The sound of Masao's voice seemed to snap his parents back to the present.
Mr. Tanaka, Kenji, hurriedly bent to retrieve the items he'd fumbled. His wife, Kazumi, recovered a moment later, her face softening into a warm, if slightly flustered, smile.
"Yukinoshita-san, isn't it?" she said, her tone gentle. "It's quite late. You must stay for dinner. Masao can see you home afterwards."
"That's really not necessary…" Yukinoshita began, the polite refusal coming automatically.
But she hesitated. She saw the careful, almost nervous way the Tanakas held themselves around her. They had only just walked through the door. To leave now would be more than just rude; it might seem as if she were rejecting them personally.
After a brief internal debate, she offered a small nod.
"Thank you for your kindness. I'll trouble you, then."
"No trouble at all! We're happy to have you!" Kazumi's face brightened instantly. She turned to her son. "Masao, keep Yukinoshita-san company in the living room. I'll have dinner ready in a bit."
With that, she bustled off to the kitchen, arms full of groceries. Kenji cleared his throat, the sound echoing his awkwardness.
"I'll, ah… go help your mother," he announced, following his wife with a haste that bordered on escape.
He was a man with little to say to a teenage girl, and his presence would only hang heavy in the room.
Watching his parents flee, Masao scratched the back of his head, a wry, apologetic grin on his face.
"Sorry about them. They're just… a little overwhelmed."
Yukinoshita released a quiet sigh. "Do I truly give off that much pressure?"
"Well…" Masao chose his words with care. "It's not a bad thing. You carry yourself with a lot of poise, Yukinoshita-san. It's very… mature. It makes people want to be on their best behavior."
"I see."
She found his explanation logical, but it was a small consolation. This demeanor was her armor, a second nature she couldn't simply shed.
"Shall we?" Masao gestured toward the living room.
They returned and tidied up briefly. The flickering light of the television filled the room with a low murmur as they settled on the sofa to wait.
—
In the kitchen, Kazumi let out a long breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"Oh my. I was so nervous."
"Tell me about it," Kenji agreed, leaning against the counter. "She's even more intimidating than my boss's wife!"
"That aura of hers… she's definitely from a distinguished family. What do you think she's doing here with our Masao?"
"How should I know? You'll have to ask him."
"Do you think that they could be…" Kazumi left the question hanging, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.
But the same thought occurred to both of them simultaneously: they pictured Yukinoshita's elegant features and impeccable grace, then mentally compared them to their son's… well, their son. The glimmer faded.
"I think that's highly unlikely," Kenji said, his tone final.
"You're right," Kazumi conceded with a sigh. "A girl like that…"
Yukinoshita's sheer excellence made the idea seem like a fantasy. And yet, a stubborn, parental hope refused to die completely.
She was in their home. That had to count for something, didn't it? What if, against all odds, she saw some hidden quality in their boy?
The possibility was enough to make them dizzy.
Driven by a new motivation, they began preparing dinner with renewed speed, anxious not to keep their guest waiting.
"Masao's been watching his diet, hasn't he?" Kazumi asked suddenly, while chopping vegetables.
"Yes. Why?"
"Do you think… if he lost the weight… he might be quite handsome?"
Kenji paused, considering it.
"He wouldn't be a movie star, but he has our genes. He'd clean up nicely."
After a moment of contemplative silence, Kazumi declared, "We need to be stricter with him. Help him stick to his diet properly."
"I agree," Kenji nodded, a newfound resolve in his voice.
The unspoken fantasy of Yukinoshita as a potential daughter-in-law, however far-fetched, was already reshaping their parenting priorities.
"And his grades…" Kazumi continued.
"He was dead last in the entrance exams."
"He needs to study more. No more lazing about after school."
"And maybe an extracurricular. Music lessons, or calligraphy?"
"A wonderful idea."
The couple, who had once believed their son's happiness was the only metric that mattered, now felt a sudden need for his improvement.
Masao's peaceful, unambitious life was about to be turned upside down.
—
"Dinner's ready! Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Kazumi called from the kitchen doorway.
Jahy launched herself from the sofa with a burst of energy.
"Finally! My stomach was about to declare war!"
"Wash your hands first," Masao reminded her.
"I know, I know!"
After a few days under their roof, Jahy's blunt and familiar nature had seamlessly woven her into the family fabric.
The Tanakas no longer used formal language with her; they spoke to her with the same casual, sometimes exasperated affection they showed their own son.
The five of them gathered around the dining table. Though the meal was prepared in haste, it was far from humble. The Tanakas had pulled out all the stops, transforming the best ingredients from their fridge into a feast.
"Itadakimasu!" everyone chorused.
"It was a bit rushed, Yukinoshita-san," Kazumi said warmly. "I hope it's to your liking."
"Not at all. It looks truly delicious. Thank you again for having me."
"Please, eat as much as you like."
From their brief exchange, Kazumi understood. Yukinoshita wasn't being cold; she was simply reserved, perhaps a little shy.
Pushing conversation would only make her uncomfortable. True hospitality, she realized, was about making the guest feel at ease, not about filling the silence.
The meal continued, with the clatter of utensils filling the comfortable quiet.
___
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