Volume 3 Chapter 55 Grandparents
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I stepped into Mom’s childhood home. The most important thing to keep in mind was the first impression. As long as I didn’t screw that up, I couldn’t imagine things going too poorly. I had to be charming and polite, making it clear that Mom was doing a fine job raising me.
”—Welcome home,” a woman said, appearing just as I was straightening my shoes.
”I’m home, Mother,” Mom replied.
”Excuse me for the intrusion,” I added.
The woman had shoulder-length, dark brown hair and carried an air of strict etiquette similar to Mom’s. She was about a fist’s height shorter than Mom. While her makeup made it hard to see her natural features, her nose and mouth definitely resembled Mom’s. She looked youthful in her simple pantsuit, standing with perfect posture. The woman Mom called “Mother” knelt down to meet my eyes.
”It’s nice to meet you. I’m Akari’s mother. To you, Maa-kun, I’m your Grandmother.”
”Nice to meet you. I’m Makoto.”
”My, look at you! You gave such a proper greeting,” she chirped.
”Thank you very much,” I said.
”And you can even say ‘thank you’? What a good boy, what a good boy!” Grandmother reached out and placed her hand gently on my head.
I had been bracing myself for no reason; her mellow, gentle aura completely took the wind out of my sails. She felt like any other friendly neighborhood grandma, though maybe a bit less over-familiar than the ones I usually dealt with. For now, the first impression seemed good. I looked up at Mom, who seemed to be wearing a look of quiet pride.
”Father? Akari and the kids are home!” Grandmother called out toward the back of the house.
A massive shadow appeared shortly after. The man wore chinos and a diamond-patterned sweater. He was lean, and his ramrod-straight posture made him look incredibly tall. He was taller than Mom, maybe just a bit shorter than Mitsuhisa-san. Deep wrinkles were etched into his face, testifying to a life of hardship, but his clean-shaven look gave him a youthful edge. His hair was trimmed short and flecked with gray. I could see Mom’s features in his eyes and jawline, or rather, the other way around. (Well, at least his hair doesn’t seem to be an issue…)
”Look, Maa-kun, this is your Grandfather,” Mom said.
”…Nice to meet you. I’m Makoto.”
”Hmph… Glad you came,” Grandfather replied.
Prompted by Mom, I bowed just as I had for Grandmother. His voice, though gruff, didn’t sound sharp or displeased. He wasn’t looking down on me; he was just tall. I had been on guard, thinking a father might harbor complicated feelings toward a child who carried the blood of the man who abandoned his daughter, but I didn’t sense any rejection. Maybe he was just hiding it well.
We stood there in silence, his eyes locked onto mine. It was getting awkward. (I wonder if I’d make a better impression if I gave a proud little snort like Suu-chan…?)
”Honestly, Father, there’s no point in standing in the entryway forever,” Grandmother chided.
”Ah… right,” he muttered.
”Maa-kun, let’s go wash your hands,” Mom said.
”O-okay…”
I followed Mom to the washroom, breaking the stalemate with Grandfather. I wasn’t sure what he thought of me, but I hoped I’d passed the test. I climbed onto a step-stool and washed my hands. Since I felt a bit of an urge, I asked to borrow the restroom as well.
As I approached the toilet, the lid opened automatically. I sat on the warm seat, and once I was finished, it flushed on its own. It was a high-end, modern toilet that felt completely out of place in such an aged house.
”Was everything okay?” Mom asked.
”Yeah,” I said.
Mom looked worried about whether I could handle a different bathroom, but for a Toilet Master like myself, it was a piece of cake. The Yoshikura family had a similar high-tech setup, though theirs played music, which had actually startled me.
We headed into an eight-mat tatami¹ room. Even though it was my first time here, the smell of the mats felt nostalgic. To the right of the entrance stood a traditional alcove, a Buddhist altar, and a closet. Opposite those was a relatively new TV and a large, low table.
”Maa-kun, let’s go say hello to Grandfather’s parents too,” Mom suggested.
I knelt with Mom before the altar and pressed my hands together. I made sure to mimic Mom’s movements closely. Once I finished my silent greetings to the ancestors, I sat on Mom’s lap in front of the table. A floor cushion had been laid out for me, but I preferred to stay close to Mom for now. Grandfather sat across from us, and Grandmother joined him with tea and snacks. I gave them my best “polite child” smile, even though my cheeks were starting to cramp.
”Maa-kun, you’ve grown so much. How old are you now?” Grandmother asked.
”I’m four,” I replied, careful not to use overly adult phrasing.
”Already four! Is kindergarten fun?”
”Yeah, it’s fun.”
”Did you make any friends?”
”Yeah, lots of them.”
”Is that so? You made a lot! That’s amazing,” she said, beaming.
”Maa-kun is quite popular at kindergarten, isn’t he?” Mom added.
”My, really!? Maa-kun, you’re incredible!”
The conversation stayed on the topic of kindergarten. It was far more peaceful than I’d anticipated.
”Honestly, Father, why don’t you say something too?” Grandmother nudged.
”Ah… right,” Grandfather cleared his throat. “Makoto… what do you like to play?”
His deep voice echoed through the room, making me instinctively straighten my spine.
”Oh, stop it, Father,” Grandmother chided. “Can’t you use a softer tone? They probably already dislike us enough as it is…”
”Sorry…” he mumbled.
”Maa-kun, Grandfather isn’t angry, okay?” Mom whispered.
”It’s okay…” I said.
”Maa-kun, tell Grandfather what you like to do,” Mom encouraged.
”Umm… I like playing with my friends.”
”I see… I heard you’re good at sports, too,” Grandfather said.
”Yeah. I like racing, and I learned how to ride a bike really fast.”
”Well, isn’t that something…” He actually looked pleased. Here was a man struggling to figure out how to talk to his grandson for the first time.
We spent the next two hours snacking on steamed buns and looking through albums of Mom when she was little. When it was time to leave, the grandparents saw us out. I squinted against the glare of the setting sun, reflecting on the day.
I had assumed Mom’s relationship with her parents was terrible based on the snippets of adult conversation I’d overheard. I thought that was why I’d never met them until now. I’d even prepared myself for the possibility that they loathed me. But now that we’d actually met, the atmosphere wasn’t hostile at all. Maybe the adults had been slowly making amends behind the scenes.
It occurred to me then that the reason I hadn’t met them was because Mom thought I was afraid of them. Which would mean… I was the biggest obstacle all along. If they had reconciled long ago and I was the one holding them back, the guilt was going to be heavy.
Anyway, my impression of them had changed. If you asked if I liked them yet… well, it’s hard to say. The years of distancing wouldn’t vanish overnight, and the image of Mom avoiding this house was still burned into my mind. It would take time to find the right distance between us. I needed time to organize my own feelings.
”Maa-kun, how was it talking with Grandfather and Grandmother?” Mom asked as we walked.
”…It was fun.”
”Should we try visiting once a month?”
”……Sure.”
”Actually, I’m pretty busy with work, so maybe once every three months?”
”Yeah, let’s do that,” I said.
(Let’s take it slow. Now that we’ve started, we can see them whenever we want. Besides, being a perfect grandson is exhausting…)
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Summary:
Makoto visits his maternal grandparents for the first time, bracing for a hostile reception due to his mother’s long-standing estrangement. To his surprise, both his grandmother and grandfather are welcoming, despite the grandfather’s initially intimidating and stoic presence. The visit goes smoothly, leading Makoto to realize that his own perceived fear might have been the primary reason the meeting was delayed so long.
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Trivia:
- The grandfather’s diamond-patterned sweater and clean-shaven face suggest a man who maintains personal discipline despite past hardships.
- The high-tech toilet in an old house suggests the grandparents are willing to invest in modern comforts, possibly as a way to make the home more welcoming for visitors or the returning daughter.
- Makoto’s ‘Toilet Master’ comment provides a comedic anchor to his past-life maturity, contrasting with his outward role as a child.
- The mention of ‘the man who abandoned the daughter’ highlights a specific trauma in the family’s past that hasn’t been fully explored yet
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Character Insight:
The relationship between Akari and her parents shows signs of thawing, moving from total estrangement to a planned quarterly visit. The grandfather shifts from a ‘massive shadow’ of potential rejection to a vulnerable man ‘struggling to figure out how to talk to his grandson,’ as seen when he awkwardly asks about sports.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter reinforces the ‘modern Japan’ setting of the reincarnation, emphasizing cultural staples like tatami rooms, butsudan (Buddhist altars), and the specific social etiquette of visiting family homes.
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TL Notes:
The choice of ‘Maa-kun’ and ‘Suu-chan’ was preserved to maintain the intimate familial tone characteristic of Japanese households. ‘Mufuu’ was localized to ‘proud little snort’ to convey the character’s smugness naturally in English.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Grandmother – Akari’s mother. She has shoulder-length dark brown hair, a youthful appearance, and wears a simple pantsuit. She is polite but possesses a gentle, mellow aura.
• Akari – 28‑year‑old single mother, long dark‑brown hair, subtle makeup, poised and observant. Lives beside best friend Mio, drives a black light‑compact car, cares for newborn son Maa‑kun and raises Makoto. After childcare leave she works in IT for balance, prefers quiet home, feels guilty missing the party. Strict yet loving, polite, estranged from her own parents, mischievous, monitors Makoto’s health via a ‘status report’ network.
• Makoto – Four‑year‑old Maa‑kun, 93 cm, 13 kg, wears a neat shirt, cap and backpack in Rose Class. Polite, short‑haired, he hides his reincarnated 30‑year‑old salaryman mind—calls himself “Toilet Master”—and is male despite his father’s belief. He protects Suu‑chan, mediates fights, reads Kanji, speaks English, and aids his mother and neighbors, still called Maa‑kun by her.
• Mitsuhisa – Mitsuhisa-san, 33, 184 cm, 71 kg, is Mio’s husband and father to Suu-chan, Fuu-chan, and Kyo-chan—currently on modified childcare leave, working from home while actively assisting with housework and childcare. Reserved and scowling, he hides a toned, sporty physique and a quiet passion for documenting family life with a video camera. Though emotionally distant with family photographer Akari, he shares darkly playful banter with Makoto, his former college-athlete friend, whose influence over his daughters unsettles him. Deeply lonely as his children grow independent, he balances breadwinning duty with tender, watchful fatherhood, harboring few material desires beyond niche adult interests—his quiet pride evident as he holds the twins during Suu-chan’s birthday, clearing the frame for the Producer.
• Grandfather – Akari’s father. A tall, lean man with short graying hair and deep wrinkles on his face. He wears chinos and a diamond-patterned sweater. He has a gruff, stoic personality but is trying to connect with his grandson.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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