In a World of Reversed Chastity, I’m Surrounded by a Clingy Older Woman, a Walking Red Flag, and an Exhausted Office Lady - 29-30

Chapter 29: The Arrival of Shizuku

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

“Mother, little sister, excuse me for intruding. Today, let’s celebrate Aoi-sama together.”

““……””

Shizuku strode confidently into the living room, lowered herself into an empty seat, and, as always, wore a refined smile. In contrast, Mom and Hina were glaring at me. Their gaze plainly said: “Why the hell did you let this person inside?”

“Shizuku, don’t you have class today?”

“…? What are you talking about? It’s Aoi-sama’s birthday, and since I’m here, it’s obvious that I prioritize Aoi-sama. Academics comes second, third, at most. And of course, Mother has given her permission, so you needn’t worry… Besides, I can’t afford to be late alone.”

The last part was spoken quietly, but Shizuku had just calmly declared that she was skipping university. Still… She even got Akane-san’s permission. Somehow, Akane-san always allowed me and Shizuku to hang out, and whenever we came over, she prepared gifts and meals, spoiling me.

『Aoi-kun is my son. You can come back to my house anytime. I’ll give you a key, and the key to my room too. Oh, and give me your account information. I’ll deposit your allowance every month.』

Because of this, I had to struggle just to avoid completely spoiling myself. Also, that was partly why I didn’t contact Shizuku while I was back here.

…Wait, now is not the time for that kind of reflection.

I needed to somehow hold back Hina, who looked ready to snap at Shizuku at any moment.

“Sorry, you two. But since Shizuku has come all this way to celebrate me, I can’t just take the gift and say goodbye like a normal friend.”

And I also had a feeling that Shizuku wouldn’t move until she was allowed inside.

“That’s true… but I wish you had told me beforehand if you were coming.”

“I apologize. I wanted to surprise Aoi-sama and make you happy, so that’s why I didn’t mention it.”

Shizuku smiled cheerfully, but Hina shot her a hostile glare, threatening her with her eyes.

“Haa… well, fine. I do feel just a tiny bit guilty toward Saiin-san too.”

“Mom also feels that while she would like to celebrate just with family, if Aoi is happy, then that’s fine.”

Hina’s sense of guilt likely stemmed from not informing Shizuku that I had returned. Reluctantly, both women accepted Shizuku’s presence. I bowed to them both, took my seat, and finished the remaining dishes. After catching my breath, Hina brought over something beautifully wrapped.

“Ta-dah! What could this be?”

“Uh… what is it? A stuffed animal?”

“Nope! That would be the same as last year, and Nii-san would find it boring, right? Open it and see.”

I unwrapped it, and inside were gloves and a scarf. The gloves were adorable, shaped like little bear paws, showing clear effort had been put into them.

“Mom and I made these. They’re handmade.”

“They’re super cute and practical too. Thank you, both of you.”

I patted Hina’s head and Mom’s head, and both smiled happily. They were made so nicely.

“Can I try them on? They might not match my current outfit, though.”

“Really? You’ll wear them?”

“Of course. You two made them, after all.”

I quickly put on the scarf and gloves. They were warm and comfortable.

“How do I look?”

“““…!!”””

All three of them clutched their chests, breathing a little faster.

“Aoi-chan is eating the food I made and wearing the gloves I made… somehow, I… I might just break down even though I’m his mother.”

“Nii-san really is like a national treasure—or no, a global one that must be protected.”

“You two really have done well. But I can’t lose either.”

Shizuku said this as she took out another beautifully wrapped package. Inside was a single ticket.

“Shizuku… what’s this?”

“Hehe. This is my gift to you.”

The “ticket” was handwritten with “Anywhere Door,” leaving the details unclear.

“During winter break, let’s go on a trip together whenever Aoi-sama has free time. Mother, you, and me. We’ll go wherever Aoi-sama wants, for as long as Aoi-sama wishes.”

I realized that if I suggested somewhere far across the globe, or for a month-long stay, Akane-san and Shizuku would seriously go along. This ticket would need to be used with careful consideration. 

“Oh, right. And this one is from Mother.”

Shizuku placed something in my hand. It was a key.

“This is the key to Mother’s room. She said she’s always waiting, so…”

I politely returned it to Shizuku’s hand.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Chapter 30: I’m So Glad I Met the Three of You

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Right now, I was in the middle of a strangely delicate atmosphere.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Renka Koibuchi, Aoi’s friend. I met Aoi at university this spring, and we’ve known each other for over half a year now. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Kaoruko Shiki. I’m close with Aoi-kun, and although not as long as Renka-san, we’ve known each other for about three months. Aoi-kun and I go out to eat together, and we sometimes cook for each other at this house. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kaoruko-san and Renka were exchanging greetings, but something about the situation felt strange. They were both smiling, yet the smiles looked oddly chilly—like stiff, pasted-on smiles. Renka especially gave off that feeling.

“Umm… I guess I should introduce myself too. My name is Yua Shino­nome. I met Aoi-kun later than the two of you, and it’s not like I have anything particularly special about me, but… I live next door. Nice to meet you.”

Lastly, even Yua-san, who said that, wore a somewhat unsettling smile as well. They were all subtly keeping each other in check, and it felt like the conversation wasn’t going to progress any further. Well, that was only natural, I suppose.

It was their first time meeting. Even if they had heard some things about each other from me beforehand, they were still meeting face-to-face for the first time. Of course they’d be nervous. It couldn’t be helped that the atmosphere turned out like this.

“S-since introductions are done, and the food Kaoruko-san worked so hard to make will get cold, let’s eat already.”

“Yes, that’s true. Let’s eat then. Ah, and Aoi-kun, Renka-chan, Yua-san… please don’t expect too much from the food I made.”

“I’m really looking forward to it, and it looks delicious, so I’m sure it’s fine. I helped too.”

“Aoi-kun, you always say things like that right away.”

Today’s meal was mostly handmade by Kaoruko-san, and I had come earlier than the other two to help a little and taste-test. Kaoruko-san had said to me, 『I’m sorry for making you help even though it’s your birthday.』 But I was happy to cook together with Kaoruko-san, and her kitchen was spacious, so it was fun to cook there.

While Kaoruko-san and I were chatting like we usually did, two gazes suddenly stabbed into me. Needless to say, they belonged to Renka and Yua-san. Were those looks telling me to stop chatting and hurry up and eat? Or were they saying, 『What do you think you’re doing chatting leisurely with another girl when we’re here too?』

People say that when you’re with a woman, you shouldn’t compliment another woman, but what are you supposed to do when it’s three women and one man like this?

Probably the safest option was to not compliment anyone.

…Maybe the reason I never became popular was because I seriously thought about things like this.

“…Alright then, everyone put your hands together.”

“Okaaay.”

“Let’s eat.”

“““Let’s eat.”””

Feeling slightly down, I put the food in my mouth. Just like I had thought while taste-testing earlier, Kaoruko-san was probably usually busy with work and relied on convenience stores, but if she actually tried, she was definitely someone who could cook incredibly well. Honestly, it tasted way better than anything I made.

“…It’s delicious. Shiki-san, you’re really good at cooking.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m that good, but I can manage it as a hobby.”

“…It might be better than my omurice.”

Both Renka and Yua-san admired Kaoruko-san’s cooking as they ate. Also, Yua-san looked extremely depressed now, so I needed to properly follow up with her later. Her omurice was plenty delicious too.

After that, even though the conversation remained a bit awkward, we gradually started talking more comfortably. By the time we had eaten a fair amount of the food and taken a breather, Yua-san took out a small, wrapped USB flash drive from her bag.

“This is my birthday present for you. Don’t expect too much, okay?”

“Yua-san… what is this?”

I accepted it, but I had no idea what was inside the USB drive. Yua-san looked slightly embarrassed as she explained.

“It’s a song I made while thinking about you, Aoi-kun. I’d be happy if you listened to it when you’re alone.”

“Eh!? You’re giving me something that amazing? Thank you very much. I’ll treasure it. I’ll listen to it a lot.”

I never expected to receive a present like that, so I couldn’t help but smile with happiness.

“Ah, Aoi. I’m next. Here, this is for you.”

“Um… this is…”

What she handed me was what people commonly called a photo book. When I looked inside, it was filled with photos from all the places Renka and I had gone together. All sorts of fun memories came flooding back, which made me happy again.

“Thank you, Renka. Let’s keep going out together from now on.”

“—!! Yeah, of course. Let’s go together.”

We were still first-year university students, and we had plenty of time ahead of us, so I wanted to keep making many more memories to capture in photos.

…That said, when did she take this many pictures?

“…Then I guess I’m last. From me, it’s this.”

What she handed me was a luxury wristwatch from a certain well-known brand. And then…

“…Kaoruko-san, what is this?”

“Self-defense items. Ah, and these too.”

More and more self-defense items kept appearing. They weren’t useless or anything, and Kaoruko-san was probably just extremely worried about me in her own way.

“Thank you very much. I’m sorry for receiving so many things.”

“It’s fine. They’re things I’ve been wanting to give to you.”

My attention had been pulled toward the self-defense items, but just how expensive was this wristwatch?

…No, thinking about that felt vulgar (and a little scary) so I decided not to think about it too much.

“Thank you for the wonderful presents, all three of you. Knowing that you thought about me when choosing them makes me really happy. I’m truly glad I met the three of you. This is the best birthday ever.”

Kaoruko-san, Renka, and Yua-san had all given different presents, but thinking about how they must have carefully chosen or made them while thinking about me warmed my heart.

“—!! Meeting you, Aoi, is the happiest thing in my life too.”

“I’m glad you were born, Aoi-kun.”

“I’m grateful every day for the miracle of meeting you, Aoi-kun.”

They said those things so dramatically that I couldn’t help but smile. In the end, it was a birthday party that made me think that I’d like these same three people to celebrate with me again next year.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー