According to Toko, the unusual seating setup was a result of Kazuaki’s arbitrary request. He wanted to see Asahi and his guest sit next to each other. He might have had good intentions, but it wasn’t exactly commendable that he had abused his authority in the workplace. Asahi’s other—and more logical—parent soon returned the setup in the way it was meant to be. Fuyuka and Asahi were now finally able to sit face-to-face.
Everything seemed to return to normal, save for the extra seat that Kazuaki had brought in order to sit next to them. It appeared as though Toko intended to stay with them for the time being.
“Aren’t you busy?” Asahi asked.
“I’m on a little break. I’ll get back to my work once it’s over,” she replied. She shifted her gaze toward Fuyuka and continued, “And what would you like me to call you?”
“Wh-Whatever is comfortable with you, Ma’am...”
“I see. I’ll call you Fuyuka then.”
Toko had managed to get on a first-name basis with Fuyuka with the briefest of formalities and an expressionless face. Asahi had no idea what she was plotting, but it was clear that she was confident in her plan.
Fuyuka, on the other hand, was all nerves. Her wandering eyes, stiff nods, tense expression, and jittery movements all betrayed her anxiety. Asahi couldn’t blame her—they’d been hit with one surprise after another ever since they’d entered the restaurant. Not only had she withstood Asahi’s hysterical and raucous dad, but now she had to deal with his emotionless mother. It only stood to reason that she would be on high alert at all times.
Asahi had learned to pick up on Fuyuka’s minor shifts in behavior as a result of their time together. “You don’t have to be so on edge with my mom, Fuyuka. She’s the rational one. Sort of,” he tried to assure her while he looked at his mother.
“‘Sort of’?” his mother quoted him.
“W-Well, yeah! Sometimes you do... strange... things...” his voice trailed off as Toko shot him a venomous look, and he shriveled up in fear. He’d succeeded in making Fuyuka feel more comfortable, but it had come at a hefty price.
His mother hadn’t changed one bit since his childhood. She’d always had a blank, emotionless expression as far as he could remember. It was so severe, in fact, that he could practically count the number of times he’d seen her smile on one hand. Naturally, he and his father were often exasperated by her apathetic nature. It was a step up from fear, at the very least. God help the unfortunate soul that angered her, though—that was a different beast entirely.
“I’m willing to bet that you didn’t even show Dad the message I sent you!” he continued.
“Correct. I thought it’d be funnier this way.”
“Hope you enjoyed getting your sick kicks from seeing us tormented. Dad literally shouted at the top of his lungs that she was my girlfriend. In front of all the guests!”
“I don’t see why you’re complaining. She’s pretty enough. You wouldn’t mind if she were your girlfriend, right?”
“That’s beside the point...” he protested. He could tell from her cold tone that she was purposefully poking fun at him, and he fully understood that he was playing right into her trap by continuing to challenge her.
While Toko rarely showed emotion on her face, Asahi had always been able to understand her thoughts and feelings through her actions alone. The most prominent example he could think of was when his parents had prepared their luggage to move out. When his mother had said her goodbyes, she’d given him a gentle hug before she walked out the door. She would always prepare a fine cake for his birthday, accompanied by presents. She would never forget to reward and praise him whenever he did well on a taxing exam, got first place in a sporting event, or any other sort of trivial accomplishment he achieved. Although she gave off the impression of being scary, strict, cold, and even hard to read at first glance, the truth was that the warmth of a loving mother was weaved into anything she did for her family. It was something that her family members, friends, and colleagues would come to understand the more time they spent with her.
Toko turned her attention to Fuyuka and asked, “What about you, Fuyuka? Did you feel uncomfortable when people thought you two were a couple?”
“H-Huh? Me? As Asahi’s girlfriend? Um, well...” Fuyuka stammered.
“Hey, don’t put her on the spot like that,” Asahi protested.
“Calm down. I just want to apologize if I’ve offended her.”
What Toko said made absolute sense... if she weren’t the one who had orchestrated the whole situation to begin with. As he’d told his mom in his message, he and Fuyuka were nothing more than friends. By not showing her husband the message, Toko had just added fuel to the fire.
“So? What’s your answer, Fuyuka?” Toko prodded.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, okay?” Asahi said in an effort to comfort her. Fuyuka was caught between a rock and a hard place—there was Toko, pressing her for an answer, and Asahi trying to persuade her to remain silent. After a short pause, she finally spoke up.
“I wouldn’t, um, mind it...” she said with a fragile voice, her head drooping in embarrassment.
“Oh my. Good for you, Asahi,” Toko said.
“Don’t drag me into this,” he grumbled. It was obvious that his mother, whom he hadn’t seen since the summer, was simply looking to tease her son.
I shouldn’t let what Fuyuka said get to me. Nobody would be able to deny anything in this situation, he thought.
“I told you in that message, and I’ll tell you again—we’re just friends. Right, Fuyuka?” he spoke up and turned to Fuyuka for confirmation.
“Y-Yes, indeed,” she replied with a tinge of hesitation. “Asahi is my... precious... precious... friend.” Her words were fragmented, and her voice dwindled as she continued. She slowly raised her head and met Asahi’s gaze, only to quickly avert her own.
His mother quickly latched on to this brief interaction. “Are you sure you’re ‘just friends’?” she asked.
“Yes. I’ve been telling you this for a while now,” Asahi insisted.
“But you call each other by your first names.”
“We’re just on very good terms.”
“Your face is red.”
“... You’re imagining things,” he waved her off and looked out the window to hopefully end the conversation. For now, it seemed that he’d managed to fend off her ruthless attack. He could faintly make out his reflection amidst the bright lights of the city. Just as his mother had said, his face was indeed flushed.
He stole a glance to his side and noticed Fuyuka was copying him. He was able to catch a glimpse of her face between the curtain of her black hair—her pale, nearly translucent skin was just as red as his. She looked gorgeous, and the sparkling city lights that illuminated the night sky and reflected off the window only accentuated her beauty even further.