Volume 2 - CH 1

“”I’m home.””

I and Anri came home a while ago, holding hands.

There are few pedestrians from the park to home. This is because we had already passed through a busy shopping street.

We held each other for a while in the empty park, but no one saw us, and we both enjoyed the afterglow.

I did it. I had crossed the barrier that my father had never crossed, and I had taken a step up the ladder to adulthood.

After that, we naturally held hands, not necessarily either of us and came to the front door of the boarding house without saying a word.

Then, at the same moment, they let go of each other’s hands. I smiled at Anri unintentionally, and she smiled at me as well. I wonder if we are thinking the same thing.

“Welcome back! You’re back earlier than I thought. Do you want to eat? Do you want to take a bath? Or do you want to play a game together for a change?”

I think I heard the same phrase yesterday.

“No, you don’t play games. What about you, Anri? Hungry?”

“I’m hungry, but my chest is full. How about you, Tsukasa-kun?”

Oh, please don’t say anything dangerous in front of Mom.

I don’t want to tell my mother about it just yet.

I’ll tell her later when I have more time.

“Ah, I don’t mind either way. I’ll leave it to Anri.”

“Then let’s have dinner first. Mom will return home later, and it would be better if dinner is served as early as possible, wouldn’t it?”

Does that mean you want to go home early for your mom’s sake?

Or do you want Mom to leave early because you want to be alone with me?

Hmmm, I never thought about that before, but is it better not to think about anything else?

“I guess so. I’m thinking about going home, so I’d better go a little early, right?　Then let’s have dinner.”

Mom skips away from us.

Her back figure still doesn’t look her age. She is wearing a white apron and a ladle in her right hand.

Is she a young wife of some kind? She should look a little more mature.

Well, you know, I appreciate all that, but…

From the entrance, Anri went upstairs via the hall. I go to the kitchen and change in my room.

Oh, my uniform is clean and in the closet.

Mom even ironed it, which I appreciate.

I lie down on the sofa in my rough clothes and read a few reference books in my spare time.

Oh, yesterday was Saturday and I forgot to upload it to the video posting site!

But I guess it can’t be helped since everyone was in the room. I’ll put it all together and upload it next week.

“Tsukasa! Help me a little!”

Mom is shouting a little louder.

What do you want me to help you with? I get up from the sofa and head for the kitchen.

At that moment, I see Mom standing on her tiptoes on the chair, trying to pick up a large box on top of the tea chest.

Oh, look out!

Mom, I’ll get it!”

I try to follow her by walking a little faster, but it is already too late.

A big box hits me on my head from the top of the tea chest, but not my mother.

I managed to catch the falling box with both arms and did not drop it on the floor.

But my head hurts. I remember hitting the same spot the other day.

Why? Did I do something wrong?

Oh, I’m sorry. But thank goodness! The box is safe, right?”

“It hurts quite a bit…”

Rather than her son, the box. What in the world is inside?

While I’m doing that, Anri comes into the kitchen.

“What are you two doing?”

I turn around to see Anri dressed in a very short one-piece dress.

I have never seen her in such a short skirt before.

It’s unusual. Didn’t she have a long skirt or something else to wear?

“Anri-chan! That outfit is so cute!

Mother, please take this box instead.

“Tsukasa-kun! Your forehead is bleeding!

Thank you, Anri. Thank you for noticing.

After that, Mom took the box from me and moved it to the living room.

Then Himekawa put a bandage on my forehead on the sofa.

Thank you, Anri. You are an angel.

“Okay, that’s it! Let’s have dinner then! Do you want to help me prepare it, Anri?”

‘Yes, I’ll help you too.”

Just like last night, I’m rolling around in the living room without my turn.

But is it my imagination that mom and Anri seem to be getting along better than they did yesterday?

They are in the kitchen together, as if they were a real parent and child.

I wonder if Mom likes Anri too…

“Tsukasa! Come here, it’s ready, let’s have dinner!”

Mom shouts.

Then Anri took her apron and came to me.

“Let’s eat dinner.”

She pulls my hand.

It was a little different from yesterday. I am a little nervous.

Yesterday, she was just a classmate. Now she’s my girlfriend.

Yes, just now we became lovers.

When I sit down in my usual chair, I see a strange sight.

It’s not the same bowl I used to use every day. And the chopsticks have changed to new ones.

“I washed the bowls and chopsticks that were left there, so I’ll use them.”

Oh, I remembered that I had added more dishes at the sale the other day.

I had completely forgotten about it. I was so grateful that my mother washed them for me.

“Thank you, Mom. I forgot all about it.”

“Don’t worry about it. Shall we eat then?”

“”Itadakimasu.””

Today’s meal is a normal Japanese meal with simmered dishes, miso soup, and so on.

And then there is the menchikatsu as an example. It’s crispy and delicious.

I put a bite of the menchi-katsu in my mouth. Yes, it is delicious.

“But why did you get the same chopsticks as the bowls? Are you going to use them with Anri-chan?”

The menchis are about to shatter in my mouth and my heart too.

I didn’t know there was such a trap. They weren’t just on sale, were they?

I stopped moving and moved my eyes toward Anri.

Oh, Anri’s hand holding the teacup as mine stopped, and she stopped with chopsticks in her mouth.

Perhaps Anri is also thinking in her brain. I am also thinking in my brain.

“It’s just a sale item. I didn’t look at the details, well, you know…”

Honesty is the best. I was a little short on tableware, so I just bought more.

“A couple teacups with Anri, hmmm…? Is that what it is!”

“Well, there’s nothing special about it. It’s just a bowl and chopsticks. Just ordinary chopsticks and a bowl.

Mom answered simply and put the oshinko in her mouth.

And then, Anri’s time begins to move.

“That’s right. It’s just a bowl and chopsticks. Let’s use them every day, normally…”

While having such a conversation, we ate delicious menchi and miso soup, and today’s dinner was over.

I and Anri have matching bowls and chopsticks.

Did Mom set this up, or was it just a coincidence?

But I might be a little happy to have matching bowls and chopsticks with Anri…