I was upset that my account says I've only written for Fullmetal Alchemist and Nodame Cantabile—so I decided to upload some of the stuff on my computer. Of course the story I chose to upload doesn't even have a category yet—but hopefully that will change after the anime comes out—soon! Special A really needs a fandom. This chapter is contains a few misconceptions regarding Tadashi and Akira's relationship to the school director (as of chapter 25), but is still hopefully largely in-character.

Akira had been acting freaky ever since Tadashi had told her that his mother wanted to meet her.

"WHAAAAT??!!?!?!" she had screamed at him.

"Ah, Akira, so unladylike."

"What do you mean? Your mother . . ."

"What is it?"

"Your mother the school director?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Wasn't she the one who agreed to your idea to split up S.A. during the physical test?"

"Yeah."

"And the one who made us go to that one school?"

"Yeah."

"Your mother's weird."

"Sort of. I'd say she's more of a manipulative tyrant than weird, but whatever."

"Ahhh!!! Meeting your mother! What am I going to do? What am I going to do?!"

Tadashi had left Akira alone for awhile after that. There was just no dealing with her when she was like that. Plus, he didn't want her to somehow pin this on him and start beating him for causing her distress. He didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't as if they were going to lie to his mom. She just wanted proof of his girlfriend—that was all.

Still, after awhile, what with the lack of screaming and violence, he decided to check up on Akira. She was in the kitchen, baking to calm her nerves, as per usual. Wow—cakes!

"Those aren't for you!" Akira appeared suddenly, slapping Tadashi's hand away.

"Uwa! Akira, so scary."

"Those are a present for your mother!"

" . . . All of them?" Tadashi queried, looking at the trays upon trays of cakes and pastries.

"Well . . ." Akira stammered. Hmm, stammering? "I wasn't sure what type your mother would like best, so I kept trying out new batches. The cream puffs turned out well, but they're best eaten fresh. I like the croissants myself, but they seem a little too . . . plain. Maybe something more traditional? Like manju or daifuku . . ."

Tadashi let Akira talk on as he tried to sneak a Danish . . .

"That's not for you!!!"

He decided to leave Akira alone for the rest of the day.

The next day was a Sunday. He arrived at Akira's house to pick her up.

"You look so cute!"

"B-baka! Don't say such things!" Akira said with a resounding slap. Ouch, Akira must have been really nervous.

But she did look cute. She was wearing a dress and make-up and looked very feminine.

"So did you decide what kind of sweets to bring?"

Akira blushed. Interesting.

"I-I couldn't decide so in the end I just decided to take some of everything," Akira revealed a tiered box package.

"Uwa. We can't take my motorcycle."

"We wouldn't take your motorcycle anyway, baka!" Akira said with another slap.

Luckily, Akira had her own limousine to ferry them over back to his own house, though his bike had to be left behind since it didn't fit in the trunk (my biiiike!). Akira made him carry the sweets, since she claimed it was too heavy for her.

"Welcome," Tadashi's mother, said.

Akira bowed, "Thank you for having me."

Akira was behaving very meek and ladylike, Tadashi thought with suspicion as his mother replied, "Not at all. Toudou Akira, isn't it? Sixth in S.A. You're welcome as Tadashi's girlfriend. This is very exciting! Tadashi's never had a girlfriend before!"

Akira and Tadashi blushed.

"Please, have a seat. We'll have tea."

"H-hai! I brought sweets! Please accept them!" Akira said with another bow, as Tadashi collapsed the boxes of sweets on the coffee table.

"My, this is quite a spread!" Tadashi's mother exclaimed.

Akira sure made a lot, Tadashi thought as he chewed on a cheese Danish. Ooh, fruit tarts.

"So, Akira-chan. Baking is one of your hobbies, I take it? Were you the one that Tadashi requested the kitchen for?"

"H-hai. Tadashi has been very kind to me—"

"Ah, so you are the 'scary girl.' The one who's always bullying Tadashi into having the greenhouse remodeled or dragging him on vacations."

Wah! Was his mother actually going to scold Akira out for bullying him? It wasn't as if he minded, after all. Akira didn't have to go through that. His mother could be really harsh. Plus, it's not as if he would feel better if Akira got scolded for bullying him. Well, not much anyway.

Nevertheless, Tadashi had made up his mind to speak up for Akira when—

"That! There's an explanation for that! After all, it's good for all the members of S.A. to go on trips together, isn't it? It's good bonding! And as for the greenhouse, that's because he wrecked it with his motorcycle! Tadashi really is careless sometimes! Wandering off by himself and doing dangerous things!"

"Ha HA ha ha ha ha ha!"

". . ." said Akira

". . ." said Tadashi.

"Ah ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha! Really, you know my son too well!"

"Well, we have known each other since kindergarten . . ." Tadashi pointed out.

"Yes! Always wandering off by himself and doing dangerous things! That's Tadashi all over! Did you ever hear of the time he decided to wander off to the mountains by himself? And he was only 9!"

"Baka, sounds like him. Do you know he once took me riding on his motorcycle just after he got his license? And he even jumped over a gap!"

Somehow, Akira and Tadashi's mother ended up sitting together on a couch, talking about Tadashi's faults.

"We really should tie him up more often."

"Yes, yes we should!"

"Hey! Hey! Conspiracy! You two are conspiring against me!"

"You should make him get rid of that stupid bike!"

"Akira!"

By the time it was time for Akira to leave, she had fifteen embarrassing stories about Tadashi and an invitation for tea next Sunday. Tadashi had retrieved his bike and locked in the garage. He was consoling himself with an eclair as Akira and his mom said goodbye at the door.

"You should really come to my house for tea next week, Karino-sensei! It's only polite, since I was invited here this week!"

"No, no! I'm the adult after all. This sort of things are expected!"

"Really, I'd be honored to have you in my home! And I'd love to show you my tea collection!"

"Well really! If you insist! Tadashi!"

"Hmm?" Tadashi shifted his attention away from custardy goodness to the two women (torturers) before him.

"Aren't you going to walk your girlfriend to her car?"

"Ah! Yes!"

They were mostly silent down the path to the driveway. Akira looked thoughtful, while Tadashi was still sulking. Oh well, he thought, at least they get along well. Too well, seriously.

"Tadashi."

"Uh?"

"Thank you for having me over today."

"Huh?"

Akira was blushing again. Was that a record or something? She really did look cute today.

"Ano . . . it wasn't me you know. It's just that my mom—"

Akira had engulfed him in a hug. She smelled of sugar and spices . . . what was that Western rhyme? Sugar and spice and all things nice . . .

Before he could properly react, Akira had disengaged and entered her limousine.

"Ja ne, Tadashi. I'll see you at school tomorrow." Akira was once again composed. She had that heavy-lidded look about her, like she was a woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. The door to the limousine was closed and the car drove away.

It's a good thing I got my motorcycle back while they were gabbing, Tadashi thought to himself as he walked back up to his house.

"Well, your girlfriend certainly has a commanding air about her, doesn't she?" his mother threw at him upon entering.

"Huh?"

"Having you carry her sweets! What does she think you are? A servant?"

"Uwa."

"And such a large display. Really, it gives the air of trying too hard, doesn't it?"

"Uh—"

"And chatting so shamelessly about her boyfriend with her boyfriend's mother! She really was familiar, wasn't she?"

But you were talking shamelessly with her, Tadashi thought. "Wait a minute—"

"And really, she's not even very feminine, is she? And sixth place in the S.A. That's not very impressive. Does she spend all of her time dabbling in the kitchen instead of studying seriously?"

"Hey! That's my girlfriend you're talking about!"

Tadashi tried to remember if he had ever, in any form, talked back to his mother. He couldn't recall any previous instances.

"So what if she has a commanding air and spends her time cooking?! Akira may be bossy, but she cares about her friends! She's kind and generous to them! Cooking is her gift! She always feeds all of us at S.A.! A-and of course she would be nervous meeting her boyfriend's mother for the first time! A-and . . ."

Tadashi blushed.

"I think she's pretty!"

There was a long pause.

"My, my, you really do like her, don't you?"

"Huh?" (he seemed to be saying that a lot that day).

"Really, you didn't have to say all that about her. I don't think badly of her, I just wanted to know if you really liked her or if she was just bullying you into being her boyfriend, what with you being so stiff after she hugged you."

"Uwa—"

"But saying all that, you must really like her. It's serious then? That's good. She seems to be able to control you even better than I can."

"Uwa—"

"She certainly doesn't have any illusions about your personality. It's refreshing to find someone to speak to so frankly about your faults with."

You speak frankly of my thoughts to anyone anyway, Tadashi thought.

"And her family owns an airline and travel company! Isn't that convenient, Tadashi? That will be convenient later on, what with your wanderlust and everything. It's a good fit."

"Wait! What do you mean?! Later on . . ."

"And besides," his mom continued, pausing to pick up a cheese Danish, "You're girlfriend is an excellent cook," she said as she popped the creamy pastry into her mouth.

"Uwa," Tadashi emitted. "That was the last one."