It’s like what my mom’s acquaintance…
“…Hey, Ayana, did I do something?”
“…I don’t think you did anything.”
There was a scene where I and Ayana were standing from a distance, not entering the house stealthily. For me, it’s my own home, and for Ayana, it’s like half her own home, so some might think it’s fine to go in, right? But there’s a reason why we can’t do that right in front of us.
“…Sis, you’re late.”
A woman was standing in front of the house, staring at her smartphone as the twilight approached. Waiting in front of the house probably meant she had some business with someone from our absent family. But her appearance… how should I put it? It was scary in a way. Kind of like a delinquent, or you could say there was a prickly atmosphere about her.
“I’ve never seen her before, who could she be?”
“…A debt collector?”
There shouldn’t be any debt at our home… well, I wouldn’t know about money matters unless I ask Mom, but at least I don’t think we lead a life where debt collectors come to our house.
…Alright, there’s no use just standing around here. I gathered my resolve and approached the woman. I told Ayana to wait there, but she wouldn’t listen and insisted on sticking close, making a clenched fist.
“…?”
As I got closer, the woman noticed me. Up close, she seemed to be in her late thirties, maybe? Even so, she was incredibly beautiful. The woman looked at me, or more precisely, directly at me, widened her eyes, and then opened her mouth in disbelief.
“Could it be, Towabo?”
“…Huh?”
Towabo… leaving aside the “Bo” part for now, I was surprised to be called by my name. Ayana also let out a small “Huh.” From her reaction, the woman seemed to have recognized who I was and dashed towards us.
“Wow, Towabo, you’ve grown so big! Yeah, you’re such a handsome guy! I understand why Sis is proud of you!”
Saying that, the woman who had run up embraced me tightly. I was slightly taken aback by the sudden change from the scary atmosphere I felt earlier. Ayana puffed her cheeks disapprovingly, but seeing the happy face of the woman, she seemed to have decided not to say anything.
“Oops, sorry about that. I got carried away… Hmm, where should I start explaining from? Let’s start with introductions. I’m Etou Kanzaki, an old acquaintance of Towabo’s mother.”
“…I see.”
“……”
Mom having an acquaintance like this… Anyway, Ayana and I welcomed the woman, Kanzaki, into our home. She showed us a photo she always carried with her, in which my mother from the past was standing right next to Kanzaki. Maybe because of that, the wariness Ayana and I had been holding onto faded considerably.
“When Sis got a boyfriend, she became so round in an instant. Even though she used to be called the Yasha Princess and feared, I was blown away.”
“…Yasha Princess.”
“To have such a nickname…”
Mom didn’t like to talk about the past much. She shared some things to some extent, but I didn’t know she had been given such an embarrassing nickname.
While talking with Kanzaki like that, Mom returned.
“I’m back~… Etou!?”
It seemed like they really knew each other. Well, I was a bit skeptical, but maybe just a bit? Kanzaki coming here today was apparently a surprise to Mom as well, but she was happy to see her after a long time and decided to have a meal together.
“I’ll help too.”
“It’s fine today, Ayana-chan. Leave it to me.”
“…Understood.”
I smiled wryly at Ayana, who seemed a bit disappointed. Ayana seemed to enjoy cooking with Mom, so she always helped out when she came over. While looking at Kanzaki, who had commented on how well-matched Ayana and I were, Ayana interrupted before I could explain, holding onto my arm tightly.
“I was captured from the start. Body and soul! So there’s absolutely no room for anyone else to interfere!”
Ayana’s strong words surprised Kanzaki. Truth be told, I was also surprised by how strongly Ayana expressed herself. Ayana suddenly looked at me, burying her face in my chest, and explained the reason for her behavior.
“…It’s a little jealousy. Just seeing Towako talking to another woman makes me feel bad. I know I need to change that a bit… I know, but.”
After saying that, she fell silent. From Ayana’s demeanor, it seemed like she was troubled by the fact that she felt that way. But from my perspective, even that side of Ayana seemed cute… this must be what they call a weakness of falling in love. As I gently stroked Ayana’s head, Kanzaki watched with a smile, as if seeing something heartwarming.
“That’s nice. Scenes of happiness like that make those around you smile.”
“Is that so?”
“…Well, in a way, it’s a bit tough for me, who doesn’t have a man.”
It couldn’t be helped if she said that to me. But setting aside my initial suspicions, after talking for a while, I thought Kanzaki was a really nice person. Of course, part of it might be because we were still children on this side and she was an adult on the other, but I definitely felt something akin to empathy or something resembling Mom’s compassion in her.
“Do you have someone you like, Kanzaki-san?”
“Wow~ I hear you, Towa-bo. Honestly, I like women.”
“Hmm…”
*(Rustle)*
It’s not like I’m denying same-s*x love, but the sudden coming out caught me off guard. Ayana quickly distanced herself from Kazuki. Kazuki waved his hands widely to deny it.
“It’s a lie! Just a light joke! And Ayana, aren’t you being mean? You don’t have to move that far away.”
“I’m sorry. I just…”
“…Your reaction kinda hurts, you know.”
With a heavy atmosphere, Kazuki felt down, but amidst this back and forth, it seemed like Ayana and Kazuki were getting closer. It was at that moment Ayana’s mother arrived with food.
“Here we go, all done~. Sorry for the simple fried chicken and nikujaga.”
“It’s totally fine, nee-san. Anything you make is delicious!”
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Kazuki happily accepted the food and started arranging it. I helped carry the remaining dishes, and dinner with this new acquaintance, Kazuki, for me and Ayana began.
“Nee-san, Towa-bo has truly become handsome, hasn’t he?”
“That’s right! Towa is just like that person, handsome and kind… I love him! I adore Towa~!!”
“…Mom, you smell like alcohol.”
Being hugged is nice, but really, she does smell like alcohol… Didn’t something like this happen before too?
“Ayana, you’re not jealous of nee-san, are you?”
“Of course not. He’s Towa-kun’s mother, you know? It’s only natural.”
“…Yet your pupils are dilated.”
“Did you say something?”
“Ah! No, nothing at all!”
In any case, it’s a lively atmosphere. Personally, I don’t really mind it, though sometimes I want to spend quiet moments, but when people gather like this, it’s nice to have a lively atmosphere—.
“Hey, Eshi, am I really able to properly interact with Towa as a parent?”
“What are you saying, nee-san? Towa-bo’s smile is the best proof, isn’t it?”
“But what if it’s a fake smile? Ever since that accident, Towa has been… been…!!”
…It was truly a momentary thing. A scene I had never seen before flashed through my mind.
Kazuki comforting a crying mother… and the look on Kazuki’s face, seeing that mother, was unbelievably terrifying.
In front of me, my mother is still clinging to me, and Ayana and Kazuki are chatting happily… It’s so peaceful that I can’t believe the scene from earlier. I shake my head to forget what I saw earlier.
“By the way, Ayana, did you have any rivals when it came to getting together with Towa-bo?”
“Oh, that’s something I’m curious about too. You two were always close, but were there any rivals?”
To their questions, Ayana tilted her head, not understanding what they meant.
“Rivals…? What do you mean?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“That’s right.”
“You call someone a rival when they’re an equal, right? There’s no way there could be a rival in the feelings I have for Towa-kun… Hmph, impossible, right?”
“Oh…”
“…As expected of you, Ayana-chan.”
Ayana chuckled arrogantly, and for some reason, my mom and the others applauded. Then, for reasons unknown, it became a time for Ayana to tell them how she feels about me. Feeling left out in many ways, I ate the nikujaga my mother had made, alone.