Special Thanks to beta reader/s: TroxX101, Jiraphie

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Yuigahama knocked on the door, and a feminine voice called back. "Coming, just a minute." Hmmm, likely an older sister, her voice seems to be relatively young. I hear her footsteps, probably fifty to fifty-three kilograms.

Yuigahama idled nervously next to me. The door opened to reveal a woman at the beginning of middle age, mother or big sister? She wore a cream-colored cardigan along with high-waisted jeans and beige house slippers. Out of the door wafted the fantastic smell of cooked pork cutlets.

Judging by fashion and bust size she was Yuigahama's mother, but then again nothing wrong with a touch of flattery. Damn did she look good for a mom.

"Yui-chan, you have a key, you need to use it." Her mother, her 'Yuiga-mama' pouted in the same manner as her daughter. I wonder if it's genetic, maybe I should tell Shinomiya to fund a research project on that. Her warm brown eyes fell onto me and then widened. "Oh is this the 'Hikki' that you're always talking about?"

Yuigahama's (the daughter) eyes widened and she blushed beet red. "Mama, not in front of Hikki. It's um, yeah." She segued quickly, "Where's Sable he usually runs to the door?" While she wilted, I stood up and stepped forward.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. Yuigahama never mentioned that she never had an older sister." I smiled, self-satisfied at my compliment. I was never going to be a casanova but watching social interactions had taught me a few things about charm. I had learned from the best, a partner at my mother's firm who could charm the pants off someone; literally.

Her eyes and smile widened. They both reached an apex before she laughed. "Oh, how charming. Thank you for walking my daughter home, would you care to stay for dinner? ". She stepped aside to let Yuigahama enter, and turned her head towards her. "Also honey, Sable is in my room I'd just brought up a fresh load of laundry from the dryer and he jumped in and started napping."

"That would be marvelous, though I wouldn't wish to impose upon you." I hesitated slightly, more a social nicety than legitimate apprehension, though still an important ritual of the first-time guest.

I followed Yuigahama, through the door with her mother trailing me. Between two women I was distinctly aware of my lack of a shower today and wished that I had at least applied some deodorant this morning.

While we from the entrance/lounge area towards the kitchen, I utilized my peripheral vision to analyze my surroundings. This way, I didn't look nosy but could also gain context to ensure that this dinner was free of any faux pas. All photos indicate, that they are a single-parent household. Though glancing around there also don't seem to be any signs of a deceased parent. No shrine no offerings, no errant photographs of any young men. This suggests to me that the father was out of the picture early, leaving Yuigahama's mother, not much more than a young woman herself; to raise a daughter alone.

My respect for them both just shot up several levels. Japanese social customs are strict and judgemental, much like a certain ice queen that I know (dealer's choice of whether I mean Yukinoshita or Shinomiya). Neighbors would whisper, classmates would make fun of her, and people around them would subtly look down upon them.

I know that feeling, after I confessed to Orimoto, then, when I started at Shuuchin, and they didn't have the benefit of a valuable skill to offset their, 'social detriments'.

We reached the kitchen and Yuigahama's mother, pulled the Katsudon off of the stove. I'm tired of calling her Yuigahama's mom so it would make more sense to just clear this up before it becomes awkward.

"Pardon," I turned the face the older woman, "what would you like me to call you? If I use Yuigahama for both of you, it will become confusing." This is good, the impetus of defining the relationship no longer burdens me. This way I can get a clear indicator as to how formally she wants to be addressed, I did this all the time at Shuuchin.

"Don't worry about that, you can just call me Akari." She smiled, her teeth were pearly white.

I was frozen for a more moment, even the most forward authority figures at Shuuchin demanded that they be addressed with the respect that their station demanded. So for her, an acquaintance's parent, to tell me to call her by her first name, was unprecedented. I had a mind for law, I loved precedents, and I hated this situation there was no frame of context to navigate the social minefield ahead of me.

Again I was disarmed and discombobulated. Not by wit or convoluted maneuvering, but instead by friendliness and openness. I could feel my cheeks heating up at this pretty woman's smile. I coughed to mask my sudden onset of shyness, "Okay … Akari." I let the words roll off my tongue, the way a sommelier samples wine.

She smiled warmly and glided around my stilled frame. "See isn't that much better."

"Mama, stop making things weird." Yui pouted, seriously the resemblance is uncanny.

After a tad more good-natured bickering between mother and daughter, we all sat down for dinner.

Akari pulled open a cabinet and sighed, "I don't have anything that goes well with Katsudon." She glanced over, "Yui, what do you think?"

"I don't know, just pick one before the food gets cold." Yui sighed and glanced over at me. I faced her with a bemused smile while Akari's gaze shifted onto me.

"My baby says that you know a lot about random topics, I don't suppose that you have a suggestion for me." Her pink eyes were curious.

"Well, for pork cutlets with fried rice, I think a dry white wine would be ideal. Maybe a Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay." For the second time in the week, all the occupants of the room were appraising me. But somehow I didn't hate it the same way that I usually did, or as I did last time.

I hated the way they looked at me at Ito & Sato, Shuuchin, and anywhere where they knew what I could do. Like an asset, a tool, a curiosity to be dissected, a beast to be feared and hated, or something in between.

Here, maybe because they didn't know, I didn't mind the eyes on me.

"That seems like a fine suggestion. You know your pairings." Akari smiled, warm and not entirely genuine; but, not entirely a facade either.

"Yeah, when I had to attend my mother's stuffy law firm functions, I learned more than I ever wanted to know about food pairings that I wasn't allowed to try." I chuckled trying to appear modest and hoping that the subject would be dropped.

Just like her smile, my reply was not entirely honest but an outright lie either. The functions were stuffy and I cared little for food pairings. But if I applied my authority no one would have refused me an alcoholic beverage, my very own mother probably would've told me 'that as long as it doesn't affect your work, I'll allow it.' Thankfully, that particular vice never interested me. Who knows how far I would've spiraled if I used drinking to subsidize emotional release.

"The food is getting cold." Yui reminded us both, making me blink. Akari laughed and came to the table. We all put our hands together muttering a hasty, "Itadakimasu!" before beginning to eat.

When the food hit my lips, it took every etiquette lesson with Fujiwara and the (remembered) sting of each time that she whacked my knuckles with a meterstick to stop me from ravenously stuffing my face. I hadn't eaten anything substantial in about two days and now that food was entering the system my body was being sure to let me know.

Chew it fifty times. Now swallow and speak. This at least allowed me the opportunity to savor the flavor. It was rich with a hint of acidity probably from a cooking wine, and a touch of spice most likely white pepper. "This food is delicious." I nodded to the woman across the table from me. She smiled again.

"That's great to hear." We went back to eating our food. When we were about halfway through our plates and my body no longer felt like it was going to eat itself, did the more substantial conversation start.

"So Yui told me that you used to work for a law firm?" Akari gazed at me.

Damnit Yui, I mean Yuigahama, you're lucky that this dinner is delicious. Would it have killed you to not blab about these things? Well, the damage is already done, may as well make the best out of the situation. "Well, I was an assistant consultant in a few cases. I gave notes about how to present the case to the jury and found the occasional legal oversight in their case research." I made it sound as boring and banal as possible. Less of a prodigy than a glorified paper pusher.

"But Hikki, Hinata said that you had won hundreds of cases," Yuigahama interjected. Is there anything that she isn't going to share tonight?

"He exaggerates. He misinterpreted why we were all there and was trying to do me an unwanted favor by talking me up to you guys." I chuckled, playing up the angle of a man, whose friend oversold him in an effort to pick up women.

"So you haven't won hundreds of cases?" She inquired.

"Well, I've helped out with a lot of cases, to say that I've won hundreds attributes far too much credit to me. I consulted but ultimately, intangibles like delivery of arguments and charisma were all the lawyer's doing." I said, lying through my teeth. When I consulted lawyers, every detail down to how they would present my arguments was curated by me. I had, in fact, made several junior associates cry by making them run their performances, over and over.

Her demeanor deflated, slightly and an awkward silence crept into the kitchen. Yuigahama in either an act of deviousness, obliviousness, or astute social awareness; leapt up and said, "Excuse me, I need the restroom. I won't be too long Hikki." Smart move, pulling the conversational rip chord for herself, I'd ask her but she's already scurrying down the hallway. Akari looked at me. Is this the plan? Get me alone, and then what? Threaten me, or try to cut a deal what does she want?

"I'm glad that you're friends with Yui." She beamed, took a sip of her wine, and then another bite of her food.

And the tension in my shoulders fell away. This isn't my old life, not every interaction is a struggle for power over another. "I'm glad to be friends with her. But then again, I don't imagine that making friends was ever really a problem for her." I complimented, sincerely. Girls like Yuigahama or Fujiwara were social Chameleons, capable of befriending loners or the most popular cliques.

"That's true, but she always struggled to be assertive, or put her needs above others." Her mother sighed, swirling her wine, before taking another sip.

"That's not always a bad thing. Being considerate is a virtue after all." I defended Yuigahama, for all my complaining about her, hearing criticism from her parent rubbed me the wrong way. Parents were always like that telling you that you weren't good enough no matter what you did. Dad loved programming more than anything else, eighty-hour work weeks were fun for him. Mom was also a workaholic, she was the head of mergers and acquisitions law. No matter what I accomplished, they were never that interested. And I could bear that.

So what if my parent's cared little for the accomplishments that I cared for even less. But I drew the line at Komachi, they liked her more than me, and that was always very obvious. A precedent-setting courtroom triumph from me earned 'I'm busy, tell me later.' but good grades from her received a 'good job, we're proud of you. Even though they loved her more they were still mostly absentee parents. That's why I made sure that they cleared their schedules and forced them to watch her sports day and her important moments. They would never be the parents that I had needed them to be but I could force them into being the parents that she needed.

I blinked away the melancholy muddling my mental mannerisms, nice alliteration.

"Oh, of course. But, Yui would be considerate to the point of prioritizing others' well-being over her own. As a kid, if the rest of her companions wanted to play house, she would be the dog so another kid could be the mom. Then she would frown as they played but never say anything." She frowned, wrinkles created by years of subtle anguish and stress played across her face. "I think that this may have been my fault. She never had a dad and the rest of the neighborhood looked down on us. Maybe she thought that if she could make every one like her, she could make them all like me too. But since she befriended the mysterious 'Yukinon and Hikki' the stories she told started to change in little ways."

Akari gazed down into the depths of her glass, her restless swirling ceased. "Now if that friend of hers 'Yumicchi' wanted her to fetch drinks, she would say no if she was busy. Nothing major but big enough that I took notice. I think that you and 'Yukinon' are good influences on her, so I'm glad you guys are friends, and I hope that you continue spending time with her."

I felt like a prick, acting like my pain and regret were special or different. People across the world rich and poor, man or woman, young and old, drowned in regret, no amount of memorization or money made me an outlier. "Is it okay for you to tell me all of this? I'm not sure if Yui would be okay with me hearing all of this." I hesitantly said.

She smiled a little, "She's not here to stop me. You know you're the first person to not ask about where Yui's father is. Why didn't you?"

I shrugged, "It's really none of my business. For what it's worth, you have my respect for raising a daughter on your own, she turned out great. Whether he ran away or died, it doesn't make raising her any easier." I smiled wryly, "Besides, I have a fairly keen sense of observation and I have a decent guess to posit what happened."

She leaned forward, smiling now coquettishly, "Oh, enlighten me then, what do you think happened to her father?" The stress line was all gone, she looked beautiful and the way the cardigan rested on her chest emphasized her curves. I gulped and kept my eyes focused on hers.

Before I could begin my train of verbal deductions, Yui walked back into the open living room/kitchen area. "Yahallo, what are you guys talking about?" She looked between us, smiling excitedly.

I coughed and looked away. The walls weren't completely smooth, they had slight nodules like an orange peel interesting. "Nothing."

Akari laughed and cut in. "I was just asking about his exploits with this so-called service club. I've heard all about his banter with 'Yukinon' and was curious to hear about it."

We concluded a pleasant dinner, and I left soon thereafter, I had responded automatically to Yuigahama, my mind deep in thought. I compared the young woman that I knew, cheerful and friendly, with the background that I'd been told. I felt a surge of admiration as we both stepped outside to say goodbye. Akari had said that I should feel free to come over anytime and had winked. Yui had pouted and complained and I had laughed, it had been nice.

"So I guess that I'll see you tomorrow." She looked down as she spoke. Uncharacteristically shy from her usual bubbly demeanor. We stood in silence the moment lingering, neither of us hurrying to end it.

I nodded towards her, "Goodnight, Yuigahama. I'm glad that I met you." I smiled, trying to communicate the things that I could never say. How her wants and desires mattered as much as anyone else's, in my eyes maybe more. Whether I admitted it to myself or not, the honest unadulterated truth was that Yuigahama mattered to me. Her happiness by association mattered too.

She giggled, "Whoa, Hikki, you're so serious lighten up. We're seeing each other tomorrow. You sound like this is a permanent goodbye." She frowned. "Besides, just call me Yui, you called my mom Akari."

"Nothing like that. I was just expressing my platonic feelings of affection towards you." I clarified, careful to emphasize the platonic aspect lest she feels uncomfortable. I also darted around the subject of the way I addressed her, hesitating on how to respond and how it would alter her perception of our relationship. I didn't even know what I wanted her perception of our relationship to be.

She smiled again, "Geez, you and Yukinon always seem to say things in the weirdest way, like the other day, I was all like 'where's Hikki?' and then she was like I do feel slightly perturbed at how safe the clubroom now feels.'"

"Very kind of her." I snarked, turning and walking forth, raising a hand and calling back, "I'll see you tomorrow, Yui." Her breathing caught, but I could hear the smile on her lips when she cried back, "Don't forget we'll meet at the clubroom and walk together from there."

Timeskip 18 hours…

I was resting on a bench, occasionally firing snappy retorts or lazy monosyllabic answers through Yui's chattering and Yukinoshita's stilted responses. Through this halcyon atmosphere came an oddly familiar shout.

"Oh Yukino," When Yukinoshita turned her head. "Your big sis is here." I know I've heard that voice before, but where.

I searched my mental database and came to a sinking realization, I turned my head and met eyes with the intruder. This was the second time I'd done this though, the first had been on the train, she had been the social climber trying to manipulate me. As our eyes met I saw recognition in her gaze as well. She definitely remembered me as well.

Her smile was devious, and her facade altered slightly, adding in false notes of surprise and confusion. "Oh, It's you, what are you doing here?" She snickered as all eyes turned on me.

(A/N): This is how 8man meets the families of the service club. Thanks for all the feedback and I am also looking for more beta readers to help review my work. Please PM me if you're interested. I've started working with two beta readers so far and am excited to deliver better writing to you all.