His Childhood Friend is a Beautiful, Reclusive Girl, So He Spends His After-School Hours in Her Room (But He’s Not Her Boyfriend!) - Ch. 92: Day One Continued, Dear (The Woman I Love), Dear Mother-san

“Well, what am I going to do today…?”

I blurted out as I walked through the residential area.
I was on my way to Kisaragi house today.

But I still couldn’t come up with a good idea.
For the past few days, Yuika and I have been at war.

I still didn’t want to tell her that I’ve identified Aoi as my sister-in-law’s.
Yuika was trying to get me to confess what I hid from her.

The goals of both parties were in direct conflict, and for the past few days, a fierce battle has been raging.
The first day was a continuation of the kunka kunka punishment, the next day was tickle hell, and the next was a combined attack of kunka and tickle.

As a matter of course, I was the only one who kept getting beaten up.
Still, somehow I had managed to endure until this point.

But today, the enemy seemed to be waiting for us with an expanded army.
To be honest, if they brought out maid uniforms, shrine maiden uniforms, or a set of young wives for interrogation, it would be quite dangerous. I have to come up with some sort of countermeasure. …In the meantime, I have reached the Kisaragi house.

At any rate, I rang the doorbell in my usual manner.

“You’re here today. Kanade-chan.”
“Hello.”

Her mother’s voice sounded from the intercom, and I went through the gate and opened the front door.
I walked in, knowing exactly what to expect, and went to the living room.

“I’m here again today. See you later.”
“Wait a minute♪.”
“Haa…”

I just showed my face and was about to leave, but her mom was hiding behind the door.

I was instantly caught with her arms crossed.
Don’t do it. Her big chest hit my elbow!

“Gotcha♪… Kanade-chan, why do you still talk like an athlete for the past few days?
“No, it’s nothing in particular…”
Then, call me…

“…M-Mom…”
“Yes, let’s go. I’ll have to start my education all over again. Let’s start with taking a bath together like when you were kids.”
“Haa!? Hey…! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Are you seriously taking me with you!?”

With a grin on her face that looked just like Yuika’s, Mom took me in.
The atmosphere was completely that of a mischievous cat.

Her hair was loose and wavy and dyed a light color.
Yuika has straight hair from her father.

However, her eyes, facial features, and the whiteness of her skin are the very essence of Yuika
Also…her chest are bigger than just Yuika. Every time she took a step forward, her left and right chest were bouncing around. It was the violence of eroticism.

And today’s outfit was a knitted sweater.
It had shoulder straps that extended from the waist.
In other words, her chests were emphasized.

Her chests looked soft wrapped in the sweater.
The shoulder straps made it stick out and sway just above my elbow.

…Somebody help me! If someone who looked exactly like Yuika and dressed like this took me to the bath, Reason-san would evaporate!

“All right! I give up! give up, so don’t head for the bath, Nadeshiko-san!”
“Fufumm, you should have just said so from the start.”

She said this again, like Yuika when she’s on a roll, and finally Nadeshiko-san released her arm.

I stepped away, my heart racing.

…In fact, what was really scary was that Nadeshiko-san’s eyes have a ‘I don’t mind taking a bath as long as it’s a normal one’ kind of vibe to them.

Her daughter, Yuika, was a scaredy-cat, so she always stayed on the last line.
But that was not the case with Nadeshiko-san.

Maybe it was because she treated me like a child, or maybe it was because she was a married woman…As long as I stop her, she kept her foot on the gas pedal.

In other words, Yuika has the appeal of a married woman.
This was the ultimate body that should be feared.

“Well then, Kanade-chan, let’s have tea. Also, I bought a bunch of new sweets today, you know?”

As she pulled me by the arm, we were in the living room.
There was already a tea set on the table and a pile of sweets to open the party.

It seemed that she was planning to make me join her for tea time from the beginning.
Every day, Nadeshiko-san and I talked, but on special sales of sweets or on the day they go on sale, she made me join her for tea.

There was no escaping this situation.
I gave up and sat down in my chair, feeling depressed.

“Another sweets festival…I’ve already told you that I don’t eat that much and neither does Yuika. I’m sure Iori will tell you not to waste your money again.”
“Goodness, I don’t know why my kids don’t eat too many sweets. They’re so delicious too.”

“It was because we’ve been getting heartburn from watching Nadeshiko-san gobble them up since we were kids…”
“Oh, that’s rude. I don’t eat that much.”

While making a pot of tea, Nadeshiko-san quickly picked up a piece of white chocolate.
Her gesture of licking the chocolate off her index finger was also very erotic.

She has always been a sweets lover.
However, if she snacked too much, her husband would “meh” her, so we go along with her under the guise of sweets for the kids.

In addition, ever since Yuika has become a recluse and Iori has begun to complain about her mother’s wasteful spending, it has fallen to me to take over.

“I think Aoi would be happy to hang out with you…”

As I sipped the tea that Nadeshiko-san had brewed for me, I mumbled to myself as I picked up a handful of cookies.

I was sure Aoi has a sweet tooth, as she seemed to enjoy eating that jumbo parfait.
As I was thinking about this, Nadeshiko-san’s eyes lit up.

“Yes! Kanade-chan just said something good!”

A stick of candy was thrust at me with great force.

“It’s your reward. Eat it.”
“No, I don’t want it.”
“Eat it. Otherwise, I won’t go on with what I have to say.”
“How tyrannical…Even though I already said I don’t want it.”

I gave up and took a bite of the stick in front of me.
I ate it up as it was.

“Ufufu. Kanade-chan, you’re so cute, you look like a hamster.”
“I’m not going take a small bite each time. So, what do you have to say?”

“It’s not easy for Iori to bring Aoi-chan to our house. Your mother, I, want to talk with Aoi-chan more.”
“Ah.”

I knew how she felt. It was about Iori.

“You should just let him be. Iori is at an impressionable age.”
“But she’s my son’s girlfriend. Don’t you want to give her lots of love, too? You know that, don’t you Kanade-chan?
“Nuu…”

I knew exactly what she meant. I want to love my sister-in-law so much.
But I was currently in a war with Yuika about it, so it was a difficult topic to answer.

Also, Nadeshiko-san already knew that Aoi and Iori started dating? It was hard to believe that Iori reported it himself, but she was always knowing about the kids through some unknown route.

“Oh yeah, Iori and the others are going on a school trip soon, right? Where are they going?”
“Kyoto. They’re leaving tomorrow. Mom, you’ll be missed.”

She paused, then crying uncontrollably.
But at the same time, she was happily eating white chocolate. I’m not falling for it.

But Kyoto. It was the same as where I went.
It was only a few hours by bullet train from this city.

As I was picking up a cookie, Nadeshiko-san, who was imitating crying, suddenly smiled at me.

“Kanade-chan continued the conversation without any correction. …I see, so Iori and Aoi-chan are already dating, right?”
“What—!?”

I was speechless.
A cookie fell from my fingertips.

No way!? You set me up!?
“Yes, that reaction confirms it. Thanks for the information, Kanade-chan.”

She smiled brightly.
I screamed.

“Uwaaaaah! Noooo—!”

If this person knew that Iori had a girlfriend, she would definitely intrude.
There was no way the calm Iori would make such a blunder.

Iori must have been able to evade her with impunity. However, his efforts had now come to naught. By my mistake!

I’m sorry! Iori, I’m sorry…!
No more souvenirs for me, just a wooden sword!

“But if Iori and Aoi-chan are dating, I’m a little worried.”

Nadeshiko-san said while unwrapping and peeling off the candy wrapper.
I tossed the sweetest-looking chocolate into my mouth as punishment, my eyebrows furrowed.

“Worried about what?”
“The school trip. You see, the first time I ever crawled into a room at night was on a school trip.”
“—!? Gouhugehobuga!? What are you saying all of a sudden, you!?”

I got super choked up.
Well, Yuika told me once before.
Her father and mother had a lot of problems when they were students, and in that emotional mood, they did a lot of things, and she was born. I-I didn’t think…

“Ah, no, no. When I was in junior high school, I failed. My father was very strict about that.”
“Stop trying to guess what I’m thinking from my expression! And you’re talking about a school trip in junior high school!?”

“Ara, is it not? I’m talking from the flow of Iori’s school trip.”
“Maybe so! But I can’t help but be amazed that middle schoolers are crawling into rooms at night!”

“On the other hand, nothing happened with Kanade-chan and my girl. It’s boring for Nadeshiko-san.”
“No, we had a lot of trouble in junior high school too!”
“Ara, did you crawl into her room at night?”

“I didn’t do that!? I ran all over Kyoto looking for your daughter who got lost! When I thought I finally found her, it wasn’t her! In the end, I even had to ask the people at the shrines and temples to help me surround the whole place!”

“Ah, yes, yes, yes, that’s the story of Kanade’s unconscious harem in junior high school, when she was very sulky. And she didn’t even know why she was sulking, so she was very naive. It was so cute.”

“What’s this new information!? It’s the first I’ve heard of it!? Eh, back then, I thought that Yuika was more like a tsundere with a lot of deres…It because she was sulking?　No, wait, it’s Nadeshiko-san I’m talking with, so she’s probably just embellishing again anyway…?”

“Ara? Do you want to talk about my daughter who used to come straight home after school and complain about how Souta was a womanizer and the mother who listened to her without saying a word? A touching story of a mother and daughter.”

“I don’t want to hear it! Surely there’s something in it for you! I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff for me! Also, I’m not a womanizer, and I’m not building a harem!”

“Aahahahahaha! Ahhh, Kanade-chan, that joke’s funny!”
“This is not a joke! It’s not a joke in multiple ways! I’ve always been devoted to Yuika since I was a kid!
“Aran?”

Her mouth raised in a smirk.

“But Kanade-chan’s first love is Nadeshiko-san?”
“Ugh…!?”

I was suddenly at a loss for words.
The main reason why I have been unable to escape Nadeshiko-san since I was a child.
That was because she have this weakness firmly in her hands.

“N-No, that’s different…”
“What’s different?”

The married woman smirked and deliberately folded her arms.
Her chest, wrapped in her sweater, was even more emphasized.

“Her father, Iori, and Kanade-chan. There are only three people in this world, you know? The only three men in this world who have ever squeezed Nadeshiko-san’s chest.””
Don’t say squeezed! I was three years old when I did it! And that was when you gave me a bath! And I had Yuika next to me, so it’s not that bad as it sounds!”

“But Kanade-chan said it, remember? You said ‘Nadeshiko-chan, can I touch your chest?'”
“I did…say that, but…!”

“Do you want to touch them again? Last week, her father praised my chest, saying that they’re still as firm and colorful as when I was a teenager. Kanade-chan, do you want to check it out?”
“I’m not going to! And last week!? Just last week, that’s so recent! It’s so graphic! This married woman!”

I scratched my head in agony.

The other day, I had just heard from Yuika about the situation of Kisaragi parents.
I couldn’t stand the vividness of it, so I reverted back to calling her “mom”, but I blurted it out on my own. What the heck is wrong with me?

…Well, I’ll confess.
It was true that when I was a child, there was a time when all I could think about was Nadeshiko-san.
But that’s the thing…

“I still remember it now. The time Kanade-chan brought me flowers that he had packed in the park and proposed to me, saying, ‘Nadeshiko-chan, when I grow up, will you marry me?'”
“—!”

I reflexively climbed up on the table.

“You promised not to talk about it again—.”
“Ara, really?”
“Yeah, really! You promised! Absolutely do not tell Yuika or Iori, okay!? This is one you should not tell others!”

“But it’s Kanade-chan’s memorable first proposal…”
“No way! No way—! It was not just that the impact of Nadeshiko’s chest was too much for a three-year-old like me, it was just that the words ‘erotic’ and ‘like’ got mixed up and I didn’t understand what was going on. So no go to that proposal thing! Haven’t we’ve already talked about this many times?”

“Did we?”
“Yes, we have! You kept bringing this story up once every two or three years! The last time was after the school trip in junior high school! I’m growing up every year, so please give me a break!”

“That’s right. If I think about it, Kanade-chan is getting older. Compared to when you were three years old, you’ve become more and more of a wolf. …Ah, so if you touch my chest right now, will you seriously propose to me?”
“What…”

For a moment, she looked at me like, “Do you want to try it?” Oxygen escaped my lungs.
I denied it at all cost.

“…There is absolutely no way!”

I snapped.
I lost my composure.
Souta-san was in a rage.
I imagined a ferocious Chihuahua appearing behind him, barking in the lightning.

“Listen!? I’m going to make this very clear!”

I thrust my finger vigorously.
I don’t care if she is older than me or if she’s my neighbor who’s taken care of me for years!

I screamed.
With the loudest voice of the day, so loud that the surrounding walls trembled.

“My first love is Yuika!”

I raised my arms in the air.

“The one I will eventually propose to and marry is also Yuika!”

I clenched my fists.

“I’m going to take her out and make her happy for the rest of her life in a house overlooking the ocean!”

I shouted as hard as I could.

Right after that.
There was a huge noise from somewhere.
It sounded as if the Bremen musicians had gotten drunk and tipped over.

Startled, I reflexively looked around.

“Wh-what is it? Is there an earthquake?”
“Yeah, it’s the cat.”
“The cat?”

Before I knew it, Nadeshiko-san was brewing green tea.
She took a long sip from her teacup.

“I thought she might need it soon, so I sprinkled a little sniff on her. Mother cats know their children well, even when they are far away from them. And it seemed to work, just as I had hoped. In other words, Nadeshiko-san already knew about her son’s situation, and in fact, this was the real target today.”

“…What? No, I have no idea what that means…?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to understand, Kanade-chan. If you’re a hot-blooded boy who can do the flying ‘Please give me your daughter’ with all your might, go ahead and run with it.”
“—Ha!”

I came back to myself.
When I saw the relieved Nadeshiko-san, I felt a grand tug on my face.

W-What the hell am I talking about to the mother of the woman I love, me—!?

I held my head in my hands and sagged down in my chair.

“Y-You got me again… I was set up by Nadeshiko-san again…”
“You can call me mother-in-law if you want, okay?”
“Please be quiet already. Please don’t do this to me. My life points are already at zero…”

I plopped down on the table.
Nadeshiko-san sipped her green tea with a sigh of relief.

I don’t have a full understanding, but it seemed that I’ve been forced to confess to Nadeshiko-san’s half-hearted investigation. As expected of a mother, she has a much different fighting spirit than her daughter, Yuika.

But…This is hard. It’s really hard.
I still have to fight the war in Yuika’s room after this.

Yuika, who doesn’t know anything about this, would flippantly accuse me.
She’ll try to get me to confess to Aoi’s case innocently, without knowing my intentions.

But my life points are already at zero.
My face was burning as I said “Please give me your daughter” with all my might. I’m ultra embarrassed.

What kind of face am I supposed to make when I meet Yuika…?