Notes: How I long to sit down and finish this one day. I just love how Takky and Kouji's mothers interact with each other in it. XPEven if it's old...

Title: Romance, yeah right... Written: 2003/2004 Rating: K+ or T

"So, what do you think of the weather today?" Mrs. Minamoto asked politely, and took a sip of tea. Her hair was placed in a tight bun, and she wore a brown button-up sweater over a plain blue shirt, with a plaid blue skirt. She sat very lady-like, and looked from her tea to Mrs. Kanbara who was drinking her tea in a rather impolite manner.

"It's great! Everything's great! Just fine, great great GREAT!" Mrs. Kanbara sang. 'Oh no... she had coffee again this morning.' Mrs. Minamoto sighed. The other lady had bouncy brown eyes and her hair held great volume, and she wore shorts with a gray shirt on.

"Uhm... yes. So, how's your son doing?" Mrs. Minamoto asked her, hoping for a not so ecstatic answer again.

"Oh, he and his father went fishing. I don't understand why, when they could be playing a REAL sport, like oh lets say, hunting!" Mrs. Kanbara said, and stood up and acted as if she were holding some sort of bow and arrow... with her feet. Mrs. Minamoto overlooked this minor detail, and sipped a bit more from her tea. Ever since she had married Mr. Minamoto, she has been spending quite some time with her husband's best friends wife. Meanwhile, their sons played with each other very often. Mrs. Minamoto was not sure just exactly WHERE her husband met Mr. Kanbara, but wherever he did she did not care to visit.

"How lovely." Mrs. Minamoto said politely, and looked over at the nearby sakura tree. Watching the breeze blow through it eloquently, she so very longed to be around others who could so easily enjoy the beauty of it. Her face twitched. But noooo, she had this dimwit for a friend whose idea of beauty was the most recent kind of animation.

"No, not really. How's Kouji doing Mika?" Mrs. Kanbara asked, causing the other to twitch again. "Oh, you twitch a lot Mika, you may need to visit a physician about that." She continued.

"I have kindly requested of you before Mrs. Kanbara, to at least call me Miki-san, rather then just Mika. Oh, and Kouji is doing fine." Mrs. Minamoto said, her eyebrow still twitching.

"I'm serious Mika-san, you may have an eye problem. You know, diseases are finding all sorts of weird ways to show signs these days." Mrs. Kanbara pointed out. Mika, snorted.

"Mona, I'll be perfectly fine, but thank you for your concern." Mika said as mannerfully as possible.

"What is Kouji doing?"(1) Mona pried again, beginning today's round of 20 questions.

"I'm not sure."

"Why not?"(2)

"Because he went with his father to work."

"Why?"(3)

"It'll be a good experience for him."

"How come?"(4)

"That way it'll help him in the future."

"How so?"(5)

"So that he can be like his father."

"Does he want to be like his father?"(6)

"I'm not sure..."

"Didn't you ask him?"(7)

"No."

"Why not?"(8)

"Because his father already leads a good life that it would be considerably reasonable for Kouji to have the same."

"...what if Kouji wants to lead his own life?"(9)

"Well, then he won't have a good one."

"How do you know he won't have a good one enjoying what he does rather than being forced to do what he hates?"(10)

"Because I'm good like that."

"You are?"(11)

"Yes."

"Since when?"(12)

"Look, Mona, I'm not in the mood to play your little game today, so will you please stop asking such useless questions?"

"Why?"(13)

"Why should I?"(14)

"You ask me silly questions, can't I ask you the same?"(15)

"Please... Mona... I'm not in the mood."

"Does Mr. Minamoto wish for Kouji to follow in his footsteps?"(16)

"...Mona..."