My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 230

"...Huh?"

The old man looked at the young man's face in surprise.

"Come with me to buy a gift, let's go now!"

And so, in the freezing cold of January, the young man managed to bring his father out.

We took a bus from the nearest bus stop to the downtown area, and swayed along for a few minutes. Then we got off at the bustling sidewalk and started walking with the crowd.

"Is there anything you want? I've earned a lot from part-time jobs, so you don't need to worry about the budget."

As the young man exhaled white smoke from his scarf, he asked the old man walking beside him.

The old man, wearing an overcoat over his uniform, pulled up his collar with his left hand and said:

"I don't really want anything... Besides, I'd feel bad using Hong's part-time salary to buy things."

"It's a gift, you don't need to worry about it."

"I believe that, generally speaking, the gift should be chosen by the giver."

Hmm, I see.

"In that case, I'll just give you whatever I want to give you... Hehe, I've got a good idea."

"...I have a bad feeling about this. I think today is still the best day—"

"Wait a minute. Don't even think about running away!"

Having said that...

The young man clung to the old man's arm and held onto his body tightly.

"You—"

"No matter what anyone says, today is your birthday. So, you have an obligation to be celebrated by me."

The young man hugged the old man's arm even tighter, and the old man leaned his body, trying to escape from the young man's side.

"...Hong, I still want to tell you that you bumped into me."

"Of course. A woman will always want to press her breasts against the man she likes."

"I don't think that's possible..."

The slight embarrassment revealed in her calm expression, and the shame conveyed by the subtle movements of her arms, gently stirred the depths of the young man's chest.

If you really think of yourself as the background, you have to perfectly control your emotional ups and downs, right?

"Let's go then. There's a nice shop nearby."

As I gazed intently at my father-in-law's stunned face, I clasped his hand in mine.

"...!..."

"By the way, this doesn't count as a gift."

A-zhang's gaze drifted in the opposite direction from mine.

After all that, this is the smallest reaction? Seriously, this guy is a real headache.

"Your problem isn't just about your sense of self-worth."

The young man picked out various clothes from the shelf and placed them one by one on his father-in-law's shoulders to compare them.

"It's unavoidable to be born with an ordinary appearance. However, there are many ways to create a good impression. By improving your clothing and styling, your weak presence should be somewhat improved!"

"I feel it's useless..."

"Leave it to me. I'll help you escape your background!"

Then several tens of minutes passed.

The young man stood at the entrance of the fitting room, deep in thought.

"Waaaahh ...

This is a real headache.

He really is a troublesome guy.

From eye-catching, flamboyant outfits to understated yet tasteful fashion pieces, I had my husband try on all sorts of looks, but... the scary thing is, none of them suited him.

What's wrong with this guy?

I just wanted to dress him up a little, and he immediately looked like a middle school student trying to act like an adult. Only the dowdy styles that look like he just randomly picked clothes from his mother's store suited him. You could even say that he looks best in a uniform that has absolutely no personal style.

"...Are you satisfied now, Hong-kun?"

"No, wait! Wait a minute! I'll think of something right away! I'll think of some clothes that can make your barely noticeable presence...!"

The old man took off the hat the young man had put on him, and with a poker face that revealed no hint of his thoughts, said:

"I didn't feel uncomfortable just because others didn't notice."

"You're saying that again—"

Upon hearing this, a helpless smile suddenly appeared on the old man's face as he looked at the young man.

"...If I were to ask for anything more than this, it would be asking for too much."

No matter the question or the equation, my mind, which is usually able to deduce the answer immediately, is unable to define this heart-wrenching feeling at this moment.

What exactly is all that he's talking about?

Without needing to ask, I already know. His gaze indicated that all of this referred to me.

Ah, you—why are you so without desires?

I am no great person at all. I am simply a woman who is more arrogant than others.

But—

"Hong?"

I turn my face away and refuse to look at you, sir.

Don't do that, don't look at me like that... if you look at my face like that, I will no longer be the Hong Lingli in your heart.

The young man pulled his scarf over his mouth while consciously adjusting his breathing.

I despise people who don't understand their own limitations.

I dislike people who don't accept their own value even more.

So I haven't given up. I have no intention of giving up until you receive the attention that matches your worth.

But...now...

If you say that one person like me is enough, then let's leave it at that for now.

“…Let’s go.”

"what?"

"Change your clothes back."

The young man helped the old man change back into his original clothes, then took his hand and led him to different floors of the same building.

There's a mobile phone store there.

I went to the smartphone accessories section, stood in front of the colorful phone case display, and asked the old man:

Which one do you think has the most youthful, leading man vibe?

"Huh?...Uh..."

The old man pointed to a sky-blue phone case, looking puzzled.

"Well...maybe."

"This one will do."

As he spoke, the young man picked up the phone case.

"...This, could it be a gift for me?"

"Yes. And the size?"

"no problem……"

"it is good."

The young man walked to the cashier to pay. Then, solemnly, he placed the phone case he had bought into the old man's hand.

"This is the phone case that you think gives off the most youthful vibe."

"Huh? Right..."

"So, you can use it as a student."

The young man stared intently into the depths of his father's constantly blinking eyes.

"In that case, no matter when or where, only I can always watch over you, right?"

Even if no one around you notices you.

Only I will always be watching over you.

"If that's still not enough, then call me myself—no matter where you're hiding in this world, I will find you. With this so-called genius mind."

The young man said this half-jokingly, while revealing a mischievous smile like Aisha.

"In other words, your birthday present is me. Do with me as you please."

Irito Yume ◆ The End of the Foreword

"Haa~..."

Hearing a different kind of cool interlude from Senior Sister Ya Shuang's, I sighed, unsure whether to feel admiration or praise.

"The student council president is really good at showing off in front of senior Yuba..."

"Hey, hey, it makes it sound like I'm usually pretty bad."

"This is the first time I've heard such a cool 'I am the gift'!"

"Right, right?"

President Hong nodded smugly, but Senior Sister Ya Shuang, who was standing next to her, rolled her eyes at her.

"Seriously... why are you only talking about the good parts?"

"What?"

"I remember after that, Ah-Zhang told you, 'Thank you for your kind gesture, but it's too much for me,' and you even complained to me a lot on LINE—"

"I don't recall!"

...Actually, it's true. Being told "I am the gift" by a girl you're not dating might be a bit heavy. Besides, phone cases are something you'll be caught for not using them instantly.

"But if we're going to nitpick about that, receiving a necklace as a gift from a girl I'm not dating is still pretty good..."

"Hmm—? That's strange, is my hearing deteriorating? Yuuko, did you say anything?"

"No, it's nothing."

I don't think that giving a practical phone case is any less burdensome than giving a necklace.

"You really want me to say it!"

Senior Sister Ya Shuang crossed her arms in indignation and spoke.

"To accept something and then complain is simply ungrateful! Regardless of how heavy or light it is, one should accept it with gratitude and even tears in their eyes—that's the proper way to be a decent human being!"

"Aisa, I didn't expect you to say something sensible sometimes. To be honest, those two boys in the student council are too passive. Although today's society emphasizes gender equality and diversity, I still hope they can be a little more ambitious sometimes."

"Exactly! Is his big size and muscles just for show? Would it kill him to occasionally do a wall slam?"

The girls, completely out of control, started pouring out their grievances to each other, and it went on and on. All I could do was smile awkwardly and listen to the two senior students' complaints, which were laced with too many personal desires…

Irito Yume ◆ The End of the Former Story

afterwards.

I still couldn't think of what gift to give Mizuto. While thinking, I went to the student council room and saw Hoshibe-senpai taking a nap there, and Haba-senpai working there.

That's when I noticed it.