[X] Plan Better Food Than In Shokugeki no Soma (part 1)
"So, what's the plan?"
Your group of three gets off the train at the station just a few blocks from Homura's apartment; but since it's likely that she's already there, enjoying an afternoon with Madoka, you saw no reason to make Minako and Kirika stop while you stopped to grab someone who probably wasn't there. You would like to invite them over for dinner sometime, though Assassin might present a problem. "Well, I was thinking that we'd just act like we did before we decided to get together."
Minako smiles, and Kirika turns her attention back to her phone as an arm finds its way around your waist. Minako pulls you in close, and asks "So, how did we act before?"
"Well, you've haven't really changed much," you say, causing Minako to pout. "You're a little more hands-on now, but you're still as confident and flirty as you were before. Really, I'm the one that has to modify their behaviour. I need to pretend like I don't notice how into me you are. That's why I figure, when it's time for us to drop the ball on Junko, that it should be me. I'm so clueless that she'd never see it coming."
But Kaname Junko will certainly see it coming if you and Minako are still arm-in-arm, so as you near the Kaname residence, you and she break away from one another, to a sigh of relief from Kirika. Seems she doesn't like it when the shoe's on the other foot and other people are affectionate around her.
Or maybe it's just because Minako is her mother, while you're just some guy who once shot her legs off. It's probably a good idea for Minako to never learn about that.
This is it, you think, as your finger hovers over the doorbell of the Kaname residence. If you want to duck out now and just live the bachelor life with your daughter, now's probably the last time you can.
*Ding-dong*
"Junko, can you get the door?"
You straighten your tie just in time for Kaname Junko to get the door."Archer, so good to see you!" she says, offering you her hand to shake. She's got a good grip.
"Likewise," you say, admiring the physical strength of the mother Kaname. "Thank you for the invitation. A night out with friends is just what I've been needing lately, and I'm sure it's the same for everyone else that's been invited." Though, just because someone is friends, you think, there's no reason they can't also be romantically involved.
Turning to your guests, she "Minako, glad you could make it;" surprises Minako by wrapping her up in a hug that's far more familial than supervisor-and-subordinate. "Welcome to our humble home." The two stay like that for a second, until Kaname Junko breaks away, leaning down a bit until she's eye level with the third member of your party. "And you must be Kirika," she says, refraining from any physical contact with Kirika as she had you and Minako. "Your mom's got a lot of pictures of you at her desk, but I think you look a lot cuter in person."
"Well, come in, come," Kaname Junko says, moving out of the way so that the three of you can come in and take your shoes off. "Tomo's already got dinner started, but you should still be able to cut in and add your own special charm," she says to you as you hang your jacket up by the door. Next, to Kirika, Kaname Junko says "The girls are in the living room watching TV, if you'd rather hang out with them than us boring adults."
Kirika needs no second invitation once her shoes are off and her school bag is cast aside, but you've got other ideas."Wait a second," you say before she's able to wander too far. "Don't forget that you've still got studying and schoolwork to take care of. I'll help you out after dinner, but you're not heading off to Mikuni's until you're finished."
You can't see it, but you can imagine Kirika rolling her eyes at you as she walks away. "You sound like you could be her father, you know that?"
That just leaves Minako. "And you," Kaname Junko says, as she just about drags Minako away from you, leaving you no choice but to head to the kitchen as you let the women get down to their business of attempting to ensnare you in MInako's charms. If only Kaname Junko knew. "Come knock a few back with me while the menfolk do the cooking. We've got a lot to talk about, you and I."
"What's up, Homura?" Kaname Tomohisa asks, as you find yourself having wandered into the kitchen. "Did you need something?"
"I wanted to ask you something," you say, hoping to cover up the fact that you can't remember what you came to the kitchen for with some sort of conversation. At those words, Kaname Tomohisa stops what he was doing; something to do with preparing the main course, which appears to be a beef dish of some kind. "I was wondering what sort of things you do for a living, outside of being a professional stay-at-home dad." You know what Archer does for a living, not that you could ever say it out loud to someone like Kaname Tomohisa, but "I'm curious as to how what you do, versus what Archer does, are different."
"Well, I co-own an organic produce store that's not too far from here." That's right; you do remember him saying that the last time you asked. You feel so stupid now for asking it a second time. "But ever since Madoka was born, I've just been handling the administrative and financial side of things. A couple of my friends that I started the store with are the ones running the day-to-day operations." Kaname Tomohisa smiles as he thinks about his store, and says to you "You know, that store is actually how Junko and I met."
"Really?"
Kaname Tomohisa nods. "My friends and I had just graduated from university, and we all decided we wanted to start our own business together. We talked it over, and eventually, my idea for an organic produce store won out. We started shopping around for some good locations, and the manager of the bank we were planning on getting a loan from recommended us to a certain realty firm that he had connections to. We talked it over with the firm, and when I went to speak with the agent who had been assigned to our case..." Kaname Tomohisa stops talking, and the smile that had been on his face widens. "... Her name was Kaname Junko, and for me, it was love at first sight."
But, if she was already Kaname Junko before they were married, then... "You took her name?"
"Junko always was the more assertive of us, even back then. That was something I really admired about her, but that also made it hard for me to open up about how I felt about her until after the store opened and we were no longer agent and client. I tell you, I was terrified that I'd mess up on our first date- I mean, here I am, fresh out of college, and I'm trying to romance a woman who's both older and more successful than me." Kaname Tomohisa shakes his head, but that massive smile on his face never wavers. "Every day I thank the gods that she gave me as many chances as she did before I could work up the courage to ask her to marry me."
"Well, I'm very glad that she did," you say. "You have a wonderful family, and I don't think I could imagine Madoka with any other set of parents than you two."
Kaname Tomohisa looks like he's about to say something, but just as he opens his mouth, Archer appears. "Hi," he says, both to you and to Kaname Tomohisa. "Your wife said to come help you while she and Minako chatted. So, what can I do to be of service?"
As Kaname Tomohisa directs Archer to where his help is needed, you choose that moment to exit the kitchen and let the adults be. Returning to the kitchen, you are greeted by the sight of Madoka and Kirika watching television, and remember the reason you went into the kitchen in the first place. "Sorry," you say. "I got talking with your father and forgot to grab batteries for the remote."
"That's alright, Homura-chan," Madoka says, scooting to the side to make room for you, which sandwiches you between Madoka and Kirika, who is half paying attention to the movie playing on TV, and half texting Mikuni Oriko on her phone. "We can watch what's on this channel."
"Or," Kirika says, putting her phone away as she stalks over to the TV. "You could change the channel manually." Kirika crouches down, and flips through the channels by playing with the controls on the box. "You two got something special you wanna watch, or can I just stop wherever?"
"Well?" you ask, but when Madoka doesn't have any special preferences to offer, you say to Kirika "Whatever is fine, then."
With an "Alright," Kirika stops playing with the channels, and returns to her place beside you on the couch. "This movie's not that bad, at least. Better than those Italian ripoff movies Oriko likes..."
You don't feel like pressing Kirika on the fact that, apparently, there's something which Mikuni Oriko likes that she doesn't; and instead take the opportunity to ask Madoka "So, what's happening around town that you might like to do on our next date? Is there some event, or a movie that you're interested in?"
Madoka shakes her head, saying "Not that I know of, no." But with a smile on her face, Madoka adds "But anything we do together will be fine, Homura-chan. It doesn't have to be anything all that fancy or exciting; I'll be happy just spending time with you."
Saying that, Madoka lays her head down on your shoulder; and here you're content to enjoy her company, and the company of your maybe-soon-to-be stepsister - and you wish this timeline would stop doing things like this. Seriously, you never would have imagined being okay with letting Kirika into the Kaname household, or anywhere near as close to Madoka as she is now, in any other timeline than this - as the three of you watch TV while you want for dinner to be ready. "Yes," you say. "I'd be happy just spending time with you too."
[ ] Is there anything to add to the dinner conversation? (write-in if yes)