Volume 4 Chapter 70 Mother’s Favorite Food
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The weekend after we celebrated Big Sister Misato’s birthday, a celebratory mood once again filled the Totsuka household.
”Mom, congratulations on passing!”
”Congrats!”
”Congratulations!”
”Thank you,” she replied.
Today’s guest of honor was Mother, who had taken her certification exam and passed with flying colors.
”Suu-chan, can you say it now?” Mother asked.
”Yeah… Fundamental Information… Technolojy Specialist Exam.”
”Oh, Suu-chan is so cute!”
”Hmph!”
”Oof…” (Makoto grunted as the little girl pounced on him).
The certification Mother earned was a staple for anyone working in the IT industry. Since switching jobs back in April, she had been diligently hitting the books every night after I went to sleep. Her exam date had fallen on the week after Sports Day. We had actually checked the results online about two weeks ago, but we decided to wait for the official certificate to arrive before throwing a proper party.
For today’s celebratory lunch, we were having one of Mother’s favorites: hand-pressed nigiri sushi. Whenever we visited Mother’s parents, they always ordered sushi for us. I realized now they probably did that because she loved it so much. Of course, I loved it too. However, today’s meal had a special twist.
”Alright, the toppings are all prepped. Maa-kun, you’re up!” said Mio-san.
”Order up!” I replied.
That’s right—I was the one making the sushi. Ever since I heard from Mio-san that Mother’s favorite food was sushi, I had been putting in the work. During our games of Cops and Robbers, whenever I played the thief, I’d let myself get surrounded and caught. This landed me in the ‘jail’—otherwise known as the sandbox—where I was forced into manual labor. While I was busy building mud-ball coasters, I practiced the art of shaping the rice.
To show off the fruits of my labor, I grabbed a portion of vinegared rice from the tub. I rolled it in my palm three or four times, shaping it perfectly before topping it with a slice of sea bream.
”Here you go, thanks for waiting,” I said.
”Wow! Maa-kun, you’re really good at this!” Mother exclaimed.
”Well… it was easier than working with dirt,” I muttered.
”Honestly, you could probably turn pro,” she added.
Mother gave me an exaggerated reaction. Even if she was just laying it on thick, it still made me happy. Mio-san took photos—first of the sushi alone, then Mother with the plate, then me, and finally Suu-chan joined in. Everyone crowded around, staring at the food from every possible angle. (If they keep inspecting it this closely, they’re going to notice all the flaws. I wish they’d just eat already…)
”Well then… itadakimasu!” Mother finally said.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Mother picked up the first piece with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. Since my hands were still small, the pieces were a bit smaller than the standard size. It turned out to be the perfect size for a single bite.
”This is delicious! Maa-kun, thank you.”
”You’re welcome,” I replied.
Mio-san had done most of the work on the rice, and the fish and soy sauce were just store-bought. All I did was shape the rice and slap the fish on top; it wasn’t like I’d done anything impressive. It felt a bit awkward to be thanked so much for something so simple.
”Hehe, it looks like Suu-chan can’t wait any longer either. Could you make some for her?” Mother asked.
”Coming right up.”
Since it was Mother’s celebration, I’d kept Suu-chan waiting, and she looked like she was about to drool. I decided to make her favorite: salmon.
”Here you go, Suu-chan. Dig in.”
”Itadakimasu!”
I’d said the pieces were small, but that was from an adult’s perspective. I thought it might be a struggle for a little girl like Suu-chan to eat it in one go, but she managed just fine.
”So good! ♪”
”I’m glad you like it.”
”More!”
”You got it.”
After that, Mio-san and Mitsuhisa-san started pestering me too. I had to really get my hands moving to keep up with everyone’s appetites.
”Makoto, let me get some squid. Also, can you kick up the wasabi a bit?” asked Mitsuhisa-san.
”Coming up.”
”I’ll take a tuna next~” Mio-san called out.
”Order up.”
”ssu wants tuna too!” chirped Suu-chan.
”Coming right up.”
”Then Mom will have… let’s go with the octopus.”
”You got it.”
”Whoa, wait a sec! Isn’t this way too much wasabi? The fish is practically translucent, and all I see is green!” Mitsuhisa-san complained.
”Order up.”
”Maa-kun, say ‘ahh’!” Mother teased.
”Ahh—”
”♪”
While Mother and Suu-chan took turns feeding me, I stayed focused on pressing piece after piece. Incidentally, Fuu-chan and Kyo-chan—who were barely over a year old—couldn’t have vinegar or raw fish yet. They were stuck with “sushi-ish” bowls: regular rice topped with “fake” salmon made of carrots, “fake” squid made of daikon, corn, and canned tuna. They’d just have to be patient until they were old enough for the real thing. When that day comes, I definitely want to be the one to make it for them.
Thirty minutes later, with Suu-chan eventually joining in to help place the toppings…
”Phew, I’m stuffed.”
”Yeah, full…”
”Makoto… I’ll settle the score for that wasabi later,” Mitsuhisa-san grumbled.
The four of them rubbed their bellies with looks of pure satisfaction.
”Was it good?” I asked.
”Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you, Maa-kun,” said Mother.
Seeing her that happy made all that practice in the sandbox worth it, even if it didn’t quite match the effort she put into her actual studies.
”Alright! If I want to eat Maa-kun Sushi again, I guess I’ll have to keep working hard on more certifications!” Mother declared.
”I’ll make it for you whenever you want, even if you don’t pass an exam,” I said.
”If you do that, we might end up having sushi every single day!” she laughed.
(Does she really love sushi that much? Maybe I should seriously consider becoming a sushi chef when I grow up…)
”I’ll… I’ll keep practicing my technique,” I promised.
”Haha, the ‘every day’ part was just a joke!” Mother replied.
But for Mother’s sake, I was willing to put in the work. I’d spend all my time in the sandbox starting Monday… actually, it was winter, and my hands would freeze if I didn’t keep moving. Maybe I’d wait until early spring to resume my training.
”Honestly, Akari, how many certifications do you need before you’re satisfied?” Mio-san sighed, sounding somewhere between impressed and exhausted.
Mother actually held a staggering number of qualifications. As far as I knew, the list included: Type 1 Securities Sales Representative, a TOEIC score of 800, Level 2 Bookkeeping, Level 1 Financial Planner, Level 2 in various Banking Business Exams, Securities Analyst, and Senior M&A Expert. And now, she had added Basic Information Technologist¹ to the pile. She had enough titles to give the number of programming languages I was studying a run for its money.
”She really is a glutton for punishment,” Mio-san added.
Ever since her days working at the bank, Mother had taken and passed at least one major exam every year. Her competence was staggering. Having someone like her around made me realize I couldn’t just sit back and cruise on the knowledge from my previous life. The only reason my English is at a conversational level is because I have a mentor like Mother to study with. Even with college-level knowledge, I’m not some genius who can master a language just by watching TV.
”You should get some too, Mio. You’re smart enough. Plus, it would mean more sushi nights,” Mother suggested.
”Absolutely not! I’m done with desks, studying, and tests! I’ve graduated! Seeking out pre-packaged answers is just… it’s just nonsense!” Mio-san ranted.
”There she goes again,” Mother sighed.
Mio-san was quick-witted, but her ability to focus on things she didn’t care about was nonexistent. She was the type who’d move mountains if backed into a corner, but otherwise, she’d spend all her energy finding an escape route. (I’m pretty lazy myself, so I totally get where she’s coming from.)
Still, Mio-san did have her own credentials. Back in college, she’d earned her Childcare Worker certification and her Type 1 Kindergarten Teacher License, along with her driver’s license.
”Actually… I feel like I could study if Mii-kun was hugging me the whole time,” Mio-san pondered.
”Want to give it a try next time?” Mitsuhisa-san asked.
”Hmm… I don’t know… I think I’d rather just spend the time flirting with you instead.”
Mother and I watched them with cold, dead eyes as the lovey-dovey routine started up again. Mitsuhisa-san had actually been inspired by Mother to start studying for the Applied Information exam². Maybe Mio-san should join him.
”ssu wants to take an exam too! Then I can eat Maa-kun Sushi!”
”Oh? And what certification are you going to get, Suu-chan?” Mio-san asked.
”Um… something!”
”I wonder if there’s a good one… Oh, how about the ‘Maa-kun Exam’³? I bet you’d pass that instantly,” Mother joked.
”Yeah! I’ll do it!”
”What kind of exam is that even supposed to be?” I asked.
”I want to take that one too! Suu-chan, let’s do it together!” said Mother.
”Yeah!”
”Maa-kun, you go ahead and write the questions,” Mother commanded.
”Wait, why me?”
”Who else would write it? You’re the subject,” Mother pointed out.
(Is this some kind of new punishment?)
”Actually, Maa-kun, why don’t you try taking a real one soon?” Mother suggested.
”My own exam?”
”No, the other one. Why don’t you give the TOEIC a shot, just to see how you do?”
(Personally, I think I’d rather just spend my time flirting with Mother and Suu-chan…)
——–
—A few days later—
”I wanted sushi too!”
”…”
”I stayed away because I heard you guys were going out on a trip!”
”…”
”You better invite me to the next Maa-kun Sushi! Actually, I’m coming even if you don’t invite me!”
”How do you even know about that?” I asked.
”Because Suu-chan wouldn’t stop bragging to me about it!”
—
Summary:
Makoto prepares hand-pressed sushi to celebrate his mother Akari passing her IT certification. The family, including neighbors Mio and Mitsuhisa, enjoys the meal while teasing each other about future exams. A mysterious visitor arrives later, complaining about being excluded from the feast.
—
Trivia:
- The narrator’s ‘previous life’ knowledge is briefly referenced, confirming an isekai/reincarnation element.
- Makoto’s sushi skills were developed via sandbox play, a humorous take on child-prodigy tropes.
- The twins Fuu and Kyo are still too young for raw fish, leading to creative food substitutes
—
Character Insight:
Akari demonstrates high intelligence and academic ambition, while Mio shows a strong aversion to formal education despite being professionally licensed.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Totsuka – Totsuka Mio, a hardcore gamer and mother of twins, supplies hand‑me‑down consoles to the household; her husband Mitsuhisa, diligent and fit, studies for certifications, exercises, and occasionally uses baby talk. Mio attends parent‑teacher meetings, quietly worried about her daughter’s growing attachment to Makoto. Polite yet reserved, the tech‑saturated Totsuka family celebrates recent milestones.
• Misato – Misato Takanashi, 28, former manga‑artist hopeful turned office worker among the ‘Single Aristocrats.’ She favors street‑style hoodies but dresses elegantly for the boy she admires, hides an obsessive love of shota behind a harmless façade, and quietly notes his birthday. Isolated as friends marry, she’s a localization editor who finds joy in holiday visits to the Yashiro household.
• Mom – A 30‑year‑old mother who recently switched jobs for more time with her son, Maa‑kun. She’s supportive, manages household shopping together with Mio‑san, and balances family life with her new career.
• Suu-chan – A refined young girl with soft skin who values etiquette and ‘lady’s grace.’ She holds Makoto to a high standard of grooming.
• Suu – A female student in the Rose Class. Very close to Makoto (Maa-kun). Has mud on her cheeks and makes high-quality dorodango.
• Makoto – Four-year-old Rose-class boy, 93 cm, 13 kg, in white shirt, blue vest and cap—actually a 30-year-old salaryman reborn as the kindergarten’s “Boss,” calm and logical, mediating fights and handing out hand-cream. Nicknamed Maa-kun, mistaken for Akari’s son, he looks up to her, plays “spy” in games, helps with chores, and watches younger siblings. Uses coin tricks and adult wisdom, earns respect despite being teased by Mitsuhisa; Suzuki-chan adores him. His hidden ace: a transmigrated mind and preternatural coordination—often blindfolded yet sits perfect seiza, protects Suu-chan, runs Jun, and quietly governs the class.
• Maa-kun – A young boy in the Rabbit Group at Hinomori Kindergarten. He is highly intelligent, capable of second-grade math and multiplication. He is described as calm, stoic, and helpful, often acting as a ‘handler’ for more energetic children. Akari’s son, nearly five years old. An extreme polyglot and polymath who secretly studies news, martial arts, and multiple languages. Highly sensitive to his parents’ moods. Also referred to as Makoto-kun. Narrator’s son in the Rabbit Group. Popular with other girls but maintains distance. Previously protected Suu-chan during the ‘April Incident.’
• Mio – Mio-senpai, a refined postpartum woman with baby-faced charm and a G-cup silhouette, is wife to Mitsuhisa and mother to twins Fuuka and Kyouka, an older kindergarten child, and a beloved figure in her community. Once a Totsuka council chair and former office worker, she retired to nurture her family, now celebrated for her serene grace, creative culinary skills—especially her famed Salisbury steak—and philosophical insights on aging. Stylishly dressed in gray, she wields a high-end DSLR, capturing intimate family moments while teasing them on film, and shares warm, affectionate grill-side time with Mitsuhisa. A homebody who avoids crowds, she quietly mentors Maa-kun in UV hair-drying, confides in neighbor Akari, and is admired by former colleagues and Misato alike as a “winner” in life’s social hierarchy—her seductive aura and maternal warmth radiating from a life of quiet, elegant fulfillment.
• Mitsuhisa – 33-year-old, 184 cm, 71 kg, toned and reserved corporate president nicknamed “Demon King.” Father of Suu-chan, Fuu-chan, Kyo-chan; on childcare leave, remote photographer. Grills Mio-san’s meals, play-acts with his daughters, favors twins, feels neglected by Suu-chan, keeps distance from Akari. Unsettled by former teammate Makoto, yet joins ball-toss events. Romantic partner of Mio, often shows public affection. Close to the Totsuka family, studying for an Applied Information exam.
• Fuu – One of the twins, approximately four months old. Currently learning to swivel their head and grab objects.
• Kyo – One of the twins, roughly one year old, resembles Fuu‑chan in appearance and, together with her, takes part in family meals using age‑appropriate food substitutes.
• Akari – Light, 28, is a poised, observant single mother of Makoto and newborn Maa‑kun. She has long dark‑brown hair, subtle makeup echoing her son, and a shy, modest look that hides a mischievous shogi streak. Estranged from her parents, she works full‑time in IT (certified in finance & tech), lives beside friend Mio, and is a loving yet strict guardian—teasing Misato about her single status and monitoring behavior. Protective, sharp‑observant at gatherings, she balances kindness, affection, playful wit, and a love for sushi while navigating parent circles with quiet finesse.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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