Chapter 198

* * *‘This is terrible.’Maru prepared himself a bit before coming, but mother was as scary as ever. He was reminded of when he first met her in his previous life, they talked long enough to make him worry that the marinated beef he brought over as a gift was going to get over-marinated. It felt like an interrogation, no, worse. He was just getting censured, the fact that he was getting cold sweat just thinking about the conversation he couldn’t remember was proof enough of that. He could just imagine the scene in his head. Mother must’ve asked him numerous troubling questions and he must’ve had a wild time trying to come up with a proper answer.“Relax, be comfortable.”The voice came as mom started doing the dishes, Maru jumped up from his seat volunteering to do it for her. He sounded like a new recruit in the army, not that she allowed him to help. Maru sat down with a frown, ‘shutting right up’ as one could put it.“You look like a trained puppy.”She spoke to him with a big smile on her face. She was cute and pretty, yet he couldn’t help but feel that she was more of an enemy than an ally today. He totally had the lead when he came to the house earlier, too.“So when was the second time you guys ever kissed?”A terrifying question shot towards him from the kitchen, even she froze up in the middle of eating ice cream at that question. Maru felt a little amused looking at that, but became instantly terrified upon realizing who the question was directed to.“No denial? So you guys did do it, huh?”“M-mom!”She frantically ran into the kitchen. Good job, wife! But even she was no match for her mother's words. She came back with a face as red as a beet, she looked so sad getting back into her seat. What in the world was said to her?“We enjoyed the fruit you gave us last time. I’m sorry for the late thanks.”“It’s nothing, mother.”There was a plate in mother’s hands as she walked into the living room, three apples and six tangerines. It was a lot of fruit for just three people, but mother started cutting the apples with a smile regardless. Maru swallowed a little as he watched her peel off their skins, she’d probably stop after two pieces. Same with mother. Then the rest…“Have a lot.”“...Of course.”“You like apples?”“Very much.”“Oh, good. You can have more, then.”Maru felt his eyes twitch from under him. Three apples, six tangerines. He knew mother didn’t like leftovers. Maru steeled himself, preparing to wage war against the fruits in front of him.