Chapter 19: The Sprouting of New Emotions

Coffee after a meal—it’s the perfect ending, isn’t it?

I’ve heard people say it’s bad for your health, but honestly, who cares?

Whether it’s vegetables, meat, or anything else, there are always arguments for and against their health benefits.

Either way, unless a doctor tells me to stop, I don’t plan on giving up my post-meal coffee ritual… or at least, that’s what I’d like to say.

“Now, now, let’s drink this nice and slowly, alright?”

And here comes the self-proclaimed Mama, trying to make me drink powdered milk after the meal.

Being cradled like a baby is already humiliating, but drinking powdered milk from a baby bottle? That’s on another level of embarrassing.

To top it off, my actual mom is watching this nonsense unfold. My little sister and two classmates are here too, watching everything. I want to crawl into a hole and die.

But if I cry now, I’ll definitely get coddled even more.

“Class Rep, I’m already full…”
“It’s ‘Mama.’”
“…Mama, I’m already full.”
“Oh my, my, my, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

This is just torture.

Pure, unrelenting torture.

“I’m such a bad Mama. I’m so sorry, darling.”

Can you not look genuinely heartbroken while holding a baby bottle? It’s really throwing me off.

I can’t tell if I should feel guilty or stay on high alert.

“Onii-chan! You shouldn’t upset Mama like that!”

And now, my beloved little sister has turned against me.

I know siblings fighting during puberty or rebellion phases is a thing, but who would’ve thought Mama would be the cause of it? Life’s unpredictable, huh?

“You’re right… powdered milk doesn’t feel loving enough, does it? I can’t believe myself for offering this when Kogoro-chan really wants breast milk. How shameful of me, not being able to provide even a drop. It’s so pathetic. Maybe I should get pregnant with Kogoro-chan again, so I can lactate properly? Should I do that? Is that the only way?”

Can you not spout something so outrageous in front of the entire family? The content is already insane enough.

And what’s this “get pregnant with me again” nonsense? Don’t phrase it like there was a first time! And even if there had been, there’s absolutely no second time!

Damn it, what am I supposed to do now…? Wait, what’s Mom writing? A cue card?

…“Suck the milk.” Are you serious?! I thought it was a lifeline—a thread of hope! Give me back my dignity! Return my faith in humanity!

“Am I really unfit to be Kogoro-chan’s Mama…?”

That’s right, you’re not. Glad you’ve come to terms with reality.

But it’s not something to be sad about. It’s just a matter of restoring the natural order of things.

“Boys grow up on their own, don’t they? From the moment I gave birth to Kogoro-chan, I knew this day would come. Even though I haven’t poured enough love into him yet, it doesn’t matter to him. Kogoro-chan, who once sought his Mama’s chest, will eventually seek another girl’s chest. I knew that from the start… I knew it was inevitable… But still, Kogoro-chan, I can’t help but feel lonely. Will you at least hold my hand, just like that day… like when you smiled so brightly and said, ‘Mama, I’ll protect you’…? No, of course, you don’t remember. And that’s fine. Growing up means moving on from such moments. Ahaha, I’m so useless. How pathetic of me to feel sad about my child’s growth… I should be the happiest one for you, but I keep prioritizing my own feelings. I know, that’s why you hate me…”

What is this, an endless loop of self-pity?

I won’t even address the fabricated memories, but there’s something disturbingly realistic about the way she talks.

It’s like she’s skillfully blending inevitability and guilt to escape responsibility, then layering on self-deprecation to gain sympathy. It’s unsettling how good she is at this.

“…Say something, Kogoro-chan. You’re not this cold, are you? You’re just trying to tease Mama, right? Deep down, you still want to drink the milk, don’t you?”

There it is.

Despite all the self-deprecating nonsense, the moment she gets ignored, she turns around and starts manipulating directly. Is this what mothers are like?

“I understand now, Kogoro-chan. To you, Mama is just a glorified cook to feed you until you’re independent. Fine. Go ahead and seek someone else’s chest.”
“Yeah, I’ll do just that.”

Sorry, Class Rep, but I’m done giving in.

If I keep caving to this ridiculous pressure, I’m going to be destroyed eventually.

No more quick fixes to get through the moment.

“Wait, why are you undressing, Class Rep?”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier at the convenience store? That I’m a woman before I’m a mother.”

She did say something like that, but what does that have to do with taking her clothes off?

“As a woman, not as your Mama, I command you—suckle my chest.”

Oh, so that’s your angle now. You’re sticking to the demand, just changing the context. Shameless, absolutely shameless.

What, you think I’ll obey because it’s an order? Sorry, but I don’t owe you anything.

“Stop! Just stop undressing!”

Why the hell would I suck a classmate’s chest in front of my family?!

That’s the kind of trauma you never recover from.

“What are you saying? You were the one who refused to see me as Mama, weren’t you? If I’m not your Mama, then we’re not parent and child—we’re just a man and a woman. How dare you toy with a woman’s heart and then back out! Oh my, I raised my voice. But listen, this is your fault. What kind of man turns his back on a lady baring her soul? Let me teach you, through both pleasure and pain, what it means to be a man. My hand burns red! It roars with the cry—‘Grab the groin!’”
“Mama! I’m hungry! I want milk!”
“There, there, drink up and grow big and strong, okay?”
“Giggling, giggling!”

Yeah, being honest is the best thing for a person.

I mean, who cares about a baby bottle anyway? I think I once saw a collaboration café where they served drinks in baby bottles as part of some anime-themed menu. So, really, it’s not a big deal.

Look at this posture—it’s kind of cool, isn’t it? Like holding a dying comrade in your arms and offering them one last drink… That kind of vibe. Picture it: the two of you gazing at the sunrise or sunset, sharing deep thoughts… until they stop responding mid-conversation… Something like that, right?

“What a good boy you are, aren’t you?”

This whole hugging and back-patting thing… it’s like giving heartfelt praise to a comrade who bravely challenged a far stronger foe. It’s not embarrassing at all—really.

Still, something feels off. I can’t seem to look anyone in the eye. Especially not my sister or my mom.

So, all I could do was cling to the Class Rep. I had this overwhelming feeling that if I turned around, I’d die of embarrassment on the spot. Please… just carry me upstairs like this…

Once I was back in my room, I flopped onto my bed and absentmindedly flipped through a gaming magazine I’d picked up on a whim at the convenience store.

Normally, with some extra cash in hand, I’d be excitedly poring over it.

But today, none of it was sinking in.

I just skimmed over the game screenshots and official illustrations without really processing anything.

And then, for some reason, I remembered the faces of my sister and my mom—and cried a little.

“Kogoro-chan? I’m coming in, okay?”

Before she even finished speaking, the Class Rep barged into my room.

This is another thing that makes her so mom-like. Why do moms never knock? Then again, she’s not actually my mom.

“…Mama, what do you want?”

I really don’t want to call her that, but I don’t know what she might do if I call her “Class Rep.”

Threatening to turn this into a romantic situation if I don’t treat her like “Mama” is cheating, right?

Is it just me being clueless, or does this make no sense at all?

Isn’t maternal instinct supposed to contradict romantic feelings?

Wait, no. Isn’t it common for maternal instincts to be triggered by a hopeless guy, leading to romantic feelings? So… maybe the Class Rep is actually normal after all?

“I thought I’d clean your room for you.”

“…Thanks.”

I usually clean pretty regularly and don’t like other people moving my stuff, so I was about to say, “No, thank you,” but I managed to hold back.

I figure it’s better to accept reasonable offers so I can refuse when something truly unreasonable comes up.

In my opinion, the right to refuse works on a point system. If you cooperate when it counts, you save up points to deny unfair demands later. The reverse is also true.

“Hmm, Kogoro-chan?”

She looked around the room and then called out to me.

What caught her attention? Is it too clean? Is that the problem?

“Don’t tell me you think tidying up is the same as cleaning.”

“Huh? It’s clean, isn’t it?”

I’ve got everything organized, and I even vacuumed. By any reasonable standard, it’s clean.

“You haven’t cleaned the finer details, though.”

As she spoke, she ran her finger along a bookshelf and stared at the dust she picked up.

What is this, a drama scene? Is she playing the nagging mother-in-law now?

I’ve only seen this kind of thing on TV.

“Alright, I’ll clean, but here—use this so you don’t inhale the dust.”

I thought she’d hand me a cloth to cover my mouth, but of course, she gave me something completely ridiculous. It’s not even surprising at this point.

“Thanks, Mama.”

Suppressing the urge to throw it in her face, I put the pacifier she handed me into my mouth.

If I refused, she might actually try to make me suckle again.

“So cute… My little angel is seriously the best…”

The Class Rep, speaking in a gyaru tone, is an unexpectedly nice change. If only she wore her usual ponytail, it’d be perfect.

Wait, don’t take a picture! I’m not just embarrassed—it’s seriously uncool.

That smartphone of yours is the latest model with a high-end camera, isn’t it? What a waste of good technology.

If you use it as your social media icon, I swear I’ll lose it. And if you post it on your timeline, I don’t care if you’re a girl—I’m slapping you.

“Oh my? What’s this magazine?”

Oh, crap.

She found the anime magazine with a scantily clad heroine on the cover.

This is bad. I probably won’t read it again, but I really don’t want it thrown away.

I hope she doesn’t freak out and get jealous or something. That would be the worst.

“Oh my, so Kogoro-chan likes this kind of anime?”

She paused her cleaning to flip through the magazine.

Please stop with the public humiliation.

Liking anime isn’t embarrassing in this day and age. Then again, I wasn’t alive during the era when it was considered shameful.

Still, having a female classmate scrutinize it so intently is pretty awkward.

“So girls pilot robots too, huh?”

“I think that’s been a thing for a while, but maybe girl-focused ones are rare?”

I’m not super knowledgeable about mecha anime, and I haven’t seen that show, so I can’t really say.

…The outfits are a bit revealing, though. Don’t they have proper pilot suits?

“A feature on isekai anime? What’s this?”

“…I guess it’s about people getting hit by trucks and ending up in other worlds.”

“Hmm…?”

She doesn’t seem to get it. Honestly, neither do I.

Why do they need to end up in another world? Why not just start with fantasy from the beginning?

I guess I shouldn’t judge without trying it, but I’m not exactly a huge anime fan. Maybe I’ll ask Sasaki-kun for recommendations.

“This one looks interesting! A smartphone in another world?”

“…Sounds like a cliché to me.”

Do they even get a signal in another world? Are there cell towers there?

Well, I guess it’s supposed to be some kind of special smartphone. But doesn’t that ruin the fantasy vibe?

I’m just speculating, but maybe the appeal is being envied for having technology that doesn’t exist in that world.

“Kogoro-chan, have you watched this anime?”

“No… I’m not really into isekai. And that one got trashed online.”

“If you’d like, we can watch it together.”

What about this show piqued her interest?

Is it the protagonist’s hopeless expression? I bet he’s the kind of character with an infuriating personality.

“Class Re—uh, sure, Mama.”

That was close. I almost called her “Class Rep.”

You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but if I make this a habit, I might accidentally call her “Mama” at school.

Sure, my classmates already know, but that doesn’t mean I want to actively call her that. The last thing I need is to lose the small reprieve of her normal “Class Rep” mode.

“Oh my, I’m so happy, Kogoro-chan! I’ll finish cleaning quickly, then.”

Honestly, I don’t really want to watch it, but it’s better than the baby role-play.

While she busily cleans, I pick up the magazine and glance at the page for the anime she seems interested in. Yeah, the characters are cute. The plot feels like a tired, cliché story, though.

I kind of want to start with a mecha anime instead, like the one she was flipping through earlier, but I don’t feel like I can suggest it now.

She’s cleaning with such enthusiasm, beaming with joy.

This urge to protect that smile—does it come from me as a man, or am I just being influenced by her overwhelming maternal energy? I really hope it’s the former.