Upon hearing him, I couldn't help but think of most romance light novels and manga—always recycling the same premise. Such lazy writers.
"I knew it. I thought the same, but no one believed me…" he said with an amused nod.
I get it. Adults who spend their lives buried in work aren't exactly the target demographic for light novels or manga. Still, I can't say all adults are like that—there are always exceptions.
I nodded in agreement, letting him know I understood.
If you have a childish side, it's not always easy to find another adult to share it with.
"There won't always be people you can talk to about certain topics. Still, sometimes talking to a stranger isn't a bad option."
As long as you're keeping things general and not revealing your entire life story, it's perfectly normal.
"Human beings are creatures of communication," I added, recalling something from a book. "We connect through words, gestures, and even the stories we share—simple or not."
Having a moment to talk and let out a few random ideas isn't bad at all.
"For someone your age, you say some pretty interesting things."
I guess that was a compliment… though it also felt like a jab at guys my age.
"Oi, oi, don't underestimate young people," I said with pride. "What do adults think teenagers even talk about?"
"Girls."
"Tch!"
I clicked my tongue.
"Am I wrong?" he asked smugly.
"To some extent… you're right."
Even if I'm mentally an adult, my body is still that of a teenager; hormones do their job whether I like it or not.
"I was a teenager once too, you know. Don't underestimate me." He puffed out his chest. "I even had a hiding spot for my magazines."
"I'm not sure that's something to brag about…"
"Are you going to deny having your own?" he raised a brow.
"That's in the past. Nowadays, technology exists. You can find anything online."
"How things have changed…" He looked up at the sky as if reliving old memories.
"With time, technology became a teenager's best friend."
"The way you say it makes it sound like you visit those sites regularly." He narrowed his eyes with a mischievous grin.
"A friend told me…"
Even if it's not something you'd shout to the world, denying it completely would be stupid.
"Hahaha, kids these days…"
"You can't blame me either. It's easier to find what you're looking for online than to waste time buying stacks of magazines."
Score one for technology.
"Preferences, huh…"
"Don't tell me you don't have any?"
I doubt he married someone he wasn't attracted to.
"Of course I do, though mine are a bit old-fashioned."
Tastes naturally vary from person to person, shaped by age and mindset.
"Don't worry, I won't judge. I have my own preferences too."
I didn't feel too bad asking about his tastes; conversations like this aren't uncommon between men.
"A mature woman, long hair, great figure, strong personality, and above all, big breasts!"
To our surprise, we spoke in perfect sync.
We slowly turned to look at each other—like old friends who somehow understood each other without trying.
"Aren't guys your age supposed to prefer shy, reserved types?" he asked with a hearty laugh.
"It's bad to generalize. Besides, why would I want someone like that? When I get home from work after a bad day, I want my wife to scold me, point out my mistakes, make me reflect, and then spoil me afterward."
Looking for a wife who coddles you no matter how many mistakes you make isn't something I'm into.
"I get you completely…" He nodded with enthusiasm.
Before I realized it, the atmosphere felt like two old friends catching up.
"Based on what you've said, I have to admit I'm a bit jealous—you're living my dream…"
What I want feels more like a distant dream; honestly, I doubt I'll ever find a wife like that. Or a wife at all.
"You're still young. I only met my wife in college, so you've got plenty of time. Also… weren't you just talking to a girl a few minutes ago?" His voice shifted from understanding to curiosity.
"I really doubt anything like a relationship would happen with her."
It's hard to imagine myself dating a girl I've known for a long time and actually like. It sounds illogical, but I'm more likely to start a relationship with someone I've spoken less than five thousand words to.
"Doesn't that line up with your preferences?" he asked.
Now that I think about it, Yumiko fits a lot of my preferences.
It shouldn't be a big deal to admit it; as long as I don't mention her name or anything too specific, nothing should happen. Besides, it's not like he'd describe his own wife in detail if I asked.
"She's a pretty peculiar girl in every sense—annoying, troublesome, persistent, and she acts like she has no one else to talk to."
The man burst into laughter.
"If she bothered you that much, you wouldn't be talking to her like that over the phone."
Can't deny that.
"She got so familiar to me that I eventually stopped resisting and got used to her."
Like any human being, I try to adapt—and that's exactly what happened with Yumiko.
"Even so, I doubt you'd put up with her if you didn't like her at all."
This guy really knows what to say.
"You're right," I sighed. "I guess I do like her… to some extent."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
He's either very perceptive… or I'm too relaxed and letting everything show. Whatever.
Somehow, this whole exchange feels like a conversation between friends who haven't seen each other in years.
"And of course, she's beautiful—long hair, lovely eyes, thick thighs, and most importantly, a pair of mountains."
"Yari, Aino, Okuhotaka, Kita, or Fuji?" he asked with a grin.
"Hmm… Okuhotaka."
I'll leave the meaning of that to your imagination.
"Hahaha! I didn't think you'd get that, but I see I underestimated you," he said, cheerful again. "You've got good taste!"
"I'm young, but well-informed. And for my age, that's normal."
A little research never hurts.
"From what you've told me, she sounds like your ideal girl. What's stopping you from taking the next step?"
I don't want to think about the real reason—it would ruin my mood.
"She's out of my league."
It's a simple answer, but if you ask any teenager, nine out of ten would say the same.
"Want some advice from an adult who's been married for years?"
He asked instead of lecturing, which tells me he doesn't want to make me uncomfortable or pretend we're closer than we are.
"I'm listening."
My decisions aren't swayed by others, but hearing him out isn't a bad thing.
"Never take things for granted. If you want the outcome you're hoping for, you need to take the first step. If you can't even start, it's no different from having given up from the beginning," he said, his tone suddenly serious—very different from earlier.
In short, wanting something but doing nothing means you can't complain when you lose it.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I already know that, but being reminded doesn't hurt.
"Just have more confidence in yourself. You're very capable and reliable," he said with a nod.
"It's strange to hear that from someone who's just a stranger walking and talking with me."
I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but it's true—you can't put that much trust in someone you've known for barely ten minutes.
"My wife says I have a good instinct for these things," he said with a smile.
I doubt it's just instinct. He's been focused on me the whole time, analyzing my expressions and gestures.
Some adults are terrifying.
"It's a useful skill."
"Not really. Because of it, I've always been closed off from interacting with others. I usually keep a serious, stoic demeanor."
I looked at him in disbelief after hearing that.
Up until now, he hasn't acted serious or stoic at all. From the very beginning, he was willing—almost eager—to talk.
"I find that hard to believe." I shook my head.
"That's how I was until a few months ago, but after an incident, I had to start speaking my mind more and interacting with others."
"That must be exhausting."
Changing who you are isn't something you accomplish overnight. I know that from experience.
"It is, but I think it was a necessary change—one I took many years to realize…" He lifted his gaze toward the vast sky, as if remembering something. "That's why, when I got the chance to exchange a few words with you, I wanted to take it and get used to being more open."
A distraction on his way home, and at the same time, a chance to practice being more open with people. This guy is incredible.
Talking with someone you already know is always easier. Talking with a stranger… not so much.
Some adults live monotonous, boring lives; even if they give you advice, you'd think twice about whether it's worth listening to. Meanwhile, others make the things you want to achieve in the future seem simple, and when they give you advice, you'd be stupid not to keep it in mind.
I'm probably not the best person to judge adults when I'm aiming to become the first type myself.
"I see…"
"Enjoy your youth. It's the time to make mistakes and experiment, because once you're an adult, messing up becomes much harder to fix. So if you want to make progress with that girl, you've got my support!" he said, giving a thumbs-up.
"I can't promise anything, but I guess trying to move forward isn't a bad thing either."
He's right—when you're a teenager, you can make mistakes, but as an adult, those same mistakes can have far worse consequences.
And before he says it, I know teenagers can still make life-changing mistakes, but I'm speaking in a more general sense.
"By the way…"
Before he could finish, his phone rang.
Definitely not my ringtone.
With a brief glance, he gestured for me to give him a minute.
"Yeah, I'm close. I can see the house—I'll be there in a moment."
After that short reply, he hung up.
"Your wife?"
"It's actually my daughter," he said cheerfully.
"You have a daughter?"
I was curious; since he hadn't mentioned it at all, I assumed it was just him and his wife.
"She's probably around your age…" He gave a calm smile. "She's my greatest treasure, and ever since her sudden change, I decided to be a better father."
Change?
I see—adolescence is when girls usually start acting differently toward their parents.
"That's admirable. Teen girls can be a handful."
"You don't say. Seeing her act more serious and stubborn was a big surprise, but I guess it was expected. She's a lot like my wife when she was young."
Like mother, like daughter—totally normal.
"Good luck with that," I offered my condolences.
"I think I'll need it today," he sighed. "I knew this day would come the moment I became a father, but I'm not sure I'm ready…"
A long-awaited day? Something related to his daughter?
Hmm… I see. His daughter must be bringing a boy home.
Around my age?
…Wait a second.
The gears in my head started turning at full speed, generating 14,000,605 possible scenarios.
And in one of them, the outcome is something I really don't like…
But it's an insanely tiny percentage compared to all the other possibilities. There's no way my bad luck would go that far… right?
Seeing that I was only a few steps away from Yumiko's house, I shook off every terrible future thought and said goodbye to the man.
"I'm close to my destination, so I guess this is where we part." I bowed my head slightly.
"What a coincidence, I'm almost home too." He nodded back. "It was nice talking to you. And remember, if you want to make progress, you've gotta be more confident in yourself. I'm sure you'll win that girl over, even if she's a total pain just like you said." He added that last part with a wide grin.
I never thought I'd have this kind of conversation with an adult. It was fun—really fun. Hopefully, we'll get to talk again while sharing a can of Max Caffe.
After we said goodbye, I walked a few steps forward and stopped in front of Yumiko's house.
It's just a normal dinner. I only need to avoid causing trouble and, more importantly, avoid making her father angry. If I manage that, it'll be just another night… or at least that's what I kept telling myself to stay calm.
I rang the doorbell. At the same time, a key turned in the lock.
And just like that, every reassuring word I'd given myself went straight to hell.
Slowly—like in a horror movie—I turned my head. The man I had been casually chatting with moments ago turned his head toward me at the exact same speed.
We both stopped at the same house.
A teenage boy coming over for dinner to meet his friend's parents… and a father returning from work, extremely protective and devoted to his daughter, about to meet said daughter's "friend."
I want to believe this is just a mistake. Maybe Yumiko's neighbor has the exact same house. Maybe the identical nameplate that reads Miura is just a weird coincidence.
Ha ha ha… life's funny like that, isn't it? Ha… ha…
Every instinct I have is telling me I'm a dead man.
Before either of us made a move, the door—of the house identical to Yumiko's—opened, revealing a girl identical to Yumiko. A doppelganger… because my brain refuses any other explanation.
Yumiko's doppelganger was wearing a long blouse that showed a bit of her neck—while not doing much to hide certain other things—a blue jacket, and a short black skirt that did absolutely nothing to hide her thighs. In short: casual clothes.
"Raiden, you're actually on time this time! I thought you'd keep me waiting half an hour again," she said brightly as she walked over.
Yeah… it seems that tiny possibility became reality.
And for some reason, after she mentioned the whole "half an hour" thing, I felt a murderous aura materialize right beside me.
Yumiko opened the gate. After I nodded back at her greeting, she looked to my side and noticed the man I had been talking with so comfortably.
The past is the past… unfortunately.
"Father, you're here. I thought you'd take longer."
"Hello, Yumiko. I'm home," he said slowly.
"If you two arrived together, does that mean you've already met?" she asked, head tilted.
I'm in no position to speak, so I just nodded.
"I had the chance to talk with him… Your friend is quite something." His tone was calm, but the look he gave me was the kind someone reserves for the burial site of their next victim. His eyes said everything.
"Good to know. Come in; Mom is almost done preparing dinner."
If I step inside that house, my second life ends today…
"Oh no, I think I've suddenly developed a terrible case of I-Can't-Enter-This-House-Because-I-Feel-Like-I'm-Going-To-Die! It's extremely rare and very serious, so it'd be irresponsible to take the risk. Maybe another time, in the distant future. Farewell."
I turned around and began walking in a random direction. I can fix things with Yumiko later.
But before I could take a single step, a heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'm a doctor. I'm sure I can treat your condition with a long and extremely painful surgery. The good thing is it doesn't require anesthesia," he said calmly, eyes sharp enough to pierce steel. Even so, I could sense the tiniest, tiniest shred of anger beneath that calm.
Doctors in Japan are incredible; he doesn't even look like someone trying to disguise a murder as a medical accident.
"I think I'm feeling better, so I'll have to decline your generous offer…"
"What are you two talking about? Raiden, stop messing around and get inside already!" Yumiko said, turning around and entering her house.
"You heard my daughter. You may enter. YOU ARE WELCOME IN MY HOME."
I'm dead…