"Otousan, are you growing a beard?" asked Makoto on a Thursday evening, during dinner. The Tachibanas were on their usual dinner session just an hour after his father got home. Ran and Ren were on their usual fight for that one piece of chicken, even if there are plenty on the plate.

"Whaa, Touchan's beard is sharp." Ren jumped out of his seat to touch his father's chin.

"I want to feel it too!" Ran also jumped out of her seat after secretly taking the piece of chicken they were fighting after into her bowl.

"No way! This is a man's thing, girls should stay there quietly"

And so, their fight came to a part 2.

"It's a request from your mother. We were reminiscing the days before we got married last week, and she wanted to see the me on those days again. I figure I should start with this."

"Isn't he handsome?" Mrs Tachibana was tidying up her workplace after cooking their dinner.

Ah, it sure is nice to be in love. Makoto smiled, before a hand reached him with a slap.

"Ah! You slapped Oniichan!" Ren cried out, making an oh-no-you-are-so-dead of a face towards Ran. "Now, oniichan will never let you play in his room again"

"Gomen, Oniichan, gomen!" Ran panicked as she tried to rub the slap away from Makoto's face.

"Stop it you two!" Makoto sighed as he pulled the twins away from their father and made them sit. "I wonder how the two of you can live together and not tearing Okaasan's tummy when she had you."

"Apparently, they were angels back then. Their kicks were really subtle." Mrs Tachibana washed her hands and joined them for the dinner. She gestured Makoto for the plate in front of him. "How's the chicken?"

"New recipe? The soy sauce made it a bit salty," says Mr Tachibana as he took seconds. Mrs Tachibana looked at how he eats and turned to look at Makoto. Apart from their hair and youth, Makoto is a split image of his father. In some ways, he also act like his father sometimes, it was from his father that he inherited the kindness.

"Nee, Makoto. How about you try and grow a beard," says Mrs Tachibana as she was curious if Makoto would look like his father during the days.

"Just for this weekend."

The flashback ended with Nagisa's hysterical laugh. And Rei was trying hard to hold back a comment. They were stretching just on the poolside.

"And later, she said she loved it and wanted me to stay this way. I tried to properly deny, but she made this drama scene about how she think she may not see the day when I grow up." Makoto slumped his shoulder. "I felt like I was going to die of guilt. I didn't even know that side of her. But Otousan did say she was quite an actress back in the days. And he was laughing all that time."

"I thought, if the school doesn't approve this, I could just shave it off, shake this look and be back to the old Makoto. Amachan-sensei just let me off."

"I think Makoto-senpai is beautiful" says Rei as he adjusted his glasses. "Too celebrity-esque but beautiful. Uh, maybe beautiful does not suit a boy. Handsome, yes, let's go with that."

"Nee, Mako-chan, can I touch it?" Nagisa held out his hand to reach Makoto's patch of hair. "Uwaa, so manly! Rei-chan, I have decided. We will start growing beards as off tomorrow."

"But, Nagisa, if I remembered exactly, you were whining just last Wednesday that you haven't shaved in a week but still, no sign of facial hair." Rei added.

"But that was before I saw Mako-chan's look. We could as well score high and get ourselves a high school mate." He looks at Rei and wiggled his eyebrows as to gesture what high school boys are all about. "Na, Mako-chan, what do you think if I were to have a beard? Or a moustache. A moustache would be cooler, though."

Makoto chuckled as the two of the first years went on and on. He turned to Haru who was caught staring at him at the moment. Haru immediately threw his attention towards the pool. It looked a bit dirty. Maybe it is time for them to clean it.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to get yourselves in the pool before Coach Sasabe come. Have you finished stretching and warming up? We don't want any accidents in the pool." Gou came a few minutes after they stopped talking about facial hairs. "Oh, Makoto-senpai, how are you today?"

"Ah, ice did do the trick. It's not as bad as before."

"Nani, nani?" Nagisa forced himself in their small talk.

"Yesterday, the twins were running around the supermarket and senpai was trying to control them, but he tripped and sort of hurt his ankle."

"Oh. Eh? You saw him yesterday?" Nagisa was still in their conversation. "No wonder you weren't surprised by the way he looks."

"I noticed it yesterday, when oniichan and I went for a little shopping and bonding time. Although, he had a thin moustache yesterday. Good call shaving it off. The moustache is funny."

"Ah, Mako-chan! I want to see Mako-chan with a moustache."

Haru rolled his eyes and dive into the cooling water. He felt hot. He felt like he was burning, and this made him dive deep into the water to cool it off.

"Nee, Mako-chan, can I touch it?"

"Makoto-senpai, are you okay?"

"I think Makoto-senpai is beautiful."

Haru felt irritated.