Volume 3 Chapter 42 A New Family
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Mio-san came home, and the house felt alive again in an instant. It wasn’t that things had been miserable before she arrived. However, with the looming “what-ifs” that come with childbirth, our thoughts had likely drifted into a negative space. Realizing how out of sync everything felt when our resident spark plug wasn’t herself was a real wake-up call.
As I slowly made my way back from the bathroom, the living room had fallen into a hush. Spotting me, Suu-chan pressed her index finger to her lips. (Shhh…) She was clearly being careful not to wake the little ones behind the sliding door. It was finally time for the big introduction.
Since the timing had been off when I visited the postpartum center, Old Maid¹, both Suu-chan and I were still waiting to say our first “hello.” Suu-chan looked like she was about to vibrate out of her skin with excitement; she had been fidgeting and squeezing my hand for a while now.
It made sense, given how much she’d been looking forward to this day. As Mio-san’s pregnancy progressed, she’d had less energy to dote on Suu-chan, and Mitsuhisa-san had his hands full as well. There were times Suu-chan had turned into quite the lonely little attention-seeker. Even so, she had been working so hard at her studies and helping out around the house, trying her best to be a well-behaved “big sister.”
I had to admit, I was feeling a few butterflies myself. In my previous life, I had a younger brother, but he was born before I was old enough to remember it. We were never particularly close. Back then, I didn’t have much of an urge to cherish my parents or my siblings; I could go years without seeing them and not feel a thing. But this family is different.
Mother’s job is exhausting, so our time together is limited, but we make every moment of her days off count. And even without a drop of shared blood, the Totsukas treat me like their own flesh and bone. Suu-chan, of course, goes without saying. My attachment to this family is like night and day compared to my last life. I was genuinely, deeply excited.
”Fuu-chan and Kyo-chan are napping, so stay quiet, okay?” Mio-san whispered as she slid the door open. On the other side was Mitsuhisa-san, hovering with a video camera… not that he mattered. Grandma Haruko was there too… but whatever.
Right there in the center of the room sat something that hadn’t been there yesterday-a nostalgic relic. It was the crib Suu-chan had used, which I had eventually inherited. We used to climb inside it together to play or nap. I remember desperately grabbing onto Suu-chan to stop her when she tried to scale the rails and stage a breakout. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say my memories with her started right there. That crib, packed with history, had been tucked away in a Yashiro family closet, but now it had returned to the Totsuka household to start its second act.
Suu-chan didn’t seem interested in a trip down memory lane, though. She clung to the wooden bars, peering through the gaps at our newest family members. I suppose asking a kid to be sentimental is a tall order. Shaking off my own nostalgia, I leaned in beside her.
Two tiny babies, their hair still thin and fuzzy, lay sleeping side-by-side. Even though this was their first time in the Totsuka house, they looked completely at peace. Their sleeping positions were perfectly synchronized-must be a twin thing. Their little hands and feet would twitch at the exact same moment, or they’d suddenly throw their arms up in a “banzai” stretch. As for their faces… their profiles and the bridges of their noses reminded me of Mitsuhisa-san. Their mouths look like Mio-san’s. Their eyes were shut tight, so the jury was still out on those.
Suu-chan stared back and forth between her twin sisters. I couldn’t tell exactly what was going through her head, but maybe she was finally letting the reality of being a big sister sink in.
””Aaah… uu…”” The two of them suddenly let out soft little murmurs. Suu-chan flinched, looking up at Mio-san in a panic, unsure of what to do.
”It’s okay,” Mio said with a smile, patting Suu-chan on the head. “They’re just talking in their sleep.”
It was likely just “sleep-crying”²-basically the infant version of talking in your sleep. They weren’t actually asking for anything, so they quieted down again almost immediately. Suu-chan went back to her vigil over her sisters, Fuuka and Kyoka, her hand still firmly gripping mine.
* * *
Eventually, the twins started crying for real, and Mio-san took them away to nurse. Since it was getting close to dinner time, we headed back to the living room, only to find Mother waiting there.
”Oh, Mother? You’re home… already?” I asked.
”I’m home,” Mother replied.
I checked the clock; it was barely past five. “What about work?”
”It’s Mio’s homecoming party today,” Mother said. “I took the afternoon off.”
I hadn’t suspected a thing; she’d acted completely normal when she left this morning.
”Want to help me set up?”
”Yeah!” I said.
”Uh-huh!” Suu-chan added.
Suu-chan and I started setting the table. All we really had to do was pop the lids off the sushi Mother had bought and set out the soup and steamed egg custard. It was a hell of a spread, though. If I remembered the flyer correctly, that main platter cost nearly twenty thousand yen³. She must have gone all out to celebrate both the homecoming and the recent Sports Day.
Once the nursing was done, Mio-san and Mitsuhisa-san brought the babies into the living room.
”Are they up?” I asked.
”Yep, wide awake,” Mio replied.
The baby in Mio-san’s arms-probably Kyoka-was kicking her legs, clearly in a great mood. Fuuka, meanwhile, was wide-eyed and looking around at her new surroundings. As Mother reached out toward them, both babies reflexively squeezed her fingers.
”Do you want to try, Suu-chan?” Mio asked.
Suu-chan, who had been watching with pure envy, nodded vigorously. She swapped places with Mother and held out her finger.
”I’m your big sister… nice to meet you,” Mio said, introducing her. The twins’ tiny hands clamped down on Suu-chan’s small finger.
”Nice to meet you…!” Suu-chan gasped. She seemed shocked by how much strength was in those tiny grips. Mitsuhisa-san didn’t miss a beat, capturing the sisters’ first contact on video. The man really didn’t know how to take a break from filming.
”So cute…” Suu-chan whispered, gently stroking their heads as if they were made of glass.
I decided to offer my finger next. “I’m your big brother, Makoto-onii-chan. Nice to meet you.”
Fuuka and Kyoka grabbed hold and started waving their arms up and down enthusiastically.
”Oh! Looks like they’ve taken a shine to Maa-kun already!” Mio teased.
Two people reacted instantly to her mischievous tone.
”You’ve got to be kidding…” Mitsuhisa muttered, looking green with envy.
”Muu…?” Suu-chan let out a confused noise, clearly struggling with some complicated new feelings.
(It’s just a coincidence, right?) I thought. (Babies this young don’t have the brainpower to pick favorites… do they?)
”Alright, let’s dig into this sushi,” Mitsuhisa announced.
”Wait, what about my hand?” I asked, still pinned down by the twins.
”Now, now, Makoto,” Mio said, walking away. “You have to be a gentleman with the ladies.”
They all headed for the food, leaving me stranded with my fingers held hostage. (Wait, even Mio-san? Seriously?) Fortunately, Mother and Suu-chan took pity on me and made the others wait.
One way or another, the Totsuka family had two new members: Fuuka and Kyoka. I was definitely looking forward to seeing them grow up.
—
Summary:
Totsuka Mio returns home with the newborn twins, Fuuka and Kyoka. The household celebrates with an expensive sushi dinner while Makoto and Suu-chan bond with the new babies. Makoto reflects on how much deeper his connection is to this family than his previous one.
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Trivia:
- The crib is a family heirloom passed from Suu-chan to Makoto and now to the twins.
- Makoto’s mother and the Totsukas are close despite no blood relation.
- The twins’ names (Fuuka and Kyoka) share a character (華) representing splendor.
- Makoto’s past life involved a brother he didn’t care for, contrasting his current protectiveness
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Character Insight:
Suu-chan is navigating the complex emotions of becoming an older sister—balancing pride with a slight bit of jealousy or confusion as the babies interact with Makoto.
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Behind the Scenes:
The chapter emphasizes ‘iyashikei’ (healing) vibes typical of modern-day slice-of-life reincarnation stories.
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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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Haruko – An elderly grandmother with silver hair and sharp eyes, wearing a bold‑patterned kimono, is known as Haruko‑obachan. She is the eccentric mother of Mio and grandmother of Suu‑chan, staying at the Yashiro house on weekdays to aid Mio’s pregnancy, helping Mitsuhisa with housework and childcare, and is present for the twins’ arrival.
• Fuuka – One of the newborn twins. She is noted to be observant of her surroundings.
• Kyoka – One of the newborn twins. She is noted to be in a good mood and expressive with her limbs.
• Makoto – Maa‑kun, a 93 cm, 13 kg three‑year‑old in a neat shirt, cap and backpack, sits in a booster seat in Hinomori’s Rose Class. Reincarnated 30‑year‑old salaryman living with the Totsuka family, he hides architectural skill, social savvy and English fluency. Quiet leader, Suzuka‑chan’s protector, mediates, cool‑detached yet athletic (recently injured palm); his mother calls him Maa‑kun.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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