13 13 With mom





 9:00 PM.
 As I finished my delivery, I thought many times about backing out of my appointment with Mr. Minami.

 But when I did, I could see that the police would be called to the scene.
 There was no way I could get away with it when my mother's girlfriend, of all people, saw me being hugged by Amana-chan.

 The phone in my pocket looks like a collar with a leash attached to it.
 I change out of my work clothes into my civilian clothes and select the phone number of the contact I've exchanged since I got into my car.

 I hope I don't get a signal, but the call rings unceremoniously and we're connected.

'Yes, it's South. The fact that you've contacted me means you've finished your work. Thank you for your work.''
Oh. So what do I do?
Do you know the coffee shop across the street from the apartment building?
Oh, I've seen it before.
'I'll talk to you there, and you must come. Now,'

 As if it was an office call, the first call ended with Minami-san just saying what she wanted to say.
 

 Although my heart repeatedly complains that it doesn't want to go, my body presses the accelerator and moves the steering wheel, saying it has to go.
 Fifteen minutes later, I drive away. 
 I parked my car in the parking lot in front of a coffee shop, which is located in front of the apartment building where I usually deliver packages. 

 The interior of the coffee shop is decorated in a Western style, and the smell of coffee beans gives it a pleasant atmosphere.
 I would like to spend some time in a place like this next time I have free time.

 As soon as I entered the restaurant, I saw Minami-san sitting at the counter, where he was easily spotted.

 She was not dressed in a suit that she wore when I met her, but in a plain, unpretentious outfit of a three-quarter-sleeved white blouse and jeans.
 However, the simplicity of the outfit made her good-looking, and with her youth, she didn't look like a married woman with a child.

 A closer look reveals that the men in the store are glancing at her.
 The reason no one spoke to her is that Ms. Minami is too high up in the world to be touched for fear.

 It's a good idea to sit down next to her, who is vacant, even though I feel some difficulty in going there.
 That's why the surroundings start to get slightly noisy.
 It's a quiet coffee shop, so it's easy to hear their breathing.

''Oh, here you go,''
Good evening, Mr. Hayakawa.

 When I called out to the woman with a shamelessly frightened look, Minami-san only turned her gaze to me and greeted me.
 But that gaze is still the same cold one as before, and it's not the kind of eye you would expect to see in an encounter between a man and a woman.

 ........It's not that I want to have a relationship with her, but....
 What a good excuse to make, I'll get right to the point while making an excuse to no one.  

'Well, so what's the story?'
It's about my daughter, of course.

 That's right!
 Minami-san's eyes, which clearly stated without any emotion or hesitation, sternly complained that there was no other way.

'After dinner, Tenna told me about Hayakawa-san in general. At any rate, I admit that we had a healthy association.
Ho.....

 I was relieved to hear that the police would not be notified.
 However, Minami-san's expression remains stern. 

''But why did you have to be friends with that girl because of your business relationship?
Well, as you know, I'm in the delivery business, and I was exhausted both physically and mentally from the hard work, and my daughter saved my life... She asked me to be her friend, so I thought it would be a good way to thank her, but nothing else. There are no guilty pleasures....
...I see.

 When I tell her briefly how she and Amana became friends, Minami puts her hand to her chin and pretends to hesitate.
 The conversation ended as it was, and I couldn't stand the silence any longer, so I decided to ask her a quick question.

''Mm, your daughter is good at healing people like that, isn't she?
'What? Oh, yes. She's my reason for living.

 I'm not afraid to say it.
 I can't speak for others either, though, because I know so much about how I feel.

'She taps me on the shoulder a lot when I'm tired from work. No matter how expensive or skilled a masseuse is, it's still nothing like the healing she gives me.


 Amana herself had once told me that she was happy to be praised by her mother.
 I remembered the smile on that girl's face as she cheerfully talked about it, and my cheeks naturally relaxed.
 How I wish I could have him tap me on the shoulder again.....



'Oh....'

 A chill, equivalent to an ice age, ran down my back.
 It was something that emanated from Minami-san sitting next to me, and it was enough to make me realize that people have infinite possibilities.

 Or rather, I had to do something about the fact that I slipped up and said that I had been tapped on the shoulder by Amana in the course of the conversation.

''Oh, I often carry heavy loads, so I changed my position as Amana-chan told me to, and the next thing I knew, she was tapping me on the shoulder.......''
''No..... If you think about it for a moment, you should have been able to easily see that it was the result of her trying to solve the problems that were unavoidable in Hayakawa-san's business in her own way, but when it comes to Tenna, I can't help but get suspicious.
I think that's what parents are supposed to do, because I'm not married, but I'm not qualified to tell you that...
If you're going to follow up, don't break off in the middle and let it all end.
Yes.....

 If I told the story properly, the blizzard quickly disappeared.
 I knew it was obvious, but Minami-san is really a child molester or overprotective.......
 I decided that if you have a cute girl like Amana-chan, it's not surprising that you would be like that.

''Kohon........it feels good to have Tenna praised, but please don't distract me from the topic at hand.
Yes, I'm sorry...

 Minami-san coughs and says something reasonable, and I say an apology that I don't even know how many times I've said it.
 Ever since I met her, I've been apologizing all the time, haven't I?

 As I'm taken aback by my own shamelessness, Minami-san gives me her icy gaze and tells me what she wants from me. 

''There's only one requirement.







 I'd like you to have nothing more to do with my daughter than to have a professional relationship with my daughter and me.
I...

 I gasped, my eyes widening at the shushing mannerisms.