Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna

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Prologue | At That Time | Remake our Life!


    It was probably just before the summer vacation.

    The last semester's video production had come to an end and we were working on ideas for new works. Tsurayuki and I were talking frequently, and there were more and more opportunities for us to stay in each other's rooms and chat.

    The content was not particularly limited. Tsurayuki was eager to absorb anything related to the story, no matter what genre it was.

    So, of course, romance is included in it.

"Hey, Kyouya. If you were to get married, who would you rather have, Shinoaki or Nanako?"

    When Tsurayuki suddenly asked me this, I was extremely flustered.

"E-E-E-Even if you suddenly say that, there is no way I can answer that, right!"

    Tsurayuki often asked me about this kind of IF story involving men and women.

    The reason was easy to understand, it was to give him fodder for his scenario.

"Haha, Kyouya is a good guy. You don't lightly choose one over the other for trash reasons."

"That's... right"

    I don't want to judge the people who live with me based on common sense.

"So which chest do you prefer?"

"Uu..."

    By the time I was saying it, I imagined something that would break common sense.

    As expected, Tsurayuki was laughing at me when he saw me at a loss for words.

"...I'm going back to my room."

"Sorry-sorry, my bad. Well, just keep me company a little longer."

    I was a little upset to be trapped by a smiling Tsurayuki.

    Well, it's true that most of the things boys talk about with each other are just like this.

"So, if you had to choose, which would you choose? You're actually interested, aren't you?"

    ......He is asking me so persistently.

"There's nothing. We're not even close, and there wasn't any event that would make us so."

    It was before there was a school festival.

    In other words, we didn't kiss, didn't hold hands, didn't have much contact, and at most, Nanako's breasts were against my back that makes my heart beat faster.

    As for Shinoaki, after the encounter in the bath, there were no other events of note.

    At that time, I was honestly just looking at these girls with admiration.

"So, if there's an event like that in the future... there's always the possibility, huh?"

    Tsurayuki's eyes brightened.

"...Well, maybe that's true."

    They are so cute and have a good personalities. There is no reason for me... to refuse.

"Well, how about you, Tsurayuki?"

"I'm not interested in either of them. I think they're awesome girls, though."

"What's that!"

    It was the kind of answer he'd been preparing for all along.

    Well, the fact that he can say that is probably why he enjoys asking me.

    I can hear the cat purring outside the house. The only sound in the room is the clinking of keys as Tsurayuki taps them. I asked him while reading a manga on his bookshelf.

"So what are you going to do with my story?"

    When Tsurayuki took his hands off the keyboard,

"I'm going to use it for a story where one day I suddenly jump to the future and find out I'm married to my girl friend and we have a kid."

"That sounds like a tough one"

    I can't even imagine how the relationship would suddenly change from friends to husband and wife.

"But if the man has a little bit of admiration for the other person, it will gradually work out well, don't you think."

"Is it like that. It's kind of confusing, though."

"That kind of part what makes a drama exciting, right."

    Instead, I think it's more likely a tasty story for bishojo games.

"No, it would be more interesting if the woman lost her memory too... Oh, right."

    There, Tsurayuki thought of something and started tapping the keys with all his heart.

"I think it would be more interesting to make that one misleading and turn the whole setting upside down. Make the viewer realize that they're playing a family, but that it's actually a part of some plan in itself... "

    As we talked, I started to open up a collection of scenarios and novels from one side to the other.

"In the pseudo-family thing, the scenario over here was cooking up some good ideas, so I wouldn't go that way and be more elaborate with the tricks. If I overdo it, it'll get too complicated, so keep the characters to a minimum... "

    I don't know if he's talking to himself or to me, but he just keeps talking like crazy. When this happens, even if I talk to him, everything is up in the air.

    I didn't want to disturb him too much, so I quietly stood up,

"Then I'm going back to my room."

    I said to him and left Tsurayuki's room.

    And soon,

"Whoa, Shinoaki"

    I bumped into Shinoaki, who was having a leisurely meal in the living room.

"Ah, Kyouya-kun. Did you talk to Tsurayuki-kun?"

"Y-Yeah..."

    Don’t tell me, she didn't hear the conversation, right. If she had, it would have been a little awkward.

"When you go shopping later, I want you to buy me some kitchen paper. We're out of it."

"Ki-Kitchen paper, yeah, got it."

…… For the time being, it was a conversation that seemed unlikely.

    I looked at Shinoaki again. The way she was sitting in the kotatsu was very cute. Although she gets angry when I say it, she still looks like a middle schooler. Her breasts are disproportionately large for her body, though.

    But I knew that she had always been an adult on the inside. She used to listen to all my childish problems. There were many times when I felt saved by her enveloping kindness.

    What if we get married, huh?

    Indeed, I feel that she will be a very kind mother.

"Kyouya-kun?"

    When I stared at her, she gave me a puzzled look.

    In a panic, I returned the topic to kitchen paper.

"A-Ah, you're right, there's not much kitchen paper left. Did it suddenly run low."

    When I saw it yesterday, I remembered that there was still some remaining to spare.

    I didn't fry anything, but I can't think of any reason why it would suddenly decrease.

"...Y-You see, I spilled some water on it a while ago. So..."

"Ah, I see..."

    Since Shinoaki is not very tall, she has to adopt an unnatural posture when pouring water into a container. Therefore, she is the most prone to dropping or spilling things out of the four of us.

"I'm sorry, Kyouya-kun"

"No, not at all. I'll buy it then."

    It's not something she should apologize for.

    Shinoaki slurped up the ramen in her small mouth, bit by bit.

    The instant ramen "Umakatoyo" is sold only in the Kyushu region. Being from Kyushu, where the taste of tonkotsu is a must, she loves this ramen, which is sent to her from her hometown.

    She found herself eating so much ramen that she felt as if most of her body was made of it.

    Therefore, I was a little meddling.

"Shinoaki, you've started putting vegetables properly."

    The bowl was filled with some cabbage and carrots. Since she had been eating too much plain ramen, I had bought some frozen cut vegetables.

"Kyouya-papa scolded me, so I'm going to put it in properly."

"T-That's good to hear."

    For a moment, I was surprised to hear her call me papa. The reason, of course, was the flow of things just now.

"But even though I added vegetables, the taste was too strong. Is there a reason for this."

    Shinoaki tilted her head in front of the bowl.

    I can understand if the addition of vegetables makes it taste lighter, but what do you mean it makes it taste thicker?

"Shinoaki, are you measuring the amount of water in the cup properly?"

    Just in case, I asked her the basics of the basics,

"What do you mean, "amount of water"?"

    With a puzzled look on her face, she said something quite interesting.

"...Take a look at the back of the package."

    Shinoaki turned over the package of "Umakatoyo" as she was told.

"What's this 450ml thing?"

"That's the amount of water. That's how much water you use to get the soup to taste just right."

    When I tell her, she says, "Fuo..." in a weird voice. 

"I'm surprised... I knew it for the first time after living for 18 years. I guess it wasn't something you could manage by just putting it in randomly."

"From now on, you can eat more deliciously."

    Nodding her head, Shinoaki slurped down soup from her bowl.

"Kyouya-kun really looks like a father."

"If just because I told you about how to make ramen, I wonder if I'll become a god soon."

"That way, I'll be able to learn a lot from you from now on."

"As expected, I'd rather not be a god"

    I look at the clock with a bitter smile.

"Ah, it's about time for the clearance goods to come out, so I'm going shopping."

"Take care. Ah, right, Kyouya-kun."

    Shinoaki looked like she wanted to say something.

"If there's a discount on the barley chocolate, buy it for me~, is that what you wanted to say?"

    I told her ahead of time.

"I don't like it when you copy me like that!"

    She puffed out her cheeks and got angry.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll see to it then, barley chocolate."

"Thank you, then be careful."

    I waved back at Shinoaki, who waved her small hand cheerfully, and opened the door to go outside.

    It was nice weather outside. It looked like a nice day to ride a moped.

"If I married Shinoaki... huh?"

    It's not like I hadn't thought about it, but there wasn't zero chance of that happening. As long as we're both alive, there are no absolutes, so it's possible that it could happen.

    If that happens, will I have to do all the cooking and everything? Would she continue to eat ramen all the time? Will I be the one to measure the water in the measuring cup? Or perhaps, if she starts working as Akishima Shino, will I be there to support her?

"Well, if we do end up dating... I'll think about it."

    For now, it's as good as nothing, and there are so many other things to think about.

    So, at that time I didn't think deeper about the matter.

    ......Unexpectedly, and then, less than a year later, not knowing I'd be in that situation.