Nighttime.
Gotoh Michiyo stared at the television screen in the living room, slightly lost in thought.
Recently, her eldest daughter had been coming home later and later.
Before joining the band, Hitori always came home before four in the afternoon. Even after joining the band, she still returned before seven every day.
But today felt a little off.
It was already eight o'clock.
Why was she still not back?
As a mother, Gotoh Michiyo could not help but worry. That said, she was not worried about her daughter being tricked away by some strange man. With Bocchi-chan's appearance, ordinary perverts would not dare to get close easily. Dark circles under her eyes, hunched posture, pink tracksuit, a guitar on her back. Even more dangerous than the so-called landmine style, the kind that looked like it would explode if you got too close.
It was the kind of presence that made normal people instinctively distance, let alone try to make friends.
"Nijika is really such a good kid, willing to be friends with Hitori..."
Gotoh Michiyo thought of the cute girl who had invited her daughter to join the band.
She was probably an angel.
"Kita is also nice. Full of energy, she can help fix Hitori's terrible personality."
Thinking this far, Gotoh Michiyo realized that she had not really talked to that blue-haired girl named Yamada Ryo. She had only seen her on the cultural festival stage.
Next time there was a chance, she should take Futari to a live house in Shimokitazawa.
Faces of several girls slowly passed through Gotoh Michiyo's mind, and then she remembered the boy who often played with her two daughters.
To be honest.
Gotoh Michiyo did not think her daughter had any chance with someone like that.
Toru's conditions were just too good, good to an almost ridiculous degree.
These days, people emphasized freedom of marriage and no longer promoted arranged marriages, but the idea of being well matched still existed.
They were not a match, truly not a match.
A mother knew her child best.
Unless he was blind, how could he possibly take a liking to her socially anxious daughter?
———
Half an hour later.
Through the window, Gotoh Michiyo saw a young couple walking hand in hand toward the front door. Her pupils shook.
My heavens.
Toru really was blind.
She quickly gathered her thoughts and went to the entrance, already thinking about how to keep this long-term meal ticket of her daughter's.
Boys with such good conditions were rare.
And boys like Toru, who were blind enough to fall for her eldest daughter, were even rarer.
If you missed this chance, there would not be another!
"I have to tie down this golden son-in-law."
Gotoh Michiyo thought seriously and decided that she had to keep Toru here tonight.
Make the couple do the deed!
Her daughter might not be good at much, but her looks were good enough and her chest was big enough. A honey trap was completely feasible.
They were already a couple anyway. This kind of thing would happen sooner or later, so making it happen a little earlier should be fine, right?
"My husband is on a business trip, and Futari is already asleep."
Gotoh Michiyo smiled happily.
Tonight was settled.
———
"Kitahara-kun, are you dating Hitori?"
Gotoh Michiyo looked at the shy young couple standing at the door and smiled like a doting aunt.
Seeing her daughter and her boyfriend reminded her of her own student days twenty years ago.
"Auntie, we have been dating for half a month already."
Toru often visited the Gotoh household, so he did not feel nervous about meeting the parents.
This kind of thing had to be made clear sooner or later.
Hitori gently tugged at his sleeve, lowered her head, and stared at her toes, twisting shyly without saying a word.
She had hidden the fact that she was dating for so long. She did not expect it to be exposed today...
This feeling was really—
So good!
Keh keh keh~
Inside, Bocchi-chan let out the unique strange laugh of a social anxiety sufferer.
Mom, you did not expect this, did you? I managed to get a boyfriend like this, and he is super handsome.
"Ah~ looks like we should cook red bean rice tonight."
Gotoh Michiyo rested her right hand against her cheek, her expression full of satisfaction.
Their relationship might be even better than she had imagined.
Maybe she could even hold a grandchild before they graduated college? By then, Futari would be in middle school, perfectly timed. She would not be bored at home.
"N-no need, we already ate," Hitori said with a red face.
"Then we will save it for next time?"
Gotoh Michiyo looked at Toru again and smiled. "Kitahara-kun, come in and sit for a while."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Toru did not sense any danger.
Just being a guest for a bit should be fine, right?
After changing his shoes, he followed Gotoh Mother into the living room, planning to rest a little before going home.
In the hallway.
He saw Jimi Hen, the Gotoh family's little dog, waddling over with its hips swaying. As if it had received an order from someone in advance, it quickly rushed toward Toru's pant leg.
"Woof!"
Toru crouched down. "What is it?"
"Jimi Hen wants you to hold it."
Bocchi-chan understood Jimi Hen's thoughts and even sensed something off.
There were only two people in the house who could command Jimi Hen. One was Mom, and the other was Gotoh Futari.
It was nine o'clock. As a well-behaved kindergarten kid, Futari should already be asleep. That meant there was only one person left who could be giving orders.
'What exactly is Mom trying to do?'
Before Hitori could react, Toru had already picked up the little dog and rubbed its belly.
He was more of a cat person, but he did not dislike dogs.
Sitting on the sofa.
Hitori wanted to help pour some juice, but she realized her mother was one step ahead.
"Kitahara-kun, here."
As she handed it over, Gotoh Michiyo gave Jimi Hen a meaningful look.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Just when Toru thought his future mother-in-law was about to ask about their relationship, Gotoh Michiyo instead took the initiative to leave, giving the space to the young couple.
She probably did not want to interrupt the young people's emotional exchange. At this stage, Toru did not have any worldly desires of that sort anyway.
"Where should we go for our date tomorrow? The temperature is about to rise, maybe we should buy some clothes...?"
"Yeah, let's go shopping then."
They chatted about their plans for tomorrow's date.
They did not notice at all that Jimi Hen, sitting in Toru's lap, was not behaving itself. It wiggled its little paw and reached toward the nearby drink cups.
At the doorway.
Gotoh Michiyo peeked through the crack and observed the scene.
That's right, Jimi Hen. Just dirty Kitahara-kun's clothes so he cannot go home.
It was as if Jimi Hen heard Gotoh Michiyo's inner shout. With one swipe, it knocked over the drink cup. Not only Toru's black tea, even Hitori's cola was not spared.
"Kitahara-kun, are you okay?"
Hitori did not care about her own clothes. She quickly grabbed some napkins from the table and helped wipe him off.
"It's fine."
"But your clothes are completely soaked. How are you going to take the train home?"
Bocchi-chan glared at the little dog.
It's all your fault, bad Jimi Hen!
"I will call a taxi later."
At this moment, the mastermind behind everything, Gotoh Michiyo, walked into the living room. When she saw Toru's wet clothes, she covered her mouth. "Kitahara-kun, I am so sorry. Our Jimi Hen got your clothes dirty."
"Auntie, you do not need to worry..."
Toru still did not notice anything strange. He smiled gently. "It's really okay."
"How could that be. Kitahara-kun, hurry and take off your clothes."
Gotoh Michiyo added, "We have a dryer at home. We can wash them now, and they will be dry by tomorrow morning."
"But if my clothes are being washed, how am I supposed to go back..."
"It's fine. Kitahara-kun, just stay over at our place. We still have a spare room."
Toru remembered that the Gotoh household did have a guest room. After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Since Auntie insists, I will accept your hospitality."
After the adults finished talking.
Bocchi-chan's expression became rather spectacular.
First it was like this. "6д9"
Then it became like this. "6?9"
Finally it turned into this. "の?の"
What should she do, what should she do.
The guest room at home was piled full of clutter. There was no way anyone could sleep there.
That meant Toru's only remaining options were to sleep with her, or to sleep with her younger sister Gotoh Futari, or with her mother Michiyo.