Vol 1 Chapter 31 – No Hands Allowed【Vol 1 – Turning Point】

When I woke up, I panicked to see Mama still sleeping beside me. I had fallen asleep last night without taking a bath.

“Good morning, Rin.”

Sharing a bed means our daily rhythms naturally sync; when one of us wakes, the other soon follows.

“G-good morning! D-did I smell bad?”

I was especially self-conscious—back in middle and high school, the odor of my classmates used to get under my skin, so I figured I might actually smell, too.

“It always smelled just like milk, as usual.”

Apparently, that milky scent is my natural odor. If it really smells like milk, then perhaps it isn’t so bad. I didn’t grow any taller, but milk is my favorite. I’ve always thought that the idea of growing taller by drinking milk is just an illusion. If it worked that way, aiming for 170 cm would be too much—160 cm would be just fine.

“For now, I’m gonna go take a bath!”

Feeling embarrassed, I skipped my usual morning routine and headed straight for the shower.

While I was bathing, it occurred to me that Mama hadn’t bathed yesterday either. Yet, she didn’t smell unpleasant at all—in fact, I detected a hint of citrus on her. It’s strange how, even though we use the same shampoo and body wash, our scents are completely different. I couldn’t help but wonder why.

When I got out of the bath, Mama was waiting with two leather bags and a padlock placed on the table.

“Hey, Rin, Mama said we shouldn’t use honorific language anymore, right?”

I recalled that conversation from a long time ago.

“Ah, uh… y-yes!” I stammered, hastily covering it up. It might be the first time I’ve spoken normally, without all the formalities. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that those bags on the table were related to that conversation.

“Rin, you must have been exhausted yesterday, right?”

I had no idea where this was leading.

“Y-yes.” I replied, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the questioning continued.

“Alright, for today, how about we put these on you?”

One of the bags came with a belt at the opening.

“P-put them on!?” I asked, utterly confused about their purpose.

“They’re meant to be worn like gloves. Once you have them on, you won’t be able to grasp anything—so Mama will do everything for you. Think of it as practice for being dependent!”

They were restraints—a leather bondage device that completely stripped away your natural dexterity.

I figured that being subjected to such punishment might be inevitable—after all, I’d been speaking so formally all the time. Mama probably wants me to be more casual. So, this mix of practice and punishment seemed necessary. Still, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly embarrassed. Deep down, I understood that this was a very naughty tool.

“Alright, I’m off to take my bath, so think about it while I’m gone,” Mama said, and she left for her bath.

My mind spun with worry. If I wore these, I wouldn’t even be able to hold chopsticks. I probably wouldn’t be able to pick up a cup by myself either. Even if I wanted a drink, I’d have to have Mama do it for me. I’d need to be fed every meal.

But I suppose that was inevitable—it was all my fault for still acting so distant with Mama.

The padlock was unlocked, and it came with a key. Feeling a mix of curiosity and trepidation, I decided to try putting one of the bags on my hand. As expected, it felt incredibly erotic and embarrassingly naughty.

Before I knew it, Mama—who had already finished her bath—gently took the other bag and put it on my other hand, then locked it with the key. The key ended up in her pocket, so I couldn’t remove the restraint on my own.

“I—I thought it wouldn’t be okay if it stayed like this,” I mumbled, mortified.

Even so, the embarrassment was overwhelming, yet I also felt strangely accepting. I realized I’d be willing to let Mama do anything to me; nothing she’s done so far could ever be negated by even the harshest treatment. And I know Mama would never do anything cruel to me—if she did, I’d be utterly terrified. I wasn’t anxious; I was just extremely embarrassed.

“Well then, let’s practice a lot today!” Mama said cheerfully.

“Y-yes!” 

“Come on, drop the honorifics…”

“Ah, okay!”

Thus began a day in which I couldn’t do anything on my own. I wouldn’t be able to eat my meals by myself, and even drinking something meant I’d have to have Mama feed me. Still, despite the inconvenience, it turned out to be a sweet day.