My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

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With one exception.

If that's the case, what questions should I focus on and what answers should I provide?

—I must harden my heart and question your resolve.

That's all I can tell you.

Hong Xuejie put down her empty teacup.

Aren't you going to drink?

My senior looked at my slightly cold cup of tea and said something.

I picked it up, tilted my head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

The tea was still a little hot.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"Have you come to an answer?"

"no."

I stood up.

"I will continue to think about it."

Irito Yume ◆ The Prelude to the Present

Looking back, it can only be attributed to the mistakes of youth. However, between my second and third years of junior high school, I had what is commonly known as a boyfriend.

We met at school, hit it off, became lovers, and enjoyed a sweet time together. However, a small disagreement led to misunderstandings, and impatience outweighed the initial excitement. So, we broke up upon graduation.

—And then, they became a family.

That being said, I didn't actually realize it at the time—after all, I had only graduated from junior high school about a week earlier.

Back then, I wasn't used to wearing contact lenses every morning or going out with my hair down. It was a period of slowly letting go of the past and starting anew.

So, in terms of timing, it might be perfect.

It's the perfect time for me to move out of the apartment I've lived in for many years and into the Irito family home.

--Hoo.

Looking at the books neatly crammed into the bookshelves, I felt content. The room was much more spacious than my previous home, allowing me to fit three whole bookshelves. Just based on that alone, I could say that moving was the right decision.

However, I added a proviso in the past.

The only downside is that the man's room is right next to mine.

It was my own decision, yet I was so indecisive. But at that time, it was the only way I could act. Faced with the conflicting environment of living with my ex-boyfriend whom I had just broken up with, I could only use an unfriendly attitude to cope with my inner turmoil.

I'll be frank. Back then, I really hated water buckets.

We weren't mutually attracted at that time. At least not on the surface.

Even now, it's difficult for me to accurately describe my state of mind at the time. It's true that I felt furious and wanted to yell at Mizuto the moment I saw his face, but it's also true that I would have a sudden flutter in my heart and feel as if I had returned to the past in some unexpected moments.

However, at that time, I had to clearly distinguish between my two feelings in order to maintain my sense of self. So, I told myself that I hated him.

Because—we've already broken up.

Yes, we didn't break up because we disliked each other. We only started to dislike each other after we broke up.

Even so, some things remained. That's why I agreed to live together, and that's why we became a family.

It's absolutely impossible for me and Shuidou to develop a romantic relationship.

This trust brought us together as a family.

That was such a naive idea. I only realized it after thinking about it.

On the first day after moving in, everything was new and exciting. The spacious rooms were new and exciting, moving around up and down the stairs was new and exciting, eating together as a family of four, taking showers and brushing teeth, everything in life was new and exciting.

It felt a bit like spending the night at someone's house—I couldn't believe that this kind of life would continue forever.

Of all the things, the one that surprised me the most was—

──……Ah.

Ah...

I bumped into a sink in the first-floor hallway, and we both froze on the spot.

It wasn't just a chance encounter.

We were all wearing pajamas.

Mizuto was wearing an unappealing gray long-sleeved knit sweater, looking incredibly tacky. Although he wasn't usually the type to care about his appearance, back in middle school I had romanticized Mizuto through a girlish lens, seeing him as a super handsome guy, so the contrast now is quite stark.

As for myself, I don't recall letting Mizuto see me in my pajamas more than a few times. If I had to name one, it would be the time he visited me when I had a cold, but my current physique is completely different from back then, not to mention I had a high fever and my mind was foggy, so I don't remember many details.

We've been together for so long—it turns out there's another side of us I didn't know about.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, I was the first to come to my senses.

—Where are you looking?

I hugged myself to cover my chest and took a step back.

Water scoop immediately looked away and said:

--I wasn't looking anywhere, stop being so narcissistic.

—You've known me for so long, do you really think you can fool me? You repressed pervert.

—I don’t remember you ever turning me into a pervert.

...Yes, when we had a great relationship, I was still a short, stocky guy with a barrel-shaped figure.

—I really pity you, that you can't touch me now that I'm an adult.

—I really admire how well you've become self-assured, you insidious, borderline woman.

—Starting today, we'll be living under the same roof, so don't come and attack me in the middle of the night!

—Isn't that a bit too deliberate? Are you waiting for me to come?

They spoke to each other with barbs and sarcastic remarks.

The rhythm is fresh, and so is the sense of distance.

So that's how it is. This is the right way to deal with an ex-boyfriend.

From now on, we can just continue to get along in this way.

—That's settled then.

—That's settled then.

We brushed past each other as if we were parting on bad terms.

They turned away as if they would never see each other again.

However, they both said, without prior arrangement:

Good night.

Good night.

And so, the relationship began.

We, no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, have established a new relationship.

This relationship will allow us to discover the true nature of the other person in ways we couldn't know when we were together.

Irito Mizuto ◆ Future Answers

Looking back, I can only say it was a mistake I made when I was young. However, between my second and third years of junior high school, I had what is commonly known as a girlfriend.

We met at school, hit it off, became lovers, and enjoyed a sweet time together. However, a small disagreement led to misunderstandings, and impatience outweighed the initial excitement. So, we broke up upon graduation.

—And then, they became a family.

I still remember the night Yui and Aunt Yu-jin moved in; I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Living in the same house as Yui, the unnatural feeling brought about by this rough, nightmarish situation, and the anxiety of not knowing whether I could cleverly conceal our past relationship in the future, both lingered in my mind, not allowing me to escape through sleep.

What unsettles me the most is the appearance of Yui.

It's changed so much.

Even though it was just a matter of taking off her glasses and letting her hair down, with no dramatic changes whatsoever, she looked completely different from the Ayai Yui I had dated.

Even though we were still dating but hadn't met, I sometimes wondered things like, "Has she grown taller?" or "Her breasts seem bigger?" But the way she changed her appearance and showed up in front of me really confused me. And then there was her sharp tongue, which was unlike any of the women I'd dated before, which further confused me.

I really admire how I was able to recognize her as Ayai at a glance when we met.

Maybe it's because I've really looked at her face up close enough—no, I don't think so. What I've been looking at all along isn't her appearance, but her expression. Not staring at her, but reading her expressions.

Love, to put it bluntly, is all about guessing each other's thoughts. What the other person is thinking, what they want, what they expect—you have to constantly guess, imagine, and interpret all of that yourself. And I've passed this test for about eight months without making any major mistakes, so I don't think anyone is better at observing Ayai Yui's expressions than me.

But what I'm describing is purely the situation of Ayai Yui—

--Mmm!

The next morning, I hadn't slept well all night, and I woke up early on my supposedly good spring break, only to run into Yui brushing her teeth in the bathroom.

The guy put the toothbrush in his mouth, stared at my face in surprise for some reason, and took a step back.

--……? Good morning.

--Early...early bend...

The sink happened to be empty, so I went over there. I thought I might be able to take a nap, so I didn't wash my face first, but picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste.

Then I started brushing my teeth, but something seemed strange.

The woman in the mirror was still holding a toothbrush, staring at me without moving.

What is she doing? She's not brushing her teeth... If she's finished brushing, she should just rinse her mouth.

I'd already brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth with water, but that guy was still glaring at me.

--Hmm!

She gestured with her chin toward the bathroom door.

It looks like they're kicking me out.

—What are you doing? I don't need you to boss me around like that.

Is this how you use the phrase "颐指气使" (yí zhǐ qì shǐ)?

--Hmm!

"Rinse your mouth before you speak. Why are you suddenly like this?"

-- Hmm~~~!

Jie Nu let out a low growl of dissatisfaction, then stomped her foot as if she were going to throw caution to the wind, rushed to the sink, and spat out a mouthful of saliva. She quickly rinsed her mouth.

Then she picked up a towel to wipe her mouth and said sullenly:

—I just don't want to rinse my mouth in front of you, is that not allowed?

--Why don't you want to?

It doesn't look good to spit water out of your mouth! Why can't you understand, you idiot!

After saying that, Jie left the bathroom in a huff.

...No, who would understand?

How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?

Even if I'm an expert at reading your facial expressions, this is still—

—Yes, you wouldn't know if I didn't tell you, and I wouldn't know if you didn't tell me.

Thinking about it carefully, our communication style has always been taciturn. One of us always takes the initiative to consider the other's feelings, as if we are competing with each other to guess what's going on. We've never had a proper conversation; it's always about figuring things out as they arise.

This kind of relationship cannot last.

It would be good if they could last eight months.

Starting from the end of August, friction gradually began to emerge in April.

Starting from the end of March, we will reach our limit in December.