One Day, I Picked Up a Mom - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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One Day I Picked Up a Mother – Episode 3

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Iban didn’t wake up because of the sunlight streaming through the window that hurt his eyes like usual, nor because he was hungry.

Clattering sounds and a savory aroma.

Iban sat up and looked around his home in a daze.

All the trash that had been scattered around messily was gone, revealing the old wooden floor.

The floor had been wiped clean and perhaps even oiled, as its shining appearance looked unfamiliar.

“Iban, are you awake?”

The moment he spotted the woman looking at him with a slightly tired face and smiling, Iban’s brow furrowed.

The woman standing by the fire was holding a wooden ladle in one hand.

“I made food. If you’re tired, do you want to sleep a bit more?”

“What?”

He had definitely been sleeping on the floor in the corner, so why was he lying on Mother’s bed?

Why was that woman still in this house?

Why had she cleaned the house, and why was she shamelessly lighting a fire and cooking in someone else’s home?

From morning, bewilderment and irritation came rushing in.

“Hm?”

“Why did you clean the house? And why are you cooking?”

“I told you, Mother will try to do well.”

Just as he was about to demand why she still hadn’t left, the woman spoke while pulling up the corners of her mouth.

“What?”

“In the evening, I’ll go shopping and make something delicious for you. There’s nothing suitable for our Iban to eat in the house.”

Iban’s face became horribly contorted at this woman who was planning to stay until evening as if it were her own house, spouting incomprehensible words about Mother trying to do well.

Come to think of it, he seemed to have heard similar words before falling asleep in the carriage yesterday.

‘Iban, Mother will try to do well.’

No way…

“Iban?”

“…”

“…Are you angry at Mother?”

Iban looked the woman over carefully.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Looking at her foolishly smiling face, he suddenly remembered the crazy woman from the neighboring area.

People all said that woman who lived in the green-roofed house near the big river was insane.

The woman who used to pick flowers from the street and carry them around while grinning had claimed she was actually a princess and would soon marry a prince.

People said that was because she was crazy and didn’t even know who she was, just spouting nonsense.

Iban cautiously opened his mouth with a hopeful thought.

“Mother?”

“Yes, why are you in a bad mood?”

The woman approached with a bright smile.

…Of all things, what he had caught was a crazy woman.

The corners of Iban’s mouth trembled finely.

She hadn’t seemed that way…

Adults always grabbed the neighborhood children and warned them multiple times not to approach that crazy woman.

Iban seriously considered whether he should scream to chase this woman away.

“Iban.”

“Uh, huh?”

“If you’re sleepy, do you want to sleep a bit more?”

Iban suppressed his bewildered feelings and looked at the cleaned house again.

Whether she had taken all the trash away, the strange smell had completely disappeared.

Though it was a bit cold because all the windows had been thrown open, the cool air filling the house wasn’t bad.

So this house could become this clean too.

“No. I want to eat.”

Mother, who would return later, would surely be happy to see the cleaned house.

Perhaps satisfied with this house without a single piece of trash, she might never try to leave again.

This woman…

It seemed he could just play along for now and then send her away when his real mother returned.

Though people said you shouldn’t associate with crazy women, she didn’t seem particularly dangerous, and most importantly, this woman had quite a bit of money.

Since she was cleaning the house and offering to cook, there seemed no need to chase her away just because she was crazy.

At least until Mother returned.

“What do you want to eat for dinner? Mother is planning to go shopping today.”

The woman asked as Iban sat in the chair she had pulled out for him.

“What I want to eat?”

“Yes. Let’s eat what Iban wants for dinner tonight.”

Iban stirred the thin porridge in front of him with his spoon while thinking.

It was porridge made with wheat and barley, boiled for a long time.

“Mother, do you have a lot of money?”

Iban asked, recalling the money pouch she had taken out yesterday.

“How much do you have?”

Where had she put that?

“Even if it’s not much, let’s definitely eat what Iban wants for dinner tonight. How about meat?”

“Good.”

After eating a few spoonfuls of porridge, Iban suddenly got up from his seat and said.

“Then I won’t eat this. I’ll just eat meat for dinner.”

“Won’t you be hungry?”

“It’s fine.”

Perhaps because he had eaten three pieces of bread yesterday, he wasn’t particularly hungry.

Most importantly, since they were eating meat for dinner, it seemed better to keep his stomach empty.

“Mother, you’ll buy lots of meat, right?”

The woman nodded and stared at the bowl he had pushed away for a while, then eventually ate it herself.

After watching that scene briefly, Iban lay down on the floor again.

“Iban, why are you lying on the floor instead of the bed?”

“…I like it here.”

Not long after closing his eyes, he heard approaching footsteps, and then a blanket settled over him.

With the sounds of quite busy movement behind him, Iban closed his eyes again.

* * *

“Iban, did your mother come back?”

“What?”

Iban, who had been running around kicking stones, tilted his head sideways.

“Well, Grandmother was saying that. She said you came back with your mother at dawn.”

Why was this neighborhood so interested in other people’s business?

When they didn’t even know where Mother had gone.

“She failed at seducing another man again, right?”

“…What?”

“Our grandmother says your mother only has her face going for her, so no matter how hard she tries, there won’t be anyone willing to pay big money.”

“Tell that old woman to mind her own business. Your granny’s mind is going back and forth anyway!”

Iban, who had shouted angrily, considered whether to give that stupid face a good beating but decided against it.

Even if he beat him up for a moment, he would be the one to suffer in the end.

“What, why are you yelling? Did I say anything wrong? Your mother is like that…”

“This is really, mind your own business!”

Smack.

Finally unable to hold back, he pushed with all his strength, causing the chubby Hank to fall to the ground.

“You, you pushed me?”

Iban frowned, thinking ‘Oh no.’

He would definitely start crying again and run to his dad to tattle.

So, I was going to let it slide…

“Hank, are you crying again? If you keep crying and tattling to adults, we’ll never let you play with us again.”

Just as he was considering whether to hit him a few more times since he’d get in trouble anyway, En approached and scolded Hank who was sitting there dejected.

“Please stop making Iban angry.”

“But…”

“Iban, don’t be angry either. Look, I brought candy to give you. Here.”

Iban looked at the dejected Hank and accepted the candy En offered.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“No problem. Should I bring you some tomorrow too?”

Iban saw Hank crying quietly.

He was being careful not to cause more commotion in case En would chase him away.

It was truly a pathetic sight to behold.

Iban rubbed his furrowing brow, walked past En who had come close, and helped Hank to his feet.

“Why are you crying again? You started it first.”

And he handed over the candy.

Otherwise, the children would ostracize Hank for a while and he’d have to be alone, which wasn’t particularly pleasant to watch either.

“What, Iban. I gave that to you to eat.”

“You promised to bring me another one tomorrow. I’ll eat mine tomorrow, is that okay?”

En, who had been grumbling, nodded as if she had no choice.

“When are you coming out tomorrow?”

“I don’t know.”

“Still, come early. Let’s go to the forest tomorrow.”

Iban nodded halfheartedly and looked up at the crimson sky.

“Oh? I’ll pack a lunch for you too, Iban.”

As evening approached, voices calling for children could be heard from here and there.

Watching the children return home one by one at those calls somehow made Iban feel restless.

Would that crazy woman who kept sweeping and cleaning the already sufficiently clean house still be at home? Since she’s insane with nowhere to go, she’s probably still there.

…What if she left?

“En! Come in for dinner!”

“They’re calling you. I’m going.”

Iban waved lightly at En who was holding onto him and hurriedly crossed the plaza.

What if someone came to the house thinking his mother had returned and chased that woman away? What if she really left?

Iban ran without stopping until he passed through the red-light district and entered the narrow alley.

Then, when his house came into view, he suddenly stopped walking.

…Why was I running?

The unsettled feelings from all day swirled chaotically in his mind.

“So what if she leaves. Who cares?”

Breathing heavily up to his chin, Iban snorted.

He started running again when he belatedly remembered the woman’s promise to prepare meat for dinner tonight.

Right. The reason he thought about that woman all day was because of the meat.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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