[TaroTre] My Blind Date is My Childhood Friend - Chapter 7

After noisily finishing their fried chicken, Taiga slid off his chair and reached out to grab the hem of Taro’s jacket, eyeing Tregear warily.

Tch. Tregear was slightly annoyed by the boy’s defensive posture, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue with a child. Rebellion it’s understandable, he thought.

“Tregear, are you heading back to work?” Taro checked the time. It was 4:45 PM; Tregear’s official shift didn’t end until 5:30 PM.

“Yeah. Going back to clock out,” Tregear replied.

“Then goodbye. Taiga, say goodbye to Uncle Tregear.”

“Goodbye, Uncle Tregear,” Taiga said obediently, following his father’s instruction.

The three Ultras stepped out of the fried chicken shop. Two headed home, while one headed back to work.

Lately, Taro and Taiga had been staying with Ken and Marie. Whenever Taro’s overtime prevented him from making it home, Ken and Marie would look after Taiga. Today, the moment Taro and Taiga walked through the door, they were intercepted by Marie.

“Where did you two go today?” Marie asked, standing firmly in front of them.

“Nowhere special. I just took Taiga out for a bit,” Taro replied, attempting to gloss over the details.

“Then what is that smell on you?” Marie pressed.

“Smell? I don’t smell anything,” Taro feigned ignorance.

“Do you two really think I’m that easily fooled? You went for junk food again, didn’t you?” Marie said with absolute certainty. “The smell of fried chicken on you is unmistakable.”

Taro and Taiga were subjected to a thorough lecture. Only after both had bowed their heads in apology and promised never to do it again did Marie mercifully let them go.

That evening, after Ken returned from work, the family sat around the dinner table. During the meal, Marie turned to Ken and said, “Dear, I think Taro needs to find a partner.”

Taro & Taiga: “???”

Ken was caught off guard. “Why the sudden talk of this? Taro is doing fine raising Taiga on his own, isn’t he?”

“What do you mean ‘fine’? On the way home from school today, they went off to eat fried chicken. What’s so good about fried chicken? It’s completely unhealthy, cooked in oil that’s been reused who-knows-how-many times. Taiga is still growing; he shouldn’t be eating that kind of thing,” Marie said crossly. “Besides, Taro can’t keep living with us forever. He’s been an adult for how long now? He can’t just keep letting his parents raise his child. A few times is fine, but we won’t always have the time if this becomes a constant thing.”

Marie was genuinely worried. Due to the nature of their work, Ken, Marie, and Taro all lacked sufficient time for family life. In fact, that was exactly why Taro’s previous marriage had crumbled. And a child’s growth required the presence and companionship of their parents above all else.

“Mom, there’s no rush to find someone else,” Taro said, frowning. His previous marriage had not ended on good terms. Even though a significant amount of time had passed since his wife’s death, Taro felt he didn’t have enough time to give to a partner. He also didn’t want to start a new marriage simply because he needed someone to help care for Taiga; that wouldn’t be fair to anyone involved.

“I’m not saying you have to get married tomorrow. I’m saying you should start putting yourself out there. You can’t stay like this forever.” Marie turned to Taiga. “Taiga, what do you think about Dad getting remarried?”

Taiga thought about it seriously before saying, “As long as Dad is happy, I’m fine with it.”

“But your Dad loves you, doesn’t he? So he definitely wants you to be happy too,” Marie told the boy. “If you feel like you don’t need a new mother for now, then Grandma won’t make your Dad look for a partner, okay?”

Taro was left speechless. His mother was the one pushing for a partner one second and taking it back the next.

“Can I come along to see them?” Taiga asked.

“Of course you can,” Marie said with a smile.

“Then I want to go. If I think the person is nice, I’ll tell Dad,” Taiga decided. Dad is always so busy and sometimes can’t pick me up, so he has to ask my uncles for help. If I had a stepmom, at least Dad wouldn’t have to bother other people as much, the boy thought to himself.

“Since Taiga is on board, I’ll look for a suitable candidate. Taro, make sure you clear your schedule when the time comes. Dear, don’t forget to give Taro the time off.” Marie gave her orders to her son and husband.

“Understood,” Ken replied, having no objections to his wife’s decision.

“Fine,” Taro muttered. He was somewhat reluctant, yet not entirely opposed, especially since Taiga didn’t mind.

And so, the family reached an agreement regarding Taro’s need for a new companion.

Marie shooed Taro and Taiga upstairs so the father and son could have a heart-to-heart talk, while she remained downstairs with Ken to discuss potential matches for Taro to meet.