Chapter 172: I Have a Thought… No, a Suggestion!

"What exactly is your relationship with him?"

Their shopping trip had started in the morning, and by the time noon rolled around, Mai and Yoko had glanced at various restaurants and food stalls, hesitated for a while, and eventually settled on a Western-style diner. Just as they had finished ordering, Yoko suddenly dropped that curious question.

Mai's gaze, which had been following the curvaceous waitress, shifted back to the always-smiling Yoko across from her. She paused.

"...What do you mean?"

"Nothing special," Yoko replied lightly. "I'm just curious—what's your relationship with your daughter's boyfriend? You know, that boy named Miyamizu Haruto ?"

"What could it be? He's Setsuna's boyfriend, and also my junior."

Mai answered calmly, her face betraying no strong emotions. She met Yoko's eyes for a few seconds, then looked down at the tableware before her, noting the long shadow reflected on the cup's pristine white surface.

"Instead of meddling in other people's business, how about thinking about your own future for a change? You're not exactly young anymore. If you keep waiting, by the time you want to find someone, the only options left will be old geezers with white hair."

Seeing Mai dodge the question, Yoko felt she was getting closer to something. Although she hadn't gleaned much from chatting with her daughter, the tone and details in her conversation with Mai had revealed something interesting.

"Aren't you going to think about your own future? If you spend all your time with your daughter, there'll come a day when she gets sick of you, won't there? Might as well consider your own life."

"I've always been thinking about it. I just haven't met the right person. Once I do, I won't hesitate."

Mai smiled as she looked across the table. She knew that if she didn't at least offer a token answer, Yoko wouldn't let this topic drop.

"So? Do you have someone in mind now?"

"There's no one around me who catches my interest yet. Still searching. What about you?"

"I wasn't thinking about it before… but lately, I've started to seriously consider it. Recently, I've been feeling a bit lonely. Sekai's got her own life now and hardly talks to me. I feel like an old widow or something. It's been kind of depressing."

She let out a quiet sigh. And she wasn't lying—Yoko had been feeling a sense of emptiness over the years, but because of her responsibility toward Sekai, she had kept pushing her own desires aside.

Now, though, Sekai had started to explore her own love life and could mostly take care of herself. Yoko finally felt like it was time to think about her own happiness too.

"You're right. If you don't start now, eventually the only guys left will be the bottom of the barrel."

"But honestly, I'd still rather date a younger guy full of energy... Oh, right, have you heard about that thing going around lately?"

Looking playfully across the table at Mai, Yoko smirked. She recalled something she overheard while working at the restaurant.

"What thing?"

Just as she spoke, the waitress brought over their drinks. Mai took a slow sip from her fruit juice, lips gently pressing the straw. Then, her eyes returned to Yoko with a slightly puzzled expression.

"There's this trend that's become pretty popular among young guys and women around our age... I think it's called Mama-katsu?"

Mai blinked, confused. She worked so often she barely kept up with trendy chatter, especially not in the office. She had a vague idea of what it might be, but wasn't confident.

"Mama-katsu? Between young guys and adult women? Is it like playing house—pretending to be their moms or something?"

Mai frowned, a flicker of disgust crossing her face.

She didn't like the idea at all. Becoming a "mom" to some stranger? Not a chance. As someone who had a daughter herself, the very thought felt reckless and dangerous. She made no effort to hide her distaste.

"I heard there's a whole forum for that online," Yoko continued, undeterred. "Girls and guys alike use it. Lonely housewives, for instance, might browse the forums when they have nothing to do. They'll find some boy who seems to be struggling and offer him money or support, pretending to be his 'mom.' In exchange, he'll accompany them on shopping trips or out for meals. That sort of thing."

"…You're not saying you're actually considering it, are you?"

"I did think about it," Yoko admitted casually. "But seeing how much you seem to hate the idea made me realize—maybe it's not the best move. Others might get away with it, but with our situation and backgrounds? We'd only be asking for trouble, especially if we ran into the wrong kind of guy."

Mai pursed her lips and gave a small, reluctant nod. Her mind wandered back to her own relationship with Haruto. Honestly… wasn't their dynamic kind of like this "mom-thing," too?

And when Setsuna and Haruto eventually got married, wouldn't he have to call her "Mom"…?

That'd make it a literal case of "mama-katsu," wouldn't it?

"So when adult men do that with younger girls, it's called 'papa-katsu,' right? I get it now. These kinds of things are incredibly risky. If the world ever found out, it'd cause a massive scandal."

She stared at Yoko, seated across from her, imagining what the woman must be feeling right now. They were once quite alike—both lonely, both yearning for connection.

And precisely because she understood that loneliness, Mai knew she had to steer Yoko away from doing something reckless. Something that might not only hurt herself, but also her daughter, Sekai.

In this society, women already started at a disadvantage. If something like "mama-katsu" came to light, it could ruin a person's life. Forget about neighbors or family—the backlash would be immediate. And professionally? Forget it. The consequences could be devastating… and if it involved the wrong person, threats and blackmail weren't far-fetched either.

"It's just way too dangerous," Mai warned. "If you ran into someone with bad intentions, they could use it to blackmail you later. It could haunt your life forever."

She gave Yoko a serious look, reinforcing her point.

"You're right, it is dangerous," Yoko replied. Then, with a sly smile: "So, can you introduce me to your little boyfriend?"

"No—! I don't have one."

The denial came out on reflex, but Mai's expression visibly stiffened. Across the table, Yoko's teasing smile deepened, making Mai clench her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She'd walked right into it.

"So it's true—you do have a little boyfriend."

Yoko stared at her with mock wonder, remembering an old conversation where Mai had jokingly suggested such a thing. Back then, she thought it was just wishful thinking. But now?

She actually went through with it? And succeeded?

It didn't make much sense… but that didn't stop Yoko from teasing her. Deep down, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.

"How'd you even manage to get with your daughter's—"

"That's enough."

Mai's voice was quiet, but firm. Her chest heaved slightly, and her eyes flashed with frustration. She bit her lip and glared at Yoko.

"Don't ask about it anymore."

"But he's Setsuna's boyfriend, right? And my daughter Sekai likes him too. And on top of that, he's got some… complicated relationship with you. With everything already this messy, adding me into the mix wouldn't make much difference, would it? Oh, by the way—does Setsuna know?"

Turning her face away, Mai crossed her arms. She couldn't be bothered to answer.

But her silence was enough to make Yoko gasp softly.

She blinked in surprise, staring at Mai, then let out a small breath.

"What on earth happened? I'm so confused right now… You all kept me in the dark—what has this turned into?"

Mai watched her with a quiet gaze, then slowly closed her eyes. She thought for a long moment, then reopened them and smiled faintly.

"Wanna know?"

Yoko froze.

Faced with that gentle smile, she suddenly wasn't so sure she did want to know anymore…

_ _ _ _

Meanwhile, since he had nothing to write, Haruto hadn't stayed cooped up in his apartment this weekend. Living every day in a cramped space was exhausting enough. When the weekend came, he needed a change of scenery.

He had given Setsuna a casual heads-up. Since they'd gone out together last weekend, this time, he just wanted some alone time—to unwind and maybe search for inspiration.

After wandering the city for a while without any real goal, Haruto eventually found himself outside the Bunkyo Historical Museum in the Masago district. As he stepped out, he spotted a familiar figure standing on the street.

She hadn't noticed him yet. She was holding a box in her arms and had just exited a nearby store.

Haruto glanced at the shop's sign and raised an eyebrow.

Medical equipment store?

He looked back at the girl, and something in her posture drew his attention. Quietly, he walked over and tapped her gently on the shoulder.

The girl flinched, her entire body tensing like a startled animal. She stumbled forward a few steps, clearly caught off guard, and spun around.

When she saw who it was, Shouko's soft pink lips parted in surprise. Her expression was adorably shocked.

"Can you hear me?" Haruto asked.

Shouko blinked, then quickly nodded.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, revealing the white hearing aid tucked underneath. It had been mostly hidden by her long hair, and Haruto had worried she might not be wearing it yet after just leaving the store.

"I just came out of the museum next door. Didn't expect to run into you here. When you didn't react as I came up behind you, I got worried. Sorry for startling you."

Shouko shook her head repeatedly and blushed. She pointed to the shop she'd just exited, then held out the box she'd been carrying, showing it to Haruto.

"A new hearing aid? Is it the one you're wearing now?"

She nodded again, then clutched the box close and lowered her gaze.

"Do you have plans after this?"

Shouko didn't answer right away. Social situations weren't her strong suit, and she was unsure what to say. She assumed Haruto would soon say goodbye and leave.

But instead, his next words surprised her.

"I wasn't really sure what to do today, so I've just been walking around. Now that I've run into you… if you're free, would you like to wander the area together?"

Shouko looked down at the box in her arms. Truthfully, she had no particular plans.

But the thought of walking around the city—alone with a boy—made her heart flutter. She'd never experienced anything like this before.

"No pressure," Haruto added quickly. "If you've got anything urgent, or if it's inconvenient, I totally understand. I'm just wandering, nothing special. I can go alone."

Shouko bit her lip, hesitated… then shook her head.

"No problem?"

She nodded.

Haruto's eyes flicked to the box in her arms, and he smiled.

"In that case, why don't I walk you home first? Then we can take a stroll and clear our heads a bit."

The girl—who spent almost every day at home, friendless and anxious about being judged—blushed deeply but nodded in agreement.

"Let's go, then. Oh, right… your brother—uh, your little—cough, I mean, your younger sister, Yuzuru, right? She's not with you today?"

Walking beside Shouko as she led the way to the Nishimiya residence, Haruto tried to make small talk.

Even though he knew Yuzuru was her sister, something about her boyish demeanor always threw him off. She was so blunt and bold that he often associated her with a little brother rather than a younger sister.

Which explained his earlier slip of the tongue…