"Akira, can you guess what special tools I'm talking about?"
Sayuri Sawamura asked mysteriously.
"Mom, your standards are getting lower and lower."
"At the very least, people should have some—"
Looking at the massive wedding photo hanging above the bed, glaringly obvious in its presence, Akira was completely speechless at Sayuri's sheer shamelessness.
As expected of a seasoned otaku and doujin artist—she was straight-up reenacting the plot of an 18+ manga in real life.
"Akira, just answer me this—doesn't it make things more exciting?"
"Doesn't this count as a special enhancement tool?"
"It does."
Akira rolled his eyes and replied in a complicated tone.
Heaven bear witness—he had never expected things to reach this point.
Dad went back to his homeland to remarry, leaving Sayuri and Eriri in his care.
How was this not a plot straight out of an eroge?
"Hurry up and carry me to the bath."
"I spent a fortune renovating this bedroom back then."
"I've tested it—even if we blast music at full volume in here, Eriri won't hear a thing."
"My bedroom is basically a soundproof chamber now."
"After all these years, I finally have a reason to put it to use."
Sayuri beamed proudly as she explained.
"I give up."
At this point, what else could Akira do?
Might as well just go along with it.
The Next Morning
"Get up now, or Eriri's going to find out."
"Akira, you don't need to worry about that at all."
"During breaks, Eriri has completely turned into a full-fledged otaku."
"She never wakes up before noon."
"Besides, I have a secret weapon."
Sayuri, still unwilling to get out of bed, kept her eyes closed as she lazily explained.
"What secret weapon?"
"Try feeling around under the wall by the bed."
"There's a button—press it, and you'll see."
Akira suddenly raised his head and looked toward the far end of the room.
The entire wall was covered by built-in wardrobes, leaving no gaps up to the ceiling.
On the other side of that wall was his own bedroom.
"Mom, you mean to tell me you not only broke through the wall between our rooms but also installed hidden compartments to disguise the secret passage?"
"Akira, sometimes I think you being too smart is actually a bit of a drawback."
"Since you were little, I never got to experience that sense of parental superiority."
"Nothing ever gets past you."
"Mom, if you weren't doing something shady, why would you need to hide anything from me?"
Akira replied sarcastically.
…Fair point.
Sayuri found herself momentarily at a loss for words.
If Akira wasn't such a reliable person, she wouldn't have relied on him in the first place.
Akira ran his hand along the base of the bed until he found a slightly raised button.
Pressing it, he heard a faint clunk as something shifted within the wardrobe.
"I had the entire wall knocked through and reinforced with built-in wardrobes."
"But I only left a small passage hidden in the corner."
"I was afraid you'd eventually notice something off."
"After all, you're way too perceptive—your observation skills are ridiculously sharp."
"You can spot even the smallest clue."
"With your height now, you'll have to crawl through."
"Mom, you're acting all proud just because you're tiny, huh?"
"Even Eriri is at least 150 centimeters tall."
"You're still shorter than her by half a head."
Seriously, most fast-growing elementary school kids are taller than you now.
"If not for Dad's genetics, Eriri would probably be even shorter."
"Akira, are you disliking my height now?"
"You sure didn't seem to mind last night when you were holding me—"
Sayuri sat up slightly before plopping back down with a pout.
Pfft!
Hearing that, Akira's expression turned strange, and he nearly choked.
After stalling for as long as possible, it was already nearing 11 a.m. before Akira finally managed to get out of bed.
Carrying Sayuri to the washroom, he started freshening her up, just as if he were handling a delicate, exquisite doll.
Washing her face, drying her hair, dressing her, and even applying makeup.
"Mom, isn't it exhausting wearing a kimono every day?"
"It's not like I'm wearing a multi-layered jūnihitoe that weighs over ten kilograms—how could it be tiring?"
"Besides, I've long since gotten used to it."
"Your grandmother has worn kimonos her entire life, whether at home or outside."
"Being raised by her, it was only natural that I picked up the habit."
Watching her son skillfully apply light makeup on her, Sayuri quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures.
Click! Click!
"Akira, your makeup skills are getting better and better."
Admiring her flawless reflection in the mirror, Sayuri beamed.
"Eriri can't even be bothered to put on makeup when she goes out now."
"I really worry about her future."
"Didn't you half-trick and half-force me into learning this when I was little?"
"You told me it was an essential skill for impressing girls in the future."
"That I'd be able to do my future girlfriend's makeup for her."
"But in the end, I ended up just doing yours."
Before awakening his past-life memories, Akira had been thoroughly bamboozled by Sayuri's schemes as a kid.
He had learned a bunch of skills he had absolutely no use for.
"Akira, aren't I your female friend?"
"So, tell me—have you used the skill or not?"
Sayuri crossed her arms and challenged him with confidence.
Akira: ...…
"Mom, I give up."
"I'm heading back to my room to change."
By the time Sayuri was fully dressed and groomed, it was already noon.
With a weary sigh, Akira waved his hand dismissively and slipped into the hidden passage between their rooms.
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