Truck Driver's License Exam

The buzzing of the little bee continued, and Akimoto Yoichi's body stiffened abruptly.

Against his back, Akimoto Yoichi could feel Suzuran Mari's body trembling violently and tensing up.

Judging by this reaction, it was undoubtedly the very thing Akimoto Yoichi had suspected.

In truth, Akimoto Yoichi wasn't all that surprised; after all, he had already realized that Mrs. Suzuran was the type of little glutton who loved her secret indulgences.

One could tell from the design of the bathroom, the clothes she wore, and the fact that her husband spent most of the year overseas.

Besides, at her age, it was perfectly normal to get hungry in the middle of the night.

Therefore, having a little hobby of her own was nothing to be surprised about; the only problem was that she had been caught red-handed by Akimoto Yoichi.

Clearly, Akimoto Yoichi felt that the "hot water bottle" he was carrying on his back was heating up, and the speed of its venting was becoming increasingly rapid.

At this moment, the "buzzing" of the little bee continued, and if things kept going like this, the plot might take a turn for the inappropriate.

In any case, he should put Mrs. Suzuran down first.

"..." She didn't speak.

Akimoto Yoichi moved his body, carefully placing Mrs. Suzuran, who was keeping her head lowered with ears flushed bright red, onto the bed.

Then, he took the opportunity to grab the object on the floor and clicked the switch off with a "snap."

Only then did the "buzzing" of the little bee finally vanish.

Akimoto Yoichi and Suzuran Mari both let out a sigh of relief.

But as soon as they looked up and their gazes met, a strange, indescribable silence enveloped the entire bedroom.

"That massage gun is quite nice. Sometimes my wrists get sore when I'm doing homework, and I've thought about buying one myself."

Akimoto Yoichi was the one to break the silence, calmly stuffing the item away elsewhere.

The implication was, naturally, conveyed.

Suzuran Mari couldn't help but chuckle; as an adult, she had actually been shown a more composed side by the young man before her.

"Right, right, it's just a massage gun. Though it's not that great; it would be better if you asked your girlfriend to give you a proper massage, Akimoto-kun. That would be much more effective."

Refusing to be outdone, Suzuran Mari tried to assert her maturity. After all, she was Suzuran Ayano's mother; mother and daughter shared the same competitive spirit.

However, she was facing Akimoto Yoichi, who was as young as her daughter and in the prime of his vitality.

Once the words were out, she couldn't help but feel ashamed, and with a fluid motion, she pulled the quilt up to cover her body.

"I don't have a girlfriend, ma'am." Akimoto Yoichi shook his head.

The atmosphere between him and Suzuran Mari became even stranger. Although it was the truth, hearing it from Akimoto Yoichi's mouth made it sound highly suggestive.

"Cough, is, is that so? Well, it shouldn't matter, right? You'll surely find a girlfriend soon, Akimoto-kun... uh."

Suzuran Mari recalled the courtship standards Akimoto Yoichi had mentioned earlier, and she fit them perfectly.

For a moment, she couldn't help but press her snow-white, slender legs together beneath the quilt.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll head downstairs. Ayano might come back up." Akimoto Yoichi's voice interrupted Suzuran Mari's dangerous train of thought.

If he stayed any longer in this room, which was permeated with the scent of Mrs. Suzuran's pheromones.

Akimoto Yoichi, who didn't yet have a driver's license, might suddenly feel the urge to get his license for a heavy-duty truck.

He was polite, but one shouldn't mistake a delinquent for a gentleman.

"Is that so? Well, thank you anyway, Akimoto-kun..."

Just as Suzuran Mari was saying this with a sense of lingering attachment, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs outside the door.

"Ah! Natsuki-chan! Why are you in such a hurry!? Slow down, watch your step."

"Hurry up! That delinquent is definitely doing something to Auntie Mari right now! Auntie Mari is in danger!"

"What are you talking about? How could Akimoto-kun do anything to my mom? You're saying strange things again, Natsuki-chan."

"It's definitely true! Auntie is gone, and that delinquent hasn't appeared either—they must be together!"

"Hahahahahaha, is that the plot of your new novel, Natsuki-chan?"

"Never mind that! I'm going to protect Auntie Mari!"

"..."

Accompanied by this dialogue, the sound of rapid footsteps on the stairs traveled quickly from the first floor to the second.

Akimoto Yoichi and Suzuran Mari panicked instantly.

They hadn't expected Fukayama Natsuki to show up at a time like this. Fukayama Natsuki truly lived up to her label as a "precocious brat"—she had actually guessed the truth.

Even worse, Suzuran Ayano was following Fukayama Natsuki to the second floor.

Leaving the room and returning to the bathroom now was impossible; he would definitely be caught coming out of Mrs. Suzuran's room.

What now? Akimoto Yoichi began searching the room for a hiding spot.

"Come, hurry and hide in here, the quilt is very large." Suzuran Mari lifted a corner of the quilt, signaling him.

Looking at the entrance to this new world opening before him, Akimoto Yoichi didn't hesitate for long.

That was indeed a good place.

It wasn't as if he was the one losing out, and Mrs. Suzuran wasn't his mother, anyway.

However, the corner of Akimoto Yoichi's eye caught a blinking red light outside the window.

"Thank you, Mrs. Suzuran, but I won't go in. I'll take the window."

With that said, Akimoto Yoichi walked quickly toward the window, his gaze locked onto the drone hovering in the air outside.

Without needing to think, Akimoto Yoichi had already guessed who was peeping.

Because of her perspective and the obstruction, Suzuran Mari didn't see the drone; she and Akimoto Yoichi had almost been broadcast live.

"Ahem, could you please not call me Mrs. Suzuran? Akimoto-kun, you can just call me Mari." Being addressed as "Mrs." always made Suzuran Mari feel even more stimulated.

The wedding ring on Suzuran Mari's finger had also been taken off a long time ago because it was a nuisance.

"Alright, Mari. Thanks for the hospitality." Akimoto Yoichi stood on the windowsill and jumped out.

Watching Akimoto Yoichi disappear from the window, Suzuran Mari's heartbeat actually quickened a little.

"You really are something, Akimoto-kun, actually saying 'thanks for the hospitality'..."

Suzuran Mari naturally understood what Akimoto Yoichi meant.

Everything that happened today had caught her completely off guard, but fortunately, Akimoto-kun was so reliable.

It felt, just a little, like returning to her youth.

She hadn't been in such close contact with a man for a long time, and besides, there was a strong contrast and terrifying charm about Akimoto Yoichi—a maturity and reliability that didn't match his age.

At this moment, footsteps and the voices of young girls came from the doorway.

"Ah! Look! Ayano-oneesan, look, that blond guy really isn't in the bathroom! Quick, hurry to Auntie Mari's room!"

Fukayama Natsuki's voice came from outside the door.

"Hm? Akimoto-kun probably went somewhere else. You're overthinking it, Natsuki-chan." Suzuran Ayano's voice followed.

Soon, the footsteps of the two people appeared at the door of Suzuran Mari's room.

"W-what is it? You two are making such a racket, you're disturbing my rest."

Facing her own daughter and her friend's daughter, who was like a daughter to her, Suzuran Mari's voice still trembled involuntarily.

Although Akimoto-kun had just jumped out the window and left, the scent and warmth of Akimoto Yoichi still lingered on her body.

Facing her daughter's simple, trusting face, Suzuran Mari felt a twinge of guilt as a mother.