Hey all,
Sorry for the wait on the chapters, I've had some health issues that kept me from writing, and I couldn't write the entire date in this chapter, so this will be a split chapter with the date coming to an end next chapter so yeah, 2 part date night.
Sorry to do this to you, but these health issues knocked me on my butt. I hope you can forgive me and enjoy what I have so far.
Also, I'm getting married on August 28th; hurray! It's just a courthouse wedding, but I and my longtime gf will be tying the knot, so that'll be interesting, and we're going to a Rose City Comic-con at the end of September to celebrate.
I got autographs from Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan. If you've watched MCU movies, Dr. Who, Good Omens, and Netflix's The Sandman, or listened to The Sandman on Audible, you'll know who I'm talking about. I got other autographs planned but got screwed out of the Critical Role cast autographs.
Hopefully, I can meet them in March!
Anyway, enough rambling. Enjoy the chapter!
That's about it, I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and I look forward to seeing how you'll enjoy what I have set up for later ones.
"It's good to see you two," said Nene walking up and taking Yuzu's hands and smiling, although the smile quickly turned into a look of confusion. "That is you, right Yuzu-san?"
"Uhh, yeah," said Yuzu, finally coming out of her stupor and squeezing Nene's hands before smiling and pulling her into a quick hug, "It's still me. It's been way too long; how've you been? I mean, I know you've been busy, but..."
"Busy doesn't even begin to describe it," sighed Nene as she smiled at Yuzu. "Three manga and four ongoing novel series take a lot out of you. I don't think I'd sleep if it weren't for Yamato and my assistants, but we're making it work. I'm sorry for not keeping in better contact or coming by the restaurant or school. I bet I've missed a lot of reunions."
Nene looked at Mei apologetically, but Mei shook her head and said, "It's quite alright, Nene. We haven't had any large gatherings, so you haven't missed much, and if you couldn't make it, we'd understand. However, had we known Kyoko was attending the same school as Airi, we might have planned something around them and gone out afterward. Have you not been able to make it because we haven't seen you at any of them?"
"Yeah, I haven't made it to any since Christmas," said Nene, sighing and looking at the girls who'd moved into the living room and were laughing at some manga under Yamato's watchful eye. "But even then, I had to leave right after the girl's performance to finish a manuscript in time for the New Year print, and then I had to do an art book with somebody. But thankfully, after these few projects, I'm off for a couple of months. I mean, I work hard, but Yamato deserves a break from everything he does, and I'm missing a lot of time with Kyoko."
Nene gestured for them to move closer, and when Mei and Yuzu leaned in, she said, "I got us tickets to Thailand for Golden Week. Kyoko's birthday is around then, so I thought it'd be a fun surprise but don't tell Airi about it; you know how kids get with secrets."
"I know what you mean," said Yuzu, chuckling as she remembered how Airi had spilled Daichi's secret only an hour earlier. "But good idea on the trip. You need to enjoy yourself, I haven't read anything new by you lately, but Matsuri says you've improved a lot since you first started talking about going professional."
"I'm just glad you've moved on from some of your...other works," said Mei with a slight grin that made Nene blush. "I'd hate to see what the kids would think if they saw that material."
"Yeah," chuckled Nene, casting a nervous look over her shoulder before turning back to Mei and a crimson-faced Yuzu. "But you gotta start somewhere, and we all change a bit as we age. Which reminds me, what's up with your hair, Yuzu-san? You stop dyeing it?"
Yuzu gently smacked away Nene's hand and blushed even more as her friend laughed while saying, "No, I haven't stopped dyeing it. Like you, I've been busy, and I'm gonna be even busier since I'll be helping out with teaching at the academy soon."
"You're teaching," said Nene in shock, looking between Mei and Yuzu. "Is she serious?"
"Quite, but she's not an official teacher, although I know Yuzu will perform admirably," said Mei, entwining her arm with Yuzu's as they explained to Nene what Yuzu's role would be.
"That's insane," exclaimed Nene, but she looked as excited as Yuzu was nervous. "That's incredible, Yuzu-san! I know you'll kick ass at it...wait a minute. Yamato, pen and paper!"
"On it! Kids wait here, and one of us will return with snacks and drinks. Is that okay? Or is there a pre-dinner snack rule I should know about?"
"Nothing heavy," said Mei and Yuzu together while Nene began pacing and muttering under her breath until Yamato appeared with pen and paper. At the same time, Nene disappeared into the kitchen and began scribbling on the counter.
"What constitutes heavy," asked Yamato as Mei and Yuzu watched Nene.
Concerned for her friend, Yuzu asked Yamato, "Is she going to be okay? I've known her for years, and she gets lost in her head sometimes, but I've never seen this before."
"She'll be fine," Yamato smirked and waved while Nene, in between scribbles, began prepping drinks and snacks. "She gets like this when an idea hits her, but she'll stop after a minute. It used to get so bad she'd sometimes forget to eat. But luckily, we've tempered that habit. Plus, having Kyoko helped a lot. I heard her say something about the recitals, and honestly, once she heard about Airi staying, her eyes lit up, and she wanted us all to meet."
"I'm happy she did," said Mei catching Yuzu off guard a little. "Nene may be a bit more energetic than our other friends. But knowing that she's watching the girls and has you with her has helped me calm down."
"Yeah," sighed Yuzu, watching Airi giggle while Kyoko and Momiji made strange faces. "It's nice to know she's with people we can trust. And I'm truly happy for your and Nene's success."
"Thanks," said Yamato before letting out a tired sigh. "I'm not going to lie at first; it was easier a couple of years ago. But the market's gotten tougher over the years, and she knows that if she wants to stay relevant, she'll have to stretch herself thin. I got other clients, some of whom are her assistants, that I'm trying to help launch their series on top of others running serials. But like she said, once her break starts, we'll spend a lot of time focusing on each other and figuring out a better schedule because I'm tired of running on fumes."
"I understand completely," said Mei before squeezing Yuzu's hand. "We've been there ourselves, and if you ever need extra help, please feel free to reach out. We may have some insights that you might find useful."
"I appreciate that." Yamato reached into his pocket, pulled out the business cards they'd given him a few nights ago, and smirked. "Besides, I already know how to get ahold of you, so I'll keep that in mind. And since you offered to help, please explain to me what constitutes a light snack for her?"
After that, Mei and Yuzu spent a few minutes catching Yamato up on certain foods and things Airi had issues with until Nene walked out holding a tray with rice crackers, juice, tea, some gummy candies, and what looked to be different flavored mochi snacks alongside some cookies.
Holding it up, Nene politely asked, "Is this good? We don't keep a lot of heavy sweets in the house or overly greasy food either, so I think we should be fine."
"I had surgery a few years ago to deal with some health problems, which prompted a diet change," explained Yamato with a nervous chuckle after seeing the confused looks on his guest's faces. "So we don't regularly have donuts, fried foods, or other foods like that in the house. That's why I take Kyoko to your place every so often so that she can have something, and I can also treat myself to stuff I can't eat regularly. I've been trying to get Nene to come in forever, but well..."
"That makes sense," said Yuzu with an understanding nod. "But everything on there is fine, Nene. She's not against eating heavy foods, but she has stomach problems if she has too many close together, and we'd rather you not have to deal with that. Also, she won't touch natto if you make a Japanese-style breakfast. So don't give it to her unless you're okay throwing it away or having seconds on it."
"And she prefers savory omelettes as opposed to sweet," added Mei while Yamato took out his pad and made some notes. "But if you have any questions, please contact us. We promise we'll get back to you as soon as possible, and she doesn't have any allergies we're aware of in case you're worried about that."
"Thanks for the warning," said Nene before she dropped off the snacks, which the kids immediately started tearing into while she walked back to the hall. "And sorry for wandering off, creative spark hit, and if I didn't write it down, it'd be weeks before I remembered what I thought of."
"Can't say I understand that part," chuckled Yuzu before elbowing Mei. "But I've seen her get lost in her work, and she's had to pull me out of my thoughts more than once, so don't worry about it too much, and thanks for letting her come over. She's been so nervous that, well..."
Yuzu then briefly explained the conversation she'd had with Airi at the mental health clinic about calling Mei and Yuzu if she felt too nervous about staying, and luckily, Nene and Yamato were understanding.
"That explains why Yamato and the kids have been so adamant about me making sure I'm careful around Airi," commented Nene, shaking her head and looking at the girl. "Well, that complicates things. We were planning on giving them a bath before bed because we're going to let the kids help make the okonomiyaki we're having for dinner. So, we figured a bath would be necessary. Do we have anything that can help her keep her hair clean?"
"I packed some items in her bag that Airi can use," said Mei walking over to Airi's things and pulling out a small bag. "Airi, can you come here for a moment?"
"Why," asked Airi, looking up from her manga after swallowing one of the crackers Nene had brought.
"Airi," said Yuzu, a hint of warning in her voice. "Do as Mommy asks, or I'll take the manga home."
Pouting, Airi excused herself and came over, but not wanting to be left out, Momiji and Kyoko got up, followed her, and watched as Airi approached Mei.
"What is it, Mommy?" asked Airi as she joined Mei while Yuzu stood beside her.
"Airi," said Mei as she set the bag aside and looked at Airi. "Nene-san has informed us that you will all have okonomiyaki for dinner, and you'll help make it. Does that sound like fun?'
Her voice was even, and her demeanor calm, but Airi could tell she was worried despite what her mother's face showed, but Airi nodded eagerly, unable to hide her smile.
"Yeah," she answered, looking up at Nene. "Umm, do you make it with fish and stuff like squid, and do you use noodles? I like it best with noodles, but cabbage is okay."
"We got all kinds of topping," answered Nene while Yamato smiled. "And you'll have your choice of noodles, cabbage, or both."
"I'll have to make mine separate," said the man, grinning at Airi's enthusiasm. "But Nene-san and I will help you and the other two make it, but you're going to need to be careful, and if you don't feel safe flipping it, we won't force you to."
"Okay," grinned Airi as she turned her attention back to Mei and Yuzu. "Can I go back to playing now?"
"In a minute," chuckled Yuzu, patting Airi's hair as she tilted her head at Mei. "Mommy and I just have something to talk to you about."
"What's it about," asked Airi, her voice sounding anxious. "Did I do something bad?"
"No," said Mei, reaching out and stroking her daughter's cheek. "You didn't do anything bad. Mama and I need to ask that, well...you know when we make okonomiyaki at home, and sometimes we make a mess?"
"Yeah." Airi giggled and pointed at Yuzu. "Mama dropped the batter last time and got it all over the kitchen."
"Thanks for telling everyone that," grumbled Yuzu while Yamato handed Nene his notepad for her to begin scribbling notes, a manic grin spreading across her face as she thought up a scene.
"That's exactly why we needed to talk to you," explained Mei, reaching up and holding Yuzu's hand while Yuzu let out a loud sigh. "Because it can get messy; Nene-san and Yamato-san mentioned that they might need to bathe you after dinner."
"But...but you said...," began Airi, her voice struggling as she tried to fight through the oncoming tears and anxiety.
"Airi, it's going to be okay," said Yuzu, immediately dropping to eye level with her daughter and taking her hand. The moment the words left Mei's mouth, Airi's face fell, and she looked on the verge of tears.
"No, it's not," whined Airi as she rubbed tears away and hiccuped. "You lied."
"How did we lie, Airi," said Mei as she took one of Airi's hands and began massaging it, trying to calm her down while Yuzu did the same with the other. "Tell me why you think we lied?"
"Because you said they wouldn't have to touch my hair," cried Airi, tears falling down her face. "I don't want 'em to touch it!"
"And they won't," said Mei, letting go of Airi's hand and pulling open the bag.
"Yes, they are," countered Airi, stamping her foot. "They gotta touch my hair if I take a bath, and I don't want them to. No one can touch it, and if they gotta touch it, then I don't wanna stay. You said if I don't wanna stay, then I can go home, and I wanna go home."
"Airi," said Yuzu quietly, turning her daughter's face to hers while Yamato and Nene began ushering the other two girls out, and Mei went through the toiletries. "I need you to focus on me, and we're gonna do some of your exercises to help you calm down, okay?"
Airi shook her head, but Yuzu knew better.
They'd been through this before, and shortly after Yuzu began talking her through them, Airi slowly started following suit and following along as Yuzu said, "Smell the flower, and blow out the candle, remember? Also, if you need to, you can squeeze my hand like you're trying to squeeze the juice out of a lemon for lemonade.
"Mine too," said Mei, offering Airi one of her hands while holding something in another.
Airi took her mothers hands and slowly began following along with them, her body becoming more relaxed with each breath until finally, she seemed calm enough for Yuzu to ask, "Are you feeling a little better?"
"Yeah," said Airi, still shaken but looking much better than before. "But I still wanna go home if they're gonna have to touch my hair."
"Airi, I promise you that nobody is going to touch your hair unless necessary," said Mei, gripping her daughter's hand despite the slight soreness caused by Airi's earlier squeezes.
"How do you know," sniffed Airi as Yuzu pulled a tissue out of her bag so Airi could clean herself up.
"Because I packed a couple of these," answered Mei, holding up a bright green shower cap. "I thought that if you ended up needing a bath, you might need these so that you wouldn't have to worry about needing someone to wash your hair."
"Oh," said Airi, now looking ashamed as she finished blowing her nose. "I didn't know you packed my caps."
"Because I couldn't tell you until now," said Mei while Yuzu shrugged.
"I didn't know she packed them either," said Yuzu trying to make Airi feel more comfortable. "But it's a good thing she did because now you can wear it while cooking so your hair doesn't get dirty."
"I didn't think about that," said Airi before chewing her lower lip. "Umm, are you sure Nene-san or Yamato-san won't touch my hair?"
"Let's get them in here so you can ask them," said Mei as she returned the cap and zipped up the bag while Yuzu got up to get the others. "Nene is an old friend of ours, and while we trust her, we understand why you reacted the way you did. But when they come out, Mama and I need you to apologize to them for what happened."
"Do you think they hate me," inquired Airi as she pulled on her shirt and sniffed. "I don't want them or Kyoko-chan and Momiji-chan to hate me."
"They won't hate you, Airi," said Yuzu after returning and sitting down next to her daughter. "They know you've been through a lot and hopefully will understand why you reacted the way you did. But their feelings might be hurt, so doing this is a good way to show that you want to be friends."
Airi nodded and shifted toward Yuzu, hiding half her body behind her mother as she watched a nervous Kyoko and Momiji while behind them the elder Nomuras.
"Hi," said Airi, waving at them from behind Yuzu while Mei shifted closer to her daughter and wife.
Kyoko and Momiji stayed close to Nene and Yamato but waved back despite their discomfort.
"Um," began Airi looking at Mei and Yuzu, who each placed a hand on her shoulders and nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Airi stepped forward, tugging her tee shirt as she said, "I...I'm sorry I did that. I got scared, and I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just...I..."
Airi sniffed and rubbed away some tears as she said, "I wanna stay if that's okay, but if you hate me and don't want me to stay, I'll go home."
"I don't hate you," said Momiji quietly, stepping forward. "I thought you hated us 'cus you said you wanted to go home."
"Yeah," chimed in Kyoko, staying close to her mom. "We were having fun until you said you didn't want us touching your hair, and you wanted to go home. We promised you we wouldn't, so how come you said you wanted to leave?"
"It's cuz I was scared your mom or dad might," said Airi, her hands fidgeting while she did her best to make eye contact with her friends. "I know you wouldn't do it on purpose, but they're grown-ups and sometimes gotta do stuff like that, and I only like it when my family or Honoka-chan does it because my mama taught her how."
"Can I say something, Airi-chan?" said Nene, crouching and smiling. "If not, that's okay. I know I interrupted, which wasn't polite, but can I ask a few questions, and then if you want, you can answer them for me?"
Airi looked over at her moms, who nodded, and they moved next to Airi while Nene did the same with the other girls.
"Thank you for wanting to listen," said Nene as she sat before Airi after pulling her phone from her pocket. "So, I've heard from everyone about why you don't like people touching your hair. But if it's okay with you, can you tell me why you don't like it being touched?"
"Why," asked Airi, gripping Yuzu's shoulder while Mei rubbed her back. "If everyone told you, how come you're asking me?"
"Because I want to hear it from you," said Nene, a friendly smile remaining on her face, "and I think it'll help us become friends and trust each other. Like I'm friends with your Mama and Mommy."
"Are you really friends with them," asked Kyoko, earning her a gentle tap on the head and a stern look from her father. "What'd I do? You guys keep saying that they're friends, but you haven't said how."
"That's true," said Momiji while Airi nodded. "How do you guys know each other? Is it from work or something?"
"No, not work," chuckled Nene, picking up her phone and opening a picture. "We know each other because we went to school together. See?"
She opened a picture from their overnight trip to Udagawa's boarding house, and all three girls gasped and giggled.
"Whoa," said Kyoko staring at her mom. "Who're the tall scary-looking ladies?"
"That's Shiraho Suzuran," explained Nene while Yuzu and Mei hid their smirks. "She's Honoka-chan's mommy, and the other tall scary lady in the picture is Taniguchi Mitsuko, Harumi-san's sister."
Nene pointed at Harumi, and an all too familiar look spread across her face as she said, "She's Yuzu-san's best friend and..."
"Dad," said Kyoko looking back at her father while Nene fell into her habit of slipping into a fantasy and giggling eerily. "Mom's nose is bleeding again."
"Nene," sighed Yamato before gently smacking his wife on the top of the head with a box of tissue and wet wipes, "clean yourself up, please."
"Huh?"
Nene looked up to see a familiar frustrated look on Yamato's face, noticing how he tapped the spot below his nose just as the tissues hit the floor.
Mimicking it, Nene felt something damp in the spot, and her face burned as she realized what had happened.
Airi recoiled a bit as Nene turned to begin cleaning up the bit of blood that had trickled from her nose while stammering her apologies. Looking to her mothers for answers, Airi was disappointed to see that all Mei and Yuzu could do was sigh, shrug, and shake their heads.
Once she'd managed to clean herself up and throw away the tissues, save for the ones plugging her nose, Nene gave Airi an awkward smile and waited for Airi's reply.
"So, you really are my mama and mommy's friend?"
Airi still sounded unsure despite the evidence she'd been given, but as Mei and Yuzu hadn't contradicted Nene, Airi was slowly beginning to believe her.
"I am," said Nene before swiping to another picture, this time of them on a beach all in a group, with Yuzu and Mei wearing matching blue dresses with Hideki resting in their arms between them. "See, I was even at their wedding. There's your brother, and your Uncle and all your Aunties, and your Grandma and Grandpa."
"Wow," said Airi staring at the photo.
She'd seen a few pictures of the wedding, but Airi didn't remember seeing this one and could recognize all of her Aunts and everyone else, including Nene, despite the age difference.
But when she got to her moms, Airi did a double take and then continued to stare at Mei, causing her mom to blush and ask, "What is it, Airi? Is there something on my face?"
"No," said the girl before pointing at the picture and Mei. "You don't have grey hair in the picture like now."
Airi heard a loud intake of breath from behind Airi and several hacking coughs from Yuzu, while from Mei, Airi noticed several twitches in her mother's eyebrow and a pinkish tinge spread across her face.
"I see," said Mei quietly, though trying to remain calm. "Well, that was a long time ago, and Mama, and at least I don't feel the need to dye my hair like some people we know."
"What did I do," asked Yuzu after recovering from her fit of laughter. "She's the one who said it."
"But you're the one who laughed," huffed Mei, not bothering to look at Yuzu.
"Can we talk about this later," asked Yuzu tilting her head toward Nene.
"You're right," said Mei, still annoyed. "Please continue, Nene."
"It's okay," said Nene putting the phone away and refocusing her attention on Airi, who looked disappointed but more relaxed as Nene spoke. "Now, Airi-chan, I know that I've said I'm your moms friend, and I am. But I get that you don't really trust me right now, and that's fine since you haven't seen me since you were a baby."
"I met you when I was a baby?"
Airi's eyebrow arched in suspicion, and Nene laughed as she said, "Yeah, I met you a few times. Mostly on holidays or birthdays, but I did, and I'm sorry those kids were mean to you. I don't know everything, but that's why you're afraid to let us help you with your hair, right?"
"Yeah," said Airi, rubbing her hands together while chewing "on her lower lip. "They said they wanted to show me something, then they got around me and pushed me and put gum in my hair. It was scary."
"I bet it was," Nene held out her hand, and Airi stared at it before looking again at her moms, who nodded.
Hesitantly, Airi took Nene's hand, making the woman smile as she squeezed it gently and said, "But I promise you, Airi, that you're safe here, and we're not going to do anything to hurt you. So how about this, while you're here, you show me, Yamato-san, Kyoko, and Momiji how you put on your caps. That way, if you ever feel comfortable enough to let us try, we know what to do to help you. But if it comes to that and tells us we can't, we won't do it. Does that sound like a fair deal?"
"You promise you'll stop if I say stop," asked Airi, still unsure of Nene, but she felt herself slowly warming to her.
"I promise," said Yamato, smiling at her. "And I promise you can leave if you don't feel safe here."
"I promise too," said Nene letting go of Airi's hand. "But it's your choice, and no one will make you stay."
Mei and Yuzu noticed that Kyoko was about to object, but her mother's words stopped her.
"So what do you say, Airi," asked Yuzu, causing Airi to turn back to face her and Mei. "Do you want to stay, or do you want to go with Me and Mommy? Whatever your choice, we promise we won't get mad."
"You're not mad, even though I made you late for your date?"
"Why would we be mad," said Mei, patting Airi's hair. "We know things like this are difficult for you, so if you decide to leave, we'll figure out another time for you all to do this, and Mama and I can go on a date later or have a nice date at home or maybe even take you with us."
Airi looked at Yuzu, who nodded before reaching forward and tapping Airi on the nose, and asking, "So what's it gonna be, Sweetie?"
"You promise you'll come get me if I get too lonely or scared," asked Airi after rubbing the spot where Yuzu had touched.
"We promise," said Mei and Yuzu in unison, causing Airi's heart rate to drop in relief.
"Okay," sighed Airi before giving them a nervous smile, "then I'm gonna try staying the night like a big girl."
"That's our girl," said Yuzu walking forward and hugging Airi before planting several kisses on her head. "We know you can do it, and remember Mommy and I are a phone call away."
"I know." Airi pushed herself further into Yuzu's chest and gave the woman the strongest hug she could. "I'm sorry I made you late."
"We'll be fine," said Mei once Yuzu had managed to let Airi go so Mei could hug her daughter. "Nene, can you just make sure to..."
"I'll keep you guys updated," said Nene, finally climbing to her feet and putting the tissue from her nose into the trash. "You guys just worry about making your reservations. Airi-chan, are you sure you got everything?"
"Yeah," said Airi, pointing at her bag. "Mommy added some stuff, but I packed everything myself last night, and they said I did a good job."
"She did," said Mei, standing up and squeezing Airi's shoulders. "Thank you for talking with her."
"I have experience." Nene stretched and groaned while Kyoko and Momiji ran forward, anxiously looking between Airi and Mei.
"So you're gonna stay," asked Kyoko with a hopeful smile.
"Yeah." Airi's hair bobbed as she nodded, and Mei and Yuzu could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm sorry I was mean."
"It's okay," said Momiji, giggling. "I wanna see how you do your hair, though. Can I try on one of your caps?"
"That's not a good idea, kids," said Yamato as he hugged Nene and whispered that she did a great job. "But next time, we'll get you your own, and Airi can show you how to do it. But we need you guys to wrap it up. Airi's moms need to get going."
"Thanks for letting her stay," said Kyoko while Momiji bowed politely. "We promise we won't touch her hair, and she'll have lots of fun."
Hearing this, Mei bent down, patted Kyoko's shoulder, and said, "I know you will. Thank you for being her friend."
"I hope we can visit you soon," said Momiji, taking Airi's hand. "Airi, you wanna go back to playing?"
"One second."
Airi let go of Momiji's hand and walked over to Yuzu, who had moved toward the door and was busying herself with something.
"Mama?"
Yuzu jumped a little at Airi's voice and fumbled to catch her phone before turning around and smiling at Airi, but not before rubbing her eyes.
"What is it, Sweetie," asked Yuzu as she slipped her phone into her pocket. "You didn't change your mind, did you?"
"No." Airi shook her head and tugged at the bottom of Yuzu's shirt. "But you didn't say goodbye to Nene-san or me. Are you mad?"
"Of course not," answered Yuzu as she reached down and grunted but managed to lift Airi into another hug, laughing when she felt Airi's legs and arms wrap around her and begin squeezing.
"You're getting so big," sniffed Yuzu as she held her daughter tightly. "But I'm not mad; I'm just a little sad that you're growing up so quickly that I needed to talk to Grandma; that's all."
"You sure you want me to stay," whispered Airi, not wanting her friends to get upset.
"I'm sure," answered Yuzu, chuckling. "I want you to stay, and I want you to have fun and make lots of good memories with Nene-san and your friends. Promise me you'll do that and tell me about it when you come home tomorrow, okay?"
"I promise." Airi pulled her head from Yuzu's shoulder and pressed her forehead to her mom's. "But you gotta promise you'll have fun with Mommy tonight; you guys need a break."
Yuzu couldn't help but laugh, which made Airi giggle, but it helped loosen the tightness in her chest as she nuzzled her forehead against Airi's and said, "You're right, we do. And I promise we'll have lots of fun and take pictures of where we go."
"Okay," said Airi quietly before pressing her forehead tighter against Yuzus. "I love you, Mama."
"I love you too, Airi." Yuzu returned Airi's affection before kissing her on the forehead and setting her on the floor. "Now, say bye to Mommy and play with your friends."
Airi nodded and then ran over to Mei and gave her one last hug, and Yuzu heard her whisper something in Mei's ear, which made Mei chuckle.
After saying they loved each other, Airi waved to them before grabbing Momiji's hand and following them into the living room while Mei climbed to her feet and walked toward Yuzu.
"Are you all right," she asked, touching Yuzu's cheek. "Do you want to go home?"
"I'll be fine," said Yuzu before taking Mei's hand. "I'm just dealing with a lot of stuff I thought I was prepared for after Hideki. But, I guess I wasn't as prepared as I thought."
"I understand." Mei squeezed her wife's hand and nodded before turning to Nene and Yamato. "Thank you for taking care of her, and please call us when she's ready tomorrow."
"Will do," said Nene waving at them. "Have fun and be safe, and thanks for letting her stay and trusting us with her."
"We promise she's in good hands," said Yamato as he placed a hand on Nene's shoulder. "Enjoy your night."
"Good night," said Mei and Yuzu before heading to the door and preparing to leave.
Once outside, neither of them let go of the other's hand until they arrived at the car, where Yuzu immediately walked around to the passenger's side to hold the door open for Mei.
"Your chariot awaits," said Yuzu, causing Mei to roll her eyes.
"Don't think this is getting you out of laughing at Airi's comment about my hair."
Despite Mei's words, Yuzu could hear their gentleness and held a hand out for Mei to help her in, which Mei took before getting into her seat.
Once Mei was seated, Yuzu kissed the top of her wife's hand and looked up to see Mei's cheeks turn a shade darker before taking her hand back and buckling herself in.
Smirking, Yuzu carefully shut the door, headed into the driver's seat, felt her phone buzz, and took a moment to read the message from her mother.
I understand, Yuzu. Seeing them grow up is tough; I felt the same when it came to you, but you're doing a great job. And remember that if you need to talk, I'm here, was all it said, and Yuzu typed out a quick thanks before climbing into the car and plugged in the address to the restaurant on the GPS.
"Who was that," inquired Mei as they pulled into traffic.
"It was Mama," said Yuzu with a sigh. "I told her I was having a tough time, and we were talking for a minute before we said bye to Airi."
"Are you okay," asked Mei, reaching over and placing just above Yuzu's knee. "I can drive if you need me to."
"I'll be fine," said Yuzu, taking a moment at the stop light to pull Mei's hand up and kiss it again before returning to driving. "But thanks for asking."
"I'm always here, Yuzu," replied Mei warmly. "Please remember that."
"I do." Yuzu turned and gave Mei a quick smile before making their turn. "But right now, I want to get something to eat. I'm starving, and I'm positive you'll like the place I picked. I got an in with the manager since we do a lot of business with similar people and go to local business meetings with Udagawa. That's how I managed to get us this reservation so quick; if we'd done it normally, we'd have had to push this out like three weeks."
"Sounds like it's a rather, what's the word, not prestigious...what's the word I'm thinking of..."
"Exclusive," offered Yuzu after hearing Mei's frustration.
"That's the word," said Mei, nodding before continuing. "We aren't under-dressed, are we?"
Yuzu took stock of Mei's jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and hoodie before contemplating her outfit of a pair of capri's and a short-sleeved shirt and light jacket and shook her head.
"We'll be fine," said Yuzu with a smile as she pulled into a parking garage. "Don't worry about the restaurant. It's not a fancy place; they're just popular, so they have to push the reservations that far back. And as for your outfit..."
Yuzu parked the car into their spot, unbuckled, and leaned over, kissing Mei's ear before whispering, "You look beautiful, so quit worrying and let's have some fun."
Mei whimpered at the sensation of Yuzu's lips and breath on her ear before saying, "All right, Yuzu, you win. Now please move back a little; I need to get out of the car."
Chuckling, Yuzu planted a kiss on Mei's cheek before she began exiting the car and saying, "I mean it, though; you look great tonight, and I'm happy we're able to do this."
"You're not upset with my offer to Airi earlier," asked Mei, taking Yuzu's hand when she rounded the back of the car.
"Naw," said Yuzu as they walked out toward the street, pressing closer to Mei as the sidewalk filled up. "I mean, I'd have been a little bummed, but she's going through a lot, and I wasn't going to force her if she didn't want to. That'd cause her a whole other set of problems she doesn't need. But I'm relieved she's with someone we can trust, although Nene was the last person I'd expect to watch one of our kids."
"It certainly was a surprise," agreed Mei, shifting from holding Yuzu's hand to linking their arms. "But Nene handled herself well, and just like what happened with Mitsuko, I can see Airi beginning to trust her. Although, since she's Kyoko's mother, that probably helped more than anything."
"Oh, absolutely," agreed Yuzu as they stopped at the crosswalk. "But are you sure about what you want to do after this? You've never been before, and you can hurt yourself if you don't know what you're doing."
"I'm sure," said Mei without any hint of doubt. "It'll be a fun experience, and I think if we do one of those reunions Nene mentioned, it'd be a fun way for us to all spend time together. Perhaps even make it a bit of a competition, and whoever loses does one of those...punishment games I've heard Hideki and his friends joke about when he tells us about some of the parties he's been to."
"I don't know if that's a good idea given the friends we have," chuckled Yuzu as she guided Mei through the crowd, shifting her arm from around Mei's to under the back of Mei's hoodie.
Mei stiffened when she felt Yuzu's hand on her hip but relaxed when she felt Yuzu's finger begin making small circles as they walked; she said, "It's only bowling, Yuzu; how much trouble can they get in while bowling?"
"Plenty, if Matsuri and Nene are involved," said Yuzu as she double-checked the address, keeping Mei close which garnered some looks, but nothing they were worried about.
"I'll give you that," sighed Mei while Yuzu checked their directions. "Not to mention, if you and Harumi are in the same room with Nene, she'll probably do something to get us kicked out."
"I don't think she'll be that bad." Yuzu leaned up and kissed Mei's cheek before pointing down the street. "Come on, we're almost there. I can't wait to see your face when we get there. You're going to love it."
"I highly doubt that a restaurant will be able to get me in that good of a mood," sighed Mei, feeling content in Yuzu's excitement and embrace. "But I'm sure that wherever you pick will be an enjoyable experience."
For most people, enjoyable would have been a satisfactory way to describe their experience upon setting foot into the restaurant Yuzu had picked out.
In Mei's case, however, dumbstruck was a more appropriate word.
In all her years living in Tokyo, Mei had never heard of the restaurant she was dining in.
The moment she and Yuzu reached the entrance, Mei was assaulted by the sight of all sorts of teddy bear merchandise and food displays, from large dessert-style displays to stuffed bears of several shapes, sizes and a rainbow display of tiny stuffed bears sitting in wooden bathtubs with cloths on their heads.
There were even drink bottles in the shape of bears filled with many different flavors of drinks, and Mei found herself reading the labels and trying to decide which one she would get on the way out.
"You can order one with your dinner," said Yuzu, bending down next to Mei, who was still fixated on the bottles in front of her.
"Then I'll go with this one," said Mei pointing at the green tea-flavored one.
"Okay." Yuzu chuckled at Mei's obsession, and she could tell that her wife was holding back on touching everything to avoid making a scene. "Well, if that's the one you want, we need to get our table. Come on."
Standing, Yuzu stretched her back before reaching for Mei's hand. It took a moment, but eventually, Mei gave her hand to Yuzu and stood, though Mei's eyes remained focused on all the bears while Yuzu led them to the host's podium.
When they were a few steps away, Yuzu gasped in surprise when she felt her arm jerk, nearly pulling her to the ground.
Looking back, Yuzu rolled her eyes when she saw Mei staring at the display of tiny bears, smiling as she poked the cheek of the green and purple ones.
"See something you like," asked Yuzu, returning to Mei and wrapping her arm around her wife's waist.
"I do," answered Mei, moving her finger to the red one and poking that one, ignoring the looks some of the people walking down the stairs gave her. "They are rather cute."
"They are."
Smirking, Yuzu stood on her toes and leaned in as Mei reached to poke the blue one and whispered into her wife's ear, "But you're cuter."
The moment Mei felt Yuzu's breath on her ear, Mei's hand slipped and poked more than one bear off the stand, summoning an employee who asked if everything was all right.
"We're fine," answered Yuzu as the woman helped them pick up the bears. "Her hand slipped. Sorry about that."
The woman nodded and thanked them for their help, and when she was gone, Yuzu used her arm to steer Mei toward the podium.
"Why did you do that," whispered Mei, her face red with embarrassment. "I was only looking at them."
"I'm trying to get you to our table," replied Yuzu, a hint of playful annoyance in her voice. "We gotta let them know we're here so we can eat. This place has you on a time limit, and I want to enjoy my food."
"Then why didn't you say so," grumbled Mei as they waited for the host to arrive. "If you'd said that, I wouldn't have spent so much time..."
Mei's voice trailed off, and Yuzu smiled at her embarrassment at getting distracted by the bears.
"It's fine." Yuzu pulled Mei closer as they followed the man up the stairs. "You were cute, though, and when we're done, if we're still hungry, you wanna try one of the desserts and maybe grab a couple of souvenirs."
"Is that a promise," asked Mei a little louder than intended, making her turn even more red though it didn't kill her excitement.
For some reason, Yuzu felt like she was making a deal with one of the kids, but when she saw the look of hope and delight shining in Mei's eyes, she nodded, saying, "I promise."
"All right," said Mei, a slight hitch in her voice as they
As Yuzu had said, they were given a time limit, which was a little more limited than they thought, but it still looked interesting.
Following the bear theme, the restaurant offered personal hotpots using a gelatin bear made from soup stock, with the bear having a small towel on its head, mimicking the idea of the bear sitting in a bath.
Yuzu hoped that Mei wouldn't think she was playing a trick on her, but she nearly burst out laughing when she looked at Mei.
While Yuzu had been worried about Mei getting mad at her for picking the restaurant where the bear melted in front of you, Mei was busy taking pictures of the bears on the menu with her phone before answering a text.
Judging by the length of the message, Yuzu guessed it was work-related and waited patiently for Mei to finish.
Finally, Mei set the phone down, returned her attention to her menu, and said, "I think I'll go with the beef tongue, soy milk broth, and dumplings. What about you?"
"Oh," said Yuzu surprised that Mei had already decided, and, after scanning the menu for a moment, smiled and pointed at her choice. "I"m going to do the spicy dan-dan with the sampler and noodles."
"Of course you are," sighed Mei, but she couldn't help smiling at Yuzu and reaching over the table to take her hand. "I do like this restaurant, Yuzu. Thank you for picking it."
"You're welcome." Yuzu smiled back and took Mei's hand as their server arrived.
They placed their orders and spent some time chatting about their plans for the week which Mei was eager to hear about as it would be Yuzu's first meeting with the teacher she'd be assisting.
"Can you tell me anything about her," asked Yuzu as she took a sip of her water, her voice shaking a little. "It's been a while since I've met any of the new teachers, and I want to make sure that I'm not stepping on anyone's toes or causing problems."
"From what I recall," began Mei as she tried to remember her last meeting with the woman and the notes she'd read in the file, "Ito-san is a very competent teacher and is liked by the students. She's not overly friendly, but she hasn't made any enemies with any staff. From what I've seen, Ito-san is cordial with everybody, and though she has to be strict occasionally, she tries to be fair with everybody. She has had a few complaints, but nothing major, mostly people thinking she's being unfair about assignments or grading. Still, I haven't had to reprimand her, and the administrators who handle the day-to-day operations have rarely had to get involved. You'll be in good hands, but I ask that you listen to her. She's new to our school but came highly recommended by her old one, so please learn from her just like I hope she learns from you."
"I won't let you down," said Yuzu, pulling a card from Mei's book and slipping off her shoe to rub her foot against Mei's leg, smirking when she noticed Mei's eyebrow twitch and nearly dropped her glass of water.
Even when their server arrived with their food and portable stoves, Yuzu didn't let up and chuckled when Mei barely managed a nod as her ears continued to burn while Yuzu moved her foot upward and began rubbing Mei's upper calf.
"I suppose you think you're funny," said Mei as she and Yuzu examined their meals.
Yuzu could see that Mei was frustrated but did not try to stop the blonde.
"I have my moments," said Yuzu, lowering her foot to a less conspicuous position as she ignited her stove. "But I had to try considering how often you do stuff like this to me."
"I see," answered Mei, pulling her phone out and taking a picture of her meal before handing the phone to Yuzu. "I take it that's why you've been so possessive this evening."
Getting the message, Yuzu stopped her teasing long enough to get a picture of her bright red bear just as it began melting into a puddle of bubbling spicy deliciousness, keeping the towel on the bear's head in focus.
"Maybe," giggled Yuzu when she felt Mei's foot against hers. "But honestly, I've missed just being able to do stuff like this with you. It's been a while since we've had a night out without worrying about the kids interrupting us or dealing with some emergency."
"I understand." Mei kept her foot pressed to Yuzu's and smiled as she reached over and took her wife's hand. "To be honest, I'm on edge waiting for Nene to call us about Airi or someone calling to tell us something's happened to Hideki. I suppose that's why I let myself get distracted downstairs; I didn't know when it would end. But I'm happy we're getting this chance, and thank you for planning this with me; it was a lot of fun, and I want us to do more things like this in the future."
"I do too." Yuzu smiled and squeezed Mei's hand before picking up Mei's phone and handing it to her. "I think it turned out well; what do you think?"
As Mei looked at her phone, Yuzu began loading her ingredients into her pot now that her bear had almost halfway melted, and Yuzu felt her heart race when she saw the smile on Mei's face.
"It's a good one," chuckled Mei before shifting her gaze to Yuzu. "Do you mind if I send it to Himeko, Mother and Father, and Hideki?"
Yuzu nodded and smiled when she saw the excitement brimming in Mei's eyes.
It took a moment, and Yuzu decided to begin munching on some of her vegetables, which were much spicier than she thought they would be, and just as she was finishing a sip of her strawberry milk, a giggle escaped Mei's mouth.
"What's so funny," asked Yuzu, unaware of the mustache on her upper lip.
"Himeko is jealous."
Mei turned her phone around to show Yuzu Himeko's reply of an angry red panda at the pictures of their food.
"You should bring her here," said Yuzu, sitting back and taking a bite of a shiitake mushroom. "I think she'd get a kick out of it."
"I'll find us another place," answered Mei, standing up and leaning over to wipe the milk off Yuzu's lip with a spare napkin. "I'd like this to be an 'us' location if that's all right."
"Yeah," said Yuzu after Mei had sat down, wondering if the heat she was feeling was from her food or what Mei had just done. "That sounds nice."
Eventually, they returned to eating and were heading to pay me told Yuzu she had enjoyed the experience, despite her bear's demise.
But Yuzu didn't need Mei to tell her that.
The look on Mei's face as she ate and how she returned Yuzu's caresses underneath the table told Yuzu everything she needed to know about her wife's mood. When they were finished, Yuzu kept her promise, and they spent time downstairs figuring out their dessert and finding souvenirs for Mei to take home besides the drink bottles she'd stuffed into her bag.
Outside of Mei's reply from Himeko, they hadn't received a single call or message from one of the kids or anyone from their jobs saying that one of them was needed.
It was pleasant, and just as Yuzu asked Mei if she'd like a shirt or a mug, Yuzu turned to see that, once again, something had caught Mei's attention.
"What's up," asked Yuzu, walking up and wrapping an arm around Mei's and wasn't surprised to see Mei staring at the display of desserts, of which there were many.
There were simple ice cream cones, flavored soda floats, and enormous piles of fruits with bear heads on top. There were even what looked to be displays of shaved ice flavors complete with fruit. However, when Yuzu arrived, instead of focusing on one of the smaller desserts, Mei concentrated on a large dessert consisting of a bowl with a brown chocolate bear head surrounded by several pieces of fruit and what looked like miniature desserts.
"That looks yummy," said Yuzu, who, despite feeling full, got a sudden craving for sweets.
"It does," sighed Mei and shaking her head. "But it's a fondue set which means it'll take time to get ready like the food upstairs, and we're already running behind."
"We can always reschedule," suggested Yuzu earning a glare from Mei. "What? It's a bowling alley; they're not going anywhere, and I can't always use my connections. We might not be back here for a while, so why not go all out?"
"But when I asked the staff, they said the dessert section is usually less busy, so it wouldn't be impossible to come here and try it again," countered Mei.
"That's true," agreed Yuzu, shrugging. "But that's a lot of effort to come here for dessert. We're here, and I can see how much you want to try it, so let's take the time, and while we're eating, we can find something else to do."
"Are you sure," asked Mei, blushing when she felt Yuzu pull her close.
"Of course I am," said Yuzu, chuckling. "If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure I wanted something, but now, I think I want some dessert. So, do you want to join me, or do you want to leave?"
"I'll join you," said Mei before leaning in and giving Yuzu a cautious kiss on the cheek. However, she managed to get a bit of Yuzu's lip and cringed a bit when she tasted some residue from Yuzu's meal.
"What's that look for," asked Yuzu when she saw the look on Mei's face. "Does my breath stink from the food?"
"I wouldn't say it stinks," said Mei after grabbing a cup of water from a nearby dispense. "I just managed to get some broth you missed. Can you please go clean your face before we sit down? I don't want to worry about that for the rest of the evening."
"Yes, ma'am," joked Yuzu before wandering off to the bathroom to get cleaned up while Mei notified the host that they would be ordering once Yuzu returned.
When she did, Yuzu's face was a little read, telling Mei that Yuzu had taken extra time to ensure she'd cleaned everything off her face.
Finally, they placed their order, and once they were seated, Mei shifted her knee and began rubbing it against Yuzu's as she said, "Thank you for this, Yuzu."
"You're welcome," answered Yuzu doing the same as she stared out the window and reached for Mei's hand.
Once she had it, Yuzu began playing with the rings on Mei's finger, chuckled, and jokingly said, "You're lucky I love you."
To which Mei replied with complete sincerity, "I am."
So that's part one of the chapter.
Sorry, it dragged on Airi a bit, but I wanted to include Nene's time, and she's being used to set up future events. I'm excited to see what you think about the future chapters because I have a few essential things to do before the time jumps, so I'm figuring a lot out.
But I hope it all works out.
Also, the restaurant they're at is Kumachan-Onsen. A Hokkaido-based restaurant chain located in Shibuya, pretty close to the Meiji station; I don't remember the actual station name, though. I saw it in one of the videos I watched about Japanese restaurants by DancingBacon and knew I had to have Yuzu take Mei there.
It really has you push out reservations up to 3 weeks out sometimes, so that's fun!
Hopefully, I can get the next chapter out soon, but I have Baldur's Gate 3, then Stardew has a 1.6 update, and I need to finish FF XVI (I'm so close to getting to the end game). Not to mention Mortal Kombat 1, Star Ocean 2 getting a rerelease, and even Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars on the switch, and I still own that one on my SNES!
I'm rambling again; I hope you all are well, and I'll see you next chapter.