Inside Mother

p1
>Hey, Tomoko! How long are you gonna stay up for?
>Hey! Don't just burst in here!

>You're a third year, aren't you?
>Do you have time to be gaming?

>Fine...
>I'll sleep.

>Geez... She's so carefree... While I'm busy every day with my

job...
>I almost wish I could swap places with her...

p2
>...My body feels so heavy...
>Like I've been up all night...

>Eh...!
>Tomoko's room!?

>!?

>Eh...?What the?
>I've become Tomoko!?

>!?

p3
>H-Huh...?
>It's me!?

>Don't tell me...

>We've switched bodies!?

p4
>I don't like this! I haven't even had a boyfriend and now I'm an

old housewife all of a sudden!
>P-Please don't cry while looking like me.

>A-Anyway, I'll go to your school
>so you go to my job, please.
>Mama is confused
>Just skip school!

>What are you saying!? The third year of high school is an

important time, isn't it!? You have to take proper notes!
>Eeh...

p5
>Although saying that... Can I really pull off being a high school

senior...?
>How long has it been since I last went to school...? I don't

really want to count...

>But I've only ever worn sailor uniforms before.
>Wearing a blazer makes me kind happy.

>Good morning, Kuroki-san!
>Good morning.

p6
>We're sorry for intruding on your chat with Naruse-san the other

day.
>Yuri apologised on the way out...
>Don't say anything you don't need to, Mako...
>So this girl's Mako-chan and the other girls is Yuri-chan, huh...

>Ah

>Yuri-chan... Your necktie's loose.


p7
>I-It's loose on pupose!
>Eh?

>I think it's cuter when it's fastened up properly.

>C-Cuter...

>?

p8
>Ah... Hey, Yuri!
>Sorry, Kuroki-san. We'll see you at school...
>Y-Yeah.

>Eh? what?
>Is this girl looking at me?

p9
>!

>Good morning.
>Did you need something from me?

>Ah. No. Um...Erm...

>What's wrong?
>Are you feeling unwell?

p10
>I-I'm fine... Good morning...
>I see. That's good...

>K-Kuroki-san talked to me...
>Morning, Ucchi~

>HELL YEEEEEAH!
>Ucchi! What's got you riled up all of a sudden!?
>Sh-She seems energetic... As expected of a high school girl...

p11
>So next is P.E... A nice change of pace from studying all the

time, no doubt...
>Go and form some pairs.

>Ah...Um...

>Want to pair up with me?
>Eh!?

p12
>Th-Thank you...
>You're welcome.

>Um... Why did you pair up with me?

>Well, you looked like you were in trouble.

>B-But I laughed at you when you fell over!

p13
>Does this girl... not get along with Tomoko, perhaps?

>I...
>totally forgot...

>K-Kuroki-san...
>Did that fool her?

p14
>My work should be over now so I should get going...

>Hey.
>You there.

>You're not Kuroki-san, are you?
>Eh... I'm Tomoko!
>Kuroki-san would never speak so briskly like that....

>Wha...

>How did you find out? I was just acting normally...

p15
>Normal?
>Calling your friends cute without merely flattering them?
>Helping out someone in trouble regardless of who they are?

>That's not normal.

p16
>Chances are... Kuroki-san worries about
>becoming that kind of "normal".

>I like the Kuroki-san
>who makes fruitless effort.

>Thought it's not like
>someone "normal" like you would worry about something pointless like that.

p17
>No.
>It's only now that you can worry about pointless things without running away from them.

>Don't you think it's fine
>for people to find their own way of worrying about things?

>You sound like an old lady.

>That's because I am one.

p18
>Even though she spaces out
>Tomoko also has things she worries about. But now I see that she has friends...

>That's a relief...

>Ah...It's Kuroki-san.
>huh!? I'm back to normal!

p19
>!!

>I'm back to normal?

>That Tomoko... She's got some nerve skipping out on her chores to play video games...

p20
>U-Um... I was thinking I'd do some laundry after a quick game...

>Well, you've been through a lot today, so I'll let you off this time...

>This girl's working hard in her own way...

>Why are you in such a good mood?
>It's actually kinda scary!

>Hmmm... Cos I got to wear a blazer, I guess?
>What the hell!?