2. A Day With the Housewives

It is a day unlike any other day for Taichi Mashima.

Heck, it is also a day unlike any other day for a medical student who is not Taichi Mashima.

Taichi's Friday classes are cancelled due to the coincidental doctors' conference their professors attended. This means his group's two SGD presentations are also cancelled. The following Monday happens to be a local holiday. Which means he has a longer weekend than most university students. Which also means there will be no practical exam in surgery. Every medical student dreads a practical exam in surgery. Heck again, every medical student dreads anything that are practical exams and exams in general.

But this doesn't make the day unlike any other. The reason being Taichi has reached Enlightenment, which in medical students' jargon, meaning getting way ahead in all of his readings, in every subject. He therefore feels no need to stick rigidly to his schedule or set his phone alarm for every hour of the day telling him what he has to do. It is every medical student's "freedom" they think they can only achieve in their next lives.

How did he achieve this feat? He would say, he burned all the candles at both ends until 4am, and he kept his nose to the grindstone. But nobody believes that. Everyone in medical school say they burned their candles (to the point that some eyebrows' were burnt), and although everyone cannot say they stick their nose to their studies all the time, they cannot fathom how Taichi Mashima did it when he still gets to practice that traditional card game thrice a week, and sometimes spends time with that pretty girl and his friends after school. There's definitely some hocus pocus work going on.

Anyhow, this put Taichi in a highly amicable and virtuous mood providing him a more sympathetic eye for others. That's why he offers to drive Rika to her school without her asking, and initiates to do the grocery shopping in advance to Reiko's suspicious surprise and relief. It is on his way back from the supermarket when he is struck with concern upon seeing Chieko Ayase bouncing on her heels in a bus stop shed.

"Ohayou, Ayase-san," he greets as the glass window of the passenger side slides down.

"Mashima-kun!" Chieko holds a hand over her chest. "I thought I was about to be kidnapped! I suppose they don't do it in broad daylight and in this open place," she laughs lightly.

Taichi smiles sympathetically at her. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, no, no," she waves the hand on her chest frantically, which reminds Taichi of her youngest daughter. "I'm waiting for the bus. I'm going over to a friend's house at Chofu's."

"I can get you there."

"But I can't possibly ask you to!"

"It's no problem, Ayase-san. I'm on a loose schedule today."

Chieko looks up at the road for any sign of the bus she knows will not come for the next 15 minutes. She shouldn't have washed some clothes earlier, thinking she had more time.

"Well, I am running late…" she says, looking up from her watch to Taichi who is smiling obligingly at her. With a smile like that, one would find it difficult to turn down his generous offer, afraid one might offend his kind intention. "Ok. Please take care of me, Mashima-kun."

It takes 30 seconds after Chieko strapped herself on the passenger seat for Taichi to realize it will take approximately 26 minutes (if there is no traffic) to get to Chofu, and will take even more depending on which side of Chofu Chieko Ayase is going. Within that time, he has to come up with topics for conversation. He also realizes that he is no longer Taichi Mashima, "Chihaya's friend"; but he is now Taichi Mashima, "Chihaya's boyfriend"―Chihaya, her daughter; and she, the mother whom he didn't ask permission to date her daughter.

He knows that the Ayases are not a traditional family. Asking permission to be their daughter's boyfriend is something that can be overlooked along with...Chihaya getting a tattoo in the most inconspicuous part of her body. Two weeks have already passed since he and Chihaya established their new relationship status. When Chihaya dropped the news on them, she told him they couldn't believe it. And when he asked why , she said indifferently, "That's because it's you, Taichi". She wasn't clear with that subject and he didn't bother to clear it out yet until today.

The Ayase's have been treating him kindly and welcomes him warmly in their house though he never stays longer than asking their leave. Now, he wonders if he is over-stepping on their hospitality for sneaking behind their back in his relationship with Chihaya. More thoughts race in his head: Does Chihaya's mom think he is doing this in a manipulative way to get to her good side? Does she think he only felt obliged to help her because he is now "the boyfriend"? In the defense of his conscience, he would still offer her a ride even if he wasn't in a relationship with Chihaya. He has his own car, he knows how to drive, and he saw her distressed so of course he would do something about it when he could help it. He hopes that much is obvious to her.

Yet, for all his worth, they might have treated him kindly because they see him as someone part of their family, like...a brother to Chihaya! This seems to be a recurring speculation among some "fans". When he and his friends first found out about this "opinion" they turned this into a running gag between them ("Here comes the siblings!" Nishida would say), and both Taichi and Chihaya might have unconsciously used it as a reason why they do little chores together before they are a couple ("Our mom asked us to do grocery," Taichi would say when one from their group caught them in the OK store).

He doesn't believe his relationship with Chihaya has an undercurrent of "sibling"; Chihaya said the same thing. But right now, he can't confidently believe it. What does he know? He might have broken the Ayase family's confidence in him, the filial trust, the brotherly love. They may be accusing him of...incest!

He keeps throwing furtive glances at Chieko while he internally debates if he should breach the subject. If yes, then when? And how? Or will it only make the ride awkward and painful?

A good five minutes pass without any of them talking. Chieko is looking straight ahead, with a small smile on her face, looking pleasantly amused. For his part, he cannot bear the silence any longer so he asks the most sensible thing.

"What will you be doing in Chofu, Ayase-san?"

Chieko turns to him, as if coming out from a daze. "We're making Korean kimchi!" she says happily.

Taichi is genuinely surprised. He decides to press on with this topic since it is better than what he has in mind. "You know how to make that, Ayase-san?"

"No, I don't," Chieko chuckles behind her fist. "You see, our neighbor, Nagamine Juro-san, recently married a Korean woman. She is a young wife; pretty too. We easily struck a friendship with another neighbor so she invited us a week ago to make kimchi with her. Mr. Nagamine has a small mill house in Chofu―part of his business. She promised to teach us and being the housewives we are, we took on the challenge."

Taichi smiles appreciatively. "It's cool to learn how to make something authentically."

"Right? The new Mrs. Nagamine is a traditional Korean woman, so I imagine we'll be doing this the traditional way. She said Korean kimchi is spicier and that almost discouraged me. But Chitose and my husband love spicy things so it's worth the try."

"Chihaya isn't a spicy enthusiast," he comments off-handedly and then realizes after saying it that he just made an opening to talk about her daughter and will possibly lead to their relationship. Taich nervously stretched his fingers on the wheel, cursing his tendency to talk about Chihaya. Damn that woman!

"Chihaya's a sweet tooth," Chieko says, "also like her father. Do you like spicy food, Mashima-kun?"

"Yes. I got it from my mom. She loves anything spicy so we grew up with a spicy dish on the table. Kimchi is one of her favorites."

"Mm, Mashima-san is tough to enjoy spicy food," Chieko remarks, which sounds like she made a mental note of it. "The Nagamines are very generous for providing the ingredients themselves. We don't have to bring anything aside from work clothes and we get to have equal shares of the finished product. A good deal, and we housewives love a good deal," she winks at him.

Taichi laughs, remembering the 10 useless detergents from the night online sale Chihaya brought to the club in their senior year, and he clearly recalls his mother saying about a "good deal" before she clicked the buy button for that detergent.

"Min-Hee-san said that the labor is nothing compared to the ingredients so there's nothing to thank for but I think she was being noble. When we make kimchi, it will only take mostly 1 hour, of course depending on the number of your cabbages."

Chieko talks animatedly throughout the ride, to Taichi's consolation. She goes through the Japanese procedure of kimchi making and the various tsukemono vegetables she made on her own. He has never seen anyone, nor his mother make kimchi before. He only ever got to see the finished product secured in a glass container seating appetizingly in their refrigerator or on a porcelain bowl. So Chieko's detailed narration creates strong images in his head and he can say afterwards he is an expert about the subject.

Then she starts asking him about his studies and asks why he has no class. But Chieko didn't touch upon his new found relationship with her daughter, despite bragging to him about Chihaya's developing teaching skills, something he is also closely acquainted with. At one point, Taichi wonders if she is avoiding the subject or she threw that detail out of the window from the moment she strapped herself in his car for both of their sakes.

"Ah, we're already here!" Chieko excitedly points at the Welcome road sign ahead. "What I like about Chofu is its natural scenery that you momentarily forget you're in a city."

Taichi agrees. He opened her window for her to fully appreciate the view.

"Thank you, Mashima-kun," she glances back to him, smiling. "I'm glad I took your offer. Travelling by car is more fun than riding the train or bus. Oh, let's keep to the Koshu-kaido Avenue, then we'll turn right to Dentsu-dai street at the Chofu station. Tenjin street is our stop."

They soon drive through a somewhat dilapidated, but at least characterful, Tenjin Street, with its grocers, down-to-earth traditional-style eateries, and assortment of other mom-and-pop stores. They turn right where the road steeps down into a widely spaced neighborhood. At the end of the corner is a lot fenced by a wooden gate and a mill standing out like a sore thumb one can see from the top of the road.

"This feels like you're in the country," Taichi says, going out of the car. The mill is the prominent feature of the place. There are trees lining in both corners, a swing made out of an old tire hung on a tree closest to the mill by a thick rope. Other than those, the place is empty. It looks desolate since there was hardly any sound or people around.

Chieko walks around to the front of the car, looking at her watch. "Where could they be?" Just then, two women come out from the mill running in their direction.

"Chieko, is that you? It really is you! I didn't recognize you with the car. Kenji didn't buy you a car out of nowhere, did he?" A tall, plump Japanese woman shouts. The first thing Taichi notices about her is her 1980 curls that sprang up enthusiastically when she runs, making her head look bigger than it is. She is wearing a dark blue blouse over faded overalls with various patches of cloth around it. When she draws near, he doesn't miss the quick way her beady eyes size him up which sends bad chills to his spine like when he is caught in a potential fangirl's web trap.

"Who's this?" the woman asks, sounding like she needs immediate answers. The other woman who is lagging behind finally catches up, wheezing and panting.

"Hashimoto-san...you run...so fast..."

By her pronunciation and tone, Taichi knows she is the Korean woman. She is around her early 30s, slim and petite. A white apron drapes the length of her body and a white cloth around her head. Taichi finds her pretty and neat.

The Korean gives him a quick glance then turns to Chieko, as if Taichi is only a part of the background and not a person.

"Min-Hee, I think Chieko's cheating on her husband with this fine man," the plump woman says. Taichi looks away, pretending he doesn't hear anything and surveys the lot as if some interesting activity is going on. Even then, he still feels the Japanese woman's eyes on him.

"W-what are you even saying?" Chieko exclaims indignantly.

Min-Hee glances back at Taichi again and briefly catches his eye before she turns away blushing with a small, "Oh!"

"Don't agree with Kumiko, Min-Hee-san!"

"Then who's this young, handsome man who drove you all the way here in his―" Kumiko cranes her head to get a better look of the car. "I'm no good at car models but this looks expensive. And you look expensive." She walks towards Taichi with a devilish glint in her eyes and an impish smile.

Taichi almost considers leaving his car and manners to run away. But gut feeling tells him that even then, this woman can chase after him like a crazed dog and he wouldn't get away.

"Ladies, please, conduct yourselves properly, especially you Kumiko!" Chieko pulls back her friend by the arm. Kumiko doesn't protest but she is still looking and smiling at Taichi.

Chieko turns to Taichi apologetically. "Sorry about that, Mashima-kun. These are my neighbors I talked about earlier. Hashimoto Kumiko-san and Nagamine Min-Hee-san."

Taichi bows nervously at them. "Nice-nice to meet you, Hashimoto-san, Nagamine-san."

"Ladies, this is Mashima Taichi-kun, Chihaya's boyfriend."

"Chihaya-chan's boyfriend!" Kumiko gasps as she pulls away her arm from Chieko's small hands.

Taichi has never seen an utterly surprised reaction from someone after being introduced as Chihaya's boyfriend. Then again, they only made the "announcement" to their friends. Taichi is surprised too for being addressed with that label by Chihaya's mother. He wonders how she looks when she said it to her friends. Is she happy? She sounds casual. Is she making a face of disapproval or mouthing unflattering words to her friends?

"You really mean your Chihaya-chan, Chieko?" Kumiko says disbelievingly.

Chieko puts her hands on her hips. "Yes, and why does that surprise you?"

"I never thought Chihaya-chan could get such a catch!"

"Excuse me?"

"Chihaya-chan is beautiful girl," Min-Hee comments quietly.

Kumiko laughs as she pat Chieko's back with her pudgy hand. "C'mon now, Chieko, you know I don't mean ill. Yes, Chi-chan's a beautiful girl and now she got herself an equally beautiful boyfriend. That's double lucky, no? How many people get this kind of jackpot in real life, do you think? Seventeen percent."

"There is a statistic?" Min-Hee asks, sounding incredulous rather than surprised.

"But here, our friendly neighbors Chieko and Kenji are part of the seventeen percent! That's something, huh. You're a proud mama, huh." She nudges Chieko in the arm and waggles her eyebrows.

Chieko pushes her away. "You're talking nonsense again, Kumiko."

"I know no such thing as nonsense." Kumiko lumbers forward, reaching Taichi easily and pulling him to her side with her big arms "Nice to meet you Taichi-kun. Can I call you that?"

"I...ahmm..."

Kumiko puts her big arms around his shoulder and pulls him down to her height. Their faces huddle together like in a secret meeting. "This is between you and me, pretty boy. I thought all that time I saw your car parked outside the Ayase house, you were just a stubborn admirer who was friendzoned for the longest time but still had the guts to visit a childhood sweetheart. Ha! Turns out you were courting the whole time."

"I wasn't courting―"

"I've always wanted to pair you up with my girl but you never stay long, do you? You cheeky, handsome boy!" She pinches his cheek.

"Kumiko, let Mashima-kun go!" Chieko demands behind them.

Kumiko pats his shoulder before she breaks away. Taichi mentally remarks Hashimoto-san pulls harder than his dad as he massages the squeezed cheek.

"Good call, Chieko! He's a good addition to our labor force."

"Addition? What―no! Mashima-kun only came to drive me here."

"But he has to because his girlfriend's mother is in need of help," Kumiko says, smirking back at Taichi. "My useless husband suddenly had work today and took our call boy with him." She turns to Min-Hee. "Juro obviously can't leave work just for kimchi. So we're short on manpower and I mean man power," she chuckles.

"No, no, no, no. I won't let you drag Mashima-kun into this," Chieko shakes her head firmly. "We can do it ourselves. Three against what?"

"A hundred cabbages," Min-hee says.

"A hundred?!" Chieko shrieks. Behind her, Taichi mouths "woah". "Well…it's just cabbages. A hundred cabbages against three empowered women! No big deal."

"Don't you underestimate making kimchi, my dear," Kumiko shakes her head reproachingly.

"I've made kimchi myself and―"

"So, what do you say, Taichi-kun?"

"Kumiko, I said no!"

"You're not Taichi-kun, Chieko."

"And you're in no position to ask him for assistance!"

"If you really need help," Taichi starts, scratching his head, "I can spare time."

"NANI ?!"

Kumiko bellies. "Marvelous!"

Min-Hee puts her hands together admirably. "What a kind man!"

"Ma-mashima-kun. You don't have to do this. You don't have to listen to that fat woman. She just loves to bully handsome boys and you're clearly biting her bait!"

"Hey, I can still hear you!"

Taichi smiles meekly. "It's okay Ayase-san. I already got ahead of my readings and it's a long weekend so it's fine."

"But Mashima-kun…"

"Don't worry about me, Ayase-san. If you won't let me I'll only be worried how you'll finish those 100 cabbages. N-not that I'm implying you can't do it because you're women...it's just that..."

Chieko sniggers. "I get it, Mashima-kun," and she smiles gratefully at him. "Shouldn't we get started?"

"Let us go," Min-hee says, leading the way to the mill.

"You might need to change, Taichi-kun. Or you can work with your shirt off." Kumiko smiles slyly. Taichi shudders at the sudden chilly air only affecting him and wishes he wore a coat over his polo shirt.

Five minutes later, Taichi finds himself in the makeshift CR made of bamboo at the back of the mill looking doubtfully at Chieko's working shirt she lent for him. The shirt is a mix of fuchsia pink and navy blue, which Chieko claims to be more loose than Min-Hee's spare ones.

What is loose for Chieko is fitting for him. Time and change of lifestyle brought about by university has changed Taichi's body. For one thing, his lanky arms in high school are a little chunky now but he is still fit. The shirt hugs his body in the right places and little movements reveal his midriff. Though he feels uncomfortable, he willfully shrugs off the feeling. It can't be that bad, he muses. To finish off his working outfit, he rolls up his pants and puts on the black farmer's boots.

When he shows himself to the awaiting women, embarrassment falls on him especially when they try to suppress their laughter except for Kumiko who freely airs her shameless compliments.

"I didn't notice it with your polo earlier, but you're muscularly fit, Taichi-kun! You should change your fashion style, no? Oh, but then Chi-chan will have a lot of girls to hoard off!" she laughs boisterously.

Although Chieko Ayase keeps saying to ignore her friend and at the same time scolding Kumiko, it doesn't make his get-up less embarrassing because Chieko is flushing red from obviously keeping herself not to laugh. Even Nagamine-san, though silent and keeps herself busy by rearranging the ingredients on a wooden table, is red in the face too and she cannot look at his direction.

"Korean kimchi taste different from Japanese," Min-Hee begins from behind the wooden table. "Is not only because of the spice, but is has more garlic and pungent smell, and is fermented a long time."

There is a tall tupperware of red chilli pepper flakes on one end of the table. Splattered across the table are 2 big pieces of white radish, a thick bush of scallions, a low hill of garlic and ginger, a bundle of green leafy vegetables Taichi can't identify, a jar of salted shrimp, and a medium-sized container of black liquid Taichi assumes to be fish sauce. Every Asian home has a fish sauce.

Taich catches a glint in her eyes likened to that of Kanade's when she starts a passionate tirade about ancient things. "Kimchi not only food for us Koreans. Is our national symbol and is our identity. Mothers-in-law pass it to their daughters-in-law and mothers pass it to daughters. There a saying we Koreans like to say, gimchiui mas-eun eomeoniui sonkkeutmas-ida . The taste of kimchi is the taste of your mother's fingertips. So we serious with kimchi. Is why in 1996, Japan Korea kimchi dispute happen and in 2000 World Health Organization―"

"I'm stopping you right there, pretty." Kumiko walks over to her. "I admire your patriotism but we're not here for history lessons. Besides, you're a Japanese now, ey?" Min-Hee frowns at Kumiko who either pretends not to see it or she doesn't care at all.

"What should we work on first, Min-Hee-san?" Chieko asks enthusiastically.

Min-Hee gathers her composure gracefully. "I fermented cabbages yesterday. Is outside," she points at the back door of the mill. "We soak out cabbages first and rinse it three times."

The small group of kimchi makers walk to the back of the mill. There, awaiting them, are 3 medium sized pails with floating cabbages.

"These are napa cabbages. They are best for pogi kimchi," Min-Hee says as she distribute gloves and as she passes by Taichi to give him his pair, he hears her lightly chuckle.

"Of course, they're pink too," he mutters under his breath.

The women retrieve clean empty pails, and stools from inside. Being the only man, Taichi volunteers to pump and fetch water in 2 black buckets that will be used for rinsing the cabbages. He also helps with Chieko's pail of cabbages.

"This is how you rinse out the cabbages," Chieko explains, rubbing the leaves of her fifth cabbage.

"Why are you treating him like a baby, Chieko?" Kumiko says, who is sitting in front of them. "You just pull it out of the water, Taichi-kun. Then shake off the excess water like how you shake off those beautiful curls of yours when you come out after a swim in a pool."

There is in fact nothing Taichi needs to learn from Chieko because like what Kumiko Hashimoto said (despite the disturbing visual imagery), rinsing cabbages is like rinsing a soaped plate. But he still indulges Chieko with her offer by attentively observing her work before starting his own. If there is something he learned, it is the trademark of experience in her hands.

They work silently except for Kumiko who has jokes to share in-between pulling off cabbage leaves and stuffing her mouth with it. She addresses Taichi with her joke and when she laughs, she nags the other women to laugh with her.

"Taichi-kun, Taichi-kun, what do you think Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping's couple name would be?"

"Nothing, 'cause Kim Jong Un would die before that happens." Taichi glances up and chuckles with the giggling women.

"Don't play smart with me, pretty boy. Of course they'll be called, Kimchi !" she hollers, shaking a dried cabbage in the air before she put it down on the other pail.

"Get this. An American war veteran during the Korean war was asked to share his testimony for being one of those who were shot down in the war zone. On his solitary recuperation, he was ashamed to admit that the only thing he ate was kimchi."

"Why he ashamed of eating kimchi?" Min-Hee asks, clearly offended.

"It's because... Kimchi was a great interpreter!" Kumiko guffaws, smacking her leg with her gloved hand. Min-Hee tilts her head, confusion and offense mar her pretty face.

"That's gross, Kumiko!" Chieko visibly shivers in her seat. She pushes away her pail of rinsed cabbages like she would get sick if it stayed in her line of sight. Taichi shakes his head amusedly but doesn't want to appreciate it out loud or there would be no end to her laughing and talking.

After everything is drained, they go back inside where Min-Hee drapes a plastic cover on the table and pulls out knives, plates and bowls, and chopping boards out of a huge plastic box Taichi has just noticed under the table.

"Step three. We cut cabbages! Cut whole cabbage in half lengthwise, and then to quarters," Min-Hee demonstrates in the air while holding a knife.

"I don't get it why we're having a lot of cabbages in the first place!" Kumiko complains after fifteen minutes of concentrated and silent slicing.

"A lot of kimchi is always better. Back in Korea, we use 300 cabbages with our friends in the neighborhood."

"Too bad you only have 2 friends, Min-Hee," Kumiko grunts.

Chieko leans closer to Taichi as she whispers, "When Kumiko is in good spirits she tells jokes. When she's tired she finds something to complain about. Either way, you can't stop her from talking." They both snigger as Kumiko rattles on cursing the cabbages that wouldn't slice themselves.

After the cabbages, Min-Hee distributes the radishes that need to be sliced into thin matchsticks, and the rest of the vegetables and spices to be minced.

"Why can't we use a grater, Min-Hee?" Kumiko asks frustratingly.

"Vegetables have natural juice. Using grater, you have fine cuts but vegetable loses juice."

"Who cares! No one's going to sue us for it. Even I use a grater when I make kimchi; it still turned out nice."

"Japanese kimchi is no Korean kimchi! And I bring no grater."

"Of course you didn't!" Kumiko huffs and begrudgingly returns to the vegetables. "You know, Kaori was complaining the other day about the dishes," she begins after a lapse of 5 minute silence. "She wants us to get a dishwasher because she was sick of washing the dishes! Ha! My mother didn't buy me a dishwasher when I was living with them and now in my family, I still wash the dishes if she can't and I turned out okay."

"Dishwasher was not widely used in the 1980s," Chieko comments.

"No. And even if it were, mother still wouldn't buy a dishwasher so why buy one for my daughter? We give her a roof over her head, feed her, I cook, she studies in a good school, rides the train to it when back then we walk, and she needs a dishwasher?" she scoffs. "Do you have a dishwasher in your place, Taichi-kun?"

The picture of his mother and their housekeeper doing dishes in their sink flashes in his head. "No. We also wash plates by hand."

"The rich has spoken! No dishwasher. We're Asians. We are the dishwashers!" Everyone laughs.

"But we're not made to be graters," Kumiko grumbles at her cuts of radishes.

The slicing gives everyone a stiff neck and numbness of their arms and hands. So they take a break and lunch is served in bento, sponsored by the Nagamine family too. Thirty minutes after their meal, they start on the sauce. All the seasoning ingredients are combined along with the rice paste and a half pail of water on a larger pail. They wait for the red pepper flakes to dissolve lightly and become pasty before they throw in and mix the vegetables they cut earlier. Min-hee adds 12 cups of Korean coarse sea salt and 18 tablespoons of fish sauce. They have to wait for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld in nicely so the women take a rest at the upper room of the mill and Taichi stays in his car.

By 3pm they resume the work. The only thing left to do is dressing the cabbages and storing them.

"Cut off the tough stem part from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold the leaves together. Place one cabbage quarter in the bowl with the radish mix. Spread the radish mix over each leaf, one to two tablespoons for large leaves."

They store the kimchi into medium-sized glass jars which amounts to fifteen and they divide it among themselves. The women clean their workplace and put away the remaining ingredients while Taichi cleans all the used pails outside. He ends up with a soaked shirt due to his little accidents with the pump. So he takes off the fuchsia pink-navy blue shirt and dries it on a nearby branch by what he can salvage of the receding afternoon light.

Back in the mill two women stop from their work as they conspicuously look out from the back door at the young, shirtless man, standing by a tree whose back is turned to the golden sky.

"My eyes have been blessed," Kumiko sighs dreamily.

"Eomeo! I'm cheating on my husband!" rasps Min-Hee. She covers her face with her hands but isn't trying hard enough to cover her eyes.

"I don't mind cheating on my husband at all."

There is no wind and Taichi wonders why a cold feeling creeps up on him, making his skin crawl.

After buying soba noodles at Jindaiji Temple, they leave Chofu at quarter to five. Chieko insists he should stay for dinner as her way of thanking him for his help. After a few excuses and Chitose urging him to watch her recent zombie drama with them while they wait for Kenji and Chihaya (she reasons her mother is a bad companion), he stays. Chitose is ecstatically proud about this drama because "it's the big break I've been waiting for my whole life!". She plays as one of the main supporting characters: the bad girl who bullies the scaredy-cat.

Taichi finds out that Chieko Ayase has no nerve for horror. Throughout the 50 minutes, she looks like she scared out a year of her growth. She screams at every sight of a zombie―most especially on a zombie chase―while pulling Chitose's hair out. So to keep the peace, Taichi is forced to sit between mother and daughter, and they allow Chieko to hoard all the couch pillows that act as unprotesting victims of her painful squeezes and to muffle her screaming.

As Taichi's luck would have it, Chihaya received an impromptu birthday party invitation from one of her classmates. He thinks it best to let her enjoy her night-out and not tell her where he is. Because he's Taichi Mashima―a masochist. So when Kenji Ayase arrives with two cellophanes of Tori-san's circa 1998 chicken teriyaki, Taichi screws up his courage and sits at the Ayase's dining table.

If this happened a month before, he wouldn't be this worked up. He'd be comfortably eating the food, and putting in little conversations. But this is hard to accomplish when he is guilt-tripping himself about his boyfriend status with Chihaya everyone seems to forget...or is avoiding. Many times he wills himself to speak up (maybe he'd be forgiven easily if he apologizes first?) but ends up spitting gibberish words (fortunately no one notices) so he shuts his mouth. He resorts to reading the atmosphere instead, for unlike the stereotypical guy, he believes he's good at deciphering emotions and facial expressions, and has a penchant of reading between the lines. Unfortunately, for Taichi that night, his running thoughts and anxiety are fogging his perceptiveness to the point of paranoia.

"But why didn't you tell Chihaya earlier that Taichi-kun is here, honey?" Kenji asks after they said grace.

"It didn't occur to me since she didn't say about a birthday invitation until later," Chieko says, distributing a bowl of rice for each one.

BUT what if Chieko intentionally didn't inform Chihaya so they can have him to themselves for the inevitable scolding? He appreciates their thoughtfulness, though. At least they spared him from embarrassment in front of their daughter.

"With Mashima-kun here, the table doesn't look less full. It still feels like I have two children, expect now I have a son!" Kenji laughs heartily, and Taichi almost chokes on his soba noodles.

"Honey, you're being too loud at the table," Chieko half-chides but she looks agreeable at her husband's statement.

Yabai! Those fans aren't being ridiculous at all? Even Mr. and Mrs. Ayase see him and Chihaya as...brothers and sisters?! But Chieko Ayase called him "Chihaya's boyfriend" in front of her friends, so she isn't denying it. Or...she only said that to save face, make it clear to her friends that she wasn't "hooking up" with a guy who can be considered her... son.

He tries to catch Chitose's eye to get confirmation for this suspicion. When she finally looks his way, she immediately catches on his telepathic conversation.

Do you need to go to the bathroom? You look constipated.

I do not!

Finally realized you're in love with me and not Chihaya? she raises mischievous brows at him.

No way.

Then stop staring, you creep and have more kimchi. She shoves the bowl of kimchi closer to him.

Nothing good came out with that.

Kenji starts the conversation again. "What is the difference between Tori-san's and most people?"

"Uh, most people do not produce their own chicken?" Chitose says sarcastically.

"Aside from that. What do you think, Mashima-kun?" Kenji turns to him eagerly.

"Uh…they make good chicken teriyaki?"

"Almost, but not quite!" Kenji wags his fork with a drumstick stuck to it at him. "It's that Tori-san's never betrays your trust!"

Betrays your trust! Betrays! Your trust!

"Tori-san's is a neighborhood specialty but it tastes high-class, eh? Some local cooks would say they have the best chicken teriyaki and it's true at first but when the business booms, the quality lessens, the chicken tastes more commercialized. But Tori-san's? It never betrays your trust! It's the same back in 1998 and still the same today. That's the difference, Mashima-kun." Kenji points the drumstick to him again.

Taichi is almost on the verge of prostrating himself to the floor and confessing all his sins, if it wasn't for his presence of mind.

"I have an interesting story to tell you that will help you loosen up," Kenji says after telling him to eat more for the fifth time. "No one's a baby here, right? Well, it's about a scandal between brother and sister!"

"Brother and sister?!" Chieko and Chitose gasp.

Brother and sister! Taichi screams internally. Outwardly, he is coolly nibbling on his chicken.

"Yes, brother and sister. A father filed a case against his 25 year old son who he taught was raping his 17 year old daughter in his house. The craziest thing was, the daughter confessed in the court it wasn't rape but they did it because they love each other! They love each other! Siblings, loving each otherーincest!" Kenji shakes his head disapprovingly.

Fuuuuuc...

"That's a messed up life!" Chieko remarks gravely and suddenly stops eating.

Chitose sniggers. "That almost sounds like Eden no Hana. You know, that hit manga turned drama? Except Midori and Tokio aren't related. I auditioned for Yukari but was told I was too young for the part," she rolls her eyes.

Kenji turns to him again. "What do you make of it, Mashima-kun?"

At this point, it is clear to Taichi that the "atmosphere" of the room is telling him―actually, it's screaming at his face―that he should come clean. Afterall, false guilt of an honest man can override his sense and judgment, even if he's the most sensible of men.

"I-I'm sorry," he starts meekly, looking down to his hands.

"What are you sorry for, Mashima-kun?" Chieko quickly stands up and walks to his side near to her husband.

"You do not like Tori-san's chicken?" Kenji asks worriedly.

Taichi clears his throat and bravely looks at the Ayase parents in the eyes. "I'm sorry for not asking for your permission to date Chihaya. It was rude of me. I didn't see it coming, honestly. Both of us didn't. One moment led to another until we spilled our feelings and…"

He falters seeing the blush creeping at the parents' faces. He has also noticed the burning sensation in his face.

"And then what?" Chitose interjects with a teasing look.

Taichi shakes his head as he shakes away the voice that tells him to stop because he looks and sounds pathetic. "So ahm...if it still means anything to you, sir, ma'am...would you allow me to date your daughter? I love her so much…more than I love my...my sister."

The Ayase parents have an unreadable look on their faces which makes Taichi fidget in his seat. He cannot bear it anymore so he looks back to his hands. His words echo in his head and a voice mentally berates him why he said those pathetic words to Chihaya's parents of all people. He sounds so lame, unmanly, and uncool. How shameless can he get?

"Oh my god." Chitose slams the table. "You think 'kaachan and 'tousan see you and Chihaya as siblings, don't you?"

Taichi blushes more, and not trusting his mouth for a while, remains silent which doesn't matter anyway since Chitose starts laughing in her seat.

But that's the beautiful thing about laughter (although Taichi doesn't find it funny), everyone starts laughing too. In what seems to Taichi a moment that lasted for a full minute, he becomes an invisible spectator as he silently watches the parents and daughter caught in the hilarity of an inside joke that is in every family. It is warm and comforting, despite being the butt of the joke, which dispels his guilt and shame and a smile creeps up on his handsome face.

"I didn't know you can be funny, Mashima-kun," Chieko says, wiping a stray tear. Composing herself, she puts a hand on his shoulder. "We are happy to welcome you as Chihaya's boyfriend, Mashima-kun. And you really didn't have to feel guilty about it. We have known for a while that you look at Chihaya differently," she smiles down kindly at him.

"We've been rooting for you, Mashima-kun," Kenji winks at him.

Though this embarrasses him, he doesn't want to run away anymore. He feels like the boulder that has been setting him on edge the entire day is taken out of the way and there gushes a spring of gratefulness. Gratefulness for being accepted in this family and not hindering his love for their daughter. Their acceptance eases him to give himself up to the moment, come what may. It's like he tasted the kimchi, soba noodles and Tori-san's chicken for the first time and finally understood why they are loved by people, especially these people around him.

"Let's take a picture." Chieko motions at Chitose to bring out her phone. "We'll make Chihaya jealous for missing dinner with Taichi-kun tonight. Oh, is it okay to call you that now, Mashima-kun?"

Taichi looks up to them again and smiles. The parents are taken aback for a moment as they behold the brightest smile in his face. And this is only the beginning. For a long time hence, Kenji and Chieko would say one of their family's blessings is Taichi-kun's smile.

"Yes. I like that very much."

"Hello, sleeping beauty."

It took awhile for him to register the face looking down at him or the voice that greeted him. But he isn't alarmed. Instinctively, he knows the hands that touch him are safe. He blinks away the fogginess in his eyes and the hovering figure becomes clearer: big lively brown orbs and thick long lashes surrounding them; a mouth stretched between a half-smile and half-laugh; the thin hair framing her face. He curiously stretches out his hand to touch the side of her face, making sure of the reality of the situation.

"Tadaima, Taichi," Chihaya says softly.

He smiles. He has always loved that voice and he loves it more now that it welcomed him home.

"Okae―woah!" He bolts out of the couch. "I was asleep?!"

"No, you died and the princess saved you from eternal rest."

Taichi would have liked to roll his eyes at her but he experiences a head rush. Clearing his vision, he scans the room. Chihaya is sitting at the end of the couch where he remembers her father sat watching the news for what he feels a few minutes ago but no one is around besides themselves and the TV is off.

"I slept for three hours?" he exclaims unbelievably at his watch. "This is embarrassing!"

"No it's not," Chihaya giggles. "'kaachan said the kimchi making and driving must have burned you out a lot. Neechan told me everything. Why didn't you tell me you were here?" she pouts.

"I thought you should hang out and enjoy with your other friends too." He returns to the couch and seats beside her.

Chihaya looks away. "Are you getting tired of me?"

"Yes I am. That's why I asked you to be my girlfriend so I have an excuse to see you everyday and complain how much I am tired of you."

Chihaya pinches his cheeks and squeezes it to his mouth. "Stop it. I still haven't recovered from Hashimoto-san's hands." But he lets her have her fun for a while.

"'kaachan said you're someone who has a hard time saying no. Especially with older women."

Taichi leans his head on the headrest of the couch and looks at her challengingly. "Did she really say the last part?"

"No, that's on me," she confesses. "But hear me out. You've been turning down girls left and right since I've known you except for that girl who called you Ta-kun―" he casts a sidelong glance at the unchanged expression on her face. "But you let Ooe-san doll you up as if you don't know how to dress in a hakama; you let the women in Shiranami Society walk up to you, giving you those good luck charms and towel even in practice; you're always friendly to adult women we come across with like giving them your seat and bowing to them when you pass by them―"

"Don't you have manners, Chihaya?"

"And now you went to Chofu with my mom and helped her friends make kimchi!"

"So you're jealous now?" he looks up through the lashes at her.

Chihaya crosses her arms. "No! But it all adds up. You, Taichi Mashima, is attracted to older women and―"

Her words quickly die out of her mouth as he gently directs her head to his chest where she easily surrenders. He wraps his arms around her and she nuzzles into his warmth and scent. He smells of sun and sweat but Chihaya likes it too.

"You're only avoiding the subject," she says at length.

"You are so noisy."

She settles her face under his chin. "I'm still not forgiving you for making me miss your first dinner in the house as my boyfriend."

"That just means more dinners to come," he says, swaying them a little. Chihaya glances up and they exchange knowing smiles. They stare at each other for a while until she breaks away.

"I should be the one doing this. Here, Taichi." She pats her lap.

"I dunno...I think I should be going." But he lays down his head on her lap and stretches his body out on the sofa. Chihaya smiles down at his already closing eyes and her hand ruffles his messy curls.

"That's nice," Taichi sighs satisfyingly. "Hey, did your sister tell you about a brother and sister thing?"

"Nope. What's that about?"

Taichi makes a mental note to thank Chitose later for not saying about his embarrassing assumption and proceeds with the brother and sister news.

"That is so weird."

"I think it's funny."

"Why is that funny?"

"I just think it is."

"It's weird and gross."

"Hey. Do you think...you should come to our house some time?"

Her hands froze between his locks shortly. The silence that follows prompts her to laugh weakly and she resumes her initial amusement with his hair.

"You should get a little shut eye, Taichi. You're taking funny."

Author's Notes

Chihaya knows what she got herself into *evil laugh*
Remember those two times Taichi was asleep and Chihaya was being sweet with him? Yeah, so this time, I made him wake up. Oh the joy in fanfiction! *evil laugh again*

I hope you don't find my OCs annoying or boring. I like them. Maybe they will appear in future chapters, idk. But more OCs will show up. Btw, do I have my fellow Asians here? Can you relate to Kumiko's complaints? coz I have fun with that. I like contextualizing characters in the culture they're in. Oh, the kimchi puns are from the internet. Aint punny enough to make an original. And if you're tempted to make Korean kimchi, don't follow the measurements in this fic. I made them up.

If you enjoyed this, be ye kind and leave me kudos/comment below.
Till next time!