Chapter 984 - The Green Banquet Continues
Time passed, and night fell. A while after the old man returned, the preparations were complete.
"Whoa… uh… what is this? I mean, it’s a feast, for sure, but…?"
The stage for our dinner, which in the end everyone had a hand in preparing, was now set. My father had pulled out an extension leaf for the large table from somewhere, making it spacious enough for six.
As I took another look at the dizzying array of dishes, a belated sense of bewilderment washed over me.
"What's the problem? It's all stuff you like, isn't it?"
"Ah, yeah. You're right…"
True to her word, it seemed my mother had intentionally designed the menu. She glared at me from her seat two places down.
Scary.
"Haha… well, I suppose. If you think of it as a party to welcome our esteemed young ladies, it has become quite a humble scene."
"If I'd tried to make some fancy, high-society stuff I'm not used to and failed, it would've been a disaster. So, I decided to offer a different kind of thoughtful hospitality."
"?"
"A different kind of hospitality?"
While I, with the family creed of 'never defy mother' etched into my soul, remained silent, my father, seated next to me, addressed our guests, with my mother sitting beyond him.
Across from us, Nia, who had settled in directly opposite me, and Ashe, who occupied the central seat beside her, both tilted their heads in confusion. But Sora-san, seated diagonally from me, must have heard about it while cooking. She was smiling knowingly.
Of course, I too had easily figured out my mother's meddling. Namely—
"You can think of this as a complete collection of this boy's favorite home-cooked meals."
"!"
"He has some cheeky cooking skills of his own, so it might not be as useful as it would be for the average guy, but… well, it won't be useless knowledge. Feel free to remember it all."
So, that was apparently the deal.
"Um, a picture…"
"May I take one?"
"Go right ahead, go right ahead."
It seemed my mother's indescribable scheme had hit the mark perfectly with all three of them, including Sora-san. They each took out their smartphones and showered the table with a volley of shutter clicks, creating a slightly unusual interlude.
"—Well then, once more, if I may."
Once everyone had settled back into their seats, my strong-willed mother, naturally taking the lead as the parental representative, spoke to the room in a newly formal tone.
"I have heard about the three of you many times from my son."
"…It was less 'hearing' and more 'dragging it out of me', though."
"Be quiet."
"Yes, ma'am."
And so, we included a little playful banter that demonstrated the power dynamic between mother and son.
"As his parent, I feel sincerely apologetic that, due to Haru's people-pleasing nature, your relationships have become so terribly complex and bizarre…"
For the first time since we’d all met, her expression held no pressure or intensity, but her voice was laced with a clear, sincere color. The three girls straightened their posture.
This infinite discomfort is a punishment I will rightfully accept.
"But at the same time, I am also sincerely grateful."
And with that, another layer of discomfort was piled upon me, the son.
"Thank you. For supporting Haru with all your hearts after he dove into such an unbelievable place—a world where even his parents couldn't help him. Truly."
My mother bowed her head.
Seeing my father follow suit beside her was more than enough to stir my heart.
"—…We feel the same way."
And yet, I wasn't the only one moved, to varying degrees.
Faced directly with the 'apology' I had warned them about… and an even greater 'gratitude', Sora and Nia looked flustered. But between them…
"We are sincerely grateful that you raised the most wonderful person we know."
Only Ashe, at least on the surface, remained unfazed.
As she offered a calm reply, the two girls on either side of her showed a hint of chagrin on their faces—
"…It is an honor. —Alright, that's officially the end of all the stiff formalities! I'm sure you all understand just how welcome you are here."
My strong-willed mother, seizing the moment to wrap things up.
Sensing the budding awkwardness that could lead to some kind of 'battle', she cut it off, her expression and tone changing in an instant to one of cheerful vivacity.
"Don't overthink things, just relax and make yourselves at home."
With a flash of a handsome smile that I could never replicate, she took command of the room.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—They really are wonderful parents."
"Most 'sons' can't react to that with straightforward happiness, you know."
And so, nearly two hours after we said our thanks for the meal.
The dinner party—or rather, the feast of all my favorite foods—turned into a long affair… but it was filled with so much lively conversation that I could look back on it with a refreshing smile.
Actually, it wasn't over—
"Oh… Sora-san, is this really your first time? You've got a real knack for this."
"Heh, ah… ehehe."
"Nia-chan, leaning your body won't make the controller turn, you know?"
"I know that…! It's unconscious, it's a habit, I can't help it, I'm just bad at this, I'm sorry, please don't look at me…!"
"A girl who's bad at games is just adorable, isn't she…"
"That's a verbal dagger you can only get away with because you're pairing it with a handsome smile I could fall for…!!"
It was more like the post-game was still going. Alongside the post-dinner desserts, which included my dad's homemade mini-cakes, a retro game tournament was in full swing.
"Aren't you going to join? Feel free to show them your skills."
"I enjoy watching, too."
While my parents, Sora, and Nia were having a blast in front of the TV, sitting on the sofa and cushions on the floor, we were still resting our full stomachs at the dining table.
Well, correction. I was resting.
"…………I've been meaning to point this out for a while now."
"What is it?"
"I know this is incredibly rude to ask a woman, but…"
"Mm, go ahead."
"So… —what's up with your stomach?"
"It's made to eat what I want, as much as I want, with no risks."
Whether she was taking my mother's earlier 'feel free to finish it all' comment to heart or not, Ashe-san was still leisurely picking at the remaining food on the large platters. Her pace had slowed, of course, but she was still going.
The physical specs—or rather, the very human structure—of the White family was utterly terrifying, and the comment she just made, which could instantly make her an enemy to every woman in the world, was beyond terrifying.
"It feels like your family is just made up of simple superhumans in every field…"
"In a way, we're a bloodline of selective breeding. As people of passion, if you continue to pursue what you 'like,' you naturally meet exceptional people, and it's easy to 'like' special people."
"Ah…"
"It's only natural that talent and skills became concentrated."
Again, a terrifying family.
Recently, for certain reasons, I'd been gathering information not just on Ashe, but on the White clan, and I was constantly surprised, as if they were beings from a work of fiction.
"…Is it delicious?"
"It's very delicious. …You, your mother, and your father—you're all family, yet each of your cooking has its own personality. It's interesting to find the differences."
"My old man's skills are limited to sweets, though."
For the record, she was properly reheating the dishes that would clearly taste worse cold. She was seriously eating. Once again, all I could do was stand in awe.
It's not like she's normally a competitive eater, and I've never seen her have any issues with it, so it must be exactly as she said—her body just lets her 'eat as much as she wants freely.' It was a fantasy on par with a virtual world.
"Wonderful parents, indeed."
"Here we go again…"
Just when I thought I'd cleverly changed the subject, she rebooted it with startling intensity.
Of course, I invited her to my family home and introduced her to my parents, so I was prepared for the topic of family to be unavoidable… but still, it's just so embarrassing.
I was infinitely unsettled and wanted to run away if possible—but unfortunately, my real-life self isn't equipped with the legs of Haru the Acrobat.
"Can we talk about something else?"
"No. I'm in the mood to watch you get all flustered and cute."
"Are you using me as a side dish for your meal???"
All I could do was join the peaceful festivities in the corner, accept the situation I had almost single-handedly created, and prepare to pay the price in the form of embarrassment.
Sora-san and Nia-chan are, of course, aware of the flirting, but they're prioritizing their interaction with the parents and tacitly ignoring it. Mother is also perfectly aware but is pretending not to see.
Father, for Sora-san's sake, is so focused on playing the part of a calm and gentle dad that he hasn't noticed.
Good luck.