Chapter 24: It's All Just Too Much Trouble to be a Mama

It's All Just Too Much Trouble to be a Mama

I was troubled.

Currently, I'm constantly visiting Kagari's house, trying to get her to stop skipping school, or at least start attending.

The reason I started doing this in the first place was because Sumire asked me to, and I agreed, thinking that if I could do something about it, I'd have more freedom to do what I wanted at school.

But that would mean I'd be doing mostly unpaid work, so I thought I'd just keep on doing what I usually do: raise cute girls into monsters that everyone hates, and this time evolve Kagari into a hikikomori or a hikikomori NEET to balance it out.

But that plan was foiled. Kagari, who had a difficult family environment, had already turned into a monster long before I could do anything. And I ended up putting myself within that evil's reach.

Hungry for love from others, Kagari was trying to prove her love by believing me to be her mother. 

This doesn't create the balance I had originally envisioned. In fact, it's putting even more of a strain on me. It's clearly wrong for a classmate to treat me like a mother and force me to breastfeed and do other things just to curry favor with the teacher.

So what do I do?

The first thing that comes to mind is to not go to that house right now.

However, I can't imagine what that psychopath might do, so I can't afford to act carelessly, which is a tough situation.

Besides, I'd have to make Kasumi lose interest in me first, which would mean I'd failed the task the teacher entrusted me with. My relationship with Kagari-chan wouldn't change at all, and it would just end with me feeling bad.

I can't accept this. Putting my body on the line so much for no reward is unacceptable.

So, I reject the idea of ​​stop going to the house.

And then there's the next idea I can think of. This one's also simple.

I just need to get Kagari to school quickly. If she makes the decision to return to school on her own, I won't have to go to that house anymore.

It's not really a plan, but rather a way of sorting out the order in which I need to do things first.

There is only one other order that will allow me to receive my fair share and still not have to go near that house.

But the important thing about this order is how I can get Kagari to go to school.

I agonized over this point a lot.

It was complicated because it was difficult to begin with, and now they're adding the added demand of speed.

Plus, it goes against my own principles, or rather my inclinations, for me to rush around trying to get a kid who was a shut-in back to school.

My hobby is creating and observing problem children, so why should I have to work so hard to turn them back into normal kids?

This is getting long-winded, so let's get straight to the conclusion.

I acknowledge Hanabi Kagari as my daughter.

"Mama, you come again today!"

"Yes, thank you, Kagari-chan. It's great that you were able to welcome me."

"Hehe. I'll do anything for my beloved Mama!"

You said it, didn't you? I got your word.

"You're so great... Right, Kagari-chan?"

"Hmm, what is it, Mama?"

Sigh... When I think about what I'm about to say, I feel a real reluctance. It's like I can sense a foreign object deep inside me, an illusion.

Because that would be like denying who I am in this life.

...Sigh.

"You're a good girl, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm a good girl!"

"You listen to everything Mama tells you, right?"

"Of course!"

But there's no other way. This is just for a moment, and it's the last time. For now, I'll just have to accept it as a difficult decision.

"...So, how about we go to school together?"

"...Huh?"

Abruptly. Kagari, who had been gesturing wildly and smiling at me until just a moment ago, now stopped moving.

Her face was filled with shock, as if betrayal was written all over it. 

"M-M-? You're kidding, right? Mama wouldn't say something like that to me, right? That's a harsh joke..."

"I'm not joking, Kagari-chan."

"No, no! I just want to stay here and live happily with Mama! I don't need to go to school! Right? I'm a good kid, right? A great kid! Then I don't need school, right!?"

She looked like she was about to cry as she protested, clinging desperately to my waist. Seeing her like that made my heart sting, but if things continued like this, sooner or later, losses would occur, for me.

I had to be hardhearted.

"Hey, Kagari-chan. If you don't go to school, it'll be your future that will suffer, you know?"

"...Ugh, ahhh"

Kagari-chan finally began to cry. Her cheeks were bright red, and her eyes were bloodshot. She must have been heartbroken that I, her loving mother, had rejected her.

"If Kagari-chan doesn't go to school, her educational background will be that of a high school dropout. That means the jobs she can get are slim. Would you rather do hard physical labor all day, or work with someone who doesn't know anything about sex? Which would you prefer?"

"I, I don't want that. ...I don't want that. I don't want that, but..."

"In Japan, that's the only way to get a job without even graduating from high school. I don't want Kagari-chan to go through that kind of pain..."

"...sniff."

If she were to stay shut in like this, would she end up getting a job like that? The answer is no. After all, that psychopath would simply continue to support her as long as she stayed in this room. And money doesn't seem to be a problem, either. 

But right now, in Kagari's mind, I'm the highest ranking human being, far ahead of all humanity. The "what if" stories I tell her probably feel like absolute certainties that will eventually happen.

To a young child, the world means their parents.

"But, but, have you ever heard that even if you don't go to high school, you can still qualify for a high school diploma?"

"Yeah, that's true."

"So then."

"But, even if you went from being a high school dropout to graduating, Kagari's circumstances won't improve. To get a decent job in Japan these days, you first need a college degree. Many of the companies I know require a college degree before you can apply."

"...Hmm."

This is also an outrageous statement that's widely accepted for the same reason. In reality, there are many successful people with only a high school diploma, and even if you're not successful, it's still far better than dropping out. It's only relatively better, but it's by no means better overall.

"Hey, Kagari-chan, Kagari-chan. Why don't you want to go to school? Just tell me, please?"

I hug her tightly as she crouches at my feet and whisper in her ear.

I'm starting to get all riled up. Why do I have to do this?

"Hey, tell me? I promise I won't tell anyone."

"...Really? You're not going to tell anyone? You promise?"

"Yeah, it's a promise between me and Kagari-chan. I'll never break it, we're parent and child, okay?"

She trembles.

Fear seemed to leak from the depths of her heart, but she still hugged me tightly, wanting to cling to me.

For a moment, Kagari was silent.

"You know, you know... I..."

After a few minutes, she spoke.

"You know... I was being bullied."

I know.

Naturally, I couldn't say that, so I hugged her tighter as she trembled.

"I, you know. I wanted to get along with everyone, so I talked a lot to them. I introduced myself a lot, like what kind of person I am, what I like, and so on. So, so, so much..."

"Yeah, yeah... And then?"

"So, I tried my best, but everyone said I was annoying and wouldn't talk to me... Then they stole my notebooks, pens, and textbooks and did terrible things to me. They even splashed water on me in the bathroom..."

"I see, that must have been hard on you, Kagari-chan ..."

The childhood friend of a bully, the mother of a bullied child. I don't think there's anyone in human history who's more hypocritical than me.

Maybe because her throat was so tight, it was hard to hear her high-pitched voice, even as she sobbed. I can fill in the gaps because I know the details of the bullying she experienced. 

"And then... aaaah. I was so scared... I was trembling. Aaaah... And then... I... I just stopped..."

"...I see. Thank you for telling me even though it was so painful."

We embrace each other as tightly as we could.

I'm sure there are bruises under my skin, and they probably still are. But I don't care. If I stop now, she'll retreat into her shell for the rest of her life.

She'd lied to others to be loved, and eventually even started lying to herself, and now, for the first time, she'd revealed the depths of her heart.

There's no way it'll happen a second time.

That's why I step on it. If we keep going on like this, nothing will move forward.

The usual me would have been overjoyed, knowing that she'd make an even greater leap into becoming a monster.

But I've made up my mind.

I promised her that I would raise Kagari to be a decent, honest person.

I promised her that I would help her develop the cooperation and humanity to get along with others.

"Hey, Kagari. Will you listen to what Mama has to say this time?"

"...Ugh, Mama?"

"Yeah, will you?"

"...Okay."

"Thank you."

After telling her this, I paused for a moment. Kagari's mind was probably blank right now, so I wanted to give her some time to regain her composure.

I decided to speak up, saying that she had probably calmed down enough to understand what we were talking about.

"Mama knows how hard it was for you. You did a great job, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did my best... Mama."

I stroked her head and Kagari closed her eyes in comfort. 

I guess she only thinks of me as her mother now. At first, she acted like she was overacting, perhaps to deceive herself, but now she acts like a child who truly relies on her mother.

"But even so... I still want you to go to school, Kagari-chan."

Kagari tried to let out a cry of surprise, but I stopped her and spoke first.

"I'll protect you, and I'll never leave you alone at school... Right?"

"You'll protect me...?"

"Yes, I will. I'll protect you from bullies, and we'll attend class together... I want you to have a fun school life, Kagari-chan."

Why? How? Questions like these filled her face.

"For Mama, what makes me happiest is seeing my beloved daughter, Kagari-chan, grow up healthy and happy."

"Happy...?"

"Yes, Happy. I like being friends with Kagari-chan in our room like we are now, but if we could, I'd like to go shopping together, go to the movies, or even the zoo. Oh, an amusement park would be nice too, right?"

"Amusement park..."

"Yeah, an amusement park. But if things stay the way they are, Kagari-chan will never be able to leave her room. That would make me sad..."

"Ah, Mama... Don't cry..."

"...I'm sorry. It's you who's suffering... I know I shouldn't cry..."

Tears naturally spill from my eyes. 

The teardrops ran down my cheek and landed on Kagari's cheek as she embraced me. Then, Kagari looked as if she had made up her mind.

"...Mama, will you really protect me? Will you go to school with me and protect me?"

I've done my best! This year's Academy Award is mine!!

Sigh, I'm exhausted. I shouldn't do things I'm not used to.

I never thought I'd end up educating people, not in a bad way, but in the right way. To turn the monster that is Kagari back into her human self...

But it can't be helped, it can't be helped. This is the only way to solve our current problems once and for all.

But it definitely won't end here!

Someday, someday! While we're still in high school!! 

Now that Kagari-chan has returned to being a normal human, I'll become her toxic parent and raise her into a monster once again from the scratch.

This incident isn't about me feeling affection for a girl who keeps calling me "Mama, Mama" or anything like that!

Absolutely not!!

It's an investment in the future!!

Don't get the wrong idea!!

"Yeah, of course. There's no way Mama  would abandon Kagari-chan."

"...Okay then. Well then, well then, well then...."

"....."

"...I'll go."

Author Note:

Yuri will love a girl who's been broken by her toxic parents, turn her back into a normal child, and then she'll become her toxic parent herself and turn the girl into a monster once more.

It's a roundabout way of thinking, but this was the very edge of Yuri's tolerance.