[Ibuki Yuko was not angry with your actions. She had once stood in the same place as you, looking down from the skylight. From this angle, one could see the tops of the bookshelves, something not visible from the ordinary perspective.]
[Every time she observed this, her gaze would involuntarily be drawn to the sharp corners of the bookshelves. Her mind would conjure the dull sound of her bones colliding with those edges, and the scene of the bookshelf toppling over, burying her. She liked books, and being buried by them was a heart-stirring oil painting.]
[Seeing you looking down by the railing, the image that always played in her mind resurfaced. However, at the end of this image, crimson blood seeped out from under the bookshelf, glowing with a demonic red light, making her heart fill with fear. She suddenly realized that the beauty she had previously envisioned in being buried by books actually concealed pain.]
[Thus, she became angry, not at you, but at the version of herself she saw in you.]
[The girl took your hand and led you downstairs.]
[She became somewhat afraid of you, as you had brought the horror of death to her. She had not feared death before, but now she was a bit afraid.]
[She decided to stay away from you, otherwise, the armor woven from her elegance in viewing death lightly would no longer exist.]
[She told you that she didn’t want to see you anymore. You were not upset; you decided to proceed with the next phase of your plan.]
[The next day after school, you returned home and sent her a photo, a photo of a sharp pen nib. Two minutes later, she appeared at your doorstep.]
A memory scene appears.Ibuki Yuko wore a white sailor suit. In an era where Western-style uniforms were prevalent in high schools, sailor suits had almost become synonymous with middle school students. The girl’s petite figure paired with this cute sailor suit looked like she had just entered middle school.
This little girl took off her small leather shoes, her black stockings outlining the shape of her small, rounded toes, stepping on the brown floor. She walked unceremoniously into Minami Yuuki’s bedroom, picked up the pen on the desk, and put it in her pocket.
“Stealing?” Minami Yuuki sat on the bed, watching the girl.
“It’s to confiscate the murder weapon.” Ibuki Yuko glanced around the desk and also took Minami Yuuki’s pencil sharpener.
“Without a pen, a ballpoint pen will do. If the pen on the desk is gone, you can buy one at a convenience store for a very cheap price.”
“…You’re not allowed to buy one.”
“Why should I listen to you, senpai?”
“Because we’re mother and son?”
“That’s quite a remarkable statement.”
“You admitted it during summer vacation and even called me ‘Mommy Yuko’.”
“So, it’s my joke that brought this unfortunate consequence?”
“So you’re not allowed to buy one, understood?”
Ibuki Yuko walked over to Minami Yuuki and poked his waist, asking him to respond to her.
The girl’s strength was small, her delicate fingers brushed against Minami Yuuki’s side through the thin short-sleeved shirt, bringing a tickling sensation.
Minami Yuuki turned his head and saw the serious expression on the girl’s face.
“But, isn’t it normal not to listen to one’s mom?” he said.
“No rebellion allowed.” Ibuki Yuko poked his waist again, this time with more force.
“If senpai were a good mom, I wouldn’t rebel.”
“I’m a good mom.”
“Good or bad isn’t just about words; it depends on actions.” Minami Yuuki lay back on the bed. “I’m hungry.”
Ibuki Yuko quickly left the room and returned five minutes later with a cup of hot milk, placing it in front of Minami Yuuki.
“…Why milk?”
Faced with Minami Yuuki’s question, Ibuki Yuko was very confused: “Isn’t being hungry supposed to be solved with milk powder?”
“Please adjust my age upwards a bit and make a meal.”
“Spending more money will get me scolded by Grandma.”
Minami Yuuki pondered who suddenly brought up the grandmother. He quickly understood; it referred to Ibuki Honoka. Since Ibuki Yuko was the mother, then Ibuki Honoka naturally became the grandmother.
“Then use your pocket money, Senpai.”
“I don’t have any pocket money.”
Ibuki Yuko’s answer didn’t surprise Minami Yuuki. Over the past six months, every time he saw her shopping, it was always for things adults would eat or use. Her school bag was still the one she had used in junior high.
“There’s money in the drawer on the right side of the desk. You can take it, just remember to pay me back later.”
Ibuki Yuko stopped mid-step toward the desk when Minami Yuuki added the latter part.
“Do I have to pay it back?” she asked Minami Yuuki.
“Huh? I’m just lending it to you, of course, you have to pay it back.”
“But it’s for cooking for you.”
“A good mother uses her own money to feed her child. If she uses the child’s money, isn’t that exploiting the child and being a bad mother? Senpai doesn’t want to be a bad mother, right?”
Ibuki Yuko shook her head.
“So, this money is what I’m lending to you, Senpai. That way, it’s like it’s your own money.”
Ibuki Yuko hesitated.
“Don’t overthink it. Senpai, once you start working, you can easily pay back this amount. You don’t want to be a bad mother, do you? I won’t listen to a bad mother.”
Minami Yuuki urged her again, and Ibuki Yuko finally opened the drawer and took out the money.
“Let’s go, we’ll go to the supermarket together.” Minami Yuuki jumped off the bed and followed the girl out.
Ibuki Yuko turned to look at his face. The sunset light from the hallway cast an orange-red glow on his smiling face. He seemed very happy.
This way, he wouldn’t think about using a sharp pen tip to pierce his neck, right?
Ibuki Yuko’s gaze fell, passing his rosy lips, his statue-like resolute chin, and landed on his fair neck.
“Are you mesmerized by your child? Mama Yuko already has the qualifications to be a good mother.” Minami Yuuki teased her.
The elevator arrived, Ibuki Yuko pressed the down button, thinking, Mama Yuko?
Her mind flashed back to her childhood, chasing after Ibuki Honoka. Back then, her parents hadn’t divorced, and Honoka often held her hand and looked at her gently.
The elevator door opened, Ibuki Yuko took Minami Yuuki’s hand and led him inside.
[Your plan is going smoothly. Over the past month, you’ve pretended to be a pitiful, world-weary child, successfully making Ibuki Yuko care for and pity you. After the library incident, you confirmed that her concern was sufficient and began the next step.]
[You no longer waited passively for Ibuki Yuko to approach, triggering her emotions. You took the initiative, forcing her to establish a new relationship with you, shifting from rescuer and rescued to guardian and ward.]
[You called her Mama Yuko. Beneath her calm expression, her heart was stirring.]
[You and her went to the supermarket together, buying ingredients for dinner and the next day’s meals. Your rented apartment has an induction cooker and some basic kitchenware. Ibuki Yuko cooked for you at your place.]
[Her cooking skills weren’t as good as Asano Nao’s, but her completely different attitude and the way she looked at you gave you a spiritual sense of delight. If Asano Nao was a passionate yet cautious orange cat trying to get close, then Ibuki Yuko was a cold black kitten treating you as a child, but with faint emotions.]
[Using the excuse that a mother and son should eat together, you had Ibuki Yuko dine with you.]
[After eating, you said goodbye to Ibuki Yuko and reminded her to come early every morning to prepare breakfast and lunch for you.]
[You sent a message to Asano Nao, saying you wouldn’t be dining at her place. To prevent her from overthinking, you emphasized that she was still your friend, her cooking was excellent, and you would still visit her in the afternoon. You just found a petite senpai to experience a mother-son relationship and wanted to dine with your new family member.]
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