Going to dinner at a friend's house is quite common, but if it is a friend's house and more than her mother who invited you, it definitely looks like the synopsis of a novel or an anime chapter.

For some reason I have a bad feeling about how this will all turn out, plus Yumiko's mother told me that her husband would be present.

If I were a girl, there would be no problem with this, but I am a boy, or that's what I see every morning when I go to the bathroom. Therefore, if I were Yumiko's father and a boy came to my house for dinner, it is obvious what I would have to do. After all, there is nothing more terrifying than a father who loves his daughter, and since I already saw how her mother behaves, I have some theory about the attitude of her father.

For this reason, I cannot stop worrying about how the treatment I will receive will be. Of course, I doubt that once I enter his house, Yumiko's father will jump on me and ask me many questions, to finally tell me something cliché like, I will never give you up to my daughter.

Luckily, I was invited as a friend of Yumiko, I don't want to imagine the cruel fate that Yumiko's future boyfriend will have, although since it is possible that it is Hayama, I am sure that the beautiful blond boy, who is from a good family; He will not receive a bad treatment, it is even likely that he will be treated like someone else in the family.

But thinking about it won't get me out of this situation, so there is no point in doing so.

Maybe for some reason Yumiko's father has some business to attend and will be absent tonight? If I keep that mindset, maybe it will come true.

To whom I lie? It probably won't happen.

I shook my head to try not to think about it.

If it were a different situation, I would have no problem talking to adults, since being part of my career, I had to work with other professionals, so starting a conversation topic was common.

There were still a few minutes to go to my destination, but I'm nervous like when I had my job interview although they are totally different situations, but I can't help but get nervous.

I remember that on the way to Yumiko's house there is a Max Café machine, I can go for a can to calm my nerves, I trust that the sweetness of the coffee will calm my mind.

Being close, I could visualize the machine although there was another person in front of me.

Is a man, he has brown hair in addition to glasses, wears a white shirt and jeans. He looked quite haggard, I guess he must be a corporate slave and can only go back to sleep in his apartment.

Though I could tell from his expression that he had a problem, he looked at the machine and then at his wallet. ¿Do not he have enough money to buy?

Looking from behind, I could see that if he had several bills in his wallet, money was not the problem.

I looked at the machine and realized that it only accepted coins, I think I heard that it was a somewhat old model since it only accepts the exact change, so it is not enabled for coins or bills that exceed the preset price.

It's a shame, I can tell at a glance that he wants to buy the drink.

Of course, this is none of my business, after all, I have no reason to do anything about it.

Noticing my presence, the man walked away so I could use the machine.

He looked downcast when he started on his way.

I put in a 100-yen coin and received my drink.

As I took the can, something came to mind. A few moments ago, I wished that Yumiko's father was absent for some reason, and now a man looked somewhat dejected because he could not buy a drink, maybe that is some sign? This has no foundation or logic, but there are things that cannot be explained, my existence in this world is one of them.

I put in a second coin and got another can of Max caffe, maybe it has no foundation or logic, but it is not that there is not 0.1 possibility that it is true, and for 100 yen I am not going to be poorer.

I could also take this opportunity to start a conversation with someone, so I avoid thinking too much about my dark destiny to which I am heading.

When I turned around, I could still see that man. Luckily that man was still close. And he also seemed to go my same route.

"Hey." I talked to him, so I could get his attention.

The man looked at me.

He seemed somewhat surprised by that. So, I went up to him and handed him a can.

His expression showed distrust, after all, why would you accept something from a stranger?

My arm will tire until that man makes a decision.

"Take it as a gift from one Max Caffe lover to another, after all, I couldn't keep looking at him with that expression." Part of this was true, wanting the Max Caffe and having the money, but not being able to have it is cruel.

My words seemed to give him confidence by accepting the can.

We both opened the drink and drank.

Definitely, the high level of sugar makes one able to collect their thoughts.

"I needed that dose of sugar." That man seemed happy after taking a little, the Max caffe revitalizing corporate slaves since time immemorial. "I appreciate it."

"It was nothing."

Once our drink was finished, we proceeded to deposit it in the nearest trash can.

Now is the time to get on my way, and, to my good luck, that man seems to be going my way too. Perhaps I can use this opportunity to strike up a conversation, this may serve to clear my mind.

"Are you from around here?" Although that man was the first to start the conversation.

"I'm just going to visit a friend's house, so I'm just passing through." I had no reason to lie, after all, he is just a stranger. "What about you? Are you coming home from a hard day at work?"

"That's what it looks like, huh. You're right, the work is pretty exhausting, so sometimes I have to stay a few shifts at night, and I can't sleep well."

"I get it.''

"Oh, is that so?"

''You cannot always decide the work schedule, of course those who are lucky enough to be able to do so are the luckiest, but there is also the possibility that emergencies arise or your boss forces you to stay overtime, so in the end have that choosing your schedule does not guarantee that you will not have extra shifts.'' I said what I learned in my previous life.

"Oh, you get it perfectly." The man looked happy, as if it was strange to be able to talk about this with a student. "I thought you were just saying random words, but it seems I was wrong."

"I don't blame him, if I were in his position, I would think the same thing."

We both smile at each other.

"By the way, now that we're in trust, is that friend you visit just your friend?"

"It's quite a personal question, don't you think?"

With my words, he realized that his question was very personal. "I'm sorry, I guess I got a little excited, I also have a meeting with a friend of my daughter, so I was hoping to take this opportunity."

''What a coincidence, I suppose I could also take the opportunity to have the opinion of an adult.''

Of course, if I thought about it a bit, I would feel that there is something wrong with this situation, but it must only be my nerves.

I suppose that since this person is a complete stranger, I also have no need to hide anything since there is no probability that this will come out of our conversation.

''She is quite an annoying girl, but in a good way, she always comes to look for me at lunch, of course I would have preferred to spend my time alone before, but since I met her, I no longer see it as unpleasant.'' Spending time with friends is nice, both in this life and in my previous life.

The gentleman seemed quite interested in listening to me, I suppose I can boast a bit.

"Besides, she is very beautiful."

"So, have you thought about dating her?''

''Not really, I think it's something impossible for me, although if I could, I would have no problem, since she is quite sexy, she has good legs and abundant chest.'' Of course, I only say this to show off, is impossible for me dating Yumiko, but this man doesn't know, so I can be a bit arrogant.

The man laughed. "Young people today think about those things although I don't blame you. At your age I used to have lewd thoughts too."

"Also, the situation in which we met was quite strange, so, to sum up, I ended up helping her at an important moment." After saying this, the man looked thoughtful.

"That reminds me of how I met my wife." It's surprising that he has a similar situation to mine. "I suppose you are interested in listening, right?''

I nodded.

"During my college days, I was always someone who didn't socialize too much, as it was a waste of time to do so. One day while having lunch I could hear an argument, I just thought of ignoring it, but from the girl's voice she seemed scared. I still don't know the reason why I got closer, but I held that guy's fist before he hit her, of course this made him hit me.''

Is this serious? What an amazing way to meet your future wife.

"And I guess you hit him back, didn't you?" Since from his attitude and the way he's saying this to me, I can tell that he's not the type of person who would flinch. In fact, I'm sure that this side he's showing me is one he's not showing.

"That's right, I hit him back by making him collapse and escape." Hearing it reminded me of me for some reason. "After that, I wanted to leave, but that girl stopped me, told me that she would appreciate it properly, but I turned her down."

"And I guess after that, she insisted, and she started messing with your day a day, right?" She reminded me of Yumiko for some reason.

I could see a smile on his face. ''That's right, little by little we got to know each other, although after several months she cornered me and asked me to go out with her. I knew that she would not take no for an answer, so I accepted. And after several years I ended up marrying her and starting a family."

If the way he said this does not denote expressions when he mentioned it, it could tell that he was lying, but in this case, he was telling the truth.

It was an incredible story, as a particular situation ended in a marriage, I suppose it could be what is called destiny.

"And now his daughter brings a boy home, huh." I couldn't help but tease him a bit, after all, there is nothing worse for a father than his daughter bringing a man home.

''Don't remind me.'' He looked beaten upon hearing my words.

''To think that my little girl is already that age. Although I will not accept any boy that she brings home. After all, I am also a man, so at that age having something as a boyfriend will only bring her sadness''

"You're right, if I were in your place, I wouldn't hesitate to threaten that boy."

Just by observing other students my age I can tell that having a partner at this age is only temporary. Men only take the relationship as a game, of course not all are like that.

"Besides, when most men have a girlfriend, they only think of one thing, so having to put up with the guy who's going to sleep with your daughter is impossible." I said while nodding my head

The man nodded at my words, I guess he agrees with what I said, after all, he was my age once too.

"And speaking of which, I can say that you are someone serious and responsible, but when you said that most men, did you also include yourself?" This question surprised me a bit, after all, he as a father wanted to confirm if someone like me could also have such thoughts.

I couldn't help but remember that day I studied with Yumiko. When she suggested studying in my room, I remembered my mother's words, so my mind imagined a totally obscene scene, so I left there as I was blushing. I couldn't help it. I'm a virgin after all, both in this life and the previous.

''I can't deny it, I'm a teenager, so having obscene thoughts about a girl is common. Besides, as I mentioned, my friend is quite sexy, so it would be weird if I hadn't thought about it once.'' Although of course these were just some thoughts that came up due to my teenage hormones, after all, even though I am the same age as Yumiko, I am mentally much older than her.

"Do not worry, it is something common at your age, also feeling emotion towards the opposite sex is something common in human beings, so there is no reason to be ashamed."

His voice had taken on a professional tone, as if he was saying something with which he has experience.

I never thought I'd meet someone so nice to talk to, it was a good decision to give him that Max Caffe.

''But aren't you also going to your friend's house to see her parents?'' There was mockery in his tone of voice

''Don't remind me.'' I said in a dejected tone.

He laughed.

"Although I must say that as a father hearing that someone has fantasized about his daughter is quite uncomfortable." He is right, any father would want to murder a bastard who has fantasies about his daughter, even more so if the idiot told strangers about it.

"I totally understand, I would not hesitate to attack that boy, especially if he is saying that he fantasizes about my daughter." That man nodded at my words.

"If I found out that this boy had these thoughts about my daughter, I'm sure he wouldn't be able to control me." I agree with him.

"You can count on me to teach that bastard a lesson."

We both laughed, even though we had just met, we were already getting along, as if we had known each other for years.

From so much talking, I hadn't realized that we were already on the direct path to Yumiko's house, and for some reason, that man also seemed to go my own way.

"Do you live around here?" I couldn't help asking

"Yes, I live on this street." I guess he must be Yumiko's neighbor, then there will be more chances to meet us.

"What a coincidence, my friend's house is also around here." We were already a few steps from the door of Yumiko's house.

"Maybe she is the daughter of one of my neighbors, I could speak well of you to give you a little help since I really enjoyed our conversation."

It was good to have that conversation with an adult.

I stopped at Yumiko's door; I think it's time to say goodbye.

But that man also stopped, does he live next to Yumiko's house? It is not possible, otherwise he would have stopped earlier or kept moving forward.

As if the can of Max caffe had turned off the gears in my head, at this point, my mind began to function normally, and for some reason I had a very bad feeling about this.

I looked at the man, and he was doing the same too, as if ideas were building up in his mind.

This must be a coincidence, right? There's no way it's like that, right?

I wanted to deny this fact as logically as possible, but everything indicated that he was right.

I started to sweat, and my nerves had multiplied by a thousand.

It's not possible that he is Yumiko's father, right? I couldn't possibly have told him that I considered his daughter to be a nuisance, right? I COULDN'T HAVE TOLD HIM THAT I HAVE HAD FANTASIES WITH HIS DAUGHTER, right?

Right now, my options were limited, I was 99.9% sure that this man was Yumiko's father, so I only had 2 options. Leave this place, or suffer the wrath of Yumiko's father.

But as a man, the answer is clear.

I must escape from here.

Before I could move, the door to Yumiko's house opened, revealing a Yumiko in a red one-piece dress. I'm sure it was the dress that forced me to give my opinion, although in that dress she was much more insistent.

"Oh, Raiden." She had seen me. "I thought you might be taking too long, so I wanted to check if you were already close." It is certain that I will not survive tonight, but if I had the support of Yumiko, I could come out unscathed. Besides, Yumiko wasn't ignoring her father? Or was she not aware of her presence? Whatever the answer to these questions is, they do not change the fact that I must show that my relationship with Yumiko is one of friendship and trust since from our conversation I am sure that he thinks I want to have his daughter for me.

So, I must choose my words carefully.

At that moment, for some reason, I remembered all the ordeal I had to go through with Yumiko the day we went shopping.

"You look quite beautiful in that dress." I said in a slightly teasing tone, as teasing her is quite funny.

And, unsurprisingly, she looked somewhat embarrassed and flushed. She looks really cute when she gets like this.

I could feel a great killing instinct coming from my side.

I guess I'm an idiot, huh.

Yumiko's father cleared his throat, drawing our attention.

Yumiko has just realized his presence.

"Father, were you here too? Did they meet on the way?''

After hearing Yumiko's first words, I could see that he frowned.

"We met on the road, and we were lucky to be able to talk a bit." Although his voice was normal, the tone with which he said it and his gaze indicated that he was not happy.

If I go into that house, it is certain that I will never see sunlight again.

I'm sorry, Yumiko, but your father wants to kill me, so the only thing left for me to do now is withdraw.

"I'm starting to feel a little bad, so I'd better come back another time." After saying this, I turned around and started walking in the opposite direction from her house.

When I thought I had escaped, a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor, so you should come and I can treat you."

Although those were his words, I understood something else, "Where do you think you are going?" I guess I can only resign myself.

"I already feel a little better, but I will still accept your offer." I could only pray for my dark future.

The four of us were sitting at the table, the dinner had been delicious.

Once we entered, they welcomed us with the table already set, so we quickly sat down to eat. I was sitting next to Yumiko while her parents were in front of me.

Over dinner, only her mother asked some common questions like my name, what high school I am applying to and things like that, nothing I can't handle. But her father had been silent all this time, so once we finished eating, it would be my end, and now was that moment.

"So, Tsurumi-kun." His voice was calm, but his expression was not.

''How did you meet my daughter?'' I'm sure I brought this up in our conversation. Do you expect me to change my version of events? It would be stupid of me to lie.

"We met for the first time in the hospital, we talked about some things, and it was all." It was not necessary for I to give details of what we talked about or how specifically our meeting was, although her mother's expression indicated that she wanted to know as much detail as possible.

Her father looked at Yumiko, as if to confirm what I said.

''It was like that, he advised me at a time when I felt quite lonely. That's why I really appreciate that Raiden helped me at that time.'' She said this and blushed a little. Normally, I would like to joke with her, but I feel like my life is in danger if I did.

"Yumiko mentioned that some students once beat you. How did it happen?"

There was no point in lying since I'm sure Yumiko already told him how it happened.

From what I told how it happened, how I managed to intervene before Yumiko got into a fight with those two girls, and how they had called me behind the school where they beat me, of course I specified that they were only scratches.

Although it seemed as if Yumiko had something to say.

''After seeing that, I wanted to get away from him, as I was afraid that something like this would happen to him again, but instead of blaming me for everything that happened, Raiden just told me that this was not my fault, and if I wanted to get away from him, it must be my own decision and not something like guilt or remorse.'' Yumiko said all this with determination, there was no trace of the girl at that time.

"That is why I am grateful to Raiden, without him I don't know how I would have faced this situation" It seemed that Yumiko was going to get up to bow, but I stopped her before doing.

''You're giving me too much credit for that.'' I feel as if Yumiko was underestimating herself too much. ''Although I gave you some advice, it was just that, simple advice, just knowing them does not achieve anything, so it depends on the person if they can make them come true, and in this case, everything you achieved is thanks to your determination.'' Even if you know the theory of something, it's useless if you can't put it into practice.

Saying this, I could feel the gazes from Yumiko's parents, as if they were evaluating me as much as possible.

"Tsurumi-kun, if you were in a situation where you had to hurt yourself to help Yumiko, would you do it?" Yumiko's father's tone was serious, although I understand what this question is about.

There was only one answer to this question, and it was not necessary to think to arrive at the answer.

"I wouldn't hesitate to do it." I replied directly.

I could see that Yumiko's mother had a big smile on her face although it was directed towards Yumiko, to which she only avoided having eye contact with her mother.

"Honey, what if you asked Raiden-kun the most remarkable thing that happened this week?" The look her mother gave me was loving, as if she was looking at her own son, this was quite strange.

Yumiko's father raised an eyebrow and stared at me, as if he was waiting for me to tell him what happened. Today is definitely a tiring day.

I talked about everything that happened with those idiots, also about how they had tried to expel me, and how Yumiko's mother had come to give me support although it was unnecessary, of course I did not mention the latter.

After explaining everything that happened, I couldn't understand what exactly Yumiko's father was thinking. Since I could see different emotions on his face.

Yumiko's father stood up.

I guess it's time for my sentence.

After all, the topic we discussed before we got home was not a pleasant one for a father to hear.

But he bowed to me: "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, I hope you will continue to take care of her."

... My mind had stopped working upon hearing his words.

Looking at Yumiko, I noticed that she had a surprised face, while her mother had a nostalgic expression, as if she was remembering something.

I didn't know how to react to this, I expected Yumiko's father to threaten me or do that kind of thing. I never thought that he would appreciate it, much less that he told me to continue taking care of his daughter.

It was arrogant of me to think that I understood adults well since at this moment I cannot understand the behavior of her father.

But thinking about it won't give me an answer, so now I can only answer it in the same way.

"You don't have to say it, since I would anyway." Yumiko's father stood up, and our gazes collided, but at that moment he had the same expression as when we first spoke.

"Then I'm sure I can entrust my daughter to you."

"F-father wh-what are you saying!" 'Yumiko had gotten quite nervous, and she was blushing for some reason.

On second thought, I was the first friend of his daughter, so knowing that I have no problem helping her when necessary, he considers me someone capable of helping and supporting her. I guess a few moments ago I thought about it too much, he was just a father showing appreciation for his daughter's friend.

"I think the same, Raiden-kun." Yumiko's mother supported her husband's decision, but this only made Yumiko redder than she was.

"By the way, I think I have not formally introduced myself yet, I am Ichiro Miura, it will be a pleasure to have you from now on, Tsurumi-kun." He extended his hand towards me.

"You can count on me, Ichiro-san." We shook hands.

I could see that Yumiko's mother was saying something to Yumiko, but quickly Yumiko got embarrassed and started complaining to her mother.

I thought this day would be overwhelming, and it was, but when I got to see the interaction of the Miura family, it was a nice thing to watch. I guess it was worth it.

After some conversations between us, plus some jokes that I couldn't understand from Yumiko's mother, prompting Yumiko to complain to her. It was time to say goodbye.

Yumiko's mother suggested that I stay the night, but after saying that, I could feel Ichiro-san killing instinct. Even if I were recognized as a friend of his daughter, it would be too much for me to spend the night here.

I politely declined her offer, but I could hear Ichiro-san mutter, "It's still too early for that." He's right since I was recently recognized as Yumiko's friend although Yumiko usually spends some afternoons at my house.

As it was a bit late, I declined Yumiko's offer to accompany me to my house, after all, if something happened to her on the way to her house, I would not forgive myself.

After a few words from her father, Yumiko accepted this.

I must say it was a good night, I got to know a little more about Yumiko, as well as some things about her parents.

It could be said that it was a successful night, with just having survived, it could already be considered a victory.

With these thoughts, I headed home.