The Pure-Hearted Beauty Who Only Dotes on Me Despite Not Being in a Relationship—And How She Became Even Sweeter After We Started Dating - Chapter 51: Meeting Her Mother.

Meeting Her Mother.

“Can you eat Doria, Kougami-kun?”

“Yes, I can eat it, and I like it.”

“That’s good to hear. Please, help yourself.”

It seems Akihito-san’s specialty is Doria.

“Thank you for the meal… It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I can cook almost anything, but Doria is my specialty.”

“My father’s cooking is always delicious.”

“That’s nice of you to say. Mizuki has also been practicing cooking recently and has gotten better. So, one day, she can tell Kougami-kun, ‘Welcome home, darling. Dinner is ready,’ and serve you her food.”

He’s quite an enthusiastic father. He’s the complete opposite of my own.

“Come on, Dad. Please eat quietly.”

“Haha, I’ve been scolded. But Mizuki seems to adore you, Kougami-kun. Aren’t you two going to get married?”

Despite being asked to eat quietly by his daughter, Akihito-san’s chatter didn’t stop.

“M-Marriage is still too soon!”

“Well, that’s true. Mizuki has never brought a friend home before, so she must trust you a lot. Please take care of my daughter from now on.”

“Yes, I may be unreliable, but I will cherish her.”

As I made this clear statement, Mizuki, eating next to me, blushed deeply.

“My wife is strict with our daughter. Even if she doesn’t approve of your marriage, I’ll convince her.”

“Your wife…”

As I murmured this, Akihito-san began to talk about Mizuki’s mother.

“My wife, Yukino-san, has always had high expectations for Mizuki. When I told her she might be pushing our daughter too hard, Yukino-san said she would take a step back and has been living with her parents ever since. So, it’s just been Mizuki and me living together since last year.”

Mizuki was shocked by Akihito-san’s words. She had always thought her mother left because she didn’t like her, but now she realized it was different.

“Does that mean my mother didn’t leave for Grandma’s because she disliked me?”

“Huh? I’ve never heard Yukino-san say she disliked you.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yukino-san’s expectations for you are too high. It’s good to try hard, but don’t push yourself too much.”

No wonder she didn’t notice. Mizuki had always thought she couldn’t meet her mother’s expectations. Now, she finally had an answer to her long-held question and understood.

After we finished eating, Mizuki walked me part way home.

“Ao-kun, let’s not ask my mother about this anymore. It’s pointless. If I’m not the daughter she expects me to be, she probably won’t talk to me.”

“Mizuki… are you sure about this? Talking to her might change her mind.”

If her mother realized she was pushing Mizuki too hard and decided to take a step back, she might have already changed her thinking. She might stop having excessive expectations and start appreciating Mizuki’s efforts.

“Change her mind if I talk to her? I really don’t think so. My mother won’t see me unless I’m the ideal daughter, unless I keep pushing myself. But I want her to see the real me…”

“That’s exactly it. You should tell her that directly. It’s not selfish. You need to tell her you can’t meet her expectations and want her to see you as you are.”

Rather than worrying about what might happen if Mizuki said this to her mother, she needed to express her feelings to change their relationship.

I, too, face high expectations from my father. But in my case, I ignore them and do what I want. I’m afraid of losing myself by pushing too hard.

“…Do you think she’ll really listen to what I have to say?”

“She will. She’s your mother, so she’ll take your words seriously.”

“…Ao-kun, I have a favor to ask.”

***

A week after the three-day weekend, on a Saturday, I found myself sitting in front of Mizuki and her mother. The atmosphere was tense, and Mizuki kept her head down.

It had been a long time since they last spoke, and she seemed frozen with nerves.

“You must be Kougami Ao. Nice to meet you, I’m Tsuyuzaki Yukino.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kougami Ao.”

After introducing ourselves, silence fell over the room again. Mizuki’s mother, like Mizuki, was a beautiful woman.

“You’re dating my daughter, right?”

Yukino-san had apparently learned from Akihito-san that Mizuki and I were dating.

“Yes, I’m dating Mizuki.”

“I see…”

Despite the long time since their last meeting, there was hardly any conversation between the mother and daughter. It seemed they had distanced themselves so much that they were unsure how to interact with each other.

“I’m not opposed to your relationship. Mizuki chose you, so please take care of my daughter.”

“Yes.”

Her acceptance was straightforward, but the most important conversation today wasn’t about getting her approval for our relationship. What mattered most was Mizuki having a proper conversation with her mother.

“Mizuki, aren’t you going to say anything? You might regret it if you don’t.”

“You’re right. Ao-kun, I asked you to stay by my side, but can you wait in my room for a bit? I need to talk to my mother alone.”

“Understood.”

I remembered where Mizuki’s room was from my last visit. Leaving Mizuki and her mother behind, I went upstairs to the second floor.

TL: Sorry guys haven’t been posting in a while…