I woke up with a groan when the alarm resounded in the room with sharp tones and vibrations coming from my phone. I didn't get much sleep last night and the last thing I wished for was to go to work. But the bills won't pay for themselves.
I worked up till late hours on the comic book I was drawing, filling the pages with my own distress and unsolved problems and it felt somehow like a therapy. Like I could understand my own mind more after I spilled my feelings over the pages.
Sugawara left in a hurry last night after getting a call from Souta with not-so-innocent question "What would you do if oil was burning on a frying pan?" And I couldn't decide if I was worried or surprised more. After about half an hour I got a text from him that said:
"Sorry I left so quickly, but that idiot can't even make French fries "
After a few messages I found out that nothing had happened thanks to Kyo, who came out of the shower just in time to save him from the disaster.
I took the phone in my hand and pressed the button to stop it from ringing. Only now I saw the last message from Koushi that I didn't get to read last night. I fell asleep quicker than I thought.
The corners of my lips immediately tugged up when I saw that he wanted us to go to dinner with his friends. He mentioned a couple of names, but I didn't know just one of them. Well, this evening will be the best opportunity to meet them all in better circumstances. Because up until now I feel like I just made a fool of myself, especially in front of that policeman.
I looked into my own reflection in a mirror while I was brushing my teeth. This time everything will be fine.
* * *
"Good morning, do you want a table for two?" I smiled a little wider, seeing Souta and Kyo standing at the door of the restaurant. They looked equally surprised when they saw me, but if they wanted to go to the restaurant, it would be a 50% chance that we would meet since there were only two of them in Miyagi. Well, two restaurants and a couple of small cafes, bars and shops, to be exact, but I didn't count them into my list.
"Ugh, actually it would be a table for four." Souta scratched his neck nervously, making my brow shot up. But I didn't ask and just led them to the table.
"Are you okay after yesterday's... incident?" I asked with a small smile while giving the both of them menu cards.
"Yeah, but Koushi said that I'm not allowed to cook in his place anymore. This is why we are eating here." Souta answered with a grumpy expression.
"I told you to wait for me with food." Kyo pointed out, skimming over the positions in the menu.
"But I was hungry and you take shower for hours." He whined,
"I was in the bathroom for less than fifteen minutes."
I watched as they bickered back and forth, wondering if it would be okay to say something at this moment. I looked to the other tables and sent the customers reassuring smile, but before I could say anything, another voice beat me to it.
"Can you not cause a ruckus for once?" I turned around to see a woman who said that and my heart almost stopped.
She was around my parent's age, but her neat appearance made her look quite young. She had shoulder-length, dark blonde hair, but her eyes were what made my jaw hung open.
Her face looks like Sugawara's, but female and with a beauty mark on the other side than him. Behind her was standing a man a little taller, with silver hair and an apologetic smile on his face.
"We are so sorry, even though he is an adult, he still acts like a child." The woman said.
I looked between the couple, still not sure what to say. But I shook myself quickly and stepped aside to let them sit at the table. "Please, don't worry about it. I'll be back with more cards in a minute." I smiled at them despite the loud beating of my heart.
There was no other option, they had to be Sugawara's parents.
But they seemed not to know me. I wasn't even sure if Koushi told them about our relationship. I took a deep breath before coming back to a table with two more cards. "Here you are."
They smiled at me politely. That's good.
"I will be back in a moment to take your orders. Do you want something to drink?" I asked, looking around the table. My eyes stopped at Souta, who was looking back at me curiously.
"Black tea for me and water for Souta." Kyo said, elbowing him under the table discreetly.
"But I wanted coke." He pouted, but closed his mouth shut as both Kyo and his mother looked at him disapprovingly.
"You'll have a stomachache again." Kyo said, eliciting a frown from a man. He nodded and looked at me like he was defeated.
"Okay, water for me."
"I can't decide. Would you be so nice and recommend me something?" I looked at Sugawara's mom and my eyes fell to the card as she asked me a question.
"Uhm, maybe jasmine tea?" I said the first thing that came to my mind, since my brain worked a little bit slower. I usually like surprises, but I would prefer to meet my boyfriend's parents in slightly different circumstances.
She nodded happily. "I've never drink it, but I'll depend on your taste." Her smile almost make my stomach churn nervously. But still, she had Koushi's smile. Or rather he had hers. And that was the main reason I could come to their table with a smile.
"I'll get the same." Sugawara's father also smiled and I nodded, scribbling the drink order on a small notepad I had.
"Okay then, let me know when you are ready to order the rest."
When I came back to the kitchen, I closed my eyes for a moment, leaning on the counter with my elbows.
"Rough clients?" One of the new waitresses asked when she passed by me. I think she was around eighteen and was still in high school.
"Ugh, no. It's not that." I smiled at her, showing that I was, indeed, alright. "I just kind of know those people and was a little surprised, that's all."
She sent me a quick smile before she disappeared in the dining area again. "Okay, let me know if you want to switch tables so I will be the one serving if something's wrong."
I nodded and thanked her, grateful for her concern and offer. But I wanted to be the one who serves them. I wanted to know them better, even if I was talking with them only about the order. Moreover, it would look a little impolite if I switched with another waiter now and that was the last thing I wanted to happen. Anyway, they are just customers. Just my boyfriend's parents who don't know me.
I braced myself with a smile and after a couple of minutes came back to the table with their drinks. I tried to act casual and Kyo probably knew that, so she acted clueless. But she didn't stop shooting me small smiles from time to time.
"Man, I wish Koushi came along. If only we waited for his work to be finished before we came here." He shook his head and acted like he was talking to himself before our eyes met. "Can I get a burger with French fries?"
He hissed a little and I looked at Kyo, who probably kicked him under the table. "Tempura udon for me." She winked and I suppressed the need to laugh at Souta's grumpy expression.
I took the orders from the parents as well and since there were not many customers at this hour, I took a place behind the counter and observed them as discreetly as I could. Mostly Souta, because he was the most probable to blabber out to his parents about me and Koushi. Fortunately Kyo seemed to keep him in check as she casually conversed with his mother while Souta was pouting about something. But as soon as his father said something, his expression brightened.
I can tell even from a distance that Koushi was more similar to his mother when it came to character. Maybe this encounter won't be as bad as I thought? After all, I will be able to learn more about Sugawara as I observed his family.
I try to busy myself with work, but there was not much of it. It felt wrong to listen to the conversations at the table, so I tried to stay close to the kitchen entrance but on a displace, just in case they needed something. My heart remained the steady, healthy rhythm as I was focusing on work.
That was until I saw more familiar face and my heart fluttered.
"You finished work earlier?" I asked Koushi, who entered the restaurant and came straight to the counter.
"Yes, we were at a theatre today with the kids so we didn't have lessons." He leaned his elbows on the wooden surface with a warm smile. "I texted you that I can pick you up from work, but you didn't answer."
"I usually leave my phone in a bag when I'm at work." I bit my lip, wondering if he knew that his family was eating here today. I looked at the direction of the table quickly. Probably not.
His parents were facing us with their backs, but Souta was looking straight at me and Koushi. Kyo saw us as well and raised her brow with a smile, lifting her chin a little. She looked like she was about to say 'go on, tell him', and my eyes wandered to my boyfriend again.
"So Souta is banned from using your kitchen?" I asked, trying to act casual. I was just a tad bit nervous. We weren't together for long, but Sugawara has proven many times that he thinks about me seriously, so I wasn't as nervous now. I was happy.
"Yes, after he almost caused the fire in my... Wait, how did you know?" He looked at me suspiciously.
I almost smiled at his expression, but decided to remain more serious. "He told me." I pointed my chin at the table in the corner of the restaurant where his family was sitting.
I couldn't see his face as he turned around, but I could see a wide grin on Souta's face. He said something to his parents and they turned around at the same time.
And the idea of waiting to officially meet them went swimming.
At first they smiled and waved at Koushi, but Souta opened his mouth again. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but Kyo didn't stop him. When they looked back at us, they looked a little surprised.
"You should go to them." I said, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in my stomach that replaced the happiness. Well, I was still myself. There were no chances that I will not be nervous.
"Won't you come with me?" He looked back at me and I could finally exhale as I saw the delicate smile on his lips. The rollercoaster of emotions was finally getting to its last flip, which would be actually meeting his parents not as a waitress, but as his girlfriend. But I wouldn't be myself if I didn't worry.
"Wouldn't it be weird that I was just serving them food like I have no idea who they are? I feel like this is not the best situation to... meet." I whispered, even though they were far enough not to hear me.
"If you didn't poison their food, I don't see why would that be weird. But if you feel better, I will wait until you change. Your shift is over, right?"
He was right, my shift was over. But I felt weird. Should I change and then clean the table? Or just leave them in the restaurant after we talk?
Ugh, why is timing so bad for this?
"Give me two minutes." I said and went back to the small room where I could change my clothes to the more casual ones. I looked in the small mirror on the wall and cursed myself for being too lazy in the morning to make myself look presentable.
The curls on my head were sticking out a little from the bun I did too quickly this morning. I saw bags under my eyes from not getting enough sleep and sighed, wishing that I was one of the women who always had make up products with them. But I wasn't, so I just pinched my cheeks to give them more color and got dressed quickly.
At least my clothes looked quite presentable, but most of my autumn and winter clothes did. Wearing a sweater and jeans can't go wrong.
When I came back to the dining area, I saw that the young waitress was already cleaning their table as Koushi was standing next to Souta. He was smiling widely at his parents, his brother and Kyo having similar expressions.
When I was passing the waitress, she gave me a small smirk and wiggled her brows two times at me. I smiled back awkwardly, but my eyes immediately turned back to the family. I was in conflict whether I wanted to meet them now or flee the scene.
When Koushi looked up with a warm smile, all my worries melted away. I silently reminded myself that they were really nice, even though they didn't know me. there's nothing to be anxious about.
"Miyu," Koushi reached his hand to me and I came closer as he intertwined our fingers together. I felt a little better, knowing that he is next to me. His smile was also heartening. His parents looked at me with warm smiles as I looked back, biting my lip nervously.
"I thought Souta was joking when he said that Koushi came to see his girlfriend at first." His father smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Sorry that we didn't say anything before." Kyo smiled a little at my words and I could already sense that the atmosphere at the table felt much lighter. There was nothing to be nervous about. "I just thought that Koushi should be present so I didn't say anything."
I felt the warm hand that was holding me squeeze a little and I squeezed back.
"You don't have to worry about it, darling. Koushi said that you have plans for now, but what would you say about dinner on Sunday?" His mother was smiling as she was looking between me and Sugawara and I felt a little warmer as her eyes scanned our joined hands for a split second.
I looked at Koushi and was greeted with his excited expression. He winked at me quickly, making me smile.
"It would be a pleasure." I said, feeling like an idiot when I couldn't stop smiling.
"Well then, you two have fun and we will see each other on Sunday." I nodded at her words, noting a little look Kyo and Souta shared between each other. Despite their constant bickering, I could see that they were communicating without words.
We bid out farewell and a couple of minutes later I was sitting in Koushi's car. "They are really nice. Now I can see why you are so kind and responsible. "He smiled at me, putting his seatbelt on. I struggled for a moment with mine, but at least I didn't need his help now. "If I remember correctly, we had plans for the evening. So what's with this whole 'we are busy' thing?"
He smiled at me mysteriously before pulling me for a quick, but soft kiss.
"Can't I spend a little time with my girlfriend alone?" He asked wile starting a car.
"Of course you can. I was just curious if we really have plans, or was it just you not wanting me to spend some time with them?" I asked, trying to sound jokingly, but I couldn't help a little frown from making itself present on my face.
Sugawara's smile didn't falter as he backed his car from the parking lot. He waited until we were on the road before he put his hand on my knee. "Believe me, I was really happy that you could meet my family and I can't wait till Sunday."
I looked outside the window, a little confused because we were heading in the opposite direction of my or his place. "Where are we going then?"
"Karasuno High School."