Capítulo 229: Recognition from Kotomi’s Mother
Kotomi hesitated for a moment, then handed the phone to Megumi, leaning in to whisper, "Megumi, my mom wants to talk to you."
Huh? My future mother-in-law wants to chat? Megumi couldn't help but raise her brows slightly. She'd met Akina a few times, and the impressions had all been positive, which helped settle her nerves.
Yes, nervous—she was definitely nervous.
Tonight was, after all, the very first night since confessing her feelings to Kotomi, and already Kotomi was unable to return home...
Even though Kotomi's parents didn't know anything yet, Akina's sudden request to chat was enough to make even Megumi feel some jitters. Still, she brushed them off quickly and politely answered, "Good evening, Aunt Izumi."
"Good evening, Megumi. I remember you and Kotomi planned everything out beforehand, but you still missed the last train, huh? Well, it can't be helped, really; who would've expected the Keiyō Line to push up its schedule? As they say, 'Unpredictable as clouds in the sky or tarts on a whim.'"
Megumi stifled a laugh at the odd idiom. "Clouds and tarts"? She'd heard Kotomi use this before and always thought it was some random phrase Kotomi had made up herself, but it turned out it came from Akina.
"Aunt Izumi, it was actually my fault," Megumi replied, taking responsibility. "They did send out a message 45 minutes ago about the earlier departure, but I was too focused on dinner and didn't notice it."
She proactively took the blame for the delay, putting Akina at ease. On the other end of the line, Akina had put the call on speaker. Hearing Megumi's response, Aimi, who'd been listening intently nearby, gave a little scoff.
So they missed the last train simply because she didn't notice the message? How careless. This proves how unreliable she is! Thankfully, Onee-chan hasn't fallen for Megumi yet and won't end up as her girlfriend. And, let's be real, there's no way Mom and Dad would ever approve of her dating someone this careless.
Compared to me, Megumi doesn't even come close. Aimi thought confidently. Who else but me, Izumi Aimi, could possibly be the right one for Kotomi?
Megumi may think she has it all figured out, but the countdown to her defeat has already begun!
Feeling triumphant, Aimi clasped her hands at her waist, smiling smugly as if already celebrating her victory over Megumi, imagining herself living out a happy future with Kotomi. Already, she was dreaming of the perfect life: what they'd name their children, what brand of formula to buy, and which schools they'd attend from preschool all the way to college—even whether they should pursue a graduate degree.
Akina glanced at Aimi from the corner of her eye, stifling a grin as she watched her younger daughter seemingly lost in some triumphant daydream. Did I miss something? Since when does she act like such a goof?
After silently chuckling to herself, she turned her attention back to Megumi, addressing her earlier comment. "Haha, don't worry about it at all. It's just a minor thing; I mean, missing a message and then a train—who hasn't had things like that happen? In fact, I never read messages, which is why I always have 99+ notifications. And since you two have already found a hotel and checked in, I'm relieved."
Akina's request to speak with Megumi had been mostly out of concern, making sure they'd found somewhere safe for the night; she'd had no intention of scolding her. And seeing Megumi willingly take responsibility, Akina's fondness for her grew even further.
Sometimes, it isn't about who's right or wrong; it's more about seeing how the other person handles it.
Being a mother for so many years has its rewards. Even if neither Kotomi nor Megumi said anything, Akina could guess that the delay was largely due to Kotomi overindulging at dinner—just like she had done countless times before.
Akina had been about to ask if Kotomi's overeating was behind their delay, but Megumi preemptively took all the blame on herself. While admitting fault for others is not generally advisable, it was clear Megumi wanted to protect Kotomi, and this protectiveness struck a chord with Akina.
It showed Akina something important: that Megumi's desire to look out for Kotomi extended beyond today to all the moments they shared together—and perhaps even into the future.
If her positive impression of Megumi was initially based on her respectful and polite nature, seeing how instinctively she protected Kotomi only deepened Akina's approval.
To what extent, you ask?
Akina would even be willing to consider a relationship between Kotomi and Megumi—even if it eventually turned into marriage.
But surely Kotomi and Megumi were only good friends, right? Akina mused.
She'd never been an overly traditional mother, and had always approached same-gender love with openness and respect. She'd even taught her daughters that same-gender couples deserved just as much respect, equality, and privacy as any other couple.
Because in her eyes, two people in love were just that—nothing more, nothing less.
As she took back the phone, Kotomi exchanged a few more words with her mom until they finally arrived at their room.
Swiping the card, they stepped into a well-kept, bright double room. In the mini-fridge below the desk, the hotel had even provided a few drinks and snacks.
Of course, Kotomi wouldn't touch them since they were far from complimentary and absurdly overpriced.
If she ended up needing a snack, she'd just go to the convenience store across the street. Or, if she was spending money anyway, why not go the extra mile and order some room service for a late-night treat?
It was already getting late, and though they could enjoy a rare chance to sleep in tomorrow, Kotomi was in the habit of going to bed early. Unless there was something special going on, she never slept past midnight.
She always believed that going to bed early and rising early was healthy, but going to bed early and waking up late was even better!
"I should call my mom before it's too late. If I don't check in soon, she might not let me go out again," Megumi said as she took out her phone and dialed her mother's number.
"In that case, I'll go shower first," Kotomi replied.
As she walked into the bathroom, she noticed a tub big enough for two. But filling it would take a while, and she felt a bit awkward about letting Megumi use the same bathwater afterward. Even though they were dating now, was it too much to expect Megumi to use her leftover bathwater on their first night together?
Without asking Megumi if she'd mind, since the question itself felt strange, she decided a quick shower was probably the best choice.
"Sure, go ahead. I'll wash up once I'm off the phone," Megumi said, waiting for her mom to pick up.
Just then, a mischievous thought crossed Kotomi's mind, and with a grin, she asked, "Hey, Megumi, why don't we just shower together?"
Megumi, completely caught off guard, felt as if lightning had struck her.
Kotomi was just about to enjoy her little victory when she noticed Megumi giving her a sly smile. In Megumi's hand, the phone screen clearly showed her mother's name, with the call... already connected?!
When had the call gone through?
Seeing Kotomi's stunned expression, Megumi smiled in silence, letting the unspoken moment speak for itself.
Kotomi's face flushed a deep red, spreading visibly across her cheeks. She quickly darted into the bathroom without even putting on her clothes properly.
Bang!
The door slammed shut with a loud crash.
Click.
And like an embarrassed new bride, she locked the door, just in case.
Watching Kotomi's endearing little antics had Megumi smiling to herself, her heart swelling with affection.
"Is everything okay, Megumi? I thought I heard a loud noise," her mother's voice asked through the phone.
It turned out that her mom had only just picked up, so she hadn't heard Kotomi's "temptation." And since they weren't on video call, she couldn't see Kotomi's mortified expression either.
Luckily for Kotomi, she was too embarrassed to realize any of this, only catching Megumi's knowing, teasing gaze.
After sharing a brief explanation of why she wasn't coming home tonight, Megumi channeled all her linguistic skill to place the blame squarely on the Keiyō Line for changing its schedule.
Being the "good girl" in her mother's eyes certainly helped, and after listening to her story, Ikemi Kato wasn't the least bit upset about her staying out for the night.
If it were Kotomi explaining this to her own mom, Akina probably would've insisted on driving out to pick her up, no matter how late it was.
"So, you and Kotomi are planning to come back tomorrow?" Ikemi Kato asked. "In that case, let's have her over for lunch. Kotomi's eating habits are so charming. Anyone watching her would feel motivated to cook another round of food!"
Whenever Ikemi Kato talked about Kotomi, she was always quick to invite her for a meal. After all, her family rarely showed much reaction to her cooking aside from a brief compliment here or there.
But Kotomi was different; she looked as if she wanted to tattoo "Delicious! Give me seconds!" on her face.
For a cook, seeing such genuine appreciation felt incredibly rewarding, proof that their hard work had paid off.
Megumi understood her mother's reasoning, remembering how Kotomi hadn't been fully satisfied after lunch at her house that day. She'd pretended she was full, but her expressions had given her away.
"Her appetite may be charming, but if you knew her real appetite, you might think twice," Megumi said to herself with a smirk.
"I'll check with her," she told her mother. "We're not sure what time we'll head back, but definitely by early afternoon. It's getting late, so I'll let you get some sleep. Good night, Mom."
After hanging up, Megumi walked over to the bathroom door and knocked softly, listening to the sound of running water inside.
"Kotomi... Mind if I come in?"
The mischievous tone in her voice made her sound like a wolf coaxing Little Red Riding Hood to open the door.
"No way! That was so embarrassing! Megumi, you're so mean for not telling me the call had gone through. She probably heard everything I said!"
From inside the bathroom, Kotomi's voice was muffled and flustered. She knew Megumi hadn't done it on purpose, but just thinking about what she'd said made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Suppressing her own laughter, Megumi replied in a reassuring voice, "Kotomi, I promise, my mom didn't hear any of it."
"Really? Wait, what do you mean, 'tempting' you?!"
"Isn't that what it was?" Megumi teased. "At first, I was surprised. Who knew that the innocent little penguin could be so... alluring?"
Kotomi felt so flustered that she quickly turned the shower to cold, hoping it might help cool her burning face.
A faint blush could still be seen spreading from her face to her ears, and she even imagined that she could turn the water to steam with her embarrassment alone.
She rinsed her face under the cold spray for a while before quietly mumbling, "Are you sure your mom didn't hear anything?"
"Promise," Megumi assured her. "Oh, by the way, she invited you to lunch tomorrow. Do you want to come?"
"If she invited me, of course I'd love to go... It's just that..." Kotomi trailed off, feeling shy.
"Are you worried you'll leave hungry?" Megumi asked, filling in the blank for her.
"Y-Yes..."
"No problem. I'll make sure you're full before we head over," Megumi replied with a deliberately suggestive tone.
"Huh?!"
Kotomi's face turned bright red again, her mind immediately conjuring all kinds of indescribable images. Her legs squeezed together instinctively, causing her to tense up.
"What are you thinking?" Megumi laughed. "I meant that I'll take you out for lunch first."
But she couldn't help thinking about the adorably flustered expression Kotomi had just shown and smiled to herself. Kotomi, you really are a little dummy, she thought warmly. Sometimes I'd love to see what's going on in that little mind of yours.
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