Determination (2)
Tae-il finished his shower and was drying his hair in the changing room when he checked his phone, which was buzzing nonstop.
"Guess I should grab some chocolate on the way."
Tae-il instinctively recalled the original Ayane's profile from the story.
She had changed so much from the original, but her tastes hadn't shifted completely.
A prime example was her favorite food: chocolate. As a girl who loved sweet treats, her go-to snack was always chocolate. It matched her preference for dark colors perfectly and suited her image so well that in real life, she'd even done a collab with Dove Chocolate, with her voice actress starring in their ads.
Ayane basically loved all chocolate, but she had a special favorite brand.
In the original story, the chocolate Ayane adored above all was from Ferrero Rocher. That was because BARD's vocalist, Tenma Izumi, loved Ferrero Rocher too. It was a cute quirk tied to her wish to resemble the star she admired and looked up to.
Even now, Ferrero Rocher was still her absolute favorite.
"Huh?"
Why did she like Ferrero Rocher again?
Tae-il's hand froze as he was about to reply to Ayane's Line message.
Every last bit of the succubus-dressed Iris haunting his mind vanished in an instant.
When was the first time Ayane had ever asked for Ferrero Rocher?
He couldn't remember.
Tae-il deleted his original reply and started typing a fresh one from scratch.
It was a bit out of left field, but the kind of casual question any close friends could toss out without a second thought.
Ayane would probably answer lightheartedly.
Or so he thought.
And Tae-il's expectations were spectacularly betrayed.
It was a betrayal that felt amazingly good.
"No way... Does Ayane still admire BARD's Izumi even now?"
Tae-il's hands trembled with excitement.
The possibility of reviving the original story wasn't zero anymore.
The ember of hope he'd thought had burned out and vanished was starting to glow again.
Ding-dong.
The sound of quick pattering footsteps came rushing toward the door after he rang the bell.
Moments later, the front door swung open, and Ayane greeted Tae-il with a beaming smile.
"Come on in!"
She'd clearly showered from head to toe and changed clothes too, a faint shampoo scent wafting from her.
Tae-il rubbed under his nose for no reason and handed over the chocolate—perfect for smoothing things over.
"Here, Ferrero Rocher."
"Whoa! Thanks, Shin! But you won't go broke on allowance because of Ayane, right?"
"I get a pretty decent allowance for a student, so it's fine."
"Saying it so confidently makes me wanna ask for even more chocolate from now on."
"Have mercy. If you do, I'll be scraping by on food money."
"Just go to the Live House less?"
"Chocolate confiscated."
"Eek! Ayane's sorry, even if I don't know why!"
As he moved to snatch back the Ferrero Rocher he'd given her as thanks for the tamagoyaki she'd made today, Ayane freaked out. Even right before dinner, she tore open the gold foil and popped one straight into her mouth.
She hummed through her nose, looking delighted.
"Mmm. So good. If your allowance is that tight, you don't have to tribute like this."
"You know saying that with the world's happiest face kills your persuasion, right?"
"But this is my favorite snack. Ayane won't die without chocolate, Shin."
For once, Ayane was spouting straight talk outside of school.
Tae-il rubbed the back of his neck.
"No matter how close we are, we gotta keep basic courtesy between friends. People start mistaking constant favors for entitlements. By the time you regret it, it's too late."
Once feelings get hurt, they might bond even tighter than before—like soil hardening after rain—but that rarely happens.
Emotional rifts just deepen with time; they don't fill easily.
"Has that ever happened to you, Shin?"
"Who knows?"
Burying his past life's memories deep, Tae-il ruffled her hair to change the mood.
"Ah! Ayane just dried her hair!"
"Relax at home, dummy. Who showers at home and then does makeup again?"
"Th-that's how high school girls are these days?"
Embarrassment from getting caught doing makeup. Satisfaction from him noticing. A mix of emotions tickled Ayane's chest.
"Is Dad still at the shop?"
"Yeah. Lots of group customers today, so he'll be stuck there."
The two naturally chatted as they headed to the kitchen.
There, Katsuragi Yuuna, Ayane's mother, was busy plating up the food.
She greeted Tae-il warmly as he said hello.
"Hi, Auntie."
"Oh, Tae-il! Come on in. Sorry to ask right away, but can you grab some plates?"
"Ayane'll carry the chopsticks!"
"She's only volunteering for the easy stuff!"
"Ayane's delicate, so even chopsticks take all her strength!"
Ayane yelled and scampered far from her mom.
Yuuna put her hands on her hips and sighed dramatically.
"Sorry my daughter's like that, Tae-il."
"No worries."
He couldn't quite say it looked more like sisters bickering than mother and daughter—which was nice to see.
As with moms in manga, Yuuna was young and beautiful. Standing next to her daughter, she looked more like a sister.
In moments like this, it feels so manga-like...>
Tae-il recalled the original story's main characters' parents, who only appeared occasionally.
One was Yuuna, the other Arisugawa Zenjiro, Iris's father.
Zenjiro didn't resemble Iris at all, aside from his stubborn personality. But Ayane and Yuuna matched in both looks and temperament, like proper mother and daughter.
It was a difference born from Tae-il's existence.
The original Ayane hadn't resembled her mother this much. Her underdeveloped growth gave her a more childish vibe.
Under Tae-il's devoted meddling, Ayane had grown up cooler and more refined than in the original.
As a result, she was practically a mini-Yuuna now.
The only gap left is that motherly aura...>
She hadn't fully matched her yet, but that was inevitable—Yuuna defied time with her insane youthfulness.
Considering how celebrities poured millions into maintaining their looks, Yuuna was downright unfair.
Tae-il thought of his own mom, aging honestly with the years, and made a complicated face.
"Auntie, seriously, why didn't you go into entertainment?"
"I was dating your uncle?"
"Did Uncle save the country in a past life or something...?"
"Ehehe."
As Tae-il eyed Yuuna enviously, Ayane giggled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Just 'cause!"
Ayane held one firm belief.
Just you wait. Once I grow a bit more, I'll be like Mom!>
The conviction that she'd become a splendid woman like her mother someday.
Tae-il especially liked mature women with that Yuuna-like charm.
Your classic older-woman fetish.
He might not have hidden naughty magazines under his bed like some internet stereotype, but Ayane—his childhood friend who'd stuck by him forever—was absolutely convinced his type was older women.
A childhood slip-up sealed it.
"Ideal type? Hmm? Gotta pick from people around me? Then definitely Yuuna Auntie."
Tae-il had named Yuuna without a second's hesitation.
Ayane, convinced her own name would come up, was utterly shocked.
I hate Mom! Shin likes old ladies like her!>
S-So...?>
Not the kind of thing a daughter says to her mom, but back then, Tae-il's confession hit the still-young Ayane like a bombshell.
She'd even been jealous of her own mother at first. But now, with time passed, she'd realized the truth: I'll basically be Mom in the future anyway, right?> She'd regained her composure.
Of course, her impatience wasn't gone entirely—she copied her mom's cosmetics and hairstyles right away.
The fact that Tae-il saw similarities between them? All part of Ayane's scheme.
Though nearing the end of puberty, she was still struggling a bit to catch up to her mom.
She gave me all the other genes... why not that one...?>
Ayane inwardly grumbled at her mom for being so unfair.
Oblivious, Tae-il was busy gushing over Yuuna, spit flying. His tastes seemed unchanged by the years.
"Ayane, you're so lucky. Someone as pretty as Auntie gave birth to someone as pretty as you."
"Hehe. Flattery won't get you extra."
"It's not flattery. Just stating facts as they are."
"Tae-il's still so good at sweet-talking, huh?"
Yuuna let out a classic married woman's "Ara ara~" as she piled an extra piece of meat onto Tae-il's plate.
Ayane, annoyed, kicked Tae-il under the table.
"Ow! That hurts, Ayane!"
"Shin dummy!"
Ayane stuck out her tongue sullenly and scampered to the living room.
"What's her deal...?"
"Hehe. Bear with her, Tae-il. She's at that age where jealousy peaks."
"Jealousy?"
Where in that conversation was there anything for Ayane to be jealous about?
Tae-il looked puzzled despite Yuuna's hint and quietly carried his plate.
Yuuna, who'd witnessed her daughter's youthful antics, chuckled leisurely with her cheek in hand.
"Our Ayane's gonna have it rough~."
Married woman, total victory!