Hearing Tanaka Masao's reminder, Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka snapped back to their senses.
Tanaka Kenji bent down and picked up the items that had fallen on the floor, while Tanaka Kazumi smiled and said,
"You're Yukinoshita-san, right? It's already quite late. Why don't you stay and have dinner before heading back? Masao can walk you home afterward."
"Um…"
Yukinoshita Yukino instinctively wanted to refuse.
But seeing how stiff and cautious the Tanaka couple were around her—and considering that they had only just gotten home—if she insisted on leaving now, it might make them think she disliked them. That would be hurtful, and rather impolite.
After hesitating for a moment, she nodded.
"Then… I'll trouble you."
"Not at all, not at all."
Hearing Yukinoshita Yukino agree, Tanaka Kazumi beamed and turned to Tanaka Masao.
"Masao, keep Yukinoshita-san company in the living room for a bit. I'll go prepare dinner—it won't take long."
With that, she took the groceries she had bought and headed into the kitchen.
Tanaka Kenji coughed awkwardly and said,
"I'll go help your mother."
Normally, Tanaka Kenji rarely went into the kitchen.
But with Yukinoshita Yukino as the guest—and her being a girl—he honestly couldn't think of any common topics to talk about.
Staying together would only make things more awkward. Hiding out in the kitchen would be better, and it would help get dinner ready faster.
Watching his parents beat a hasty retreat, Tanaka Masao scratched his head apologetically.
"Sorry about that… my parents are, uh… a bit too excited."
Hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino let out a helpless sigh.
Did she really give off that much pressure? They were just a classmate's parents, yet they were nervous around her—and even used honorifics.
The situation felt strange to her.
She couldn't help but ask,
"Do I really make people that uncomfortable?"
"Well…"
Tanaka Masao organized his thoughts.
"Maybe it's because you always look so serious, Yukinoshita-san. Your behavior is refined and elegant, and you seem very mature."
"So people subconsciously straighten up and become more formal around you."
"Is that so."
Yukinoshita Yukino felt his explanation made sense.
But this was a habit she had formed over many years—it wasn't something she could easily change.
"Let's wait in the living room for now. Dinner will still take a little while."
Tanaka Masao led Yukinoshita Yukino back to the living room. They tidied the place up a bit, turned on the TV, and sat down on the sofa to wait.
...
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Tanaka Kazumi let out a long breath.
"Phew… that was really nerve-wracking."
Tanaka Kenji nodded.
"Same here. I felt more pressure than when I'm facing the company president."
"That kind of presence… she has to be some kind of young lady from a distinguished family. Why would she come to our house?"
"If you ask me, I don't know either. That's something Masao should answer."
"Do you think she and Masao might be…?"
Tanaka Kazumi wanted to say a couple.
But the moment the couple thought about Yukinoshita Yukino's looks and aura—and then thought about their own son's sorry state—
They both shook their heads unconsciously.
Tanaka Kenji said, "I don't think that's very likely."
Tanaka Kazumi agreed.
"That's true… she's far too outstanding."
Yukinoshita Yukino's excellence made it hard for them to believe she could have anything to do with Tanaka Masao.
Still, they couldn't help harboring a few hopeful fantasies.
After all, she had already come to their home—so there was at least some chance.
What if—just what if—she somehow had terrible eyesight and ended up liking their son?
The thought of having such an outstanding daughter-in-law was enough to make them giddy.
Thinking about this, they sped up their cooking, afraid of making Yukinoshita Yukino wait too long.
While preparing the ingredients, Tanaka Kazumi suddenly spoke.
"Masao's been trying to lose weight lately, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Do you think… if Masao slimmed down, he might actually become handsome?"
Hearing his wife's words, Tanaka Kenji thought for a moment.
"If he loses weight, he might not be incredibly handsome—but at least he wouldn't look bad."
Unlike Tanaka Masao, both parents had fairly average builds.
Their looks weren't exceptional, but they had no major flaws either.
With their genes, once Tanaka Masao slimmed down, his appearance would at least be presentable.
After a brief silence, Tanaka Kazumi spoke again.
"I think we should really push Masao to lose weight as soon as possible."
Tanaka Kenji nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense."
Clearly, the couple still held onto certain hopes regarding Yukinoshita Yukino—wishing for this perfect daughter-in-law in their eyes.
But being realistic, they also knew that with their son's current state, he was completely unworthy of her.
"Oh right—Masao's grades aren't very good, are they?"
"He ranked dead last in the entrance exams."
"Then he should spend more time studying."
"I don't object. I also think he could learn something extra—music, painting, things like that."
"I'm fine with that too."
The couple, who had originally planned to raise their son hands-off and whose greatest expectation was simply that Tanaka Masao stayed alive,
now felt that their disappointing son might still be worth cultivating a little.
At this very moment, Tanaka Masao—still in the living room—had no idea that his parents were already drafting an entire improvement plan for him.
His good days were about to begin.
...
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Dinner's ready—everyone, come eat."
Tanaka Kazumi called out to the three in the living room.
Jahy immediately hopped off the sofa.
"Is it finally ready? I'm starving to death!"
"Wash your hands first."
"Got it."
After a few days together, Jahy—thanks to her naturally familiar, easygoing personality—had quickly blended into the household.
The most obvious change was that when the Tanaka couple spoke to her, there was no longer any formality—they treated her almost the same as Tanaka Masao.
Of course, they were still noticeably gentler with Jahy.
The five of them sat around the dining table.
Though dinner had been prepared on short notice, the refrigerator was well stocked.
To entertain Yukinoshita Yukino, the Tanaka couple brought out the best ingredients they had—it was an impressively lavish spread.
"Let's eat."
Tanaka Kazumi said warmly, "Yukinoshita-san, this was put together rather hastily. I hope it suits your taste."
"Not at all. The dishes are very abundant—they look delicious."
"That's good to hear. Please eat plenty, no need to be shy."
After a few simple exchanges, Tanaka Kazumi noticed that Yukinoshita Yukino didn't talk much.
She was probably the introverted, shy type—someone who didn't like speaking too much.
So, to avoid making her uncomfortable, Tanaka Kazumi refrained from talking to her excessively.
Being hospitable wasn't about overwhelming enthusiasm—it also meant adjusting to the guest's personality and preferences.