Yotsuba Maya wore a radiant smile that seemed to light up her entire face.
In front of her, Tatsuya hung his head, looking completely defeated. He didn’t even have the courage to meet her gaze.
"Goodness... how tragic for me, having such a thoughtless son..." Maya let out a dramatic sigh, putting on a flawless performance of a deeply wounded woman.
Tatsuya felt himself being cornered, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"Mother... I’m sorry. Honestly, I wanted to come home sooner, but things just kept piling up, and I couldn’t get away."
Maya shot him a sideways glance, her eyes narrowing playfully.
"Is that so? And you think that’s a good enough excuse for how rarely you show your face around here?"
Tatsuya could only offer a bitter smile, shaking his head helplessly.
Suddenly, Maya opened both her arms toward him.
"Mother?"
"I’m running low on 'Tatsuya-energy.' Give me a hug, and then I’ll consider forgiving you."
Tatsuya’s composure instantly crumbled.
"I really don’t think that’s appropriate..."
Maya didn’t budge. Her arms remained raised, her eyes still closed—clearly unwilling to open them until she got exactly what she wanted.
With no other choice, Tatsuya suppressed his embarrassment and stepped forward to embrace her. It was a simple fact—Yotsuba Maya was breathtakingly beautiful, enough to outshine even the most idealized characters from a 2D world.
As he held her, a wave of guilt washed over him. He couldn’t help but feel like a sinner for the fleeting, inappropriate thoughts that crossed his mind during the embrace.
Maya couldn’t read his mind, of course, but she could feel the tension radiating from him.
Deciding she had gathered enough “energy,” she gently pushed him back.
"That’s better. But make sure you come home more often from now on."
"I understand, Mother."
Maya gestured toward the chair across from her. Tatsuya sat down immediately, back straight as he waited for what would come next.
"It’s been quite a while since we’ve had time to ourselves. I want to hear all about your life—living on your own, surrounded by so many lovely young women."
She gave him a teasing smile and a playful wink.
Tatsuya turned bright red.
"Please... stop teasing me."
"Hehe, not a chance. Teasing my son is a mother’s greatest privilege, you know."
Tatsuya fell silent, fully aware that he was completely powerless against her. Swallowing the complaints in his heart, he began telling his story—carefully leaving out anything too questionable.
Maya was sharp enough to notice what he was hiding, but she chose to remain silent, simply listening with an amused expression.
"I’ve heard bits and pieces about these friends of yours. Where are they now?"
Tatsuya froze, the words caught in his throat.
"Why the sudden silence? Don’t tell me... they’re actually from another world? Hahahaha!" Maya’s laughter echoed throughout the room.
Cold sweat trickled down Tatsuya’s face. His heart rate spiked—a clear sign of just how shaken he was.
Maya stopped laughing and pressed a finger to her lips.
"Ara~ it seems my little guess hit the mark."
Thump-thump!
"Ugh... Mother, you actually know about the existence of other worlds?"
Maya’s smile only widened.
"Does this have something to do with your past?"
The temperature in the room dropped instantly. A dense, suffocating wave of psions surged from Maya—powerful enough to make any ordinary magician feel sick.
Tatsuya shuddered, a chill running down his spine as the atmosphere turned unbearably oppressive.
"Tatsuya," she said, her voice low and dangerous.
"Don’t pry into things that don’t concern you. Understood?"
Tatsuya nodded quickly, keeping his lips tightly sealed.
"Good boy. Now then, give me your honest assessment of them."
Tatsuya hesitated for a moment before giving a rough summary. At that same moment, Miyuki was also caught in a conversation with her mother, struggling just as much to satisfy her relentless curiosity.
---
[Chat Group]
Makoto: Tatsuya? You there?
Time Eater: He hasn’t been active since we got back from his world. Think something happened?
White: If something did happen, Tatsuya can handle it himself.
Sword Princess: I agree.
Makoto: True. If even Tatsuya can’t handle it, what chance do the rest of us have?
Time Eater: Ara~ ara~ that sounds surprisingly convincing coming from you.
Makoto: Ugh... thanks, I guess.
Even so, Makoto shivered at the thought of Kurumi’s smile behind those words.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Hah... I’m finally free.
White: Speak of the devil. You show up the moment we start talking about you.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Eh? You guys were talking about me? Who started it? I’ll remember this.
Makoto: Come on, it was just small talk. No need to hold a grudge.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: So it was you?
Makoto: ...Yeah.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: ...
Makoto: Say something, will you? Your silence is freaking me out.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Hahaha! Relax, I’m kidding. Why would I hold a grudge over something so trivial?
Makoto: Thank god. Don’t scare me like that.
Sword Princess: Why were you offline until now? Did something happen?
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Nothing major. I was just catching up with my mother.
Time Eater: Ara~ ara~ I’m quite curious about the woman who could give birth to a miracle like you.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Thanks for not calling me a monster. As for my mother... she’s a bit too much for me to handle.
Sword Princess: You mean she’s stronger than you?
Tatsuya Yotsuba: No, I mean she’s “strong” in a completely different way.
Sword Princess: Ah...
Time Eater: ...
White: ...
Makoto: Sounds like you’ve had a rough time.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: You have no idea. Especially this time—she demanded an explanation about all of you.
The chat group fell completely silent. Tatsuya stared at the screen, waiting for a response from the others, who seemed to have collectively frozen.
To be continued...Anvanced Chapter .com/AgamYupi02
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