Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Summer Festival (1)
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I'd gotten an adult ID, but it didn't change my daily routine one bit.
As usual, I was scraping together bits of pocket change by grinding mini-games.
"Nice!"
"Argh! Why did the heavens birth Takuya and then me?!"
By the way, this change wasn't for stocks or crypto—it was strictly for my personal snacking fund.
No matter what, I couldn't bring myself to blow Miyuki's cash on my munchies.
Sure, the kids I fleeced felt sorry for themselves. But hey, not my circus, not my monkeys.
Having pocketed that hard-earned kid cash, I was buzzing with excitement, ready to move on to the next round.
"Ah! Finally found you! Takuya!!"
Until Souta showed up while I was toying with my next mark.
My almost-hooked fish darted away from the machine the second Souta approached.
'Damn, it was right on the line.'
I clicked my tongue in regret at the sight and turned to the Souta who'd called me out.
If this was some trivial bullshit, he'd pay dearly for it.
I fixed him with a piercing glare, but Souta just grinned like it was a warm welcome and waved happily.
"Hey, Takuya!"
"Yo. So, Souta, what'd you need me for?"
"Right! We gotta hurry!"
Huh? Hurry where?
"Where to?"
Souta shot me a look like I'd forgotten something obvious and explained.
I nodded, so he broke it down nice and simple.
"Today's the fighting game tournament!"
Ah, right—that thing.
It was a promise I'd wrangled out of him while cozying up during my scheme to go toe-to-toe with Miyuki.
'Was it today?'
Racking my brain slowly, yeah, it checked out.
Ever since I'd turned Miyuki into my personal plaything, I'd stopped giving a damn and totally spaced on it.
Some might call it excessive, but society doesn't pull punches.
'Society's cold.'
Kid's innocence? Worthless in my icy world of adults... Eh, phrasing's off. Point is, grown-ups play rough.
So I mulled it over inwardly, thinking maybe I'd just bail.
"Ah, and the prize for winning is..."
Until he dropped the payout figure.
"200,000 yen!"
"200,000 yen?"
"Yeah!"
Not bad at all for a podunk town tournament.
I kept that to myself and told Souta—the guy worth that prize money.
"What're you waiting for? Let's roll."
"Huh? Oh, right! Let's go!"
Souta scrambled to point the way and fell in step beside me.
And so began our grueling march to the next town over for the tournament hall.
Truth be told, "grueling march" was a stretch—the next town was only about a 30-minute walk.
We made it to the packed venue in no time and jumped straight into the qualifiers.
And get this—we came all that way for the tournament, only to...
"This is bullshit."
"Takuya, no bad words!"
Get smacked down right in the prelims!
To be precise, I tanked the final qualifier for the main bracket, while Souta just kept losing and got DQ'd outright.
Weren't we cocky as hell when we first hyped this up?
Yeah, back then...
-Tatata-tak!
Until we ran into the real deal.
I snuck a glance at the pale-skinned blonde woman absolutely demolishing her game right then.
Sunglasses and a hat couldn't hide her knockout looks—she was stunning.
Actually, she was someone very familiar to me.
For good reason...
"As expected of big sis!"
"No one's standing a chance!"
"Ugh, this lil' bro's moved by big sis's combo—Gah!"
"I'm gaming here. Shut your traps and stay quiet."
The one pounding dudes who looked easily in their thirties? Takuya's mom—no, one of my moms now—Yuka.
'Pro's a pro.'
Per Yuka herself, she'd been the talk of the town for her looks since she was a kid.
No denying it—Yuka was gorgeous. Ayaka was too, but different flavors.
Yuka had that idol-celeb glow, while Ayaka rocked an elegant model-actress vibe.
Why'd a catch like her dip into compensated dating? World's full of hidden stories, I guess.
Anyway, as I ogled my mom mid-match, she wrapped up, gave her opponent a casual nod, and strolled over to me and Souta.
"How was it? Mommy's match?"
"As expected from the one who beat me."
Yuka smirked at my words.
"Good boy."
She ruffled my hair as she said it.
Our heights matched up, so her stance was kinda awkward, but I took it like a champ.
FYI, Yuka clocked me the instant she stepped into the arcade.
I stand out, after all.
She drew eyes too, but her getup was so different from usual that no one else pegged her.
Normally she's got that insider-gal energy; today, more wild-party-gal.
So why was Mom suddenly in a fighting game tourney?
"Ah, just my hobby."
A hobby, apparently.
Unique taste in pastimes, this mom of mine.
She seemed to be holding back some details, but...
'Eh, let it slide.'
I shrugged it off with a vague nod, then asked her as she headed for finals.
"So, win this and you're buying steak?"
"Family restaurant work?"
"Then let's grab takeout for Ayaka Mom too."
"Smart thinking."
She bought it, told us to watch close since finals were up, and headed off.
And soon enough...
"The winner of the ○○th ○○ Arcade Tournament—Yuka!"
Mom beheaded the enemy general before their drinks even went warm.
"""Woooah!"""
The announcement lit up the little arcade with massive cheers.
Made sense.
Fighting game offline tourneys are dude-heavy to start with, and a skilled stunner of a woman takes the crown?
No cheers would've been the real shocker.
Of course, it sparked some...
"Hey, should I shoot my shot?"
"With your mug? Might work?!"
Impure thoughts here and there, but I nipped that shit easy.
"Mom! You're badass!"
I bellowed it loud. Yuka flashed a V-sign, beaming.
The crowd buzzed at my shout, naturally.
"She's married?"
"Figures—a babe like that without a BF would've been weirder."
"Aw, game over."
"Still doable."
"Beat it."
After the brief uproar, prize in hand, Yuka herded me and Souta to a solid family restaurant nearby.
We scarfed good grub and bullshitted happily.
After a while of that,
sipping melon juice for dessert mid-chat, an intriguing topic popped up.
"Oh yeah—summer festival in two days. You going, Souta?"
"Ah! Yeah, family's heading out together!"
"Summer festival?"
"We talked about it at breakfast. Big fireworks this time."
It was about the festival coming up.
'Japanese summer fest like in anime?'
Y'know—yukata, takoyaki, candied apples, the works.
If it matched what I'd seen...
'Could be fun.'
Sounded pretty damn enjoyable.
My last "festivals" were middle-school crap and boot-camp drills.
Obviously, events in those closed-off bubbles couldn't touch civilian blowouts.
No wonder I was hyped after only knockoffs.
As I mused, Yuka chimed in.
"So, shrine meetup in two days?"
"Nah, wanna go with Souta."
"Souta?"
"Yeah. Hit some games first."
She gave me that 'this kid?' look, then sighed it off with permission.
"Fine, but don't be a total nuisance."
"Name someone more obedient than me."
"This punk?"
We yapped for ages before heading home.
Late into the night.
In the silent house where everyone slept, someone sat at the dining table, nursing a drink.
The lady of the house—and Takuya's biological mom—Yuka.
There she was, tipping back booze deep into the night.
"Haa..."
The reason was simple.
Her son, Takuya.
Or more precisely...
"Just who the hell..."
Whoever was inside her son's body.