Living Normally In An Abnormal World

Chapter 103.1: Let’s Go to My Friend’s House

“What’s wrong?”

“Your house is huge!”

“Is it? I thought it was normal.”

Visiting a friend’s house is a common occurrence in both past and present lives. The only thing different in this case is that the friend happens to be the heir of a wealthy family.

“Come on, come in!”

“Thanks for having me.”

“If you’re going to cause trouble, you can leave.”

“Don’t push it.”

“Yuuto, you’re scary.”

As Yuuto stepped into the grand entrance, he was greeted by an assembly of servants.

“Welcome, Kinoshita Yuuto-sama!!!”

The booming voices echoed through the entire entrance hall, causing Yuuto to shrink back. He was still not used to this VIP treatment, feeling out of place in his simple athletic wear. Nervously, he almost dropped his sports bag and took a step back toward the exit.

He didn’t retreat further only because Mutsu grabbed the hem of his shirt.

“Yuuto said he’s not good with this kind of thing!”

“But, Young Master, Yuuto-sama is your first-ever friend. The Madam instructed us to ensure everything was perfect.”

“But look, you’re making Yuuto uncomfortable!”

“N-no, it’s fine, Mutsu.”

“It’s not fine!”

“Oh dear, my apologies. Since you’re Mutsu’s first friend, I might have gone a little overboard.”

The voice came from a graceful woman dressed in a traditional kimono. She had long, lustrous black hair, flawless skin, and exuded elegance with every movement.

“I’m sorry, I’m just not used to such a grand welcome. Nice to meet you, Mutsu’s mother. I’m Kinoshita Yuuto. Thank you for always looking after Mutsu.”

“Oh my, such a smooth talker.”

“Yuuto, no. She’s my grandmother.”

“E-Excuse me?”

“I am Fusou Kinjou. I’ve heard so much about you from Mutsu. Oh, and just so you know, I’ll be turning 65 this year.”

Yuuto managed to hold back his reaction to her youthful appearance, but his expression betrayed him. Fusou, noticing this, smiled gently.

“Please, think of this as your second home and make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you. I’ll take you up on that.”

“Now, enjoy yourselves.”

“Come on, Yuuto. The basketball court’s this way!”

Yuuto had come to Mutsu’s house for basketball. He had expected to meet one or two of Mutsu’s brothers or perhaps his mother, but aside from Fusou, no family members were present.

“Where are your brothers and mom?”

“My brothers are at a training camp, and my mom went along as a chaperone.”

“Training camp for what?”

“A match against the Grauzers.”

“…Really? Think they can win?”

“Who knows?”

Frankly, Yuuto cared more about his own growth than whether Mutsu’s brothers could beat him. He appreciated how Yuuto shared his techniques openly, but every time he witnessed Yuuto’s skills, he became more certain his brothers stood no chance.

“Well, I’ll have to level up so I don’t lose to you, either.”

“What are you aiming for now?”

“For starters… that’s a secret.”

“…Alright, fine.”

Yuuto almost slipped and mentioned getting revenge on Haruki. That would’ve been a dead giveaway about his identity as part of the Grauzers, something he hadn’t revealed to Mutsu yet. He decided silence was the best course for now.

“Alright, let’s play!”

Picking up on Yuuto’s hesitation, Mutsu didn’t press further and handed him the ball.

This had all occurred shortly before Mutsu ended up sitting on the ground, hugging his knees in exhaustion.

“How are you holding up, Mutsu?”

“I’m still too weak!”

“I’ve only been teaching you for a few weeks. If you lose now, it’ll ruin my reputation.”

Fusou appeared after a while to check on them. She found Mutsu kneeling on the ground, gasping for air, while Yuuto casually spun a basketball on his finger, looking completely unfazed.

“I need a break.”

“Alright, I’ll practice shooting in the meantime.”

“Yuuto-san, may I watch for a while?”

“Of course, and you can drop the ‘-san.’”

“If you insist.”

Yuuto walked onto the court and started shooting.

“Amazing. He’s already this good at his age.”

“He doesn’t feel like someone our age, does he?”

“Still, Mutsu has improved a lot.”

“You think so?”

“You can’t notice because you’re always playing against him.”

“Still, seeing someone his height sinking three-pointers is kind of unfair.”

“That, I agree with.”

From the court, Yuuto continued to drain three-pointers. His towering height gave him an advantage, and Mutsu had no answer for it.

“It’s like having the final boss right in front of me, and he’s still getting stronger. What a nightmare.”

“Well, since he’s close by, take advantage of it. Playing against stronger opponents is the fastest way to improve.”

“…He’s too strong, though.”

“Oh my.”

As they chatted during the break, they noticed someone else on the court—Kokora, casually challenging Yuuto. The two observers were about to yell, “What are you doing?!” but then remembered that Kokora’s hobby was street basketball.

“It’s scary. I’m starting to question if he’s even human,” Kokora said.

“Coming from you, that’s high praise,” Yuuto replied.

Their heights were nearly the same, so Kokora relied on her post-play. However, even she struggled to handle Yuuto’s physicality.

“There’s no way your brothers can beat him.”

“They’ll lose morale before anything else.”

Watching Yuuto’s raw talent up close, Mutsu and Fusou couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“That was a great workout.”

“You spent more time playing against Kokora.”

“Probably. Mutsu’s stamina is still lacking. Kokora-san, let’s play again sometime.”

“Ugh!”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d keep my head attached, Mutsu. Please play with me occasionally.”

“You got it.”

Clutching his stomach where Mutsu had punched him, Yuuto still wore a satisfied grin. Despite losing to Kokora seven times out of ten, he seemed thrilled, enjoying the challenge of facing a skilled opponent.

Beside him, Mutsu looked frustrated. Even though Yuuto had lost, the fact that he was so nonchalant about it left Mutsu conflicted.

“Next time, I’ll win.”

“Don’t get cocky, kid.”

“Kokora-san, you’re so mean.”

Even after a loss, Yuuto’s competitive spirit burned brightly. Mutsu couldn’t help but think that might be the secret to his strength.

“Yuuto.”

“What?”

“I want to beat you someday.”

“Then I’ll stick with you until you give up.”

Yuuto lightly patted Mutsu’s head, knowing his small stature was a sensitive topic.

“I won’t hold back.”

“Bring it on!”