The next morning, after washing up, Yasui Makoto went to the dining room, where his parents had already prepared a traditional Japanese breakfast.
Steaming miso soup, grilled fish, rice, and natto were neatly laid out.
He had just sat down and picked up his chopsticks when, after only a few bites, he noticed his mother, Kikō Misuzu, had been watching him the whole time. Her gaze was searching, with a hint of... regret?
Feeling a little uncomfortable under her stare, Yasui Makoto touched his face. "Is there... something I didn't wash off?"
"Oh, no, nothing like that."
Kikō Misuzu came back to herself and propped her chin on one hand, letting out an exaggerated sigh.
"I just didn't expect you to actually come home and sleep like a good boy last night. I thought you'd find an excuse to stay over at Xiao Bei's."
At that, Yasui Koichi, who had been eating quietly, nearly choked on his rice. He gave his wife a helpless look.
Yasui Makoto also froze, his chopsticks stopping in midair, his face full of bewilderment.
Seeing their reactions, Kikō Misuzu blinked, looking as if it were only natural.
"Am I wrong? Xiao Zhen and Xiao Bei seem like a great match. You've even brought her to your hometown now, and you said before that you'd been to her place. That kind of relationship... do I really need to spell it out?"
"...Misuzu!" Yasui Koichi set down his bowl, his tone reproachful. "Don't make things up."
"How am I making things up?" Kikō Misuzu immediately retorted, turning to her husband. "Didn't you say yourself that Xiao Bei was a fine girl?"
Yasui Koichi looked even more helpless. With a sigh, he said, "I was talking about her ability and her temperament. I've watched plenty of recordings of