it on my own. Thanks to the help of my boss, of my coworkers, the school teachers and the kindergarten kids, of my neighbors, of you and dad… Thanks to the help of several people, I could manage up to this day.”

I can raise her on my own.

Now that I think about it, that was such a presumptuous idea.

It was excessively arrogant.

“Ayako…”

“And before, you said that it was time for me to think about my own happiness… But during these last 10 years, I’ve never thought that I’ve been unhappy. Of course, there were hard times, but I can now say that I’ve been happy in general.”

I’ve been happy.

I really think so.

Miu is a very good girl and has given me many things.

There were many people that supported us.

And also.

There was a peculiar kid who fell in love with me and has loved me these last 10 years.

He’s been in love with me and supported me for a long time. I was very insensitive, and didn’t realize the truth for a long time, but once I did, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by happiness.

Elementary school, middle school, high school and university… I’ve been observing him for a long time, at different ages, and I can’t help but want him and love him.

I have a charming daughter and the people that surround me are kind… and during these last 10 years, I’ve been loved by the coolest prince there is.

If this isn’t happiness, then what is?

“So… it’s not a reward for everything I had to bear, but, well, how to say it… it’s a small step towards an even bigger happiness that I had before or something like that.”

“…”

I couldn’t say it convincingly in the end, but my mother listened in silence.

And after a small sigh, she smiled satisfactorily.

“You’ve become a great mother, Ayako.”

Her words made me feel a somewhat embarrassed.

It was embarrassing to be praised by my mother at this age.

The next day…

Miu and I went to the Niozakis’s house.

Their house was at the north of the prefecture, so it wasn’t that far from our house.

After greeting Miu’s paternal grandparents, the four of us headed to the grave together.

After getting to the cemetery, we went up the long stairs.

‘Niozaki family cemetery.’

Here’s where Miu’s father and mother rest.

We cleaned the surroundings and prepared new flowers.

We lit up a new incense stick and put our hands together in front of the grave.

“…”

“…”

We didn’t agree to this, but Miu and I had put our hands together a little longer than usual.

When we went down the stairs, we were whispering each other so the other 2 wouldn’t hear us.

“Miu, what did you talk about with them?” I asked.

Miu smiled.

“Probably the same thing as you, mom.”

“…I see.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

Miu’s parents are in heaven.

Every time I came to visit their grave, I was trying to tell them about Miu… but this year I spoke to them more about me.

Very well.

I’m ready now.

I’m sorry Takkun, but I feel a little calmer after these Obon holidays.

Now that I’ve informed my sister and her husband about this, I’m not going to hesitate any longer.

When I get home, I’ll tell him exactly how I feel.

I’ll tell him my feelings directly.

I’ll end these 10 years of happiness and walk next to him towards a new happiness.

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Sorry I still haven’t put up the download links for volume 3 yet, I still need to go over it. I’m currently taking a week off from any other translation work to finish volume 4 and properly check 3 as well. ~12.5k words to go.