Not What You Were Expecting

by Cosmic Sky

Expectations were a natural part of life. Some were achieved, some were fallen short of, and others were outright shattered. The last one was most certainly the case of Akira Kurusu and Sadayo Kawakami. Not that either of them were complaining. Now, their respective families on the other hand...well, truth has a way of making itself known. So too do genuine feelings. Post-P5.

13. Chapter 13-Kurusu Meets Kawakami

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the first chapter of this story's second arc, "Meeting the Kawakamis"! Sadayo's family and background is going to be the focus of the next couple of chapters. I've had these ideas cooking in my head for the last couple of years, so I'm glad I'm finally able to materialize them in my writing. I hope you all enjoy as this story continues!

I do not own anything.

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Not What You Were Expecting

Chapter 13-Kurusu Meets Kawakami

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"You know, I'm kind of torn about this."

"Really? Why?"

Morgana trotted over to the window with one paw pressed against it. On the other side lay a world covered in snow and ice. He could no doubt feel it through the glass, the wintery cold that swept through Japan; it was there to stay for the next two and half months. They'd already made it through the first month of winter. Spring seemed like a lifetime away, but it would come without a doubt. What the world would look like when it did was anyone's guess. Akira still had a couple of ideas, some far more pleasant than others. Those were the ones he hoped would become a reality.

So did Morgana, albeit he wouldn't be there to see what made or broke their predictions.

"You know I don't mind the cold, but even I'm a little torn on traveling so far in all that snow." He confessed. It was undeniably true. While they'd definitely traveled in the snow, the kind of trip that the Kurusus were about to undertake wouldn't quite be like anything Morgana had taken. The trip back to Meguro from Tokyo had happened in the spring; both Akira and Morgana had enjoyed rolling the window down a little and letting some of the warm air in. That wasn't going to be the case with this trip.

Especially since animals weren't going to be allowed on the flight that they'd be taking to get to Niigata Prefecture. It was definitely going to longer than their previous trip. Morgana wasn't even sure he'd be able to sit still for that long. The thought actually made his fur stand up on end. That said, it was clear that he really wanted to go. He was part of the Kurusu Family too…and a part of him did want to be there to see the completion of Akira's relationship with his girlfriend.

The human and cat sat side by side, watching the snow gently fall onto the land. It'd begun about a week before Christmas and hadn't let up since. Thankfully, it wasn't a blizzard, not like what was currently pounding away at the Tokyo area. They'd talked to their friends still in Tokyo, and they'd all told them how bad it was there. Akira found himself musing how lucky he and Sadayo were that they weren't there. They were even luckier since it might give winter break an unexpected extension. Frankly, they were both more than a little happy for it, almost to the point they wanted to take it as a sign of good luck. His mom had certainly been of the same mind. His dad? A tad more reluctant, not to mention he was more worried about potential travel complications.

Almost a week after they got back from Tokyo, his dad was planning the eventual trip to Uonuma. He'd downright hugged him when he finally talked to him about it.

"Well…you're my son and you're serious about this relationship. She makes you happy and I…kind of like her myself, so I'm going to put in the effort of making sure things work out for the better."

Akira knew he was lucky to have parents as good as his, especially since they'd never stopped loving him through everything they'd been through. And that was before they learned that he was dating his teacher.

In relationships, meeting the parents was something of an inevitable and at times required step. While it didn't always happen, it usually did when both sides of the couple wanted the relationship to progress, and didn't want to hide it. That's certainly where Akira and Sadayo fell.

They'd been dating for months, long enough that one would say it was long enough for them to let their parents know about their relationship. His parents had certainly learned about it; it hadn't happened in the way that Akira would have liked, but it did and he and Sadayo dealt with it. And then his two closest friends had found out about them being together, and again, they'd handled it as best they could. In both cases, it'd been enough to get their acceptance, which was all Akira and Sadayo had hoped for it. Both of those reveals had been unexpected and left them scrambling to respond. Thinking about them left Akira contemplating how this reveal would go. Unlike those two, this one was planned.

This one was also going to involve people with whom he had absolutely no personal relationship with. Not yet, hopefully.

Then again, it's not like he'd done all the work in gaining the acceptance of his parents and his best friends. It was the opposite, Sadayo had done the truly heavy lifting. There were a number of reasons for that, but none of them really mattered now. Time after time, she'd stood up for him and the relationship that he'd convinced her to begin. This time he was going to do the same, she deserved nothing less than his best.

"You're going to do fine." Came his talking pet's voice. Akira was so deep in his thoughts that Morgana's voice actually came as a bit of a shock to him. When he looked down, he saw the cat smiling at him. "You know, if I were human, I think that I'd want one of those with my significant other." Morgana remarked while pointing his paw at his neck.

Akira immediately knew what he was referring to. Smiling, he held up the ring around his neck. Yet again, he'd subconsciously gone to touching it. It was no doubt an affirmation of his resolve, a resolve that wasn't going to break no matter what it went up against.

With a light-hearted chuckle, he sat down, Morgana joining him on the bed. "I think you'll find someone as you are now. Hell, it could even happen while we're away."

"Maybe…but unlikely. I'll tell you right now that I kind of don't fancy heading out into all that without you here. Especially to let me back in." Morgana replied.

"Huh-uh, I'd believe that if you hadn't done some traveling while we're away already. Even with the snow." He stopped short of saying what had changed since last winter. Morgana knew he did as well and merely gave a silent nod. His gaze went back toward the snow-covered window. "That said, we'll all feel better knowing that you're sticking close to home. The last thing we want is to come home and found you're not here. Or we get a call from a neighbor about how you've been found frozen stiff somewhere."

"Hey now, do I really look like the type of cat that'll do something that stupid? I'm not Hito!" The black-furred feline proudly declared.

"I'll make sure to bring some gifts back for him too." He remarked.

"Heh, like there was ever any doubt. You spoil him almost as much as Mrs. Goda!"

"You're not feeling jealous, are you?"

"The answer isn't going to change, Akira. I've got nothing to be jealous about. In fact, I'll have you know that Hito is the one who's jealous of me! Luckily, I'm always willing to take him under my wings and show him a few new tricks."

"And I'm sure that won't end in me having to explain to the Godas why their cat has been caught in a place that it shouldn't."

"Now when have I ever let dear Hito into serious trouble?" Morgana coolly asked.

Akira crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. He gave off a hum of mock thought that Morgana groaned at. "Let's see now, there was your second get together. I ended up having to explain to the Godas how you being a city cat, you had a pretty adventurous spirit. Granted, in the end they did just seem happy that Hito was finally making friends."

"Hah! See you, you can't call that one a negative!" The former Persona-using animal shouted. "And you can't even bring up that skateboard incident!"

"Why? Just because I pulled some strings to make sure that you and Hito were never caught, even though I'm pretty sure Mrs. Goda suspects you two." Akira casually fired back.

"Gaaah! How'd we end up talking about this? We're supposed to be talking about you! I'm supposed to be giving you the pep talk, not listening to you needle me over making friends!" Morgana shouted. His shouts grew louder as Akira just kept on laughing.

It seemingly took a while for him to get it under control, but he eventually did so. "Alright, alright. Seriously though, thank you, Mona. I appreciate it. I know that Sadayo would love to have you there with us, and showing you off to her parents too." That caused Morgana's mood to instantly brighten. "Someday."

"Yeah." He affirmed. "Someday…maybe after you two have moved in together."

"Hehehe, that's definitely a possibility. Maybe it'll be easier after we've gotten through this." He offered. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Akira wanted to believe that there was something to go on. If the Kawakamis could accept him as a Phantom Thief, maybe they could do the same for Morgana. Especially after he showed them that he was much more than just a cat. He was a vital part of Akira's now former Phantom Thief life, in fact, one of the reasons why it began. Still, selling them on that wouldn't be easy. Still, it'd be no harder than selling them on the fact that he was a capable boyfriend for their daughter despite the age gape between them…and his prior history. "Now I'm back to thinking about it." He stated. "In less then ten hours, I'll be meeting my girlfriend's parents."

Morgana had an expression of benign seriousness on his face as well. He knew just like Akira that something so mundane was going to be much harder for him. It was something he'd known for a while, as had Akira. While he was a smooth talker who could come to some sort of understanding with anyone, they both knew that this latest task was going to be the most challenging. Rather fittingly at that, as Sadayo Kawakami was one of, if not now, the most important thing in Akira's life. She was also the most important thing in the lives of her parents. Convincing them that he would be capable of taking care of her was likely going to be the hardest battle he'd ever have fought.

But Akira was confident that he would win it. He had the determination to win it, no matter what.

"It's really strange to think about. When you two first started out, I had my doubts. Now, looking back, doubting you two seems kind of stupid." Morgana confessed.

Akira gave him an understanding smile. "Hey, I can't really blame you. I wouldn't blame anyone for having doubts at the start of this. The Kawakamis are going to be at that phase when we meet them." He and Sadayo had been dating for over a year now. Hearing that would invoke a reaction in them; what kind it was, was up for debate. Still, they'd hopefully understand that they'd been dedicated to each other, and would continue to show that dedication to one another going forward. "Call it a hunch, but I don't think it's going to be easy."

"Certainly not, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it. And we'll be there to help." Came a familiar, feminine voice.

Both males whipped their heads toward the door, and smiled at the person standing there. Morgana jumped down as Azumi walked in and joined her son on the bed. At her behest, Morgana hopped into her lap and affectionately purred at her. Afterward, he jumped back down and left the room, leaving mother and son alone.

"I wasn't interrupting an important conversation, was I?" Azumi asked in visible concern.

"No, don't worry about it." Akira amicable replied. "I was just making sure he didn't get into trouble while we were gone."

"Is he still not over Ann?" The matriarch of the family asked.

"He's getting there, even though he'd rather not talk about it." Akira answered. "His heartbreak is…I knew it was coming, but man, I seriously never expected it to be like this."

"Heartbreak is always easier to imagine than it is to experience, or in your case, see." The teenager turned to her with a lax smile. "You were terrified, weren't you?"

"Can I say scared shitless and get away with it?" her laughter was much more humorous than it was annoyed; it was answer enough for Akira. "That's pretty much what I was. Thankfully, I don't have that fear now." He finished with a laugh.

"But you're still scared, aren't you, Akira?" His mother calmly asked. Giving a laugh of his own, he nodded. Azumi affectionately hugged her son. "Believe it or not, I was that way with your dad's family."

"I've always heard about the other end." Akira said. At a young age, it was easy for him to understand how his dad would be nervous introducing himself to his maternal grandparents. Though they were always kind to him, Akira noted the sort of intense aura they could project. As he grew older, Akira came to realize he'd inherited that ability himself. "So…what was it like for you and Grandpa Sada and Grandma Kiyo?"

Laughing at the use of the nicknames, his mother looked up to the ceiling. "I was incredibly nervous because I thought I wouldn't measure up to their standards. I may have came from a well-off family a bit higher on the social ladder than them, but I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was meeting master craftsmen. In terms of skill, his ability-"

"Exceeded yours?" Akira cut in, unable to help himself. Luckily, his mother didn't mind.

"Pretty much. My supposed higher social status didn't matter, I was going to stand before an intelligent and dignified man who knew more about the world than I did, and even now more than I do." Azumi continued to explain. Contrary to what she was saying, the Kurusu Matriarch had a smile on her face. "I was asking for permission to stand beside his eldest son, his pride and joy. Oh, and don't even get me started on your grandmother."

"She loved you right off the bat though." Came a new yet very familiar voice to the both of them.

Smiling, they looked to the door and found Kunihiro there. He waved at them with a sheepish smile. Grinning back, Akira invited his dad into his room, an offer he gladly took. Akira smiled finding himself sandwiched between his parents, both of which giving him the best support they could.

"So, Grandma Kiyo really liked you from the start, huh?" He asked his mom.

"Yes, well…she was easier for me to win over. Like Kunihiro said, she did take a liking to me right off the bat." She admitted. "My good looks came in handy again."

Beside him, his father blushed bright red. "It…wasn't just that, even though they probably helped."

"Grandma Kiyo wanted to know you were more than just a pretty face." Akira quickly guessed.

"Yes. A person is more than just their looks. In fact, what lies beneath is more often than not the most important thing." Azumi's blue eyes looked straight into Akira, drilling in the meaning of her words. Akira didn't need them to be, but he welcomed them. "Your grandmother wanted to see what lay within my soul, and if that was worthy of her eldest son. The same went for your grandfather."

"Well, considering I'm sitting here, you showed them something impressive."

"Hehehe, I guess I did. Wouldn't you say, Kuni?"

The blush was still there, it might have even thickened. "Yeah, you did."

"I followed after your lead." Her words caused Akira to turn back to his dad with a sly grin. "After seeing how hard your father was willing to fight to prove himself, I knew I couldn't give anything less. Not if I deserved to be his girlfriend, and later his wife."

A short pause fell over the family of three. Akira's face showed the depths of his contemplation. It made it easy for his parents to discern what his next question would be. The only mystery was who it'd be directed at. That was solved when he turned to his left to face his father.

"I had a feeling, a strong feeling." The Kurusu Patriarch answered with a tender smile. "Throughout the whole time we were dating, I couldn't think of any other woman besides her. No one else crossed my mind. The longer we were together, the more that became solidified." Fully facing Akira, he patted him on the shoulder. "I can see that you're taking after me, which I don't think is a bad thing."

Akira shook his head, wrapping his arm around his dad's waist in a show of agreement.

"Is…proving that going to be hard?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"It'll be harder for you than it was for me, Akira." His dad said with a sigh. There was no use dancing around it. They all knew the truth and decided to simply get out in front of it. "That said, just because something isn't easy doesn't mean it's impossible. You're living proof of that, Akira, and so too is Sadayo. This is a battle you're both going to have to fight together."

"It's a battle we're all going to fight together, and one that we'll win." The family matriarch added.

Akira looked between both of his parents, once again becoming remined of how lucky he was. "Thanks, mom, dad. I appreciate that, and I'm sure Sadayo does too." Both of them shot him looks of encouragement. They'd clearly moved on from talking about them to his girlfriend's family. "Alright, I've had enough pep talks, I'm ready! Or…at least ready to get back to making sure I'm ready."

"Hehehehe, we'll leave you to that, Akira." His dad said, getting up and beckoning his wife to do the same. "Make sure to pack everything you think you'll need. And that shouldn't include-"

"Dad!" The younger Kurusu shouted, his face taking on a scandalized blaze. Matching it were his eyes, rimmed with shock as he struggled to comprehend what he'd just heard from his normal calm and chaste father. "Come on! I mean I'm going to be glad to see her again, but Sadayo and I know not to do anything that stupid!"

His father, Kunihiro Kurusu, snickered into his fist. Beside him, his wife, his mother, tried and failed to hold back her own laughter. She was just as surprised as Akira was, but it was clear she was taking more enjoyment in what her husband was suggesting. "Just making sure, Akira. Like we said, we're doing our part to make sure this relationship of yours is successful!"

"You can do it without bringing that up! Come on, you two even heckled me and Sadayo on being smarter than that!" cried the former Phantom Thief. All the cool composure he had as Joker was nowhere to be found as his parents playfully poked at him. He supposed this was karma given the number of times he did the exact same thing to the people around him, including his own girlfriend. How they'd all love to see him now.

His dad shrugged while still holding onto his smirk. This was definitely unusual for him, but a reminder that he could pull the rug out from under Akira's feet every now and then. It was definitely something to remember, and something for him to be weary of.

They closed the door behind them, still cackling to themselves in amusement. Left alone in his room, Akira hung his head.

Again, he was glad that no one, especially Morgana, were here to see that. Knowing him, he'd have jumped in on the fun; it only became worse since Akira would be able to hear him. At least his parents had learned to read Mona's body language, as had Sadayo.

"Hey, when do you think the Kawakamis will be able to meet me? I'm practically part of the family too!"

The question had genuinely given Akira reason to pause. His face bent in concentration for a few seconds before he finally gave an answer. "Eh, probably after they've meant me. Pretty much I'll be the one they'll have to take some time to accept."

"Huh, good point. After all, if they can accept you, why not me?"

"Do you seriously want me to answer that question?"

"…Eh, fair point. Besides, you're going to have it way, way harder than me."

The former humanoid cat had been right. A talking cat would probably be an easier sale than him, but that wasn't going to stop Akira. Thinking back to the conversation, he chuckled in amusement wondering how that potential conversation would play out.

The Kawakamis were about to learn just how crazy a world their daughter had stepped into.

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One Day Later

Tadami Line, Mid Afternoon…

One thing that he and Sadayo had boned over was the fact that they'd both came from small towns before coming to the big city of Tokyo. In Akira's case, his town was smaller. Unomua had a population triple that of Meguro's, not to mention far different scenery. Whereas the latter was a seaside town, Unomua was located deep in the mountains, its bodies of waters being lakes and rivers that froze in the winter. It saw far more snow than Meguro did this time of year, so much so that Akira's family was a little taken back when they touched down in Niigata Prefecture.

When it had snowed in Tokyo, he'd been incarcerated, so it wasn't like he was able to go frolicking about with his friends. At least not for the first half of winter.

As they rode the Tadami Line to the station, he joined his family in sight-seeing. It was their collective first time visiting the prefecture, and Uonuma itself. Again, it was quite different from what they were used to back in Meguro. Even in Tokyo, Akira had been used to having the sea close by, within walking distance. Here, there was nothing but plains and mountains as far as the eye could see. All of it was blanketed in pure-white snow. The sight vaguely reminded Akira of Yusuke's ice-attributed attacks and the similarly attuned Shadows he fought. Futaba once mused how they never got to explore an ice-themed Palace. Looking out through the window, Akira was more than happy with what he saw. Just nature, pure, simple nature, no manifestations of human malice in sight.

He saw a couple of birds though. What handful hadn't migrated to the warmer parts of the country were still around, a few even flying side by side with the train.

Behind him, he heard the snapping flash of a camera. His ears registered the numerous chatter of the other train-goers besides his parents.

Another thing that Unomua had going for it over his quiet seaside town were plenty of attractions. Ski resort and onsens galore, not to mention half a dozen natural parks. Despite having a bigger population than Meguro, the town was still far more spread out. Meguro was on the opposite end, being fairly condensed around the two rivers that led into the sea. They didn't have nearly as many attractions as the city did. Albeit as a citizen of Meguro, Akira would still stick up for his hometown.

"Then…one day, you think it'd be alright if I visited?"

His heart had genuinely skipped a beat hearing her say that. It was nervousness that made it do so, sheer nervousness. What would she think of his hometown? Population just barely above nine-thousand. The smell of the ocean was never too far away. Large attractions were relatively few and far between. What would she think of the town that had raised him…and eventually shunned him?

Ultimately, Sadayo wouldn't know until she saw it with her own eyes. Likewise, he wouldn't know of her hometown until he saw it with his own. That said, he did have a positive opinion of it since she had fond memories of it herself.

As they entered the last stretch of the trip, the snow began to fall anew. With how cold it was, Akira knew it was going to stick. How much would it add though? A couple of centimeters or an inch. Either way, it wouldn't change things too much.

They'd already planned out this trip as much as they could. Sadayo had coordinated with them to find the best hotel possible for their stay. At first glance, it seemed to mirror their trip to Tokyo, but Akira was hoping they wouldn't have any surprise encounters. As happy as he was to reveal to most of his friends the truth, he could do without more incidents like those. He had one mission that he had to focus on.

That was clear enough on his face.

"Ready?" Came his dad's voice. He sat across from him while his mom sat beside him. She reached over and gently grasped his hand.

"Yeah, just…pretty eager to meet them." He confessed.

"In other words, you're also ready for this ride to end. Pretty sure it will in about five minutes or so." True to his dad's words, an announcement came on announcing in five minutes they'd be arriving at the station. Akira chuckled at his dad's entirely accurate prediction. Considering how long he'd spent studying the railways, he'd probably known where they were at each landmark they passed.

Koide Station was the last stop of the Tadami Line. Ironically, it represented the beginning of something for Akira and his family. As the train came to a stop, they gathered their things and prepared to get off. Compared to the one they'd arrived at in Tokyo, Koide Station was a small and humble building. It was an apt representation for the rest of the city.

As he stepped out into the front of the building, Akira inhaled. It almost felt like visiting his grandparents, yet this was an entirely new feeling, one that filled him with a different sort of giddy excitement. Intermixed with it was anxiety that he knew wouldn't settle until the moment of truth arrived. He'd made peace with that, deciding to walk forward despite it.

While his dad attempted to get them a taxi, Akira pulled out his phone. As tempting as it was to call Sadayo, he figured a text message would be better. Maybe he also just wanted to get his fingers moving. It was definitely cold enough for the snow to stick, and it was indeed sticking to everything it fell on, including people. From the moment he stepped out, Akira saw dozens of people. It was hard to tell who were natives and who were visitors like him, aside from those exiting the station with his family.

S: I'll wait until I see you in person to welcome you to Uonuma, but I'm glad you're here. Can't wait to see you

He smiled at the near instant reply. Indeed, hearing her welcome him in person would be something special.

"I hope you're not the only she plans on welcoming." Mom called. He didn't need to look at her face to know she was smiling, Akira could practically hear it on her voice.

"I think you and dad are going to be included." He humorously replied. "So, what do you think?"

"Hmmm, it reminds me a little bit of home." She said, a wistful smile on her face. "She went to school near here, right?"

"Yeah. She told me all about it, including that from time to time she drops by the school to help out, even substituting." The teenager confirmed. He too had a wistful smile on his face. From his lungful gaze it was clear that he wanted to go see it for himself. Akira had a feeling that his mom wanted to see it too, maybe it could be one of the places that Sadayo showed them on her tour of the city. "It's probably a lot smaller than Shujin."

"Of that, I have no doubt, but hopefully safer."

"It wasn't so bad, mom." Akira offered, catching the undertone in his mom's voice, and the look of longing in her eyes. Tucking his phone away, he patted her shoulder, then moved to bringing her into a one-sided hug. "What's in the past is in the past. Just focus on the present and the future."

"Heheh, you're right. Akira, even though I'm not exactly happy with how you gained it, you're definitely gotten wiser."

"Hey," Called the family patriarch. "Our ride will be here in about five minutes."

"That's pretty good." Akira mused. "Guess a few of them are always hanging by the station here just like in Tokyo." It was something he'd seen with his own eyes, and learned from various taxi drivers. In almost every city, in every town with a train station, there was almost always a fare to be had. How much it was varied from costumer to costumer, but every bit of business was good. "All we gotta do is not freeze to death until then."

"I'll say this, they weren't kidding about the cold here." His father spoke. With each word, a burst of cold air left his lips. The same had gone for him and his mom. "Good thing we packed appropriately."

"Ain't that the truth." Akira seconded. "Still, it's kind of cool seeing a snowed in town like this." A second passed and he chuckled. "Here's hoping a blizzard doesn't hit us while we're here."

"Hey, it may turn out to be a good thing. We get snowed in and we're forced to spend some time with-"

"Ahh! Are you the Kurusus?" Shouted a new voice from afar.

"Woah, that is fast." Akira whistled. The bright yellow automobile pulled up in front of them, his father circling around to the back to pop the trunk. While he and his mom loaded into the backseat, their luggage was placed in the back.

"I'm assuming you folks are visitors? Here for the ski resorts or the onsens?" Asked the driver. Not only was his cab in good condition, so too was his face. His bright red hair was hidden beneath a cap, but well-kept red beard told Akira that he kept his hair neatly cut to make a good impression.

"Well, I'd say it's more of the onsens." His mom answered with a bit of a blush.

Akira tried not to think about that too much. "We're visiting some family friends, but yeah. We'd like to take a dip in some of the onsens, see how good they are."

"Well, you might have better luck then. The ski resorts have been booked for months."

"So we've heard. A bit of a shame though since I would love to go skiing." His mom stated. He greed with her. Akira had only gone skiing twice in his life, and both experiences had been pretty fun. The thought of doing it again was fun, but he had a feeling that Uonuma's famous skiing slopes would be out of reach for him. The time to book a spot had came and gone, something he and his mom were quite aware of.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are you folks from?"

"Meguro, it's down south in Kanagawa." Answered his dad, having finished loading all their luggage and taking his seat up front. "Thank you for showing up so quickly, we appreciate it."

"No problem! I think I've heard of Meguro, it's just a little ways out from…oh, what is it, Sumaru City! I've got a cousin who lives there!" The drive exclaimed.

"My dad used to live there himself!" Akira chimed in.

"Really? Decided to move out of the big city?" The driver jokingly asked.

"Not a decision that I regret." He proudly answered.

"Most of the time." Akira interjected with a snicker.

Laughter filled the cab, eventually dying down as the driver formally introduced himself. "My name is Haneda, and if I may, I'd like to be your driver while you're in town. Where are you folks heading? A family friend's house or one of our many hotels?"

"One of the latter, specifically the Ishiguro Inn." Kunihiro answered. "Do you know the way?"

"Yep! Gotta say, as far as hotels go, you made a good choice!" Haneda said before hitting the gas. The loaded-up cab finally began to move, the tires rolling through the thin blanket of snow that had built up on the road. Countless snowflakes stuck to the window as the cab entered traffic, becoming one of the many cars making its way through the snow.

---

20 Minutes Later

Ishiguro Inn and Retreat…

It was in mid-December that Kunihiro started looking up hotels for them to stay at while visiting Uonuma. Luckily, his son's girlfriend had been more than willing to share some first-class and affordable options. That's how they'd arrived at their current lodgings. The Ishiguro Inn was both affordable and decent, a perfect place to spend the next week. That said, Kunihiro seriously wondered how much time was going to be spent there. Surely they'd return at the end of every day for sleeping, but he knew in his heart most of their time was going to be spent elsewhere. Namely, at the home of the Kawakamis.

Or at least, that was the hope.

Admittedly, a part of him feared the parents of his son's girlfriend simply barring them from their home, and barring Akira from ever seeing Sadayo again. If that did that happen though…Kunihiro severely doubted it would stop the teacher. He'd seen the resolve in her eyes to be with his son, who held a similar fire in the eyes he'd inherited from him. He'd also say that Akira inherited his devotion as well. The architect was glad that his son had found someone willing to give the same. He and his wife had no intention of standing in the way of that, but their counterparts could be a different story.

Kunihiro thought of all that as he looked out the third-floor window of the inn. Contrary to its name, it resembled more of a modern hotel with five floors. He was fine occupying the third. It gave them a rather nice view of the street below and the surrounding area.

"Pretty nice view, huh?" Spoke his son, joining him by the window.

"That it is. Wasn't shown on the website, but I'm not complaining in the slightest."

"Neither am I." His wife seconded. With her joining them, the family of three was now complete. "Besides, I don't think a screen shot could have captured how beautiful this sight looks in person."

The interior designer, the landscape lover in him, agreed with her. It also hungered for him to put his coat back on and start walking around, seeing the numerous sights Uonuma had to offer. Especially during the winter. He knew his son and wife felt the same way, but they had things to do first. "Akira," he called. "Think it's about time to gave Sadayo that call she's been waiting for."

Chuckling, his son bowed out, leaving him and his wife. They watched him from the side, smiling as they watched their son's face explode with joy as he finally heard his girlfriend's voice.

"What do you think it'd be like if we had cell phones back in our day?" Azumi innocently questioned.

"Well, we have them nowadays, and we get more than enough use out of them. I don't think we'd have been too different. I still would have been nervous just asking for your number at first."

"Haha! And how long would I have had to wait before you started calling me like normal?"

Kunihiro gave her a playful shrug. He had to admit, back in his younger days, cellphones would have undoubtedly been a hot topic. When they first came on the scene, he had an interest in them himself. The memory of disassembling his first phone was a fond memory he was certain he wasn't going to be forgetting any time soon.

In thinking about phones, he perhaps jinxed himself. His own rung, surprising both him and his wife. Removing his arm from her, he reached into his pocket and checked the caller ID. "I'm really, really hoping that they're not going to try to crash this visit. I'm supposed to be on vacation." The goateed man groaned seeing the name of the caller. He showed it to his wife, who giggled in amusement.

"Hey, it's possible he's just calling to check on you." Azumi offered. "Here we are, up to our ankles in snow, and you know how Yuuga feels about it."

He knew coworker's feelings quite well. While Meguro received snow as well, it wasn't on the same level as Uonuma, not to mention the temperature never dropped as low as it did there. That'd been one of the reasons why Yuuga had moved there, alongside Komatsu Builds still having some job openings. Several years of working together and he would proudly say that Yuuga Minami was one of his best coworkers and friends, but sometimes he really knew how to push his buttons. That tended to happen in winter, which was Yuuga's least favorite season. Personally, Kunihiro was neutral, he always just hoped that people had some place to stay during the coldest time of the year.

Sighing, he finally swept his finger over the screen, holding the phone up to his ear. "Has something happened?"

"You're not buried in snow, are you?" Playfully shot back the voice on the other end.

"Just fine, thanks for asking. Now then, onto my question, Yuuga."

"Well, no, everything's just fine. Glad to hear that you guys made it to Uonuma safely."

"Thanks." He said with slight gratitude in his voice. "So, what's the reason for the call? No offense, but I've got a feeling that you're calling for more than just a checkup."

"You're right, truth is, I'm…calling on behalf of Miyoko. As you know, she's caught a cold but don't worry, she's recovering."

"Happy to hear it. I take it you want me to take some pictures for her."

"We'd appreciate it if you don't mind. I know that you're there with your family on vacation, but-"

"Sure thing. We're going to be here for a week, so we can carve out some time for that. Heh, you know we were already going to take some pictures."

"I know, but I wanted to ask you if you were willing to take a few extra more for Miyoko's sake."

"Sure thing, tell her that we all said hi and we're hoping she gets better."

"Thanks."

With the call's end, he looked to his wife. In one look, he was able to tell that she'd heard most of the conversation. Smiling at him, she gave her support to the unexpected endeavor he'd been asked to undertake. They both knew they'd have something else to do while hopefully Akira and Sadayo were able to spend some time together. Honestly, it was something that Kunihiro looked forward to. He also hoped that it might give his family and their counterparts something to bond over.

"Hey, mom, dad." Called their son. Looking to him, they saw the happy smile on his face. "Sadayo said she'll be here in about half an hour. She said it'll take some time for parents to get home."

"Home…yeah." Kunihiro muttered. "So, she's…okay with picking us up?"

"Yeah, a bit surprising considering how she was in Tokyo." Akira replied.

"Hard to blame her, but it does say something. Here we are in her hometown and she's being rather forward." Azumi mused.

"Yeah, it's nice to see. She's kind of at her best when she's putting herself out there."

"Something that can be said for another person." The female Kurusu coly chuckled.

"Azumi, Akira, I think I'll…step out for a minute. Get a bit of the lay of the land."

"Just don't wonder off too far, Kuni." Azumi cautioned. "I know how sometimes you wonder off from time to time. It's probably where Akira got the trait from."

"And you told me not to when I went to Tokyo." Akira laughed.

"It was the big city, which you'd never been to. As your father, I couldn't help but worry about you." He defended. It was true. One of the many pieces of advice he'd given his son was to avoid wondering off to strange and unfamiliar places. It was a little contradictory since Tokyo itself was one big unknown to him. Besides, if Akira didn't explore, he never would have became as familiar with the city as he did. He supposed that was his anxiety getting to him. "I'll stay within the area, don't worry."

-O-

If Kunihiro wasn't convinced that Uonuma could get cold before, then he was surely convinced after several minutes of walking around in the snow. The still falling snow, mind you. He whimsically held out his hand and watched as almost the whole of his palm became covered in snow, to say nothing of his head and shoulders. Every breath he breathed out bore a cloud of icy air. The warm comfort of the inside of the hotel seemed pretty appealing, but Kunihiro had chosen to get some fresh air for a reason.

It was rather ironic considering his preferences often led him to spending most of his time indoors. Maybe his constant stay indoors is what propelled him to sometimes step outdoors. Kunihiro often thought that'd also played a part in his feelings for Azumi. Where as he sat in a chair behind a desk or table, pencil and measuring stick in hand, she was almost always in motion. She was utterly mesmerizing, and still was. As he walked along the sidewalk, he pictured her by his side, pointing out the landmarks with him.

Enough snow had piled up that people had started to make their own. Little over a block from the hotel was a small park that saw a few dozen kids playing in it. That included making snow sculptures. The sight brought a bright smile to Kunihiro's face.

Whenever it snowed, Kunihiro found himself either drawing in the snow or trying to form sculptures out of it. In the midst of the cold, his passion for designing and building burned bright. His heart swelled with pride remembering the praise he'd gotten from the other kids and even the parents for his sculpting.

He kept a respectful distance from the kids as they worked on their own sculptures. There were several stereotypical snowmen, but he also spotted a handful of more creative shapes such as arms, buildings, and one little girl attempting to create some sort of tower. His keen eyes immediately recognized it to be Tokyo Tower. Kunihiro felt his lips curling upward in amusement, then they reversed as the snowy monument crumbled. Before he knew it, Kunihiro was closing the distance between them, kneeling down and speaking to the girl.

"Need some help? I visited Tokyo a couple of months ago and got an up close look at it."

The girl's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? You can help? Gee, thanks mister!"

"I'm something of a builder myself." Kunihiro laughed while moving his hands into the snow mound to help shape it.

"Then I've got the best help possible!" The girl shouted, her green eyes lighting up with joy. "My name's Hisako!"

"Kunihiro, although you can just call me Kuni." He said while already at work helping to sculpt the snow monument. The girl, perhaps no older than ten, quickly joined in. Kunihiro gently guided her, and together they formed the mound into a crude but still highly decorative replica of Tokyo Tower. "Aaaand…looks like we're just about done."

"Yaaah! We did it, we did it!" The grade schooler shouted, jumping up and down in excitement. Seeing her reminded Kunihiro of not just his son, but his nieces. "Thanks, Mister Kuni!"

"Happy to help! I'm something of a builder myself, maybe you can become one too." He reminded behind to watch over the tower as Hisako hurried over to her mother, who'd been watching from a nearby park bench. She looked to him with a grateful smile and a wave, two things Kunihiro calmly returned. Ahh, to be around them at that age. He whimsically thought. Those whimsically thoughts were interrupted as he spotted a group of kids just a few yards away. The grins on their faces spoke loud and clear to their intentions. Looking at the snow sculpture, Kunihiro quickly realized what he was going to have to do. "Whelp, art requires sacrifice." With those words, he stepped in front of the sculpture, shielding it with his body from the snowballs. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been hit by snowballs; it actually felt just a little fun.

"Hey! Don't hurt Kuni! And don't hurt my Tokyo Snow Tower!" Hisako shouted. With a pout, she scooped up a pile of snow and piled it into a ball, which she hurled at the other kids. Several other kids decided to get in on the fun and joined her.

"Well, this isn't how I expected this walk to go, but I can't say I'm complaining." The architectural designer murmured to himself. Within seconds, he was near dead center of a snowball fight between little kids. As much as he wanted to take part in it, he felt that guarding the "Tokyo Snow Tower" was too important a task.

"Hey! Mister Kuni, help out!" Hisako yelled.

Looking down at the ground, he considered how long it'd been since he'd thrown a snowball. Probably three years or so. Was he out of practice? With a shrug, he decided now was a great time to start back up again.

Reaching down and scooping up a ball of snow, he quickly melded it into a snowball and let it fly. He tried not to throw it too hard, nor aim for anything too vital, but none of that was saying that Kunihiro didn't try. His efforts showed in one of the kids squeaking in shock as he was hit in the shoulder. The kid looked generally shocked for a second, then he looked to Kunihiro with a wide grin. The message was clear-he was now officially a combatant.

The snowballs started flying faster than before, and Kunihiro found himself moving He tried to keep himself around the snow sculpture, protecting it while returning fire on his opponents. Luckily, he had some help in the form of Hisako and her friends.

Yep, this definitely wasn't how I planned on spending my little walk! The thought was spoken with a feeling joy as he continued to deplete the snow around him depositing it on the faces of a handful of kids…and even adults. Kunihiro's eyes widened as he dodged a snowball thrown not from a child but seemingly a parent. "Decided to join in?" He called.

"Figure I might as well since you're already here!" The man shouted back with a grin.

His snow coat lived up to its name, tanking numerous balls of snow. Behind him, the snow tower was slowly worn down, glancing blows taking small chunks out of it. Kunihiro had a feeling that he wasn't protecting it as much as he should have been. He was simply having fun in this unexpected moment.

He may not have had his son's super honed seasons, but he still had sharp enough senses. Feeling his heart thumping in his chest, he ducked, allowing a snowball to sail over his head. Quickly scooping up another fistful of snow, he spun around and hurled it with a bit more force than normal. By now he had adrenaline pumping through him, excitement going into his every motion. It showed as the snowball traveled with greater speed than his previous throws. Unfortunately, his intended target was able to react in time. Kunihiro frowned in annoyance as the black-haired man he'd been aiming at side stepped his projectile, only barely though.

His snowball continued to fly though, and it eventually hit something. It was a person, but not anyone involved in the snowball fight.

Kunihiro's eyes widened as he watched the woman stumble, nearly dropping her phone in the process. Ingrained instinct took over causing him to sprint forward, shouting apologies. Sadly, his moment of weakness cost him as the next thing he knew, he felt numerous snowballs pelting his back.

"Hey! Can't we call a time out!" he whined.

"Should have said that before you took off!" Came a young, childish male voice.

"Avenge Mister Kuni!" Hisako's voice rung out, sounding very much like a battlefield commander's. Despite the situation, Kunihiro still found it quite cute.

Finally, a sliver of fortune smiled upon him as it seemed he was now excluded from the snowball fight. Still, the damage had been done.

The woman turned to him, an understandably annoyed look on her face. Though not brimming with anger as he'd feared, there was undoubtedly annoyance in her eyes, annoyance aimed solely at him.

Placing both hands at his side, he gave a deep bow. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!"

"Kotono, it was an accident!" Came the voice of another individual. Peering to his left, he saw a woman, likely one of the parents, joining his side. "The kids were playing and some of us got involved. Sorry about that."

Looking between the two, the woman sighed. "I understand, just…set an out of bounds zone, if you could." With that, she walked off, according to Kunihiro's sight toward a car. From the looks of things, it'd thankfully been spared any stray snowballs. He watched her start it up, the roar of the engine ringing in his ears.

A pat to the shoulder tore his attention away from it. "Oh, don't worry about her. She's actually a lot nicer than you'd think."

"I'll keep that in mind." He replied despite wanting to dismiss the words. Whoever that woman was, Kunihiro doubted that he'd be seeing her again. "Thanks for helping me out."

"Thank you for helping my daughter! She does snow sculpting every year, but I have a feeling this year's definitely going to be a memorable one thanks to you."

"Glad I was able to help." Kunihiro responded with a smile. His internal sense of time warned him that at least twenty minutes must have passed. It was in his best interest to get back to the hotel least he end up running let. "I've got some place to be, so I'll be going. Tell your daughter I had a great time."

"I will, and I hope you have a great evening, Mr. Kunihiro." She stated while giving him a small bow of gratitude.

Returning it, Kunihiro turned his back to the park, at least until he heard the cheers and goodbyes of kids. Turning back, he waved at them, especially Hisako.

He'd have quite a story to tell his family once they got back, and probably Sadayo as well. Already, this trip was turning out to be pretty fun.

---

"You know, you always looked cute buddled up for the winter." Akira murmured as he pulled away from his girlfriend. His arms remained loosely at her side; he wasn't quite willing to let go of her yet. Especially when she had that cute blush on her face.

"Geez, can you ever lay off the sweet talk?" She replied despite that pink tinge on her cheeks. "Your parents are right there."

"Hey, I've heard them say similar things to each other." Knowing his parents had heard the entire conversation, he turned back to look at them. Fittingly, both of them blushed pink, proof of his words. Having gotten his laughs in, he fully stepped aside allowing his parents to move forward. He watched with joy as they both gave Sadayo brief but tender hugs.

Normally, physical affection of that level could have been seen as a bit much, but quite a bond had developed between his parents and his girlfriend. Rather funny considering how their first meeting had gone and how tense the handful of meetings afterward had been. Yet another miraculous turnaround that he'd been witness to, and a part of.

Once the hugs and introductions were done with, the Kurusus loaded into Sadayo's car. Despite being told that she had a car of her own, Akira was still in a bit of disbelief seeing his girlfriend get behind the wheel. Rather ironic considering that her father was a car mechanic who'd taught her a good deal about cars and mechanical engineering. He chalked that up to having lived in Tokyo for what felt like years. Walking, cabs, buses, and railways were how he'd gotten around, rarely by personal car. Of course, there was the time Sojiro picked him up from the train station and drove him around in his personal car. That'd been a quietly tense drive.

Sadayo's car was worthy of a whistle of amazement from Akira when he laid eyes on it. "You really do own a Lancer."

"What, you ever doubted me?" She ribbed back at him. For good reason she was proud of 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. The interior was just as good as the dark blue exterior. "Sorry if it's a little cramped for you three."

"Don't worry about it," his dad answered, once again sitting up front. "We've had worse, and this isn't so bad. I have to say though, I'm incredibly impressed."

"Same here. I'm assuming your father had something to do with this?"

"More or less. Truth is this is actually a birthday present he got me way back." The curly-haired brunette confessed as they hit the road. "A costumer dropped it off with him and then told him to keep it. Naturally, my dad fixed it up into what it is now and then gave it to me. It really helped me in getting around. When I moved to Tokyo, I decided to leave it here in Uonuma with my parents. It's always here for me to use when I'm in town."

"Not too bad when it's snowing like this." Akira offered briefly looking out the window.

"Hey, you and I both know it's perfectly possible to get around without a car in the snow. Granted this is a lot more practical." Sadayo laughed. Her smile turned softer as she continued to explain the story of the modest vehicle they were traveling in. "Since I leave it with my parents, my dad keeps maintenance on this puppy. No matter what, he always does his best to make time for it."

Akira looked at her through the head mirror, quickly theorizing what his girlfriend was thinking. "There's a few places to park this thing, a couple within walking distance of your apartment. It'd save a little bit of money, don't you think?"

"It would." She replied with a slight smile. "Something that I always consider."

"Just keep it in your mind, don't be in a rush." His mom offered with a reassuring smile. "From what we saw, you were able to get around Tokyo pretty well without a car. Heh, of course, I'm saying that as a personal fan of walking and running. A shame I couldn't see more of Tokyo."

"There's always spring, and summer." Akira offered, his intent clear. It got a laugh out of the three other adults in the car.

"I'm…hoping that you guys can stop by during those seasons. Yeah, Uonuma is great in the snow, but you need to see it during the spring. The flowers that bloom around here can be really beautiful."

"Then I'll-we'll plan a spring trip here." Akira near immediately responded. He looked between his parents, a slight blush on his face. It was enough to make them smile and nod in silent agreement. "The pictures you showed me speak for themselves, but seeing them in persona will be all the better."

"I'm glad to hear that." She replied while looking at him through the head mirror. He caught then adorning smile on her face. "What do you think about Uonuma during the winter?"

"Pretty damn cold, way colder and snowier than Meguro." Akira answered with a smirk. "Still, there's something charming about it."

"Agreed." His dad jumped in.

"I'm interested in seeing some of the frozen lakes you have around here. I'm aware that many of them aren't for ice-skating-"

"Trust me, people still do it. You just have to be really careful about it. Typically, you wait until it gets cold enough that the ice is a few feet thick. I think it's that cold, but it's better to check before."

"Great! I can't wait to buy a new pair of ice skates!"

"That'll make pair number four." Murmured his dad from up front.

"Four sets of ice skates? Do you like collecting them, Azumi-san?"

His mom gave her a sheepish smile. "You could say that. The first pair I wore out while the second pair were a replacement. As for the third, a backup, so that'll make this one something of a leisure buy."

"Well, this is a vacation, and it has been a few days since Christmas. Suppose we have to start at some point." Spoke the Kurusu patriarch in an almost resigned voice. It got a chuckle from his wife, who also batted her eyes at him from behind. "Sadayo, I did speak to you about teaching you how to ice skate, didn't I?"

"You…still remember that?" The curly-haired brunette asked with noticeable hesitancy.

"Of course, I do! Teaching you would be a lovely chance for us to bond even more!" Though her mom said that with a positive face, Akira could sense the tensing up of his girlfriend.

Sadayo was a romantic, a soft-hearted romantic, and he loved her for it. He also loved her occasional shyness when she was taken a bit out of her comfort zone. Surprisingly, that included dancing. On some level, Akira could understand it-there was a difference between watching dancing on TV and actually doing it. Anyone could do the former, but the latter could be a different story. Akira himself had some natural aptitude curtsy of his mom, who nurtured that aptitude. When he took his girlfriend up into his arms for their first dance, Sadayo couldn't stop blushing, or nearly tripping over herself. She said she wasn't a graceful person, even after she was freed from her debt.

Akira had promised to help her change that; he didn't have any intentions of breaking that promise now.

Without a word, he reached over and quietly tapped his mom on the knee. Upon looking at him, she quickly read his face and nodded. Though he was sure she still planned on spending that bonding time with Sadayo, she was going to give Akira a chance to help her find her rhythm.

Akira eagerly looked forward to that time.

-O-

"Alright, here we are."

Akira heard the slight apprehension in her voice. It was entirely understandable; he was feeling the anxiety himself. It was like a steady drumbeat in his chest, its pounding synchronized with his heart's. He pushed past the joint noise to step out of the car. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he walked around to the other side. To his surprise, he found Sadayo had already gotten out. Upon meeting his eyes, she smiled in relief at him. The sight was a spring wind that blew away the coldness around him, and the anxiety was blown away as well. Her smile was the bright yellow sun breaking through the dark clouds.

He stepped forward and took her hand, feeling the warmth of her soul through their gloves. "Ready?" Akira asked.

She squeezed his hand. "Ready." She affirmed, her voice brimming with quiet confidence. As they came into their inner circle, she looked to his parents, both of whom placed comforting hands on Akira's shoulder.

"We're all ready." His dad spoke in a calm and resolute tone.

With a deep breath, she turned back to the house, the rest of the Kurusu family following suit. The Kawakami house was a simple two-story building, but the real eye-catching aspect was the garage. It sat to the left of the house, the modular-style garage being big enough to fit two cars. One car was present leaving room for another-Sadayo's. Akira immediately realized that's where her Mitsubishi Lancer spent most of its time-hunkered away indoors, especially during the winter. Beside it was another car, just as slim but with a black coloration. His guess was that one belonged to her parents.

Even before they got to the door, Akira could practically sense the movement of the individuals within the home. His ears picked up the footsteps of two people as they came to the door. They knew Sadayo had returned, and she'd brought company.

Well, here it is. You can do this. You will do this. His hands flexed in and out as his girlfriend knocked on the door.

"Mom, dad, I'm back! And I've brought company!" She called in a cherry voice. It was hard to tell if she was still nervous given how upbeat her voice sounded.

A second later and the door swung open, revealing Satoru and Kotono Kawakami. Upon seeing their daughter standing at the door, their faces lit up with benign joy. And then they got a look at the company she mentioned.

"Sadayo!" her father, Satoru called. He was around the same height as Akira and his father, another man who seemed a tad taller than the average person. Despite normally working in a garage, he'd taken the time to freshen up. Akira couldn't spot a single smidgen of grease on him, nor did he smell any of it. There were slight creases around his eyes, no doubt from years of intense work. Speaking of his eyes, they were a slightly darker shade of green. He had Yusuke to thank for being able to spot the difference in shading between Sadayo's hair and his. The former's was on the darker side while the latter's was on the brighter side, being tawny brown.

Looking to her mother, Akira saw that she's where Sadayo's hair color had came from. In contrast to her though, her hair was straighter, far neater down to the bangs that framed both sides of her face. Perfectly cut, as befitting a woman of her position. What joy she felt at seeing her daughter again was overcame by surprise as she looked to him and his family. It changed into recognition as her eyes fell on his dad.

"Y-You?"

"Y-You're…you're Sadayo's mother?!"

Akira blinked. "Um, dad, do you…know her?"

"Well, I…I wouldn't say we know each other." He stammered. "More like we-"

"Met just a little while ago." The woman answered. "I was…caught in the middle of a snowball fight he was having with some of the kids by Nakamori Park. He hit me on accident."

Akira blinked again. He found himself looking back at his dad, he could see the panic rising up in him. "That's…pretty coincidental."

"Ain't that the truth." Sadayo mused beside him. Like him, she didn't sound too angry about it, and she seemingly wasn't angry at his dad. Seriously, what were the odds of their parents meeting before they were introduced formally introduced to each other? And over a snowball fight of all things! Sadayo shook off the shock and refocused on her-on their-original objective. "Mom, dad," she called.

The Kawakamis looked between each other, then stepped aside and stretched out their hands. After a short bow of gratitude, Kurusus stepped into the door way; first Akira, then his mom, and finally his dad. He looked back at him as Sadayo closed and locked the door behind him. As best he could, Akira tried to quell his father's slight unease with a smile.

Taking his seat in the living room gave Akira a severe sense of déjà vu; he was certain the same went for his parents and Sadayo. Instead of a table and chairs, there were two ashen gray sofas adjacent to each other. Before both of them sat a rather nice oak wood coffee table with black legs. Upon it a tray of tea, freshly brewed by Kotono and Sadayo. Once they returned with the set, all hands reached in for it. Across from the pillow facing the wall sat a lone lounge chair that Kunihiro took for himself. Near directly across from him sat Azumi. Beside her sat Akira, and beside him, Sadayo.

As the Kawakamis looked at the sitting arrangement, the Kurusus and their daughter could see the gears beginning to turn in their heads. Especially when they noticed how closely she sat to Akira.

"Mom, dad," Sadayo began. "I told you that I had a boyfriend…and that it was…a little complicated."

"That you did, and it got us worried." Her father admitted with a slight frown. Beside him, his wife continuously looked between Akira and his father. Inevitably, they settled on him.

"I want to say that you were wrong to worry, but…you both were right." The high school teacher confessed, her own face slightly gloomy.

It was nothing compared to the expression on her mother's face. "S-S-Sadayo," she whispered.

Her frown turned into a one of resolution as she reached up to her neck. Catching on, Akira did the same. Simultaneously, they pulled out the initials necklace that they both cared. Necklaces that they'd wore around their necks at almost all times. It's how their parents and several others had correctly deduced they were in a relationship of some sort.

Akira reached over and grabbed Sadayo's right hand. She looked to him, silently accepting that he would be the one to take the first plunge.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kawakami, my name is Akira Kurusu. I am a former student of Shujin Academy, one of your daughter's students. For almost two years up until now…I was, no, I am her boyfriend." He'd practiced the confession a dozen times, knowing there was only so much practice that could prepare him for the real thing. It helped a little but Akira knew nothing could compare to the moment of truth's actual arrival.

When it came to relationships like his and Sadayo's, rarely anything could.

"WHAT?!"

His parents winced as the tea cups were dropped from the opposing parents' hands. According to Sadayo, when she had her talk with his parents at Leblanc they'd ended up spitting out their coffee when they learned she helped make his infiltration tools. That well and truly felt like small fry compared to the main reveal of the night.

Despite their shock, the Kawakamis caught the aside glances that Akira and Sadayo shot his parents. Her mother was the first to recover.

"Y-Y-Y-You two knew about this!"

"We found in the fall when we went to Tokyo for a family trip." His dad quickly and calmly explained. "Believe us, we had the same reaction as you two are having now." That was all that was needed to be said. The finer details could wait…hopefully after they'd moved past the Kawakami's shock, and outrage.

Both parents looked between Akira and Sadayo, those two feelings swirling within them, mixing and fighting for dominance.

"S-S-S-Sadayo," her father gasped, struggling to find his words. "Y-You…w-w-would you…how could you…I-"

"How could you do something so reckless!" Kotono Kawakami's voice was like thunder, shaking the entire house down to its foundations. Despite the intensity of it, both her daughter and Akira stood firm. They looked back at her not with anger but quiet resolution. "After being falsely accused of that before, you went and actually got involved with one of your students! And you've apparently still involved with him!"

"Yes, mom, I am." Sadayo answered with serene resolve. "We've continued dating long after he left Tokyo in 2017."

"Some of those trips and vacations you took," her father murmured. Thankfully he'd kept from erupting in thunderous fury like his wife, but the unease was still there. His dark green focused on Akira; he knew he was being sized up. It was something he was used to, something he would always be used to. Satoru's eyes narrowed as they met his. Though he wasn't being vocal about it, he was showing he wasn't anymore okay with this than his wife was.

Sadayo wasn't blind to the unified displeasure of her parents. "Yes, some of them were to see Akira. We tried to see each other as often as we could. It was a long distance relationship that we made work."

"…For…going on two years." Her mother grounded out. "That means that you…you began dating-"

"When I was sixteen, yes, we did." Akira finally spoke up. The intensity of their glares shot up, but he remained undeterred. He'd been expecting all of this. "My birthday is at the end of February, so I'll be eighteen by the end of next month."

"Like that matters!" Kotono growled. Her brown eyes were focused entirely on Akira. It was clear she'd already settled on blaming him for this, not entirely an unreasonable assumption. "My daughter is thirty-three! She's almost twice your age!"

"I know, and I still love her." Akira replied, his voice never rising above an even tone.

"Love her? You…you…"

"He does indeed love her, and your daughter loves our son." While Kotono Kawakami's voice was the thunder, Azumi Kurusu's voice was the lightning. It was fast and divisive, cutting through the void with lethality. Akira looked to his mother on his right. She sat utterly composed and confident, just like his dad. "Mr. Kawakami, Mrs. Kawakami, believe me when I say we perfectly understand what you're going through. We went through the exact same thing when we found out in October."

"And yet by the looks on your faces…the fact that you're all here, you came to accept it." Satoru summarized. Both nodded, leaving him to look back at his wife, and then to his daughter. The two shared a long stare down, which was joined by his wife. Her anger faded in place of heartfelt concern. "Sadayo…you know what you did was…wrong. He was your student."

"Yes, dad, he was. Even though he's no longer my student and set to graduation this spring, it doesn't change the fact that I willing engaged in a relationship with him, a minor."

"After being accused of doing exactly that before." Her mother added. Her grief overwhelmed her leading her to bury her head in her hands. "Oh, Sadayo, why? Why would you do something like this! Did he force you into this relationship?"

That was the spark that could have ignited a firestorm. Instead, Sadayo swiftly and calmly snuffed it out with the gale of her voice.

"No, mom. He didn't. There was no forcing on either of our parts. Beginning a relationship was something we both decided to do." He could help but look at her, falling into silent awe at the resolve on her face. Akira remembered when she couldn't make that face, but now she could when the situation called for it. She could stand strong against any opposition, even from her own parents. "I'll admit, I had some hesitancy, enough that I needed some time to consider his confession."

"So he did pressure you into this relationship." Her mother spoke with an edge in her voice.

"No, he didn't, mom." Sadayo fired back. "Listen, he was the first one to confess to me, but by then I'd already developed feelings for Akira. His confession forced me to confront those feelings, and in the end, I decided that I wasn't going to run from them."

"You should have though." Her father said. He was still being the calmer one despite his opposition to the relationship. "Sadayo, he was your student." He switched his gaze to Akira, his eyes hardening into a glare. "And she was a teacher. I take it that this relationship happened after Kamoshida's exposure and subsequent arrest."

"Yes, it did." Akira affirmed. "We got together in July. The shadow of Kamoshida was still over the school, over us. It's one of the reasons why we were extra sure to be careful." He refrained from bringing up how they'd succeeded in that. This wasn't the time to be snarky or intrusive. At least not yet for that last one.

"We were fully aware of how wrong it was and how much was at stake for the both of us." She paused and looked down at their still interlocked hands. Sadayo looked back at him; he gave a trusting nod as an answer to her unspoken question. "We knew all that and decided to take the risk, together. We're still taking the risk now."

"Did you both really know that? Sadayo, you already had a black mark thanks to that incident at Togakushi High." Satoru said with narrowed eyes. "With the Kamoshida incident, you'd probably never be able to get work anywhere."

"Yes, dad, I knew that. It's one of the reasons why I needed to take some time to consider his confession."

"Why did you consider it in the first place?" Her mother called, the edge returning to her voice. "Like your father said, Sadayo, this was your future! You were willing to risk it all for him!" She gestured toward Akira with clear disdain.

He could practically feel his parents tensing up. They hadn't even gotten around to his history and they were already disparaging him. They restrained themselves knowing that this was natural, not to mention they'd done the same to Sadayo when they first found out. His mom especially knew that, as evident by her sympathetic look to the both of them.

His girlfriend squeezed his hand. "Yes, mom, I decided that I was willing to risk it all for Akira. Believe me, it wasn't like I made that choice lightly, but I did. I'm going to tell you both that I don't regret it."

"And neither do I." Akira jumped in. It was like he'd scaled up a tree with a metal helmet. The lightning bolts flew immediately.

"Our daughter was the one at risk." Kotono sneered. "If anyone found out, she's the one who'd pay the ultimate price! Not you! Don't talk like you-"

"He was on prohibition, mom!" Sadayo's voice was a gale that swiftly wrapped around Akira. In protecting him, it also disoriented her parents.

"P-Prohibition?" Her mother stammered.

"…Akira," Came the somewhat tense call of her father.

Just as Akira opened his mouth to explain, Sadayo again intervened. "Do either of you remember Masayoshi Shido?"

Their immediate reactions were proof that they did. The Kawakamis looked between each other with surprise, then nodded.

"Sadayo, what does this kid have to do with him?" Satoru asked, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

She took a breath, preparing to explain the story of Akira's unfortunate association with the man who almost became Japan's prime minister. Looking over at his parents, he saw the pain breaking through on both of their faces. They hated reliving the memory, but in order to move forward, they were going to have to.

"Back in 2016, he stopped in Akira's hometown, Meguro, for a campaign event. He got drunk and tried to assaulted a woman in the middle of the night. Akira was there and tried to stop him." The pain was there in Sadayo's voice as well, but like his parents she pressed through it. "Instead of thinking him, the woman collaborated Shido's story that Akira had been the aggressor. He was framed for assault when he was trying to stop it." Her eyes narrowed, fire raging within them as she finished addressing her parents. "He was ostracized by his entire town, as was his family. All for doing the right thing."

The news was shocking to her parents. Both of their faces went white at the revelation. Not only was it a personal revelation regarding Akira, it was likely another blow to their already dented image of Shido.

They'd cast their vote for Shido, just like millions of other people across Japan. Akira didn't blame them for supporting Shido, the man could be a charming bastard when on camera. That charm had held enough sway that there were still holdouts even after his public confession. He just hoped that Sadayo's parents weren't among them.

As they looked between each other, Akira saw hope on that front. When he caught their gaze, he saw sympathy on their faces. Coming from their daughter's lips, they knew the story was true. While they still might not have been totally accepting of him, they at least had an idea of what kind of person he was.

Sadayo exhaled again, looking to his parents in sympathy. They smiled at her, clearly showing their own gratitude toward her. Two years ago, they'd have given anything for someone like her.

"Akira was expelled from his current school because of the accusation. No other school in the area would take him, but eventually Shujin accepted him. That's how we met." Her face fell as she arrived at another less than stellar part of the story. His parents continued to give her supportive smiles, as did Akira himself. "He came to Shujin believed by everyone, including myself to be a violent delinquent because of that assault conviction."

"You weren't wrong to." Kotono said. All eyes went to her. To her credit, she kept her composure. "I'm sorry. It's just…to have Masayoshi Shido pressing charges against you for assault was-"

"Damaging, yes. We know." His father's voice was cut in. The slight tension there was before was back, and at a new level of intensity. When they met one another's gaze, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. "Our son was a pariah when he came to Shujin, distrusted at best by everyone, including Sadayo."

"To be clear, she's apologized to us for that, and we can understand how she felt." The Kurusu matriarch cut in. "Despite our best efforts to give Akira a fresh start, things just…didn't work out in our favor beyond that one blessing."

"Mr. Kurusu, Mrs. Kurusu, Akira," The slightly booming nature of Satoru's voice. It was now his turn to command the room. Looking at the three visitors to his home, he bowed his head. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what your family went through. I truly am."

His apology was a surprisingly warm breeze that brought a sense of calmness to the room. It was enhanced by the bow of his wife, as well as her own words.

"I too am sorry for all that. Especially since…I…we were Shido supporters. The news of his crimes were quite shocking to us, though after some time we accepted the truth. Now, we're learning he was even worse than we thought." The Kawakami matriarch said in a quiet but still serene voice.

"Thank you." Akira's dad simply said. His family had been on the receiving end of such apologies over the last year. None of them made up for the turmoil his family had gone through, but…they were still nice to have. Some of them the Kurusus genuinely took to heart. The ones they just got were more than likely to fall into that category.

After the seconds of silence turned into a minute, it was decided that things needed to get back on track. "Sadayo, could you please continue where you left off. Akira coming to Shujin as a pariah at least fills in some of the blanks for us. I'm…assuming after you realized he wasn't a bad kid you started to…warm up to him?"

"More or less, dad. My opinion of him started to change after I saw him stand up to Kamoshida, something practically everyone else in the school had practically given up on doing. Despite what happened, Akira still had his sense of justice. That's…one of the things that drew me to him." She looked to her parents with a shameless blush and a smile. Her father gave her a similar smile while her mother tried to look away. In the end though, she still looked back and smiled at her in understanding. "I got to see how much of a good person Akira was. At school and outside of it, especially when he…"

"Sadayo," he spoke.

She still smiled as looked his way. Their joint hands were raised with her placing a short kiss on his.

"I'm ready, Akira." She said. "It's time for them to know."

"Know what?" Her father asked in worry. They noticed the apprehensive looks on the couple's faces, and the faces of Akira's parents. His wife found the same, and it caused her anxiety to rise again. "Sadayo, what happened? What aren't you telling us?"

"Something that I've been ashamed to tell you both for a while." She had to prepare herself for this. Beside their romantic relationship, this was going to be the hardest part for her. "Mom, dad…when I left Togakushi High, Taiki's guardians…the Takeses…they didn't let me go so easily. They…they guilt tripped me into believing that I had to make up for his death."

"B-But what happened to him was an accident. You had nothing to do with it, Sadayo."

"I know that, mom. Or at least…I know that to make up for his death I had to do something other than keep on paying apology money."

"Apology money? Sadayo, what are you-" The truth finally dawned on not just Kotono's face but Satoru's as well. Understandably, their eyes widened in horror. "S-S-Sadayo…"

"Like I said, they guilt tripped me." She gloomily confirmed. "Taiki's death hit me so hard. I'd failed him. As his teacher, I'd failed him in the worst possible way. I had to make it up to him somehow, and I…thought that his aunt and uncle knew how to. They convinced me paying them was how I could make it up to Taiki, and that's what I did."

"Oh, Sadayo." Her mother cried. Her husband reached over and wrapped his arm around her, his face too one of grief. "I dread to ask this, but…what did you do?"

"I took multiple jobs, odd jobs. Including…including…" Akira reached over and placed his other hand on Sadayo's. His mom reached over as well, stretching over to give her support as well. Finally, his dad stood up and walked over, putting his hand over hers as well.

"Sadayo," her father called. "You can tell us and it won't change a thing. We're always going to love you, honey."

"No matter what, but please, as your parents we need to know the truth." Her mother joined in. There was a desperation on the face of her and her husband. They could sense something big was coming, and they were most certainly right.

With all the support behind her, Sadayo finally found it in her to reveal the truth to her parents. "One of the part time jobs I took, probably the most…stressful yet lucrative one was at a health delivery service called Victoria."

"Health delivery service?" It took her father a second to connect the dots. He'd had hundreds of costumers over the years, particularly a dozen from the big city. Surely he'd heard the term before. His eyes widened in horror confirmed he had. "Sadayo!"

Beside him, his wife came to a somewhat similar conclusion of her own. "You were a-"

"She never did anything sexual! Not to any costumers, including me!" Akira impulsively shouted. He'd known exactly where this was going, and despite his resolution to let Sadayo handle it, his protective instincts took over. "She performed house keeping services for her clients, maybe some cooking, but that was it! She never did anything explicit or sexual in nature!" It was too late to stop, so Akira didn't even try to. Neither his parents nor Sadayo tried stepped in to intervene either. For his parents, they knew exactly how this conversation was going to go.

To a degree, they could also sympathize with the horror that the Kawakamis were going through. While there were differences, they understood what it felt like to have a child forced into a horrible situation through no fault of their own. Worse, for even attempting to do the right thing.

Sadayo herself spoke up, knowing she had to further explain things. "Akira's right, mom, dad. Believe me, I never did anything sexual with any costumers. Still, there were some that got a little…handsy. I walked off of those jobs, everyone did as there were rules in working for Victoria." She saw that her words were hollow reassurances. Just the fact that she even had to work as a pseudo call girl was horrible enough.

"…Why…why, Sadayo? Why didn't you come to us before! Why didn't you tell us any of this! WHY?!" This time, the roar of thunder was colored with sorrow. Tear stricken sorrow. In the short while he'd gotten to know Kotono Kawakami, he found her to be a rather stern woman. That said, apathetic she wasn't, especially when it came to her only child. The tears that poured down her eyes were proof of her parental grief.

Sadayo stood up and made the short walk over to her parents. She wrapped her arms around them, and they immediately did the same, her mother crying into her embrace. Akira caught a few tears as well. Like his wife, hearing what his daughter had thrown herself into was enough to break him.

Both his parents watched on with tender, sympathetic eyes. Sadayo's tell had tugged at their heartstrings, so they could only imagine it absolutely yanked on those of her parents. They all listened to Sadayo do her best to sooth her parents. They continued to ask why she hadn't told them any of this before. She replied with the reasons that Akira knew all too well: shame, guilt, and a sheer force of pride. None of them were enough, but they were the truth; all her parents could do was accept it.

Outside the window, Akira became faintly aware of the world growing darker. They'd came by in the mid-afternoon. Day was slowly turning into night. Akira had a feeling that this was going to go on into the night. He'd expected that as just getting through his and Sadayo's shared story was going to take a while. Specifically because of moments like this. Actually gaining acceptance for their relationship? That was a whole other battle that would take its time.

After what felt like an eternity, Sadayo steadily removed herself from her parents' embrace. It pained Akira to see tears on her face. Just as he felt his legs moving to lift him up, he felt a hand on his shoulder pulling him down. Looking back to his mother, she saw him mouth one word-patience. She knew first hand how devoted he was to his former teacher. The same went for his dad, who nodded in agreement with her.

So he remained seated, waiting for his girlfriend to finish comforting her parents as best she could. Once she was seemingly finished, she returned to Akira's side, her hand finding his. He immediately closed his fingers around hers. With his free hand, he reached over and wiped the ears away from her eyes. It brought a smile to her face, one that sent his heart racing. He calmed that beating as they both turned back to look at her parents.

Kotono's face was a mess, but she was doing her best to compose herself knowing the story was about to start up again. She also seemed to be bracing herself, likely because she knew it was going to get worse before it got better.

"Akira," Called her husband. He had a resolute, stern look on his face. It wasn't hostile, but he knew that he'd played a part in all of this. Akira suspected that he already knew he'd played some part in getting Sadayo out of the Takases grip. "Based on your words, I'm assuming you called this company and got our daughter?"

He nodded. "Entirely by accident. Some friends of mine got together at a private apartment and called out for a maid. Just…some dumb, teenager stuff." It wasn't the best thing to say, but it was the truth. Beside him, Sadayo giggled, bringing some joviality back to the room. "We weren't calling for anyone specific, but by pure chance, we ended up getting Sadayo. Or rather, I did. He found himself chuckling alongside his girlfriend. "My friends…chickened out and left me behind, so I'm the only one who found out about Sadayo's maid job. I decided to keep it to myself."

The parents of his girlfriend looked between each other, eventually sighing in relief. One student finding out about her side job was bad enough, but that was certainly better than three.

"She then promptly told me to forget everything I saw just before leaving." He continued.

"You probably know this by now, but I'd rather you did exactly that." Satoru stated, looking significantly worn down. "Of course, I'm sure you didn't. Akira Kurusu, I want you to be honest with me. Why-"

"Why did you continue to call out daughter? Did you ever take advantage of her?" His wife jumped in. The vulnerability from before was gone. She'd slipped back into her guarded phase.

Akira didn't blame her. "Mr. and Mrs. Kawakami, you're right that I continued to call your daughter. As for why, it's because…I needed her help. I cut a deal with her. Since she wasn't getting much business, I more or less promised to become her…star costumer you could say, in exchange for her services."

"Which were?" Kotono pressed, visibly showing she was dreading the answer.

After briefly biting his lip, Akira decided to just get it over with. "House keeping at my…home in Tokyo. Not to mention some favors at school, like being able to skip certain classes…or just sleep through class."

Again, the parents looked between one another and heaved out a joint sigh of relief. It almost made him reluctant burst their bubble.

"Also…help with cleaning certain items and crafting certain tools."

"Tools for what?" Satoru questioned. "What were you doing?"

"Mom, dad," his daughter cautioned.

"I was the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Heart, Joker."

Thunder had boomed, lightning had flashed, and wind had blown, but his words were something entirely new. Something stronger. The stillness of the night fell leaving only the solitary moon to cast its glow upon the landscape. Nothing, not even the wind itself blew. It was complete and utter silence born from shock.

For all of thirty seconds.

"WHAAAAT?!"

"Yep, totally saw that one coming." Sadayo muttered watching her parents literally jump out of their seats.

"Y-YOU?! THAT WAS YOU ALL OVER THE NEWS!" Satoru shouted.

"Y-YOU'RE…YOU RE REALLY A CRIMINAL!" Kotono shrieked.

Akira bit back the urge to get snarky, though he still somewhat ended up failing. "In…a sense. It's not like I stole or actively hurt innocent people. Pretty much the opposite."

"He protected innocent people. You could say he was pretty much an anti-hero." Despite the shock of her parents, Sadayo's posture was lax and her voice affectionate. Akira couldn't help but grin at her. It sent her parents into an even greater tailspin, though she swiftly moved to steady them. "Contrary to what the news said, Akira and his friends helped dozens of people, including me. He's the one who exposed Kamoshida and Shido. Him and his friends, the rest of the Phantom Thieves…several of whom were my students."

Another cry of shock shook the room.

"When Shujin accepted him, we hoped Akira would be able to lay low and spend his time in Tokyo in peace. Obviously, we were quite wrong." His mom spoke in an absurdly calm and even humorous voice. His dad shot her a half-hearted stare before shrugging in acceptance. "All those confessions of criminals and deviants were indeed the work of our son and his friends."

"They're also the ones who freed me from the Takases' grip, mom, dad. Regardless of what society says or thinks, they are heroes. If it weren't for them, not just me, but everyone in Japan would be a whole lot worse off." She had to short of telling them just how much worse off they'd be. They'd likely be unable to express the shock they were experiencing now, or any other emotion at all. The Kawakamis didn't know it, but they were one of the handful of people who'd just been made privy to a world-shaking truth. That said, accepting it was still going to take some time.

Akira saw that as they looked between each other, their daughter, and Akira himself. Quite understandably, they were at a total loss for words. "I don't consider myself a hero, I just…whenever I saw something wrong, I just did what I thought was right. I know that sounds cliché and even arrogant, but that's just what I did. After what happened to me I…I couldn't stand by and watch innocent people suffer, that included your daughter." That caught both of their attention. Like a light in the darkness, they focused on it, their prior confusion seemingly banished. "I was able to continuously call Sadayo through money I gained from my…phantom thieving."

"We'll explain more about it to you both later, but for now…that's the basics of it. I was glad for Akira's service because like I…wasn't getting as many costumers as other workers." A shameful blush seized her cheeks. Both of her parents looked away, a similar look on their faces. Off to the side, he saw his father doing the same thing. Finally, his mom merely had a quiet, passive look on her face. It almost seemed like she was waiting for when next her presence would be needed. "I lied to Akira at first, telling him I had a sick little sister to look after. He saw through it almost immediately, but…he kept on calling me up and paying me."

Her father held up a hand, calling for a temporary pause. "Am I correct to assume that you were calling up my daughter because you wanted to keep seeing her?" He asked directly at Akira.

"Yes, I did, and I'm not just…talking about how she looked. I genuinely enjoyed talking with her once she started opening up to me, and me to her. I gradually came to her not just as my teacher, but as my friend and…someone that I wanted to be happy, no matter what." He confessed.

"So…in those interactions, you forgot that she was a teacher, an adult, and you were her student and still just a kid?" Kotono questioned.

"You could say that. Other times, I'd say that I remembered, I just…didn't care. There was so much hanging over my head, but when I was with Sadayo, it didn't feel that way. I felt…happy, like I could be vulnerable, yet I wanted her to feel those same things. I wanted her to know that she could relax around me."

"And I did. Between teaching, which had became more of…which I'd almost reached the point of giving up on, being a maid, and making those payments to the Takases, I just felt so burnt out." She looked back up at her parents and saw the shock and heartbreak in their eyes. "With Akira though, all of that went away. Sometimes he wouldn't even call me to do anything, he'd just…open up his bed to me and let me lie down. He never touched me or did anything inappropriate to me. Eventually, the entire possibility just left my mind. He became…Akira just became so much more to me than just a client or a student." Her hold on his hand tightened. "Mom, dad, I know it's hard to believe, but that's the truth. All the while, I was falling for him, something I tried to fight but in the end I just couldn't. No matter how much I told myself it was wrong or I should let it go, I just…couldn't."

"Sadayo, did you at least…" The way Kotono stopped herself, Akira could take a guess as to what she was about to say. Could her daughter have fought her feelings for him? She'd already told her she tried, and failed. Even though things had calmed down, there was still such a whirlwind of things for them to process, the romantic relationship between the two of them being the biggest one.

Satoru put his hands together, giving Akira a chance to thoroughly examine them. They were worn and thick, visual proof of his many years of working as a mechanic. Taking things apart to see what they worked, why they didn't worked, and doing his best to fix them. He looked from his wife to his daughter and then finally to Akira himself. The man was trying to see where Akira fit into all that. No, he was trying to accept how Akira fit into his daughter's life. Rather than him or someone her own age, it'd been him, a teenager from the countryside, tempest tossed to the big city, who'd done the fixing. It was so hard to accept, yet Akira could see the glimmers of acceptance on his face.

Unlike his wife, he didn't seem to be denying anything now. That said, the road to acceptance was still a long one that he was currently walking.

Along the way, there was a gate that had to be passed through. "What…what did you do to free our daughter from the Takases? Did you…what was it called, 'stealing hearts'? Did you do that to them?"

"Yes. Sadayo-"

"I couldn't put in a request myself, so…Akira…" The brunette teacher said.

"Request?" Kotono remarked.

"We had a site where people could reach out to us. The requests had to be specific, and acting had to be unanimous amongst our team. Like I said, the people were targeted, we made sure were legitimate…that included abusers like the Takases." Akira clarified.

Kotono and Satoru seemed like they wanted more details, but they decided to push that aside for now.

"Thanks to Akira, I was able to muster up the courage to tell the Takases no more, that I could honor Taiki by being the teacher I was before, the one that he needed. Unfortunately, they…didn't exactly take my decision very well. They threatened to…expose me."

Before either of her parents could say anything, Akira stepped in, his protectiveness rising to the surface. "I wasn't going to let that happen. I refused to let that happen o her. You're right, Mr. Kawakami, I…we Phantom Thieves did take their hearts."

"You threatened them?" Kotono inferred.

Akira paused before giving any solid answer. To be truthful in every sense…he did. He'd threatened their Shadows…and came within a hair's breath of killing them, which would have killed the Takases themselves. It was one of the few lines the team had agreed to never cross, but Akira had came scarily close to doing so. Granted he wouldn't have entirely regretted it. Not if it meant giving Sadayo her freedom back.

His pausing drew a response from someone, a non-verbal response. The elbow to his side came from his right. Without looking her way, he knew what his mom was urging him to do. This wasn't the time for her to step in, it was still his turn to press onward.

"I did…but…not quite in the way you're thinking of. All I can say for now is we took their hearts, and with it, their compacity to hurt anyone else." He finally answered.

Seeing her parents were unconvinced, Sadayo stepped in. "He's telling the truth. Just a few days after they threatened me, they showed up at my door, apologizing for everything. They also gave back all the money I'd earned for them." The news understandably threw her parents for a loop. Her mother made a face, indicating that perhaps she believed her suspicions about threatening to be confirmed. "Akira did that to save me, and he…he did. I knew it was him. Maybe not consciously, but on some level, I…knew he'd saved me. That was one of the things that helped me realize he was a member of the Phantom Thieves."

"He never told you?" Kotono asked, giving Akira a sharp glare.

"Mom," her daughter countered, actually sounding vaguely annoyed. "They were being pursued by the police, who were in the pocket of some of the most corrupt politicians in the country's history. I didn't and still don't blame Akira for keeping his identity a secret. Can't you cut him just a little bit of slack?"

The straight-haired woman crossed her arms and visibly shrugged in acceptance. "Fine, I suppose so."

"Suppose?" Came his dad's own slightly irritated voice. He stopped there, though he did see the continued annoyance on his face.

"Did you ever plan on telling her who you really were, Akira?" Satoru asked.

"I…planned on doing it…one day." He answered. "Regardless of how she felt about me, I…would have told her because I wanted her to know she could rely on me if she ever needed help."

"That'd be fine on it's own, but…since we're sitting here, having this conversation, that wasn't how things turned out, was it?" Finally, there was a bit of joviality in Satoru's voice.

It was exceeded by Sadayo's. Rather she was being overly optimistic or had simply stopped caring, it didn't matter. "Pretty much, dad. I went over to Akira's home to tell him was I was finally able to leave Victoria, as well as tell him the good news. Though I was able to do that, I…realized we wouldn't be able to see each other as often, and that was something that…I wasn't too happy about." She looked to Akira with an inviting smile.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Neither was I. The idea of not being able to see her so often is what helped spur me into confessing o her." The moment of joviality passed as he faced his lover's parents with firm resolution in his eyes. "I didn't know if she was going to say yes to me. Honestly, as much as a part of me was hoping she would…the more logical part of me knew it would have been better if she turned me down."

"That would have been an understatement. You were a sixteen-year-old child with a record who was also moonlighting as a criminal. And you turned our daughter into a criminal accomplice."

"Mom." Sadayo said.

"This is serious, Sadayo!" She retorted.

"I know! I knew how serious it was when Akira confessed to me." Though her voice briefly rose, Sadayo managed to bring it back down to an even level. "Like I said, I…needed some time when Akira confessed to me. Believe me, I knew the right thing to do would have been to turn him down, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. Not even remembering my drive and pride as a teacher could stop me. I knew what the stakes were if I said yes to him, and Akira knew it too." She paused, taking a deep breath. Her eyes held the same steely resolution as Akira's. it'd never faltered, arguably only growing in strength as the conversation continued. "In the end…I chose to accept my feelings, and thus pursue a relationship with Akira. We knew the risks, we talked about it ourselves, and we still decided to go for it. We've faced obstacles, the biggest ones came in November."

"It was announced that the leader of the Phantom Thieves had been caught and committed suicide. Obviously that was a lie as a month later, he, or shall I say, you appeared on national TV." Kotono remarked. The entire time her eyes were on Akira. While not angry, they still possessed a certain edge to them. "You faked your death." He nodded in silent confirmation. "Sadayo,"

"Yes, mom. Akira faked his death. When he did, he had to go underground for a while. That meant he couldn't stay at his home…so I put him up in mine. We lived together for practically all of December." Her parents' faces blanched. "Yes, mom, dad. We slept together, in the same bed. By that point…we'd already had sex."

"SADAYO!" Her mother yelled, her voice sounding utterly scandalized.

Still, she sat resolute, unwavering under her parents' gaze. "Like I said, I won't deny that what we've done was morally wrong, but I will not say that I regret any bit of our time spent together. We made sure to use protection every time we were intimate, right up until now. We've taken every precaution necessary up until now, and we're going to keep doing so in the future."

That got both of them to understandable raise their eyes in alarm.

Akira again laid his other hand atop Sadayo's. "Mr. and Mrs. Kawakami, you've raised an incredible woman. She's undoubtedly the best teacher at Shujin, probably the best I've ever met. She's also one of the strongest women I've ever met. I'm not just saying that because I'm in love with her, I fell for her because she is those things. She's strong, resourceful, and most importantly, she's one of the most compassionate people I've ever met. When I look at her, that's all I see. I know that's probably not enough for either of you, but that is the truth. I'm never going to stop loving her and trying to make her happy."

"And I'm at my happiest when I'm with him, mom, dad." She finished. Though things had never gotten too heated between them, her face had a sternness to it. "I love you both so much, but I also love Akira. He is the man that I've chosen to give my heart to, and every day I wake up knowing I've made the right decision. I want you two to accept that. Neither of you have to like it, but I want you accept it. If only for my sake."

The Kawakamis were silent, their mouths slight agape at the passion that their daughter had exhibited in defending Akira. He was in silent awe of her himself.

"So…as someone who went from being my master to my boyfriend, do you have any requests for me? I'll obey them you know, even though I'm no longer a maid."

"Well, aren't I a lucky guy. I do have a request, a very special one. I want you to rely on me."

"Don't be so conceited. You're younger, so you should rely on me."

Despite her words, Akira promised himself that he wouldn't' rely on her too much. He wanted to pull his fair share in this relationship. Sadayo told him he was, but that she wanted to do the same. Times like this, he felt like he was the one lacking. He felt like he needed to step up his game because his girlfriend was simply that amazing. Like he said, he wanted to make her stay beside her and make her happy. Hearing that passionate declaration and plea just reaffirmed that this was definitely the woman whom he wanted beside him, most likely for the rest of his life.

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Aaand that wraps up Chapter 13, and with it, Akira finally getting to meet Sadayo's parents. This moment has been a long time coming since Sadayo met his parents and had to work her way to getting their approval. My original intent was to show the Kawakamis reacting not quite in the same way as the Kurusus on multiple levels. That said, I did try to slip in some similarities, such as the obvious "WTF" moment when the relationship reveal came.

One big chunk of writer's block I had to deal with was what the "incident" between Kunihiro and Kotono would be. For those of you who've read the second chapter of "Christmas With You", the two don't exactly get along. Since starting this story, I've been thinking of showing their dislike of each other from the beginning. Besides just a natural dislike for one another, I wanted something else-a comedic little incident with Kunihiro at fault. At the time, he had no idea that the woman he just crossed was the mother of his son's girlfriend, so surprise, surprise when the two families finally met. I spent days and later weeks thinking about what the incident could be until I finally decided on a low-key snowball fight. Uonuma experiences rather cold winters and sees some heavy snowfall, so after a lot of thinking I decided to just go with the idea since I already had a few others involving the snow.

When it came to the explaining, it felt natural to me to have the Kawakamis being less accepting of the relationship. Also, their emotional reaction to what Sadayo had to go through. I plan on exploring that more thoroughly in the next two chapters since this is their family's arc. It can be very, very bad when families keep secrets from each other, especially painful secrets. Having witnessed it up close, it can be painful for a parent to believe they've failed to take care of their child. In a sense, that's going to tie the Kawakami and Kurusu families together, or rather tie them more closely together.

I've seen a lot of back and forth regarding Sadayo's job, but I'll give some clarification here. "Health delivery service" is a real thing in Japan, particularly being common in big cities such as Tokyo. Satoru, having talked with a variety of costumers, particularly a few from major cities, I believe would have heard it a couple of times. That or just out drinking with some coworkers and friends.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, the next one should be up some time around the end of next month. Let me know what you thought of it in the reviews. Until then, stay safe, readers!