Chapter 49: Mrs. Izumi's Perfect Weight
Inside her room, Sagiri let out a sigh of relief, then quietly cracked the door open. "I hate Mom the most!"
"Ehhh?!"
Mrs. Izumi was visibly crushed.
Shunsuke patted Sagiri's head. "You've had it rough. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I won't let Mom bother you."
"Mhm, Onii-chan is the best," Sagiri replied, her eyes red as she nuzzled into his hand.
"Wh-what?!" Mrs. Izumi looked even more devastated.
Marin glanced left and right before suddenly dropping into a dramatic tiger-repentance bow. "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! Sagiri-chan, please don't blame Mrs. Izumi anymore!"
Sagiri jumped back, startled.
Who is this person? She's super intense—this is terrifying!
Mrs. Izumi pulled Marin up. "Marin, you don't need to be so over-the-top in the future. Really, it's fine."
Shunsuke looked at Marin, puzzled. "Do you…do this often?"
Wait a second, he thought. This never happened in the original story.
"No way, this is the first…no, second time in my life!"
"Then why does it seem like you're so practiced at it?"
"Practiced?" Marin looked confused. "Isn't this something everyone from this country just naturally knows? My moves were totally off; how did you think I looked experienced?"
"...Never mind."
Shunsuke was at a loss for words; the last time he felt this speechless was…well, the last time.
Realizing everyone was watching her, Marin scratched her cheek, looking a bit embarrassed. "Actually, there's more to it. My mom passed away when I was really little, and my dad's always busy with work, so I hardly see him. Motherly love has always felt distant, but it's something I cherish in my heart. So when I heard Sagiri-chan say she hated Mrs. Izumi, I thought that wasn't right. Mrs. Izumi obviously loves her very much. If I were the reason they ended up fighting or drifting apart, I'd only be able to apologize with my life."
Hearing Marin's heartfelt words, Mrs. Izumi teared up and hugged her. "Marin, you really understand me the best. From now on, you can call me 'Mom' just like Shunsuke does."
Marin's eyes sparkled. Does this mean she's approving of me dating Senpai?
"But, Senpai, you calling Mrs. Izumi 'Mom'? What about your real mom?"
Shunsuke flicked her on the forehead. "Stop misleading people! Who's calling her 'Mom'?"
"And raising a daughter who turned out like this—I have to take care of you! You really think you can handle a second kid? Get some self-awareness!"
Mrs. Izumi huffed. "Sagiri's adorable, and you're an excellent young man. Doesn't that prove I'm an excellent mom?"
"Absolutely! Mrs. Izumi is the best mom," Marin agreed enthusiastically.
"Onii-chan… does that mean I'm annoying?" Sagiri peeked out from behind Shunsuke, tugging on his sleeve with a shy, anxious look.
Shunsuke felt cornered. With Sagiri's sad, puppy-dog eyes fixed on him, what could he say? He had no choice but to admit, albeit a little reluctantly, that Mrs. Izumi was indeed an excellent mom.
"By the way, Senpai, with you calling her 'Mom,' wouldn't your own mother mind?"
"That's not happening," Shunsuke clarified again. "But if we're talking opinions, well… my mom also passed away when I was young. My dad's always busy with work too, so I'm basically in the same boat as you."
"Oh… sorry about that."
"It's fine, it's long past. No need to make that face—I didn't even respond like that, so what's with the 'oops, I brought up your trauma' look?"
Shunsuke felt awkward. Ever since he was young, people who found out about his situation would apologize, whether sincerely or superficially, but it never felt necessary. That was why, unlike Mrs. Izumi, he hadn't reacted strongly to Marin's comment.
Marin scratched her head, a little embarrassed. "When you put it like that… yeah, over the years, I got used to it. Guess you did too, Senpai."
"Yep, so no more kneeling. Sagiri forgave you already—let's go eat."
Shunsuke offered Marin a hand and helped her up.
Marin looked over at Sagiri. Sagiri peeked out from behind Shunsuke and gave a shy little nod.
After all, Sagiri was still a kindhearted kid. Hearing Marin's story had touched her, making her think of Shunsuke, and it naturally softened her feelings.
When the four of them went downstairs to the dining table, Eriri had already laid out all the dishes.
"Shunsuke." Koizumi, for once, called Shunsuke by name directly. "The noodles are starting to swell."
From her restless yet conflicted expression, she probably had never experienced the agony of watching noodles soak too long while waiting for others to sit down.
Koizumi was practically twitching, but as a guest, she couldn't start without the host, as it would be rude.
"My bad, my bad. Let's start eating, everyone!" Shunsuke quickly took his seat and confiscated the baumkuchen in Mashiro's hand.
"Focus on the meal. No snacks during dinner."
Mashiro shot him a glare. "Shunsuke, you're a meanie."
"Yes, yes," he replied without missing a beat. "You can have it after we eat."
Once everyone was seated, Mrs. Izumi, as the host, led them all in clasping their hands.
"Let's eat!" they said in unison.
Once the meal had officially started, Koizumi couldn't hold back any longer. She dove into her ramen, slurping it down eagerly.
Marin, the snack-loving gal, was just as enthusiastic.
Meanwhile, Mashiro took tiny, delicate bites, while Eriri ate slowly and with a refined grace.
Watching the two big eaters go at it, Mrs. Izumi asked Marin with admiration, "Marin, do you have any secret to staying slim?"
"Ah, just regular exercise—like running and stuff. There's no shortcut to losing weight." Upon hearing this, Marin put down her chopsticks with a pained expression. "Honestly, I've eaten too much. My weight is over 50 kilograms now; I can't afford to get any heavier."
"Ha, ha, ha…"
Mrs. Izumi forced a laugh. At your height, with that figure, can you really call yourself overweight? Can we skip the humblebrag?
I'm at 60 kilograms right now!
Seeing Mrs. Izumi frowning as she pinched her little belly, Shunsuke comforted her. "Mrs. Izumi, honestly, you look great just the way you are—perfect! You really don't need to think about how Kitagawa manages her weight."
Mrs. Izumi's face lit up with joy at his words, but Sagiri let out a disgruntled hum, and then they heard the next comment.
"Kitagawa is still young, so her metabolism is higher, making it easier for her to stay slim. But Mrs. Izumi, your figure is just right for a mature woman. As you know, someone once said that a woman with a little belly is the most alluring."
"…"
"…"
"…"
Sagiri, Eriri, Mrs. Izumi, and Marin all fell silent.
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