The doorbell resounded with a noisy, sharp buzz. Tatsuya Kaname rose up off the sofa, put on a pair of gray loose trousers, and hauled his worn out body towards the door. He knew it was likely his mother, Junko Kaname, since she had been his sole visitor lately, and he did not want to open the door and meet her clothed in just a ratty, stained undershirt and scruffy old boxer shorts.
"So is this how you plan on spending your Friday night?" Junko inquired with a frown on her face as he opened the door and saw her standing in the hallway of his apartment building. Her arms were crossed and she was tapping her left foot in a way that showed she was irritated and annoyed.
"It's how I've spent most of my Friday nights." Tatsuya muttered, turned around, returned back inside, and swiftly fell back down on the sofa.
"You can't keep being like this. You have to go out more, meet a girl." Junko responded, striding into his apartment and straightaway beginning to clean up his place, which he had to confess, had become a little filthy.
"I know I do. Things have just gotten brutal. I'm working like an animal, 60 hour weeks, and about all the girls I've seen as of recently haven't really been too gratifying. Following the sequence of terrible dates I had, I suppose I've kind of quit dating for now..."
"Tell me about it. I never enjoyed dating. Perhaps that's the reason I wedded your father at such a young age. He was the first man who I could bear being in the presence of for more than ten minutes."
"And now the both of you have been in the presence of each other for what, twenty nine years? That's totally more than ten minutes. Perhaps there's some hope for me."
Junko sat down beside Tatsuya on the sofa and looked down at the un-vacuumed carpet warily.
"Yeah, it's definitely been way longer than ten minutes. However, things can get extremely tedious when you've been with somebody that long."
This was the first time he had ever heard her speak about her relationship with his father in a negative way, so it was astonishing to listen to her talk so frankly about things between them, and more astonishing to discover things were not going well.
"But the both of you seem quite cheerful. Aren't you?"
"Looks can be deceiving. Don't bother about it, though. I shouldn't have mentioned anything."
"It's ok, kaa-san, we can discuss."
"No, I don't wish to speak about it anymore. I want to speak about you, home every Friday night. When are you going to begin dating again? Or at least hang out with your pals?"
Tatsuya let out a perturbed groan and gave her an unsettled look.
"Kaa-san, c'mon. I don't want to speak about that right now. Why are you here on a Friday night, instead of being with dad?"
Her face reflected his unsettled look, twofold.
"I just told you I don't wish to speak about that!" She hissed.
Neither of them spoke anything for a few minutes. They both gazed at the television, which was tuned to The Discovery Channel . A documentary was on with animals in the wild aggressively copulating.
"So is this what you do? Watch animal porn?" Junko mockingly asked.
Tatsuya glanced over at her and they exploded into joint laughter.
"Hey, why don't we go out? You and I?" He asked her, grinning in the most charismatic way he could attempt.
"What do you mean, go out?" Junko responded, her face shying away a little, but he observed that she was also reddening.
"I mean, like us going out, to have some enjoyment. If you're bored and I'm not doing anything, and you'd like me to go out, well, why don't you go out with me?"
"Um, why don't I go out with you? Because I'm your mom, that's why! What's wrong with you tonight? Are you coming down with a fever?" She extended out to feel his forehead.
"No, I'm ok, kaa-san." Tatsuya brought her hand down from his forehead and clasped it in his. "Let's go out on a date, a platonic one, of course. We'll just go out, have a couple of drinks, have a fun time. Who knows, perhaps one of us will encounter somebody and get laid."
Junko began anxiously chuckling, shook her head, and rolled her eyes at me.
"What has gotten into you this evening? I am not searching for anybody! I'm married, remember? To your father! But, perhaps I could go out with you... on a friendship type of date. I could use a good night out. It's been some time." She put her other hand on top of the one he was clasping and smiled at him.
"So can I get your phone number?" Tatsuya asked. She tugged her hands away, giggled, and softly hit him on the chest.
"But honestly, tomorrow night, Saturday, what are you doing? Any plans?"
"Nothing at all. I was probably going to be in front of the television with your father. Oh wait, no, I think our neighbours invited us to a party at their house...We didn't accept the invitation yet, but I honestly don't want to go there..."
"I thought you loved the neighbours?"
"There's a lot you don't know about me..."
"Oh baby..." Tatsuya cooed and bobbed his head slowly.
"You're hitting on your mother? What's wrong with you?! I don't know if I should go out with such an ungentleman." She crossed her arms again and turned her head away from him.
"I'm just joking. C'mon, give me a chance. I swear I'll behave in the most decent way possible."
She looked over at him, and gave him that dubious, single eyebrow raised look.
"Come on, kaa-san. Let me pick you up at about 9. I'll promise dad that I won't bring you home too late."
"Hmm... Fine, I think I'll agree to go with you."
She rose up and simply stood there staring at him, not speaking anything.
"What?" Tatsuya questioned, shrugging his shoulders.
"Aren't you going to escort me to the door? You seriously are out of practice with females!" She angrily snapped.
This is how his mother always was, a spirited one, a little domineering. Growing up he always detested it, because she would tear into him about nearly anything, and still did, but now, with all this talk of going on a date with her, he found her feistiness unexpectedly attractive, and he had to admit that he had never honestly thought this way about her before, either, and he must confess, it was thrilling.
"Sorry. Terribly ill-mannered of me. Please accept my apologies." Tatsuya rose up and strolled with her arm in arm to the entrance of his apartment.
"Tomorrow evening at 9. Don't stand me up. And please wear something better than those loose trousers. Those are all I've seen you in lately."
"I promise to dress nicely. We'll go someplace pleasant too. It'll be enjoyable."
"It better be." Junko said. She then leaned towards him and kissed him on the face, which he could not recall her ever doing since the time he was a small kid.
"Later then." She said in a kind of breathy voice.
To be continued...
