𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐀𝐭 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 » 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢

XVII

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭

❣︎

𝚌 𝚑 𝚊 𝚙 𝚝 𝚎 𝚛 𝚜 𝚎 𝚟 𝚎 𝚗 𝚝 𝚎 𝚎 𝚗

ꨄ︎𝑁𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠ꨄ︎

"Oh, so my mom is not going to pay."

"Kiyoomi," you were trembling, "I'm so nervous."

"I can tell."

He held your hand tighter and led you to walk towards the table. Komori were worried about you, you're probably so cold already. Kiyoomi, however, knew for a fact that you're cold.

"Good evening!" His mom cheered, even standing up when they neared the reserved table. "I'm Sakusa Yuriko, you are?"

"Uhm, Minami Sakura, Mrs. Sakusa," you spoke stiffly.

"Please! Just Yuriko-san!" She ecstatically said and offered her hand which you of course, reluctantly accepted. You knew how cold you were but you didn't want to be rude.

You looked at Kiyoomi who just rolled his eyes at his mom. Her mother saw that and laughed a bit. She leaned over the table and ushered Kiyoomi to come closer. You can see the dislike in his eyes but he still came closer. Her mother peppered kisses over his face.

"Settle down, dear," Kiyoomi's father spoke. He slowly stood up and boy, was he tall. "I'm Sakusa Kenji, pleasure to meet you."

He didn't offer his hand which seemed so Sakusa-like to you.

"Please, sit down," his mother suggested. "Komori, dear, how are you?" She asked her nephew and kissed his cheek.

"I'm fine, auntie. Were you and uncle off work early today?"

Thank God for Komori being an ice breaker.

"Yes, I did," she replied and sat down. The rest of you did too. She called for the waiter nearby and told him that they were ready to order. The waiter said that he'll bring out the menus.

"So!" Yuriko-san clapped her hand excitedly. "No relationship talk until after the food is arrived, all right? Popcorn for the show, you know."

"Do you really need to be like this?" Kiyoomi grumbled. You jerked the hand you were holding, "Kiyoomi, don't be rude."

Suddenly, his father cleared his throat.

"How was the practice game?" He asked. Even if he was asking a normal question, it felt like he just asked an extremely difficult one.

"We won," Kiyoomi replied.

"That's good."

"Thanks."

"Wow," you thought.

"Anyway, before the more serious stuff, Sakura — can I call you Sakura?"

You smiled and nodded, "yes, Yuriko-san."

Kiyoomi mentally noted to praise you for not looking nervous at all even if he can feel your hand shake and grip his tighter everytime one of them spoke.

"Are you their classmates?"

"Yes, I am."

"You look really pretty, do you know that?"

You turned red but complimented back. "Thank you. You too, Yuriko-san. I like your eyes."

"They're a pretty shade, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. Very much."

"So, are you-"

The waiter arrived and handed you all menus. Now that you know his parents are focusing on something else, you whispered to Kiyoomi, "Kiyoomi, order for me, please. I can't comprehend anything right now and I'm afraid I'll choose something I would not like."

He just nodded and that relaxed you.

Everyone at your table except you ordered. Maybe it was just you being overly worried but you thought of these moments as the calm before the storm.

"That waiter is cute," Kiyoomi's mother stated with a giggle.

A noticeable grunt was heard from Kenji which surprised you. Yuriko laughed in a carefree manner and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm just kidding, honey."

Komori whispered, "He's like Kiyoomi."

You laughed a bit at the observation, maybe his dad is a huge softie too like his son.

7 minutes passed with you all making small talk. You were starting to calm down until Yuriko spoke up.

"The waiter said that the food would be ready in 10 minutes and that's 3 minutes away. So why don't we go wash our hands first, Sakura?"

You went through a freezing moment before you smiled and accepted her offer. Your politeness always overrides your nervousness and Kiyoomi noticed. He actually find it amusing how you can still smile and reply to every question his mother ask without looking like you're going to puke.

"You three wait for us and afterwards, you go wash your hands too."

The walk towards the bathroom was peaceful. But as she excused herself to use a cubicle and then you were left alone, you faced yourself in the mirror and panicked.

"It's okay, it's okay," you closed your eyes and said that to yourself after going through multiple possibilities of how this evening would turn out.

"Sakura?"

You didn't even hear a cubicle open but you were shocked to see Yuriko beside you, washing her hands.

You let out a small yelp and since you two are the only one in the bathroom, she heard. For the nth time this night, she laughed.

"Are you too busy with your pep talk that you didn't notice me, hmm?"

You avoided eye contact and nervously chuckled. As you wash your hands, you breathed in and out steadily and deeply.

"When I first met my husband's parents, I was nervous. Really really really so. Both of his parents were as intimidating as he is now. They wore formal suits, for Pete's sake, for our casual dinner," she told you as she fixed her make up and hair, "but the longer I knew his parents, the more I saw and realized how soft they both are."

You just stared at her as she talked. You wondered what you would have done if both parents were cold and intimidating.

After reapplying her lipstick, she popped her lips as a finishing touch. She was honestly so beautiful.

"I'm going to tell you a little secret, dear," she said and looked down at you, "I was the only one who got off work early."

As you realize what she meant by that, you smiled wide. "Really? No way!"

It was a calming information. Knowing that the intimidating man got off work just so that he could meet his son's girlfriend was comforting. He isn't a stonecold man and you can impress him and make him approve of you. Just show him how much you like his son.

"Yes way, sweetie. But you would know that soon, right?"

It was like your brain is at its fullest capacity. You understood right away that she means that you're going to be a long term girlfriend. And that you will have the time to get to know them more.

Feeling pumped up, you raised your hands that were formed in fists. "I will try my best, Yuriko-san!"

The next few minutes you spent with Yuriko — walking back tot he table and waiting for the others to finish washing their hands — was comfortable and actually fun.

The food arrived and you all started to eat.

"So," his mother wiggled her eyebrows when she finally got yours and Kiyoomi's attention, "what's the story?"