Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139845923627658/episodes/2912051595996293861
A cup of coffee is placed gently in front of me.
“It’s been ages since Ken-kun came over to our place, hasn’t it? I’m actually getting a little excited about it.”
“Hahaha… y-yeah, I guess so.”
My face tenses up involuntarily.
It’s not that I’m nervous about visiting the Kamikurokawa household for the first time in a while.
It’s something much bigger—a matter of life and death…
“So, did you use protection? As the mother of a girl, I’m prepared to tackle even sensitive issues head-on, no matter how delicate they may be for you~”
Mashiro said this calmly, as if we were discussing the weather.
But my mind was anything but calm.
“…Um…”
“What is it?”
“Well… h-how do you know?”
“What?”
“W-well…”
“I won’t understand unless you actually say it out loud, will I?”
“Say it out loud…”
“Yes, say it out loud.”
“…………”
I swallowed hard.
There was obviously no way I could run away now.
Steeling myself, I looked Mashiro straight in the eye.
“That Mashiro and I… did that kind of thing—”
“Oh my, this is a harassment case, isn’t it? Good thing I stopped you before you finished.”
…
“You practically just said it!”
“I didn’t hear it, I didn’t hear it. Hehe.”
“Guh…”
Just as I expected from Mariko’s mother. She’s overwhelmingly skilled.
I feel like I’m being played like a puppet.
“So, um… how do you know that, Mariko-san? C-could it be that Mashiro told you…?”
“I haven’t heard a thing from her. In fact, it seems like she’s consciously trying not to talk to me about you, Ken-kun.”
“What? Does that mean she hates me…? Ugh, I’m starting to feel down…”
“Hehe. It’s actually the opposite. She’s way too conscious of you, Ken-kun.”
“Too conscious?”
“I mean, it’d be unnatural to be this close and not talk at all, right? Plus, Mashiro has this contrary personality where she can’t be honest about the things she likes. That’s what makes her cute, though—even if she is my own daughter.”
“Well… I guess so.”
Honestly, I can’t deny it.
“Hm? If you haven’t heard it from Mashiro either, how did you find out? I haven’t told you either…”
“Ah, that. The answer is simple, isn’t it? Because—”
Once again, Mariko dropped a massive bombshell as if it were nothing.
“Mashiro’s voice when she is doing naughty things—it’s coming right through to my place loud and clear~”
“……Huh, you can hear it⁉ voice⁉”
“Yes, voice. And perfectly clear, too.”
“Perfectly clear⁉”
Could anything be more embarrassing than this?
To think Mashiro’s mother had heard that…
“Mashiro, she is actually the type to make noises like that, huh? Well, maybe ‘make noises’ isn’t quite right—‘can’t help but make them’ is more accurate? Yeah, that must be it. Look tough on the outside, but inside actually quite cute.”
“Please spare me the details…”
“But the fact that the two of you are so compatible is something that makes me happy—as both your mother and your mother-in-law.”
“Compatible?! Happy?!”
“No matter how close the two of you are, physical compatibility is important down the road, you know? But if she’s making sounds that sound that good, there won’t be any problems when it comes time to have kids…”
“You’re going too far! Mariko san, you’re going way too far!!”
“Is that so?”
“I’m so embarrassed I feel like I’m going to die right now!”
“Hehe, I’m sorry.”
Mariko san, as always, has no qualms about what she says.
It’s so risqué I don’t even know what kind of face to make…
“Wait, so you figured it out from the sounds…?”
It’s the worst possible way to get caught, as far as I can imagine.
Well, I guess my room is on the Kurokawa side of the house, and it’s a wooden building.
Plus, even though Mashiro was trying desperately to keep her voice down at first, she couldn’t hold it in halfway through and it slipped out—and there were times when it echoed quite a bit… No, wait, that’s not right. What am I thinking about in front of Mashiro’s mother?
“W-well, does Mashiro know about this too…?”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“Oh, really? Well, I mean, if Mashiro did know, she wouldn’t be acting so calm—or rather, there’s a good chance she wouldn’t even come out of her room…”
“Because it’s a lie.”
“…Huh?”
“Even if we’re next-door neighbors, you can’t hear that normally~. Hehe.”
“…………Huh?”
W-Wait… did she just set me up?
Mariko san placed her hand on her chin, her cheeks softening as she spoke with a playful smile.
“But I just heard something interesting~. So Mashiro’s the type to get loud, huh~”
“Is this even legal⁉”
There’s no way a mother should be teasing her daughter’s childhood friend about such things.
“I knew because, well, she was coming home from Ken kun’s house in the morning, right? Coming home in the morning means that’s what happened.”
“I guess so… What a rookie mistake I made…”
“Oh, come on. It was fun.”
“What about you, Mariko san? It was hell for me!”
“Don’t you like that sort of thing?”
“Why do both of you think I have a masochistic streak…?”
“Well, dating us means that’s just how it is~”
“That’s terrifying…”
So that means Mashiro’s dad too… No, I’d better stop thinking about that.
I drink some coffee to calm myself down.
No good. I’m completely caught up in Mariko san’s rhythm. I need to take a moment to calm down…
“So, when did you and Mashiro start dating?”
“Bwah!!!”
“Oh my~”
Is there no time for me to catch my breath…?
“So, when? Since high school? Or recently? Or maybe even since middle school…”
“W-We’re not dating, Mashiro and I.”
“…Being a sophomore in high school, you’re still a little shy, aren’t you? Hehe, so innocent, so innocent.”
“This is hopeless. She doesn’t seem like she’s going to believe me…”
Why is it that both Hase and Mariko san want to make it seem like Mashiro and I are dating…? No, honestly, I’m actually a little flattered.
“We really aren’t dating.”
“Eh, really?”
“I told you, it’s true.”
“I see… So, you two aren’t dating, but you did something naughty… Is that… what you mean?”
“!!!”
This is bad.
If I say something like that to Mashiro’s mom, she’s definitely going to lose her temper…
“Well, that sort of thing happens with boys and girls your age, doesn’t it? Mm-hmm.”
“……Huh?”
“Besides, with Ken and Mashiro, it’s only natural that things would turn out that way. In fact, it’s reasonable and healthy. Or rather, it’s just how it should be? You know? After all, you two are still so young.”
“Y-you’re not going to get mad?”
“I’m not angry. On the contrary, if nothing happened after spending that much time together, that would be strange. I’d start to doubt Ken-kun or Mashiro’s reproductive functions.”
“Reproductive functions…”
That’s not the kind of thing you’d expect to hear from the mother of a teenage girl.
I was overwhelmed, thinking, “Mariko-san really is amazing…” when she gave a gentle smile and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Besides, Ken-kun will end up marrying Mashiro, won’t he?”
“…………Huh?”
Mariko san’s expression was perfectly calm.
Yet, her aura was exactly like Mashiro’s had been during the Awara incident.
In other words, there was an undeniable sense of intimidation and dominance in the air.
“I mean, you’re just being shy, but you’re actually dating, right? I can see right through you~”
“Um…”
Cold sweat was pouring down my face.
Mariko san was serious. She really meant it.
…But, I guess that makes sense.
I had done something that serious.
“Mariko-san.”
“What is it?”
“…I’m not actually dating Mashiro, I swear. So, well… the situation isn’t great, and I’m the one at fault here…”
I’m not in a position to casually talk about taking responsibility or anything like that.
But I have to make that clear to Mariko-san.
I looked at Mariko san with determination and declared firmly.
“But I’ll take full responsibility. I don’t know what will happen with Mashiro… but I’ll do everything I can.”
Mariko san’s eyes widened in surprise.
After a moment, she relaxed her expression and said,
“…I see. I knew you’d say that, Ken kun.”
She smiled contentedly and took a sip of her tea.
The tense atmosphere began to ease gradually, and then…
“That said, you two are actually dating, aren’t you~?”
“Why won’t you believe me⁉”
Even though the mood had been pretty serious just a moment ago⁉
“I’ve always thought you two were a perfect match~? I mean, Mashiro has a bit of a spoiled side, doesn’t she? It’s almost cute.”
“W-well, there are times when she’s spoiled to the point of being anything but cute… especially lately.”
“But Ken-kun, you’ve always been right behind Mashiro, supporting her, haven’t you? I was so moved by that relationship—it felt like the two of you had become one~”
“The two of us, as one…”
“Though Mashiro is leaning on Ken-kun quite a bit right now~”
“It’s not so much that she’s leaning on me as she’s practically being carried by me at this point.”
“You hit the nail on the head~”
“Is that a thing right now?”
Hase said so too… You should stop this right now. Modern people, you just have to turn everything into a trend.
“But I think Mashiro will support you sometimes, Ken kun. After all, she’s a kind girl.”
“…I suppose so.”
I know she’s kind, even though she doesn’t look it.
“Remember back when Ken-kun had a fever? It was a really high one, too.”
“Yeah… that brings back memories.”
“Mashiro was so worried back then. She helped me make rice porridge and took care of you all day long. She might be better at being the one who gets supported, but she’s the kind of girl who wants to properly support the people she cares about. Hehe, even though she’s my daughter, I just love her so much.”
“…I suppose so.”
“So, please keep looking out for Mashiro from now on, okay?”
Mariko-san gave me a gentle smile and said.
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
When I replied, Mariko-san narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
A peaceful time flows by after school.
Even though I was at Mariko-san’s mercy, all things considered, it was a nice time…
“So, when are you getting married? After high school? Or college? Either way, the sooner the better~. After all, I want to see my grandchildren. As soon as possible. Hehe.”
“Please don’t pressure me about getting married!”
“I want to see my grandkids~. Grandkids, grandkids~”
“Please stop pressuring me about grandkids too! That’s a pretty sensitive topic right now…!”
Just as I was trying to calm Mariko san down…
“—Why is Kensuke at my house? Hey, what on earth are you doing here?”
A voice as cold as ice echoed through the living room.
“Ma, Mashiro…”
“Oh, Mashiro, welcome home~”
“This isn’t a ‘welcome home.’ Why are you having tea with Kensuke?”
“It’s fine~. Ken-kun isn’t just Mashiro’s, is he?”
“…Huh?”
Don’t look at me, it’s really scary.
“Well, whatever. Anyway, Kensuke, go home right now. Go home.”
“I’m not a dog… I mean—”
I wanted to use this precious opportunity to finally tell Mashiro the truth I hadn’t been able to reveal that day. That feeling welled up inside me.
I’d already made my declaration to Mariko san, so I wanted to finally take that next step.
“Um, Mashiro…”
“Huh! J-just go home already!”
“Wait a second. There’s something I want to talk about…”
“H-huh? I’ve got nothing to talk about with Kensuke. Go home, Kensuke. Kensuke, go home!”
“Ma, Mashiro!”
“Huh! Dogs should just shut up…!!”
“Mashiro, when did you start dating Ken-kun~? You should’ve told me~”
“”‘…………Huh?’””
I-I mean… isn’t that a bit… ?
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