Chapter 5
A certain bespectacled pinkette sat in wait. She sat atop one of the few wooden benches on the upper platform of what was Ryoo's commuter line station. She had spent the moments after school dismissed for the day sitting at this spot (letting Kagami and Tsukasa go on ahead of her), her eyes scanning the words of a book that sat in her lap. She was now halfway through "A Mortal Antipathy." The only time she stopped reading was when she felt and heard the arrival of another train. She'd look up to see the people coming off, but when she did not see the person she was waiting for, returned to the text.
But at one point she became so involved with the story that when the next train arrived that brought Tsumugi Kotobuki with it, she did not notice the blonde step off. Mugi, however, noticed her, and with a rising desire to act a bit devious taking over, she stealthily walked over and slid next to Miyuki on the bench.
With Miyuki still blissfully unaware, Mugi leaned her lips closer to the skin of Miyuki's neck before, after pausing, reached forward and took a light bite. Miyuki, in gut reaction, not only belted out a near ear-shattering shriek, but also snapped her book shut and slammed the spine right into Mugi's forehead. She then jumped to her feet and spun around to see who her attacker was- Only to see that it was Mugi.
"W-Wha-… Kotobuki-san?" she gasped. "My God, you scared me!"
Mugi rubbed the newly acquired red stripe in her forehead as she replied (all the while laughing) "I think you scared me more, Yuki-chan. I wasn't expecting you to hit me. And man, that hurt."
"Oh! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- Well, I kind of did mean to, but I thought you were some stranger and I didn't know-!"
"Ha ha ha! Sorry, Yuki-chan. I just thought it would be fun to do… Plus I got hit, so that's a plus!"
"… A plus?" Miyuki questioned.
"Sure!" Tsumugi exclaimed as she sprung up from the bench and closed the gap between her and Miyuki. "Mio-chan always hits Ricchan because they're such good friends, so I wanted to get hit too. It took me an entire day to get Ricchan to do it, in fact." Miyuki raised an eyebrow at this but remained quiet.
"But now you hit me, Yuki-chan!" she cheered, encircling her arms around the pinkette. "I'm so happy!"
"Eh! K-Kotobuki-san, people can see us!" Indeed people were looking, giving the couple glances as they passed on by as the crowd migrated toward the stairs that led to the street. "Please, let go!"
"But I don't wanna~!" she whined in response, sounding more like a child as she did. Just then, the cell phone in Miyuki's skirt pocket rang.
"Well you are going to have to now." Miyuki tried not to smirk too much. Mugi relented with a "Dang it~!" and released her hug, allowing Miyuki to retrieve the phone.
"Hello?" she answered. "Oh hello, Kagami-san. How are-?" She stopped abruptly. "Why, what's wrong?... She is?... I see… Ok, don't worry. Just sit tight and I'll be home as soon as I can, ok? I'll be right there. Bye." She quickly terminated the call and pocketed the device before grabbing her bag from off the bench.
"W-What's going on, Yuki-chan?" Mugi asked.
"It's mother," she answered.
"Your mom? Why, what happened?"
"Well… Remember what I told you before? How mother sometimes gets when she starts dwelling on father?"
"Y-Yeah…?" her voice cracked.
"Well… I think you might have caught us on one of those instances… You can go home now if you want to, Kotobuki-san. I won't mind-"
"No!" Tsumugi protested. "I'll stay with you."
Miyuki gave her girlfriend a thankful smile back before the two set off. They maintained a constant jogging pace as they descended the stairs to street level and navigated the sidewalks leading to Miyuki's house. Even at their pace it took them five solid minutes to reach the residence. They were panting heavily and sweating just slightly as they rushed through the front gate, through the front door, and kicked their shoes off in the foyer.
Once inside, rushing footfalls preceded the arrival to an anxiety-stricken Tsukasa. Her face was a noticeable shade paler. "Oh thank goodness!" she exclaimed as the two entered. "Yuki-chan, you mom, she- I-I don't know! Onee-chan and I came home and she was in the living room crying and we tried to talk to her but she didn't stop and I wanted to call you earlier but-"
"T-Tsukasa-san!" Miyuki quietly (but forcefully) interrupted what looked like an endless, panicked explanation from the short-haired Hiiragi. "It's ok. It's all going to be fine. Where is Kagami-san now?"
"Oh, s-she's in the living room, where your mom is."
The three left the foyer and entered the adjacent living room where, just as Tsukasa said, Yukara and Kagami were. The former sat atop one of the couches that surrounded the glass coffee table that sat near the room's center, her slouched head looking down at her lap. A tissue box sat in her lap, a few individual tissues crumpled in her right hand. On the surface of the table was an open photo album.
Kagami, who had been sitting to Yukari's left, noticed the three walk in and rushed over. "Thank God!" she whispered to Miyuki. "I-I don't know what happened. We both came home and saw her right where she is now, crying and looking through photo albums. W-We tried to cheer her up but she-"
"It's ok, Kagami-san," the pinkette once more intervened. "You did all you could… You both must be exhausted. Please, I can handle this from here. Thank you."
"Are you sure, Miyuki? Is there anything we can do?"
"No, that's quite alright. I wouldn't want you to worry anymore."
"O-Ok…" As Kagami and her sister retreated from the living room and upstairs (presumable to their room), Miyuki walked over to her mother and sat next to her where Kagami had just been. Immediately she encircled her arms around the other's shoulders and rested her pink head of hair against the other's.
Though Yukari seemed to lighten in mood just slightly she still looked no closer to ceasing her weeps anytime soon. Miyuki continued to cradle her mother in a loving embrace, speaking whispered words of comfort to her. Mugi, in the meanwhile, was left in the rather awkward position of standing by and watching, not knowing how she could possibly help.
After a few minutes Miyuki must have realized Mugi's current feelings of inadequacy and gave her a task. "Kotobuki-san," she said, peaking at her over her left shoulder, "could you please make some tea?" Mugi quickly remembered the process Miyuki followed to help her mother come out of her depression, the first step of which was making tea. "It's the one in the red box. Do you know which one I mean?"
"Oh course!" the blonde answered. This is Mugi we're talking about, after all. Without being asked a second time (and after Miyuki mouthed the words "two lumps" to her), Mugi rushed over to the kitchen, passing through the dining room along the way. She knew exactly where to go to retrieve the correct tea and the kettle to start brewing the drink. From two rooms away she could hear Yukari still weeping and her daughter still trying to comfort her, her words too far away to understand clearly.
"I had no idea it was this serious," Mugi thought to herself as the water began to heat up on the stove. "I mean, it sounded terribly sad when she told before but… Oh dear, I wish I could do something more to help out!"
Five or so minutes passed before Mugi returned to the living room, a cup of steaming hot tea held gingerly in her hands. She handed the cup to Miyuki which she then passed to Yukari. "Please, Mother, have something to drink. You need to replenish your bodily fluids." It took her a few seconds of coming off of her tears before she finally accepted the cup and took a sip.
"… I-I'm sorry," Yukari apologized. "I'm making you worry again, Miyuki. And I'm making you worry, Kotobuki-san."
"O-Oh, no, it's ok," Mugi assured her, "don't mind me."
Tsumugi continued to stand at a distance and watch as Miyuki clutched her mother's shoulders. The longer she stood the more and more she felt out of place, and the more she felt like slipping out and going home. In fact, she was an inch from doing just that when Miyuki suddenly spoke to Yukari again. "I'm going to make dinner, ok?" Mugi remembered this as the second step Miyuki mentioned.
Yukari nodded. As Miyuki got up, she gave Mugi a quick glance, a look that seemed quite loaded. "Stay here and help her out," it said. And Mugi was about to say back "Wait, I don't think I know what to do!", but Miyuki had already left, leaving the blonde and the mother alone in the room.
It took her another minute but Mugi eventually sat down next to Yukari where Miyuki had just been. But she was still without words. A couple of times she lifted up a hand, intent on resting it on a shoulder but she backed out at the last moment. She was feeling even more inadequate now. But as events would unfold, Yukari would be the one to initiate conversation.
She reached forward and picked up off the table the open photo album, placing it directly in Mugi's lap. "Eh?" she sounded at the act. Yukari flipped the book back two pages, opening it up to a full page photograph showing three people: one was Yukari, to her right was a ten year old Miyuki, and the third was a man that stood a full head over Yukari in height, a man with medium length black hair and dressed in a business suit, giving him am very professional look.
Mugi already had an idea who this man was but she felt compelled to ask.
"Is this… Your husband?" she asked with care.
Yukari nodded back, whipping another tear from an eye. "Shuji," she began. "This picture was actually taken only a month before…"
"O-Oh…" She regarded the picture one more time, Shuji specifically. "He looks very professional."
"He was a lawyer. He had his office here at home. Anytime he wasn't out on work he was here, but he always seemed to be working… But whenever he did get a chance, he would take Miyuki and I out and do something as a family, whether either of us felt up to it or not." She managed a single chuckle at that. "We'd go out to dinner or visit an amusement park or, on rare occasions, take weekend vacations."
"… Um, forgive me if I'm being rude, but don't you work as well?"
"Oh no," she replied, rather genuinely, as if she had no shame in admitting it. "To be quite honest, I've never been able to hold down a steady job for more than a few months. I've been called 'forgetful' by a few employers before." Mugi knew that Miyuki's mother was somewhat of a klutz but this seemed insane. Was she so scatter-brained that she couldn't hold down a real job? "I guess I was fortunate to fall in love with a lawyer when I did." Normally someone saying this would scream "gold-digger" at this, but with Yukari, it honestly seemed like it was just pure coincidence his occupation was what it was. Opposites attract, perhaps?
The sounds of clattering cooking implements came from two rooms over, prompting the two in the living room to lift their gaze slightly. Then Yukari, for the first time since Miyuki and Mugi had came home that day, began to grin. "I'm so glad Miyuki took after Shuji more and not me. She's so responsible and hard-working and, well, I'm not…"
"E-Eh?" That statement shocked Mugi to no end. "Y-Yukari-san, don't sell yourself so short! You-"
"She's been much happier after you confessed to her, you know." Mugi turned silent. "She was always a peppy flower before, but after you and her got together, she's got a whole new glow to her." The blonde blushed from embarrassment. "I'm glad Miyuki found someone she's happy being with…"
"T-Thank you…"
The mother suddenly stood up from the couch. "Could you tell Miyuki that I'm going to bed early?" It was only 16:30 and she was retiring to bed?
"Uh, s-sure," Mugi replied, Yukari then leaving to head upstairs.
No more than a few moments later, Miyuki emerged from the dining room (now wearing a white apron over her school uniform) to see that her mom was not there. "Where did Mother go?" she asked Tsumugi.
"She said she went to bed… Is she going to be ok, Yuki-chan?"
"I see… I think she will be, yes. This happens quite often. She's usually fine by the next morni- Ah!" The pinkette yelped when Mugi suddenly closed the gap and gave her a tackling hug, her chin buried into the other's cleavage as she looked up to Miyuki's eyes.
"Yuki-chan!" she cried. "I had no idea she was like this! She's usually so happy, b-but to see her like this-!"
"… I take it you two talked then?"
"Mhm," she sounded back with a nod. "I had no idea she was so sad. I-… Something should be done!"
"W-What do you mean?"
Mugi let go of Miyuki and took a step back. "We should do something, Yuki-chan! Really! I think we should… Find your mom a husband."
This time Miyuki really screamed. It was a yell so loud it was a wonder the police didn't arrive on the premises afterward with calls of an in-progress murder. Actually, it was a surprise that neither Yukari nor the Hiiragi sisters heard it. "R-R-Remarry! D-Do you really think she should?"
"Of course! You know how depressed she is! Don't tell me you never brought that up to her before, have you?" Mugi was met back with Miyuki's absolute silence. "… You never thought about her remarrying ever?"
"N-No, I have thought about that! Many times, in fact, but I just never asked her about it."
"Well why the hell not!"
"I-I don't know. Maybe I thought that would make her more upset."
"But Yuki-chan, she's not getting any better doing nothing! Use that smart head of yours and put two and two together!"
It was clear that Miyuki put intense thought to what Mugi had just suggested (if the "thinking faces" she gave were any indication.) Twelve full seconds brought with it a reply. "… I-I guess… You're right, Kotobuki-san… Maybe it's finally time she remarried… Oh, but who would she ever find interesting?"
"Oh come on! You're the smart one here, Yuki-chan, think! There has to be someone you know that could make a possible husband."
Again, "Miwiki" put her brain into overdrive for a possible solution and another ten seconds passed before she thought aloud "Maybe him…?"
"What? Who?" the blonde demanded.
"Oh, it was just a thought, but I don't think it could really-"
"No 'buts'! Go on, spit it out! Who do you think would be good?"
"… W-Well. maybe… I-Izumi-san…?" she replied.
"… You mean Konata?"
"Wha-? N-No, no! Kotobuki-san, I mean her father: Sōjirō-san."
"Oh… Oh…" Slowly and gradually, the blonde's face lit up with such intensity that it caused Miyuki to jump from shock. "That's- That's an incredible idea!" she cheered. "If your mom and Konata's dad got married, you and Konata- You'd be step-sisters! Wouldn't that be awesome?"
"E-Uh… Well, yes, that would be interesting- B-But that's not the real reason I thought of him. You see, Konata-san sometimes tells me and the others how her parent gets a bit- Well, the word she used was 'clingy'- whenever he starts thinking about his late spouse."
"I didn't know Konata's mother was- dead… I always assumed she lived somewhere else or something."
"Oh no. Actually, she died sometime after giving birth to Konata-san, she tells me."
"Really? How rare…"
"Izumi-san tells me her mother was the size she is when she gave birth. Giving birth when women are that petite, for most, is a risky thing…"
"True, true… But we should totally try and do this, Yuki-chan!"
"But Kotobuki-san," Miyuki interjected, "I'm not really sure mother and Sōjirō-san are, well, compatible."
"Maybe it doesn't matter!" Mugi answered back.
"Eh? You mean like an 'opposites attract' thing?"
"Actually, no. I actually meant that, well, your mom needs companionship and, for what you're telling me, Konata's dad feels lonely… Maybe, I don't know, love will find a way?"
"… I think you maybe have been watching too many romance dramas, Kotobuki-san."
"Yeah, I seem to hear that a lot." Mugi admitted with a grin.
"… But still, I think it may still be worth a shot." Mugi lit up again. "I'll talk to Izumi-san tomorrow at school and see if she's up for it, though I have a pretty good idea what her answer will be." She chuckled at that part, only to get cut off when Mugi tackled her again with another hug.
"Yay yay yay!" she giddily cheered. "This is going to be great, Yuki-chan! It's going to be like setting up Nanako and Sawa-chan again!"
Just then, in the town of Sakura, a married couple sneezed in unison.
-o0o-
Miyuki waited for the right moment to ask Konata her and Mugi's plan. She thought about it last night and decided upon the end of the day, as everyone was heading back home after the final bells. The hour eventually came and the Hiiragi sisters, Konata, and Miyuki found themselves exit school grounds through the main gate.
The pinkette waited until they were not too far off from the station before finally speaking up. She reached forward and poked the blue-haired girl on the right shoulder, asking her "Uh, Izumi-san, do you have a moment?"
Konata turned around. "Uh, I guess," she replied. It had been somewhere nearing five weeks into Konata's apparent stint of depression and she looked no better off. Her expression still exuded a sense of defeatism and a general lack of interest. Miyuki did well to hide her worry.
The sisters stopped to turn around themselves. "What's up?" Kagami asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Miyuki assured, giving back her usual grin. "I won't be too long. I'll tell you later, ok?" After the two nodded and went on ahead, Miyuki turned her attention back to Konata. "Um, Izumi-san, I hope if you don't mind if I ask a personal question."
Konata raised a curious eyebrow. "… Uh, no, I guess not. Why, what's it about…?"
"Well… You father, Sōjirō-san, he's still… single, right?" She knew all too well he was. But she couldn't help herself by stalling. It was a tendency of her to do so whenever she was nervous.
"Uh… yeah, he is… Why do you ask?"
"Umm… You see, to be truthful, my mother has been feeling quite depressed lately."
"Really? Your mom? But she always seems so happy whenever I've seen her. What's wrong?"
"Yes, well, it's because she has been, as of late, remembering father a lot." Realization showed on Konata's face. Unbeknownst to Miyuki, Konata's dad had been extra clingy as of late, especially since Konata had entered her depressed state. "So, I was wonder, if, and it's ok if he's not, if he's interested in… seeing other people?"
Konata's initial reaction was a blank look, one of slight dumbfound. Then, as the seconds passed, the same look underwent changes to mild shock, to shock, and finally to radiant happiness that caught Miyuki off guard. She had gotten use to seeing Konata in her perpetual gloom so to see her excited about anything felt almost new.
"Oh my gosh!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed. "Y-Yuki-chan, are you saying… y-you wanna set my dad up with your mom?"
"Ah- I mean, if I'm being too straight-forward-"
"No, that's an awesome idea!" She was practically floating with giddiness. "Having a mom as smoking hot as yours would be amazing, and- If they get married, we'd be step-sister!"
"Eh-hehe, you caught on to that quickly, Izumi-san. Just like Kotobuki-san did."
"Hmm, Mugi? She knows about this plan of yours?"
"It was her idea originally. S-So you're ok with the idea, Izumi-san?"
"Absolutely! In fact, when can we start!"
Miyuki smiled as the other's enthusiasm. "Well, I haven't thought of how to begin this, so I thought I'd ask you, Izumi-san, for suggestions."
Konata brought her right hand up to her chin and pretended to scratch her invisible beard, showing that she was, in fact, in thought. "Hmmm… I know! Maybe a blind date?"
"A blind date? Hmm… Maybe, but where exactly should it be?"
"Well, we already know a place that worked at setting people up already, Yuki-chan." It took Miyuki a few seconds to remember, but when she did, the two exclaimed the name in unison.
"The Aragawa!"
-o0o-
Never before in his entire life had Sōjirō felt as awkward and nervous as he did at this very moment.
After a limo (of all things) arrived at his house to take him away from his home in Ryoo to Tokyo, he was let off at this one spot in particular. He looked forward, down the narrow, brick-walled corridor that led to a single, inconspicuous door. He knew full well and agreed to this: a blind date, one thought up by Konata and one other person. When he was first asked by Konata, he was not sure if to feel insulted or grateful, but after near constant begging on her part, Sōjirō accepted.
Now all he was wondering if the driver had taking him to the right place. Nevertheless he forced himself to walk forward, into the narrow corridor, and enter through the door. Immediately he felt out of place: the interior, from the décor to the chandelier to the well-dressed man standing behind the desk screamed high class and expensive. He even felt severely underdressed for such a place: he had worn his usual traditional Japanese clothing, figuring this place would have been nothing special. Had he known ahead of time, he would have worn something a bit more presentable.
Predictably, the moment Sōjirō stepped inside the room, the man behind the desk gave the other a slight roll of the eyes. Then as he approached the man asked "Can I help you, Sir?"
"… O-Oh, yes, sorry. I have a reservation," Sōjirō quickly stammered out.
"Under what name?" The tone of his voice was of intense disinterest, as if he wanted to be anywhere else but here (or dealing with Sōjirō.)
Remembering the piece of paper Konata handed him before leaving the house, he retrieved it from a pocket of his clothes. Written on it was a surname, which he read aloud. "Kotobuki."
Suddenly the man's eyes widened and he acted disinterested no longer. "Oh, of course! Table for two, correct?" Sōjirō shrugged back. The man grabbed two menus and led Sōjirō into the main dining room. He was again taken aback by the stunning décor and luxury of the place. Then, as he looked at the other patrons of the restaurant, at how finely dressed they all were, he felt even more out of place than before.
He was seated at a table near the restaurant's center and, once situated, the man promptly left, having his place taken by a true waiter, who wasted no time in pouring a few glasses of ice water. "When the second of your party of two arrives we will begin," he stated as he poured the water.
And with that the waiter left as well, leaving Sōjirō rather confused. He was under the impression that a drink menu would have been offered at this point. But nevertheless, he kept to himself and sipped water at his leisure, all the while await this mystery woman's appearance. Unbeknownst to him, not a few tables off, two schoolgirls spied on the man from a distance. Miyuki Takara and Konata Izumi (both wearing formal wear picked out that day by Mugi herself) sat at a table of their own. They had just been served their drinks (both non-alcoholic) and at the moment kept ever-watchful eyes on Konata's father.
"Oh man!" a giddy Konata exclaimed. "This is gonna be awesome, Yuki-chan! When does your mom arrive?"
"She should be here soon," Miyuki answered. "Mother said she might take extra time getting ready."
"Hmm, good, good. Better safe than sorry… Hey, Yuki-chan, I got an idea. Why don't we order a bottle of champagne?"
"Wha- Champagne? Why?"
"Why not? We're both old enough. Plus, Mugi's paying for everything. She would want us to indulge a bit."
"But Izumi-san, we already have drinks," Miyuki explained, pointing to the two tall glasses of ginger ale on the table.
Konata met this fact head on: she grabbed both glasses and gulped down their entire contents in seconds, one after the other, ice and all. "What drinks?" she then asked, placing the glasses back down. "I don't see any drinks. Do you?"
"*Sigh* Izumi-san… Fine, if you want to-"
"Yay!" She quickly hailed a passing waiter and (rather forcefully) ordered a bottle, and as he left to fetch it, a pink head of hair entered through the front entrance. "Hey! You mom just arrived! Now the fun begins…"
Yukari was escorted by the same person as before through the dining room toward Sōjirō's table. Like her daughter and Konata, she was dressed formally, but unlike them, her choice of attire was modest in both nature and color pallet. The man in the suit walked over to the chair opposite Sōjirō then waited for her to sit. But she didn't.
Instead she, at the realization of who else sat at the table, froze in place, standing a still as a stone statue. Sōjirō at first had not noticed Yukari's arrival. He was too busy looking at the surface of the table and his glass of ice water. But eventually he did look up, and just like her, he froze. "… T-Takara-san?" he nearly screamed.
"Izumi-san!" she squeezed back. "Oh my, this is, uh, unexpected."
"Y-Yeah…" My God. This is who Konata set me up with? A friend's mother? And Miyuki-san's mother at that! Damn, Konata pick a winner, but now I'm freaking out!... Ok, Sōjirō, you can do this. Just don't. Fuck. Up. "Well… it looks like our daughters have been busy scheming behind our backs," he joked.
"I guess so…" Yukari said back. The woman managed to put a tiny grin on her lips. Eventually she did finally take her seat opposite of Sōjirō, prompting the man to leave. "I-I'm sorry if I'm a bit nervous, but, well, I'm surprised Miyuki thought to put something like this together."
"Hmm. Well, I think this is more my daughter's doing than yours. This seems her style."
"Hehe, I suppose… Miyuki tells me about Konata sometimes, like how she tried to help Kuroi-san and Yamanaka-san to engage…" He eyes suddenly opened up a bit. "Oh my…"
"Huh? What is it, Takara-san?"
"… D-Do you think that's what they are trying to do now? Izumi-san?"
"I-I, uh… maybe?" This was a lie on his part. He knew damn well this was exactly Konata's intention. He cursed at himself within his own head for not expecting this to happen sooner: All his more "clingy" moments were dead giveaways of his own loneliness. Does Konata really think that I should remarry-? Wait a second. I've only met Yukari-san once or twice before, and she seemed quite a happy person during both instances. She couldn't be in the same boat as I am, could she?
"L-Look, Yukari-san, if you want to leave, I'll understand-"
"N-No, it's ok, really," Yukari insisted. So she's not totally objecting to this… is this a good sign? A few moments of time brought the arrival of their waiter for the evening. Without asking what the two wanted to drink, he set a wine glass in front of each of them, popped open a bottle of red wine and poured, all the while explaining what it was. "This is a 1992 Chateau Margaux," he detailed, then going to finer detail about the taste, texture, and a number of other things that flew over Sōjirō's head. "I will return in a bit with the appetizer menu." And like that he was gone. Again.
Being not much of a wine drinker himself, he knew he had committed a high-society faux pas when, after he took a sip from his glass, he watched Yukari take a sip from hers. It was blatantly obvious that she was more knowledgeable in this apparent art of drinking wine: the way she spun the glass and brought the lip of it to her nose to sniff before eventually taking a sip made this clearly obvious.
"Something tells me you've been to places like this before," Sōjirō commented.
"Hmm? Oh, not here specifically," Yukari modestly replied back. "This is actually the first time I've been to this restaurant before."
"Same here, if that wasn't obvious," he chuckled.
Yukari didn't quite catch the humor. "Oh?" she sounded.
"… Well, I mean, look at me. I feel pretty underdressed here as it is."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I feel rather overdressed than how I usually am. Miyuki's girlfriend, Kotobuki-san, actually helped me pick this outfit out."
"Oh, I see…" Ten seconds later. "… Wait, did you say 'girlfriend'?"
The pinkette gasped immediately, her face turning an embarrassed shade of red. "Oh dear oh dear, I wasn't suppose to say that! I-I'm sorry that you had to-"
"No no, it's ok, Takara-san, don't feel embarrassed… Heck, I guess we have more in common than we already thought."
She tilted her head at this remark. "What do you mean, Izumi-san?"
"Well, I just found out not too recently that Konata… Well, it seems that she and Miyuki are both, well…" He didn't finish the sentence, or rather, he couldn't, as at that moment their waiter returned with two menus, giving both Yukari and Sōjirō one.
"Here is your appetizer menu, Sir and Madame. You may pick any two of the choices. I'll return shortly to take your orders." And one again, the waiter was gone in a flash, giving none of the two a chance to ask any questions, of which Sōjirō did have.
He took a look at the menu only to quickly discover that, for his two choices, there were only five dishes to pick. He looked up to Yukari and, sure enough, she shared a similar (if slightly muted) look of confusion as she looked at her menu.
"Let me guess," said Sōjirō. "The other places you went to had more selection than this."
"Well… actually, yes," she replied. "I'm actually still curious as to why they did not offer us a wine menu. Granted the wine they served was good, but we had no choice."
"Hmm. I'll talk to the waiter when he comes back." That moment came a full five minutes later when the young man walked back to the table, pen and order slip in-hand, and asked the two "Have you both made your choices?"
"Just a second," Sōjirō answered, "I got something to say first. I've had friends dine here before and they said they had full control of their food. So far, not only did we get this tiny menu, but you choice our wine for us." Even thought he voiced his complaints is as polite a manner as he could, it didn't stop him from getting looks from the patrons sitting at the adjacent tables.
The waiter was just as courteous back. "I apologize for any inconvenience you have, Sir and Madame, but if I may inquire, how long ago did your friends dine here?"
Being as the "friends" he spoke of was actually his daughter, he replied "Well, it had to have been about a year ago. Does it matter?"
"I'm afraid it does, Sir. Since then, the Aragawa has undergone renovations in terms of their menu, focusing more intense consideration into a smaller number of dishes in the interest of increasing quality. As for the wine, Sir, only one wine is offered per night, one that has been specially chosen to complement the day's menu. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience."
The guy made a convincing argument, that was for sure. So much so, in fact, that Sōjirō was left feeling almost guilty at making a complaint, even when his reasons were perfectly reasonable. "I see…" He managed to say that much back, but anything else was held back by his own embarrassment.
"Well, at any rate, have either of you made your appetizer choices?"
"Uh…" He hadn't. "… I'll have whatever she's having." Damnit, what the hell did I go and say that for? Now I look like an even bigger idiot! Add that to my list of tonight's blunders, the list that began with me making that complaint. She probably thinks I'm too aggressive or angry. He looked across the table to see her reaction. To his relief, she simply smiled back and said "Ok," before giving the menu one last look-over and taking her order. "We'll have the… salmon and… the sea scallops, please."
"Excellent choices, Madame," the man complemented. He took back the menu and reassured two the first appetizer would be out shortly before one again leaving. Unfortunately for Sōjirō, it didn't take long for Yukari to remember the conversation they were just having and, furthermore, bring it back up. "Now, what was that you were about to say, Izumi-san?" she asked.
Damnit. "Well, I was about to say that, well, I found out recently that Konata is, like Miyuki, a… Jeez, how do I say this politely…? She's a, uh-"
Sensing the other's apprehension, Yukari finished the statement for him (and rather bluntly at that). "A lesbian?" she asked.
"Eh-! Well… Actually, yes."
"O-Oh, really? We're you surprised as much as I was?" What kind of a question is that?
"Well of course I was surprised, but at the same time, I wasn't completely shocked. I guess I…"
"Had a feeling?"
"I guess… Why, did you?"
"None at all, actually. Miyuki actually told me how she wasn't a lesbian before, but when Kotobuki-san confessed to her, she felt so happy that someone confessed to her that, well… It didn't matter if was a girl or boy."
"… I have never heard of such a thing before… Is that really how it happened?"
"Mhm," she nodded.
"I see… Well I'm glad she's at least happy. I can't say the same thing for Konata."
"Oh, forgive me, but Miyuki has mentioned that Konata has seemed a bit depressed. Is something going on?"
Sōjirō looked down into the deep red liquid of the wine glass in front of him. "It's very, very complicated. She told me about it about a week ago and I still have trouble believing it…"
"Oh dear, that does sound troubling. I'm sorry for bring it up."
"No no, it's ok. I'll spare you the details, but I think, ultimately, this is something she will have to figure out on her own…"
"I see… Well, I'm glad to see Miyuki so happy. I've been worrying her lately with my own problems."
"Why? What's happening?"
"O-Oh, no, I'd rather not," Yukari modestly replied back, quickly taking an extended sip from her own glass of wine. But her modesty gave way to honesty rather quickly. Too quickly, in fact. It was more like she really wanted to talk about it, and this became apparent rather quickly. Her gaze dropped to her wine glass as she quietly explained "… Actually, I've been dwelling on my late husband lately…"
Now Sōjirō wished he had never inquired. Oh shit. This is not good. This is really not good: she's bringing up past husbands. This is never a good sign- No, no, Sōjirō, you're really no better than her in this respect. You've been clinging to Konata more than ever!
Wait… Is this why this blind date was set up? Because Takara-san and I are suffering on similar circumstances?... Wow, Konata, you actually thought this through, didn't you?
"… Don't feel bad about it,' Sōjirō reassured Yukari. "Actually, I've been kind of the same lately."
Her gaze lifted, not showing a fair deal of surprise. "Really?" she asked.
"Yes." He took another sip before explaining further. "My wife passed away not too long after Konata was born. I've been pretty much on my own with raising her." He couldn't explain why he felt so at ease saying these things to someone who was, essentially, a stranger. Konata admitting she was a lesbian was something that he had yet to tell his niece about. Why am I so ready to tell her over family? "I don't know, I guess… I guess I've given Konata enough for her to worry herself. I mean, I know I'm doing it, but I haven't done anything about it. I can't really explain it-"
Sōjirō looked back up to the person sitting opposite, noticing the look in her eyes. It was… concern. Concern for him. Shit, I'm bringing down the mood. Got to change pace quickly. Hell, I've already began to spill my guts out for this woman. Ok, brush it off, Sōjirō. Make a joke of it.
He began to chuckle. "Jeez, look at us."
"Hmm?" she sounded back.
"We've been here, what? Twenty minutes at the most? And we're already talking about personal stuff."
Yukari chuckled and smiled back. "Well… You're easy to talk you, Izumi-san. I-I'm surprised myself at what I was able to tell you, concerning our daughters, I mean."
"Well, I think it makes sense. Our daughters are close friends, so it should make sense that we be close too-" I just said something incredibly inappropriate, didn't I? Damnit, damnit, I just don't know when to shut the hell up! I hope I didn't ruin my chances by-
Just then, to both Sōjirō's shock and elation, Yukari blushed back ever so slightly and replied "I agree…"
The waiter returned a short moment later, balancing in his right hand a tray with two small plates. "This first dish," the waiter began to detail, "is the restaurant's signature smoked house salmon. We only use domestic wild salmon for our dishes, this, in particular, coming from Laosu Hokkaido. The salmon has been paired with flavors picked specifically to complement the main portion of the dish. Enjoy."
And for the fourth time this evening, he left without another word (rather rapidly at that.) Sōjirō began to wonder about his commitment to his job… Regardless, he was impressed at what he and Yukari had been presented… almost. The salmon seemed cooked to perfection, as did the complementing pieces, but there was only one problem, and to him (a man who had been secretly starving upon his arrival to the restaurant) was a big problem: the portions were diminutive. All the pristine plate held was a two inch strip of fish, a one inch section of asparagus, a wedge of lemon, and a red tuff of some sort of leafy vegetable he could not identify.
He stared at his dish for a long moment with a good look of disappointment in his eyes. Then, when he looked up to see how Yukari was reacting, he noticed that she had a look of her own, though hers was more of indifference.
He grinned. "You've had these types of dishes before, I'm going to guess."
She returned the gaze and gracefully smiled back. "Yes, actually."
"And the portions don't get much larger than this, I bet?"
"I'm afraid so," she chuckled.
"… Takara-san, can I be blunt with you?"
"Oh, um… Yes, please, do." She was curious as to where this was going to go.
Sōjirō leaned forward a bit. "Honestly, my stomach has been eating itself from the inside out for the last twenty minutes." Again, to Sōjirō's surprise, Yukari laughed. This is a good sign. Keep it up, Sōjirō. "I'm sure the food here is great, but I'd pass it all up for, oh, a burger and a few pints of beer." Now Yukari was really laughing, so much so that she was garnering looks from the nearby patrons.
"So," he continued, "what do you say we go and do that?"
"Wha-? You mean, like, right now? But what about the dinner here?"
"We ditch. Konata said it was all paid for in advance. Didn't your daughter tell you that?"
"Well, she did, but- But I'm not sure if we should."
"Hmm… Well, what if I said we're doing it, whether you want to or not?"
Yukari forced herself not to gasp. In that moment, Sōjirō said something that instantly reminded her of Shuji. "But whenever he did get a chance, he would take Miyuki and I out and do something as a family, whether either of us felt up to it or not." She remembered saying that not a few days ago to Mugi, and now, Sōjirō just said it. If this wasn't a clear enough sign for her nothing would be.
"W-What do I say to that?" she replied, leaning forward herself. Then, as a mischievous grin materialized on her face, she whispered back "I say… you're on."
"Then we book it to the door on the count of three.
One…
Two…"
-o0o-
Meanwhile, at a nearby table, two of-age schoolgirls were experiencing the results of breaking one of the first rules of drinking: getting food or liquid in your system before the alcohol. Miyuki and Konata had eaten nothing prior to popping open a bottle of champagne, and right now, after consuming the entire bottle's contents between them, both their heads began to spin.
"I-Izumi-san, I t-think I feel a bit light-headed," Miyuki said to her blue-haired companion. "Perhaps we drank a bit too much."
"Nonsense!" Konata shot back. "I say we didn't have enough!" Then, as she reached over to the champagne bottle, she accidentally knocks it over, only to see that it was empty. "Oh… Ok, maybe we did have too much. Jeez, I'm surprised we finished it all…" She looked back across the restaurant floor, to Yukari and Sōjirō's table and, through her inebriation, it took her a moment to notice that something was amiss. "… H-hey, Yuki-chan?"
"Mmm?" she sounded back.
"Did you see either my dad or your mom leave for the bathroom or something?"
"Um… No, I don't think so… Why?"
"Because I'm looking at their table and… none of them are there."
"Oh… What?" Like a slap to the face, Miyuki sobered up in the blink of an eye. She whipped her head around and, just as Konata said, the two of them were nowhere to be seen. "What the-? Where did they go?"
"I-I don't know!" Konata grabbed the sleeve of the next passing waiter and frantically asked him "That empty table over there, did you see where the two that were just sitting there went?"
The waiter glanced at the table and immediately scoffed. "Oh, them. They suddenly got up ten minutes ago and ran off, causing quite a ruckus. Quite unrefined…"
Konata quickly looked back to Miyuki. "Ten minutes? How drunk were we that we didn't notice that happen!"
"I-I don't know, Izumi-san, b-but how are we going to find out where they even went?"
"Well, didn't both their and our limos park in the back?"
"Um, yes, they did."
"Then maybe our driver saw where they went. Come on!" Just like their parents, the two leapt from their seats and quickly headed out the front door, making a commotion of their own. They entered into the chilled night air and headed directly toward the rear of the restaurant, where its parking lot was located. They spotted their white limo easily, its driver leaning backwards against the driver side door, smoking a cigarette. He quickly stamped it out the moment he noticed the two girls heading over in direction.
"U-Uh, ladies," he greeted. "I thought the dinner service was planned to end later."
Konata quickly explained to the man that "Sōjirō and Yukari left suddenly and we didn't see where they went. We were wondering if you saw where their limo went."
"They left early…? Sorry, I don't know where they went… But hold on, I think I can find out. If I remember, both limos were rented by the same company, so if I call the car itself…" He reached into his left pant pocket and retrieved a cell phone. He punched in a number and, within a moment, he was talking to someone. "Hey, it's Tetsuya. Yeah, I hear ya left early?... They did?... Oh, ok, got ya… Alright, see ya." He hung up and turned his attention back to the girls. "Looks like the two of them did split early. They asked where the nearest bar and they asked that they be brought there. It's not too far off, only a couple of blocks. Do you want to go there as well?"
"Of course!" Konata answered. "We gotta-!"
"Izumi-san, no." Miyuki spoke up, cutting the blue-haired girl short. "I think it would be best that we not interfere. I think it's best we went home, actually. Besides, I'd personally like noting more than to fall asleep."
Relentingly, Konata agreed. "Damnit, ok… Fine, let's go home."
-o0o-
After their spur-of-the-moment leaving of the Aragawa, Sōjirō and Yukari found an American-style pub located a few short blocks away. In the wake of the commotion they caused after running out on a bill, they caused a bit more by entering the pub dressed as they were: Yukari so extravagantly and Sōjirō so downturned. Over a burger and a number of pints between themselves, the two hit it off better than one could ever think possible. They talked and talked and, before the both of them had a moment to notice, it was already one in the morning, the hour of the bar's last call.
Though annoyed as he was for being kept so long, the limo driver had remained by to bring the two home, first stopping at the Takara residence. By that hour Miyuki had returned and was well asleep in her room. With the former's right arm interlocked with the other's left, Sōjirō led Yukari up the front yard's path and to the front steps of her home. They stopped before the front door to exchange their goodnights.
Yukari had been grinning for the last few hours straight. She was still giggling form the spontaneity of the entire evening. "My goodness," she said as the two stopped at the front door and turned to face each other, "I haven't had this much fun in such a long time… Thank you, Izumi-san, for the wonderful evening."
"O-Oh no, please, if anyone is to be thanked, it's our daughters. They're the ones that set this whole thing up."
"Even still, it was wonderful… Thank you, again."
"No problem…" He paused. It was clear he wanted to say more (as the expression on his face showed.)
"Yes, Izumi-san?" Yukari asked.
"N-Nothing, it's just… Well… I was just wondering if, uh…"
"Yes?"
"… If, perhaps, you'd consider… doing this again?"
Her eyes widened. "A-Again?"
"Y-Yeah, well… I mean, Konata and Miyuki went through all this trouble setting this up, and we've both had them worried. I figured we owe it to them to give things a shot, you know?" And you still can't say what you really want to, can you, Sōjirō? Just say it: I love you and I want to make this work between us.
Suddenly, Yukari's smiling disposition stopped and her brow suddenly narrowed, showing an emotion she had not shown throughout the entire evening: annoyed. Furthermore her voice carried the same exact tone. "So what you're saying is… You're doing for our daughters' sake?"
"Uh, I-I-"
She took a threatening step forward. "So it's not because you want to, but because you feel obligated? Is that what I am to you? An obligation?"
"Wha-! N-No! Honest, I-"
*Chuu*
Yukari suddenly leaned forward and gave Sōjirō a quick kiss. "Just kidding~!" she joked. Such was her fabled mischievous sense of humor.
Then, as she reeled her head back, she made it no more than a couple of inches before she unexpectedly stopped. It was in that moment that she remembered something, or more accurately, had a thought: this was the first time, in over ten years (since the death of her husband) that she had felt the touch of a man's lips to hers. She had forgotten how that sensation felt. And it felt… good.
Really good.
The woman's face flushed pink, her breath increasing in tempo. "T-Takara-san?" Sōjirō asked. "Are you-?" He was cut short when Yukari closed the gap between them and locked her arms around the other's shoulders. The distance between their noses was back to no more than a mere inch.
"Please, Sōjirō," she whispered. "Call me… Yukari."
The gap closed yet again and the two met at the lips. Yukari tightened the hold of her arms and pressed herself tighter against the other's chest, deepening the kiss in the process. Sōjirō, however, had remained standing as straight as a board throughout. He too had forgotten this feeling: the loving touch of another. Not since Kanata's death nearly twenty years ago had he felt a touch that went above plutonic or familial. After such a length of time, suddenly being on the receiving end of such affection put the man in an awkward place. However, he was still not completely unknowing of what to do.
Finally coming to his senses, he slowly brought his arms around Yukari, bringing them to grasp on her lower back. She voiced a muffled sound at the new touch, the tightness of her hug increasing by slightly more. And their lips still had yet to break their contact. At least not for the next minute, they didn't.
Yukari was the one to break the contact when she eventually pulled her head back to catch her breath. And for a while, the two merely said nothing, and instead, looked into each other's eyes.
"S- Sōjirō," whispered Yukari. "Would you mind… coming inside for a bit?"
"Wha-! Y-You mean, like, right now? But what about-?"
"She'll most likely be asleep by this hour. Come on, won't you?"
"I-I don't-"
"Please?"
…
Kanata, forgive me…
-o0o-
When Konata awoke the next morning, she found the home quite devoid of life. On an average day, after waking up, taking a quick shower, and changing into her school uniform, she would head downstairs to find her father making breakfast (which more often than not consisted of the leftovers from yesterday.) But rather than become worried, Konata got excited. "Maybe this means that things went a lot better after they ran off…" she wondered to herself.
She went through her morning routine without Sōjirō just as well. Then as she grabbed her schoolbag and made for the front door, approaching within five feet of it, the doorknob's lock suddenly clicked open on its own. The door then open up, revealing a rather tired-looking Sōjirō standing on the other side.
"Whoa! Dad, you're back!" Konata exclaimed. "I was, uh, wondering why you didn't come back last night." This was, of course, a lie, but she had to keep up the illusion that she was at home the entire evening of yesterday. "So… How did it go- Aah!"
The girl found herself in the crushing hug of her father before she could even react. "Konata!" he cheered. "The next time we go manga shopping, I'm buying you whatever you want!"
"… Dad, you always buy me whatever I want," she joked. "… So, I'm guessing the blind date went well?"
"Well… how does 'Yukari Izumi' sound to you?"
"… Sound good, Dad," Konata replied as she embraced her father back. "Sounds good…"