Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: After the Fireworks (1)
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Yuka Mom's question caught me off guard, and after a brief hesitation, I denied it.
My mind had blanked out from the sheer suddenness of it.
"Come on, why would I be Takuya? You're taking the joke too far."
Unfortunately, I couldn't even control my expression.
Cold sweat drenched my back, and I could feel my lips trembling.
What could I do? It was such a sudden attack that I hadn't mentally prepared at all—I'd just been going with the flow.
Thinking that inwardly, I waited for Yuka Mom to continue, planning to deny whatever came next no matter what.
"Hmm..."
Yuka Mom stared at me for a long while before leaning in close to my ear and speaking again.
This time, enunciating every single syllable clearly.
"Then, let's talk about it later, just the two of us."
With that, Yuka Mom seemed to lose all interest in me, turning her head away and heading over to Ayaka Mom, who was filming the fireworks with her flip phone, to offer some commentary.
I watched her go with a dazed look on my face.
I'd expected her to press me further, of course.
'She's just backing off like that? Why?'
After that, I have no idea how the time passed.
I ate dinner, but it felt like I hadn't eaten anything. I watched the fireworks, but nothing stuck in my memory.
Once the meal was somehow finished and the fireworks ended, we packed up our spot and left the festival grounds to head home.
On the way back home.
Miyuki, Souta, and Haruka lived in a different direction, so we parted ways midway.
I wanted to see them all the way home, but unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury right now.
After splitting up, Ayaka Mom and Yuka Mom flanked me, one on each side, holding my hands as we walked.
Normally, I'd be thrilled, like I was holding the flowers of both hands...
I subtly turned my head to glance cautiously at Yuka Mom, who was chatting with Ayaka Mom as usual.
Her utterly composed expression made me sigh inwardly.
That nonchalant face was even more terrifying.
'Haa... I thought I'd braced myself...'
I'd been steeling myself over and over, but now that it was actually happening, it was hard to put the feeling into words.
We walked on like that for a bit, me feeling like a lamb led to the slaughter.
"Oh, right. Ayaka, Takuya and I are gonna make a quick stop at the convenience store."
"Huh? Why the convenience store?"
"On a night like this, we need a drink. He's the pack mule."
"Mm. Okay. Be careful. Takuya, you listen to Yuka, got it?"
I nodded at Ayaka Mom's words and blankly watched her walk away.
Of course, it didn't last long.
"Now it's just the two of us, huh?"
The moment Ayaka Mom was out of sight, Yuka Mom spoke to me right away.
I nodded.
Thankfully, by the time we'd gotten this far, my mind had calmed down a lot.
Though it still tasted like death.
"Haa... Let's find somewhere quiet to talk first."
What could I do? It wasn't exactly my fault, but it was still karma.
With that thought, I headed to a nearby park with Yuka Mom.
Completely unaware of the presence stealthily following us.
Later, on a bench in a quiet park.
We sat in silence, not saying a word.
Honestly, I wanted to say something, but the atmosphere just wouldn't allow it.
So, with my mouth clamped shut, I silently prayed for Yuka Mom to say something—anything—for a moment.
Yuka Mom—no, Yuka, who had become a mother at such a young age—fixed me with a cold gaze and spoke.
"I'm already certain you're not Takuya."
You knew?
'I thought I was doing a decent job imitating him at home, thanks to my memories.'
A mother's intuition seemed greater than I'd imagined.
As I thought that inwardly, Yuka continued.
"So, no need to drag this out. I'll cut to the chase: Where's my son?"
Unfortunately, that was a question I couldn't answer.
'How the hell should I know.'
If anything, I wanted to ask.
Where the original Takuya really was.
Whether he'd truly died, or if his body had just been hijacked while his mind was still intact somewhere—I was genuinely curious.
Of course, saying that would fall on deaf ears, so I calmly stuck to the facts.
"For starters, I don't know where your son is."
"Wh-what... What does that mean..."
Yuka seemed pretty shaken by the confirmation that I wasn't her real Takuya. Her usually confident voice was trembling noticeably.
Well, it was only natural. No matter how prepared you think you are, learning someone's taken over your child's body would rattle anyone.
Normally, I'd sweetly accommodate her here, but I had to take control of the pace right now.
So, I cut her off and said,
"To begin with, I'm a victim in this too, not the perpetrator."
That much was true.
No, if anything, I felt more wronged in this regard.
All I'd done was download and run a daughter-fapping game that happened to be at home.
I mean, I had to fap to daughters too.
Anyway, that let me say it with confidence.
That I was the victim.
Of course, Yuka didn't seem to buy it.
"How can I believe th─"
But come on? It's the truth.
"Then don't. You can't tell anyone else anyway, right?"
I replied with a pretty aggressive tone.
Honestly, stress had been building up in me without me realizing it.
Can't make a ton of money, or use future knowledge to build connections with celebrities? Isn't that great?
Let me be straight: I don't know 2000s Japan that well.
Sure, I know some celebrities.
But that's like 10 or 20 years from now at best—not a nearly 40-year gap. How the hell am I supposed to remember all that?
Plus, I got drafted into the military early, so I didn't follow celebs much anyway.
Oh, build ties with future Japanese politicians I do know?
I don't even want to get tangled with those guys.
Bitcoin was just something big in future Korea, so I knew it well.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have remembered that either.
So, I'd been racking my brain every day, squeezing out future memories to pull out any other useful info.
That stress had piled up unnoticed, and Yuka poking at it brought out my old military personality.
Hearing that, Yuka looked stunned for a moment, then her breathing grew ragged, tears welling up in her eyes.
"No... Then, huu... where's my son? Where the hell is Takuya...?"
In that instant, the woman who'd been grilling me vanished, replaced by the face of a mother who'd just lost her child.
It wasn't an expression I particularly liked.
I'd seen it too many times, and...
[I-is our son really... really dead...?]
[Don't give me that bullshit! You said you'd send him to a safe rear position! But why our son!]
[Lord... why my grandson and not me...?]
The look of one person despairing, raging, then going hollow—it was heartbreaking.
It soured my own expression too.
Painful memories I'd rather forget had resurfaced.
In the end, to shake off the unease, I scratched at my still-growing hair and said,
"Haa... It might sound like false hope, but I do have some clue about your son."
"What...?"
"It's complicated, so I'll keep it simple."
With that, I explained my bizarre ability to Yuka.
Not mentioning screens or hypnosis specifically—just that doing certain things grants rewards.
Hearing me out, a flicker of hope appeared in Yuka's eyes, which had been sunk in despair moments ago.
Honestly, it was more likely not to pan out...
But seeing her eyes light up like that, I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Finally, I let out another deep sigh and spoke to the somewhat calmed Yuka.
"Anyway, even if I stick around here, it probably won't end well. For the time being, how about Souta's place..."
It might be physiologically tough for me, so I'd planned to separate.
For some reason, when I said that and tried to head to Souta's, Yuka grabbed my wrist tight, blocking my decision.
"Please... please don't go... If I lose you too..."
Tears streaming down—her most powerful weapon as a woman.
I had no choice but to retract my decision.
No, wait, wasn't it physiologically impossible for me?
Even after that, it took a while to console Yuka—no, Yuka Mom—before we bought booze at the convenience store and finally made it home.
Man, what a tiring day all around.