“Well then, I guess this is my cue to leave,” Toko said. Asahi and Fuyuka each breathed a sigh of relief. They looked away from the window and faced each other in what felt like the first time in a while. Asahi’s parents had had their fun tonight, but Asahi was now certain that he could finally relax.
Toko acted like she was about to stand up, but then suddenly pointed a slender finger at Asahi’s sparkling brooch and added, “By the way, seeing that thing takes me back.”
“Takes you back?” he asked.
“What do you mean, Ma’am?” Fuyuka wondered as well.
“That’s the prize given to the best player at the sports festival, isn’t it? I wonder if people still treat it as a charm to convey their feelings to someone they love.”
“Wh-Wha?! How do you know about that?” Asahi asked, completely dumbfounded.
“Simple—Kazuaki and I were the ones who started it. Our classmates always used to call me “ice-cold,” “difficult to approach,” and whatnot, but that didn’t stop your father. He confessed to me and gave me the brooch as a gift. One thing led to another, and we started dating. That’s when everyone at school made a commotion about the brooch and started the legend,” she explained as she indulged in memories of her adolescence. Asahi had heard from his parents that they attended the same school, but he would have never expected that they were the origins of the legend. Then again, he’d never actually bothered to ask how they got to know each other to begin with.
“So tell me, Asahi—who gave you that brooch?” his mother asked.
“Uh, well...” he hesitated, his eyes wandering around the room to avoid his mother’s inquisitive stare. His eyes accidentally met with Fuyuka’s for a brief moment, but that was all it took for his mother to reach a conclusion to her question.
“The legend of the brooch is real, Asahi. You’re living proof of that,” she said teasingly as she patted his shoulder. Toko finally stood up from her seat and continued, “Take good care of Asahi for me, will you, Fuyuka? I hope we can meet again someday. I feel like we’ll get along just fine.”
Toko headed back to the kitchen, leaving in her wake a flustered and dumbfounded Fuyuka. It looked as if Toko had taken a genuine liking to Fuyuka—she wasn’t usually so talkative. While she did wear her standard serious expression throughout their conversation, Asahi had been able to detect the faintest hint of excitement in her voice.
“Sorry you had to go through that. My parents can be pretty annoying,” Asahi apologized.
“Not at all. It was quite enjoyable.”
“If you say so. I’m pretty much fed up with them at this point, honestly. God, I’m already exhausted.”
Unexpectedly, Fuyuka let out an elegant laugh. She covered her mouth with one hand as she stared at the ceiling. “I can tell that your parents love you dearly, Asahi,” she added.
“If your idea of love is making a mockery out of me, then sure. My dad was just going wild.”
“I believe that’s just proof of how much they cherish you,” she explained. She looked up and asked in a charming voice, “‘Soleil Levant’ is French for ‘sunrise,’ isn't it?”
Asahi followed her gaze upward and took in the massive chandelier that illuminated the dimly-lit restaurant. He had heard the story from his father numerous times by this point. The chandelier was supposed to symbolize the most unique thing that lit up their life—their one and only son, Asahi. It was meant to convey the light of the soft morning sun—his namesake.
“Yeah, that’s right,” he replied. Asahi understood how much love his parents had for him. That was why he could never hate them, even with his father’s rowdy antics or his mother’s persistent teasing. While it wasn’t the most conventional form of showing affection, it was nevertheless incredibly honest and sincere. It was no wonder that Fuyuka, who had just met them for the first time, was able to glean that much.
“Here you go sir, some ‘amuse-bouche,’” a server who appeared beside Asahi said.
“Thank yo—Wait! What are you doing out here again?!” Asahi cried. He’d turned around to thank the server, only to discover that it was his father again.
“Your mother is right! It is the same brooch! I was so caught up in our chat that I never even noticed it! If she’s the one who gave it to you, does it mean that you two’ll end up getting marri—”
“Kazuaki, I don’t recall ever allowing you to leave your station,” a frigid voice called out.
“Ah. Yes, dear. I’m sorry,” he apologized pitifully as he was dragged back to the kitchen by the frosty patissier. The guests were quite amused by the outlandish scene. Asahi and Fuyuka just looked at each other and laughed.