Never would I have expected to be offered a cosplay opportunity by the mother of a friend, whom I’ve met only twice.
At that moment, Rika, who was beside me, interjected in surprise.
“Mama! What are you talking about all of a sudden? You never mentioned this to me!”
“Oh, isn’t it enough that you heard it now?”
Maria casually said so and turned to look at me.
“So, what do you think, Yu-seong?”
Suddenly, the focus was on me, but regrettably, my answer was already determined.
“I’m sorry, but that might be a bit difficult for me. While I’m certainly interested in Comiket, cosplay seems a bit too challenging for me.”
As I expressed my hesitation, Maria sighed in disappointment.
“Really? Well, it can’t be helped then. I was planning to ask my husband to give you a precious keepsake as a gift if you helped.”“…Could you tell me more about that part?”
“Didn’t you just say it would be difficult?”
“Upon further thought, trying cosplay once in a lifetime doesn’t seem too bad.”
“Ryu-chan! Ryu-chan, you’re being tricked by Mama! Snap out of it!”
“Haa!”
Thanks to Rika, I quickly regained my senses that had momentarily clouded.
What was I about to get myself into?
Already struggling with too many commitments, I couldn’t afford to add more.
Maria clicked her tongue in disappointment, but I quickly made my way towards the counter, as if escaping.
Shortly after, my mother came out with the food herself.
“Oh my, who do we have here?!”
Upon spotting Rika seated at the table, my mother’s face lit up with joy.
“Hello, Ma’am!”
Rika greeted her with a lively smile and a wave.
My mother responded with a wide smile, placing the bowl of cheonggukjang in the center of the table.
“Are you here to eat with your sister?”
“No! This is my Mama!”
“Hello.”
Maria greeted politely with a slight nod, and Mrs. Imija responded with a surprised “Oh my!” as she acknowledged her.
“You’re very beautiful, ma’am. Which country are you from?”
Maria replied with a pleased smile.
“I’m from England.”
“England! You come from a lovely place!”
Despite having met for the first time today, the two conversed comfortably, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Was this the unique affinity characteristic of middle-aged women?
Seeing that their conversation might be prolonged, I went on to serve the rest of the dishes my mother had prepared in the kitchen.
The table was set with a variety of Korean dishes, including kimbap, cheonggukjang, yukgaejang, and assorted pancakes.
Rika sniffed the air, her mouth watering at the delicious aroma.
Seeing this, her mother smiled warmly and said,
“Eat a lot, Rika. If it’s not enough, I’ll bring more.”
“Thank you!”
“Then, please enjoy your meal.”
After hearing Rika’s thanks, her mother returned to the kitchen.
Then, the two began their meal in earnest.
Apparently familiar with Korean cuisine, Maria skillfully served herself some cheonggukjang.
After tasting it, she opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh my, this is delicious.”
“Right?”
Proudly puffing out her chest, Rika watched as Maria took a few more spoonfuls, looking pleased.
Next, they tasted the kimbap and assorted jeon, finishing with yukgaejang.
Despite the unusual combination, they eagerly devoured the spread of dishes.
“Whew! That was great!”
After finishing her yukgaejang and rice, Rika leaned back in her chair, satisfied.
Maria also seemed quite content.
Watching from the counter, I fetched some sujeonggwa from the fridge to offer them.
“What’s this?”
“It’s on the house. This is sujeonggwa, a traditional Korean drink typically enjoyed after a meal.”
As I poured it into a glass for them, Maria swirled the drink in her glass curiously before tasting it.
“Oh, this is good.”
Seeing this, Rika also tried the sujeonggwa.
“It’s delicious!”
Like mother, like daughter—their tastes seemed quite alike.
As I placed the bottle of sujeonggwa on the table for them to enjoy as much as they wished,
“Here’s some fruit for you~”
My mother came out with a plate heaped with fruit.
“My child lacks cuteness, you see~”
“Ah, but he’s dependable, and that’s good, right~”
With the fruit platter, the mothers began chatting about their children.
I thought they were finished earlier, but it seemed they were just getting started.
For me, it was quite uncomfortable, but Rika seemed to enjoy the conversation with our mothers.
Was this what they call loneliness in a crowd?
“Ever since he started high school, he suddenly seems to have matured, getting serious about exercise and studies. Honestly, I know it’s a luxurious complaint, but I prefer the cuter days of old.”
“Ah! I saw a photo of him before! He was definitely cute!”
Responding to Rika’s agreement, her mother nodded and took out her smartphone.
“Here’s another photo. It was taken during a middle school festival.”
“Oh my, oh my.”
“Wow! So cute!”
This was the reaction of the two after seeing the photo shown by my mother.
Honestly, from a man’s perspective, I wasn’t sure how to take this.
Personally, I think the present is much better than the past.
Then, as if she just remembered, Ms. Maria said to my mother.
“By the way, I heard Yu-seong had taught our daughter some lessons. Thanks to him, her grades have improved a lot, and I want to express my gratitude.”
Then Mrs. Imija laughed heartily and joked,
“Our son did that? I thought he was only into sports, but it seems he’s quite capable of doing other things too.”
It was the typical gossiping of the aunties.
However, what was unexpected was that Ms. Maria played along with the joke.
“If it’s Yu-seong, he’s the perfect son-in-law material. He’s good at studies, sports, and is a sincere person. In fact, it makes our Rika seem lacking.”
Then, Rika, who had been quietly listening, blushed and exclaimed loudly,
“Mom!”
“My ears are going to fall off, child.”
Ms. Maria scolded Rika like that, and then immediately suggested to Mrs. Imija,
“If you ever consider it, let me know. I will make sure to give proper bridal training.”
“Ohoho, should we start calling each other in-laws from now on?”
“In-laws, that sounds nice.”
As the conversation between the two became increasingly absurd, I, who had been quietly listening, said,
“Ladies, it’s about time to get up.”
Then Mrs. Imija got up with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Oh, look at me. I have a pile of dishes waiting, and here I am just chatting away.”
Ms. Maria was in the same situation.
“Rika, let’s go home.”
And just like that, the meeting of the two ladies ended abruptly, and Rika, who was utterly exhausted, and I exchanged looks and shared words of sympathy for our ordeal.
“It’s 3000 yen in total.”
“Thank you for the meal, Yu-seong.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I bowed my head in thanks as I received the cash from Ms. Maria.
“Besides, don’t you really want to try cosplay? Actually, I made the costume thinking Yu-seong would agree.”
I couldn’t bring myself to refuse, seeing the sparkling eyes of Ms. Maria.
“…Please give me a bit more time to think.”
Then Ms. Maria clenched her fist and said, “Yeeeeesss!”
“So you’re considering it again?”
“If I don’t have any special plans.”
Honestly, as a fan, I was really tempted by Mr. Musashi’s cherished items.
After all, they were precious items that couldn’t be bought with money.
“Hehe, then I’ll happily wait for Yu-seong’s call.”
Ms. Maria said that and winked, then left the store first to get her car.
“Aren’t you leaving, Rika?”
“Ah, um, just a moment.”
I asked Rika, who was hesitating as if she had something to say, and she timidly took something out of her handbag.
It was a promotional flyer.
“Ryu-chan, there’s a festival at a nearby shrine this weekend. Do you want to go together?”
“This weekend?”
“Yes… Is that okay?”
Rika looked up at me with an anxious expression.
Honestly, that look was unfair.
It had a magic that made it impossible to refuse.
So, after hesitating, I answered honestly.
“Well, I have a prior engagement on Saturday, so it might be difficult.”
Then Rika, thinking it was a gentle refusal, dropped her shoulders and said,
“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped…”
But one should always listen to what others say until the end.
“Instead, I’m free on Sunday, so if that’s okay with you, I can join you then.”
Rika’s face brightened noticeably at that.
“Really?!”
If Rika had a tail, it would have been wagging wildly.
“Yes, really.”
“Then, let’s meet at 7 pm on Sunday! I’ll text you the place!”
Rika said that with a big smile, then turned around just before leaving the store and said,
“You must come!”
I nodded with a wry smile.
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