[Chapter 3 – Episode 3: Memory (2)]

I had a dream.

[■Hey! ■■■─]

A dream about someone's life.

[Ah■■ ■even ■■■!]

A long, vivid dream.

[You like■■ ■■■■─]

***

Afterward, an intense pain shot through my brain.

"Haa… haa…"

I slowly regained consciousness after a bizarre experience where what looked like cement of the same color was undulating.

"Ugh!"

Wait, no. I didn't fully regain consciousness. I could only move my body.

My stomach churned.

Fortunately, it seemed Takuya hadn't eaten anything before I possessed him, so I only dry-heaved a few times.

Soon, I came to my senses.

"Ughh…"

Anyway, I was back in control.

After recovering, I realized why I had collapsed.

The reason was obvious: the [Takuya's Memories] I received as a reward.

'After all, what I saw earlier was also about Takuya.'

The memories I glimpsed during my faint were all about Takuya's life—specifically, up until the moment I took over his body.

Thanks to that, I now knew Takuya's home address, so I guess I should be grateful.

Or maybe…

'Should I curse the fact that I ended up in such a messed-up family?'

Based on the memories I saw, Takuya hadn't lived an ordinary life either.

Though, not as chaotic as mine.

"Hoo. I don't know. I'll have to see for myself."

With that thought, I pressed the exit button in the corner of the screen I had seen earlier.

Unless it was a self-destruct button, it was easy enough to figure out.

As the screen turned off…

Caw- caw- caw-

"What's wrong, Takuya? Why did you suddenly stop?"

The world started moving again.

I was momentarily stunned by the surreal sight, but Sota's questioning tone snapped me back to reality.

"It's nothing. More importantly, let's hurry to the empty lot and play."

"Okay!"

At my words, Sota grabbed my arm and started running.

I was surprised by how fast he was, but we soon arrived at the empty lot near Takuya's and Sota's houses. Sota, not even out of breath, smiled brightly and said:

"We're here! Let's play, Takuya!"

"Yeah…"

I wasn't particularly tired either, but Sota didn't seem the least bit fatigued after running so fast.

Looking at him, I felt a vitality I hadn't experienced in my pre-possession self—a body that was already old and beginning to decay.

'He's really something.'

Is this the power of the male lead? Even in an NTR game.

Anyway, once we arrived at the empty lot, we started playing happily.

We played tag (just the two of us, surprisingly), built sandcastles with dirt, played rock-paper-scissors, and other traditional games from my childhood.

In the process, I understood why adults compare the stamina of young people to an arc reactor.

I didn't get tired.

Well, I was tired, but the sheer desire to keep playing kept me going.

While I was internally marveling at the horror of my rejuvenated body, Sota, who had just finished our fifth game of tag and was taking a break, said:

"Hey, Takuya. Did you hear about the big tournament happening in the next neighborhood?"

"What? A tournament?"

"Yeah! They said it's some kind of game tournament."

A game tournament?

As I looked puzzled, Sota continued to explain.

"I think it's a fighting game or something?"

"A fighting game?"

Fighting games, or "fighters" for short, were a classic genre that had been around for ages.

Humans naturally find joy in watching others fight, and fighting games maximized that thrill.

'I used to play them a lot too.'

I had played those games before and even reached a relatively high level before hitting a wall and quitting.

I thought about fighting games for a moment. Then, I remembered another characteristic of the Lewd Mama series.

'Come to think of it, Lewd Mama had several mini-games, right?'

That's right—mini-games inserted into the main game.

Strangely enough, the Lewd Mama series had quite a few of them.

From what I read on Namuwiki, the series had been criticized for lacking gameplay in the past, so they seemed to have added more mini-games to Lewd Mama to compensate.

There were so many that people joked about playing the game not for the adult content but for the mini-games.

Each game didn't offer much money, but if you cleared all of them, you could earn a decent amount.

This was good information, thanks to Sota.

"Thanks."

Sota, not understanding my gratitude, just looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Huh? For what?"

"It's nothing. Since we're talking about it, should we go to the tournament together?"

"Really?!"

"Yeah. Let's practice together while we're at it."

At my words, Sota's face lit up, and he grabbed my hand.

"Then, let's practice at my house!"

"At your house?"

Sota nodded.

"Yeah! We have the series they're using in the tournament at my place. Plus, my mom said she'd make something delicious for you when you come over, Takuya."

"Really?"

My eyes lit up at those words.

I was already thinking about how to advance my relationship with Miyuki—no, Miyuki—and this was the perfect opportunity.

I'll use this as an excuse to get closer to her.

'Thanks to my experience playing Lewd Mama, I know exactly how to win her over.'

Capturing Miyuki isn't that difficult, after all.

The story of Lewd Mama isn't about the journey to capture her but what happens afterward.

I nodded at Sota's words and said:

"Then, let's do it! Can I come this Sunday?"

"Okay! I'll tell my mom you're coming on Sunday! You have to come!"

At Sota's words, I hid my burning desire behind a bright smile and said:

"Of course."

I have to bang your mom.

I swallowed the rest of my words and chatted with Sota for a while before we parted ways.

***

Step. Step. Step.

After talking with Sota, I walked away, feeling extremely nervous.

It was inevitable.

Looking at the nameplate of the two-story detached house in front of me, it was obvious.

[Mori Family (森家)]

To be more precise, Takuya's last name was Mori (森).

Do you understand now?

I had arrived at the house where Takuya lived.

I had already seen his family in Takuya's memories, but I couldn't help feeling nervous.

From the moment I possessed this body to the moment I realized it had parents, I had been carrying a sense of guilt.

After all, in a way, I had stolen their child's body.

Even I felt guilty about taking a child away from their parents.

And then there was Miyuki.

A woman with that kind of body is a crime to leave alone.

Anyway, that was why I felt guilty.

But what could I do? It wasn't like I possessed him willingly, and I couldn't exactly give Takuya's body back.

So, instead of wallowing in guilt, I decided to think of it as the karma of a guy who stole someone else's mom.

It was a trashy thought, but it helped my mental health.

I took a deep breath and tried to relax.

'Hoo… calm down. It's not like I'm here to commit a crime. I'm just here to play.'

I brainwashed myself with that thought and opened the door, stepping inside.

-Click.

The door opened too easily.

For some reason, it wasn't a metal or wooden door with a lock, but one that opened with a simple push.

I was momentarily flustered by how easily it gave way.

As I entered, I was hit by a strange but familiar smell of food coming from the kitchen and the boisterous laughter of comedians from the TV in the living room.

I called out in a voice that was neither too soft nor too loud:

"I'm home."

At my voice, someone emerged from the kitchen and the living room.

The first to appear was a woman from the kitchen.

She was tall for a Japanese woman, radiating maternal warmth and kindness. She wore an apron and held a ladle, greeting me with a gentle smile.

"Oh, welcome home."

"I'm home, Mom."

Her name was Mori Ayaka (森 綾香), my mom.

Just as I was about to say something to her, another person came out of the living room.

"Yo, you're back."

This person was also quite tall, with a glamorous figure and healthy, tanned skin. She had a cool demeanor, and her name was Sakuragi Yuka (桜木 由香).

"Yes, Mom."

She was my other mom.

…..

What does that mean?

It's simple.

Takuya had two moms.

Looking at the two women greeting me, I thought of a famous line from a certain game anime:

'You must be happy to have two moms.'

It was a truly chaotic family environment.