Perhaps only those who have been single mothers can truly understand the weight of the sadness.
The feeling of having to do everything by yourself.
Didn't Sae want someone she could rely on?
"I…" Sae hesitated. Sometimes, silence or hesitation speaks volumes.
"If you're feeling confused, don't overthink it," Ryuji said gently, his voice calm but reassuring. "Just follow your feelings."
He leaned in closer to Sae, and she, knowing what Ryuji intended to do, paused for just a moment. But instead of pulling away, she closed her eyes, accepting the moment.
Just as their lips were about to meet
"Mom, when's dinner?" Sagiri's voice called out suddenly from her room upstairs.
Sae immediately jolted up from the sofa, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"It'll be ready soon!" she called back, her voice hurried and a little shaky.
At that moment, the door to Sagiri's room opened, and the young girl stepped out. She seemed curious, seeing Ryuji still there, lying casually on the sofa.
"Are you the big brother from next door?" Sagiri asked, her head tilted slightly, her innocent eyes glancing between Ryuji and her mother.
Unlike Sae, who was flustered, Ryuji remained calm, smiling warmly. "Good evening, Sagiri!"
"Good evening!" she replied, her small voice soft and polite.
"There was a problem with the water pipes in your bathroom," Ryuji explained smoothly, "so your mom asked me to come over and help fix them."
"Oh, I see," Sagiri said with a nod, not suspecting anything out of the ordinary.
Sae, who had managed to calm herself, felt relieved. "Sagiri, why don't you go back to your room for a little while? Dinner will be ready soon," she said gently.
"Okay, Mom!" Sagiri nodded obediently, but before closing her door, she took another curious glance at Ryuji.
As the door shut behind Sagiri, Sae let out a deep sigh of relief. "That was close…"
She turned to Ryuji, her face still slightly pink with embarrassment. "This is all your fault!" she scolded, though there wasn't any real anger in her voice.
Ryuji simply shrugged, an innocent smile on his face. "Well, sometimes my hands have a mind of their own!"
"..."
Sae couldn't help but roll her eyes, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Shaking her head, she turned toward the kitchen. After all, dinner still needed to be made.
Ryuji was about to say something more, but at that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, his expression shifting slightly as he read the message.
"Looks like I've gotta go," Ryuji said as he stood up from the couch.
"Leaving already?" Sae asked, stepping out from the kitchen. Her voice had a hint of reluctance, even though she knew he had other things to do.
"Yeah, but don't worry. We'll have another chance to eat together." Ryuji smiled and leaned in closer, whispering something in her ear before turning to leave.
"Bad guy…" Sae muttered under her breath, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face as she watched him go.
Though her heart was racing, Sae forced herself to focus on preparing dinner for Sagiri. After all, Ryuji lived right next door. She would see him again soon enough.
---
As for Ryuji, he didn't head home right away. He still had some things to take care of, namely meeting up with Nanami, who had asked for help earlier. After leaving Sae's house, Ryuji took a taxi straight to the city center.
Someone had invited him to dinner, and it would be a shame to waste such an opportunity.
---
"Mom?" Sagiri called out during dinner, noticing how her mother seemed to drift off into her thoughts. "You've been acting a little strange today."
"Huh?" Sae snapped out of her daze, blinking at her daughter's concerned face. She quickly shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about something else."
Sagiri looked at her mother thoughtfully. She knew her mom worked hard and had been stressed recently. After hesitating for a moment, Sagiri spoke up, her voice more serious than usual.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm getting better at drawing now. I'll be able to help you make money soon."
Sae's heart softened at her daughter's words. Even though Sagiri was still so young, she was already so thoughtful and concerned about their situation. Sagiri knew it hadn't been easy for her mother to raise her alone, especially after the move.
"Don't worry about that, sweetie." Sae smiled, gently patting her daughter's head. "Mom's fine. I've already gotten several offers to do illustration work, so we're doing okay."
As an illustrator, Sae had a steady income from working on character designs for light novels. It was something she had been doing for a while, and under her online alias Eromanga, she had become quite well-known in the industry.
It wasn't uncommon for authors to approach her with requests for illustrations, so finances weren't a big concern at the moment.
"Is that true?" Sagiri asked, her worry easing.
"Yes, really," Sae assured her. Seeing her daughter smile again lifted her spirits.
But Sagiri was still curious. "Then what were you thinking about earlier?"
Sae hesitated, not sure how to explain her earlier thoughts about Ryuji. After a moment, she decided to test the waters. "Well… I was just wondering what you think of the boy next door."
"Ryuji?" Sagiri asked, blinking. "The handsome older brother?"
Sae was surprised by her daughter's straightforward answer, but it also made her laugh. When Sagiri was around other people, her shyness made it hard for her to express herself, but around her mom, she was more open.
"Yeah, that's him," Sae said. "What do you think of him?"
Sagiri thought for a moment, recalling their brief encounter. "I think he's nice! He's got a really bright smile, and he's super handsome."
Sae chuckled to herself. Looks definitely played a part in first impressions, especially with someone as shy as Sagiri. If Ryuji had been less good-looking, maybe her daughter wouldn't have been so quick to praise him.
"Well, who knows? Maybe you'll get to know him better in the future," Sae said with a soft smile.
"Really?" Sagiri seemed intrigued. The idea of getting to know the friendly boy next door wasn't something she'd considered, but if her mom said so, she didn't see any reason to object.
With that, they continued eating, the conversation turning to lighter topics.
---
Later that night, in a cozy izakaya, Ryuji walked in and spotted Nanami sitting alone at the bar, sipping from his glass. He made his way over and took a seat next to him.
"I didn't expect you to invite me out for drinks," Ryuji said with a grin, settling in.
"After a day's work, a drink at an izakaya helps ease the fatigue. It's something I picked up during my time as a corporate worker," Nanami replied, his tone as serious as ever.
"Haha, it sounds like you didn't enjoy your old job very much."
Nanami had once left behind the life of a sorcerer to try living as an ordinary office worker. But as he quickly discovered, being a corporate slave was even worse than dealing with curses.
"Work is shit," Nanami said bluntly, loosening his tie. "Just like being a sorcerer is shit."
"Haha! You're not wrong," Ryuji laughed, clearly enjoying the straightforwardness of his new friend.
But then Ryuji glanced at the drink menu and frowned slightly. "Although, is it really okay for a high school student to be drinking in a place like this?"
Nanami looked over and responded seriously, "Sorry, I didn't think about that. I didn't know any other places."
"Well, I guess age doesn't matter much for a sorcerer," Ryuji said with a shrug, motioning to order a drink.
Just as he was about to choose, a glass of juice was placed in front of him by the bartender. The bartender, a young woman, glanced at Ryuji with a neutral expression.
"High school students aren't allowed to drink," she said simply, wiping a glass with a cloth.
She cast a quick glance in Nanami's direction and muttered, "Scumbag."
Ryuji blinked in surprise, but then he burst into laughter.
"Nanami! You've been labeled a scumbag!"
Nanami's normally calm expression faltered for a moment. He wasn't used to being called that.
"Well, it seems I've chosen the wrong place this time," he said, somewhat embarrassed.
Ryuji, still laughing, glanced up at the bartender again. She had light blue hair and an intense expression. Recognizing her, Ryuji suddenly remembered who she was.
"Kawasaki Saki…" he thought.
Saki was a character from one of the anime series he knew. She worked several jobs to support her family, doing everything she could to take care of her younger brother.
Nanami, noticing Ryuji's stare, teased him. "Looks like she caught your eye."
"Hmm? It's not like that," Ryuji responded quickly, waving his hand. "I just recognized her."
Saki, overhearing the conversation, glanced over, her expression unreadable. She didn't say anything but continued wiping the glasses with a calm, practiced motion.
Nanami raised an eyebrow. "Recognized her, huh? Are you sure it's not just your type?"
Ryuji shot Nanami an annoyed look, but before he could respond, Saki interrupted.
"You need something else?" she asked, her voice neutral but her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.
Ryuji, realizing he might have been staring for too long, quickly shook his head. "No, nothing. Just curious if you were Kawasaki Saki from school."
Saki blinked, clearly caught off guard by the mention of her name. She studied Ryuji carefully, trying to place him. "You… know me?"
Ryuji nodded. "Yeah, I'm Ryuji. We go to the same school. I've seen you around before."
Saki's expression shifted slightly, but her guard didn't drop. "So you're just a student, huh?" She muttered something under her breath about high schoolers showing up in bars, but it was more to herself than to him.
Nanami, watching the exchange, smirked. "See? I knew you were up to something."
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Come on, Nanami. I'm not hitting on her. I just recognized her."
Saki shot them both a look, clearly unimpressed. "I don't care what you're up to. Just don't make trouble here."
Ryuji raised his hands in mock surrender. "No trouble, promise."
Satisfied with that, Saki went back to her work, but not before giving Nanami a quick glare. "Don't invite high schoolers to drink next time."
Nanami, seemed a little flustered. "Understood…"
Ryuji stifled another laugh, enjoying the rare moment of seeing Nanami, normally so calm and composed, looking like he was scolded.