Episode 11: Concerning the Matter of Already Being Officially Recognized
“What should I do? I’m so nervous…”
Ichinose Ayano took a deep breath in front of the Kamijou residence, her next-door neighbor’s house.
She had returned from school, immediately taken a shower, changed into a white blouse and a red miniskirt, and waited anxiously for a message from him, wondering when it would arrive.
As expected, she hadn’t bothered with Setting Up her chest. His older sister knew the situation, and there was no need to put on a strange facade for his Mother, nor did she want to lie.
And just a little while ago, a single Message had arrived on her Smartphone, and though she had been full of enthusiasm, she was, after all, a little intimidated after three years.
Should she have dressed up more?
Should she have prepared a small gift?
But this was a precious invitation to dinner. If she was dithering here, the food would get cold, and she might make his Mother worry, wondering, “Was it a bother?”
“Okay. Do your best, me. Until recently, I used to visit like it was my own House, so don’t get too worked up and just say, ‘I’m home!'”
Ichinose Ayano reinvigorated herself and reached for the doorknob, but her hand grasped at empty air.
Instead, her beloved He was standing right in front of her, his eyes wide.
And with a smile,
“Welcome home, Ayano.”
◇
“I-It’s been a while. Thank you for inviting me today—”
Ichinose Ayano, greeted by Kamijou Yuuto, was trying to be proper since it had been a while, but,
“Oh my! Ayano-chan, it’s been so long! I was so surprised at how beautiful you’ve become!”
She was hugged by Yuto’s Mother, her words muffled.
“No need to be so formal! Aren’t you hungry? Anyway, come in, come in~”
“M-Mother! You’re embarrassing Ayano, aren’t you!?”
Yuto tried to stop her, but his Mother didn’t listen and led her straight into the living room.
On the table were paella, stew, tonkatsu, simmered dishes, etc.
It was like a buffet, with everything his Mother wanted to make, using whatever ingredients she had on hand, arranged without any gaps.
“Wow, amazing…”
“Even so, isn’t this a bit too much effort?”
As Ayano was overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of food, Yuna, the older sister of her boyfriend, came down from her room and shrugged in exasperation.
The Older sister and Ayano seemed to understand each other with a wink, but Yuto tilted his head.
“Come on, let’s chat while we eat. I put my heart into it, so eat your fill!”
His Mother urged cheerfully, and his Older sister sighed, “Good grief,” and took a seat.
Yuto and Ayano looked at each other and nodded.
“Before that, there’s something I want to tell you,”
Yuto took her hand and,
“We—we’ve started going out…!”
He announced to his Mother and Older sister.
He didn’t know what they would say. But he wanted to spend his future with her openly, not in secret.
And if possible, he wanted to be recognized by Ayano’s Father as well.
First, he had to start with his own family.
Together with Ayano, he was nervous about his parents’ and Older sister’s reactions, but,
“Well, that’s how it is, I guess,”
Said his Mother.
“Well, figures,”
Said his Older sister.
“…Aren’t you guys underreacting?”
“Well, it’s kind of obvious at this point, isn’t it, you two?”
When Yuto frowned, Yuna laughed, “Ah!”
“When you found out that Ayano-chan was confessed to by a handsome guy from another class, you confessed in a panic, right? And the punchline is that you both liked each other.”
“You saw right through me!?” Seeing the look on her younger brother’s face,
“It’s Mikado, right? His older brother is in the same class as me. He’s being compared to his successful younger brother, got discouraged, and is now a shut-in.”
“How awful,” she shrugged.
“In the first place, yesterday night? Or rather, until around when the date changed, you two were chatting in your room for a long time, right? Even though you were on bad terms in middle school, suddenly talking about Bento Boxes—anyone would notice.”
“Hmm,” his Mother said, hesitating,
“Also, I met Ayano-chan’s Father when I was taking out the trash today…”
“Eh, you met my Father?”
“I was asked, ‘If Yuuto-kun is willing to go out with my daughter, please watch over them.’ He was so serious that I agreed without thinking.”
“What is Father saying!? Thank you!”
“To get parental approval before even reporting it is hilarious.”
To Yuna, who was laughing gleefully, his Mother frowned and said,
“Anyway, if you two are serious, we have no intention of opposing it.”
But, she added,
“You two aren’t exactly children anymore, but you’re not adults yet either. If you truly care about each other, you should have a ‘student-like relationship’ while you’re students—is that clear?”
Yuto looked straight into his Mother’s unusually serious eyes and said,
“I understand.”
“I promise,”
Ayano replied along with him.
“I see. Then that’s good… Do your best.”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you very much…!”
Yuna, feeling like her mouth was getting sweet from watching the two of them huddle together, grabbed a meatball and ate it.
“Anyway, what this means is that sex is still too early, right~?”
“Se—!?”
“Gah—!?”
“Yuna-chan! Girls shouldn’t say things like that!”
His Mother let out a big sigh at his Older sister, who was grinning maliciously at the two of them, who had instinctively pulled away from each other.
She clapped her hands together and tried to forcefully change the subject,
“Alright! Let’s eat before it gets cold!”
◇
The dinner table at the Kamijou residence, where Ichinose Ayano had been invited for the first time in three years, was awkward at first, as they exchanged updates on their lives, but it soon became peaceful when they started talking about their childhood.
They were told things that even they had forgotten by Kamijou Yuuto’s Mother and Older sister, and it was both nostalgic and exciting.
Even though the four of them ate as much as they could, his Mother’s enthusiasm seemed to have won out, and the untouched dishes were packed into Tupperware containers and placed in front of Yuto with a thud.
“Here, take this with you.”
“Got it.”
While he was putting them into an Eco Bag used for shopping so that they would be easy to carry,
“Thank you for the meal. I was so happy to be able to eat your cooking again after so long,”
Ayano bowed her head.
“Oh, I was happy too. Come over anytime.”
“Yes. And, could you teach me how to cook again, like in the old days?”
At her hesitant request, his Mother’s cheeks softened.
“Of course~ I’ll teach you what Yuto likes.”
“O-Okay, please!”
“Oh, and he still doesn’t like pumpkin, so please make it so he can eat it.”
“! I’ll do my best!”
His Older sister twisted her mouth into a grin at the strangely uncomfortable look on her younger brother’s face when he heard that.
“You’re really aiming to grab his stomach, huh.”
“I’ve already been grabbed, though.”
“This little brother is so easy~”
He glared at his Older sister and said,
“Alright, come on, let’s go.”
Yuto pushed Ayano’s back and headed for the entrance.
“Well then, see you later, Ayano-chan.”
“Yes, thank you for having me.”
Ayano, who was putting on her shoes and bowing her head once more, was conscious of his Older sister seeing her off and his Mother starting to wash the dishes in the kitchen,
“…Hey, Yuto. Have you done today’s homework yet?”
“No, I was thinking of doing it later. But there’s a lot, isn’t there?”
“Huh?” Ayano tilted her head and, while playing with her hair, said,
“Then, why don’t you come over to my House and do it? You know, we can compare notes and stuff.”
“Eh? Ah… I guess that’s true…”
A moment of silence passed, followed by the sound of a small click of the tongue.
“A girl is inviting you, so don’t embarrass her, got it!”
To Yuto, who had shown a hint of hesitation, his Older sister furrowed her brow and literally slapped her younger brother’s butt.
“Ow!? That hurt! —J-Just wait a sec, I’ll go get my Bag!”
His Older sister snorted at his back as he hurried to his room.
“Ayano-chan, is someone like that okay for you?”
“Someone like that is perfect for me.”
At the words she returned, his Older sister shrugged, “Bon appétit.”
“—Are you happy now?”
“—Yes, very.”
“Ah~, so young~!”
As his Older sister was laughing gleefully at Ayano, who looked somewhat embarrassed and happy, Yuto came back with his Bag in hand.
“What? Is something wrong?”
“Hmm. Nothin’ much~? Nothin’ at all~?”
He put on his shoes, feeling suspicious of his Older sister’s nonchalant response, and held the Eco Bag filled with food in his free hand.
Ayano opened the door in place of Yuto, whose hands were full.
“…Well, I’m off.”
“Yuto.”
Just as the two of them were about to step outside and Ayano was about to close the door with a nod,
“If you make Ayano-chan cry, I’ll kill you, okay?”
A genuine declaration, albeit with a faint smile.
“—Ah, I know.”
Gachan, the door closed quietly, and Kamijou Yuuto muttered.
“……—”
Ichinose Ayano held her breath at his serious expression.