Grocery Shopping with Nayeon Aunt
I'd told Soyeong about my relationships with Boyeon and Senior Eunji, even taking her to a motel to show her—but that day, I didn't sleep with her.
"Still... I want my first time to be just with you, Taesu..."
At Soyeong's request, that day ended with me pounding Senior Eunji senseless instead. Soyeong said she'd prepare her heart for next time and asked me to wait, so I decided to give her that time. The weekend arrived, and I stepped out for a walk, just to get some air.
A bit disappointing.
A day had passed, but I still regretted not claiming Soyeong that night. Still, I had no intention of forcing her—I respected her wishes.
"Taesu!"
"Huh? Oh, Nayeon Aunt."
"Hello."
"Yeah, it's been a while. What are you doing around here?"
"Just out for a stroll."
"I see..."
I hadn't expected to run into her here, so I was a little surprised, and an awkward atmosphere settled in.
"You got time by any chance?"
"Uh... yeah, sure."
"Then how about I treat you to something delicious? We could grab lunch together."
"...Sure."
I couldn't bring myself to refuse her pleading expression and nodded. Suddenly, we were having lunch together, and I followed her into what looked like a pricey restaurant.
"This place looks expensive, though?"
"It's fine. Come on in."
I knew all about her situation, so I hesitated a bit, but she took my hand and led me inside.
Well, things have gotten better for her now...
To be precise, after I paid off all her debts, her family's finances had improved dramatically. Soyeong had told me that her mom, who used to juggle two or even three jobs, had cut back and could finally live a little more comfortably. We lived so close by, but this was the first time we'd bumped into each other on the street because she was always working somewhere else.
"Order whatever you want—everything."
"In that case, I'll have..."
Turning down too much would be rude, so I ordered reasonably.
"Sorry I can only do this much for you."
"No, it's fine. We had tuna the other time too."
"My daughter scarfed down most of that, didn't she?"
"......"
Without even seeing it, Nayeon Aunt had Soyeong's personality pegged and spoke like she already knew everything.
"I won't keep thanking you since it'd probably make you uncomfortable—just this once. Really... thank you so much."
Her eyes glistened with tears as she spoke, and I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. Hearing her gratitude directly like this made me feel proud yet embarrassed.
"...You treated me like your own son when I was little. So think of it as a son helping out his mom."
"I still think of you that way. Hope Jeong-ah won't mind a little."
"Mom would be grateful too."
Nayeon Aunt had taught my mom—who knew next to nothing about raising kids—all sorts of things back when I was young. Mom was thankful for that and saw her as another mother figure.
"You used to trail after me everywhere when you were little, and now look at you—all grown up."
"I'm an adult now too."
She might still see me as a kid, but adding my pre-regression years, I wasn't much younger than her now. Being babied too much felt a bit embarrassing.
"So whatever I can do for you, just say the word!"
"I'll let you know if something comes up."
I didn't plan on asking for more, but she seemed eager to repay the favor somehow, so I agreed to mention it if I thought of anything.
"Makes me think of the old days when you used to call me 'Mom' by mistake."
"Th-that was just a slip-up."
I called her "Aunt," but as a kid, I'd accidentally called her "Mom" sometimes. Like when elementary kids call their teacher "Mom" by mistake. The difference was that Nayeon Aunt loved it and said I could keep calling her that. Of course, I never did...
"If you're ever struggling, Aunt will help however she can... Come find me anytime."
"Yeah, thanks."
Her words weren't just because I'd cleared her debts—they brimmed with genuine adult concern for me. My face flushed without me realizing it.
We chatted as we ate.
"If you have time after this, could you help me with grocery shopping?"
"Sure, of course."
"Thanks. My daughter's been holed up in her room since coming home late last night for some reason... Not even coming out."
It was probably my fault, but I didn't say anything. Helping Nayeon Aunt with groceries wasn't new. Back in elementary school, I spent a lot of time at her house, so we'd gone shopping together plenty. We hadn't since I got older, but doing it again after so long wasn't bad.
.....................
"Thanks to you, Taesu, I can shop like this at my leisure... Feels great."
For years, she'd slaved away to pay off the debts her late husband left behind while raising Soyeong. Soyeong's foray into stocks and loan sharking stemmed from wanting to ease her mom's burden, which left Nayeon feeling guilty. She blamed herself for her daughter's bad choices due to her own shortcomings, brooding darkly over the future—until I fixed it all in one go. Not just Soyeong's debts, but her husband's too. She felt a gratitude words couldn't express.
But Taesu wanted nothing in return, so all she could do was say thanks and buy him meals. It felt too small to settle such a massive debt. She had to repay him somehow to ease her conscience, but he desired nothing.
He's too good-hearted for his own good...
He seemed a bit more composed now, but his kind nature was the same as when he was a child. She was happy he'd grown up so well, yet it only deepened her guilt.
"I'll push the cart."
"No, I'll do it."
"It's fine."
While shopping together, she wanted to buy whatever he liked, but he was the one full of eagerness to help. Maybe he had something he wanted and came along to let her buy or cook it. So she focused on aisles with ingredients he'd enjoy, watching his reactions.
She'd empty her wallet for anything expensive he wanted, but knowing it'd burden him, she opted for cooking instead. Preparing meals or buying treats wouldn't make him uncomfortable.
"You loved this when you were little."
"Yeah. Didn't expect they'd still have it."
Strolling the aisles together after so long brought back memories, lifting her mood.
He used to toddle after me... Now he's a proper man.
Looking at Taesu, no longer a boy but a full adult, made her heart beat a little faster.
"You loved the side dish made from this, right?"
"Still do."
"Really? Ask Jeong-ah to make it more often."
"She does sometimes, but it's not quite the same as yours."
"Oh? Then how about Aunt makes some?"
"No need to go to the trouble."
"Nonsense. It'll be nice to see Jeong-ah after so long too. Let's head to your place once we're done shopping."
"Uh... um... Okay."
Taesu looked a bit flustered but agreed, and they finished shopping quickly before heading to his house.
....................
I panicked a little when Nayeon Aunt came over.
Should be fine, right?
Mom was home, but she wasn't in a state Nayeon Aunt could see. As long as Aunt didn't go looking, it should be okay. I wanted to text Mom to act normal, but that wasn't possible. Refusing would disappoint her now, so I'd said yes. Nostalgia and craving her cooking made it a calculated risk, but I went along with it.
"Still so big."
Unlike her modest home, our large house always surprised her.
"Jeong-ah not home?"
"Probably at the company for work."
"Always so busy."
I sighed inwardly in relief at her lack of suspicion.
"Then Aunt will cook something special after all this time—relax in the meantime."
"I'll help."
"You will?"
Letting her cook alone felt rude, so I offered.
"This takes me back."
I often ate at her place as a kid and helped out simply to ease the guilt of freeloading. She reminisced happily about those times.
"I'll portion some out for later in the fridge."
"Thanks."
We'd eaten lunch recently, so she divided it up.
"Make yourself at home before you go."
"Should I?"
She didn't visit often, but I remembered she liked our massage chair.
"Oh, it's even better than before~"
We'd upgraded to the latest model last year, and she beamed with joy.
"Then excuse me."
Grinning at the thought of using it after so long, she sat down.
Whirrrrr...
The chair hummed to life. At the same time, her breasts began to jiggle with the vibrations, drawing my eyes before I could stop myself.