After that, he ended up giving me his meal—even though I'd already eaten. I tried to tell him it was okay and I was full, but he insisted there was no need to be shy about helping myself. I never did taste the sweetness again, but I continued to eat anyway.
"Anyway," Uncle said as he poured himself a second glass of wine. "You said you knew him from elementary school, right?"
I took a moment to finish chewing before answering. "That's right—but we weren't close. We knew of each other, but never hung out."
Although I wasn't saying anything remarkable, Uncle's legs swung happily as they hung just above the floor—almost like a kid.
"Did you always go to the same school?" he asked giddily.
He should have known the answer already, considering it was one of the first things I'd told him, but he still asked—and I still answered.
"No. We didn't go to the same middle school. But we met again in high school. To be honest, I didn't even recognize him at first."
Uncle leaned back, his face creasing into something that looked mad, but playful at the same time. I didn't even know how to describe it other than it was a very him face.
"Of course!" he said, his voice a mixture of arrogance and sarcasm. "My Son looks a lot better now! He does look more like me, after all—just uglier."
I was going to say they didn't look alike, but Uncle interrupted me. "So, what were your thoughts on him throughout high school? And now, while I'm at it?"
He seemed to want to keep the conversation on his Son this time, so I respected his wish.
I placed a hand over my mouth as I thought for a moment. Despite his excitement, he sat patiently.
"Well..." I said, mulling over my words. "Throughout most of my life, I always thought he was just your average funny guy."
Uncle's brows knit slightly, but he let me continue.
"But he was also someone really smart, and I respected him for it. It was only after sports day that we actually started talking, though."
Uncle's ears perked up in curiosity. "Sports day? That's pretty recent. Did something happen between you two?"
I gave him a bashful chuckle. "Hehe. Sorry to ruin your dreams, but it isn't anything romantic—if that's what you're thinking."
Uncle let out a loud scoff, like he was offended. "Hah! That boy can't get a girlfriend. He's still too immature for that." Even though he was making fun of his own Son, the corners of his lips seemed to sink just a fraction.
"Anyway," I continued. "We were just paired up for a lot of events—and after that, we started talking more. That's all there was to it."
Uncle took a sip of wine before gently setting the glass back down with a satisfied breath.
His eyes gazed off into the distance, toward the room where his Son sat. Despite it being only a few steps away, he made it look almost out of reach.
After a few moments, he asked in a soft, yet firm voice, "What about his social life at school? How does he usually act around his friends?"
Out of all the questions he had asked today, the first one was the easiest to answer.
"Well, he's usually hanging out with at least Yu or Luna. They're always together," I replied immediately.
The second one, however, was slightly trickier. Describing how Hoshino acted and calling it genuine was difficult, but I couldn't tell his Dad that. So I chose my words with care.
"And as for your second question, he's just… a normal kid. He makes jokes, hangs out, goes outside, and gets in trouble."
Uncle turned his gaze from the room and stared at his reflection in the dark red wine. His hand shook, rippling the reflection—and yet, even from where I sat, I could see his smile rippling in the dark red surface.
"Is that so?" he said in a low voice, almost a whisper. "I'm glad…"
I didn't say anything else. I just sat there—watching his face with this warm feeling spreading in my chest that made it difficult to sit still.
I tried to adjust myself in the seat, but no matter how many times I did, I couldn't find the right position.
I gripped my now-empty glass of juice, struggling to place this feeling. Despite that, I still found myself thinking—
...Me too.
After that, there was nothing left to say. Uncle just sipped the rest of his wine while I finished the leftovers of his lunch.
I'd assumed spending time with my friend's parents would be awkward, but I never once thought to stand up and leave. Uncle took his time with his drink, too.
Uncle finished his drink just as I finished my meal.
"Well," he said, standing up with a soft sigh. "I think it's time I get back to work again. The dinner rush will start soon."
He set his cup on top of the plate and picked it up. Just before he left, he asked one last thing, with that same bright smile I'd grown so accustomed to in such a short time.
"So, how was your time here?"
The words left my lips before I even had the chance to think.
"It was wonderful. Thank you, Uncle."
He paused, his face going softer.
"...It was my pleasure."
He turned around and started walking back toward the kitchen.
That should have been the end of it—but something continued to nag at the corners of my mind. Something I couldn't put my finger on.
At that moment, Uncle grabbed the dirty dishes that he'd forgotten earlier and opened the kitchen door.
Watching his retreating figure, something clicked. I didn't know what it was, but something did.
My body shot up from the chair, and my mouth moved on its own—in a voice that didn't sound like mine.
"I-is it okay if I come here again, Uncle Su?"
Uncle stopped and turned his head to the side with a confused look.
"...What kind of question is that?"
I flinched, an icy chill settling on my skin. I thought I'd said something wrong, something unnecessary—but in the next moment, he smiled childishly, expelling the chill.
"I already told you, didn't I?!" he said, practically shouting. "You're welcome anytime, Mei! Even on Sundays!"
His words carried across the space between us until they crashed into my chest, etching themselves into whatever it was that made me 'me.'
All of a sudden, my legs trembled, a tingling sensation spreading through them—making it hard to even stand.
Still, my lips parted, spending every last ounce of strength on giving him one last cheery, "Thank you!"
His smile widened, crinkling his eyes. "Hihihi! No problem, Mei!"
With that, he turned around and vanished into the kitchen with a light hum.
I didn't move, staring at the now closed kitchen door. After a few seconds, my legs gave out, and I fell. But before I could fall too far, I caught myself on the counter.
I was… gasping. With each breath, his words replayed in my head. He'd already told me that I was welcome here, but for some reason, his last line—"Even on Sundays"—felt… different.
I knew he said it more as a joke than anything, and I wasn't expecting him to open on Sundays just for me. Still, for some reason, this warmth swirling in my chest wouldn't go away.
I didn't crave this warmth as I did Hoshino's. It was something almost… natural? Something that should have always been there? I didn't know how to describe it at all.
All I could do—was feel.
After taking a moment to compose myself, I stood back up and glanced around the store. Luckily, it was empty, so no one had seen me.
Or maybe I should say lucky for me? It's probably bad for Uncle that his store doesn't have any customers right now.
Either way, I headed back to the backroom. I figured I was gone for at least thirty minutes. Considering I'd told them I was going to the washroom, I'd need to explain the delay.
With Hoshino's Dad's personality, it wouldn't be strange if I said something like 'We just ended up talking,' but I knew Hoshino would get curious about it. I didn't want to expose how Uncle had asked about him, since it seemed to be a secret, so I'd need to twist the truth a little bit.
I quietly opened the backroom door and stepped inside. I was somewhat hoping they'd brush me off, but the moment I did, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked directly at me.
"Are you okay?" Luna asked, visibly concerned.
Well... of course it wouldn't work out like that.
"Yes, sorry for worrying you," I replied politely. "Once I handed him the dishes, he started grumbling about how Hoshino's a bad friend for making me do it."
Remi slammed her head against the desk. "See?! I told you! But when I say it—oh, I'm the bad guy."
I let out a small giggle. "Anyway, after that, he just asked about me. How school is, what I want to do after high school, the usual stuff."
Yu let out a loud sigh as he flopped onto the floor. "Ah, I get what you mean. When I first met him, he talked to me about sports since I was tall and strong. Unlike this guy, he's actually a really good talker."
Hoshino snapped his head toward Yu with a scowl. "Hey—that's kind of rude. It's his job to get you guys to like him and keep the conversation going. You should already like me anyway, so I don't need to do that. Big difference."
"Really?" Sora asked, genuinely confused. "I think Hoshino might be one of the best socializers I know. Or even when he isn't talking, the silence with him isn't awkward. I think that's cool!"
After that, we never went back to studying. We just kept talking about whatever came to mind.
Throughout the whole thing, I'd notice Hoshino glancing at me from time to time. But there wasn't any need to worry—
Because I kept my cheery smile on without fail.