Volume 3 Chapter 19 Bookmark
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
So, what’s the plan?
It’s almost Mother’s birthday.
I’ve given her drawings every year up until now, but I need to think of a different gift soon before she gets tired of them.
A gift for a woman…
That’s a tough one.
Mother isn’t the type to care about designer bags or jewelry. (In fact, she’d probably be more excited about a study guide for a new certification. Those are surprisingly expensive in their own right, though.)
My current cash on hand: 3,115 yen.
I splurged on Suu-chan’s birthday present last month, which dropped my balance into the double digits, but I’ve made a decent recovery since then. Still, giving a three-year-old a hundred-yen daily allowance? Mother is incredibly generous. (To set the record straight for Mother’s sake, her actual stomach is quite slim.)
However, the source of this money is Mother herself. In other words, I’d be buying Mother’s birthday present with Mother’s money.
(…That doesn’t feel right. A gift like this should be bought with money you earned yourself.)
Anyway, what do normal three-year-olds give their moms for their birthdays? I dig through the memories of my previous life, but unfortunately, nothing useful comes up. (How useless…)
There’s no point in brooding over it alone, so I’ll ask around. First up is the kindergarten’s teacher, who should be an expert on the “ecology” of toddlers.
”Wait, a birthday present for your mom?”
”Yeah. What do you think would be good, Riko-sensei?”
”Hmm, I think she’d be happy with anything you give her, but… let’s see… Oh! How about a message card? I bet she’d love a letter.”
”A letter?”
”Exactly!” Riko replied. “Just put your heart into it and write, ‘Mom, thank you for everything.’”
I see. A letter, huh? Come to think of it, I remember a senior at my old company saying he always kept a letter from his kid in his briefcase.
But wait—the kids in the “Small Class” are still at the age where they’re struggling with Hiragana². Isn’t the difficulty level a bit high? (Well, I can write it just fine. Katakana, Kanji… heck, I could even do it in English…)
Let’s get some more opinions. If you want to know what a kindergartner does, ask a kindergartner!
”Shiho-chan, what do you think is a good birthday present for a mama?”
”Shiho drew a picture for Mama! Mama was super-duper happy!”
So, a drawing is the safe bet after all. Suu-chan³ gives them to Mio-san and Mitsuhisa-san, too. But I started kindergarten this year. I want to show some growth, some variety…
I asked a few others, but almost everyone said “a drawing.” There were a few outliers like “a cool pebble” or “flowers ripped from the roadside,” but those would probably just be a nuisance…
As I sat there agonizing over the lack of inspiration, I noticed someone nearby fidgeting restlessly. He looked so pathetic I figured I’d finally bite.
”…What is it, Jun?”
”Aren’t you gonna ask me?!”
”No, I’m good.”
”It’s a shoul-shoul-shoul-shoulder massage ticket!”
”……”
”It’s a shoul-shoul-shoul-shoul-shoulder massage ticket!”
”You’re adding more syllables, Jun,” I said.
I see. A shoulder massage ticket. I’d forgotten about that, but it is a classic. But I already give Mother massages as part of our daily routine. Sorry, Jun. Even though you actually came up with a surprisingly decent answer… Still, I’ve got a bit more respect for you now.
”When I rub Dad’s shoulders, I say ‘clink-clink’ and he gives me pocket money!”
”Heh…. By the way, who taught you that?”
”Ko-niichan!”
Jun’s dad is totally being extorted… I hope Jun isn’t just being used as a middleman. It’s probably for the best if I don’t pry into other people’s family business.
Anyway, I’ve got the “peer perspective” down. Since I’ve heard the general consensus, now I want an opinion tailored to Mother’s specific tastes. That brings me to Mio-san⁴—Mother’s best friend, fellow “mom-friend,” and the person who understands her best.
”Oh? You’re asking what you should give Akari for her birthday? Isn’t a drawing enough?”
”Yeah, I wanted to do something different this year. Like something she actually likes or wants…”
”Hmm. Akari⁵ also doesn’t really have much material greed. She’d be happy with anything she gets from Maa-kun, but… how about a kiss?”
”…”
”I get a kiss from Mii-kun every year, you know?”
After that, I was subjected to a round of humble-bragging… followed by a long lecture on how a true gentleman should behave. I’m glad the Totsuka household is so happy. Mitsuhisa-san, you have my respect. But we kiss basically every day… I wonder if Mother is keeping that a secret from Mio-san.
I checked with one more person. I wanted to borrow the wisdom of the man who managed to woo Mio-san.
”A birthday present for Akari-san, huh? Let’s see… maybe something she can use for work?”
”Work…. Like a notepad…?”
”Hmm… consumables are a bit… I think something that lasts would be better,” Mitsuhisa said.
”Yeah…”
I tried thinking along the lines of practicality, but if she needed something, she’d probably already have it…
”Oh, how about a bookmark⁶? She could use it in her planner or her books. If you make it with pressed flowers, it would look really nice.”
”That might actually work.”
Mother loves reading, and she could use it for her study guides too. It’s the kind of thing where having two or three isn’t a problem. (Yeah, as expected of Mitsuhisa-san. You haven’t been Mio-san’s “well-trained” husband for nothing!)
And of course, I had to ask Suu-chan.
”Suu-chan, what do you think would be a good birthday present?”
”Maa-kun.”
”……Hm?”
”Maa-kun.”
”……”
(She gave a satisfied little huff.)
…She was no help at all.
* * *
After all that research and preparation, the day of Mother’s birthday arrived. Having finished work as usual, Mother came to the Totsuka house to pick me up.
It was a short visit, but we all shared some of Mio-san’s homemade cake before heading home. As soon as we stepped inside, I pulled the gift out from where I’d hidden it in my kindergarten backpack.
”Mother, happy birthday! Here, this is for you.”
I’d already said it this morning before she left, but I said it again as I handed over the gift—a letter folded in half.
”Thank you, Maa-kun,” Mother said.
Mother’s eyes softened as she accepted the present. Then, she pulled me into a tight hug.
”Can I open it?”
”Yeah.”
Since I felt like I had too much I wanted to say, I kept the letter simple: “Mother, Happy Birthday.” Because that felt a bit sparse on its own, I added a drawing of Mother and me holding hands. (My lack of artistic talent… well, it can’t be helped. I’m just bad at it. But since it actually looked like a drawing a kid my age would make, I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad…. Plus, the gap between the quality of the drawing and the neatness of the handwriting was a total mismatch.)
And the real gift was what I’d tucked inside the letter—
”A bookmark…?”
”Yeah. I thought you could use it when you’re reading.”
A pressed-flower bookmark. When I first consulted Mio-san about making it, it turned into a much more serious project than I’d expected. To dry the petals properly, we had to sandwich them in paper towels and wait several days; to make sure it wouldn’t crumble during use, we laminated it; and to make it functional, we used a hole punch and attached a tassel. All in all, it took a week to finish.
I’m really glad I started preparing early. The flowers I used were from the kindergarten’s garden; I’d asked the teacher for permission to pick them. I chose a flower called a “Geranium⁷,” which has lovely little five-petaled red blossoms. When I asked the teacher—who manages the garden—for advice, she recommended this one.
(The “language of flowers” for it was perfect. It’s too embarrassing to say out loud, though.)
”Thank you, Maa-kun. I’ll treasure it,” Mother said.
She seemed genuinely happy, and Mother gave me a kiss as a thank-you. I hope it turned out to be a great birthday for her.
—
Summary:
Protagonist Maa-kun navigates the challenge of finding a meaningful birthday present for his mother. After consulting fellow kindergartners and family friends, he settles on a handmade pressed-flower bookmark. The chapter concludes with a touching moment as he presents the gift and a letter, showcasing his emotional growth and bond with his mother.
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Trivia:
- Maa-kun is actually a reincarnated adult, which explains his internal monologue about money and reputation.
- Jun is being taught ‘extortion’ tactics by a character named Ko-niichan.
- Mio-san and Akari (Mother) are incredibly close best friends.
- The protagonist’s allowance is 100 yen a day, which he considers generous for a three-year-old.
- The ‘teacher’ title used in English is a specific stylistic choice of the author’s world
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Character Insight:
Maa-kun shows a strong sense of pride and independence, feeling that a gift bought with his mother’s money isn’t a ‘true’ gift. This highlights his adult conscience struggling with his child-like circumstances.
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Behind the Scenes:
The use of the Geranium is a classic literary device; red geraniums in Japan symbolize ‘I’m happy because of you,’ reflecting the protagonist’s silent gratitude for his new life.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Riko – First‑time lead teacher of the Rose Class, a young woman who appears stiff and nervous at her stage intro but turns cheerful and energetic in lessons; known as Teacher or Hospital Doctor in corrupted records, she is the homeroom teacher for the Rose Group, leads the kindergarten excursion, is patient and helpful during lessons and mat exercises, works as the school nurse, knows each child well, and tends the flowerbeds.
• Shiho – Three‑year‑old Rose‑Class girl, shoulder‑length hair in a side‑up ponytail, easily excited by decorations and food. Uses training chopsticks and a white kitten‑themed placemat, often sleepy and leans on Makoto’s “secret” advice. Older sister in the senior group, attends monthly extended childcare, shares a quiet, competitive bond with Suu over Makoto’s attention, and is a neighbor and friend of Yuma.
• Mitsuhisa – Tall (184 cm), 71 kg 33‑year‑old IT specialist with slick‑back hair, deep voice, and meticulous grooming; often scowls. Breadwinner of the Totsuka family, doting husband of Mio, father of Su‑chan (Suzuka), reserved with Akari, and family photographer with a pricey DSLR and tripod. Close to former college‑athlete Makoto, whose playful‑sometimes‑sinister humor matches his gaming habit where he lags in motion‑control accuracy versus his wife. Desk‑working salaryman with a surprisingly toned physique, enjoys physical skinship with his family, and appears as a guest likely related to one of the children.
• Mio – 28‑year‑old mother of Suu‑chan, wife of Mitsuhisa (164 cm, 57 kg, baby‑faced, G‑cup curves, gentle elegance in a gray suit and skirt). Ex‑relay runner and badminton star, now teacher, cook, photographer who bakes strawberry shortcake and chirashi‑zushi, adores babysitting Ma‑kun, subtly pushes his marriage to Suu‑chan, avoids crowds, captures family chaos on camera, dresses the protagonist’s mother, dominates motion‑control bowling, and devotes herself to her daughter’s education. As a ‘guest’ and mother‑friend of the Totsuka family, she’s playful and boasts about her husband.
• Jun – An energetic, restless boy in the Rose Class, the youngest of three brothers who all attended the same kindergarten. He shows extreme curiosity and surprising physical strength, often needing Makoto to rein him in. Competitive and prone to believing his brothers’ tall tales, he quiets when his intimidating mother watches, and his speech can be clumsy.
• Akari – Makoto’s mother, a 28‑year‑old single banker (168 cm, 56 kg) with dark‑brown hair, slender posture and a melancholic smile, returns from childcare leave in a gray casual pantsuit. She lives next to best friend Mio, drives a black light‑compact car, cares for her newborn son, prefers quiet home time over crowded holidays, and feels guilty for missing the party. She is Maa‑kun’s mother and a close friend of Mio.
• Totsuka – The neighbor family consisting of a husband (Mitsuhisa), wife (Mio), and daughter (Suu-chan). They are hardcore gamers who provide hand-me-down consoles to the protagonist’s household.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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