Outside the window, light rain pattered, and the air conditioner in the living room hummed quietly, dispelling all humidity and heat.
This typhoon came quickly and would likely leave just as fast—perhaps it would clear up in two or three days?
Turning her gaze from the window, Saori (Mrs. Yukinoshita) brewed herself a cup of black tea, then sat on the left sofa. Her hips, still firm and full despite her middle age, sank slowly into the soft leather.
Then, she looked at Haruno.
"So, can you explain to me what you've been 'planning' since yesterday… no, for quite some time now?"
The reason she used the word "planning" was that her daughter didn't truly seem like someone hurt by love.
Perhaps it started about three weeks ago?
On days when she wasn't working, Haruno's expression upon returning home was different from usual.
Describing it as "spring in bloom" might be an exaggeration, but it felt like something within her was gradually thawing. Her smile and eyes had changed—for Saori, as a mother, such changes were immediately noticeable.
Because of this, she had questioned her at the resort, asking her daughter to be honest about her somewhat strange romantic experiences.
However, since that day, her daughter's expression had shifted slightly again.
Though still cheerful and relaxed, with no attempt to hide her satisfaction with daily dates, she occasionally furrowed her brow in thought. When her lips touched the rim of her cup, she would sometimes stare blankly into the distance, as if entangled in a difficult problem she couldn't escape.
Since she had promised not to pry too much, Saori had been observing quietly. Let young people handle their own romances, she thought—but even when she occasionally wanted to gossip or offer well-meaning advice, Haruno would deflect with diplomatic finesse learned from the business world, leaving her helpless.
Saori often thought lately, "I shouldn't have let her become so adept at everything."
Back to the main point.
The day before yesterday, when Haruno returned from a date, though she was still smiling, she seemed unfocused, making others a bit worried.
Near midnight, she hugged a beer while staring at her phone, curled up quietly on the sofa with furrowed brows, looking hesitant, as if unable to make a decision.
At that moment, Saori, about to head upstairs to sleep, said to her:
"Hold tightly to whatever you want—that's the Yukinoshita family motto. If you hesitate too long, sooner or later, it will leave you."
Indeed.
Though she didn't know what her daughter was worried about, Saori still gave her some "toxic chicken soup," trying to fulfill her duty as a mother.
The family motto? Of course, it was made up.
The Yukinoshita family wasn't some ancient lineage with a long history—how could they have something as old-fashioned as that?
And from her reaction yesterday, she had indeed taken the words to heart—shifting from hesitation to daze, then to acting like a criminal awaiting judgment, using alcohol to numb her restless heart.
This was the main reason Saori had held back while her daughter wallowed for two days.
…After all, it seemed to be her fault.
"Since the issue's resolved, there's no harm in telling your mother the process, right?"
Gracefully bringing the teacup to her lips, Saori observed her daughter, who was happily staring at the two tickets, through the white steam of the tea.
Hearing this, as if rediscovering a childishness long discarded, Haruno smiled at her.
"Hmph hmph hmph~ It's not exactly something to be proud of, but if Mom really wants to know—"
"Spit it out already!"
Before Haruno could finish, Saori cut her off with a gentle smile: "Who's been taking care of you these past two days? You should know better. So, don't beat around the bush with me."
"Ugh…"
The sharp gaze and cold tone instantly froze Haruno back to her usual self, her smile shrinking to the corner of her lips, her shoulders slumping as she replied resignedly:
"Fine~"
Sipping her champagne, she let out a slow sigh, then began to explain.
"It's very simple—yesterday in the early hours, I terminated the rental boyfriend contract, deleted all his contact methods, even blocked Kouichirou on my blacklist, completely cutting ties with him."
Saori sipped her tea, lowered her head in thought, then said: "You wanted to force a way out, to make him confess his feelings?"
"Exactly, a dangerous method that could make me lose my first love at any moment~"
She said this, but Haruno's expression was very relaxed.
"If what he said that day was just to buy time, and he didn't really want to be with me, then he'd take this chance to end things with me, and we'd have nothing to do with each other afterward—after all, I started it, so even if he regrets it later, as the 'victim,' he wouldn't have to take any responsibility."
Her slender fingers swirled the red wine glass, the corners of her plump, glossy lips lifting as she continued casually:
"And if he really has feelings for me but is held back by some reason from being with me, then by testing him like this, he'd definitely react as follows:"
"First, he'd know I can't wait any longer and needs to confess his feelings further, rather than continuing a lie that makes my heart uneasy."
"Second, even though his number's deleted and chat apps are blocked, he'd find a way to contact me and quickly arrange a meeting to talk things through."
"In our last call, I gave him two hints—August 24, amusement park."
"I'm sure he understood, and I'm also sure he knows why I did this on purpose."
"So, barring any issues, the amusement park on August 24 will be where our relationship truly moves to the next stage."
After saying this, Haruno downed the rest of her champagne in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh as she set the glass down.
Her cheeks faintly flushed, she glanced away, smiling at her mother as if seeking praise: "Done! That's my whole 'plan.' What does Mom think?"
"…"
Saori pressed her lips together silently, her eyes lowering slightly as if mulling over the words.
After a while, she slowly set her teacup on the table, sighed softly, and said:
"It's terrible."
"Right, isn't it~" Haruno chuckled happily, adjusting her position on the sofa.
Shaking her head reluctantly, Saori placed a finger on her temple, trying to clear her thoughts.
"…Leaving aside the plan's content, if you were scared, why didn't you cut off all contact from the start and communicate properly with him? Because of this, you've been anxious and afraid for two days. What, are you the type who enjoys this kind of torment?"
What kind of mother nags her daughter like that… Haruno gave a wry smile.
"No way, this was the only way to show my resolve. For him and for me, there's no turning back."
She suddenly recalled something, turning to the rain outside the window, her brows gently curving.
"And, it also let me realize one thing…"
(I deleted all contact with him, but the one thing I couldn't delete was myself, unable to forget him.)
How significant that rental boyfriend was in her heart—after this, Haruno had a deeper understanding.
"Those two tickets were from him, right? That means your plan did work." Seeing her daughter's calm demeanor, Saori sighed again, asking calmly:
"So, what's next?"
"What if he's disgusted by this test, or if he's taking you to the amusement park to break up in person… No, worse, how can you be sure he won't use this to make you fall completely for him, toy with you, then find a way to ditch you?"
"A plan that's worse the more you think about it easily leads to bad consequences. Don't tell me you didn't consider all this."
Rambling on, like a max-level account watching a level-one account mess around in a high-level monster zone, Saori seemed deeply disappointed.
"Not only did you recklessly cut off your own retreat, but you also used the riskiest method to strike… Haruno, since when did you become so careless?"
Even if this was her first love, with her eldest daughter's emotional intelligence, such actions shouldn't have happened!
Hearing this, Haruno only shook her head, a hollow, sad smile on her face.
"Mom, did you know?"
"He's like someone gravely ill and dying, savoring every bit of his remaining life, dating me."