Chapter 48: Assistance from the Mother-in-Law
"Sis, Ren and I are coming in~"
Arriving upstairs, Ren carried Futari and had her knock on the door. After waiting a moment, he opened the door and entered, discovering Michiyo was also there. She was helping Hitori strategize while currently wrestling for control over the tracksuit.
"Hitori, Ren is already here. Listen to your mother—let's not wear this tracksuit today."
Seeing Ren had arrived, Michiyo gritted her teeth and snatched the high-end tracksuit worth hundreds of thousands of yen, making the decision for Hitori.
"No, please don't!"
Hitori, having failed to keep hold of the tracksuit, shamefully covered her chest. Even though her dress showed absolutely no cleavage, she still felt extremely embarrassed. Blushing, she didn't dare look at Ren due to her lack of confidence.
"Have some confidence, Bocchi-chan. You look beautiful, don't you?"
Ren put Futari down and walked over to take Hitori's hand. He gently lifted her chin to make her raise her head, meeting her shy, moist azure eyes.
The blush on her face was the most moving melody. Hitori had always been beautiful—it was just her lack of self-confidence that prevented her beauty from fully shining through.
"That's right, Hitori! You've inherited my genes beyond expectations! Going out like this, you'll be the most beautiful girl in the world!"
Michiyo continued the encouragement. Hitori wasn't very good at makeup, so Michiyo had just helped apply some light makeup and lip gloss to make her lips appear more rosy.
The dress she had chosen for Hitori was a corseted gown—not overly extravagant, just a normal dress with lace on the sleeves and hem.
Yet even so, Hitori looked absolutely stunning. Her fair, pristine skin glowed with an embarrassed blush, her impressive bust appearing full and heavy due to the corset. Her devastatingly beautiful face carried a shy expression, and her clear eyes shimmered with moving emotion—in this moment, she was perfect.
But this perfect version of her wanted to wear that outdated tracksuit, something neither Ren nor Michiyo wanted to see happen.
"I-Is it really that exaggerated? Ehehe~"
For Hitori, compliments worked wonders. Though she felt embarrassed inside, being praised made her forget that shame, and she chuckled proudly.
"It's more exaggerated than you think. Perhaps my eyes will be on you all day today. Let's go."
A flash of awe passed through Ren's eyes. He knew Hitori was beautiful, but he hadn't expected her to be this stunning when properly dressed—far more beautiful than any national idol or celebrity singer.
"Mhm."
Hearing this, Hitori shyly nodded. Holding Ren's hand gave her courage. As for everything else... she'd worry about that after their date.
"Wait a moment, Ren. I trust you."
Before they could leave, Michiyo stopped them and, under their shared gaze, produced a small box. With a serious yet playful expression, she handed it to Ren.
"While we don't mind helping you with childcare, high school is too early for that. Make sure to take safety precautions. I'd prefer not to see Hitori come home tonight."
After saying this, Michiyo stuck out her tongue playfully, then closed the door, leaving Ren and Hitori staring at each other in surprise.
"No, Ren, I..."
After snapping back to reality, Hitori blushed deeply. She didn't understand why her mother kept giving her those small boxes, and this time it had ended up in Ren's hands. Was she really that hard to get rid of?
"I understand. And if it's with Bocchi-chan, it's fine."
In this matter, Ren realized that Hitori was the one struggling with insecurity and hesitation—not unwillingness, just unable to take the initiative.
As teenagers in love, anyone would find it hard to control themselves when feelings ran deep. It was just that Hitori's personality was particularly unusual.
"Really?"
Hearing this, Hitori became less flustered and even felt somewhat happy receiving Ren's acknowledgment.
Ren said it was okay!? Could someone like her really be worthy of Ren?
Hitori believed that whether it was hugging, the yet-to-happen kiss, or more intimate matters, she would be taking advantage of Ren.
After all the hints and direct comments from Michiyo, it was impossible for her not to feel stirred—girls had desires too.
It was just that Hitori hadn't dared before. Now that she had a boyfriend, she was willing to try.
"Of course. How about we try to use it up tonight?"
Having received the condom directly from his mother-in-law, Ren saw no need to hide his thoughts. This was something handed to him with parental approval—he couldn't disappoint his mother-in-law's expectations.
"Mhm..."
Hitori nodded, her face flushed red. In what felt like no time, she was about to graduate and become an adult—something none of her friends had managed to achieve yet, hehe~
Watching Hitori's shy, silly smile, Ren tucked the condom into his pocket, got in the car with Hitori, and headed toward Ikebukuro's shopping district.
During the holiday, Ikebukuro was crowded with people—families of three, couples, you name it. But Ren and Hitori were undoubtedly the most eye-catching pair that day.
The boy was confident and handsome, carrying an air of effortless control. The girl was lovely and pure, her beautiful, almost ethereal face glowing with a blush that radiated endearing shyness.
"Mom, that big brother and sister are so cool and pretty~"
The attractive couple drew many gazes and received numerous compliments—some looks of astonishment, some of envy, and some outright praise.
This undoubtedly gave Hitori a tremendous sense of satisfaction and confidence. Maybe she really was pretty after all.
Holding Hitori's hand, basking in the warm sunlight and the admiration of passersby, Ren strolled with her through the shopping district.
Hitori watched the utterly ordinary street scenes with curiosity and contentment—the calls of street vendors, the haggling disputes, the satisfied sounds of people enjoying delicious food.
Every aspect of daily life felt like a dreamlike experience to Hitori, who had spent 99.99% of her past life inside her home cupboard.
It was Ren who had brought her these experiences. She was happy, truly happy.
Passing by an accessory stall, Ren grew interested. Hitori rarely accessorized herself—not just with makeup, but daily accessories were scarce too. Only the yellow-and-blue hair clip on her head was her true love; it never disappeared, even when she transformed.
Sometimes Ren couldn't help but wonder if that was Hitori's true form.
After bringing Hitori to the accessory shop, Ren didn't plan to replace Hitori's hair clip. Though simple, the yellow and blue hair clip suited her well.
After some thought, he bought Hitori a sun hat that matched her white dress.
Since Hitori was shy around strangers, the hat could block both sunlight and others' gazes, potentially making her feel more at ease.
Ren's intuition proved correct—Hitori loved the sun hat. Not only did it create an illusion of shade by blocking sunlight, but by simply lowering the brim she could block others' line of sight. Like her tracksuit and long bangs, it gave her a strong sense of security.