I Went Out With a Losing Heroine, But Before I knew It, My Childhood Friend, Who’s Supposed to be Th

“―Kasumi-chan, is it delicious?”

“Yes, it’s very delicious!”

　The dinner table, which is usually a quiet place where conversation doesn’t take place, was enlivened today by the presence of a third person.

　Yō felt like letting out a sigh as he looked sideways at his smiling childhood friend sitting next to him and his mother sitting diagonally in front of him in a good mood.

　Looking ahead, her staple food, rice, was dyed in red with a few black beans on top of it.

　Yō’s head ached as he looked at the red rice, which had been made to celebrate the progress of their relationship, and was unable to clear up his mother’s misunderstanding.

“I’m really glad that you two are now back together~.”

“No, we’re not dating in the first place.”

　His mother, in a good mood, said happily with her hand on her cheek, and Yō quickly denied it.

　Then, next to him, Kasumi puffed up her cheeks as if she was sulking and looked at him as if she wanted to say something, but Yō didn’t dare to look at her, instead, he’s glaring at his mother’s face.

　However―

“Yes, yes, no need to be embarrassed.”

　His mother thought he was hiding his embarrassment and didn’t take him seriously at all.

　She’s always been like this since a while ago.

“You’re so persistent! I told you that’s not what I said!”

“Then what, Yō was pushing down a girl who wasn’t his girlfriend?”

　When Yō raised his voice in anger because she didn’t listen to him too well, the mother’s mood changed drastically.

　It looked at Yō’s face with an air of anger incarnate that should not be touched.

“I-I told you, I didn’t mean to push her down…”

　The change in his mother’s mood made Yō stiffen like a frog being stared at by a snake as he tried to clear up the misunderstanding.

　Cold sweat poured down his face, and now he felt as if his mother was holding his heart.

(She’s still very strict with Yō, and Yō has a weakness for the angry aunt, huh.)

　Kasumi, who was used to seeing Yō and his mother interacting with each other, didn’t think anything of it and stared at their interaction as if it were something else.

　Although she had her own thoughts about what Yō said, this space was comfortable for her because she didn’t have to say anything as long as Yō’s mother was around to protect her.

　And since Yō was always very pleasant to her after a sermon, she was secretly looking forward to what came next.

“Do you really think you can make Kasumi-chan dress like that and expect such a thing to pass?”

　Currently, Kasumi’s clothes are back to the way they were when she came to visit.

　When Yō’s mother walked into the room, Kasumi immediately began to dress, looking embarrassed.

　By her actions, Yō’s mother decided that Yō had forced the embarrassed Kasumi to undress and then pushed her straight down.

　From Yō’s point of view, it was hard to believe that Kasumi would be embarrassed now, since she had been waiting for him in front of the house in her light clothes, and he thought that she was just acting to mislead his mother.

　However, as long as his mother was right in front of him, he couldn’t do anything about it. 

　Yō’s anger was building up, and he wondered how he could get past his mother, who was sternly staring right at him.

　And then―

“You little… if you don’t explain this properly right now, I won’t be dealing with you anymore.”

　He decided to stop trying to solve the problem by himself and to threaten his mother with someone who could easily persuade her.

“―!?”

　Kasumi, who had been in a happy mood, was shocked when she heard Yō’s words. She looked dreadful.

　When Yō’s mother saw the exchange, she tried to get angry with Yō, but Kasumi, who didn’t want Yō to leave him here, hurriedly interposed herself between Yō and his mother.

“Oh, auntie, it’s okay! I was just teasing Yō, so don’t be mad at him anymore!”

“‘Kasumi-chan, you don’t have to do this, okay? You don’t have to protect this man who says such crooked things, okay?”

“N-No, really, I was just teasing him…!”

　Kasumi shook her head with tears in her eyes, realizing that if she was scolded about Yō here, she wouldn’t be allowed to talk to Yō outside of his mother’s presence.

　But that only made her mother angrier.

“Yō, you’ll remember this when Kasumi-chan gets home.”

　His mother glared at Yō’s face.

　Apparently, she was going to lecture him after Kasumi left.

　In front of his mother, Yō slowly opens his mouth.

“Kasumi.”

“Auntie…!”

　And when Yō called her name, Kasumi called out Yō’s mother as if pleading with her.

　This caused Yō’s mother, who could not ignore Kasumi’s words, to become regretfully silent.

　Apparently, she was holding back her anger for Kasumi’s sake.

(―Okay, from now on, let’s go with this.)

　Yō, who was able to overcome his mother for the first time, decides to use Kasumi as a shield from now on.

“…Reward.”

　After returning to his room, Kasumi asked for a reward, which made him think twice about using this method again.