It wasn't rare. A single woman still full of charm and rolling in wealth was, in the eyes of some ill-intentioned men, undoubtedly a walking lump of gold.
'But, it doesn't matter!'
The girl's eyes were full of determination.
If the soldiers come, block with generals; if water floods, cover with earth.
No matter who the other party was, she would protect her mother from getting hurt.
Ding—
The doorbell suddenly rang, and Nagasaki Soyo's heart gave a jolt.
'He's here!'
'The man who has bewitched my mother!'
The smile on the girl's pretty face vanished without a trace.
Soyo took a deep breath, her steps heavy, slowly walking toward the front door by the entrance.
"Good evening, I'm Nagasaki Soyo, welcome to my…"
Her voice abruptly stopped.
How should she describe the boy in front of her?
Nagasaki Soyo tried to use those beautiful phrases to describe him, but it didn't work.
The way his stunning brows and eyes curved slightly, it just made her feel… no.
Empty adjectives were too pale.
They couldn't express the starlight in his eyes, nor describe the spring breeze at the corners of his lips.
No matter what word she used, none could compare to even a fraction of the amazement he brought.
But that still wasn't the most shocking part for Soyo.
The boy in front of her was indeed beautiful, 'But… why does he look a bit familiar?'
"Nagasaki-san?"
Kaito was also a bit surprised, "You and Ms. Nagasaki are… family?"
"Kurumizaka-kun?", Soyo's voice sounded a little lost, as if her brain hadn't caught up yet.
Currently known information:
Kurumizaka-kun = the boy I like.
The guest visiting tonight = my future stepfather.
Kurumizaka-kun = the guest visiting tonight.
'Which means…'
'The boy I like… is actually my future stepfather?'
Soyo was dazed and didn't know where she stood, as if a wave had come crashing down on her, knocking her senseless.
'No… no way, there must be some kind of mistake?'
'Mom is already a forty-something-year-old auntie, while Kurumizaka-kun is still in the prime of youth!'
'No matter how you looked at it, the age gap between them was impossibly large, and they don't match at all when standing together! Rather than a couple, they looked more like a mother and son!'
'I must be mistaken! Kurumizaka-kun might have just come over for a normal visit!'
Soyo didn't want to believe such a cruel truth. She took a deep breath, trying hard to show a sweet smile, "Go-good evening, in any case, please come in first."
As she spoke, she bent down and took out a brand new pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet, then naturally knelt on the floor.
"No need," Kaito declined her help in changing shoes, changed into the slippers himself, and walked into the living room with Soyo.
The Nagasaki residence was quite spacious, with two floors, about 360 square meters in size, with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Standing by the edge of the balcony, one could take in the splendid night view of bustling Tokyo.
When Soyo couldn't sleep, she would sometimes sit by her bed, looking at the flickering lights in the distance. Her mood would lighten a bit, as if the gloom in her chest had also dispersed.
But now, she had no such mindset at all. Her head filled with a mess of thoughts, she walked to the kitchen, absentmindedly made two cups of hot Earl Grey tea, and then returned to the living room.
She pushed one cup toward him and gave a gentle smile, trying to casually probe for information, "I didn't expect the person visiting tonight would actually be Kurumizaka-kun… Mom deliberately kept it secret for a long time. It's the first time I've seen her look so excited."
"Speaking of which, how did you two meet? Could it be something related to a supernatural incident? Was Mom in danger?"
Soyo hadn't forgotten what happened in the Tsukinomori High School.
The ghost senpai's existence had shattered her worldview and made her realize for the first time that this world wasn't so simple.
'If Mom and Kurumizaka-kun are connected somehow, that is the most plausible explanation.'
"No, nothing like that," Kaito paused, then added, "We just met by chance and got along well."
On the way here, Ms. Nagasaki had pleaded with him not to tell her daughter what happened at the company, so she wouldn't worry.
If Soyo asked, he should just say they met by coincidence and got along.
Since the danger had already been resolved, and besides, it was someone else's family matter, Kaito truly wasn't interested in saying more, to avoid further trouble.
But these words chilled Nagasaki Soyo to the core.
'Met by chance?'
'And got along well?'
How was that any different from subtly saying, ["Your mother and I have mutual feelings for each other"]
'Kurumizaka-kun, get a grip!'
'Mom is already a woman in her forties, while you're still young and dazzling!!!!'
'Calling this a cougar relationship won't even do it justice!'
'This is clearly forbidden love!'
'And Mom, seriously! Even if Kurumizaka-kun is naive and inexperienced, aren't you an adult?'
'Making a move on a kid at least twenty years younger than you, how outrageous can you get?'
'When you were in college, Kurumizaka-kun had just been born!'
If a forty-year-old man dated an eighteen-year-old high school girl, people would usually condemn the man as morally corrupt, using his experience to deceive an innocent young girl.
Similarly…
An eighteen-year-old pretty boy dating a forty-year-old auntie, even as her daughter, Nagasaki Soyo couldn't bear to watch anymore.
The gentle and strong image of her mother from the past was gradually fading.
Taking its place was a cold and terrifying woman, whose icy voice warned her, ["Soyo, he's your father now. Get rid of those delusions!"]
Soyo still wanted to try one more time. At the very least, she couldn't just stand by and watch her mother head down the path of copper-digging.
She forced out a smile and gently said, "Kurumizaka-kun, what exactly do you admire about my mom? Maybe… she's not as great as you imagine?"
'Even if it is mutual affection, there must be something specific he likes, right?'
She admitted her mom was indeed still attractive and well-maintained in her forties. But wasn't she just as good?
Not only had she inherited her mother's youthful beauty, she even surpassed it, with a figure even better than her mom's.
Not to brag, but even at a prestigious noble school like Tsukinokori High where rich girls were everywhere, she was still among the top students.
'If Kurumizaka-kun only likes my mom's appearance, then… in order to stop her from going down this path, I can totally take her place.'
'If Kurumizaka-kun likes my mother's status and wealth…'
'No no no, that seems unlikely.'
The Nagasaki family did have a bit of money, but even within Japan, there were countless families wealthier and more powerful, let alone abroad.
'With Kurumizaka-kun's looks, he can easily become the husband of Queen of some country. There is absolutely no need to choose my mom.'
'Surely, he isn't uninterested in wealth or looks and just… purely likes my mom as a person, right?'
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