The cheerful atmosphere in the living room drifted upstairs.
Eriri, curious about the noise, stepped out of her room.
When she went downstairs, she saw Tanaka Masao and Sayuri Sawamura sitting together, watching TV and laughing from time to time.
Eriri walked over, sat down, and asked Tanaka Masao,
"It's so late, aren't you going home?"
"I'm not going home today. I'll be staying here."
Sayuri Sawamura added with a smile, "Yes, I asked Tanaka to stay overnight. He worked hard all day, and it would be too tiring for him to head back now."
"Oh, I see."
Eriri nodded without pursuing the matter further.
She turned toward the TV, only to be startled by a face with wildly exaggerated expressions that suddenly appeared on screen.
"Whoa! What is that?"
"A prank show," Sayuri Sawamura explained. "You should watch it too, Eriri. It's really fun."
"What's the point of this kind of thing?"
······
Two minutes and thirty seconds later.
"Hahaha this is hilarious. That poor passerby looks so miserable!"
Eriri leaned against the sofa, laughing so hard at the TV that tears rolled down her cheeks.
After a while, she finally calmed down, wiped her tears, and said,
"These pranks are so clever. I wonder how the producers came up with them. I kind of want to try one myself."
Sayuri Sawamura's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Eriri thinks so too? Actually, I've always wanted to try it as well."
Mother and daughter exchanged a glance, then both turned their eyes toward Tanaka Masao.
Tanaka Masao, who was watching happily, froze in place.
Instinctively, his survival mode kicked in.
"This kind of prank only works if it's unexpected. Now that I know your plan, it won't work anymore."
Eriri nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that makes sense."
Relieved, Tanaka Masao let out a quiet breath. But before he could relax completely, Sayuri's voice broke the silence.
"Who says knowing in advance makes it boring? That actually makes it more interesting.
Always on guard, nervous and alert, yet still falling for it in the end—the reaction would be even better."
Eriri's eyes sparkled with interest.
"True…"
Her curiosity was fully awakened.
She looked at Tanaka Masao with a mischievous grin.
"Hehehe, Tanaka-kun, are you ready?"
"Don't you dare come near me!"
Tanaka Masao muttered inwardly, I've read about this scene in novels before… but why is the gender reversed this time?!
·······
In the end, the "reversal" Tanaka Masao feared never happened.
Tanaka Masao: Not that I was looking forward to it anyway…
After laughing together for a while, the three of them were in high spirits. As the evening deepened, dinner was ready.
Sitting at the dining table, Tanaka Masao wondered whether the Sawamura family's meals were always this lavish, or if it was because of his presence as a guest.
Looking at the spread before him, he couldn't help swallowing his saliva.
He preferred to believe that the dishes had been prepared especially for him.
Judging from the slender figures of both Sayuri and Eriri, he suspected their regular meals were usually much simpler.
"I'm starting."
The three said grace together and began eating.
According to Yukinoshita Yukino's weight-loss plan, Tanaka Masao was allowed one indulgent meal on the weekend.
He decided to use that chance tonight.
Watching him eat quietly, with clear satisfaction written on his face, Sayuri Sawamura smiled warmly.
The meal passed mostly in silence.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't eaten such good food in a long time, or maybe his training had increased his appetite—either way, most of the food ended up in Tanaka Masao's stomach.
Patting his round belly, he looked very content.
Seeing this, Eriri couldn't help complaining,
"Why do you look like you haven't eaten in ages?"
Tanaka Masao burped before replying,
"I've been trying to lose weight recently, so my meals have been lighter."
Eriri frowned. "You're dieting? Isn't that just pointless? Won't all your efforts be wasted?"
Sayuri Sawamura added, "Tanaka-kun, dieting isn't a good way to lose weight. It damages your health, and it's hard to keep up."
"I know, I'm not dieting," Tanaka Masao explained. "I've been exercising to lose weight. Normally, I eat lightly—this is just my one indulgence for the week."
Eriri tilted her head. "Exercising to lose weight? Can you really stick to that?"
Though she had a nice figure, she had tried dieting and exercise before herself but had never been able to keep it up.
Feeling underestimated, Tanaka Masao said firmly,
"Don't look down on me, Eriri. I train two hours every day—and I've kept it up for a whole week already."
"Seriously?"
Eriri was surprised. She hadn't expected him to exercise that much every day and stay consistent.
Her curiosity deepened.
"Why did you suddenly decide to lose weight? What's motivating you?"
Before Tanaka Masao could answer, Sayuri Sawamura quickly jumped in, misinterpreting his intentions.
"It's for health, of course. Being overweight isn't good for you, right, Tanaka-kun?"
She winked at him as if to say, Don't worry, I won't tell Eriri you're losing weight for her sake.
Though confused by her winking, Tanaka Masao still nodded.
"That's right."
"I see. Well, good luck then," Eriri replied casually, not giving it much thought.
After dinner, the three relaxed for a while and watched TV together.
As it grew late, they went back to their rooms.
As the guest, Tanaka Masao was invited to bathe first.
Although the Sawamura family was wealthy, they still reused the same bathwater in turn.
Partly it was economical, but also because usually only mother and daughter used it, so there was no need to change.
As Tanaka Masao walked toward the bathroom, Eriri bared her fangs and warned,
"Don't do anything weird in the bathtub. If something happens, I won't forgive you."
All three of them were "experienced people," so they instantly caught her meaning.
Tanaka Masao flushed with embarrassment and annoyance.
"I won't do anything!"
He stepped into the bathroom and glanced at the bathtub.
······
In the end, Tanaka Masao didn't even soak in the bath. He just rinsed off quickly.
After all, Tanaka Masao, who was reincarnated, had never been used to bathing in a tub.
When he came out less than ten minutes later, Sayuri and Eriri exclaimed in unison,
"Ha ya! (So fast!)"
"This is normal speed!" he retorted helplessly.
······
That night passed quietly.
The next morning, after breakfast at Eriri's house, Tanaka Masao said his goodbyes.
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