Chapter 229 – How Did Ryou Get Tangled Up in This?

Ryou quickly averted her gaze.

Meanwhile, her mother suddenly chimed in enthusiastically.

“Come on, come on, Ryou! Let me see that boy! He’s so handsome~”

Ryou knew she absolutely couldn’t let her mom see—or worse, talk to—Suki-san right now.

But she couldn’t think of a decent excuse either.

Admitting she was shy in front of her parents? No way.

So, after a brief hesitation, she decided the safest option was… silence.

“Ryou—don’t pretend you can’t hear me…”

Her mother’s tone grew impatient when there was still no answer.

Before Ryou could think of a way out, Kei had already returned with fireworks in hand walking toward her.

“These handheld fireworks were almost sold out, but I managed to grab a few more types. Later, we can go down to the beach and—oh, are you on the phone?”

He lowered his head, explaining casually as he lifted the colorful fireworks for her to see.

When he looked up again, he realized Ryou seemed to be talking to someone on the phone… or at least trying to.

Ryou was struggling to hold her silence.

She wanted to quickly say, “I’ll call you back, Mom,” but her mother was faster.

Even with all the noise from the shrine, the voice on speakerphone came through clearly enough for Kei to hear—

“Suki-san! I’m a big fan of yours! For my daughter’s sake, can I get your autograph~?”

Kei froze mid-step.

He blinked, visibly confused for a second before realization struck.

‘Ah… so that’s her mother.’

After a short pause, he silently looked toward Ryou and, from an angle her phone camera couldn’t catch, gave her a questioning look that basically said, “What’s going on here?”

Ryou quickly shook her head in panic, eyes pleading, “Suki-san! I don’t know either, okay?!”

The two exchanged silent signals like undercover agents.

But on the other end of the call, Ryou’s mother clearly didn’t have the patience for their secret coordination.

“Geez—Ryou being shy is one thing, but Suki-san, are you shy too? Ryou won’t let me see you, so come closer! Let me take a look!”

Her voice was cheerful and melodic, but the way she said it made her sound like a stranger trying to lure a kindergartener with candy.

Kei fell silent again, but staying quiet any longer felt a bit rude.

So, after a short, helpless pause, he let out a faint “Ah…” and started to step closer to the phone—ready to do as her mother asked.

But Ryou panicked.

She knew exactly what kind of person her mother was.

Kind and doting most of the time, yes—but the moment she saw Suki-san, she’d definitely start saying weird things.

So, after holding back for as long as she could, Ryou finally blurted out, “M-Mom, I’m hanging up now! The signal here’s bad—”

“Huh? Hey! Wait!”

“No, Ryou! If you hang up now, I’ll be mad at you!”

“Mom, please, I’m busy right now—”

“Ugh, honestly! Suki-san, just contact me directly, okay? My number is—”

‘Click.’

Ryou hung up before her mom could finish.

Kei hadn’t caught a single digit of that phone number.

Holding the fireworks, he stood there, completely lost.

“…Everything okay?” he asked carefully.

Ryou stayed quiet for a few seconds.

Then, after taking a deep breath, she looked up at him seriously.

“Suki-san, I’m sorry,” she said earnestly. “I’ve realized just how much trouble pranks can cause. I’ll never pull something like that again…”

“Huh…?” Kei blinked, half amused, half baffled.

She said it like an apology—but whether she’d actually learned her lesson was… questionable.

...

Anyway, after Ryou abruptly ended the call, the two left the shrine and continued walking toward the village center.

But for Ryou, her mother’s phone call was far from over.

As they walked down the familiar concrete road, passing houses decorated with pine ornaments and people smiling in celebration of the new year.

Kei couldn’t help but smile at the festive energy around them.

Except for Ryou.

Trailing a few steps behind, she was busy dealing with her mother’s text-message barrage.

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[Mom]: I’m heartbroken, Ryou.

[Mom]: How could you treat your mother like this on New Year’s?

[Mom]: I even agreed to let you travel with your dear Suki-san, and this is how you repay me…

———————————————————————

Her tone in text was pure tragic drama—like a scorned woman in some drama.

Ryou sighed helplessly.

Still, since her mother wouldn’t stop spamming messages, she finally replied with the only thing she could think of:

———————————————————————

[Ryou]: Sorry.

———————————————————————

A short, perfunctory apology.

No follow-up. No explanation.

And the New Year night went on.

Ryou’s mother waited a while, but when no reply came, she immediately launched another wave of text bombardment.

———————————————————————

[Mom]: “So you think just saying sorry makes everything okay? I’m still heartbroken, you know!”

[Mom]: “That’s it! I’m going to ask Nijika-chan for Suki-san’s number and talk to him myself. I’ll tell him not to date a girl who doesn’t know how to cherish her mother!”

———————————————————————

Ryou nearly dropped her phone. Her hair practically stood on end.

She glanced up nervously to make sure Aoki Kei hadn’t noticed her panic, then quickly looked back down and typed a reply.

———————————————————————

[Ryou]: “Mom, what do you want me to do, then?”

———————————————————————

‘Please,’ she thought helplessly, ‘just this once, can’t you go easy on me?’

But instead of calming down, her mother suddenly changed direction—like a pro tactician shifting the battlefield.

———————————————————————

[Mom]: “Ryou! I’m doing this for your own good!”

[Mom]: “Think about it—if even you fell for this boy, that means there must be a whole line of girls chasing after him, right?”

[Mom]: “So if I meet him first, talk to him a little, then the next time he sees you, he’ll subconsciously think, ‘Ah, I’ve met her parents before.’”

[Ryou]: “...And what’s that supposed to accomplish?”

[Mom]: “It accomplishes a lot! Just the phrase ‘met the parents’ already sounds official, doesn’t it?”

[Mom]: “So really, Ryou, I’m helping you! For a boy you really like, you have to take the initiative—that’s how I used to do it back in my day!”

———————————————————————

Her mother’s logic was absolutely ridiculous…

But after thinking for a moment, Ryou found herself reluctantly admitting it… made a tiny bit of sense.

———————————————————————

[Ryou]: “S-So… if I call you again and let you talk to Suki-san for a bit, you’ll promise not to contact him yourself?”

———————————————————————

It was a humiliating choice—but deep down, part of her heart fluttered at the thought.

On the other end of LINE, her mother couldn’t hold back a mischievous smile while shaking her head at her daughter’s hopelessly low “romantic IQ.”

———————————————————————

[Mom]: “Idiot! That’s not the point! It’s not about me talking to your Aoki-san!”

[Mom]: “The point is you have to make a move, my daughter!”

[Mom]: “Alright, let’s make it simple—I won’t push you too hard. Just hold Aoki-san’s hand, confidently and naturally, then take a picture together. That counts as making the first move!”

———————————————————————

Ryou’s mother sent the message and immediately leaned back, looking absolutely delighted, like she was watching the best drama of the year unfold.

“……”

Ryou lifted her head slightly, sneaking a glance at Aoki Kei in front of her to confirm he was still unaware of her ongoing crisis.

Then she lowered her eyes again and frantically typed back.

———————————————————————

[Ryou]: “No way! I can’t do that! Even holding hands confidently is already too much—don’t even mention taking a photo!”

———————————————————————

Her ears were burning red as she typed her desperate refusal.

But her mother’s reply came instantly.

———————————————————————

[Mom]: “You can start with the handshake! Then when the moment feels right, ask him to take a photo together.”

[Mom]: “Think about it, Ryou—this could be your very first photo with him. Not just any picture, but something special, unique… meaningful.”

———————————————————————

Her mother’s messages read like the whispers of a charming devil, coaxing her deeper and deeper into the abyss with sweet, patient words.

And slowly… Ryou’s heart began to waver.

Her pulse quickened, her thoughts tangled.

Then came the final push—

———————————————————————

[Mom]: “Alright! It’s settled then!”

[Mom]: “Otherwise, I’ll just ask Nijika-chan for Suki-san’s number myself. I’m sure she has it!”

———————————————————————

Ryou froze.

Her mother had weaponized Nijika.

This was no longer a battle of logic— It was a war of survival.