Vol 1 Chapter 1 – The Day My Life Changed

On a certain spring day when the chill still lingered, those words were suddenly spoken.

“You’re already 27. Get out.”

I was bewildered by these sudden words spoken by my father, who had suddenly shown up at my room.

“Huh? W-why?”

Once I’m out, how will I survive? My job hunting had been an endless string of failures—all because of this dismal appearance. My looks are like that of a 12-year-old girl.

I wasn’t given any allowance, couldn’t even go to the barber, so my hair grew out and only made things worse.

“Not ‘why’—why must I keep supporting a deadbeat like you forever?! You worthless scum!”

My father, who had entered the room, grabbed my hair and dragged me around the house.

Along the way, my mother watched me being dragged with an oddly pleased look in her eyes.

“Ouch! It hurts!”

What am I supposed to do? Both my smartphone and wallet were left behind in my room.

“Shut up, you weakling!”

My father’s arsenal of insults directed at me is extensive—he’s clearly well-accustomed to berating me.

Eventually, when I was thrown out of the house, I heard the sound of a lock and chain being applied from inside.

This was a small detached house located in the city.

Hoping that one day I might be allowed back in, I waited in front of the house.

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At night, the door was opened with the chain still in place.

Inside was my mother.

My mother doused me with salt from above.

I could no longer stay there. Sadly, I was nothing more than a burden.

So, I started walking.

I began desperately thinking about how to survive.

Although I looked like a girl, my appearance was still well put together. I wondered if I could make use of that.

Suddenly, I remembered the term “enjo kōsai.” It was mentioned on the channel of my beloved Vtuber, Michi-Mama. Nowadays, it seems it’s called “papa-katsu” or “mama-katsu.”

I probably would never see Michi-Mama again…

At this hour, there likely weren’t any children around. So, I decided to approach the first woman I encountered.

With that thought, I headed for a place bustling with people.

If I had headed to the police station, I might have been taken back home, but I was sure I’d just be thrown out again.

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The clamor of the city terrified me, and despite my determination, I let go of chance after chance to meet women.

Wearing little, barefoot, I was cold, almost freezing.

Was I doomed to die like this?

It was lonely and painful.

Yet, no tears came; I had grown accustomed to loneliness and hardship.

“Good evening!”

What cut through the clamor was a beautiful voice that sounded oddly familiar.

“Uh, um, g-good evening.”

I couldn’t get the words out properly.

I hadn’t spoken to anyone outside my family in years.

The woman crouched down and met my gaze.

“Oh, such a cute voice. Hey, little miss. What are you doing out at this hour? Where are your papa and mama?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Even though I was a 27-year-old man, I was being asked questions as if I were a child.

Truly, this appearance was a curse.

“Um, I’m not a little miss.”

My conversations always start with corrections. I have to correct my age, correct my gender, and only then can I speak normally.

“Me? A boy? Sorry!”

The woman was very kind.

I even thought that if I were to be born again, it would be nice if someone like her were my mother.

“Y-yes. And, I’m an adult, despite appearances. So, would you do some mama-katsu with me!?”

Even I, with no experience with women, knew that such an invitation was a desperate last resort.

But her answer changed my entire world.

“Mama-katsu is out of the question, but I’d be willing to become a mama for you! That is, if you’re an adult.”

I still believe that this encounter was fate.

“R-really?! I’m an adult! I swear, I’m fully grown!”

I desperately made my case, because if I were to be cast aside here, I was sure I wouldn’t be alive come morning.

“For now, let’s head to my place.”

That was the first time I really looked at the woman.

Her hair was long and down, she wore a hoodie with jeans, sneakers on her feet, and yet I found her a bit stylish—that impression stayed with me.

“I-is that okay?”

“Yeah, if I took you to the police station, they’d probably just send you back home anyway. I mean, if you’re out dressed like that at this hour, it must mean you’ve been kicked out, right?”

Even though I was claiming to be an adult, she continued speaking as if to a child.

But, somehow, it felt comforting.

“Yes, that’s right.”

After I answered, the woman crouched down and turned her back to me.

“Hop on, I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

She showed concern for my bare feet.

“Bu-but!”

“Just get on!”

Saying so, she forcefully hoisted me onto her back.

“I’m Akizuki Michiru. And you?”

The woman, Michiru, asked me as we began walking.

“I’m Rin Nanase…”

“I see. But hey, why do you say ‘boku’? If you’re an adult, shouldn’t you say ‘ore’?”

“If I say ‘ore’, I’d get hit for sounding all high and mighty… so I got used to saying boku.”

^[1]TL Note: In Japanese, “boku” is a modest, somewhat youthful first-person pronoun, whereas “ore” carries a more assertive, masculine tone often associated with adulthood and toughness. Here, … Continue reading

“I see…”

I never knew what expression Michiru wore at that moment.

But her gentle voice made me feel unavoidably at ease.

When I looked up at the sky, I saw a round moon shining in silver, and it was beautiful.