Volume 3 Chapter 46 A Mother’s Worry
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It will soon be four years since I became a mother. Being a single parent has come with plenty of hardships; people whispered all sorts of rumors behind my back, and I’ve had to deal with s*xual harassment from men who assumed I was “easy” just because I was alone. Even now, the rift between me and my parents remains unhealed.
However, I’ve been blessed with wonderful neighbors. The days I spend with my son are my greatest joy; he is the pillar that holds up my world. Looking back, it all went by in the blink of an eye. Maa-kun has grown into such a splendid boy that it’s hard to believe he’s the child of someone as inadequate as me.
At home, he’s a total pro at helping out. I’ve heard other parents complain that having a child “helping” is actually a burden-that you have to teach them, it’s faster to do it yourself, or you just end up doing the work twice. But with him, that isn’t the case at all. Honestly, if Maa-kun didn’t help me, I’d struggle to balance my job with my certification studies. (I completely understand why Mio wants to ask him for help, though I’m too stubborn to ever admit that out loud.)
His intelligence is also remarkable; he’s far more clever than any child his age in the Youngsters Class¹. He’s already mastered reading and writing both Hiragana and Katakana. He can even write Kanji if it’s his own name, and he’s started recording and studying foreign language programs on his own. Mio and I had agreed to avoid early English education to prevent any language confusion, so I was worried for a moment when Maa-kun showed interest.
Those fears were groundless. His Japanese shows no signs of slipping, and he can already handle simple English conversations with ease. He seems to be studying a few other things as well. Every day, I’m amazed-and honestly, a little envious-of a child’s capacity to learn. Even with video games, he performs complex calculations naturally. He doesn’t just play by instinct; he reads the situation and guides the flow of the game several steps ahead.
Suu-chan is a bright girl, but Maa-kun is on such a different level that our usual yardsticks for children simply don’t apply. My “mom-friends” often ask what kind of special education I’m giving him. Even if I ask Mio, she just talks about “preaching love,” which doesn’t help at all. Honestly, I’m the one who wants to know what I did to make him turn out like this.
Despite his vast knowledge, he never acts conceited. His personality is incredibly stable. Sometimes I wish he’d brag just a little more, because I want to hear more about what’s on his mind. He follows every promise to the letter and is always considerate. It goes without saying that Suu-chan adores him, but he’s popular with all his friends, too. He’s even managed to charm the other parents; people I’ve never even spoken to have started acting friendly toward me because of him. (I have no idea how he manages to be that likable…)
He’s even athletic. Because he’s small for his age, he sometimes loses out in tests of pure strength, but he’s among the fastest in his class during footraces. My teacher, Riko, has praised him, saying he’s so good at controlling his movements in PE that he serves as a model for the other children. I could go on forever listing Maa-kun’s good points. He’s a son who is almost too good for me, but unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s causing a problem right now.
I can’t decide on a birthday present.
Maa-kun doesn’t ask for things. More than that, he never acts selfish. While that’s a blessing for the budget, it makes me worry that he’s just being overly considerate of me. Even Suu-chan, who is usually satisfied just being near Maa-kun, still asks for toys and clothes. I suppose he might start throwing tantrums and shouting “I want this!” as he gets older, but I can’t imagine a future where Maa-kun acts like that.
Naturally, I asked him if there was anything he wanted. He just went quiet, lost in thought, but no answer came. Maybe he has so many interests that he’s just indecisive, but that troubled look on his face made it seem like he truly couldn’t think of a single thing. I’ve even taken him window-shopping to see if anything caught his eye. We went to toy stores, bookstores, electronics retailers, department stores, game shops, shoe stores, boutiques, furniture stores, home centers, sporting goods stores, arcades, jewelry stores, convenience stores, and even honor-system farm stands²…
The only thing he showed any interest in was a computer. He used to peek at the screen whenever I used mine, so for his birthday last year, I thought I’d nailed it by giving him a toy laptop. The result… well, it wasn’t what he expected, and he seemed unsure how to react. He played with it maybe two or three times, and now it’s stored away in the closet.
I want to give him a gift this year that he’ll truly be happy with. After all, he worked so hard on my birthday present, consulting people and doing his best for me. I still use the bookmark Maa-kun gave me every single day. I keep it in my planner, and whenever I touch it, I feel his love-especially when work gets tough. I want to give him something that conveys my love in return. I’m so busy with work during the week that our time together is short…
(Wait, do I sound like some kind of obsessive, clingy woman? No, it’s fine. This is family love. Strictly motherly love! It’s only natural for a mother to adore her child!)
Or so I told Mio.
”Leave it to me! The Love Guru is on the case!” Mio declared.
”Love Guru? You’ve never even dated anyone besides Mitsuhisa, have you?” I asked.
”…”
I’ve known Mio since elementary school, and I’ve never heard of her dating anyone before she started working. There were plenty of groundless rumors fueled by jealousy, but since I was always with her, I knew they weren’t true.
”I-I’ve given tons of relationship advice, and I’ve played matchmaker for plenty of couples! Besides, I was super popular, you know!” Mio replied.
”I mean, you were… but are you really going to brag about it yourself?” I said.
Even from my perspective, Mio is beautiful-or rather, she’s the “cute” type that men find very appealing. She never slacks on her beauty routine, so she was incredibly popular with everyone back in school. She had a lot of enemies because of it, though. Thanks to that environment, she has a sharp eye for people. She was involved in almost every couple that formed among our middle school classmates; some people even worshipped her as a Goddess of Romance³.
I’ve often thought that things might have turned out differently if I’d let Mio meet him and give me her opinion… though the fact that I subconsciously didn’t want her to meet him probably meant it was already a lost cause.
”Anyway, it’s not like it’s a romance with Maa-kun, okay?” I pointed out.
”Sorry, I just slipped into my usual mode by mistake,” Mio said. Even though she’s the one who has seen us as mother and son from the closest distance. “Can’t you think of anything based on how he acts at my place?”
Since I’m not there, he might have let a wish slip. (The Maa-kun I don’t see, huh…?)
”Hmm… He’s either playing with Suu-chan, helping out with Suu-chan, or looking after Fuu-chan and Kyo-chan with Suu-chan,” Mio noted.
”Hehe, he really is always with Suu-chan, isn’t he?” I said.
”Pretty much. Honestly, why not just give him Suu-chan as a present? I bet she’d be thrilled.”
”Wait, is Suu-chan going to become my daughter?”
”Sorry, forget I said that. Total mistake. Forget it, forget it!” Mio flailed.
She panicked at her own slip of the tongue. We don’t know if they’ll still feel the same way about each other in the future, though looking at them now, it feels like it could last forever.
”What did you give him last year again?” Mio asked.
”A toy computer.”
”Oh right, I remember now. It had completely slipped my mind…”
For the record, for his first birthday, I gave him a baby backpack. It was a huge hit; he’d pack it with tissues and baby bottles whenever we went out. For his second, it was a 3D cube puzzle. It looked a bit difficult for his tiny hands to twist, but he seemed to have fun with it. He still calls those two his “treasures” and treats them with great care. That’s why my failure with last year’s present has left me a bit traumatized. I have to redeem myself this year, no matter what!
”Why not just ask him straight out? Like, ‘What do you want?’” Mio suggested.
”I tried, but he couldn’t think of anything.”
”…You two really are two peas in a pod.”
”…You think so?”
”Why do you look so happy? I’m the one suffering here!” Mio said.
Mio gave me an exasperated look, which I just brushed off. We spent the rest of the time chatting and trying to brainstorm ideas for Maa-kun’s birthday and Christmas presents.
”I wonder if Mitsuhisa would have any ideas from a man’s perspective,” I said.
”Hmm, I’ll ask him when he wakes up, but Mii-kun doesn’t really have material desires either… Oh, wait, yes he does.”
”Oh? Like what?”
”Like lingerie or cosplay outfits…”
”I was an idiot for asking,” I replied.
There’s no way a child like Maa-kun would be happy with something like that. Though, maybe some cute clothes for Suu-chan… No, then I wouldn’t even know who the present was for anymore.
—
Summary:
The narrator reflects on her four years as a single mother and the exceptional growth of her son, Maa-kun. She discusses her struggle to find a meaningful birthday gift for him with her friend Mio. The chapter highlights Maa-kun’s unusual intelligence and the narrator’s deep maternal affection.
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Trivia:
- The narrator uses a bookmark given by Maa-kun as an emotional anchor at work.
- Maa-kun rejected a toy laptop last year, leading to his mother’s ‘present trauma’.
- Mio was worshipped as a ‘Goddess of Romance’ despite only ever dating Mitsuhisa.
- Maa-kun is recording foreign TV programs to teach himself languages.
- The narrator’s past involves escaping s*xual harassment and a fractured relationship with her family
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Character Insight:
The narrator suffers from a form of ‘imposter syndrome’ as a mother, feeling Maa-kun is ‘too good’ for her. Mio shows her chaotic but loyal side, even suggesting ‘giving’ her own daughter away as a joke.
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Behind the Scenes:
The chapter explores the ‘Overbearing Mother’ (omoi onna) trope through a comedic lens, contrasting it with the genuine hardships of single parenthood in Japan.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mio – 28‑year‑old pregnant mother of Suu‑chan, round belly, bed‑resting; wife of Mitsuhisa (164 cm, 57 kg, baby‑faced, G‑cup curves, elegant in gray). Former relay runner and badminton star turned teacher, cook, photographer who bakes strawberry shortcake and chirashi‑zushi, adores babysitting Ma‑kun, subtly pushes his marriage to Suu‑chan, avoids crowds, devotes herself to her daughter’s education, playful, theatrical, neighbor/family friend in a joint‑destiny child‑rearing unit. Recently returned from hospital after delivering twins, the Totsuka mother is the family’s mood‑maker.
• Riko – Lead teacher of Rose Class at Hinomori Kindergarten, she wears a rash guard and athletic shorts for pool duties and also serves as school nurse. Calm and level‑headed, she narrates with a dry, cynical edge about her loneliness, while cheerful in lessons, guiding kids to resolve conflicts, tending flowerbeds, leading excursions, performing magic tricks and reading picture‑story shows.
• Mitsuhisa – Mitsuhisa-san, 33, 184 cm, 71 kg, is the doting father of the Totsuka family—husband to pregnant Mio and father to Su-chan, Fuu-chan, and Kyo-chan—whose reserved, scowling demeanor belies a surprisingly sporty, protective nature. An IT specialist working from home, he’s surprisingly toned, often seen with a video camera documenting family moments, and harbors a quiet envy toward Makoto, his former college-athlete friend, whose maturity he admires but whose influence over his daughters unsettles him. Reserved with family photographer Akari, he shares playful, sometimes sinister humor with Makoto over gaming lag, and while outwardly stoic, he’s deeply lonely as his children grow independent, balancing breadwinning duty with tender, watchful fatherhood.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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