Chapter 118: The Test from Mrs. Kinzawa

After the Amemiya sisters finished swimming, Anhe and Moto planned to rest at home in the afternoon. Unexpectedly, Reina Serizawa suddenly called, hoping he could visit the Serizawa household.

The situation was roughly this: Serizawa’s parents had learned that Anhe had been taking care of their daughter all this time. Moreover, it was Anhe who had found the medicine that helped Reina recover her speech. They wanted to properly express their gratitude.

Though Anhe felt no thanks was necessary, he still accepted the invitation. After all, the Serizawa parents were almost like his own.

After bidding farewell to the Amemiya sisters, Anhe spent over half an hour reaching the Serizawa residence. He parked his car, bought some fruit at a nearby supermarket, then went upstairs.

Knocking on the door, an excited female voice immediately called out, “You’re here, you’re here!” Footsteps followed eagerly.

The door opened, revealing Reina Serizawa dressed in a black silk dress, a bow tied atop her head. Upon seeing Anhe, her eyes suddenly brightened, her face blooming with a radiant smile as she joyfully said, “Yusei-kun, you’ve finally come! Please, come in.”

She stepped aside, fully opening the door.

“Sorry to intrude,” Anhe greeted as he entered.

At that moment, another figure peeked out from the living room, curiously asking, “Little Reina, is the Anhe-kun you mentioned here yet?”

Anhe turned to see a woman in her thirties. She wasn’t heavily made up, but her good looks were evident. Perhaps due to years of neglecting skincare, her complexion appeared somewhat dull. Her chestnut hair was tied into a loose braid draped over her shoulder—a fairly attractive middle-aged woman.

Anhe silently assessed her.

Just then, Reina suddenly linked her arm with his, smiling uncontrollably as she introduced him to the woman, “Yes, Mom, this is Anhe Yusei.”

“Hello, Auntie,” Anhe greeted promptly.

“Huh? So Anhe-kun is this handsome? Please, come in,” Reina’s mother said, surprised yet welcoming, leading Anhe into the living room.

On the sofa sat a man in his forties. Not tall, somewhat lean, with a skin tone darker than his wife’s—clearly someone who worked outdoors often.

“Hello, Uncle,” Anhe bowed slightly, placing the fruit he’d been carrying on the coffee table.

The man’s gaze didn’t linger on the fruit but scanned Anhe curiously from head to toe like a scanner. Only after a nudge from his wife did he snap back, hastily standing and smiling, “Anhe, right? Please, have a seat.”

“Uncle, you’re too kind,” Anhe replied, sitting opposite him. The man followed suit.

The Serizawa father seemed taciturn, silent after Anhe sat down, merely watching quietly.

The room fell into an awkward silence.

Fortunately, Reina, sensing her father’s unusual mood, broke the tension.

She moved beside him and nudged his shoe with her foot, “Dad, didn’t you say you wanted to properly thank Anhe-kun?”

“Oh? Right!” The Serizawa father belatedly slapped his forehead, stood up, adjusted his collar facing Anhe, then suddenly bowed deeply, his voice solemn and loud, “Your kindness to my daughter these past days is deeply appreciated!”

With a quick hand, Reina covered her blushing face, helpless at her father’s awkward performance.

They had rehearsed this many times, but he still forgot.

“Hope Anhe-kun doesn’t mind,” Reina thought secretly, glancing at him, only to find no change in his expression.

Anhe was unaware of Reina’s inner thoughts.

To him, Serizawa’s father was a true father figure—reserved in words but sincere in heart.

“Wonder if Serizawa’s father knew I admired his youngest daughter, would he suddenly turn hostile?” The thought startled Anhe, but he quickly shook his head to dispel it, then helped the Serizawa father up.

“Uncle, you’re too kind. This is all my duty.”

The Serizawa father’s lips moved slightly but said nothing. Instead, Serizawa’s mother took over, placing a plate of washed fruit on the table and smiling apologetically at Anhe.

“Don’t mind Yome here. He’s just like that—clumsy and not talkative.”

“Not at all,” Anhe shook his head.

Pleased with his response, Serizawa’s mother sat beside him, took his hand, and started chatting.

Mostly, she asked about his interactions with Reina and about his family.

Upon learning Anhe’s mother had passed away, she showed surprise then quickly bowed, “I’m truly sorry, Anhe-kun, to bring up such sorrowful memories.”

“It’s alright. It’s all in the past,” Anhe smiled softly, showing no sadness.

Yet, the more composed he appeared, the more pained Serizawa’s mother felt.

“I suppose losing a mother’s love made Anhe-kun so gentle,” she thought, pulling him close and stroking his back, comforting him.

“If you don’t mind, you can think of me as your mother too.”

Before Anhe could react, his face was pressed between two soft curves, and a voice echoed in his mind.

“When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you! Perhaps Sayuri Serizawa doesn’t realize how much psychological pressure this simple comfort might later bring. But never mind—right now, you just want to hold the person before you down, watching the guilt on her face for her husband and daughter. Only then do you feel fulfilled.”

The narration’s shamelessness once again shattered Anhe’s patience.

Though he could still smell the gentle scent of Serizawa’s mother’s chest, this time, he felt no inappropriate thoughts.

He closed his eyes, quietly savoring the warmth of her embrace.

Perhaps, as she said, in this moment, Anhe truly regarded her as a mother.

However, the long-awaited warmth was abruptly broken by a figure pulling them apart.

“Mom, how could you do that?” Reina pouted, clutching Anhe’s arm and complaining to Sayuri Serizawa.

Sayuri paused, then laughed softly, covering her mouth while teasing her husband across the table.

“Did you see that, dear? Your precious daughter is jealous of me.”

Serizawa’s father merely smiled obediently, showing little reaction.

Reina blushed but clung tighter to Anhe’s arm, as if afraid someone would take him away.

Seeing this, Sayuri’s smile deepened; she also looped her arm through Anhe’s and teased Reina more about being jealous.

Unwilling to accept this, Reina argued back, while Anhe found himself awkwardly laughing along.

Luckily, salvation arrived.

The door opened, and Yui Serizawa entered, also wearing a black dress and carrying bags of groceries.

She had been sent to buy ingredients, so wasn’t home earlier.

Seeing the scene, after hearing the story, she playfully rapped her sister’s head, scolding, “Dummy sister, nobody’s stealing Anhe-senpai from you. Come help me wash the vegetables.”

She turned toward the kitchen.

Holding her head in protest, Reina frowned, “You’re the one who wanted to steal him.”

Though thinking that, she dared not say aloud.

Just as she intended to rise, a hand pressed her back down.

“Reina, stay here with Anhe-kun. Leave the kitchen to Mom,” Sayuri said, winking at Reina with a mysterious smile before heading to the kitchen.

After she left, only Anhe and the Serizawas remained in the living room.

The atmosphere sank back into awkward silence.

In the kitchen, Sayuri closed the door behind her, tied on an apron, and walked slowly to Yui, who was unpacking vegetables.

Feigning casualness, she said, “Reina can be so jealous just because I hugged Anhe-kun.”

“That’s just her personality. Mom might not care, but she takes things seriously,” Yui said, her expression turning thoughtful.

Listening, Sayuri nodded knowingly.

“True, Reina’s just inexperienced. If she met more boys, maybe she wouldn’t like Anhe-kun so much.”

“Does Mom think Anhe-kun isn’t good enough?” Yui suddenly set down the vegetables and looked at her mother in shock.

Sayuri’s eyes flashed mischievously but she sighed, explaining, “He’s handsome, but too flirtatious.”

Hearing this, Yui’s heart skipped a beat. Though unwilling to admit it, her cheeks flushed and her heartbeat quickened, yet she tried to remain composed.

“Anhe-kun is… very good, not flirtatious.”

“Really?” Sayuri smiled mysteriously, eyes scanning her prematurely mature younger daughter, confirming her suspicions.

Since the day Anhe returned, after hearing her daughters’ descriptions of him, Sayuri sensed something was off.

Having lived over forty years, she’d seen much, and with her two daughters so close, she could easily read their minds.

The eldest daughter’s feelings were almost written on her face: “I like Anhe-kun.”

Conversely, Yui, usually composed, tried to hide it but her glances at Anhe spoke volumes.

Now, a little teasing revealed the truth.

As for Anhe himself… handsome and well-mannered, but flirtatious indeed; otherwise, his first reaction to being hugged wouldn’t be to catch his breath.

Recalling the heated breath near her chest, Sayuri felt her cheeks flush.

“Two daughters liking the same guy… such things…”

Sighing, Sayuri didn’t expose her daughter’s feelings but scratched her head, jokingly saying, “Maybe Mom’s mistaken. Let’s cook. Later, Anhe-kun can taste my cooking. Maybe he’ll fall for this old lady~~”

“Mom, don’t joke like that,” Yui pouted, displeased.

Sayuri stuck out her tongue and playfully poked her daughter’s puffed cheeks, “Okay, okay, no more jokes.”

Yui burst out laughing, then turned back to prepare the ingredients.

Back in the living room, the awkward silence lingered.

After a long while, unable to bear it, Anhe initiated conversation with Serizawa’s father.

He began by asking about their work, then recent happenings, and local anecdotes.

Once talking about familiar topics, Serizawa’s father became like an open Pandora’s box, talking nonstop. Reina tried several times to interject, but failed.

Their chat lasted over an hour, until the meal was served, when Serizawa’s father finally stopped reluctantly.

“Alright, wash your hands; dinner’s ready.”

Sayuri patted her husband’s shoulder, then smiled at Anhe, “Yome’s like that—once he talks about what he knows, he won’t stop. Please don’t mind, Anhe-kun.”

“Not at all. Uncle’s quite interesting,” Anhe replied, smiling and standing to join Serizawa’s father in washing up.

When they returned, dinner was officially underway.

Perhaps to thank Anhe, the Serizawa family’s dinner was especially sumptuous.

During the meal, Serizawa’s father invited Anhe to drink, but Anhe declined, citing he was under twenty.

After dinner, Sayuri and Yui cleared the table. Reina accompanied Anhe to help the drunken Serizawa father to his bedroom.

Along the way, he rambled nonsensically—claiming he’d been the school heartthrob with admirers lined from Tokyo to Kanagawa, and that Anhe resembled his youthful self.

Once they laid him in bed, he quieted and soon began snoring.

[Late at night, a drunken master and three powerless women—tonight might be a sleepless night?]

The narration suddenly chimed, confusing Anhe. Outside, a brilliant flash of white light streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap.

(End of chapter)