I Reincarnated as the Villain of an NTR Game, But I Don't Want to Make the Main Heroine Unhappy so I'll Live Earnestly - Chapter 105-106

Chapter 105: Ayako and Me

This happened a few days ago.

It was the night after Yukimura came to my house to consult Ayako.

“Hey, Ayako.”

“Yeah, what’s up, Masato?”

After Yuuna went to bed in our shared room, leaving just the two of us in the living room, I brought up something to Ayako.

“Well, actually… I’m thinking of dyeing my hair back to black.”

“Huh? You’re going to make it black? Oh, I see… wait, what? You’re really going to dye it back to black?!”

Ayako stared at me with wide eyes, her voice loud with surprise. I flinched at her reaction.

“Y-Yeah, that’s the plan… but is it really that surprising?”

“Of course, it is! You’ve always ignored the teachers, even when they told you off or got angry at you, and you never once thought of getting rid of that flashy blonde hair. So why suddenly go back to black? Did something happen?”

“Uh, well, um…”

Ayako was clearly confused, not understanding my sudden decision.

Well, I guess it’s no wonder. After all, I was the delinquent who never listened to the teachers, and now, out of the blue, I’m saying I’m going to dye my hair back to black.

(And besides, I haven’t told Ayako yet… that I’m aiming to be a proper high school student…)

I remembered how right after I started high school, I, “Kuzuma,” became a delinquent.

After that, I started staying out all night in entertainment districts, going to places like pachinko parlors and clubs where minors shouldn’t be. I got caught by the police many times, and Ayako always had to come and get me.

But since I started trying to be a serious high school student, I’ve calmed down a lot. I haven’t done anything minors shouldn’t do, and I haven’t been in trouble with the police. Lately, I haven’t caused Ayako any problems at all.

So I thought Ayako might have noticed I was trying to change. That’s why I hadn’t explicitly told her about it yet.

You can’t just think about it. You need to put it into words and tell your mom.

“…”

I suddenly remembered my conversation with Yukimura from the other day. I’d told her I was embarrassed to talk to Ayako face-to-face about this, and Yukimura had firmly urged me to go ahead and tell her, even if it was embarrassing.

Feelings don’t get across if you just keep them in your heart. You have to speak them out loud to make them understood.

So if you have something you want to say to your mom, you need to say it out loud and let her know.

(…Yeah, I have to report this properly to Ayako myself.)

So, I decided to look Ayako straight in the eyes and answer her question honestly.

“Well, yeah, I used to enjoy having flashy blonde hair and wearing lots of piercings, but… I’m ready to graduate from all that mischief. Dyeing my hair back to black is just one step toward leaving that behind.”

“I- Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Also… there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you for a long time… um, well… I’m really sorry for causing you so much trouble.”

“Huh?”

“After I started high school, I stopped going to class, stayed out late doing bad things, and you always had to come to the police station to get me… I know I caused you a lot of trouble. I know I can’t just ask for your forgiveness, but from now on, I’m going to live seriously… So, um… I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done.”

“Masato…”

I said that, and then I bowed deeply to Ayako.

—

Chapter 106: Making a New Promise With Ayako

I apologized to Ayako, but she didn’t say anything for a while, and silence filled the room.

After some time, she finally looked at me and slowly began to speak.

“No, Masato. I never thought of you as a burden.”

“What?”

Ayako spoke to me in a very gentle tone.

“Well, it’s true I always went to pick you up when the police brought you in, but Masato, you never hurt anyone, right? You never used violence or bullied anyone, did you?”

“Well, that’s… true.”

In the original game, Kuzuma would hurt Yukimura, but so far, this version of him hadn’t committed any violent acts.

Before I reincarnated, Kuzuma would skip school to hang out in arcades, hit on girls at clubs, or gamble at pachinko and horse racing, leading to frequent run-ins with the police. But he wasn’t arrested for violence.

And though those activities cost money, Kuzuma funded his habits with his part-time job earnings, so he never resorted to theft or other crimes.

“Right? I mean, sure, what you did wasn’t admirable, but you were just spending the money you earned on what you wanted, right? That’s all, so don’t think you were a burden to me, okay?”

“Well, but still—”

“And besides, if anyone should apologize, it’s not you. I’m the one who should be apologizing…”

“Huh?”

“Because I never did anything motherly for you or Yuuna. I was always working, and I couldn’t take care of the house. There were times when you were just an elementary school student, and I had to ask you to take care of Yuuna and do the chores…”

Ayako looked down as she spoke to me.

“No, but, I knew how hard things were for you, so I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I wanted to support you in your work…”

“Yeah, I know. But I put so much pressure on you when you were just a kid. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help leaning on your kindness. I neglected my duty as a mother to focus on my career as a hairstylist. So, really… I’m so sorry. I’ve never been able to be a proper mother… I’m so sorry.”

“Ayako…”

As she spoke, tears started to fall from Ayako’s eyes. It had been a while since I’d seen her cry.

I finally understood why Kuzuma had turned into a delinquent. He must have felt lonely from a young age.

When Kuzuma was still in elementary school, his parents divorced, and his father left. Ayako became busy with work, leaving no one to take care of the house.

As a result, young Kuzuma had to take care of Yuuna, but he was still at an age when he wanted to be pampered by his parents.

However, Kuzuma couldn’t express these feelings to Ayako, who was always busy with work. He kept his frustrations bottled up inside, taking on the role of caregiver in her place. Eventually, those frustrations exploded, and Kuzuma became a delinquent.

And that’s why I couldn’t call Ayako “Mom.” Kuzuma had grown resentful of her being a workaholic, so calling her “Mom” now felt impossible.

But when Ayako apologized to me with tears in her eyes, the resentment Kuzuma had been holding onto started to fade, and I felt a sense of peace.

Okay, from now on, let’s start having real conversations as mother and son. Isn’t that right, Masato?

With that thought in mind, I decided to talk to Ayako, who was still crying.

“Hey, Ayako.”

“Hm? What is it…?”

“Well, I’ll be a senior in high school soon, right?”

“Yeah… that’s right.”

“Yeah, and I’ll have to think about my future, so there will be a lot of things I’ll be worried about. So, from now on, can I talk to you—Mom—about my plans and ask for your advice?”

“Huh…? You want to talk to me?”

“Yeah, and I want to hear about your work and what it was like when you were a student. I want to hear all the things we haven’t had the chance to talk about. Is that… okay?”

“Masato…”

I had never been able to listen to Ayako before. She had always been too busy with work.

But now, I genuinely wanted to have the conversations we never had. I wanted to hear everything she had to say.

“Of course, it’s okay. And I want to hear about you, too. Tell me all about school, your part-time job… anything. I want to know everything.”

“Yeah, of course. So, from now on, let’s make time to talk. Whether it’s late after you finish work or on a day off, it doesn’t matter. Let’s talk more, okay?”

“Yeah… yes, let’s do that. Let’s talk about everything, Masato…”

“Alright. So, um… I look forward to it, Mom.”

“Yes, me too. Though it’s been a while since you called me ‘Mom,’ and it feels a little embarrassing. Maybe for now, you can just keep calling me Ayako like you’ve been doing?”

“Oh, really? Haha, okay, I will. Well then… let’s keep getting along, Ayako.”

“Yes, let’s.”

And with that, we renewed our promise to each other. I decided to nurture the bond between us as mother and son.

I really need to thank Yukimura for this.

…Feelings aren’t something that can just stay in your heart. If you don’t express them in words, they’ll never reach the other person.

I recalled what Yukimura had said to me before. I realized how true it was. If you don’t say what you feel, it doesn’t get across.

And I couldn’t help but think that Yukimura really is a great girl…

“Oh, that’s right!”

“Hm? What is it, Ayako?”

“Oh, I just thought of something I want to ask you right away… Why did you suddenly decide to dye your hair black?”

“Well, I told you it’s part of me leaving behind my delinquent ways, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but that’s exactly what I want to know. Why did you decide to stop being a delinquent? What made you change?”

“Oh, I see… well…”

Ayako asked me this completely natural question.

Since I had promised to be honest with her, I decided to answer truthfully.

“Today, I introduced you to my classmate, Yukimura, didn’t I?”

“Yes, Saeki, right? What about her?”

“Well, the truth is… I like her.”

“Oh? You like Saeki…? Wait, really!?”

When I told her that, Ayako looked shocked. I guess it’s natural to be surprised when your son suddenly tells you who he likes.

“Yeah, I do. But Yukimura is a very serious and kind girl, so someone like me doesn’t suit her, right? That’s why I decided to change, to become a proper student, so I could stand next to her without any issues. Were you disappointed by such an impure motive?”

And so, I honestly told Ayako everything from start to finish.

“I see. That’s a lovely reason. I understand. Then I’ll help you become a wonderful young man! So don’t worry, leave it to me!”

“Haha, alright. I’ll be counting on you.”

We laughed together as we talked. At that moment, it felt like we had returned to the close relationship we had years ago.