Reunion with My Stepmother
My stepmother immediately noticed me and smiled warmly.
“Ara, Michitaka-san. You’re up early today. Breakfast will be ready soon, so just wait a little, okay?”
“Kaede-san?”
After my real father passed away, she raised me on her own, even though we weren’t related by blood. She was the stepmother who supported me through high school and college, treating me like her own son. But she passed away from a stroke during my senior year of college. And now, there she was, standing right before me.
I loved her deeply, but due to the awkwardness typical of adolescence, I could never bring myself to call her “Mom.” I had wanted to show my gratitude after finding a job, but I never got the chance. I couldn’t even thank this incredible woman who meant so much to me…
“Hey, what year is it right now?”
“What’s with the time-traveler question? It’s April 2014. Spring break is over starting today, and school begins, doesn’t it?”
And so, my journey to reclaim my youth began.
“I’ve gone back. I’ve returned to the spring of my second year in high school.”
The words slipped out of my mouth involuntarily.
“What are you saying, Michitaka-san? You sound like you’re in some time-travel movie. Hurry up and get changed, or you’ll be late for school!”
I couldn’t let her think I was acting strange even more, so I did as she said, washing my face in the bathroom. My heart trembled. Ah, that pain I felt earlier must have been a heart attack or something similar. Maybe I really died, and this is just a dream flashing before my eyes. But when I pinched my cheek, it hurt. I could move freely. If this is some kind of fleeting dream, then so be it.
I would live my life over again. And this time, I would make sure my family and the people who truly loved me found happiness. If I thought of it that way, it made sense why I was sent back to my second year of high school. This was the year I discovered my girlfriend’s infidelity, became so shocked that I stopped attending school. Thanks to Rika, I was able to return, but the gap in my studies was too large, and I failed to get into my first-choice university.
I hadn’t noticed Kaede-san’s or Rika’s illnesses back then, and I couldn’t protect either of them. I might not be able to change their fates, but I still wanted to bring them as much happiness as possible. At the very least, I wanted to redo all the things I had regretted. As I washed my face, I desperately held back my tears.
And yet, I had the experience from my first life to rely on. Four years of college and fourteen years as a working adult—these were skills that not even Miyabi and her lover could take away from me. With this, I could live a fulfilling school life.
First things first… I’d find proof of Miyabi’s cheating with her lover and break things off with her immediately. I wasn’t going to waste my time on people like them. I’d just cut ties and ignore them completely. After all, the opposite of love isn’t hate—it’s indifference. Whatever happens to them, it doesn’t concern me anymore.
After crying for a while and steeling my resolve, I sat down to eat the breakfast Kaede-san had prepared for me. The taste was nostalgic. Her consommé soup, full of vegetables, was gentle and comforting. Crispy bacon and a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg. The flavors of my favorite homemade meals—my beloved mother’s cooking. Tasting them again for the first time in 14 years made my eyes sting with tears once more.
“Good morning! Eh? Onii-chan, you’re up early today!”
My younger sister, Misato, who would become my junior in school next year, appeared. She was two years younger than me and the biological child of my father and Kaede-san, making her my half-sister. Kaede-san was apparently originally a close friend of my biological mother. I say “apparently” because I have no memory of the mother who gave birth to me. She had passed away in an accident shortly after giving birth to me.
Kaede-san had treated me, her best friend’s only child, like her own. Yet, perhaps out of respect for her friend, she had always called me “Michitaka-san” instead of anything more affectionate.
As for Misato, after Kaede-san passed away, I had paid her university tuition, which may be why, despite being half-siblings, we had maintained a good relationship. I wanted that same bond in this life as well.
“Ah, I just wanted to eat Kaede-san’s delicious breakfast quickly.”
“What are you even saying? That’s kinda creepy.”
“Don’t call your own brother creepy—it hurts. Don’t you have morning practice for your club?”
“Sorry, sorry. Un. Not today. Everyone was really tired after practicing so many days in a row, so our coach gave us a break.”
“I see.”
This ordinary family scene—this simple happiness—was something that had disappeared in an instant back then. If possible, I wish I could have gone back to the time when my father was still alive, but…
I would do everything I could here and now.
“Here, Michitaka-san. Your bento. Well, I’m off to work, so you two take care and have a good day.”
Seeing the lunchbox I had used throughout high school almost brought tears to my eyes. Judging from what she had been preparing earlier, today’s main dish was ginger pork, one of my favorites. She must have made it to cheer me up on this dreaded first day of school.
Having experienced adult life, I truly understood how much effort went into this. Waking up early, planning meals—it wasn’t easy.
Why hadn’t I realized how much I was loved back then…?
No, there was no use dwelling on regrets. All I could do was live in the present.
“Hey, Misato?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll cook dinner tonight. Kaede-san started a new position after her transfer, so she’ll probably come home late. She must be tired, so let’s help her out.”
“Sure, but can you even cook, Onii-chan? I’ve never seen you do it before.”
“I’ve at least done cooking practice at school. Curry’s simple enough, isn’t it?”
Chop the vegetables, let them simmer, and add the roux. Tear up some lettuce, top it with canned tuna, and voilà—a salad. With the same ingredients, I could even make nikujaga as a side dish, thanks to the all-purpose magic of mentsuyu.
“Eh~, Onii-chan, I can’t even picture you cutting vegetables.”
True, but after Kaede-san passed away, I had cooked a little for Misato, so I’d probably manage.
“Then I’ll buy pre-cut vegetables from the store.”
Supermarkets already sold pre-cut vegetables for salads, hot pots, BBQs, miso soup, stir-fries, and more. They were affordable even on a high schooler’s allowance.
“Fine. I’m looking forward to your curry, Onii-chan.”
I felt like she was mocking me a little, but the thought of proving her wrong ignited a bit of competitive spirit.
“Yeah, just wait. You’ll love it.”
And with that, our ordinary yet perfect morning as a family came to an end.
After locking up the house, I walked along the route to school. The road, which had felt utterly ordinary in my youth, now carried a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. As I indulged in these feelings, I saw a familiar figure ahead of me.
It was my beloved childhood friend, walking in front of me for the first time in 14 years.