Since I'm going to go out of the town for the rest of the week, I guess I'll just post this now. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! ^^

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon and the chapter title is taken from the sitcom with the same title although I'll tell in advance I'm not going to make any reference to it.

Lyla's characterisation in this story is slightly different from the one in the game (I'm referring to Save The Homeland more than Hero of Leaf Valley since I don't play the latter). I hope you guys don't really mind this.

Neil

Gwen told me Reine was having flu and fever now. Quite a bad one. I pick my phone and dial her number. As usual, she picks it up after three rings.

"Yeah?"

Her voice sounds throaty. Sick kind of throaty, much unlike her usual cheery and light-hearted voice.

"I heard from Gwen."

She laughs. Even fever couldn't stop her from laughing, I see. "Of course," she says, before coughing. "Who else are you going to hear that from?"

"You want me to visit?"

"Oh, if only you could." She replies. "Don't you know my mom is a stay-at-home mom?"

"What kind of person your mom is?"

"She's nice and open-minded, and she can hold a lengthy conversation much better than you can stand on your legs."

"Sounds like she's very friendly."

Reine laughs again. "She is, and she's a very good investigator, if you get what I mean."

We talk for a bit more before she sounds very airy and she begins to ramble. "I think you should rest."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Get well soon."

"Yup. Thanks."

"And, um…"

"Hm?"

"Gonna miss you, I guess…"

She laughs… again. I swear she becomes more and more like Rod in terms of their frequency of laughing. Not that I don't like it. "Guess, huh?" she says. "I will surely do."

I find myself chuckling at her response.

After we hang up, I take a look on the cupboard and realise that I've finished my milk. Well, time to hit the store. I make a list of the things I need to buy besides milk (toilet paper, detergent, cup noodles), take my jacket and leave.

Well, I told her that if her parents didn't approve of us I would simply walk away. I knew she thought I was choosing the path with least confrontation, which might be true.

Do I love her?

I do.

But her parents have loved her first.

And, you know, sometimes you leave exactly because you love that person and know that leaving is the best option you have. Not the easiest, yes, but the best.

I guess.

Just as the door of the store slides open for me to enter, I see a woman struggling with her purchases on the cashier line; she has bought too many things to be carried alone. Before I know it, I've walked over to her and offer to bring some of her paper bags, and now we're walking on the road as if I'm her son.

"Thank you for helping me,"

"You're welcome."

"What's your name?" she asks, smiling.

"Neil," I reply. "Neil Forrester."

"Where's your school? You're still in high school, right?"

"Uh… Seishun High."

She is beaming, "Isn't that a nice place? My kids go there as well."

I'm so bad at this kind of chit-chat. Save me.

Okay, the least I can do is to listen to her. She seems to be proud of her children since she keeps talking about them endlessly.

She stops at one of the houses, a two-storey house painted in white with a small balcony and only then—how stupid of me—I realise she is pink-haired.

She pushes the front gate, and at the same time the front door is opened. "You should've told me you're going to buy groceries," a voice says, and my heart skips a beat. "I could've he—"

Reine stands on the porch in her pale pink nightgown (and I thought she's the kind who wears T-shirt and shorts to bed), her face flushed red and her green eyes look like they're going to come out when they spot me.

"Oh!" the woman suddenly says as she turns to me, "I really forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lyla Kreiss."

Too late. I say inwardly.

"Mom?"

We turn around and find Allen and Gwen. Both of them are unsurprisingly surprised when they see me standing beside Mrs Kreiss.

Can this be even worse?

Gwen

I thought Neil and Reine agree to go backstreet with their relationship.

Then why is Neil carrying Mom's groceries?

Reine is standing on the porch just in her nightgown (and I'm telling you, the skirt doesn't even reach half of her knees and wind will easily blow the skirt away). It takes some moment for the bracketed fact to register to her, and when it does, she runs into the house and I can hear her hurried steps on the wooden stairs. I hope she doesn't slip and fall down.

Mom, smiling as always, doesn't seem to sense the awkwardness (but I won't be surprised if she does. She seems to know everything) and she greets Allen. She turns at me, "How was your date?"

Oh, yes, Mom is the kind of person who can casually ask this kind of question. I simply smile back. "It was… fun."

Reine reappears on the porch, now with a jacket that she zips all the way to the top and a pair of shorts. "H-how long are you guys planning to… stay outside?" she asks hesitantly.

"We're coming in," Mom replies before turning to Neil again, "Oh, do you know her? She's Reine, my younger daughter."

"Reine, he's Neil. He's kind enough to help me carry my groceries just now."

Both of them just stare at each other before slightly bowing their heads as if they're going to spar with each other in karate.

Allen tries his best to contain his laughter and so do I. Talk about awkwardness.

"You should've told me. I can help you." Reine grumbles as we walk into the living room.

"What kind of mother would ask her unwell daughter to help with groceries?"

"Then don't buy so many things."

"Well, your aunt Claire is coming here soon with your uncle Trent."

"Still…"

Mom pulls Reine closer and kisses her adoringly on her cheeks. Yes, Mom still does that to us. For Reine, the gesture means 'shut up'. So she does. Mom then turns to Neil and points at the dining table, "You can put the things over there, thank you very much."

Without saying anything, Neil obliges just like a good… dog.

Okay, maybe son-in-law to be.

"Uh, I… I'd better get going." He says.

"Why the hurry?"

"I-I..." Neil stammers like a broken record machine, "I have to go."

"Is it that urgent? I have to thank you for your help." She insists, "oh, Gwen, do you know him? He's from your school."

Well, how should I answer this?

Thankfully, Allen comes to my rescue. He takes off his glasses (and looks ten times more charming that way), wipes them briefly before putting it on again, "Oh, that's you, Neil! My glasses were blurred out just now I couldn't recognise you!"

"So you guys are friends?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Then it means more reason for you to stay a bit longer!"

Neil looks horrified at that proposal and from the corner of my eyes, I can see Allen chuckling, satisfied.

Neil

The living room consists of two loveseats and one single-cushioned couch of the same design. Reine gives a desperate signal to Gwen so that they would sit together, but when Gwen agrees to help out, Allen grabs her by her waist and sits her down next to him.

Mrs Kreiss smiles at them. "Young lovebirds," she says in a low tone before sitting down on the single-cushioned couch.

No, that's not simply it.

I glare at Allen and he smirks at me.

I knew it. Darn you, Allen Rosencrantz.

Reine throws herself onto the other loveseat, burying her hands into the pocket of her jacket, and leans back.

Guess I have no choice, then. I sit next to her, but ensuring there's enough space between us. "Oh, I'm going to make some tea. You guys can just chat,"

With that said, she rises up and walks into the house.

Once her steps can't be heard anymore, Allen breaks into the laughter I know he's been holding in. "Can't you just cooperate and help me out for once?" I ask him.

"I am helping you!" He says, "to tell Mrs Kreiss about you guys!"

Gwen laughs.

"Shhh!"

"It's okay, she's a very nice person," Allen says.

Whatever. I don't know what's going on anymore. I then turn at Reine, "Hey, how're you doing?"

"What do you think?" she replies with an even worse throaty voice than the one on the phone. "How the hell you met Mom for God's sake?"

"I thought you were the one asking me when we can tell them," I reply, trying to hold my tone.

She looks away, grumbling incoherently with some coughs as intermezzos.

"She's not going to remember this when her fever breaks," Gwen says. "Don't mind her harshness for now."

"Whatever…" Reine says.

"Anyway, I'm also curious. How come…"

"I was going to buy some stuff and she was struggling with her things." I tell them, "Guess it wouldn't hurt to help. I didn't think it was her."

"But her hair is—"

"I wasn't really paying attention, okay?"

There were more pressing things to be paid attention to. Such as… what to do if I met Reine's parents, although I guess now it's kinda pointless to think over it.

Allen laughs. "You can't be more entertaining than this, Neil."

"Shut up. Whatever."

Mrs Kreiss comes back with a teapot, five cups, and a jar of cookies on a tray. She puts the tray on the coffee table in front of us. Reine offers to pour the tea, but in the end Gwen is the one doing it.

"Aren't they such good daughters?" she says proudly. "Well, Reine can be quite… headstrong at times, though. Sometimes I'm worried she won't find a good boyfriend."

Reine grumbles again.

"Well, I'm sure there is," Allen says, glancing at me with a teasing look. "I know someone who thinks such girls are… irresistible."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes," Allen assures her, smiling politely.

I don't like where this conversation is going, really.

Suddenly, she turns at me, "Can I ask you something?"

Not knowing how else to answer her, I nod.

"What club are you in?"

Shit.

I look at Allen and Gwen. They don't give me the cooperative look. I guess I can't lie on this.

"Karate." I eventually say.

Understandably, Mrs Kreiss looks puzzled by my answer. "Reine is in Karate as well, don't you guys know each other, then?"

"Um… I don't really interact with… the girls."

Well, I didn't lie on that.

She smiles, "I see… so what do you think of her now that you've seen her?"

For the love of God, is she trying to hook me up with Reine?!

Allen bursts out laughing. Seems he can't hold it any longer.

Mrs Kreiss turns at him, "What's wrong?"

Gwen quickly pokes Allen on his waist, "Sorry, I must've been poking him too hard."

Thank you, Gwen. No sarcasm. Well, maybe that statement itself is sarcasm. I don't know anymore.

I mean, how lousier this can be?

Save me.

"Mom, you don't need to hook me up with other guys." Reine suddenly says. "Seriously, I'm not that… that…"

"Unmarketable?" Allen offers.

"Whatever." Reine replies nonchalantly. "I do have a boyfriend."

I stare at her in disbelief.

"Well, why don't you ever tell your mom about this?" Mrs Kreiss asked in a calm tone as if she has been expecting this.

Wait, don't tell me…

"After that thing with Gwen and Allen? I'm not going to bring another storm so soon. Dad might've gotten a heart attack this time round. No kidding."

"Well, your dad isn't here now. You can tell me."

Reine stares at her mother. I don't know whether it's because of the fever, or simply the fact she can't hide this anymore, she sighs long and points at me. "I'm dating him. Neil Forrester."

I'm not surprised when Mrs Kreiss doesn't seem to be surprised at that statement. She simply smiles. Looking at that lifts a whole load of weight from me. I mean, her mom doesn't seem so repulsed from the idea of her daughter dating me. That's good.

But, I forget one thing and I'm reminded of it a bit too late.

Allen said the one whom I should watch out for is actually her father.

The front door swings open and a deep voice asks. "Dating whom?"

Reine turns and she grows even paler than she already is. Allen keeps his mouth shut. Even Mrs Kreiss doesn't seem to expect this coming.

His eyes pierce into me much like a drill into the ground. He stands at the same height with me, with dark brown hair and slightly tanned skin compared to his wife and daughters' milky complexion. He wears a crisp suit and carries a briefcase.

I know this might be my last chance to brush it off as Reine's fever rambling.

I look at Reine, who quickly regained her composure and clears her throat. "Hi, Dad." She greets.

Start with a simple offer to carry groceries to meeting his maybe-parents-in-law-to-be. What would Neil do? Will he really give his back to Reine and walk away?

Thanks for reading! Any feedback? ^^