Jin and Yoriko had arrived at the station plaza.

“I really wanted to stay together a bit longer, but I can’t so I’m sorry.”

“If it’s to help with housework, it can’t be helped.”

“I’ll adjust things so I can have more time next time. And thank you for spending so much money today and buying me clothes and various things.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. If Tsukimizato-san is happy, then I’m happy too.”

“Kaneda-kun, you say such nice things. Well then, see you later.”

“Yeah, take care.”

After thanking Jin, Yoriko parted ways with him and headed off to shop for ingredients.

“Tsukimizato-san’s figure has disappeared from view too, so I guess I’ll buy a dinner bento and head home.”

Jin waved and saw Yoriko off until her figure disappeared into the crowd. Yoriko also noticed this and kept turning around, waving back embarrassedly many times.

(Tsukimizato-san’s embarrassed face is cute too.)

Jin remembered Yoriko’s face as she was leaving and couldn’t help but smile.

“Ah! I forgot to make plans to meet again. Hmm, well, we see each other at school, so we can make plans anytime.”

Jin realized they had parted without making plans to meet again and raised his voice, but remembering that they could meet anytime at school, he pulled himself together and set off for home.

“Now then, what should I have for dinner?”

After parting with Jin, Yoriko stopped by a supermarket located a little distance from her home. This store sold ingredients at bargain prices and was indispensable for supporting the Tsukimizato family’s household budget. To save on expenses, Yoriko was looking at vegetables displayed in opened cardboard boxes while thinking about the dinner menu.

“Eggs are cheap today. I think we should still have rice left.”

Though it was originally a store that sold things cheaply, there were also special sale items featured in advertisements that were even cheaper than the regular prices, so if she shopped efficiently, it would help the household budget even more, making information gathering important. Incidentally, the Tsukimizato family couldn’t afford to subscribe to a newspaper, so they checked special sale items through notices posted inside the store. Yoriko decided what to buy from the special sale items while remembering what ingredients remained at home.

“Since my paycheck came in, I was able to buy some preserved foods too. This should get us by for a while.”

Since Yoriko had received her part-time job paycheck recently, she purchased slightly more ingredients than usual and left the supermarket.

“I need to prepare dinner after I get home. Hmm? Come to think of it, I feel like I’m forgetting something…”

On her way home, Yoriko felt a nagging sense that she was forgetting something. She couldn’t quite remember what it was and walked along feeling unsettled.

“I’m home.”

Yoriko arrived at her apartment, unlocked the door, and entered the room. Since Otowa was out at her part-time job and hadn’t returned home, naturally there was no response. Yoriko understood this, but now there was a large dolphin plushie in the room, and she had started greeting it.

“Greeting a stuffed animal might be a bit childish, right? Hehe, I end up greeting it thinking of Kaneda-kun.”

Yoriko took off her shoes while feeling embarrassed by herself, went up into the room, put down the eco-bag containing the ingredients she had purchased, and then petted the large dolphin plushie.

“Ahhh!”

Bang.

“Keep it down!”

When Yoriko petted the dolphin plushie, she finally remembered what she had been feeling unsettled about forgetting, and involuntarily let out a loud shout. Then, after hearing the sound of someone banging on the wall from the next room, a loud angry shout could be heard.

Chapter 40: Yoriko’s Mistake

The apartment where Yoriko lived in was an old building with thin walls. Thanks to this, the rent was very cheap, but it had the drawback that loud noises could be heard in the neighboring apartments. Usually, she was careful not to bother her neighbors, but unfortunately when she raised her voice loudly, the resident of the next room happened to be home, so she received a scolding.

“Ugh, I got yelled at. The neighbors are always so noisy with their bed creaking at night all the time, and I always put up with it! It’s a bit unreasonable to yell at me just for raising my voice once.”

Yoriko felt somewhat dissatisfied.

“Setting that aside, I forgot to make plans to meet Kaneda-kun next time. What should I do, what should I do?”

Looking at the dolphin stuffed animal, Yoriko realized she had forgotten to make plans for the next meeting with Jin.

“I don’t have any way to contact Kaneda-kun directly either… Sigh, I’ll think about it after I prepare dinner…”

Yoriko carefully hung the clothes she had been wearing on a hanger, placed her bag and hat on the shelf, changed into house clothes, and began preparing dinner.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back.”

Just as Yoriko finished preparing dinner, Otowa returned home after finishing her part-time job.

“Mom, what’s wrong? You look pale.”

“Huh? Oh, I just have something on my mind. Dinner is ready, so let’s eat once you’ve finished changing.”

Having lived together for many years as Yoriko’s daughter, Otowa immediately noticed that Yoriko’s behavior was a bit strange. Yoriko tried to act calm so as not to worry her, telling Otowa to go change clothes.

“I’ll change right away, so wait for me. Hmm? Mom, what are these clothes?”

“Eh? Ah!”

When Yoriko returned home from the date, she had remembered that she’d forgotten to make plans for the next meeting, and since she’d been thinking about that, she had carelessly left the clothes Jin had bought for her and other items in plain sight. Otowa found the unfamiliar clothes hanging on the wall and asked Yoriko about them.

(Wh-what should I do? If I say Kaneda-kun bought them for me, she’ll find out I was meeting with him. I wonder if there’s a good way to answer this?)

Yoriko was thinking about how to explain this to Otowa.

“Come to think of it, there were different shoes placed there too. Looking closely, there’s even a hat and shoulder bag.”

“Th-th-that’s, well…”

“Aha, could it be that Mom found herself a boyfriend? It’s amazing that he buys you all sorts of things.”

Since Otowa knew that the Tsukimizato household didn’t have the means to buy such things, she realized they must have been gifts from someone.

“Y-yes, yes, that’s right. He gave them to me as presents because they were for me.”

“I see. He’s a generous boyfriend. I don’t oppose Mom finding someone new.”

“Th-thank you.”

(I’m sorry, Otowa. The situation has become one where I can’t tell the truth.)

Because Otowa was supporting her with pure feelings, Yoriko found herself unable to tell the truth.

“Hey, hey, isn’t this shoulder bag one of the popular ones recently? Can I take a look at it?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”