The Most Beautiful Girl in School Has Become a Mother

The turning point in our relationship might have been when he noticed my presence at the supermarket. Rather than noticing, it was more that Shuri-chan tugged at him and pointed in my direction.

At that time, I didn’t understand what Shuri-chan’s intentions were in telling him about me. However, I still remember being extremely scared inside, thinking that my secret spying, which had gone unnoticed for nearly six months, might have been discovered. I quickly waved at Shuri-chan and bowed to him to cover it up, but my heart was racing.

Now it’s a funny story. But back then, I was so anxious, I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop worrying about what he thought of me.

And then, the next day, he suddenly called me out and made an outrageous request.

“Become my mom!”

It goes without saying that my mind short-circuited at this request.

I, too, was called out by the boy I had been secretly watching, and my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst. I had never felt this way from a boy’s call before, and I even thought that if he confessed, it would just be a hassle.

But at that time… when I thought he might call me out and confess, it wasn’t like that. I was so nervous that I couldn’t even eat lunch.

Surely, at that time, I was waiting for the confession.

If he had told me those words back then, how would I have reacted? I can’t even imagine it now, but maybe I would have said yes. I was already conscious of him and had been thinking about him all along.

Suddenly, he said, “Become my mom.” I really didn’t know how to react.

Rather, it was more a feeling of sadness and disappointment than confusion. That was probably because I knew him just a little.

Somehow, I had sensed that his family situation was difficult just by observing him until now. I couldn’t tell whether his parents were uninterested in parenting or just not home because of work, but it was easy to imagine that he was having a hard time taking care of his younger sister at home.

However, I think it’s a bit much to expect a classmate to be a “mother.” After all, I don’t even know what a mother is like, and there’s no way I could fulfill a classmate’s desire for a “baby play.” I mean, I never thought he was that kind of pervert, so it was quite a shock. So, I quickly said my refusal and left the rooftop as if I were running away.

At that time, I think I was feeling like I had experienced a breakup on my own. I found a certain fatherly quality in him, who cherished his sister, and I had created an illusion of him as someone more reliable, an adult, strong, and kind.

In the shock of that illusion being shattered, I ended up running away even though he was trying to clear up the misunderstanding, and that was the trigger that worsened his position.

At that point, I finally began to calm down and wondered if I had jumped to conclusions too quickly. At least as far as I could see, he was a well-behaved, serious, and somewhat mature boy. Would someone like him suddenly ask a girl from class, whom he hardly ever talked to, to “become his mother”?

When I came to that realization, I felt a chill run down my spine. Perhaps, I had been making a terrible mistake, I thought.

After that, I tried to calmly talk to him, but the kids in the class kept interrupting, and it didn’t seem like it was going to go well. He looked visibly downcast, and I was at a loss as well.

At that time, through my friend Suzuta Momone, also known as Momo-chan, I heard that he wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. To be precise, it seems that it was requested through Matani-kun, but at that moment, I finally let out a sigh of relief.

That day will surely be our starting line.

Hearing the truth from him on the rooftop──Shuri-chan’s wish──I initially thought it was impossible for me. I wanted to help if it was something I could do, but it felt like the one thing I couldn’t possibly do. I have neither a father nor a mother, and I don’t know what a “mother” is like. I am utterly unsuited for the role of a mother.

But that day, I kept worrying about it. I didn’t understand why Shuri-chan wanted me to be her “mother,” but I thought there might be some meaning behind it in Shuri-chan’s own way.

And the next day, he said this to me, who was troubled.

“Because I don’t know, I thought I might understand Shuri’s feelings the best.”

I think these words pushed me forward. The reason I was stuck was probably because of that.

I don’t have a father or a mother. That’s why I believe I understand better than anyone what I wanted my mother to do.

If I could grant Shuri-chan’s wish… perhaps I could also save my lonely self from that time. With such calculating thoughts in mind, I agreed to his request.

Looking back now, I realize that my calculating nature wasn’t just limited to that. There must have been other ulterior motives as well.

I was happy that he, who generally doesn’t seem to rely on others, relied on me. And I thought that if I worked hard, I might be able to alleviate the fatigue he occasionally showed.

At that time, I wasn’t aware of it yet, but I think I had already started to like him.

For the sake of his sister, he asked without regard for his own shame and even sacrificed himself to fulfill the family’s wishes. He was stronger and kinder than anyone else. Surely, that was the kind of man I had been seeking somewhere within me.

Having no father or mother, I somehow thought I might end up liking someone like that… but I never imagined it would actually happen. I guess I’m just a simple woman.

Even the crepes we ate together afterward, and the moment we exchanged LIME messages, he definitely didn’t notice how nervous I was. What a sinful man.

Then, the pretend family life with him and Shuri-chan began──a life filled with firsts for me.