My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 32

...Huh? Could this be a good opportunity?

This guy rarely has time to read; maybe once a month at most. If he misses this opportunity, he'll probably never touch the books I recommend again…

Only now...!

"I-Is that so...? Oh, I see..."

I pretended not to be interested and sat down in a spot a little distance from the sink.

Mizuto looked at me, his brow furrowing in surprise. I twirled the ends of my hair with my free hand, feigning indifference. Calm down… I need to pretend nothing's wrong…

"Since you're so free... would you like me to lend you a book?"

Perfect! So natural! Not strange at all! She deserves the Best Actress award!

Mizuto's brow furrowed even more.

"...What kind of scheme are you plotting?"

"N-No, there isn't...?"

I turned my face away so he wouldn't see. Don't fuss over such a small thing!

Although Shuidou still looked surprised, he said:

"Well, it's better than having nothing to do..."

"Yes, that's right. It's a rare holiday!"

"Then I'll just grab any one—"

"This one!"

I took the book that I had hidden behind my back and brought it to the water basin.

"This one! This one is really good!"

"Is that so...?"

Water scoop reflexively took the book. Even though it seemed like it was being forced on him, he didn't care; he accepted it anyway!

Shuidou sank back into the sofa, fiddling with his bangs while glancing at the cover. Then he turned the book over and read the outline on the back cover.

At first glance, it seems like just another typical mystery novel...

"I'm telling you...!"

I almost got excited and started talking about it, but I quickly stopped.

I really want to talk about it…! I really want to tell him what's so great about this book! But I also hope he can finish reading it without any prior knowledge…! That would definitely be more interesting! But if I don't tell him what's interesting about it, he might not want to read it…!

"...Anyway, just look at it!"

After being torn between two options for ages, all I could do was lower my head and scream like this. Waaaaah, why haven't humans developed a solution for problems like this yet!

Mizuto looked at me with surprise and said:

"I don't understand what's wrong with you... but okay, I got it."

He opened the cover and began to read the contents. Very good…!

The boy's slender fingers slowly turned the pages, flipping past the list of characters that is a must-have in mystery novels, and entered the prologue.

I watched intently as my stepson began to read.

Mizutani glanced at me.

"...Is it hard for me to read like this?"

"Ah... I'm sorry. I'll sit further away!"

I quickly created some distance. I absolutely mustn't disturb him...!

I stared at the water bucket from a meter away, and he gave me an expression that wasn't exactly a wry smile.

"…………Okay, it doesn't matter."

His gaze returned to the book, and his fingers turned the pages.

I stared intently at his profile.

But I could tell that the boy in front of me was becoming increasingly engrossed in the world of the book. I was also affected by him and couldn't help but hold my breath. I recalled how I felt when I read, and imagined the scenes he was depicting in his mind.

In the blink of an eye, about a third of the pages had moved to the right.

"……Well……"

Shuidou gasped slightly.

That was the first major turning point.

His profile seeped even deeper into the story.

I smiled naturally.

In an instant, Shuidou glanced at me again.

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand and silently shook my head.

Shuidou turned his gaze back to the book, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward.

The view outside the window was already dyed crimson by the setting sun.

Crack, crack, crack.

Page after page was turned at twice the speed of before.

During this period, Shuidou's posture remained unchanged.

It was as if his real self had no longer been in his mind.

Before I knew it, the right-hand page had become thicker than the other side.

I've read half of it, and about a third remains.

At that moment, for the first time since the book was opened, the sound of turning pages could be heard in the living room.

"……ah."

Mizuto let out a soft cry.

His eyes widened slightly, his pupils revealing a gleam of understanding.

I kept nodding, out of his sight. Around this point onward, we begin to understand the author's intentions.

The water jet never stopped, continuously turning the pages.

When only about a quarter remained...

Now we are about to enter the resolution phase, where the whole truth will be revealed.

The hand that was turning the pages in the water basin suddenly stopped.

"…………?"

Just as I was wondering what was going on, the water bucket started flipping back to the previous pages with a clattering sound.

What is he doing?

After rereading a few scenes, he closed the book with his slender index finger instead of a bookmark, then straightened his forward-leaning body and slowly leaned back on the sofa.

Then, he closed his eyes, which were facing the ceiling, and began to mutter incantations.

He... he did his own deductions before watching the resolution!

This is the first time I've seen someone actually read a mystery novel like this. After all, even when we were dating, I never watched him read a book from beginning to end... I thought I read faster than him, but maybe it's because he always adds this extra step.

"That's how it became... so—ah!"

About ten minutes later.

Mizuto suddenly opened his eyes, went back to the previous pages to check certain parts, and then nodded several times, seemingly having figured out the answer. How fast!

Then, he finally turned the page and entered the final solution section.

I resisted the urge to smile.

Just a little bit more. Just look down a little further—

"--Huh?"

He was dumbfounded.

This perfectly embodies the meaning of the sentence.

"Ah...ah, ah! Ah...ahh ...

Shuidou let out a sound that was hard to tell whether it was a sudden realization or a scream, and began to hold his head.

The biggest misleading plot point worked brilliantly.

Even a casual deduction would fall for it; if one carefully organizes their thoughts and reads the text, this trick would be incredibly sharp and satisfying. His "I've fallen for it" expression was so captivating that I was envious.

The further down you look, the more silent Shuidou becomes.

By the last few pages, it was almost like holding your breath.

As if reluctant to part, the pages are turned slowly...

I kept reading until I reached the copyright page before finally snapping the book shut.

Shuidou slumped back in his chair as if his whole body had collapsed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Hoo..." A sigh escaped his lips.

"……How about it?"

Although I knew the answer without asking, I still asked politely.

Shui Dou continued to sink his entire back into the sofa, looking at the cover of the paperback book.

"Truly a masterpiece..."

He gave a conclusion that left a lasting impression.

"Where did this book come from? I've never seen anyone mention it online... How come such a good book hasn't become a hot topic? This society is so ignorant!"

"Right! Right!"

"The story, characters, plot twists, and logic are all meticulously designed for the ending... The writing is flawless throughout, keeping you hooked until the very end. But in the latter half, the tension becomes breathtakingly high..."

"That's right! That's right, that's right!"

I practically jumped onto the sofa to get close to the sink.

"The impression shifts seamlessly from the first half to the second! After reading it, even the lighthearted and fun writing style of the first half, and this incredibly ordinary outline, seem completely different..."

"That's it! How can such a common outline be turned into a story like this!"

"Right! I didn't have any expectations at all at first!"

"Wasn't there a foreshadowing at the very beginning? Like in the prologue..."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!"

As Shuidou opened the book and began to read, I leaned over and peered into the book.

"Uh... this is it, right? It's the psychological description of the prisoner..."

"That's right. Here too, but there's another line of text after this one."

"...Huh? Ah, so that's what it meant!"

Although it was already night outside the window, we didn't notice.

Later, when Mom and the others came back, after everyone had dinner and showered, we continued reading the same book together.

As a result, the two of them reread the same book twice, and didn't go to sleep until after 2 a.m.

The next day, I got up a little later than usual and quickly typed a LINE message to Xiaoyue and the others to make plans to go out and have fun.

As I replied to the messages, memories of yesterday kept replaying in my mind.

I haven't been this happy in a long time. Without worrying about time or anything else, we chatted freely about our favorite books—a blissful, carefree time that has solidified into memories, crackling and sparking in my heart like embers. That warm afterglow still flows through my entire body.

...In the past, this could be done every day.

This is everything in my life.

The reason it's no longer like that is my own choice.