Ah… They really look alike.
He came to deliver Ayana’s forgotten item… Well, I had thought of this possibility. The one who came out after opening the door was Hoshina, Ayana’s mother. I thought I had messed up, but I was perplexed by Hoshina’s somewhat lackluster appearance.
Still, I thought it wouldn’t be right to say nothing, so I straightforwardly stated my purpose.
“……Oh, hello. Ayana forgot something, so I came to deliver it.”
Just stay confident, and then Hoshina won’t… say anything weird, right?
Internally nervous about what he might be told, contrary to my expectations, Hoshina remained silent. I don’t think I’ve left a good impression from our past encounters to the present, so I half-expected to be told to take the forgotten item and leave… But this situation, maybe Ayana said something after all.
“Forgotten item. A forgotten item, right?”
“……Um.”
…Is this person really Hoshina? So weak that I can’t help but wonder. Indeed, I have a sense of discomfort towards this person. But it’s hard to ignore when a woman, especially the mother of your girlfriend, looks so distressed in front of you.
“Are you okay?”
“……Huh?”
“You seem really distressed.”
Anyone would say that, as it’s hard to watch Hoshina in this state. It’s a strange thought, but I couldn’t help but be concerned, given how much she resembles the grown-up Ayana.
While I do want to finish my business with Ayana and leave, it’s just a forgotten item after all.
Should I just give it to Hoshina? As I considered this, Hoshina spoke up.
“I never expected you to ask me if I’m okay. To you, I must be someone you don’t want to see, right?”
“……That’s…”
Yes, there’s no way I can just agree with her in front of her.
But… maybe this is a good opportunity. If I were rejected the moment we met, there would be no way to bridge the gap, but now that Hoshina has started a conversation, it seems possible.
“To be honest… that might be true. Your impression has been fixed to that first meeting for me.”
“…I suppose so.”
“Yes. I’ve never been glared at by a beautiful woman, especially as a child, so it was scary.”
I was genuinely scared. From the gaze directed at Ayana to the one she turned on me, I almost expected to hear the sound effect “Girori” you’d find in a manga. As expected of Ayana’s mother, Hoshina is truly beautiful. I’ve heard that when a beautiful person gets angry, it’s scary, and it was indeed frightening. Well, it’s already a funny story for me now.
Even after conveying my fear, there was no change in her expression… She’s deeply wounded.
It might end up being like rubbing salt in the wound, but I took a step further.
“There’s something I need to tell you. I am now dating Ayana.”
“…I know. I heard it from her. She liked you from the past, and couldn’t believe that she’s related to someone like you who she said cruel things to.”
“……..”
Ayana said something pretty harsh.
Although Towa himself didn’t hear those words from Hoshina-san directly, he knew what was said because it was discussed in the fandisc. At that time, Ayana heard those words and her resentment grew… especially after what Shuu’s mother had said.
But now, Towa finally understood Hoshina-san’s current situation. It’s not hard to imagine how tough it must have been to have the relationship with her beloved daughter denied. While there is a part of him that feels sorry for being at the center of it, thinking about Ayana’s feelings… it’s a really complicated situation.
“…When Ayana comes back, there’s something I want to tell her.”
“?”
Towa decided to tell Hoshina-san, who tilted her head in confusion. He wanted to convey to her what he had told Ayana, just as it was.
“I don’t like the idea of us being constantly at odds, so I did my best to talk with you and get you to acknowledge our relationship. That’s what I told her.”
“…………”
“I love Ayana. Naturally, that means I’ll be interacting with you more. That’s why I didn’t want any animosity between us. Isn’t it better to laugh and have fun rather than quarrel? At least, that’s what I think.”
As he continues his relationship with Ayana, his interaction with Hoshina-san is unavoidable. Even if he were to disregard Hoshina-san’s wishes and be with Ayana, he didn’t want Ayana to carry the burden of family issues. The presence of family is something special, an irreplaceable existence that should be cherished… and of course, this applies to him as well.
“Even if you don’t accept me, I will keep coming to talk until you do. So please be prepared. When Ayana is involved, I’m quite persistent.”
For Ayana’s sake, he would go this far. That was his declaration of intent.
Upon hearing his words, Hoshina-san’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she chuckled.
“…hahahaha… because you’re persistent… I see. You really are so alike… yes. For the one you love, you’d go that far, right?”
“….Huh?”
Seeing Hoshina-san smiling as if she had understood something, Towa couldn’t help but feel concerned. Hoshina-san wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes, then looked at him once… no, it felt like she was looking at someone else. But soon, her gaze settled on him.
Hoshina-san took a deep breath, then bowed her head to him.
“I’m sorry. I behaved terribly towards you… and said awful things. I know that apologizing isn’t enough. Still… I’m sorry.”
Towa couldn’t just brush off Hoshina-san’s sudden apology. She seemed so earnest.
Since Towa had already moved past it, he wasn’t bothered by it. However, for her sake, he accepted the apology. By doing so, he thought Hoshina-san might be able to move forward as well.
“Yes. But I also want you to tell Ayana. I’m sure she suffered too.”
“That’s true… I wanted to apologize to you first.”
Hoshina-san, who had raised her head, no longer seemed troubled. There was a sense of relief, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
…It might be a little sneaky, but maybe a request like this could be granted now?
“Um… can I keep coming here to see Ayana? To this place.”
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Hoshina-san nodded in response.
“Of course. It might seem convenient now. But I want to get to know you better too. You’re the person my daughter has fallen for.”
“…………”
Towa felt like his impression of her had changed quite a bit just today, and he was starting to feel a bit bewildered. But he couldn’t sense any insincerity in Hoshina-san’s words. Although he had wondered how things would turn out for a moment, he thought this might be a resolution.
“I’m a bit confused. hahahaha…”
“I’m sorry. But you don’t have to worry about anything. It’s all my fault. I’ve been dragging things from the past for so long.”
Though there was still a bit of awkwardness, Towa felt confident that he could build a good relationship with her from now on. Things had progressed smoothly in Ayana’s absence, but he planned to inform her later… that was his plan until the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted.
“Mom! I forgot my phone, so I came to get it— Towa-kun!?”
Running down the stairs was Ayana. Yes, what she had forgotten was her phone. That’s why he couldn’t just contact her directly to come pick up her forgotten item.
Ayana looked surprised when she saw Towa in the entryway, then turned her sharp gaze towards Hoshina-san, but soon that gaze turned into one of confusion. It was understandable, given the calm atmosphere around Hoshina-san, who was standing beside him.
“Oh, so that’s what Ayana forgot. Hey, Yukiyo-kun… is it alright if I call you Towa-kun?”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
“Since you’re already here, how about we chat a bit more? This time with Ayana too.”
“Is that okay? Then I’ll intrude!”
“Please come in. hahahaha, I need to prepare some tea.”
At the urging of Hoshina-san, for the first time in my life, I set foot into the Otomuna household.
After taking off my shoes and tidying up, as I stepped into the hallway, Ayana raised her voice.
“What on earth happened!? Am I dreaming or something!?”
Her voice was louder than any I had ever heard, and let’s make it clear that it was a disturbance to the neighborhood.