Chapter 563: Summer heat
Because the woman had been looking down at the ground to pick up the apples, Shishio couldn't clearly see her face of the woman, but he felt he had seen this woman's face somewhere. Still, he wanted to wipe his sweat, so he could see better, but his hands were full of apples and shopping bags, so it was hard to do.
"I am sorry."
The woman apologized before she looked at him. While she must admit he was handsome, she was someone with a husband, so she knew it wasn't appropriate to stare at him for a long time.
"Ah, let me help you."
However, she noticed his problem and quickly took out a pocket tissue. She wiped the beads of sweat near his eyes, causing him to be able to see her.
The woman seemed to be in her early 30s. She was beautiful, clearly showing the charm of a mature woman.
She held a polyester umbrella to protect herself from the summer heat.
Under that umbrella, she wore a loose, light-colored knit sweater with a long skirt that reached her ankle. She didn't deliberately put make-up on her face, but she still wore them, a light one. It could be said that she was slightly plain.
Yet this plainness was what troubled him and tickled his heart.
Shishio was glad he was with Hiratsuka before since he could calm down. Fortunately, he wasn't someone that moved under his impulse. Yet the summer heat might have slightly affected him, so he showed a wry smile.
The woman noticed what she was doing. She was embarrassed and quickly apologized. "I am sorry!" Even if she saw his trouble, it was still rude to wipe someone's sweat suddenly, especially when that person was a stranger.
Shishio looked at the woman, wondering why he had met her.
Why should they meet if, in the end, they couldn't be together?
Looking at the clear silvery ring on her fourth finger, he knew that she was married. "It's okay. But what should I do with these?" It was better not to be involved any longer, so he decided to part since he felt their encounter was too dangerous. It might be part of the temptation to become a household husband that he was able to meet various lonely housewives.
"Ah, that's right! What should I do?" The woman seemed to be troubled and didn't know what to do. Her plastic bag was ripped, and she didn't bring anything besides her wallet. It was also impossible for her to ask for a plastic bag again at the supermarket when they were quite far away.
While the details weren't well written, the woman and Shishio met after they walked away from the supermarket.
Shishio could see the trouble in the woman, so he asked, "Is your house far?"
"No, it's quite close," the woman answered subconsciously.
"If you don't feel it is a problem, how about I help you bring them back?" If possible, he wanted to give him his plastic bag, but he only had one of them. If he gave it to her, how could he bring back the ingredients he had bought?
"Huh? Won't I trouble you?" This was the normal reaction of the people in this country. They didn't want to trouble others.
"Your house is close, right? I don't see a problem with it. However, if your house is far, it is better to go back to the supermarket. You can ask for another bag there."
"But..."
"Then, should I just leave all of them here?"
"...." The woman.
"Don't be stubborn. Or do I look like someone who will do something strange to you?" Shishio asked in a joke.
The woman laughed and said, "What will you do to me? I am a middle-aged woman, you know? You should say that to someone around your age." She could see that Shishio was a charming young man. She wasn't sure what his age was, but she felt he should be a high school student. Yet she must admit he was so tall that it made him quite intimidating.
Fortunately, Tsukasa wore a white t-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers, giving him a sunny boy-like image. His "Enhanced Smile" also made him approachable, giving anyone who saw him a good impression.
It was also the reason why the woman didn't think Shishio would have an interest in her. Considering his appearance, she felt he should be "fairly" popular.
Shishio showed a dumbfounded expression and exclaimed, "Huh? Aren't you in your 20s?"
The woman laughed, and her laughter was as beautiful as the chirping nightingale of the day. She smiled and lightly hit him. "You're exaggerating. You must be popular with a woman, right?"
"Well, you must be popular too, right?" Shishio didn't answer her question. Instead, he dodged her question by asking her this question.
"Of course, I am married." The woman showed the ring on her fourth finger.
"..."
What could he say?
Shishio was utterly disappointed at this moment but still maintained his smile and said, "Your husband must be lucky to marry you then."
She smiled wryly before shaking her head, knowing she shouldn't talk about her family problem, especially to someone she had just met. "You must be hot, right? Let me help you with that." She raised her hand, letting him under the umbrella. She also took his plastic bag since she felt she had troubled him.
"Thank you." Shishio didn't refuse, but he asked, "But won't your arm get tired if you keep that position?" As for his plastic bag, it was quite light, so he knew she would be okay.
"It's okay. It's okay. This is a good workout for me since my husband told me that I was slightly chubby," the woman said while looking at her body.
"Really? I think that your body is perfect." Shishio might have slept with various women, and his favorite body was a healthy body. Even if they were slightly fat, it was nice to touch them since they were so soft.
However, her body wasn't fat at all. Instead, she was in perfect proportion.
"I wonder how many girls you have seduced with those words," the woman said while staring at Shishio.
"....." Shishio.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't heard your name." She looked at him curiously.
"Me? My name is Oga." Shishio looked at the woman curiously and asked, "How about you, Onee-san?" He knew he should call her auntie, but he decided to call her a sister since he felt she was quite young.
She smiled and said, "You should call me Obaa-san, you know? I might be decades older than you, but I am happy for you to call me that." She thought for a moment, then said, "As of now, you should call me Yuigama-san. That's my family name."
"...Yuigahama-san?" Shishio was dumbfounded.
"Yes." The woman nodded with a smile.
While Shishio was dumbfounded, he didn't show it on his face. However, he smiled wrily inwardly since he didn't expect this attractive woman would be the mother of his senior. He felt conflicted, but he forced himself to calm down. "What is your first name?"
"My first name is Hana." Hana smiled and said, "Or do you want to call me by my first name?"
"Haha..." Shishio only laughed awkwardly and didn't answer. After all, what kind of person would call someone's first name right after they had met?
"What about your first name?" Hana asked.
"Shishio," Shishio answered.
"Shishio?" Hana was slightly surprised, then said with a smile, "My daughter often talked about a boy with the same name as you."
"Really?"
"Yes." Hana nodded. "She often called him Shishiron." She suddenly thought for a moment and asked, "Now that you mention it, are you a high school student?"
"Yes."
"In Suimei?"
"Yes."
"...First grade?"
"Yes."
"....."
Hana stared at Shishio in a daze and was so surprised since she didn't expect to meet her daughter's crush!
Hana was so excited at this moment and kept staring at him from time to time.
"...Is there something on my face?" Shishio asked curiously.
"Ah, no-nothing!" Hana was embarrassed and blushed since she realized her actions were quite rude.
Shishio nodded lightly and didn't point out her embarrassment. Instead, he talked about a common topic to ease the awkwardness between them.
Hana also sighed in relief since he didn't notice anything. She also started to talk with him about many things, but then again, she wanted to do something mischievous. The day of the housewife was fairly plain. She had to cook, clean up, do laundry, and do many other things.
If she didn't have a daughter, she might think she was a maid instead of a housewife.
This was how many housewives there were in this country. They lacked the love of their husbands since their husbands were too tired from their work, and they were too lazy to do anything to their wives.
Some of them were successful and should have had time, but they mostly spent their time with their work or drinking at the cabaret shop.
Still, many of them were still in love with each other.
Yet with the passage of time, love sometimes loses its passion.
Shishio and Hana talked to each other before they arrived at her house. Her house wasn't that far and fairly close to Hiratsuka's apartment, which made him slightly dumbfounded.
'Fortunately...'
Shishio was glad that no one seemed to realize that he had been with Hiratsuka. It wasn't that he was afraid of his relationship being known, but he was afraid that she had to sacrifice the job she loved for him.
Shishio knew that it was impossible for him to do anything to Hana, so he didn't plan to stay after he arrived at her house. As for the fact that she was Yui's mother, he decided to shut his mouth. "Is this your house?"
"Yes." Hana nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you, Oga-kun."
"It's okay." Shishio shook his head and asked, "So where should I put them?"
"Do you want to enter first? It's quite hot, right? I'll give you a cold tea or something to eat," Hana said and offered him to enter. She knew that her daughter was out, and she wanted to surprise Shishio and her daughter, thinking what their reaction would be when they met each other. She laughed inwardly, thinking she had done something fun.
However, Shishio was dumbfounded and asked, "Is that okay? I don't think it is okay for you to let me enter your house."
"It's okay. You don't need to worry too much, or do you plan to do something weird to me?" Hana asked with a teasing smile.
"....." Shishio
"Okay, right? Come in."
Hana pushed him inside.
"..." Shishio sometimes wondered what was wrong with his luck, but while he felt he was lucky, he also felt this was quite tragic. Her push was weak and feeble, he could stop her right away, yet the certain impulse in his heart made him unable to exert his power, and in the end, he could only enter her house hesitantly.
Shishio looked at the summer sky for the last time and thought the mistake he might make today was because of the summer heat.