It is currently in the afternoon.

I am helping my mother unpack her luggage in her room as it is mostly filled with snacks and souvenirs that she had bought during her time in other countries.

Meanwhile, Hikari's in her room playing UFO after eating lunch. She's most likely playing with Himeji right now.

"What is this...?"

"Oh. That's a statue I bought in Bhutan."

"It's a penis."

"It's a symbol of fertility, good fortune and protection from evil according to Bhutan culture."

"Why did you buy it?"

"I bought it for you, duh."

"I don't need a penis statue, Mom."

"Sure you do. Here, I bought two for you just in case."

"Da fuck do you mean, 'just in case'?"

In the end, just to not be in an argument with my mother that I'll end up losing, I accepted the souvenirs for the time being and moved on, sorting out the items in her luggage as there are a lot. Most of which were highly questionable stuff, including the penis statues.

"So, when will your next shift be? A week from now?" I asked my mother the usual question I always ask whenever she's back.

"Huh? Oh! Right... I forgot to tell you and Hikari, did I?" She said, making me raise an eyebrow before saying what was up.

"I quit my flight attending job. Momma's officially unemployed now!" She revealed that fact with a bright smile on her face. While I look at her, stunned by the sudden revelation.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Momma got fed up! Honestly, the number of times I tolerated my boss's sexual harassment has gotta be put on the Guinness World Record or something. Momma had enough when said boss tried to make me give him head upon returning to Japan. So, Momma kicked him in the nuts, quit on the spot and left without looking back. I also told the news to my friends who were happy to quit along with me because they were also fed up with our boss's antics. And that's the story!"

"I see. Good for you then."

Mom has quit her job. I can't say I'm too happy about it, but I'm also glad that she did.

"That's a rather tame response to hearing about Momma's unemployed status." Mom remarked, as she seemed to have expected a big reaction from me.

"Well, you quit your job because of a terrible work environment. So I can't blame you. And besides, it means you'll be home more often, won't you?"

"Yoruto..."

Mom was moved. Her hands were covering her mouth and her eyes glistened on the verge of tears, as she then pounced onto me out of nowhere.

"Come here, you!"

"What the—!?"

With my face smothered by her chest, Mom clinged onto me like a koala bear, giving me a warm embrace. Both figuratively and literally.

"Momma did not know you missed me that much. Here sweetie, suck on Momma boobies."

"I'm not a baby anymore, Mom. Please let go..."

"Don't be shy. You and Hikari will always be my babies, baby. Now say ahhhh~"

"I refuse!"

It took a while, but I managed to get Mom off my face. Goodness, she's heavy! But afterwards, she was still clinging onto me, pampering me with her motherly love. Although it is overbearing, I don't hate it.

But even so, I wished she would do this while wearing clothes instead...

"Fufufu~ Good boy, good boy~"

Am I a dog now?

"So, what will you be doing now?" I proceed to ask her of her future plans going forward. "Now that you've quit your flight attendant career, will you be finding a new job or will you be taking a break for the time being?"

"He he he. Not to worry, sweetie. Momma's already got a new job set. One of my fellow flight attending friends who quit with me actually offered me the job. Her husband is about to open a new cafe and she was going to quit anyways to help him, before I gave her the perfect opportunity to do so. So starting tomorrow, Momma will be a cute sexy waitress!"

"I don't think 'cute' is the right term to describe yourself with. 'Perverted' is more like it."

"Hahahaha! Oh Yoruto, you sure know how to joke."

I wasn't though...

"Well the pay isn't as good as being a flight attendant. But it's decent enough for Momma to support you two."

"I see. So where is this cafe then? I'll come visit to check it out."

"No. Momma won't tell you."

"Uhh... Why?"

"Because! The thought of my own son seeing me in a waitress outfit is embarrassing! So Momma won't tell you!"

"And me seeing you in your birthday suit isn't embarrassing?"

"Anywayssss, Momma won't say anything no matter how many times you ask! That's that! Now, join me in the bath!"

"Huh!? Why!?"

"Because Momma wants to! It's been so long since we did it together, so come and bathe with me now. Momma will wash your back and front."

"Bathe by yourself! What kind of a mother does that with her fully grown adult son!?"

"This one! Now get up, sweetie. Momma won't take no for an answer."

"I don't want to!!!"

"Then Momma will cling onto you until you do!"

In the end, having a thick monkey for a mother hanging onto her son's back would inevitably "persuade" that son to do as his mother wishes. And to that, I have only three words to say...

God. Fucking. Dammit!

Hours later, we had a big dinner welcoming Mom back and to celebrate her quitting her job and finding a new one, I suppose. Hikari ate until her stomach was at its max and Mom died after accidentally putting an extremely spicy fried chicken made for Hikari in her mouth. She was revived later with the power of milk.

After that was over, it was time for me to log into the game as I planned to do some things before meeting up with Sanae in the game at the agreed time. But before I did so, Mom came into my room with a can of beer in her hand, full of drunken energy.

"What 'chu doin', Yoruto!?"

"I'm about to play a game. Is there anything you need, Mom?"

"I'm just checking up on you, sweetie. But a game, huh? Since when did you get back into gaming? Is it the same one as what Hikari is playing right now?"

"It is. Umbra Frontier Online, or UFO for short. Hikari pestered me to play it with her after she miraculously won a Dive Gear from a lucky draw lottery, which was after we had just bought one from the game store."

"I see. So how is the game? Is it fun?"

"Yeah, it is. I won't lie, I got pretty much addicted to it and played every day whenever I got free time. Why are you asking though? Are you planning to play it as well?"

I asked her that for one good reason. The person responsible for introducing Hikari and I to video gaming when we were kids and is an avid gamer herself, was our mother. Even our deadbeat father who left us, as far as I can remember, was not into games at all. He was a househusband and regularly stayed at home, doing the tasks that I do nowadays.

But putting that aside, the reason why I asked her is because among the items she had brought home while unpacking her luggage, one of them was a Dive Gear she bought while in the US.

"Hehehehe..." Mom laughed suspiciously. "Who knows? Maybe I will, maybe I will not. It would be nice to play a game with my son and daughter like we used to. Hmm... Momma needs to think about it. After all, I have a Dive Gear, but no games to play with it."

"And by 'think about it', you're going to play it, aren't you?"

"Hehe~ You know so well, sweetie."

"I'm your son after all. It'd be weird if I don't know anything about you. Or rather, it's more weird that I know too much about you, Mom."

"It's alright. Momma does not find it weird at all. Anyways, have fun playing with your sister, sweetie. Momma's off to crack another cold one open!"

And with that, she left. Allowing me to at last start playing the game as I put my Dive Gear on and lied down on my bed.

After all that's happened today with Mom, I'm going to need to de-stress a lot.

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[Welcome back to Umbra Frontier Online.]

[Transporting to the last logout point....]

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