I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 155: Did You Call Me Mom? (3)

“Kana, Kana.”

“....”

“Do you know what the bad thing is about living separately from your parents?”

“....”

Tok, tok.

“Kana, Kana.”

“....”

“Do you know what the bad thing is about living separately from your parents?”

“...sigh.”

I sighed and lowered my phone.

Daeun was looking at me with a glint in her eyes.

“Aren’t you tired of this?”

She had already repeated the exact same thing for the fourth time.

Not even a single word was wrong.

“If Kana had answered, I wouldn’t have had to ask four times!”

“At this point, wouldn’t it be better to just give up?”

“There’s no giving up in my dictionary! Even if there was, it’d only be used for counting cabbages!”

“What’s with that concept?”

“The concept of a brave leader. How’s that? Does it suit me?”

“You look like an idiot.”

“...How could you!”

Kwang!

A lightning bolt struck Daeun’s head.

“I thought it was perfect...”

“Stop talking nonsense. So, what’s the point you want to make?”

I knew it was going to be some useless talk, but I also knew that if I ignored her, she’d just keep pestering me.

So, I crossed my arms and decided to listen just once.

“Ahem... it’s about not being able to see my parents’ faces often.”

“Wow. I see. Daeun, do you know this?”

Since she had just shared something unexpected and important, I figured I should return the favor.

“When you eat, your stomach gets full. When you sleep, your fatigue disappears. Isn’t that amazing?”

I responded lazily, and Daeun shouted angrily.

“No, really!”

“What I said is true, though.”

“...I’m not joking!”

Then came Daeun’s long speech.

She went on about how, even if you’re not aware of it, living separately from your parents who you’ve lived with all your life feels oddly empty.

Even if you live nearby, work makes it hard to see them often.

I listened quietly, and when Daeun finally finished, I spoke.

“...Isn’t that an excuse?”

“Ugh!”

She had rambled on for so long, but the conclusion was just that, wasn’t it?

“If you really have no time, you could at least spare a few minutes to go visit them. You spend more time lazing around than you think. If you had gone during that time, you would have gone at least ten times more.”

“...I’m hurt, Kana...”

“Instead of whining, go say hi to them.”

“Cough!”

Daeun pretended to cough up blood.

Then, with a completely sullen face, she said.

“Kana’s gotten so sharp... You seem to prefer your phone over talking to me. Looks like puberty has hit you already. Now you’ll get mad if I wash clothes with you, slam the door when I leave, and ask for pocket money while telling me not to interfere...”

“What are you really saying?”

“More than that, Kana, do you know what the good thing is about living separately from your parents?”

“...What?”

“You don’t have to see your parents’ faces often!”

“....”

I think Daeun really is a fire element.

She burns so fiercely, she could probably survive winter without a heater.

“If you live together, you’ll inevitably clash. Small things build up and cause emotional rifts.”

Living apart means no arguments, and you come to appreciate each other’s worth.

...That’s what Daeun said.

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

“...Mom comes over way too often!”

Daeun shouted as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“I don’t mind when mom comes! I’m happy to see her! But... she comes too often! And every time she does, she nags!”

“....”

“Now there are so many side dishes in the fridge that there’s no room for anything else! And when I buy beer, I have to drink it lukewarm...”

“...So you’ve been bothering me all this time just to say that?”

I couldn’t believe it. All the persistent pestering, the long-winded speech, everything had been a setup for this one line.

“If you hate it so much, just tell her not to come.”

“...It’s not that simple. If she’s coming because of me, I can’t say not to. But if it’s because she’s worried about you, how can I stop her?”

“...?”

That’s how it is?

“Exactly! If not, Kana and Mom would have met by now. So, can you say something for me?”

“What?”

“‘I’m okay, so you don’t have to come anymore~’.”

“Hmm...”

I thought for a moment.

“No.”

“...Why?!”

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

“Because it’s fun?”

Daeun’s face dropped in shock as she slumped down.

She must not have expected me to refuse.

But honestly, I had no reason to say it.

Unlike Daeun, I didn’t mind Mom’s visits, and seeing Daeun get scolded every time was my little enjoyment.

“No... If this goes on, our cozy little nest will be invaded by outsiders!”

Beeep beeep.

Just then, the sound of the front door echoed.

A voice, familiar by now, came from the hallway.

“Mom’s here~ Did you do well?”

“Yeah.”

“...Now it’s ‘Mom’s here’ instead of ‘Mom’s here’?”

“Well, if you don’t even greet Mom, how could you say she’s pretty?”

“You’re just as bad, Kana!”

“Oh, look at you getting jealous of a kid. Well done!”

“Ugh...!”

Today, as usual, the mother-daughter argument ended with Daeun’s defeat.

Daeun, still unable to let it go, pouted her lips and made one last stand.

“Why does she come so often?”

“Ha? You used to cry and beg her to come anytime?”

“...That was then!”

“Daeun. Did you cry?”

“Ah, right! Kana, come here. I’ll tell you how Daeun was when she first became independent—”

“Aaaaaaaaa!! I can’t hear this!!”

“...Did she eat a train whistle or something?”

Daeun’s desperate cry for dignity filled the room.

As she kept screaming, Mom covered her ears and shuddered before finally making Daeun quiet down.

When Mom removed her hands from her ears, she leaned in and whispered.

“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay.”

Pat, pat.

Mom lightly patted Daeun’s head before heading to the kitchen.

It had become a routine these past few days, and I stared at her from the living room, silently counting down in my head.

‘It’s about time.’

One... two...

Threeeeee...

“Oh my, look at this!”

“...Eh.”

“Isn’t three too long?”

“Not at all.”

I was right on target.

While Daeun was still accusing me, Mom’s voice continued to drift from the kitchen.

“You didn’t finish the japchae I brought last time, and the fish cake stir-fry is still there. The braised beef is... all gone? Anyway, Daeun, did you order delivery again?!”

“No! How could I eat all of that?”

“Uh-huh.”

For once, I couldn’t disagree with Daeun.

Mom’s cooking was actually pretty good, and I could easily finish most of the side dishes, except for the vegetables.

But when she brought more food every time without finishing what was already there, the fridge would never be without food.

Daeun stood before Mom, raising her shirt to protest.

“Can’t you see my belly’s getting bigger from eating so much? And Kana too...”

Whoosh.

“....”

“...?”

Daeun turned to me.

But for some reason, the words that followed were gone.

As I tilted my head, Daeun scanned my body as if seeing something strange.

“...Why haven’t you gained weight?”

She poked my stomach through my shirt.

“...What are you doing?”

“...It’s still soft.”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even think to protest.

Daeun, with an earnest look, held her chin in contemplation.

“I’ve at least eaten a balanced diet. But Kana, you’ve only been eating things that make you gain weight, so why haven’t you put on weight?”

“Are you serious? The age difference between us is pretty big, you know? At this age, no matter how much you eat, it goes toward height, not weight.”

“...Ugh.”

“Kids at that age grow a lot even if you don’t see them for a short while.”

“...Uuuuugh.”

“...Heh!”

I couldn’t deny it.

Instead, I glared at Daeun, who was shaking and holding back her laughter.

It was clear that she was laughing inside, even though she wasn’t making any noise.

“...Why are you laughing?”

Seeing her in front of me, there was no way I didn’t notice, and Mom half-opened her eyes.

“You’re not teasing Kana for being short, are you? Watch out. Right now, you’re taller than Kana, but soon you’ll be much shorter than her because she’s still growing!”

“Pfft! Hahaha!”

“...Seems like you think it’s funny.”

“...Ahem! Well, Kana’s still in her growth period, so that’s fine.”

In the end, Daeun couldn’t hold back and burst into loud laughter, only to sink into silence after meeting my cold stare.

“Sigh...”

Daeun knows the story behind Gracid’s blessing.

I’m not sure what it’s like now that we’ve crossed dimensions, but I’m sure I’ll have to live in this body as it is.

But of course, Mom wouldn’t know about all this, so she wasn’t really teasing me.

...Still, it was a bit, well, depressing.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Pat, pat.

“Move your hand.”

“Oh, sorry.”

I might scratch you.

With a mischievous smile, Daeun took her hand off slowly, speaking in the most casual tone.

“The world’s cruel...”

Maybe Daeun was right.

Living together does cause emotional friction.

In fact, maybe everything she’s said so far actually makes some sense.

‘...No. That’s not it.’

I shook my head.

What logic?

Maybe that last blow was too strong, and my mind’s a little messed up.

“Ah, wait! My head’s in a spin!”

Mom clapped her hands.

“I can’t believe I forgot to mention this. You know, Daeun and I were wondering if you’d like to come visit us at my place soon?”

“...Huh?”

Suddenly?

I blinked in surprise, and the explanation came right after.

“Your dad... Daeun’s dad said, why don’t we all have a meal together since there’s a kid living with Daeun?”

“Huh? Dad?”

“Yeah. He heard that Daeun’s living with a kid and said he wanted to see him and have a meal.”

“Aha.”

If you’re living with someone unknown, your dad would naturally want to check them out.

And even though she told me I could refuse if I felt uncomfortable...

“Okay, sure.”

I nodded casually.

I’m sure my dad would have had the same reaction.