My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 147

In short, I just hope she stops patting my shoulder so hard.

"That's wonderful, Mizuto. If Mom didn't appreciate you, she probably would have already given you a good beating."

"what?"

"Izana, stop talking nonsense about other people's kids. What will people think if word gets out? They'll just teach him a lesson and kick him out of the house."

How is that any different from beating someone to a pulp?

"...I mean, Isana, what kind of behavior is this? Is this how you dress when a guest comes to our establishment?"

"Huh? It's not like anything will happen, I'm not going out anyway."

Dongtou, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, pouted defiantly.

Auntie is right, please say a few more words to her. Could you please teach this guy some basic common sense?

"Hmm──..."

Aunt Nagi crossed her arms and looked her daughter up and down at her clothes, saying:

"...No, this is actually better. You should wear this today."

"Yay!"

Huh? What's so good about it? Are you referring to an outfit where the ruffled collar slips off the shoulder, exposing the entire bra strap?

Aunt Nagira didn't answer my question and started moving quickly down the corridor.

"Isana, you haven't eaten yet? It's a bit late, but I'll make lunch now. Mizuto, you should have eaten at home, so have some snacks."

"Yes, I've already eaten. No need to trouble yourself."

"Ha! No way. You're the first best friend my daughter brought home, so of course we have to treat you well, right?"

Aunt Nagira grinned wildly. While she's so handsome I'd probably be completely smitten if I were a girl, this lady really does speak in a commanding tone no matter what she says…

I followed Aunt Nagi and Dongtou to the room behind the corner of the corridor.

The room features a spacious open-plan living and dining area. Further inside, there's a large balcony where laundry is hung out to dry without any cover.

"Izana, your lunch today is oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl). Sit quietly and wait for me to finish making it."

"Okay—"

Aunt Nagira went into the kitchen, while Higashito swaggered towards the sofa in the living room. Then Higashito plopped down on the sofa, looking at me while slapping the seat next to him, so I sat down there too.

Dongtou leaned closer to look at my face and said:

"The meeting was very successful."

"It seems... well, it's better than being disliked."

"You're welcome to come to my house anytime you want!"

"I'll consider it if you're willing to dress more modestly."

I said that without even looking at Dongtou's face. Now, if I turned around to look at Dongtou's face, I could see her chest through her T-shirt collar.

Dongtou seemed a little unconvinced and said, "Huh? Changing clothes is such a hassle..." Okay, I can understand how you feel, but I hope that as a human being, you can at least have a basic sense of shame.

But then again, what kind of educational approach is being taken to allow their daughter to dress so inappropriately? I think Dongtou's unfamiliarity with common sense is a result of her upbringing at home.

After we chatted about the new book that was due at the end of the month, Aunt Nagi came out of the kitchen.

"Okay. Eat up."

A bowl of oyako-don (chicken and egg rice bowl) was casually placed in front of Dongtou. Should I say I was quite surprised? The soft, smooth egg custard looked like something you'd get in a restaurant. Dongtou didn't even say "I'm going to eat," before grabbing the large bowl and starting to shovel rice into his mouth. He really did eat like a dog eating kibble.

"This is yours. Have some."

Aunt Nagiko said, placing a wooden plate in the middle of the table. It contained cookies.

Dongtou, with rice grains stuck to his lips, said:

"Ah, those are the ones I baked yesterday."

"Sorry, they're not fresh out of the oven. But they should still be delicious, I guess."

"Did you make this yourself, Auntie?"

"Personal interest. Life without a little bit of fun is too boring."

For someone like her to have a hobby like baking... it was quite unexpected, but her natural and unpretentious manner of speaking made that hobby seem much cooler. Her carefree personality, unaffected by others' impressions, reminded me of her daughter, Dongtou.

As I reluctantly tasted the cookies (which were delicious), Aunt Nagi-tora generously sat down opposite me.

"Hey, Mizuto. I want to thank you sincerely; my daughter has been well taken care of by you."

"yes."

"Strange? Mizuto-kun, shouldn't you be saying 'I'm the one being taken care of by her' right now...?"

"I'm the one who's taking care of her."

"That's not right! That's not right! Did you say something wrong? Why didn't you say it as a passive verb!"

"Haha! She seems to have caused you a lot of trouble. Thank you so much."

Aunt Nagi crossed her legs leisurely and took a big bite of the biscuit, as if she were eating it like a pancake.

"Izana has never been a sociable person at all. Well, it's much better than being just another face in the crowd, but I'm still worried about not having a single close friend. When Izana talks to me about you with a big smile, I'm so happy, aren't I?"

"I... I wasn't smiling at all..."

"She clearly had... oh, wait, not a sly smile, but a wide grin, right? The way she looked was so cheesy!"

"This is outrageous! I'm being abused!"

Aunt Nagihira let out a hearty laugh. It seems the mother and daughter have a very good relationship.

"As far as I know, the only person willing to associate with my ungrateful daughter for so long is you, Mizuto. It seems you two really get along. What do you think about that? Hmm?"

"...That's true. This is the first time I've met someone I get along with so well, like Dongtou. I used to be someone who had no friends."

"Oh?"

"No, please don't do that, Mizuto-kun... I'm embarrassed to hear you say that..."

Dongtou let out a groan. It's nothing serious, I'm just stating a fact, not exaggerating to the point of needing to be ashamed.

"Haha!" Aunt Nagihira laughed happily, then slapped her knee.

"Okay! You two should get married!"

My mind didn't quite catch up for a moment.

"...Huh?" "Eh?"

Dongtou and I were both stunned, and it took us a long time to recover.

Aunt Nagi said with a grin:

"Mizuto, I heard you're the top student in your class? That's amazing for a prestigious school like that. I doubt I'll ever meet another high achiever like you in my life. So, you should just go for her."

"Uh... wait a minute?"

"Nothing to be surprised about, is it? As a mother who loves her daughter dearly, it's not unusual for her to make such a request. I have great confidence in my judgment of people, and I'm certain that you can make my daughter happy. I want you to marry Isana, immediately after she turns eighteen."

As I leaned back, overwhelmed by the incredible pressure, I thought to myself, "Could it be...?"

I whispered to the person to the east beside me:

"(Hey, Dongtou. You didn't... tell your mom, did you?)"

I didn't tell her that Dongtou had already confessed to me, and that I had rejected him.

I don't think Aunt Nagi knew anything about it.

Dongtou huddled together and said:

"(How...how could I possibly say that...)"

"(Why?)"

"(I...I'm afraid if I say that...Mizuto-kun, I'll die a horrible death...)"

I kept quiet.

Then, I saw Aunt Nagi's sharp gaze piercing straight through me.

I started sweating profusely.

It's not impossible.

Although I haven't personally witnessed how violent Aunt Nagihira is... the pressure she exerted speaks for itself. She was warning me, "If you dare hurt my daughter, you're dead."

At first glance, she seems to treat her daughter casually... but in reality, she spoils her rotten.

Unable to speak.

Saying it out loud will kill you.

Under these circumstances, it's impossible to admit... I've already dumped her.

"Hmm? What do you think? This idea isn't bad, is it? If you don't dislike Isana."

"No, um... I just consider her a friend."

"So what? What's wrong with marrying your best friend? She might cause you some trouble, but don't worry. Only her body is something I created, guaranteed to be top-notch."

Aunt Nagi gave a thumbs up. "Hehe," Higashito responded shyly. What's there to be shy about? She just said your approach was absolutely terrible, okay?

What's wrong with marrying your best friend, right...?

If it were just about sharing an apartment, I might be able to accept it even if I compromised a hundred times. But this is...

"snort."

Aunt Nagi snorted and took a big, crunchy bite of the cookie.

"I can tell from your expression that you're the type who finds dating troublesome."

"...Yes, to be honest, you're right."

"Sigh..."

Aunt Nagira sighed deeply. Even if it disappoints her, this is my honest opinion. Making up excuses will only anger this lady.

"You really don't understand anything. That's just how kids are—it's people like you who should be getting married."

"what?"

"Listen up, Mizuto-kun? The so-called 'married person' is a title that only those who have retired from the troublesome world of dating can obtain."

His unexpected words made me gasp slightly.

"As long as you wear a ring on your left ring finger, no one will want to date you anymore, and you won't have to worry about your parents in the countryside asking you endlessly, 'Do you have a boyfriend yet?' 'When are you getting married?' Married people can be carefree in this regard—because you no longer have to deal with those hopelessly love-struck fools who think everyone should be in love."

Aunt Nagihira laughed heartily twice.

"I'm not denying the value of dating and marriage, but in my opinion, it's no different from gambling. Because the person you like might not be compatible with your lifestyle. Look at the other people around you. Middle school couples break up in high school, and high school couples break up in college. How can you choose a life partner based on such a superficial level of affection? If you're going to get married, you should choose someone you get along with, not just a lover. This is advice from someone you've been given."

"My mom and dad have always had a very good relationship."

"Yeah. We even play Monster Hunter together now."

"But I feel like Dad is always getting scolded by Mom."

"It's because he forgot to bring the big explosive bucket."

"Hahaha!" Aunt Nagihira laughed like a pirate.

Couples who start dating in junior high usually break up when they get to high school, right...?

That's a truly wise saying. Love is just a temporary infatuation; it shouldn't be used to decide your life partner.

And once you're married, you won't have to worry about this issue bothering you anymore...

Theoretically, it makes sense.

Even if I can't be Dongtou's lover, we could probably live a more relaxed and carefree life as husband and wife—this is a fact I absolutely cannot deny.

"Sigh... I did tell you to get married right away, but take your time and don't rush it. After all, high school students are still at an age where they can only think with their lower bodies."

Does this woman think high school students are inferior beings?

"Hey, Izana."