Reborn as the Man Who Takes Away the Protagonist’s Beloved Childhood Friend

Is it okay to be this happy?

“Sorry to bother you, Aya-chan.”

“No, no. I’m doing this because I want to, so please don’t worry about it.”

I sat on the sofa, watching Aya and my mother happily preparing dinner in the background. In the end, Aya ended up staying over, and when we returned together, we encountered my mother who had arrived home earlier than us.

While it wasn’t unusual for Aya to come to our house like this, my mother seemed to understand the different atmosphere between us and offered words of blessing. It was embarrassing for me, but Aya seemed very happy to receive such words from my mother, even going as far as to call her “mother-in-law” and then my mother went overboard, hugging Aya tightly.

“Towa-kun, please wait a little longer.”

“It’s okay. For the cooking of the person I love, I can wait forever, right?”

…So please, mother, don’t smirk like that.

To distract from my embarrassment, I turned my gaze to the TV. A program featuring popular comedians was airing, but my attention was drawn to a photo displayed next to the TV. It showed a couple, a small boy being held by the man… that little boy was me, and then there were my mother and father.

Looking back, I have very few memories of my father. There are fragments that I can recall… but only to a limited extent. Perhaps because it was not particularly discussed, even in games.

“…Hmm.”

I stood up and approached for a closer look. Towa’s facial features seemed to resemble my father’s, judging from this photo. At this time in the photo, he was probably still in kindergarten or around that age… of course, my mother and father were quite young.

After gazing at the photo and getting lost in thought for a while, I didn’t notice until Aya called me.

“Towa-kun? Everything is ready.”

“Oops. Understood.”

When called by Aya, I approached the table, where a lavish meal was set up as if for a special occasion.

“It’s a joyous day for my son and Aya-chan. I got carried away.”

“A joyous day… well, it’s not like we’re getting married or anything.”

“But you will eventually, right?”

“…………”

Honestly, how can Aya say these things without showing any signs of embarrassment… well, upon closer inspection, her cheeks were turning red. Only Aya and I blushed, and seeing that, my mother narrowed her eyes happily… what kind of space is this?

After that, we all sat at the table without any particular prompt, joined hands, and started the meal.

“I thought stew was a staple, but… how is it?”

“It’s just the right amount of sweetness. I love this taste.”

“hehehe, I’m glad.”

When Aya looks happy, it makes me happy too. Not just the stew, but all the other dishes were delicious as well.

Of course, the taste is always delicious since Mom is the one who usually cooks, but when Ayana’s hands are added, it becomes so delicious that it’s even moving. … I’ve said various things, but the most important thing is being satisfied just by having your favorite person cook for you.

As we enjoyed our meal while sharing feedback with Ayana, Mom suddenly muttered, “I wish that person could see this scene too.”

That person… it’s easy to understand who that refers to right away. Mom has a melancholic expression, but there is no sadness that was once present. Just that alone brings me relief… However, this might be a good opportunity. I asked Mom, “How did you and Dad meet?”

“Oh? You’re asking? It’s fine to talk about it… but it’s a bit embarrassing,” Mom said with an unusual embarrassed expression.

I thought I should stop if any trace of sadness seemed to appear, but perhaps due to the alcohol, she seemed a bit enthusiastic.

Ayana also seemed curious as she gazed at Mom. Mom, noticing our gazes, made a preamble as if it couldn’t be helped, then began to speak.

“Ryo-san and I… we met when I was returning from a fight with some people from another place.”

“Uh, I see.”

I knew Mom used to be a delinquent, but I never expected this topic to come up now. Ayana and I exchanged a glance for a moment, but quickly returned our gaze to Mom. Unaware of us, Mom continued speaking.

“I remember walking while soothing my stinging cheek. That’s when I met Ryo-san while trying to buy juice from a vending machine. Even though we were meeting for the first time, he cared about this delinquent me. Even when I told him not to come near me, it didn’t work at all.”

… No, Mom, there’s no way a person who worries about someone they just met can be a delinquent.

“I… I was a delinquent, but maybe a soft one. From then on, Ryo-san would talk to me whenever we met in town, and as he treated me kindly, I fell for him completely. That’s when I stopped being a delinquent and changed my way of living. The teachers at school were really surprised.”

“I see.”

“Mom…”

“What is it?”

Knowing that Mom is a very strong woman from being together for so long, I understood why she had that strength if she had a delinquent past… But, I see. Mom had that kind of time too. It’s a strange feeling to hear about my mother’s youth.

“And from our third year of high school… that’s when we started dating, leading up to now.”

I see, let’s… not ask about what comes next. It will probably be as I already know.

“…It’s wonderful that you dated and got married…”

“Isn’t it? Ryo-san was truly a good person. Really…”

Looking at Mom who had slightly lowered her gaze, I couldn’t help but wonder, even if it might be an unreasonable thought, why this person had to leave.

Mom, who had a sip of beer and raised her head, pointed to the photo I had seen before.

“Look, that’s Ryo-san. And the small one is the younger Towa. Ayana-chan, is this your first time seeing it?”

“Wow! Please let me see!”

Ayana approached the photo and observed it carefully.

“Young Towa-kun is cute… and this one is… Huh?”

While looking at the photo, Ayana tilted her head. The person Ayana was gazing at was Dad.

“Ayana?”

“…It’s nothing. hehehe, Young Towa-kun’s coolness resembles Dad, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly! He was really cool! Ryo-san was truly a good person.”

“Mom? You’re repeating yourself, you know?”

Mom, are you drinking too much beer? I thought I should stop her at this point, so I took away the can of beer she was about to open. Mom seemed dissatisfied, but she seemed to be aware that she had drunk too much and did not throw a tantrum, so the peaceful mealtime came to an end.

While Mom did the dishes, I went to take a bath a bit early. Then, while Ayana was in the bath, I tidied up the room a bit and brought an extra futon. Mom? She’s sound asleep in her room, snoring.

“…Today was quite eventful.”

Sitting on the bed, I reflected on today’s events.

From suddenly feeling sick and falling asleep to remembering many things, and then confessing to Ayana to change her future. My feelings were conveyed, and we truly became lovers now… It was truly a rich day.

As I was reflecting on today like that, Ayana entered the room.

“I feel refreshed. It was so pleasant.”

“Welcome back.”

“I’m back.”

Wearing the originally placed nightwear, Ayana sat next to me. The sweet scent emitted by the girl, coupled with the fact that she had just come out of the bath, made her look strangely seductive, causing me to be conscious of it.

Whether Ayana knew or not that I was feeling nervous, she leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder.

“I wonder if it’s okay for me to be this happy. To be in a relationship with Towa-kun.”

“Me too. To have someone as wonderful as Ayana by my side. I’m truly happy.”

Saying that, we gazed into each other’s eyes, leaned in without a word, and shared a kiss that was meant to be just a touch. Or so I thought―.

“Mm…!”

“Huh!?”

Ayana’s tongue slipped in.

She intertwined her tongue fervently, as if seeking something, and I responded desperately. After satisfying each other for a while and parting our faces, a silver thread extended from our mouths before breaking. Naturally, I pushed Ayana down.

“hehehe, even though this isn’t the first time, I’m incredibly nervous. How about you, Towa-kun?”

“Me too. I’m really nervous.”

Ayana placed her hand on my chest and guided my hand to her chest. The large sensation and pleasant softness, the heartbeat felt from within. When I inadvertently tightened my grip a bit, Ayana’s body trembled.

“Towa-kun… please come.”

With her words, I didn’t hesitate.

After finishing, we both took a bath together, made an effort, and returned to the room, collapsing onto the bed showing signs of exhaustion.

Ayana used the bed, and although Towa tried to use the futon, he couldn’t refuse Ayana’s suggestion to sleep together.

Towa, somewhat tired, quickly fell asleep. Ayana felt a bit disappointed that she wanted to talk more, but she smiled, thinking that if she could see Towa’s face, whom she knew better than anyone else, it was still alright.

“Towa-kun, I really love you. I’m glad to have met you.”

Those were Ayana’s sincere words. Although she could convey them even if he was awake, she felt like quietly expressing them now. Feeling Towa’s warmth and smell beside her, Ayana was enveloped in happiness. Amidst this, there was something Ayana remembered.

(That person in the photo looked just like Towa-kun. It’s natural since they’re father and son… but I’ve seen someone who resembled Towa-kun’s father)

It’s not obvious that Towa resembles him.

Thinking back further, Ayana felt like she had seen him on some occasion in the past, but unfortunately, she couldn’t recall. After thinking for a while without success, Ayana decided it was fine for now and stopped pondering.

“Sigh… sigh…”

“hehehe…”

Snuggling up to Towa, who was asleep, he didn’t wake up. Ayana moved closer, wanting to feel Towa’s entire body next to hers.

(Today, I feel like I’ll sleep better than usual. It’s truly blissful to have the person you love by your side)

Gradually feeling drowsy, just like Towa, Ayana set off for the world of dreams, feeling that she would sleep more comfortably than usual.

(Oh, by the way, why did Mom mention Akemi-san at that time? I’m sure we met after that accident)

“‘At that time,’ I thought she was a disagreeable child. ‘With a mother like that,’ it’s natural that the education is lacking.”

【Afterword】

Starting tomorrow, updates will only be at 5 p.m.