Volume 2 Chapter 7 Adults, Parents, and Children
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Eating, sleeping, playing.
What a carefree, enviable life.
The “me” from my previous life spent his final days in that same kind of grace.
But having nothing to do… that’s a different kind of pain.
It feels like no one expects a thing from you. You start to lose sight of why you’re even in this world.
Of course, I know better in my head.
Mother, Mio-san, and Mitsuhisa-san—they all cherish me. It’s so obvious it actually hurts.
That’s why I’m so impatient to give something back.
But what can I actually do? I’m just a baby.
”Tummy-tummy?” Mio-san asked.
”Ai!”
”Shoes-shoes?” Mio-san asked.
”Ai!”
”Pat-pat, peek-a-boo!” Mio-san chirped.
”Ai!”
”Num-nums!” Mio-san said.
”Ai!”
”Here you go!” Mio-san said.
”Ai!”
Right now… I’m busy playing “helper” to Su-chan and her toy kitchen.
Maybe she’s inspired by Mio-san prepping lunch, because Su-chan is really going for it.
She’s holding a toy knife… which she ignores, choosing instead to rip a plastic carrot in half with raw, toddler strength before shoving it in my face. …Okay, what am I supposed to do with this?
Pretend to eat it? No, probably not a good move for a baby.
Mio-san would freak out thinking I actually swallowed a toy, and I don’t want Su-chan picking up bad habits.
Sigh.
I’m just not good at this. Dealing with babies… or kids in general.
I mean, they’re cute to look at. Seeing an innocent smile is like a high-pressure wash for my filthy soul.
But when I actually have to interact? I’m lost.
What if she cries?
What if I hurt her?
What if I teach her the wrong thing?
While my brain does laps around those worries, I usually realize I’ve subconsciously backed away into a corner.
How do you deal with someone who doesn’t speak your language and lacks a basic grasp of common sense?
They laugh when they feel like it, cry when they feel like it, and move on a whim. One second they’re with you, the next they’re in a different world.
That freedom is dazzling.
But it’s also terrifying. It feels like the internal order I’ve built is crumbling.
…Maybe I just grew up into an “adult” without ever learning how to actually connect with people.
Mother, Mio-san, and Mitsuhisa-san—they’re all “proper” adults.
I can’t talk to them yet, but I can read their vibes, and they read mine. They have the emotional depth to handle me when I’m being a brat.
But Su-chan is different.
In front of her, I’m suddenly forced to face the fact that I’m a clumsy, incomplete human being.
Every time I see these “adults” younger than me—well, Mitsuhisa-san is older, but seeing the three of them act like “Parents” makes that feeling even stronger.
…What does it even mean to be an adult?
I lived alone, I had a job, I paid my own bills. I was “independent.”
But was I an adult?
Can I really call myself an adult when I’m sitting here, a grown man inside, not knowing how to act in front of a little girl?
”Ma-kun?” Su-chan asked.
Did my anxiety leak out? Su-chan looks worried as she reaches out to pat my head. There, there.
Thanks, Su-chan. Honestly, you look way more like the adult here.
I reach out to thank her, and she lunges in for a hug. Or, given our size difference, she’s basically “holding” me.
”A-ba-ba!”
”Hun!”
Up until yesterday, I always had a “real” adult around—Mom, Mio-san, or Mitsuhisa-san. But starting today, it’s just the two of us more often.
Maybe she’s only picking me because there’s no one else to hold, but even so… being “wanted” by her makes me feel a little bit of peace.
Well, I guess it makes sense.
I am still a baby, after all.
Maybe this whole “reincarnation”¹ thing was just a message: “Start over from scratch, you moron.”
I’ll just have to learn as I go. Right alongside Su-chan.
”U-cha!”
”Hun!”
While Su-chan is “playing” with me, an early lunch arrives.
”Su-chan, time for lunch~! Num-nums! Can you go get your chair?” Mio-san called out.
At Mio-san’s voice, Su-chan heaves and hoes her way across the joint mats², dragging her little wooden high chair. It’s got a tray that fits the low table perfectly.
Me? I’m still a crawler. I can’t carry anything. Maybe if I used my whole body to shove it…?
Usually, an adult just snaps it into place before I even notice, but now that Mio-san is flying solo, she’s busy.
I’m struggling, trying to wrestle my own chair into position, when… Su-chan actually helps me.
”Ai-ai!”
”Oh my, Su-chan! Did you bring Ma-kun’s chair too?” Mio-san said. “Thank you! What a little homemaker you are!”
”Hun!”
Su-chan practically glows with pride as Mio-san hugs her. I make sure to give her a round of applause too.
”Okay, Su-chan, into the chair you go~”
”Mm!”
Mio-san “pocket-ins” Su-chan into her seat.
”And now it’s Ma-kun’s turn~”
”Ai!”
I put my hands up, let her grab my pits, and plop—right into the seat.
Lunch is served.
My menu: Tuna and vegetable porridge with finely chopped grapes.
Su-chan: Soft rice, diced veggies, and tofu meat patties.
Mio-san: Basically the same as Su-chan, but seasoned for adults, plus some pork miso soup³.
…Man, I can’t wait until I can eat real food.
”Itadakimasu!”⁴
”Ee-ah-oo!”
”Au!”
We clap our hands together, and Mio-san beams, sneakily snapping a photo. Probably for my mom.
”Num-nums!” Su-chan said.
”Yes, num-nums~” Mio-san replied.
Su-chan skillfully shows off a cube of veggie on her spoon. A year ago she was a “hand-to-mouth” barbarian, but she’s gotten good.
For the record, I’m using a silicone spoon too.
The adults were shocked, but… Su-chan uses one, and even if it’s lukewarm, I have zero interest in eating porridge with my bare hands. No thanks.
I’ve only got a couple of bottom teeth coming in, so I have to mash everything against the roof of my mouth with my tongue. Slow and steady. Choking is a real risk at this age.
”Is it yummy, Ma-kun?” Mio-san asked.
”Da!”
”I see, I see.”
”Num-nums!” Su-chan shouted.
”Is yours yummy too, Su-chan?” Mio-san asked.
”Hun!”
Lunch ends, and usually, it’s nursing time… but I wonder how that’s going to work.
Mother isn’t here, and I don’t see any bottles.
Ignoring my confusion, Mio-san starts unbuttoning her top without a second thought.
I see her nurse Su-chan every day, but the… scale of it is still impressive. It looks like a standard nursing bra couldn’t even handle the weight, so she’s just using a regular wire bra with pads.
She sheds her top entirely, pulls Su-chan and me close, and guides our heads toward her—n**ipss slightly larger than Mother’s.
They’re right there. Massive.
With the bra off, gravity is doing its thing, but the “targets” are still pointing straight ahead.
…Bravo.
”Drink up, you two~” Mio-san said softly.
Wait, she can do both of us at once…?
…Well, she’s got two of ’em. Makes sense.
I really didn’t want to “cheat” on Mother, but hey, this is about survival.
And let’s be real, you don’t encounter a “gift” like this every day. I’m not letting this go to waste!
So… if you’ll excuse me.
I follow Su-chan’s lead and latch on.
I’ll skip the “mischief” I usually pull on Mother. Safety first.
”…Huh. He’s being surprisingly well-behaved,” Mio-san muttered. “I heard he was a little terror~”
”……”
”Maybe Mama is just special?” Mio-san asked, giggling.
She taps my head, peeking at my face.
Wait… does she know about my antics with Mother?!
…Okay, this is awkward. I’m just going to close my eyes.
Mio-san’s milk… tastes about the same as Mother’s (delicious), but it feels a bit “thinner”? The physical pressure of her chest against my face, though? Totally different league.
”There’s a good boy, you finished it all~” Mio-san said.
”…Uuu.”
After our session and a quick tooth-brushing, the sleepiness hits hard.
”Nen-ne!” Su-chan said.
”That’s right~. Looks like it’s nap time for Ma-kun,” Mio-san said. “Su-chan, you want a nap too?”
”Mm!”
Mio-san tucks me into the crib. I can feel Su-chan right next to me.
”Goodnight, Su-chan, Ma-kun~”
”Night~”
Su-chan rustles around for a bit, but I’m a goner. I sink straight into the dream world.
* * *
The afternoon is a blur: 3 PM snacks, picture books, watching Su-chan draw, then another nap. Dinner for the two of us.
Before I know it, night has fallen.
”I’m home~!” Mitsuhisa shouted.
”Welcome back!” Mio-san replied.
6:19 PM.
First, a sweat-soaked Mitsuhisa-san gets back.
He usually clocks in at 6:21, so that’s a new record in my book. He must have pedaled that bike like a madman.
Ten minutes later, Mother is home.
Mio-san got the “I’m close” text, so we’re at the door to meet her. A moving reunion after ten whole hours.
”Ma-kun! You must have been so lonely~!” Mother cried.
”Da!”
”Nn~ Mama missed you too~!” Mother said, hugging me.
”Ma!”
Yeah, Mother is definitely Mother.
The way she holds me just feels right. My whole body starts to feel poka-poka⁵—toasty and warm.
After Mitsuhisa-san showers, the three adults sit down for dinner and talk about the day.
”How was he?” Mother asked.
”Huh? Oh, same as always,” Mio-san replied. “He didn’t cry once. Honestly, he’s so quiet and chill that it made looking after both of them a breeze.”
”Oh. Good,” Mother said.
”Why do you sound so disappointed?” Mio-san asked.
”I mean… you know…?” Mother muttered.
Mother laughs and glances my way.
”I guess I wondered if he’d be totally fine even without his Mama,” Mother said.
”No way. He was definitely just being a brave little man for us, weren’t you, Ma-kun?” Mio-san asked.
”Da!”
Damn right! I wasn’t “fine” at all!
I even gave in to the temptation of Mio-san’s breasts!
But if I cried and made a scene, I’d just be making things harder for everyone.
”U-mo!” Su-chan chirped.
”That’s right, Su-chan did a great job taking care of him too,” Mio-san said. “That’s that bride power for you.”
”Hun!”
Su-chan puffs out her chest, looking all reliable.
I’m supposed to be the older one here, so why do I feel like I’m the one being protected?
Adults, children… maybe those labels don’t matter as much as just having someone to laugh with.
Something the “old me” never had.
Maybe that is what it means to be alive.
That night, after we got back to our place, Mother didn’t put me down. It was like she was trying to make up for every second we were apart.
Listening to her heartbeat, my eyes start to sting with a happy kind of warmth.
”Fufu. You did so good today, Ma-kun. Goodnight,” Mother whispered.
”…Night.”
That tiny mumble is the last thing I remember before drifting off.
I wonder if Su-chan will hold me again tomorrow…
With that thought, I quietly sink back into sleep.
—
Summary:
Ma-kun spends the day being cared for by Mio-san alongside her daughter Su-chan while his mother is at work. He struggles with his internal identity as an adult in a baby’s body, especially when the toddler Su-chan shows more ‘maturity’ in her simplicity than he does in his overthinking. The day ends with a warm reunion with his mother, reinforcing his new sense of belonging.
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Trivia:
- Ma-kun is using a silicone spoon despite being an infant because he finds eating with bare hands repulsive.
- Mio-san nurses both children simultaneously, which Ma-kun views with a mix of adult shock and ‘survival’ pragmatism.
- Ma-kun’s internal monologue is written as ‘reincarnation’ in English in the original text, highlighting the author’s stylistic choice.
- Su-chan is physically strong enough to rip toy vegetables apart without using the toy knife
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Character Insight:
Ma-kun experiences a shift from viewing his situation as an existential burden to accepting the ‘re-learning’ process. He recognizes his own awkwardness compared to the natural ‘parental’ skills of those younger than his previous self.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author focuses on the ‘Modern Japanese’ setting, emphasizing domestic realism like foam joint mats and specific baby foods to ground the reincarnation trope.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mitsuhisa – A tall, handsome man with a deep voice who works as the breadwinner for the Totsuka family. He is Su-chan’s father. Su-chan’s father. An IT professional over thirty years old. Described as a doting husband who is hardworking and somewhat reserved toward Akari.
• Mio – A 25-year-old fashionable and kind young mother, she is Akari’s (Makoto’s mother’s) best friend and Ma-kun’s godmother. Known for her playful and teasing personality, she enjoys babysitting Ma-kun and encourages a future marriage between her daughter, Su-chan, and him. She’s skilled in cooking and photography, admired for her beauty—even in casual, unpolished moments—and is married to Mitsuhisa.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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