Chapter 329: Mama’s Boy

"Rinji, what are you doing? Will you tell Mom?"

Rinji: trembling...

Of all the people he expected, she was the last. His whole body shook.

Although he had sent the tickets back home, there hadn't been any response for several days. Rinji thought his parents wouldn't come.

Actually, he wasn't worried if it was just his father—after all, their way of thinking was almost identical. At most, they'd engage in a "fatherly love, son's piety" PVP skirmish.

But his mother was a different story.

It wasn't that she was strict. On the contrary, she had a very gentle temperament. Rinji had never seen her angry. It was just that, in front of her, he seemed naturally suppressed.

He was terrified of making her upset.

"This… I used it to manipulate the match," Rinji mumbled, lowering his head.

"I see. That won't do. Since you're at school, you should follow the rules and not cause trouble for others," his mother said.

"Okay… Mom, I was wrong."

"Good boy."

The woman gently rubbed Rinji's head. He blushed and squinted his eyes like a kitten being stroked by its owner.

Kaguya: "…"

Seeing this scene, she thought she was hallucinating.

The madman who always acted lawless at school and outside, the guy who carried himself like some underworld boss—Rinji—was acting like a spoiled kitten in front of this woman.

The contrast was so jarring it made her uncomfortable. This wasn't the Rinji she knew.

'He's acting like a total mama's boy… Wait, how did I not notice this side of him before?'

"Have you been behaving yourself at school?"

"Of course."

"By the way, where's your girlfriend? Isn't she here today?"

"You mean Karura? She's…"

"Rinji~"

Before he could finish, Karura returned from the school store with ice cream. The moment she saw him, she ran up and threw her arms around him.

"Ah, Karura, not here…"

Blushing, he gently pulled her off and turned to his mother. "Mom, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Kure Karura."

"Huh? Rinji's mom?"

Karura froze for a moment, looking at the beautiful, smiling woman. Once she realized who she was, she clasped her hands together and bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Auntie. I'm Kure Karura, Rinji's future wife."

Only Karura would introduce herself like that the first time meeting her boyfriend's mother.

But Rinji's mother didn't seem angry at all. On the contrary, she looked very pleased with Karura's straightforwardness.

"Nice to meet you, Karura," the woman smiled. "I'm Rinji's mother. It's not easy for him to find a girlfriend. Can you tell me how you two met?"

"We met on the ship during the Kengan match," Karura said with a smile. "We even fought each other."

Kaguya: "…"

'Wait, are you seriously telling his mom that you had a fight with her son when you first met? Aren't you afraid of making a bad impression?'

Even though Kaguya didn't know Karura well, she could tell this airheaded girl was just asking for trouble.

Yet, Rinji's mother still didn't get upset. Instead, she looked nostalgic.

"On a ship… and you fought… That really does sound familiar."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. So, Karura, what do you like about Rinji?"

"Everything~"

"I see."

Hearing her cheerful answer, Rinji's mother couldn't help but smile.

Rinji glanced at the time. The cheer team's performance was about to begin, so he said to his mom, "Mom, I have to go participate in an event. I'll come back to you afterward."

"It's okay. Go on, Rinji," she said, placing a hand on Karura and Hayasaka's shoulders. "I have company here. Don't worry about me."

"Alright, I'll be going then."

"Oh, right. Do you want to talk to your dad?" she asked. "He's very curious about how you're doing."

"Huh?"

She pulled out her phone from her bag, dialed a number, and handed it to Rinji.

Rinji took the phone. As soon as he answered, that annoying voice came through.

"Son~ Long time no see. Have you missed your father?"

"No."

Rinji instantly showed a look of disdain.

"How can you not? I miss you so much. I heard from Kaname that you're going to perform in a girl's uniform at the sports festival. Hahahahaha! I'll be laughing for a year…"

"Shut up!"

Rinji cursed and immediately handed the phone back to his mother.

She took it and comforted his father through the phone as his dramatic voice cried out:

"Ahhh! My son hates me! What do I do? I'm having a midlife crisis!!"

"There, there. It's fine."

She consoled him, chatted briefly, then hung up.

Kaguya, who had been watching all this from the side, had a blank expression.

Not a single member of this family was normal. Rinji's mother might actually be the most normal one.

Noticing Hayasaka nearby, Kaguya leaned over and whispered, "Hayasaka, now's a great chance."

"Huh?"

"Attack the horse before the general. If you want to win over Rinji, you have to start with those close to him. Judging by how he acts like a mama's boy, winning over his mom is clearly the best strategy."

"I…"

"Make a good impression on her."

With that, Kaguya put on a textbook-perfect smile.

"Auntie, nice to meet you. I'm the vice president of the student council with Rinji. My name is Shinomiya Kaguya."

"Hello, Shinomiya," Rinji's mother replied.

"This isn't the best place to watch. Let me take you somewhere with a better view."

"Thank you, Shinomiya."

Kaguya led the way, followed by Rinji's mother, Hayasaka, and Karura.

They arrived at the very front row of the gymnasium stands.

There sat George, along with Fujiwara Chika's father, Fujiwara Daichi, and the father of Shirogane Miyuki.