Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Foolish Beauty

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Kyousuke Hojo muttered, "Phew." Even though he pretended not to care, he had been worried ever since he discovered the connection between their class's nursery rhyme "Monster Narrative Poem" and Nishimiya Shoko, who was considered odd by their classmates due to her hearing impairment. He wondered if the nursery rhyme in Sakura Yamauchi's class might also be some weird and gruesome cannibalistic chant.

He knew just how dark the nursery rhymes about Japan could be, filled with bizarre and horrifying stories.

"'Red Dragonfly'? It's pretty good. Among the neon light nursery rhymes, this one could be considered a proper nursery rhyme."

"Kyousuke, you're saying things I don't understand again. It's all your fault for reading so many books. Now people will think I'm a fool."

"Sakura, weren't you always a fool?"

"Add 'beauty' after 'fool'!"

"Foolish beauty? Where did that nickname come from?"

"Do you disagree with it? Nicknames are something people come up with, right? I came up with it myself, and now you're using it, so it's an official nickname, right?"

Sakura Yamauchi, a sixth grader, had already developed a perfectly consistent logic.

"Fine, foolish beauty, have you learned 'Red Dragonfly'?"

"Of course, my mom taught me to sing that song since I was little."

"Well, that's true. Your mother Maki looks like the type who would sing nursery rhymes to put you to sleep, unlike my mom."

"Huh? What's wrong with Aunt Miki? Didn't she sing nursery rhymes to you when you were little?"

"Not at all. In fact, compared to you, that woman fits the 'foolish beauty' nickname better."

"Hahaha, are you sure it's okay to say that about Aunt Miki?"

"As long as you don't tell her, it's fine."

"Haha! Then I have something to hold against you! Tomorrow, I want a double serving of ice cream!"

"Sure, but you have to run an extra 500 meters during our morning jog."

"I'm sorry, please forgive me, Lord Kyousuke."

Sakura Yamauchi immediately rushed to stand in front of Kyousuke Hojo, pressing her hands together against her head.

"Alright, if your class wins the choir competition this time, I'll make you a drink even tastier than cola."

Sakura Yamauchi's mood shifted rapidly, making it hard to keep up. Now she struck a victory pose.

With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Kyousuke Hojo, Sakura Yamauchi announced loudly, "So you better be prepared to lose!"

"Okay, okay, let's go home. Your mom, Maki-san, must be getting worried."

"Oh no! How did it get so late? Hurry up, Kyousuke!"

After saying that, Sakura Yamauchi ran ahead, her slim figure exaggeratedly swinging her schoolbag, making Kyousuke Hojo worried that she might fall due to the bag's weight.

"Why are you spacing out? Hurry up and catch up!"

Seeing that Kyousuke Hojo was still walking slowly, Sakura Yamauchi turned back, grabbed his hand, and they started running together, just like how Kyousuke Hojo had led her at the beginning.

The two quickly arrived at Sakura Yamauchi's home. After a brief farewell, Kyousuke Hojo took a couple of steps forward and returned to his own house.

Both houses were typical single-family houses, separated only by a small alley.

"I'm back."

"Kyousuke's back, huh? We have some beef your father sent from his hometown to eat today."

"Why, did another cow twist its ankle? Or maybe it's depressed?"

"Hehehe."

Kyousuke's mother, Miki Hojo, who was still busy in the kitchen, chuckled at his words.

"Kyousuke, how could you say that?"

"Isn't it true? Every time you mention wanting to eat beef, Dad always makes sure one of the cows on our ranch gets sick."

"You're so mean. How can you say that about your mom? You've hurt her feelings."

Turning around, Miki Hojo looked at Kyousuke Hojo with a pretend stern look.

It was a beautiful face that seemed untouched by the passage of time, and her figure hardly resembled that of a mother to a twelve-year-old child. Of course, in reality, she was just in her thirties.

"After I start junior high next year, you can go back to Hokkaido with Dad."

Kyousuke Hojo walked into the kitchen, preparing to make a vegetable salad. This mother, whom he called a foolish beauty, was competent at handling beef, but she wasn't proficient in any other home-cooked dishes.

Back when his father, Ichiro Hojo, hadn't been summoned back to inherit the family's ranch by his grandfather yet, Kyousuke's mother had worked while his father stayed home and managed the household. Even after his father went back to help his grandfather run the ranch, his mother decided to stay in their current location, a small town in northeastern Kanagawa near Tokyo, Minato City. She chose to raise her son alone.

Despite offers from her parents to help or even move to be closer, she declined.

"This is my son's precious childhood. How could I share it with others?"

This foolish beauty of a mother declared such things with an air of elegance, then clumsily began to learn how to be a housewife from scratch.

Thankfully, by the time Kyousuke reached the fourth grade, he could do most of the household chores himself. He even cooked dinner every day after school and prepared his mother's lunch for the next day.

Over these years, the only thing his mother learned was how to handle beef, as his father continuously sent beef to them from Hokkaido, even when it wasn't the time to sell the cattle.

With frequent deliveries, his father started coming up with bizarre excuses whenever he sent beef, claiming the cow twisted its ankle, didn't want to live anymore, had depression, or had suffered a heartbreak. His father's humorous excuses always brought laughter to his mother.

Sometimes, Kyousuke worried that his father might get a beating from his grandfather, since their ranch wasn't that big and probably couldn't withstand his father's antics. However, so far, he hadn't received any SOS messages from his father.

It was this loving care from both father and son that preserved Miki Hojo's youthful innocence amidst the concerns that typically bothered housewives her age. As the conversation shifted to his son's emotional problems, Miki Hojo forgot about her worries of Kyousuke living alone and instead delved into gossip.

"..."

How did this foolish mother suddenly become so perceptive? Kyousuke Hojo found himself slightly troubled, wondering how to persuade her.

Should he tell her about the two system-certified heroines and the many supporting characters waiting for him to claim their rewards?

Of course not.

"Haha, I guessed right, didn't I?"

Miki Hojo happily remarked.

"In that case, why not bring the Yamauchi family to Hokkaido? Your grandfather can hire Mr. Yamauchi to work on the ranch, and you can continue being classmates with Sakura in Hokkaido."

Hearing his mother's words, Kyousuke Hojo lowered his head, carefully contemplating the feasibility of this plan. If it was truly feasible, he wouldn't refuse it. After all, convincing his parents to let a twelve-year-old live alone was quite challenging. Just because his financial ability wasn't his strongest suit didn't mean he couldn't achieve his goals.

"Mother, if not only Sakura, what about the others?"

Kyousuke Hojo cautiously inquired.

"Kyousuke! Do you even know what you're saying?"

Miki Hojo was shocked by her son's words.

"Haha, hahaha, I'm just kidding. Let's discuss this topic another time."

Kyousuke Hojo laughed awkwardly.

After dinner, mother and son both headed to bed.