NOVEL NEXT chapter 26
Ayana’s words pierce the air
“Well then, shall we eat?”
Under Mom’s command, the shabu-shabu party with Ayana and Hoshina-san began. Looking at the abundant meat and other ingredients, it seemed like they had taken quite a portion.
“Well, it looks delicious, so let’s eat without holding back.”
“Yes, not a bad way to spend a day like this.”
Now, where is the sesame sauce?
Mom seemed to prefer ponzu, but I liked sesame sauce. So, as I was searching for it, unexpectedly, someone handed it to me.
“Towa-kun, do you prefer sesame sauce?”
“Oh, yes, that’s right.”
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Hoshina-san handed me the sesame sauce with a smile. I was indeed looking for it, but I hadn’t mentioned it out loud, so I was impressed by how she noticed.
“Oh, you knew well.”
“…I’m surprised myself, but I’m somewhat convinced.”
“??”
Mom seemed puzzled by Hoshina-san’s words, but she should rest assured that I didn’t understand either.
“What’s going on?”
“…What could it be? Come on, Towa-kun, have some meat~”
Right, with such a feast, it would be a waste not to eat a lot.
Usually, Mom would have a beer during dinner, but today, she wasn’t drinking because she had to take Ayana and Hoshina-san back home. Drunk driving is definitely not a joke.
“But it was quite sudden, right? Did Hoshina-san do something unreasonable that caused Mom to…?”
“She raised her voice and grabbed my shoulder tightly. I thought my life was flashing before my eyes.”
“…Mom.”
“hahahaha, well, it’s fine now. Like I said earlier, it’s a good opportunity, right?”
Mother set down her chopsticks and turned her gaze towards Hoshina. Hoshina, in turn, also put down her chopsticks and faced her. While Ayana and I observed this exchange, we continued eating.
“To be honest, just because Towa forgave you doesn’t mean I have. As a mother of this child, when this child was most hurt, I felt like finishing you both off for adding insult to injury…”
Mother’s eyes were serious.
Despite not being directly stared at by her, there was a chilling sense of dread. Sensing this, I stopped eating and sat next to Ayana. She was trembling slightly.
“Towa-kun…”
“What a time to bring this up during dinner. But perhaps this is a good opportunity.”
We’ve been together as mother and son for a while. So I understand why Mother isn’t currently angry, and I can comprehend her attempt to reach out to Hoshina. Hoshina, without retorting, seemed to earnestly take in Mother’s words.
“I’m not completely able to accept it yet. But I feel the need to make the effort. My dear son, who is still so young, overcame it. I have to overcome it too.”
Saying that, Mother chuckled. The ominous words from earlier and the serious look faded, and the usual Mother was back. Ayana and I felt relieved, our cheeks loosened involuntarily, but Hoshina still didn’t show any sign of breaking her composure. Hoshina spoke.
“What I did to him is truly unforgivable, I said those words not because of disliking you. As you said, no matter what is done to me, I can’t complain… As a mother myself, I should have been able to understand your feelings painfully well.”
Maybe Hoshina is now considering switching positions with Mother. Maybe if it were Ayana who had the accident… She was a daughter who she may have been treating wrongly, but it would undoubtedly be heartbreaking.
“I have truly done something inexcusable to you and Towa-kun. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but please let me apologize… I’m truly sorry.”
With that, Hoshina bowed her head, but the focus was mainly on me. I was about to say she didn’t need to go that far, but… Yes. My conversation with Hoshina is over, it’s now a discussion between the two parents.
Mother looked at the bowing Hoshina, then smiled faintly.
“I accept. I’ve received your apology as Towa’s mother.”
Hoshina’s body trembled slightly.
A gesture of biting her lip… Perhaps Hoshina had been worrying all along. When I spoke with her, Hoshina had tears in her eyes as if regretting. As a fellow mother, maybe being forgiven by Mother finally freed her from the barrier.
“Hoshina-san.”
Hoshina, lifting her face, was indeed crying.
Her dignified face, resembling Ayana’s, twisted slightly, her beauty marred a bit, but I had words I wanted to convey to her.
“I’m okay. Mother has forgiven, and I’ve talked to you back then. So… it’s all good now.”
As I relayed this, it seemed like Hoshina had reached her limit. Ayana went to her side, handed her a handkerchief, and gently rubbed her back. Not only Hoshina but also Ayana’s gesture of comforting her mother somehow brought me reassurance.
“Well then! Come on, since we have such a nice shabu-shabu, stop sniffing and start eating~!!”
“It’s all because Mother created this atmosphere!”
“Ouch!”
I lightly patted her back.
Then, we waited for Hoshina to calm down before resuming our meal. Since Mother was driving, beer was offered to Hoshina, who reluctantly drank it. From her demeanor, it seemed like she wasn’t particularly fond of alcohol, a guess that turned out to be spot on.
“Towa-kun, would you like some tofu?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, the meat is ready again~”
While we were eating harmoniously with Ayana, Mother and Hoshina seemed to be having a lively conversation of their own.
“You’re really wild! Wild, but… a really nice kid!!”
“…hahahaha, um… thank you?”
She seemed quite drunk.
“I’ve never seen you like this. I don’t drink much at home either.”
“…I feel like I’m a different person now.”
“To be honest, I think the same. Mother tends to serve others, if I had to choose.”
With a flushed face, scolding Mother one moment, then praising her the next, it felt a bit dangerous. Hoshina, with a steady gaze, looked at Ayana and me, then suddenly stood up.
“!!?”
Ayana and I shuddered involuntarily, and Hoshina came over, embracing me tightly.
“Douwa-kun, I really am a terrible woman… to do such a terrible thing to you…!!”
Ah… back to square one.
“Hey, Mom, don’t cling to Douwa-kun!!”
Saying that, Ayana, burning with an odd sense of rivalry, tries to pull Hoshina-san away forcefully… or rather, she’s quite strong. Despite feeling the sensation of bigger breasts than Ayana’s due to being embraced wholeheartedly, the strong smell of alcohol, overpowering the sweet perfume-like scent, dampens the joy.
“Hey! Don’t take my son away!”
Mother joins the fray, clinging to my back… what is happening here.
Being embraced by her mother from the front and my actual mother from behind in this situation… Ayana, please help.
“You two will pass on the smell of aging to Douwa-kun!!”
At that moment, time stood still.
As if the two mothers had received judgment from God, they stiffened, then weakly opened their mouths.
“…That’s right. We’re getting on in years, aren’t we? hahahaha.”
“Aging smell… that’s right. We’re just old women trying to cover it up with perfume.”
Watching the two of them laugh like a broken clock, Ayana snorts disapprovingly… Is this hell or what?
“Ayana, that was a bit much—”
“Some sacrifices are necessary to get Douwa-kun back.”
“…………”
Well, perhaps Ayana is the real demon here.
And so, the sudden shabu-shabu party came to an end. They bid farewell to Ayana, embraced each other, strangely even Hoshina-san embraced them, and then Mother drove the two away.
After taking a bath and watching TV, Mother returned and sniffed her own body.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hey, Douwa, do I smell that bad?”
“…I was worried.”
It’s okay, it smells really nice. I hesitated to say this to my actual mother, but she smiled and skipped off to the bath… sigh, I’m tired.