Chapter 49 A Mother's Feelings

A Mother’s Feelings

Steam rises from the coffee cup placed in front of me.

Sitting across the dining table, Akiko-san takes a sip of her coffee, narrows her eyes, and exhales a satisfied sigh.

I follow her lead and take a sip as well.

The warmth of the coffee seeps into my body, gradually easing the tension in my heart.

“Fufu, it’s good, isn’t it?”

“Uh, y-yeah.”

“By the way, I used the best beans we have at home.”

“…Eh?”

“Ufufufu~ You already drank it, didn’t you?”

Akiko-san flashes a mischievous smile.

…I’ve been set up.

“Well then, you don’t mind answering all sorts of questions now, do you? There’s so much I want to ask~!”

This woman may seem lighthearted and whimsical, but she’s surprisingly crafty.

She’s not just a kind and beautiful mother—she speaks her mind without hesitation.

Well, considering she’s Irara’s mother, I guess it makes sense.

“Got it. Though, I don’t think there’s much I can actually tell you…”

“No worries! Kyogoku-kun, you just need to answer honestly~! Ufufufu, this is getting exciting!”

“Ahaha…”

Akiko-san rests her arms on the table and leans forward eagerly.

“Oh, oh! I heard all about it~! Kyogoku-kun, you comforted Akari when she was crying, stood up for her, and even—yes! You were the one who saved her from that traffic accident a year ago, weren’t you~? That delusional fool… I was under the impression that Yuya-kun was the one who saved her, so I was really surprised~!”

She definitely just called him a delusional fool, didn’t she?

She’s known him since he was little, yet she doesn’t hold back at all.

Not that I mind in the slightest. In fact, I welcome it.

Also, Irara sure talks about me a lot.

Somehow, that makes me feel oddly embarrassed.

“I wouldn’t exactly say I saved her… I mean, even if it hadn’t been me, someone else would’ve done the same. So, really…”

“What are you saying? The fact is, Kyogoku-kun, you were the one who saved her, right? That makes you Akari’s lifesaver. My daughter’s lifesaver. And for that, I’m deeply grateful. Truly, thank you, Kyogoku-kun.”

“…! Uh… um, y-yeah. Uh, you’re welcome…”

I’m so unused to receiving direct praise that I end up fumbling over my words.

Seeing that, Akiko-san suddenly bursts into laughter.

“Ufufufu~ That awkwardness of yours is so charming~! If Akari hadn’t set her sights on you, I might have just snatched you up for myself~! I mean, I’m still in my prime, you know~!”

“A-Akiko-san!? Y-You have a husband! Saying things like that, even as a joke…”

And then, it suddenly dawns on me.

“Oh, right. Speaking of which… where is Irara’s father? He knows I’m staying over, doesn’t he? Which means… there’s a chance I might get beaten up later, isn’t there…?”

If Irara is such a good daughter, then surely her father must adore her.

Which means, logically… a dramatic table-flipping scene like the ones in anime and manga might actually happen…!

“My husband… passed away when Akari was little.”

“…Eh?”

The words slip from my mouth before I realize it.

Akiko-san continues, her lips forming a gentle smile.

“So, you don’t have to worry, okay? Right now, it’s just Akari and me living in this house together.”

“O-Oh… I see. …I’m sorry, that was really insensitive of me.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Kyogoku-kun. But… ufufu, if anyone’s going to beat you up, it’ll be me, right? Like, say, if Kyogoku-kun ever hurt Akari… something like that, maybe? Ufufufu~~”

“Ahaha…”

She says it playfully, but she absolutely means it.

The indescribable aura surrounding Akiko-san makes that clear.

Taking another sip from her coffee cup, she exhales softly.

“I really… don’t want Akari to be hurt.”

“Akiko-san…”

“After losing her father at a young age, Akari started acting in ways that made everyone around her happy. She was always an easy child to raise, but even I could tell she was being overly considerate of me… And ever since then, she’s been the perfect daughter. Honestly, I barely ever had to scold her or teach her anything. She really was a child who never caused any trouble.”

So that’s it. Irara has always been Irara Akari from the very beginning.

Even though she must have felt sad, must have felt lonely.

Ever since she was little, her eyes have always been focused on those around her.

“That’s why the only thing I could do was make sure Akari stayed happy. She must have felt so insecure growing up with only one parent, and I didn’t want her to experience any more sadness. After all, Akari is such a kind girl. And kind people getting hurt and suffering—that’s just plain wrong, don’t you think?”

“…Yeah, I think so too.”

“But kindness often comes at a cost. I was always so worried about that… and in the end, just as I feared, she was deceived by Yuya-kun… I couldn’t forgive that.”

For the first time, I see a hint of anger in Akiko-san’s expression.

However, her face soon softens again.

“―But then, Kyogoku-kun, you made Akari happy. Thanks to you, Akari was able to smile again. At first, after being cheated on, she cried every single night… and yet.”

Akiko-san looks at me directly.

“And today, when she drove Yuya-kun away, she was surprisingly firm about it, wasn’t she? The Akari from before wouldn’t have been able to completely cut him off like that. I used to worry about that… but seeing how she handled it just now, I realized she must have met someone really important to her. That someone… was you, Kyogoku-kun.”

Akiko-san’s expression softens.

Then, as she lets out a small smile, she speaks in a gentle voice.

“Thank you for staying by Akari’s side, Kyogoku-kun.”

“…!!”

Her gratitude is so sincere that even looking away feels disrespectful.

For a brief moment, I see Irara’s image overlap with Akiko-san’s.

…Akiko-san really is Irara’s mother.

This unwavering honesty is the very thing I’ve always felt from Irara.

“Can I ask you one thing? Why do you go so far for Akari?”

This must be the question Akiko-san truly wanted to ask.

That’s how naturally, yet weightily, her words settle in.

Countless thoughts flash through my mind.

Again and again, I pick one, discard it, and repeat—until, at last, only my true feelings remain.

“…I just didn’t want to see Irara sad anymore. It’s just wrong for good people to suffer and keep everything bottled up…”

“…!”

Hearing my words, Akiko-san widens her eyes in surprise.

Then suddenly, she lets out a chuckle before bursting into laughter.

“Ahahaha! Kyogoku-kun, you’re really not honest with yourself, are you~!”

“…! I-I thought I was being honest just now.”

“That’s exactly what I mean~! Oh, you really are such a wonderful person~!!”

“W-Wonderful person, you say…?”

Normally, in this kind of conversation, wouldn’t you tease me instead?

Embarrassed, I avert my gaze from the cheerfully laughing Akiko-san.

And then—

“I’m seriously falling for you~~~!!!!!”

“…Eh?”

―Suddenly, everything goes dark.

The next thing I know, my face is enveloped in something soft.

This is… W-Wait, am I being hugged!?

“Ufufu, Kyogoku-kun~~”

“A-Akiko-san!?”

I struggle desperately.

I can’t breathe… and also, this is way too much.

It’s soft, and yet… What the hell is happening!?

“I’m out of the bath! Ahh, nothing beats a refreshing soak—wait, huh!? Kyogoku-kun’s being absorbed by Mom!?”

“Maa, maa~~”

“I-Irara… h-help me…”

“Whaaaaat!!! Mom, what are you doing~~~!!!!!”

“Ufufufu~~”

―And then, I realized something.

There is exactly one way to die happy in this world.