Yukino smirked with condescending air.
That really got on Takashi's nerves.
"I've explained myself. Now it's your turn!"
"What was that nonsense you just pulled? Are you trying to get me in trouble?"
If Narii and Hitomi saw that interview, he'd be dead meat.
"Who said I was talking nonsense? Do you think I'm as childish as you?"
Yukino flipped her long hair off her shoulder and answered coolly.
"Wait, don't tell me… your mom really wants to meet me?"
Takashi felt a cold jolt in his chest, anxiety kicking in hard.
Crap. Am I about to gain another mother?
Wait—another? Why did I say another?
Yukino spoke irritably.
"Did you really think this whole mess wouldn't cause a stir?"
Yukino didn't want to take Takashi to meet her mother either.
But things between her and Takashi had become way too public—there was no way her mother wouldn't have found out.
"Couldn't you have just refused? Do you do everything your mom tells you? Are you some kind of mama's girl?"
Takashi was fuming. Damn it, always acting like an ice queen, like she's above it all—and now she can't even say no to her own mother?
Yukino's face twisted in sheer fury at being called a mama's girl.
Normally, someone seeing that expression on her face would've been scared into apologizing.
But not Takashi. He didn't fear her.
Takashi and Yukino bickered down the street like a couple of preschoolers fighting in a sandbox.
Clearly, dog lovers and cat lovers just aren't meant to be friends.
The sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, a swath of afterglow lingering in the sky.
The city's noise gradually died down.
The trees along the street were painted gold by the last rays of sunlight.
In the forest of high-rises, huge glass windows reflected the twilight glow, forming a staggered, picturesque scene of light and shadow.
Inside a high-end sushi restaurant in Nishinomiya—
After Takashi followed Yukino and Haruno inside, he found a woman already seated.
She wore a perfectly tailored kimono and had a well-proportioned figure.
Her lustrous black hair was neatly tied up behind her head, and she gave off an aura of calm dignity.
Her face bore a striking resemblance to Yukino—eight parts, at least. It wasn't hard to imagine that in ten or so years, Yukino might look exactly like her.
Seated beside her was a girl Takashi had met once before—Yukinoshita Haruno.
Other than Yukino's mother and Haruno, there were no other customers in the restaurant.
They had clearly reserved the entire place.
"Nice to meet you, Takashi-kun. I'm Yukino's mother."
Yukino's mother stood up when she heard the greeting, her face softening with a gentle smile as she looked at Takashi.
"Nice to meet you too, ma'am. I'm Kitahara Takashi."
Unlike how he was with Yukino outside, Takashi put on a perfectly polite smile.
"I'm sorry I didn't bring anything special. I hope you don't mind."
He handed over a box of Baumkuchen cake he had bought, wrapped in a fancy gift box.
Honestly, given his relationship—or lack thereof—with Yukino's mother, bringing a gift wasn't really necessary.
But considering how Yukino had been publicly mistaken as his girlfriend thanks to him, it made sense her mother would want an explanation.
Bringing a gift and being a bit deferential might help smooth things over.
"Oh, you really shouldn't have! You didn't have to go to such trouble."
Yukino's mother seemed slightly surprised but quickly understood what he was trying to do. Still, she politely declined at first.
"Ma'am, it didn't cost much at all. Please, accept it—it's just a small gesture."
"I really didn't have anything prepared for our first meeting."
Having tagged along on New Year visits as a child and watched adults exchange red envelopes, Takashi had learned all the right tricks for gift etiquette.
So, in front of Yukino, her mother and Takashi began this little push-pull ritual.
Yukino watched his fake, obsequious smile and curled her lip in disgust. What a phony.
Just earlier on the way here, he wasn't acting at all.
After some polite back-and-forth, and with a bit of encouragement from Haruno, her mother finally accepted the gift.
She also formally introduced Haruno to Takashi.
Once the four of them were seated, a server quickly brought over menus and white hand towels.
"Order whatever you want."
All the sushi at this place was made fresh on the spot.
In fact, sushi has never been cheap in Japan. Even for locals, it wasn't something they ate often. (*)
Those who could afford sushi were usually part of the elite.
"Hmm, what should I do? Everything looks so delicious."
Takashi flipped through the menu, his indecisiveness flaring up again.
"Then just bring one of everything."
Yukino's mother said gently to the chef behind the counter.
"Auntie, I'll just order a few things. That's too much."
Takashi felt a little embarrassed.
He'd only made the comment casually.
"Takashi-kun, our family may not be on the same level as the Shinomiya or Konoe families, but we can certainly afford a single meal."
Haruno rested her cheek on one hand, smiling as she looked at him.
"Besides, we're family now, aren't we? Little brother-in-law!"
Takashi gave a tactical cough, unsure how to respond.
Something felt wrong.
Normally, if a rich person found out a poor kid was hooking up with their daughter, shouldn't they try to humiliate him with money and tell him to stop dreaming and get lost?
Why did all the mothers he knew want to make him their son?
He didn't need more mothers in his life (??д??).
Lu Bu adopted a father in ancient times—now Takashi adopts mothers?
"Sis! What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Yukino glared at her older sister in clear irritation.
"Takashi-kun, when do you plan to marry my daughter?"
After a plate of tuna sushi was served, Yukino's mother gracefully picked one up with chopsticks, took a small bite, and calmly dropped a bomb.
Takashi glanced at Yukino, and his gaze instinctively dropped to her flat chest.
If he married Yukino, would he have to breastfeed their future child himself?
"What are you looking at?"
Yukino pulled up her perfectly arranged collar, her expression turning cold.
"Your ribbon's tied really nicely."
Takashi complimented her.
Yukino looked down at the neat bow on her chest and said coldly, "Liar."
Takashi and Yukino didn't feel the sweetness at all. They exchanged a glance, filled only with mutual disdain.
"Auntie, you've misunderstood. Your daughter and I aren't in any kind of relationship."
Takashi hurried to clarify things.
"So what you're saying is, Takashi-kun, you're spreading rumors about my daughter?"
Yukino's mother gracefully wiped her mouth with a towel.
"You slandered my daughter in front of the media. Now her reputation is ruined. Don't you think you should take responsibility?"
(*) Sushi's price is variative. There is a really cheap ones like the one sold on the minimarket or on some kaitenzushi (sushi on a moving belt).
But there are also really expensive ones too, in high-end restaurants.
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