Hey guys...so here's number 9...it's a long one, so sorry.
But I'm gonna be disappearing again for a few weeks to work on another project but I'll be back. Next time...it's a family trip and we meet a new Kurusu family member and have some sexy times! I know...what...60000 words and no boning...you guys must be upset with me!
Also in March I'm gonna be in Cali for 3 weeks for work. 45 minute drive from Anaheim...outside of Disney you guys know what I can do let me know!
Chapter 9
"Kawakami-san? Kawakami-san? Are you okay?"
Sadayo jerked her head up from her work to find Maeda looking over her with a concerned expression. The girl had gotten even more tan over the summer thanks to all her training and team competitions, but despite the heat, she was still as bubbly as ever.
"I'm fine," Sadayo answered as she finalized one last piece of paperwork in regards to the school trip itinerary and the last few bits of her upcoming lesson plans. "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Oh yeah, you got that trip this afternoon, don't you?" Maeda offered her friend some pocky and Sadayo hesitated before finally grabbing three sticks and cramming them into her mouth. "Finally meeting the boyfriend's parents, eh?"
"Thanks for reminding me," grunted Sadayo after swallowing her snack. "As if I needed any more stress today."
"You wanna talk about it?" Maeda pulled up one of the empty chairs and sat next to her new friend, staring intently as she chewed on a wafer. "You know it could help you feel better. You've been looking like shit the past couple of days, and you've been spacing out on occasion."
"I don't really have anything to talk about right now," Sadayo answered after she finished sending off the email to her hotel contact. "I appreciate the offer, but the truth is I should be fine once we get to his parent's place. Right now I think it's just nerves."
"Is this your first time meeting someone's parents," inquired Maeda as she polished off the last few wafers. "If so I can understand why you'd be nervous."
"I've only done this one other time," Sadayo said offhandedly. "But that was almost five years ago, and we broke up shortly after, and I didn't have any reason to be afraid of his parents since we were childhood friends. This meeting is a completely different thing since I've only talked to his mother once and it didn't go the way I wanted it. But they're happy I'm coming so I guess that's something."
"That's awesome," exclaimed Maeda before taking a sip from her bottle and swished it around before swallowing. "So how long you been with this guy?"
"Almost two years," said Sadayo without much thought. She was in the process of sending Chouno an email about some of the plans for the tutoring program.
"Sounds serious." Maeda sat back and began spinning in her chair quietly while waiting for Sadayo to finish.
"It is," smiled Sadayo before draining her glass of iced tea. "But I'm not really comfortable speaking about this at work. I try to keep my work, and personal life compartmentalized so can we drop this for now?"
"No worries," smiled Maeda, giving Sadayo an enthusiastic thumbs up. "I'm not trying to pry, just making sure you're doing okay. Did you still want to do lunch with Hiruta-san and me before you head out?"
"I didn't plan on backing out." Sadayo checked her phone and saw that she had a text from Akira. A smile played across her lips that caught Maeda's attention.
"Did he call you?" Maeda wiggled her eyebrows which made both women chuckle. "If you need a minute alone, I can step outside. I don't want to interrupt."
"It's just a text," Sadayo explained and sent a reply back. "He just wanted me to know that he's finished packing our bags and was going to pack us some food for the trip before heading to the station."
"He sounds like a dream come true." Maeda stood up and let out a loud groan as she stretched. "My last boyfriend never did stuff like that for me, but the past is the past. Is yours a good cook? It's been a long time since I've had a real home-cooked meal."
"He's not bad." Sadayo began grabbing her stuff and called out to Inui and Usami that she was heading out. They both said goodbye and wished her a pleasant trip before returning to their work. "I mean he's good, but his best dish is still this curry and coffee combination he was taught a couple of years ago."
"That sounds amazing." Maeda rubbed her stomach expectantly and let out a loud moan of longing. "Can you bring me some the next time he makes it? I can barely make instant curry without destroying it."
"I'll ask, and if you're good, maybe I'll ask him if I can give you one of the recipes he made on his own." Sadayo smiled at her younger friend's excited squeal, and the two made their way down the stairs toward the entrance. A few students that were at the school for club activities waved goodbye to them, and once they were outside, the two ladies began walking toward the restaurant where they were meeting Hiruta.
"So are you done with competitions," inquired Sadayo as they crossed the street and passed a cart selling shaved ice.
"For a bit yeah. I've been having my kids do early morning practices so they can enjoy their vacation, and some of them come to the park near my house so we can do mock exercises when they feel they haven't been improving enough." After that statement, Maeda looked longingly into a few restaurant windows and patted her stomach as it growled loudly. "Soon tummy, soon you will be filled with deliciousness."
"Do you always talk to your stomach?" Sadayo giggled to herself at the woman's quirkiness and found herself being reminded of Futaba.
"Just when I'm famished." Maeda gave her stomach another painful rub and sighed. "I forgot to eat breakfast this morning, and all I've had is some beef jerky outside of that pocky we shared."
"Thank God you're paying for your meal." Sadayo had gotten used to watching Maeda eat during their friendship, and Sadayo wasn't sure her bank account could handle the strain of feeding the gym teacher.
"Yeah, I'm an expensive date," Maeda laughed as they approached the restaurant. "But I'll try to hold...who's the kid?"
Sadayo followed Maeda's gaze and found Hiruta sitting at one of the outside tables of a cafe dressed in shorts and a brightly colored shirt with a young girl who was in a blue dress and a matching baseball hat and reading a book.
"That's Hiruta's daughter, Ikuko," explained Sadayo. She'd forgotten that Maeda hadn't met the girl and figured it would be best to forewarn her. "I'm sure you know but just to remind you, she's having a tough time with the divorce so be careful and go slow. "
"Got it," whispered Maeda after hearing Sadayo's warning. "Thanks for the warning."
"Hey!" Hiruta waved at the pair and pointed down at the table. "Hurry up and join us! Ikuko's getting impatient!"
Sadayo waved back and led Maeda to the table where they joined him happily.
"Did you order already," asked Sadayo with a cautionary glance at Ikuko.
"Nothing outside of our drinks," answered Hiruta as he took a sip of what looked like an iced tea. "Ikuko, be polite and say 'hello.'"
The girl looked up from the book she was reading and gave a Sadayo a nervous smile before saying, "Hello, Kawakami-san. How're you?"
"I'm doing okay," answered Sadayo with a gentle smile. "I'm going on a trip today, what about you?"
"Ummm…." Ikuko looked to Hiruta who nodded his approval, and the girl said, "Daddy is going to take me to the aquarium and planetarium soon. Mommy had to go on a business trip, so I get to spend my whole vacation with him."
"I bet that's made you very happy," chuckled Maeda; like many of the teachers, Maeda had little difficulty being sensitive to the girl's predicament.
Ikuko jumped nervously and fidgeted in her seat before nodding vigorously. She had her father's smile and his hair, but unlike him, she was quiet and reserved. Sadayo didn't know if it was because of her shyness or if it was her natural demeanor, but either way, experience had taught Sadayo to let the girl do the talking, and she was glad Maeda was following suit.
"Uh huh." Ikuko smiled at her father and then looked back down at what was possibly her summer homework. "Daddy and I have been having a lot of fun."
"Too much fun," chuckled Hiruta as he patted his daughter's head. "So much in fact that she still hasn't finished her homework. So she's got to finish all of it before we waste her last few days of vacation. Speaking of which, you ready for your trip Kawakami?"
"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Maeda. I don't want to talk about it." Sadayo placed an order for some more tea and a salad before continuing. "I just want to concentrate on having some fun right now, okay?"
"Why don't you want to talk about it," Ikuko asked quietly as she finished the last page of her book. "I thought you said it was bad if you don't talk about your problems, Daddy?"
"Sometimes it's okay to not talk about things until you're ready." Hiruta gave his daughter another pat on the head and smiled. "So when someone tells you that they don't want to talk about it, it's okay to give them some space until they're ready."
"All right." Ikuko gave Sadayo a nervous smile and then went back to her work. "I hope you have fun with your boyfriend, though Kawakami-san. Daddy says you've been waiting for this trip for a long time."
"I have," sighed Sadayo with a small glare at Hiruta. The science teacher gave her a wink, but the woman could barely resist the urge to kick him under the table. "And if it's okay with your daddy, maybe I can bring you back some souvenirs, would you like that?"
Ikuko nodded and said, "Totally! Daddy is it okay for Kawakami-san to bring me back some treats?!"
"I'm fine with it, so long as I you behave yourself and finish all your homework, deal?"
"Deal!" Ikuko held out both her pinkies allowing Sadayo and Hiruta to grip them, sealing the deal.
After that, they spent the remainder of their lunch talking about their plans for their classes, competitions, and the trip they'd be taking to Hong Kong with the students at the end of September.
It'd taken a long time for Hiruta, Sadayo, and the other teachers involved to find decent lodging for a reasonable price and in a safe neighborhood. But in the end, they'd managed, and after getting approval from all the necessary parties, they'd made their announcement before summer vacation to several applause and cheers from the student body.
"I can't wait to buy a new suit," laughed Hiruta after they finished their lunch and began walking toward the train station to see Sadayo off.
"We'll be traveling to Hong Kong, and the thing you want is a suit," asked Maeda after a loud belch. "They got a Disneyland, the Ladies Market, beautiful landscapes and buildings, and all you want is to buy a suit?!"
"I can get a good quality hand-tailored one for cheap there. I may even buy two or three." Hiruta gave Maeda a nervous grin and scratched his head as they continued toward the station. "Plus, I don't want to see too much too quickly. If I like it, maybe I can talk Megumi into letting me take Ikuko next summer."
"Why do you need a suit, Daddy?" Ikuko looked up at her father; her head cocked to one side. "You don't work in an office so why do you need one?"
"Because you can wear a suit for all sorts of occasions, sweetie." Hiruta placed a hand on Ikuko's head and ruffled her hair. "I can use them for work, going out to school events or even dates. You never know when you'll need a nice suit, sweetie."
Ikuko stopped dead in her tracks at her father's words, and all three adults gave her a concerned look. The girl looked like she was about to cry and Sadayo felt a small stab in her heart when she sobbed, "So my prayer at the shrine for you and Mommy to get back together isn't going to come true?"
"Ikuko-chan?" Maeda took a step forward to comfort the girl, but Hiruta held his hand out.
"Umm..." Hiruta looked embarrassingly between his daughter and co-workers before asking, "Can you two...I'm sorry for this to come off as rude but, would I'm going to need to leave the two of you here if that's all right?"
"It's fine," coughed Maeda, a blush creeping up her dark face. "My stop is just at the next street anyway, and yours is the street after that, right Kawakami-san?"
"Yes, it is," Sadayo confirmed hesitantly before giving Ikuko a warm smile. "It'll be okay sweetie, just listen to what your dad has to say, okay?"
Ikuko ignored Sadayo and instead began kicking the ground sullenly. After few quiet farewells, the two women headed off toward their respective train stops.
"Poor kid," sighed Maeda after they'd left Hiruta behind to deal with his daughter. "I hope she's going to be okay. I can't imagine what it's like for her."
"Neither can I." Sadayo had heard from Hiruta about how Ikuko was doing better, but Sadayo could swear she saw the last ray of hope about her parents flicker out. "I know Hiruta-san, has done his best to see how bad the divorce got, but maybe it ended up hurting her more than helping her."
"Maybe." Maeda cast one last look back from where they came and shook her head. "Poor guy, he works so hard to make her happy in the limited time he gets with her."
"She's his whole world," added Sadayo as they continued walking. "And she's a kid so it's understandable that Ikuko'd want him to move back in with her and her mother. Unfortunately, life isn't that kind."
"No, it's not," agreed Maeda with a sad smile. "But I think we're going to have to shelf our conversation, for now, we've reached my stop."
"So we have," grinned Sadayo as she stared up at the sign. "You enjoy the rest of your break okay? I'll make sure to bring you back a few souvenirs. Was there anything in particular you wanted?
"I'll leave it up to you." Maeda gave a polite bow before running off toward her train. "Enjoy your trip! And good luck with meeting his parents!"
Sadayo waved back, her face flushed with embarrassment and headed off toward her station before getting any more unwanted attention. After boarding, she checked her bag to make sure she had her charger and other necessities and felt a wave of relief when she found everything was accounted for When everything was in its proper place, Sadayo pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans and dialed Akira's number. It rang a few times, but after the fifth ring he picked up.
"How'd your lunch go," was the first thing he asked once they were connected.
"Not too bad," she said with less enthusiasm than she intended. "Hiruta brought Ikuko with him, and it finally hit her that there was practically zero chance of him and his ex-wife getting back together. So chances are he's going to have to spend the rest of the day calming her down."
"That sounds rough." Akira sounded as upset as Sadayo at this news; though she wasn't surprised. Akira was always concerned about the state of Sadayo's social life and supported her and the friendships she pursued.
"It is," she said as the train sped past a large group of office buildings while a small feeling of dread built up in the back of her mind. "I'm sure Hiruta-san will text me later about what happened, are you okay with that?"
"I've never been bothered by it before," chuckled Akira through what sounded like a mouthful of food. "So why would it bug me now? I'm not worried about you having a friend who's a guy so will you quit freaking out already?"
"I'm trying, okay," giggled Sadayo as a weight seemed to lift off her chest. "It's just that he knows I'm going on this trip and I want to make sure it won't bother you if he needs to talk to me about Ikuko-chan."
Ever since she and Hiruta had started talking, Sadayo had made sure she was honest with Akira about their friendship and in true Akira fashion his response had surprised her. The moment he found out, Akira told her she didn't have to and that he trusted her, but regardless, Sadayo always told him about her and Hiruta's conversations. After everything they'd been through Sadayo felt it was the least, she could do for him; even if it wasn't necessary.
"For the last time," grunted Akira in what sounded like a stretch, "it's not a big deal. What will bother me is if you don't hurry the hell up and get over here. I miss you, and I want to grab a few things before we get on the train."
"I'll be there in about twenty minutes." Sadayo blushed a bit when she heard him say he missed her and couldn't wait to reach the station. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the Big Bang Burger near the ticket booth," Akira hiccuped after a low burp.
"All right," groaned Sadayo at hearing he was gulping down fast food. Even with Haru's changes to the chain, Sadayo still couldn't bring herself to enjoy the restaurant. "I'll see you soon."
They both hung up, and Sadayo hummed happily to herself as the train sped along. Even with as nervous as she was Sadayo felt herself getting excited at the prospect of finally meeting Akira's family. She wasn't one-hundred percent sure how she'd handle hiding the fact that she'd spent a week at their house the previous summer, but they had a few cover stories just in case his parents decided to probe a bit deeper.
Neither of them was looking forward to lying about their relationship, but they both agreed there were certain aspects that they could leave until all parties were more comfortable with one another.
"Now arriving at Tokyo Station, please exit carefully and take all your belongings with you."
Sadayo cleared the cobwebs from her head and departed the train and made her way to the ticket booth where Akira was sipping a soda. He waved her over and offered her some of his drink, but she declined, confused by the absence of the cat carrier.
"Where's Mona?" Sadayo had thought Akira would be bringing the cat with him and found herself missing his bright blue eyes.
"He's staying with Futaba," grunted Akira as he tossed his cup away. "I figured it'd be easier this way since my parents don't have anything for him at their house."
"I guess that makes sense." Sadayo had grown fond of conversing with the cat but knew it was for the best. "Well let's make sure we bring him back a few treats."
"He's already given me a list." Akira held up his phone and showed a list of food items that Sadayo wasn't familiar with.
"Are these local delicacies?" Sadayo began looking through the list again, and she could swear she'd seen some of them before, but couldn't place them.
"Yeah," Akira grunted as he grabbed their rolling suitcases and the bag filled with Eiko's idol merchandise. "Most of them are sweets, but there are other things on the list we can get last minute."
"Great," groaned Sadayo as she looked down at the bulging bag of idol products. "We're probably going to come back with more than we're leaving with. Why couldn't you have borrowed the van? It'd give us more time to figure out what we'll tell your parents."
"Because I'm not on the insurance," grunted Akira as he pulled his suitcase into one of the stores near the ticket booth. "If I were on the insurance, I'd have asked Sae-san if I could borrow it, but since it's in her name and since she's paying it, I can't complain."
"Fine," snorted Sadayo as she watched Akira pick up a few small souvenirs and sweets. "Why are you picking these up? Your mom told me that we didn't need to bring anything when I spoke to her about our visit."
"You may not have to, but I do." Akira grabbed one final item and headed toward the counter.
"Why do you have to?" Sadayo looked at all the snacks and other items as Akira placed them on the counter.
"This is just her way of saying she still hasn't forgiven me for dodging her calls." Akira gave the cashier a nervous smile while the man rang everything up. "So this is one of the many penances I'll have to pay during this trip."
"At least they're cheap," grumbled Sadayo feeling like this was her fault.
"Will you relax," Akira chuckled as he handed over the money. "It's not like I'm spending money left and right."
"I am relaxed," huffed Sadayo as they exited the store. "I'm just worried about..."
"About what?" Akira turned, putting his face uncomfortably close to hers, bathing her in the scent of mint.
Sadayo didn't know when he'd eaten one, but she found it more pleasing than the clinging scent of charred meat in his clothing. Stepping back, Sadayo scanned the area for any possible signs of co-workers or students. They were in a crowded station, and the odds of them getting caught had increased exponentially, and suddenly old fears began creeping into her mind and her flight instinct kicked in.
"It doesn't matter," she whispered and began moving toward their ticket booth.
"It does too," he said pulling her back to him and giving her a light kiss which she returned happily. When they finished, he entwined his fingers with hers and asked, "What are you worried about? I haven't touched my savings much it'd take a long time for me to make a dent in it so what are you worried about?"
"I'm just worried about our future." Sadayo felt her face burn at the words and proceeded to pay for their tickets.
She could feel his eyes on her, and after they passed through the gate, Sadayo immediately headed to their train with Akira on close behind. After finding their seats, Sadayo went to the concession car and purchased a beer for herself and water for Akira.
"Thanks," he said after taking the water from her. He didn't open it but continued to watch as she sipped her beer.
"What," she asked painfully aware of all the people now in their car. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You surprised me is all." Akira uncapped his water took a swig of water just as the train jerked forward, making him splash water all down the front of his shirt. He let out a loud groan and reached for a spare handkerchief he kept in his backpack.
"You mean like that," snorted Sadayo as she returned to her beer.
"Just like that." Akira finished drying off and capped his water. His gaze shifted to the now blurring city, and he smiled. "But truth be told, I didn't think you'd say something like that, about our future I mean. So yeah, I was caught a little off-guard."
"You don't think about our future?" Sadayo figured he wouldn't, not nearly as much as she did, given their age gap, but she thought he would take at least a little time to contemplate their life together.
Eight years may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but in truth, it affected so many things that she couldn't keep track. Unlike him, she'd had time to figure out where she wanted her life to go. She'd had it planned for years, and he was a part of those plans, so Sadayo thought she was part of whatever ideas he had about the future given that they were now living together.
Last summer when she'd asked him on a whim if he'd live with her and she'd been so happy that he accepted. The look he had in his eyes when he'd sent the picture of his note had her in tears. The pure joy and love on Akira's face when he told her that he wanted to make a home with her had made her want to die from happiness, but now he seemed so distant. It was almost as if he was annoyed with her questions and was beginning to wonder if he was starting to regret his decision. She'd asked him before, and he said no every time, but once again his attitude left her uncertain.
Sadayo was ready to ask him if he regretted her, but stopped when he said, "I do think about it sometimes."
"You do?"
"Why the tone of surprise?" Akira turned his attention back to her and his grey eyes drilling into hers.
"Well, we've never really talked about it." Sadayo began running her finger along the rim of her beer can, trying to avoid his gaze. "We normally just talk about whatever is on our minds at the moment so…."
"Am I doing something wrong?"
"What makes you think that?!" Sadayo's hand raised a bit too quickly as she spoke and beer spilled all over her chest. "Damn it. Now your parents are gonna think I'm a drunk."
"No, they won't." Akira reached into his backpack and handed her a fresh shirt. "It won't help much with the smell, but you should be fine so long as the smell doesn't stick to your underwear."
Sadayo couldn't help but find the blush that crept up his cheeks adorable and took the shirt.
"Thank you," she said before kissing him on the cheek. "I'll be right back, and we can talk about this some more, okay?"
Akira nodded and gave her a tired smile before she disappeared into the bathroom. However, when she returned, Sadayo wasn't surprised to find Akira passed out in his seat.
Sighing in both frustration and adoration, Sadayo took her seat and noticed that someone had come by and cleared away her beer can. Grumbling about the wasted money, Sadayo finally took the chance to see what kind of shirt Akira had lent her. Looking down she grunted in disgust at the graphic on his tee-shirt when she saw that it was covered with a bunch of cute little anime characters. After silently cursing her boyfriend, Sadayo reached into her bag and pulled out a book she'd just started and began reading.
After about an hour, Akira began jerking in his sleep and muttering something under his breath about Ryuji and Yusuke needing to watch their backs.
Putting her book down, Sadayo took his hand and began massaging it gently. An employee came by when he let out a small scream and Sadayo had to explain the situation the best she could. After hearing the explanation, the man gave Akira a suspicious look and snorted derisively.
"Just make sure he doesn't get too out of hand," chided the man after processing the information.
"Of course." Sadayo gave him a cold glare at his attitude and felt a rush of triumph when she saw the man realize that there was no further reason to chastise her. When he was gone, Sadayo watched Akira sleep for a few more minutes, and he calmed down, she returned to her book with one hand squeezing his.
Akira woke up just before they reached Atami Station. When he woke, he gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hand before wiping the sleep from his eyes. After finishing the rest of his water, Akira and Sadayo gathered their items and made their transfer.
To her relief, Akira managed to stay awake throughout the rest of their trip. Sadayo guessed it was partially because of his long nap and the other because he needed to eat some of the snacks he brought. While he gorged on some beef jerky, Sadayo felt the urge to talk to him about why he didn't think about their future but decided against it. He was awake, speaking, and smiling at her without a hint of trouble and she didn't want to spoil the mood.
They spent the remainder of their journey talking about what they may or may not do while they were at his parents. Since the couple had been too busy to celebrate his birthday, Akira's parents had said that they had a family excursion planned for the weekend. Sadayo wondered what it was and asked Akira if it was a trip out of town or an all-nighter at the night market.
"Those are possible," he said as he noticed the train station of his hometown pull into view. "My parents do like going all out, and since you're here for your first official visit, they're probably going to take things to the extreme."
"That sounds like it'd be fun," chuckled Sadayo at Akira's subtle hint to keep her previous visits a secret. "I've always wondered what it's like hanging out with your parents. Do you think they'll show me all sorts baby pictures and tell me embarrassing stories?"
"Smartass," snorted Akira as he gave her a gentle flick on the forehead. "Keep that up, and I'll make sure you don't get to visit them ever again."
"Oh like that's going to stop me from wanting to learn all the dumb things you got up to as a kid," grinned Sadayo. "Besides, I'm officially your parents guest, not yours, which means you have no say this tie around."
"I'll make sure to remember that when we're in the room later," grumbled Akira as he began checking on his luggage.
"Idle threats won't get you anywhere, Aki-kun," teased Sadayo as the train began slowing down.
Smirking Akira reached into his backpack and pulled out a familiar black and white choker, a smug smirk on his face as he asked, "Since when have you ever known me not to follow through on a promise?"
Sadayo's face turned a deep crimson at the sight of her choker and remained quiet as they disembarked. As she stepped onto the platform, Sadayo was beginning to feel weird about having to act like a tourist despite her previous visits. Everything looked the same, and Sadayo was confident she could find her way back to the Kurusu residence if she tried, but necessity dictated that she play the fool for a next for the next week.
Both Akira and Sadayo wanted to make a good impression and if lying for a bit was the only way they could do it, then she was happy to until they could find the right opportunity to tell them the truth.
"Where are they?" Akira glanced around at the crowd and let out a disgruntled sigh. "They said they would be near the platform."
"Do you think they got the wrong platform?" Sadayo began feeling anxious, hoping that his parents weren't hiding from them.
"It's possible. Can you keep an eye out for them? I'm going to try giving them a call." Akira began looking through his belongings for his phone.
Sadayo continued to scan the crowd, looking for anyone that resembled the pictures she'd seen on her last visit but nobody seemed familiar.
After finding his phone, Akira began dialing a number, and both he and Sadayo nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard a voice scream, "AKIRA!
The couple turned their gaze in the direction of the voice and Sadayo watched her boyfriend's face light up at the sight of a young woman running toward him. Based on her appearance, Sadayo deduced that the fit, black-haired, bespectacled girl was Akira's younger sister, Eiko. She was a bit taller than Sadayo and dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a tank-top.
Eiko had a broad smile on her face, and when she reached them, the girl nearly knocked her brother over as she wrapped her arms around him and begin squeezing.
"It's so good to see you," she squealed as she jumped up and down, crushing her brother's ribs.
The reaction caught Sadayo by surprise as Akira had told her he and his sister weren't as close as they used to be. But based on this response, Sadayo was inclined to think some of it had all been in her boyfriend's head.
"It's...goo..see...Ei...let...go," grunted Akira as his little sister kept her python-like hold on her brother.
"Sorry." Eiko let go and gave an apologetic bow. "I just got so excited since you haven't called and then we thought we missed picking you up, and you might have caught a cab since we...well we went to the wrong platform."
"Seems I was right," chuckled Sadayo as Akira rubbed his injured ribs, catching Eiko's attention.
"I'm sorry." Eiko turned to Sadayo and bowed deeply. "I'm Kurusu Eiko, Akira's younger sister. It's a pleasure to meet you Sadayo-san or would you prefer Kawakami-san?"
"It's nice to meet you too, Eiko-chan." Sadayo returned the bow and smiled warmly. "But there's no need for formalities so feel free to call me whatever you're most comfortable with."
"Then Sadayo-chan it is." Eiko looked at her brother and then at Sadayo before coughing nervously. "So you're my brother's girlfriend?"
"I am," said Sadayo proudly. "It's nice to see that some of the stories your brother has been telling me aren't true."
"What stories?" Eiko turned to her brother and gave him a soft poke in the chest. "Have you been talking shi..."
"Eiko?!" A stout woman with a round face appeared looking harried as she shouted the young girl's name. "Eiko, why did you suddenly run off and...oh!"
"Hi, Mom." Akira waved nervously at his mother and placed a hand on the small of Sadayo's back and began walking toward his mother.
"Akira," Sachiko walked forward and gave her son a gentle kiss on the cheek and a loving smile before turning to Sadayo. "And you must be, Sadayo. It's lovely to meet you."
"Hello." Sadayo's voice sounded like a kitten's meow, but it was better than nothing. She felt like she was going to faint and her legs felt like lead. Her mind was screaming at her to run away, but the feeling of Akira's hand helped her fight the instinct while Sachiko examined her.
Each second Sachiko looked her over, Sadayo felt like she was about to pass out from the stress. She wished the older woman would say something, anything, but she didn't. Sachiko just continued to stare and examine her until a deep voice echoed from behind them.
"Sachiko!"
A tall, thin man with small widow's peak appeared next to his wife, clutching a stitch in his side. He waved hello to his son, and then looked at Sadayo with a confused expression.
"Are you who I think you are?"
Sadayo managed a jerky nod and felt herself finally begin to breathe thanks to the familiar look in the man's eyes. It was easy to see where Akira got his looks from and Sadayo knew that there was no turning back. She looked to Akira for some advice but instead found him smiling.
The sense of relief was so sudden that Sadayo couldn't control her body and soon found herself giving an incredibly deep bow as she practically shouted,
"KawakamiSadayoacquaitancetomakeyourhappy, havingmethankyou!"
Both Sachiko and Osamu looked at each other and then at Akira and Sadayo, mouths slightly agape at the rush of words before bursting into laughter making Sadayo blush even more.
"She's adorable," giggled Sachiko as she took Sadayo's hands in hers. "Stand up dear, there's no reason to be so nervous, we aren't going to bite."
Sadayo's head whipped up so fast that Sachiko barely dodged the rush of hair that nearly slapped her in the face.
"Take a deep breath and relax," Sachiko said in a motherly tone. "It's okay to be nervous, I'm Kurusu Sachiko and welcome to our hometown."
"And I'm Kurusu Osamu." Osamu stepped forward and gave a courteous bow. "It's lovely to meet you, my dear."
After several more deep breaths, Sadayo repeated, "I'm Kawakami Sadayo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Thank you for having me this week."
"That's more like it." Sachiko let go of Sadayo's hands and gave her another gentle smile. "You are a pretty one, and your hair is so lovely. I wish mine could get like that."
"I've been growing it out for a while now." Sadayo's hand flew instinctively to her shoulder, and she began stroking the ends of her hair. "I'm sorry for my attitude, it's just been a bit since I've met someone's parents, friend or otherwise. Well, that's a bit of a lie, I just mean..."
"Relax," whispered Akira with a small chuckle, "everything will be fine."
"Like you're one to talk Akira," teased Eiko as she approached with the bags. "It's only been five minutes, and you look like you're about to shit your pants."
"Eiko, language," scolded Sachiko with a shake of her head. "Good lord, you're going to be almost as bad as Ryuji at this rate. At least keep the swearing to a minimum while Sadayo is here."
"It doesn't really bother me that much." Sadayo gave Eiko a wink, feeling relaxed that at least someone besides her, Makoto, Ann, and Yusuke had issues with Ryuji's language. "It's occasionally a pain, but I'm getting used to it."
"See Mom," chuckled Eiko, as she began trying to take a peek inside the bag Sadayo was carrying. "She doesn't mind. I don't know what you're so afraid of?"
"Just keep it to a minimum," chuckled Sadayo as she hid the contents of the bag from the teenage girl. "Do that for me, and we'll get along just fine."
"I know we will." Sachiko tilted her head to the bags and said, "Akira, Eiko, get the bags and we'll head to the car."
Sadayo was surprised that Akira and Eiko didn't raise a fuss at their mother's request and grabbed the bags.
As they walked, Osamu and Akira began quietly conversing about his college courses while Sachiko tended to something on her phone. Eiko, on the other hand, busied herself with examining Sadayo much in the way her mother had, making the teacher extremely uncomfortable.
"Is there something I can do for you, Eiko-chan," Sadayo asked quietly as they continued their walk.
"Not really," said the girl as she continued to stare at Sadayo. She kept this up for several seconds, her eyes narrowed in confusion before she finally asked, "Have I seen you somewhere before?"
"I don't know how you could have," Sadayo answered with a nervous grin. "This is my first time here, so it's almost impossible for us to have met before today."
"That's true," hummed the girl as they exited the train station. "It's just strange, but I feel like I've seen your face before."
"Leave her alone," growled Akira after breaking the conversation with his father. "You'll have plenty of time to harass her when we get to the house."
"I'm not harassing her," snapped Eiko launching a foot at her brother's backside only to miss by mere centimeters. "I'm just asking her a question."
"Sounds like harassment to me," chuckled Akira as he turned to face his sister. "Keep it up, and I'll take back everything I sent you while I was gone."
"Oh shut up!" Eiko's face burned with embarrassment, unsure of whether or not Sadayo knew what he was talking about. "I already told you I'd pay you back and I got the money in my room so quit hassling me. Although I should hold back a couple thousand yen since the last one you sent was a bit defective."
"What do you mean defective?" Akira was beginning to sound annoyed, but there was laughter in his eyes that Sadayo hadn't seen in a while and it warmed her heart. "I inspected the thing myself, Sadayo too, and we didn't see anything wrong with it."
"You were with him?" Eiko's face fell and turned sheet white when she heard her brother's news. "You know what my brother's been sending me?"
"You mean all the idol merchandise?" Sadayo had wanted to wait until they got to the house but she had to admit that she was enjoying seeing the younger girl get so flustered. Reaching into the bag, Sadayo pulled out one of the shirts containing a beaming pop trio in bright dresses, posed in the typical idol fashion.
"In all honesty, I thought about keeping this one, but it's not my style." Sadayo extended her hand to Eiko while Akira and his parents watched in amused silence as Eiko's hand twitched anxiously.
"That's...," Eiko looked at her brother, her face now bright red as she fought the urge to chew her brother out or accept the gift quietly.
"Thank you," grunted Eiko, taking the shirt and clutching it to her chest before running toward the car.
"Well, that went better than I thought," chuckled Osamu before clapping Akira on the back. "Come on you two, let's get to the house. It's gonna be dinner time soon, and I'm sure you two would like to get cleaned up and settled in before we eat."
After loading everything into the car, Eiko disappeared into the back and hid among the luggage while listening to some music on her phone.
"She'll get over it," laughed Osamu noticing Sadayo's concern in the review mirror. "She's just really shy about that hobby of hers. I don't know if she told you Akira, but she started decorating her room with all that stuff you sent her."
"Really," Akira turned his gaze to Eiko who was flipping through her text messages while clutching her new tee-shirt to her chest. "Is it as creepy as I think it is?"
"Not really," hummed Sachiko so her husband could focus on driving. "It is a bit weird to see all those girls and boys on the wall, but she's more relaxed now and made a few new friends once she decided to be a bit more open about it. I think she's going to a concert just after school starts, but she hasn't confirmed it yet."
"As long as she's happy," mumbled Akira as he squeezed Sadayo's hand.
"So, Sadayo-san," began Osamu after seeing the gesture in the mirror, "what about you? Do you have any plans after this idiot heads back to school?"
"Just a lot of work," answered Sadayo quietly. "We're going to be getting pretty busy soon once the winter starts and I have a lot of planning to do for the new year as well."
"Sounds a lot like your job," chuckled Osamu at his wife. "You guys have to change the menu soon don't you?"
"Yes we do," hummed Sachiko as she finished putting something on her phone. "That's why I've been on my phone all day. We finally figured out the new dinner...dammit."
"What's the matter," asked Osamu as they pulled into the driveway.
"I forgot to buy the groceries for dinner," sighed Sachiko, rubbing her temple in frustration. Turning around she gave Sadayo and apologetic look and asked, "I'm sure Akira has told you a bit about my abilities in the kitchen, but would you mind waiting until tomorrow for me to cook you something? I got so caught up in cleaning and work that I don't have anything prepped for tonight."
"That's fine," chuckled Sadayo at the look of embarrassment on the woman's face. "Are we going to eat at one of your restaurants in town? Akira told me that you get rave reviews constantly and I've been dying to try one."
"Maybe at the end of the trip," chuckled Sachiko as she climbed out of the car and opened the door for Akira and Sadayo. "I hope you aren't against eating take out."
"If you're ordering, I'm sure it'll be fine," said Sadayo as she slid out of the car and tapped Eiko on the shoulder to let the girl know they were at the house.
Eiko maintained her silence as she handed bags out to everyone and after taking her bag of gifts from Sadayo with a quiet, "Thank you," she headed into the house without delay.
"Did I do something wrong?" Sadayo looked at Osamu and Sachiko, both of whom shook their heads at her question.
"Don't worry about her," grunted Osamu after a deep stretch. "She'll be wearing that shirt when she comes down for dinner; just give her a couple of hours, and she'll be back to her usual crazy self. "
"That she will," giggled Sachiko after accepting a kiss on her cheek from her husband before watching him walk toward the house. "Are you going to help set up for dinner or are you going to disappear into your office for a bit?"
"I gotta send out my diagnosis of a patient for that case Yamamoto-san asked me to help with, shouldn't take me more than half-an-hour."
"Sure it will," grumbled Sachiko as her husband disappeared into the house. "Akira would you mind if I borrowed your girlfriend for a bit?"
"That's not something you should be asking me, Mom." Akira picked up a few of the bags and asked, "Are you gonna be okay helping my mom?"
"It'd be my pleasure," smiled Sadayo as she grabbed a few more bags. "Just let me help him put our things away, and I'll be right down."
"Absolutely, just come downstairs and go around the corner to reach the kitchen. Akira," Sachiko gave her son a mischievous wink, "don't keep her too long."
"Really, Mom?"Akira gave his mother a disgusted look at what the wink implied making his mother laugh as she disappeared into the house.
"They seem nice," chuckled Sadayo as she followed Akira up the familiar steps toward his room. She noticed Eiko's door was closed and Sadayo could hear the muffled sounds of music emanating from it. "I think this trip is going to be good for us, more specifically you."
"Maybe," whispered Akira as he opened the door to his room. "Just make sure you watch what you say. We still haven't told them the truth about your job, and I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves."
"Akira," Sadayo set her bag in the closet like she had the previous summer and pulled him into a strong hug. "It'll be okay."
"I know," answered Akira, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. "And I'm sorry I fell I asleep on the train. Between work, school, and my meds I've..."
"It's fine." Sadayo turned him around and gave him a deep kiss. "I know you're trying and I didn't mean to pressure you into that conversation. It's just that...ever since the party I've been thinking about our future a lot more than I usually do and I guess I was just looking for some reassurance that you felt the same way I do."
"Just so you know," he said giving her a kiss of his own, "I do think about our future, and it scares me."
"What are you afraid of?" Sadayo brushed some stray hairs out of his eyes and cupped his cheek.
"That I'm spending all this time and energy doing something that won't amount to anything." Akira sighed loudly and shook his head. "That I won't be able to find a job after college because of some asshole getting wind of my record and I'm gonna be stuck working for Lala and Iwai for the rest of my life."
"That wouldn't be too bad," said Sadayo with a warm smile. "I mean you're gaining a lot of skills doing those jobs. Learning how to interact with people, doing things like inventory and building a customer base. Besides Iwai and Lala make it work, maybe you can ask them for tips on how to start your own business if you can't find a job."
"Me with my own business? In this shithole economy?" Akira scoffed at the thought. "I'd sooner ask your dad for a job."
"There are worse ideas than starting your own business," giggled Sadayo at the thought of Akira working for her dad. "But I wouldn't ask my dad for a job, I mean they still don't know we're dating."
"We'll fix that soon enough." Akira bent his head and gave her another kiss before resting his forehead on hers. "And thanks for the support; it means a lot."
"You're welcome." Sadayo gave him a quick squeeze just as his mom shouted up to him asking for Sadayo.
"'Ask not for whom the bell tolls,'" sighed Akira as he pointed to the door. "You better go or else she's gonna come up here and drag you down."
"Good point," Sadayo kissed him once more before heading downstairs where she found Sachiko speaking in a language she'd never heard before.
Despite knowing where everything was, Sadayo made an effort to act like she didn't know where anything was as she gathered plates and glasses. After a few more minutes, Sachiko hung up and began collecting cutlery from a nearby drawer.
"You sure got used to the kitchen fast," commented Sachiko in surprise.
"Well, once you told me about the plates I thought that Akira would have set up our kitchen like yours and...turns out I was right."
"Really? Akira set up your kitchen like ours," asked the chef in mild amusement. "Then tell me where the pots and pans would be?"
Sadayo looked around the kitchen, trying her best to act by her and Akira's agreement and then pointed at one of the cabinets.
"This is just going to be a guess because our kitchen is much smaller, but I'm going to guess it's in one of the two cabinets to the right of the oven?"
"You're right," sighed Sachiko as she and Sadayo finished setting the table. "The one furthest from the oven but you're right, and I'm not surprised that Akira did that. I've set this up in a similar fashion to my restaurants in case I have one of my testing sessions with my employees. It didn't cause any problem after he moved in did it?"
Sadayo shook her head and said, "It took a couple of weeks because I'd gotten used to how I'd had it set up originally, but it's grown on me, and you're right it does help make things easier when cooking."
"Glad to hear it," said Sachiko just as Osamu and the kids walked into the kitchen.
"Hello," whispered Eiko now clad in her brand-new idol shirt. "Is dinner here?"
"It'll be a bit longer, Eiko. I just put in the order about fifteen minutes ago."
"What'd you order," asked Osamu as he pulled out a couple of beers.
"Thai," Sachiko said happily to the looks of delight on her family's faces. "I made sure to order a couple of fish dishes for you too Sadayo as per Akira's request when I asked if there was any food you liked."
"Oh, well thank you very much." Sadayo's face flushed making Eiko snicker and Akira avert his gaze.
"Beer," asked Osamu holding out a glass to Sadayo.
"Uhh not right now," she declined politely and pointed at her shirt. "I bought one on the train but spilled it which is why I'm wearing this."
"That makes sense," said Osamu with a small chuckle. "I thought you'd gotten into the habit of stealing his clothes."
"She does steal my clothes," grunted Akira as he pulled a soda from the fridge.
"Well you know what they say about girlfriends stealing your clothes big brother," shouted Eiko from the couch, "'it's like planting a flag in a conquered fortress.'"
"Who says that," snorted Sachiko through her beer.
"I heard my friend Airi's mom say it once when she was making fun of her brother," explained Eiko with a shrug.
"She's not wrong," sighed Akira as he took a seat down at the table. "If it wasn't for her job, I'm pretty sure Sadayo would wear my clothes every day if she could."
"What do you do anyway," asked Osamu after finishing his beer. "Akira still hasn't told us what it is you do for a living."
"Dad, come on." Akira shook his head and set his can of soda on the table. "Do you have to start probing right away?
"It's an honest question," retorted Osamu with a hint of annoyance at his son's attempt to avoid the conversation. "We know you're working at that bar and airsoft shop, your sister has a job working at the department store, and if you two are living in an apartment in Tokyo, I'm pretty sure she's got a decent enough job to afford it. If she doesn't want to tell us then she doesn't have to until she's ready; we have plenty of time to get to know her."
"Dad can you not pull your reverse psychology crap? you aren't fooling anyone."
"I'm not trying to...," began Osamu, his temper slowly getting the better of him.
"It's okay," interrupted Sadayo with a nervous look at Akira. "I think we should tell them right now, just to get it out of the way."
"Are you sure?" Akira cast a nervous peripheral glance to his parents before looking back at his girlfriend. "Are you...I mean this is pretty big."
"It'll be fine," answered Sadayo with a shaky voice. "We have nothing to be worried about."
"Why would you have to worry about telling us your job," asked Osamu after pouring himself another beer while casting a nasty glare at his son. "You aren't a drug dealer are you?"
"Nothing that unsavory, Osamu-san." Sadayo chuckled nervously and took a deep breath and looked at Sachiko who was staring at her with such intensity that Sadayo wanted to run for the door. "But it's a little tricky to explain since there are a lot of variables involved but to make it simple...I'm a teacher at Shujin Academy."
Both Akira and Sadayo waited for it; the eventual eruption of angry tirades. From behind them, Sadayo and Akira could hear Eiko snickering quietly. Osamu said nothing, he just headed to the fridge and began searching for something. The look in his eyes had gone from disgruntled and annoyed to confused and distraught while Sachiko had a more livid expression plastered on her face.
"Eiko," hissed the older woman as her daughter continued to laugh, "go outside and wait for the food."
"But...,"
"Eiko, do as she says." Osamu's voice wasn't nearly as upset as his wife's, but there was a slight edge to it.
"Fine." Eiko got up from the couch and gave both Sadayo and her brother a regretful smile before heading out the front door.
"I think I'll...," bean Sadayo before being stopped by Sachiko's glare.
"You stay here," ordered Sachiko before pointing at the stairwell. "Akira, room, now."
Akira made no argument, and he followed his mother upstairs. There was a loud slam of a door proceeded by angry voices. Sadayo felt her feet begin to move before she could stop herself.
"I wouldn't do that," warned Osamu was he appeared with two bottles of sake and a couple of glasses. "You'll just get in the way and to be honest what you're hearing is mostly bluster."
"Are you sure?" Sadayo heard Akira's voice shout about him not planning on dating Sadayo followed by Sachiko yelling that she didn't care.
"Trust me," sighed Osamu holding up the drinks. "It's how they always are. She's going to yell for a bit at him, he'll yell at her and in a little while they'll be down here, calm and eating. Well as calm as they can be, but they'll have fully cooled down by morning."
Sadayo couldn't shake the disquiet at the relaxed nature of the man and said, "To be honest, Osamu-san, you being so calm about this is making me more worried than their shouting."
"After everything, I've seen," chuckled the man as he set the sake on the table, "my wife shouting at our son for dating his old teacher isn't going to make me lose any sleep."
Sadayo couldn't tell if the man's smile was genuine or for a show, but she joined him at the table and allowed him to pour her a small cup. She took a single small sip and was amazed that the man finished two glasses in rapid succession.
"Are you sure you should be drinking that quickly?" Sadayo knew how easy it was to get Akira drunk and wondered if Osamu's fortitude was as weak as his son's.
"This is the weak stuff," chuckled Osamu setting aside his glass, though the brightness of his cheeks wasn't helping Sadayo to feel relaxed. "But I appreciate your concern and don't worry, I'm not trying to get you drunk, so you'll spill your guts to me. I'm a psychiatrist, not an asshole."
"I appreciate your honesty," replied Sadayo, not sure how to take his remarks.
"If you want honesty, I'm afraid I'm one of the worst people to admire." Osamu poured himself another drink and downed it as efficiently as the others.
"Why do you say that?" Sadayo finished her drink but didn't ask for another, the sudden quiet from upstairs and the distressed gaze on Osamu's face wasn't helping.
"My son hid the fact that he was a Phantom Thief from us, he hides a girlfriend for a year and that he's moving in with her the day he moves out, not to mention the fact that you're his old...what exactly is it you teach, English?"
"Japanese," corrected Sadayo as she poured herself another drink. "I was also Akira's homeroom teacher when he attended Shujin."
"That's cliche," snorted Osamu after pouring some more sake for himself.
"I know." Sadayo couldn't help but blush but couldn't shake her unease. "If my being here is going to be a problem, I can get a hotel or head home. I don't want to disturb any festivities you have planned for Akira's birthday."
"I appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary." Osamu leaned back and stared up at the ceiling and let out a loud sigh. "You're our guest, and our son loves you, and there isn't a damn thing I can do to change his mind. He's as stubborn as his mother, and you must have the patience of a saint to be able to put up with him."
"He's not easy to live with that's for sure," giggled Sadayo. "He's messy, he doesn't do his shoulder therapy as often as he should, and his snores could wake the dead." Both Osamu and Sadayo shared a laugh at Akira's snoring problems. "Then there's his work and school schedule, his visits to his psychiatrist for his insomnia, nightmares, and..."
Sadayo looked up to find Osamu staring at her intently.
"What do you mean 'his psychiatrist,'" asked Osamu; the shakiness of his voice sent a small chill down Sadayo's spine.
Sadayo chewed on her lip and shook her head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Sadayo-san." Osamu leaned forward, a pleading look in his eyes, "Please tell me what's going on with my son."
Sadayo shook her head again and said, "I would love to, but that is something you need to ask him about. But," she said after seeing the pain in the older man's eyes, "I think it's okay for me to say that Akira has had certain issues ever since he stopped being a Phantom and he, along with the others he worked with, are seeing help, and it's helping. It's helping more than we thought, but the medicines they prescribed him make him so groggy that he's had to miss class a few times."
"Is there anything else you can tell me," pressed Osamu and it was easy to tell that he was asking as a father and not as a psychiatrist.
"I'm sorry," coughed Sadayo with a somber shake of her head. "But I'm not going to say anything else. If you want to know what's going on, that's something you're going to have to ask him yourself."
"I can appreciate that," sighed Osamu after taking another drink. "I don't like it, but I'm glad you're willing to protect him."
"I told him I would," said Sadayo with a small smile. "Back when we first started dating, I told him that I would protect him no matter what happened."
"Easier said than done," commented Osamu as the sound of footsteps echoed from upstairs. "I know you think you can protect him but it's a lot different when they're your kid. You can prepare them as much as possible, but in the end, life will find a way to kick all of you in the ass."
"That's one way to put it," giggled Sadayo as she thought about the night she'd returned Akira's feelings. "I do love him, and I want you and Sachiko-san to accept me. But if you're not ready to, I understand."
"We're just worried," coughed Osamu before turning his attention back to Sadayo. "The fact that he's out of school lessens the dangers of your relationship, but he's been through enough. He's had a hard couple of years, and I don't know the details of your life, but I can imagine your relationship with him hasn't been easy."
"No, it hasn't," Sadayo remembered back to their sneaking around, and the fight from the previous summer and the injuries Ryuji and Akira had given each other. "We wanted to tell you, but my age and occupation should be evidence enough to why we didn't. And to be honest, I was scared because of how Ryuji and the others acted. He and Akira would have beaten each other senseless if it wasn't for Ann and Haru."
"Why'd they get into such a huge fight," inquired Osamu, amazed that something like finding out about Akira and Sadayo dating would make his son fight with his best friend.
"The same reason you and Sachiko-san are so upset with us; we lied."
Sadayo felt tears sting her eyes at the painful memories followed by the scraping of a chair and Osamu's large hand squeezing her shoulder.
"It'll be okay," he whispered while gently patting her back. "We don't hate you, Sadayo; we're just worried about the two of you."
"Dad," came Akira's voice from the hallway near the stairs. "Dad, what's the matter?"
"I'm fine," sniffed Sadayo as she wiped away the few tears that had managed to roll down her cheeks. "We were just talking about things, and a few bad memories popped up."
Osamu stepped away from Sadayo so that Akira could tend to her, before asking his wife, "Is everything okay?"
"We're getting there," huffed Sachiko, her gaze focused on her son who was now comforting his girlfriend. "But we're going to need to have a talk with them soon."
"Do you need to lie down," asked Akira, ignoring his parents as wiped away her tears.
"No," sniffed Sadayo before giving her boyfriend a soft kiss. "Your dad and I were just talking a bit about Ryuji's reaction to finding out about us, and I kind of broke down for a second."
"Why'd you...," began Akira, thinking his father had tried to pull one of his psychiatry tricks on Sadayo.
"He didn't do anything, Akira," Sadayo interrupted knowing full well where her boyfriend's mind was going. "He was very respectful and didn't press me for information, okay? We were talking because like your mother, he is concerned about our relationship, that's all."
Akira looked at his father and his girlfriend before asking his dad, "Is she telling the truth?"
"Yes," sighed Osamu, tired of his son's accusations. "Despite what you think of me, I only ask about you because I'm worried. Not because I think you're some sort of science experiment."
"Akira," whispered Sadayo as she squeezed his hand. "They're just worried, so please give them a chance; for us."
Akira chewed on his lip for a minute, and just as he was about to answer, Eiko burst in with three large bags of food, shouting, "DINNER IS SERVED!"
All of them jumped at her boisterous entrance, and for some reason after a few seconds, they all burst into a quiet fit of laughter.
"What's so funny," asked Eiko as she put the bags on the table. "Did I miss a joke?"
"No, dear," chuckled Sachiko as she began laying out the food. "You didn't miss anything."
