Day 43 Chapter 5
- Location
- Around here
[X] Plan An Evening With Archer
"... Do you think you're getting the hang of it yet?"
For the moment, you've taken a break from tutoring your charges to make dinner for the Kures, and your hope is that your instruction will be enough to keep her going while you and Minako make something to eat. "I don't know," Kirika says, scratching her head as she stares at her homework. "I mean, it'd be nice if I could bring my grades up, but I just don't have the brain for school stuff."
Minako stands over her daughter, clicking her tongue. "Maybe if you'd spent more time concentrating on your lessons and less time daydreaming about Oriko, you'd have an easier time with your homework." Seeing her daughter's face at those words, Minako softens her approach, saying instead "Look, I know exactly what you're going through right now. That's why I'm pressing you on this as hard as I am." She leans over, catching her daughter by surprise with a hug. "I love you, Kirika, and I want to see you succeed more than anything else in the world. But you've got to work hard to succeed, and no one else is going to do the work for you."
You nod, saying "God helps those who help themselves. I'm sure Mikuni would tell you the same thing."
"And speaking of work," Minako says, as she slides up beside you. "What are we making for dinner tonight?"
"Tonkatsu with shredded cabbage," you reply, presenting Minako with the ingredients you've gathered for tonight's dinner. "A beloved classic."
You've already shown Minako how to bread and deep-fry, so for tonight's dinner you mostly take an observatory role, making sure she doesn't cut or burn herself while giving her pointers about the particulars of the meal. Rice is rice, and there's nothing more to say about rice than you've already said, so while Minako does most of the work, you'll make timing everything easier on her and take care of the rice yourself. In no time at all the two of you have a completed meal, and "Alright Kirika, it's time to eat. You can put your homework aside for now."
"Yay!"
Minako hugs her daughter, while you lay out three plates of Tonkatsu pork, shredded cabbage, and rice, along with some Tonkatsu sauce you picked up the other day. All told, there's enough for two more meals out of tonight's dinner, which you're intending to go in tomorrow's lunches for the Kure family. You can't help but smile as the two take their seats at the table. "So, how are you feeling after last night?" you ask Minako. Before the creeping smirk on Kirika's face can fully mature, you make sure to add "Do you think you could use another massage, or are you feeling good the way you are?"
"With those hands of yours? I'd be in heaven if I could have them every night." Well, if things keep going the way they have been... "But no, I'm good. Unless you're willing to massage a few other places of mine, I think you got everything you needed to. Though, that's not to say I wouldn't like another one, if you're offering."
"We'll see." Dinner is good, you think, as you take your first taste of Minako's pork. She's definitely making progress, that's for sure. "So, last night you said you'd like to travel and see the world. Have you given any thought to where you'd like to travel?"
"Why don't you tell me about some of the places you've been, and I'll see if anything sounds interesting."
"Well, London is definitely the most interesting place I've been to, in the strictest sense. I don't mean to say anything negative about the places I went to do humanitarian work in; I'm sure there are plenty of wonderful places to visit in those countries. But, well, I wasn't going there for the sightseeing, and most of the places I personally saw were lacking in even basic infrastructure, forget about tourist attractions."
"I see."
"That's not to say I haven't seen a lot of interesting things in my travels, though. I've seen the pyramids, and the ruins of ancient cities. I-" That's when it hits you. "I know- If you'd like, I can pick you up some travel brochures some time. That way, you can start to get a better idea of what the places you might want to go have to offer; and being able to see what you're thinking will help Kirika be part of the discussion as well."
Minako smiles, as a gentle "Thanks," graces her lips. "I don't know when I'd have the time to travel, but I'd love it if you and Homura could join us."
"Of course." Given a life spent inside the walls of a hospital, you're sure Homura would like to travel just as much as Minako. "On that note, though, I do have some bad news. There's going to be a massive tropical storm hitting Mitakihara on Sunday." Your eyes flit over to Kirika, and you add "One of Mikuni's abilities is the power to see the future, and she's confirmed that there's a storm coming. I'd advise you to take whatever you don't want to get waterlogged and get out of the city for a day or two until the coast is clear. Maybe you could stay with your parents, if they live close by; and if not-"
"You can stay at Oriko's place that night!" Kirika cuts you off, saying exactly the thing you were going to say to Minako. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you needed to stay for awhile. I think Shirome's too far inland for the storm to hit, so you should be safe."
Safe because there won't be a storm. Those girls are doing everything in their power to stop Walpurigsnacht when it reaches the Mitakihara.
"I know I'm springing this on you suddenly, and for that I apologise. But I'd be much more comfortable knowing you were somewhere safe."
"Uh, right..." Minako looks shaken up by your news, but no more than you expected. Because you haven't told her the truth. "Thanks. I'll be sure to get my stuff packed and find a place to stay for the weekend."
You nod. "And speaking of the Mikuni mansion," you say, turning your attention on Kirika. "You've been keeping up with your schoolwork while you're staying with her, right?"
Kirika rolls her eyes. "Yes, dad. Oriko's been on me about it every night." Under her breath you can even hear her add "And not in the good way, either."
She can't hide from it this time, you think, and you and Minako both exchange grins. "I'm very glad to hear that, pumpkin," Minako says, while you hang back and let her dole out praise and affection to her daughter. "Mommy's so proud to hear you're doing your work; and I know Oriko's proud of you as well."
You don't mean to distract from the praise being deservedly given to Kirika, but you need to know. "Now, I've heard Homura's got something going on at school between her and her friends. How bad is it?"
"Pretty bad," Kirika says. "I don't know what Homura said to set them off, but Shizuki and especially Miki are just like, super not dealing with her right now."
"I see." You haven't heard much from Homura herself about the matter; just that she said something she shouldn't have. "Thank you. I know Homura likes t joke about how she's the older sister, but what you're doing for her now is very much the older sibling's responsibility. Can I ask you to keep looking out for her while you're both at school?"
"Yeah. I'll keep an eye out for her."
*Knock knock*
Minako sighs as the rapping of knuckles at the door reaches her ear. "I really don't want to deal with Hiroshi right now," she says, draping a hand over her face as if to hide from the person waiting outside. "Kirika, could you get the door and tell him I'm not interested?"
Kirika nods, excusing herself from the table to answer the knocking at the door. You can almost hear the scathing remark on her tongue as she opens the door, but reality fails to match your expectations when instead you hear the excited cry of "Grandma! Grandpa!" You're caught off guard, and you imagine you must look like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle as Minako makes for the door amid her daughter's cries of "Mom! Grandma and grandpa are here!"
"How are you doing, kiddo?" an older male voice asks.
"Goodness, Sho, look how big she's grown," says a second voice, older and female. "Why, the last time we saw you, you were only this tall."
The grandparents Kure are an older couple, both appearing to be in their late sixties or early seventies, and despite grey outstripping dark chocolate in their hair you can still see a strong family resemblance between the couple and their daughter and granddaughter, who leads them into the living room, where their eyes immediately lock onto you as Minako says "Mother, father, I wasn't expecting you. What brings you all the way out here?"
"I had some things I wanted to take care of in Kazamino," the man says. "But there was construction on the bridge so we had to turn back, and we figured we'd stop in while we were in the neighborhood."
"You drove here?" Minako asks. "And parked your car in the lot?" The man nods his head. "This isn't the nicest neighborhood in Mitakihara. Aren't you worried someone might try to steal it?"
"Ha!" Minako's father laughs, and his wife soon joins in. "It's a '95 Camry. I'd like to see the damn fool who would want to steal it!" That must have concluded the pleasantries, as both of the elder Kures turn their attention towards you, and the man asks "So, who might this be?"
Minako shakes her head, muttering "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Mother, father, this is my boyfriend, Archer." Their eyes narrow, and you expect they must be thinking of you the same way they thought of her last boyfriend. "Archer, these are my parents, Kure Sakura and Kure Shigeru."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," you say, trying your best to put a good foot forward with potential in-laws who have already been burned once before. "Your daughter is a wonderful person and I'm truly blessed to know her."
"That's what the last one said," Kure Shigeru says. "What makes you think you're any better than him?"
"Father!"
"I think I have a right to ask the man!" Kure Shigeru barks at his daughter. "The last one ruined your life and left you to raise Kirika on your own. I want a guarantee that this one won't try to fuck you over the same way."
"Archer's not like Kazuma at all! He's been teaching me to cook and helping me study for my Cert!" Minako's breathing is heavy as she yells at her father, and her hand finds its way into your own as she says "He's doing everything he can to help me put my life back together. That's what made me fall in love with him."
[ ] Wat do?
"... Do you think you're getting the hang of it yet?"
For the moment, you've taken a break from tutoring your charges to make dinner for the Kures, and your hope is that your instruction will be enough to keep her going while you and Minako make something to eat. "I don't know," Kirika says, scratching her head as she stares at her homework. "I mean, it'd be nice if I could bring my grades up, but I just don't have the brain for school stuff."
Minako stands over her daughter, clicking her tongue. "Maybe if you'd spent more time concentrating on your lessons and less time daydreaming about Oriko, you'd have an easier time with your homework." Seeing her daughter's face at those words, Minako softens her approach, saying instead "Look, I know exactly what you're going through right now. That's why I'm pressing you on this as hard as I am." She leans over, catching her daughter by surprise with a hug. "I love you, Kirika, and I want to see you succeed more than anything else in the world. But you've got to work hard to succeed, and no one else is going to do the work for you."
You nod, saying "God helps those who help themselves. I'm sure Mikuni would tell you the same thing."
"And speaking of work," Minako says, as she slides up beside you. "What are we making for dinner tonight?"
"Tonkatsu with shredded cabbage," you reply, presenting Minako with the ingredients you've gathered for tonight's dinner. "A beloved classic."
You've already shown Minako how to bread and deep-fry, so for tonight's dinner you mostly take an observatory role, making sure she doesn't cut or burn herself while giving her pointers about the particulars of the meal. Rice is rice, and there's nothing more to say about rice than you've already said, so while Minako does most of the work, you'll make timing everything easier on her and take care of the rice yourself. In no time at all the two of you have a completed meal, and "Alright Kirika, it's time to eat. You can put your homework aside for now."
"Yay!"
Minako hugs her daughter, while you lay out three plates of Tonkatsu pork, shredded cabbage, and rice, along with some Tonkatsu sauce you picked up the other day. All told, there's enough for two more meals out of tonight's dinner, which you're intending to go in tomorrow's lunches for the Kure family. You can't help but smile as the two take their seats at the table. "So, how are you feeling after last night?" you ask Minako. Before the creeping smirk on Kirika's face can fully mature, you make sure to add "Do you think you could use another massage, or are you feeling good the way you are?"
"With those hands of yours? I'd be in heaven if I could have them every night." Well, if things keep going the way they have been... "But no, I'm good. Unless you're willing to massage a few other places of mine, I think you got everything you needed to. Though, that's not to say I wouldn't like another one, if you're offering."
"We'll see." Dinner is good, you think, as you take your first taste of Minako's pork. She's definitely making progress, that's for sure. "So, last night you said you'd like to travel and see the world. Have you given any thought to where you'd like to travel?"
"Why don't you tell me about some of the places you've been, and I'll see if anything sounds interesting."
"Well, London is definitely the most interesting place I've been to, in the strictest sense. I don't mean to say anything negative about the places I went to do humanitarian work in; I'm sure there are plenty of wonderful places to visit in those countries. But, well, I wasn't going there for the sightseeing, and most of the places I personally saw were lacking in even basic infrastructure, forget about tourist attractions."
"I see."
"That's not to say I haven't seen a lot of interesting things in my travels, though. I've seen the pyramids, and the ruins of ancient cities. I-" That's when it hits you. "I know- If you'd like, I can pick you up some travel brochures some time. That way, you can start to get a better idea of what the places you might want to go have to offer; and being able to see what you're thinking will help Kirika be part of the discussion as well."
Minako smiles, as a gentle "Thanks," graces her lips. "I don't know when I'd have the time to travel, but I'd love it if you and Homura could join us."
"Of course." Given a life spent inside the walls of a hospital, you're sure Homura would like to travel just as much as Minako. "On that note, though, I do have some bad news. There's going to be a massive tropical storm hitting Mitakihara on Sunday." Your eyes flit over to Kirika, and you add "One of Mikuni's abilities is the power to see the future, and she's confirmed that there's a storm coming. I'd advise you to take whatever you don't want to get waterlogged and get out of the city for a day or two until the coast is clear. Maybe you could stay with your parents, if they live close by; and if not-"
"You can stay at Oriko's place that night!" Kirika cuts you off, saying exactly the thing you were going to say to Minako. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you needed to stay for awhile. I think Shirome's too far inland for the storm to hit, so you should be safe."
Safe because there won't be a storm. Those girls are doing everything in their power to stop Walpurigsnacht when it reaches the Mitakihara.
"I know I'm springing this on you suddenly, and for that I apologise. But I'd be much more comfortable knowing you were somewhere safe."
"Uh, right..." Minako looks shaken up by your news, but no more than you expected. Because you haven't told her the truth. "Thanks. I'll be sure to get my stuff packed and find a place to stay for the weekend."
You nod. "And speaking of the Mikuni mansion," you say, turning your attention on Kirika. "You've been keeping up with your schoolwork while you're staying with her, right?"
Kirika rolls her eyes. "Yes, dad. Oriko's been on me about it every night." Under her breath you can even hear her add "And not in the good way, either."
She can't hide from it this time, you think, and you and Minako both exchange grins. "I'm very glad to hear that, pumpkin," Minako says, while you hang back and let her dole out praise and affection to her daughter. "Mommy's so proud to hear you're doing your work; and I know Oriko's proud of you as well."
You don't mean to distract from the praise being deservedly given to Kirika, but you need to know. "Now, I've heard Homura's got something going on at school between her and her friends. How bad is it?"
"Pretty bad," Kirika says. "I don't know what Homura said to set them off, but Shizuki and especially Miki are just like, super not dealing with her right now."
"I see." You haven't heard much from Homura herself about the matter; just that she said something she shouldn't have. "Thank you. I know Homura likes t joke about how she's the older sister, but what you're doing for her now is very much the older sibling's responsibility. Can I ask you to keep looking out for her while you're both at school?"
"Yeah. I'll keep an eye out for her."
*Knock knock*
Minako sighs as the rapping of knuckles at the door reaches her ear. "I really don't want to deal with Hiroshi right now," she says, draping a hand over her face as if to hide from the person waiting outside. "Kirika, could you get the door and tell him I'm not interested?"
Kirika nods, excusing herself from the table to answer the knocking at the door. You can almost hear the scathing remark on her tongue as she opens the door, but reality fails to match your expectations when instead you hear the excited cry of "Grandma! Grandpa!" You're caught off guard, and you imagine you must look like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle as Minako makes for the door amid her daughter's cries of "Mom! Grandma and grandpa are here!"
"How are you doing, kiddo?" an older male voice asks.
"Goodness, Sho, look how big she's grown," says a second voice, older and female. "Why, the last time we saw you, you were only this tall."
The grandparents Kure are an older couple, both appearing to be in their late sixties or early seventies, and despite grey outstripping dark chocolate in their hair you can still see a strong family resemblance between the couple and their daughter and granddaughter, who leads them into the living room, where their eyes immediately lock onto you as Minako says "Mother, father, I wasn't expecting you. What brings you all the way out here?"
"I had some things I wanted to take care of in Kazamino," the man says. "But there was construction on the bridge so we had to turn back, and we figured we'd stop in while we were in the neighborhood."
"You drove here?" Minako asks. "And parked your car in the lot?" The man nods his head. "This isn't the nicest neighborhood in Mitakihara. Aren't you worried someone might try to steal it?"
"Ha!" Minako's father laughs, and his wife soon joins in. "It's a '95 Camry. I'd like to see the damn fool who would want to steal it!" That must have concluded the pleasantries, as both of the elder Kures turn their attention towards you, and the man asks "So, who might this be?"
Minako shakes her head, muttering "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Mother, father, this is my boyfriend, Archer." Their eyes narrow, and you expect they must be thinking of you the same way they thought of her last boyfriend. "Archer, these are my parents, Kure Sakura and Kure Shigeru."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," you say, trying your best to put a good foot forward with potential in-laws who have already been burned once before. "Your daughter is a wonderful person and I'm truly blessed to know her."
"That's what the last one said," Kure Shigeru says. "What makes you think you're any better than him?"
"Father!"
"I think I have a right to ask the man!" Kure Shigeru barks at his daughter. "The last one ruined your life and left you to raise Kirika on your own. I want a guarantee that this one won't try to fuck you over the same way."
"Archer's not like Kazuma at all! He's been teaching me to cook and helping me study for my Cert!" Minako's breathing is heavy as she yells at her father, and her hand finds its way into your own as she says "He's doing everything he can to help me put my life back together. That's what made me fall in love with him."
[ ] Wat do?
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