"Tomoki, don't forget to message me when you arrive, okay?"
"Sure."
"And be back before sunset, alright?"
"No problem."
"Did you tell all this to Edomae-san?"
"Yeah, Mom. Don't worry."
"There's no mother who isn't worried when her son goes to a girl's house."
"...Hearing that is just weird." — I mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, ma'am."
Beep beep.
Just as we stepped outside, Ayame-san was already there with Sasaki-san, waiting in front of the house. And I've gotta say—Ayame-san in casual clothes? She looked absolutely stunning. As a gentleman, I had to compliment her.
"Hello—" But before I could say anything, my mom stepped forward and beat me to it.
"Good morning, Edomae-san. I appreciate you helping my son today. I hope your intentions are strictly educational." — Yep, Mom was being fierce.
"Good morning, madam. Good morning, Tomoki-kun. I understand it might be unsettling to let a boy visit a girl's house, but I assure you—he's perfectly safe with us."
"Come on, am I—" I tried to speak, but Mom cut me off again.
"Thank you, Edomae-san. My son promised to return before sunset. Isn't that right?"
"Of course! You have my word."
And there went my pride. At this point, I felt more like a kid going on a playdate than a high school student.
"See you later, Mom. I'll message you, don't worry."
"Bye, Tomoki! Be safe."
Yeah... I guess moms will always worry about their kids. Still, she might be overthinking this just a bit.
As I walked toward the car, Sasaki-san opened the door for us. Honestly, it felt kind of VIP, and I couldn't lie—it was fun to be treated this way.
"So, Tomoki-kun, are you nervous? If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just let me know, okay?"
"Rather than nervous, I'm excited. I'm really curious to see where you live."
"Fufu~ in that case, I hope I don't disappoint you."
With that, Sasaki-san began to drive.
As we made our way through the city, I noticed the scenery—the buildings, the roads, even the people—all looked different from my previous world. Even though there are some similarities.
Of course, I'd noticed this before when Mom drove me to Sakurazai Academy. But now that I was seeing more of it again, I realized how foreign it all felt.
Come to think of it, I've never heard of Sakurazai Academy or the Edomae company. No doubt about it—I really am in another world.
"Tomoki-kun? Are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I usually don't go out much, so I couldn't help but stare out the window."
"I see. I'd love to show you around sometime."
"... What?"
"Oh! Nothing—I didn't say anything!"
"Edomae-san, do you think it's really dangerous for a guy to walk around the city alone?"
"Eh? Why do you ask?"
"Because my mom says the same thing. But since she's usually busy, she can't take me out much."
Back in my old world, I could go out alone—to eat fast food, go to an arcade, or just walk around. But here, I can't even buy groceries at the convenience store without Mom freaking out.
"It really is dangerous, Tomoki-kun. I can understand your mother. If I were her, I wouldn't let you wander alone either."
Well, I guess that's how things are here. It's not like I don't understand... but I do miss my old freedoms sometimes.
Wait—if Mom let me go to Ayame-san's house alone, that must mean she really trusts her. Not surprising—Ayame-san really is a kind person.
"I guess I'll be in your care again if I want to sightsee the city."
"Eh? Ehhh!?"
"Ayame-san?"
Not just her—even Sasaki-san looked surprised, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
"Do you mean... you want to go on a da-da-da—?"
Beep beep!
Sasaki-san abruptly swerved to avoid a car.
"Apologies, Ayame-sama. Morikawa-sama. Are both of you alright?"
"Yeah!" — we said in unison.
"Phew... that startled me. Sorry, Ayame-san, what were you saying?"
"Oh, it was nothing important. So, are you ready to study?" — she asked playfully.
"The real question is... are you ready, Ayame-san? I already sent someone to therapy."
"Fufu~ you're awful, Tomoki-kun."
"Hahaha—seriously though, senpai needed mental care after studying with me. And Ryuichi? He's still recovering. Maybe I'd make a great test subject for patience training."
"Pfft—are you challenging me? Don't worry, Tomoki-kun. No matter how dumb you are, I'll never ever give up on you." — she said, holding my hand with a bright smile.
I noticed Sasaki-san glance at us again in the mirror, clearly surprised. Was she... sweating?
Oh! Maybe it was because she called me "dumb"? I know she was joking, but maybe from an outsider's perspective, it sounded worse than it was.
"Hey! Are you saying I'll be dumb forever? Who knows—maybe I'll end up scoring higher than you one day!" — I grinned at her smugly.
Sasaki-san seemed relieved. Then Ayame-san started laughing.
"Fufu~ ahahaha!"
"Come on, Ayame-san. If you laugh too much, even I'll get hurt."
And so, the rest of the ride was filled with laughter—mostly hers—while I did my best to lift the mood.
I mean... I did send someone to therapy. That still kind of bothers me.
Eventually, we arrived at the entrance to a massive yard.
Now I was starting to feel nervous.
"Are you okay, Tomoki-kun?"
"Yeah. I was just wondering if I'll be able to make a good impression on your parents." — That wasn't a lie, but what really made me nervous was the sheer size of this property.
"Oh, that? Don't worry. Just be yourself."
"Thanks."
As we were driven through the yard, I couldn't help but notice how well-maintained everything was. The landscaping was flawless, and the gardeners bowed politely as we passed.
That's when it hit me again—she's really rich.
But there was one more surprise.
"Ayame-sama, Morikawa-sama. We've arrived."
"Welcome to my home, Tomoki-kun. I hope you like it."
This isn't a house. This is a mansion. A MANSION!
Before I could even process what I was seeing, a double line of maids greeted us at the entrance, all bowing in perfect unison.
"Welcome to the Edomae residence, Morikawa-sama."
Did they do this every day?
"Now then, Tomoki-kun, please come inside my humble home." — Ayame-san said excitedly.
As we stepped toward the entrance, a stunning woman in her mid-20s appeared to greet us.
Wait a minute... I know her!
"Welcome to our home, Morikawa-kun. It's been a while." — she said with a confident smile.