Life In The Reverse World

Buzz.

The phone inside her clutch vibrated. After hesitating for a moment, Chouko finally broke free of her mother’s hand, turned slightly to put her back to her, and checked the new message.

[Harutaki: Miss your dad already, Chouko-chan? 🐱 tilts head] — Read

That idiot… that huge idiot!

Chouko shot her mother a discreet glance, then, in her heart, unloaded every insult she had learned in her entire life onto the little devil named Harutaki.

She had already made up her mind not to meet him.

She could still endure it… endure it until the day she regained her freedom…

And yet, Harutaki had once again appeared at her side as if by a miracle.

That single fact rekindled a tiny flame called “hope” within her once-dark, despairing heart.

In that instant, expectation and longing bloomed again, faint but undeniable.

If it were Harutaki… surely he’d find a way, right?

She knew it was an unrealistic thought, yet she still couldn’t help placing her hopes and dreams onto that boy.

[Chouko: The one who came to get me is my mother.] — Read

After “Unread” turned into “Read,” Chouko waited for a reply that never came, nearly bursting out laughing.

Right now, Harutaki’s expression after seeing that message must be exactly the same as hers had been when she heard the broadcast earlier.

If she could see him immediately, she really wanted to witness that reaction with her own eyes, then record it on her phone.

Someday, when they looked back at those photos, she and Harutaki-kun would definitely laugh together.

But… if Izumi, Sae, Minako… if everyone could flip through the album together and laugh, that would be even better.

…

Neatly trimmed purple-black hair, clear deep-violet eyes, a straight nose bridge, fair skin, a tall, slender build, and an air of confidence, maturity, and composure—

Sigh… Shouko quickly looked the boy up and down from head to toe. In her mind, she compared him to Sato, and the contrast was so stark it was almost absurd.

“You must be ‘Harutaki-kun,’ correct? Good morning. I’m Chouko’s mother, Shihou Shouko. Thank you for looking after my daughter.”

She took the initiative, bringing out her usual authority and presence, smiling as she inclined her head slightly.

“Hoshikawa—Hoshikawa Harutaki. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me, Auntie Shihou… I’ve also been looked after quite a bit by Shihou.”

Harutaki bowed formally, following proper etiquette, to the young woman who bore a faint resemblance to the girl.

Her carefully sculpted smile and the aura of a prestigious family did indeed carry pressure. Yet strangely, instead of feeling tense or intimidated, he felt an inexplicable familiarity and warmth—

As if he were meeting his own mother from long ago.

Harutaki’s calm, even slightly friendly attitude left Shouko, who had intended to give him a warning shot, momentarily at a loss.

Calmness she could understand—but what was with that unmistakable closeness in his eyes?

For now, she set that question aside and, maintaining her smile, raised another issue.

“Hoshikawa-kun, I believe I heard a missing-person announcement over the broadcast just now. That was…?”

“I’m truly sorry!”

At astonishing speed, Harutaki bowed deeply without the slightest hesitation and apologized.

What was this!?

That thick skin and decisive boldness reminded her of her husband—or rather, of those worldly bureaucrats and businessmen.

She had intended to seize the initiative and put this boy who dared approach her daughter in his place. Instead, she now found herself completely blocked, with nothing to say.

That announcement had caused no real harm at all. In fact, most people had probably forgotten it entirely within minutes.

Whether to pursue the matter depended solely on her, Shouko, and the subject of the announcement—her daughter, Chouko.

She glanced subtly at Chouko and saw that her daughter’s eyes, fixed on the boy, were already brimming with longing and excitement. Compared to when Chouko was with her, the difference in spirit and energy was night and day.

Clearly, expecting Chouko to pursue the issue was impossible.

So should she pursue it?

“Haa…”

She let out a shallow sigh. With how sincerely and decisively this boy had apologized, pressing the issue now would only make her seem petty and graceless.

“Because I wanted to see Shihou after she left without saying goodbye, I acted on impulse and did something I shouldn’t have. Please forgive me, Auntie.”

As he spoke, Harutaki bowed again—and stayed bowed, drawing the attention of passersby.

Such an overly clever brat…

Left with no choice, Shouko reached out and patted his shoulder, signaling as an elder that she truly didn’t mind.

“Oh my, you’re far too polite… Please get up. It wasn’t anything serious to begin with, no need to take it so hard. And really, Chouko was the one at fault first. You don’t need to blame yourself so much.”

To be honest, from start to finish, the boy’s performance had been flawless—proper manners, sincere attitude, and with such outstanding looks and composure, anyone would naturally feel favorably inclined at first glance.

She couldn’t deny that.

But…

But she felt an inexplicable trace of aversion—perhaps rejection—toward him.

It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the boy.

Rather, he was too perfect, too outstanding. Compared to an ordinary sixteen-year-old high schooler from a normal family, he felt more like an adult shaped by elite education and experience.

That was what worried her, as a mother.

From the very moment Chouko met Hoshikawa, she could tell how fond her daughter was of him. That fondness even gave her the uneasy impression that Chouko’s feelings for this boy might already surpass those she held for her childhood friend, Sato.

Unbelievable.

That was the only word she could use.

Chouko had once nearly said she would “cut ties as mother and daughter” just to pursue her “Onii”—words that sounded like a joke, but once spoken, could never be taken back.

And yet this same Chouko had, without her noticing when, fallen for a boy named Hoshikawa Harutaki.

Even if she and the family head believed their daughter to be exceptionally gifted, capable of great things in the future—that was only talent.

How many geniuses in this world never lived up to their promise and faded into obscurity?

Countless.

The current Chouko was still just a naive, childish, simple-minded girl…

Shouko had no doubt that if Chouko continued interacting with Hoshikawa, she would be completely devoured—one hundred percent.

A little lamb stripped bare, throwing herself straight into the jaws of a hungry wolf.

Her daughter wouldn’t just be eaten alive; she might even help the boy count his money afterward.

She trusted her judgment. She and the family head had seen too many people, too much human nature. Just as when Chouko ran away from home two years ago, she had already concluded that her daughter would never have a good outcome with her childhood friend.

And reality had been even more brutal.

When she learned that Chouko had nearly fallen victim to a scumbag, she felt a level of regret she had never known before—wishing she could go back two years, to beat her, scold her, even truly sever their relationship if necessary, just to keep Chouko at home. Especially after seeing those videos preserved as “criminal evidence,” her resolve to bring her daughter back under the family’s care only hardened.

Perhaps, she reflected, she shouldn’t have indulged Chouko so much as a child—shouldn’t have let her believe rules could always be broken, or that she would forever have someone to rely on, someone to protect her…

This was the stance she, Shihou Shouko, had to uphold as a mother—even if it meant completely disregarding her daughter’s wishes.

…

“Since Hoshikawa-kun wants to see Chouko, go talk with her for a bit.”

Shouko nodded slightly, then pulled Chouko forward from behind her.

“But make it quick. We’ll be departing for Kyoto shortly.”

Hearing that, Harutaki raised his arm and checked his watch. 10:20.

Tch…

He clicked his tongue inwardly, unable to understand why Chouko’s mother seemed to dislike him.

Given their current location, even heading to the platform leisurely at eleven would be more than enough. Yet she spoke of “quickly” and “shortly.”

Is it that my scumbag aura is just too strong?

He amused himself with the thought, then turned his gaze to the girl with her head lowered, too afraid to speak.

“Shihou, don’t you have something you’d like to explain to me?”

Arms crossed, he asked in a teasing tone.

“Hoshikawa… I… um…”

“Oh, I get it. Not replying to a single message, disappearing again without a word. Guess I’m nothing to you in Shihou’s eyes, huh?”

At times like this, you had to push hard, he thought. If he didn’t give this idiot Shihou a proper scolding, she’d never reflect.

And just as he said—

Ignoring messages, refusing to meet, vanishing again without remorse…

If he hadn’t touched even a bit of her heart, who else would put up with this?

Even if he understood her reasons, he was still irritated.

Ridiculous and infuriating.

“I’m sorry… it’s my… my fault… sob…”

Please…

Smack.

Seeing the girl on the verge of tears, choking on her sobs, Harutaki slapped his palm against his forehead.

Ah, damn it. Is this a girl’s innate advantage?

Jet-black, smooth hair fell like a curtain. Between the strands, her flushed, delicate nose peeked through. Long lashes trembled, her soft lips pressed tight, each sniffle syncing almost perfectly with his heartbeat…

No—this was an advantage unique to cute girls.

“Hey, why are you crying? Shouldn’t the one crying be me, the guy you tossed aside like a used massage stick?”

“Pfft—w-what massage stick!? I’d never—”

Just as Shihou managed to stop crying and smile, Shouko, who had been watching closely, strode over.

“Ahem, Hoshikawa-kun…” She pulled her daughter behind her, face turning cold. “I think it would be better if we used the remaining time to talk.”

Seeing this, Harutaki’s mouth twitched.

Crap.

He’d made a dirty joke—and forgotten that Chouko’s mother was standing right there.