Maki was confused by mother's behavior when she separated her from the group and they headed to the kitchen.
"Mother, what happened?" Maki asked, confused.
"I just wanted to chat with you about Michael" replied Maki's mother.
"But ..." She looked at the place where they were and then looked at her mother: "I think the kitchen is not a place to chat." She said.
Maki's mother also looked at the kitchen and knew that her daughter was right. Then they decided to get out of there and went to the guest room on the first floor.
Maki's mother sat on the edge of the bed and gently touched the side where she was sitting as if indicating for her daughter to sit with her.
Maki listened to her mother and sat next to her and asked, "Now we can chat quietly. What do you have doubts about?"
"Maki, you are at the age to have a crush but why him?" Maki's mother said as if doubting why she chose someone like Michael.
"Mother, I know you have your doubts and he didn't refute it. But I fell madly in love with him even though I only knew him for a few days" Maki said softly. "Even I was surprised, if I'm honest"
Maki also couldn't believe that she fell in love with Michael on sight.
"It's not that I doubt your choice, it's just that it seems strange to me that you chose it despite having other boys" Maki's mother said with a soft smile on her face. "What made you fall in love with him?" She asked.
"Didn't Dad tell you about him?" Maki asked confused as she thought her father had told her mother about Michael.
"Huh? ... Does your father know him?" She asked her back.
Both Maki and her mother looked into each other's eyes and then thought: 'father', 'dear'.
"It doesn't matter, I'll ask your father for an explanation later." Maki's mother said, shaking her head and then asked, "How did you meet him?"
Maki spent a few minutes thinking about what to answer to her mother since she thinks that if they knew Michael's true background, she would not believe it and would look at her strangely. So she decided to tell him only what she needs to know.
"I met him at the hospital" Maki said with a smile and continued: Do you remember the incident that happened in the hospital a few days ago?, She asked.
"Of course I do. That day, your father went out with you to the hospital while I was making dinner, which you guys were late for dinner." Maki's mother said as that incident was somewhat shocking. "But what does the incident have to do with him? .. Wait, don't tell me he was one of the victims" asked Maki's mother with a frown.
"No, he wasn't" Maki denied. "He was there when I arrived before the incident happened and he even helped catch the person who had been posing as a doctor, causing many complaints in the hospital."
"That?!" Maki's mother exclaimed getting up from the bed and looking at her daughter with a surprised expression.
"But that wasn't the most shocking" Maki said urging her mother to sit back down.
"Come on daughter, drop everything. It makes me more curious" Maki's mother said expectantly.
"Hai Hai ... Stop moving around like a child," Maki complained. "Did Father tell you about how the hospital regained its calm and even improved its reputation after the incident? She asked.
"Sure. When they arrived so late that night, before we went to bed I asked him what had happened and your father told me everything" said Maki's mother remembering her talk with her husband. "I think he told me that there was a very young doctor who had been there and he witnessed all the chaos that there was, at that moment he lent his help and treated all the victims. In addition, to capture the guilt- .." said the mother of Maki but did not finish completing the sentence as she was speechless and wide-eyed.
Slowly Maki's mother looked at her daughter with open eyes and mouth that showed how stunned she was and said: "N- N- Don't tell me that young doctor is…!" She said nervously and incredulous.
Maki laughed out loud when she saw her mother's expression and then replied, "Of course it is. That person who captured the culprit and cured the victims is Michael."
Maki proudly replied to her mother as indicating that she should not doubt her decision.
Maki's mother was stunned at the scene and her mind was in chaos when she learned that the person who saved the situation at the hospital was her daughter's partner. She couldn't believe it, rather she didn't want to believe it, after all, how old is Michael? He is only Maki's age.
"T- That's impossible!" Maki's mother exclaimed almost screaming but she covered her mouth and spoke in a low voice.
"How old is Michael? He's practically your age but now you tell me that he was the one who treated the wounded, I can't believe it"
Maki clearly understood her mother's point of view, shook her head and said: "I didn't believe it either but I was there with my father, witnessing that situation."
Maki's mother listened carefully to every word, of course she knew that her daughter and her husband are honest people and she would not lie to her, but still she still doubted her.
"I know you shouldn't have your doubts yet, mother but father was also there, if you don't believe me you can ask Michael yourself about certain knowledge of medicine. He will not refuse." Maki suggested to her mother.
"I understand, I'll ask him later. So was it how amazing Michael is that made you fall in love with him?" Asked Maki's mother.
"On the one hand, yes and on the other hand, it was how humble he is. If it were another person who possessed that knowledge at his age, he would be clamoring for attention and appearing on any news program" Maki said. "But, he is not like that, although he knows a lot about medicine, he told my father that he does not want to be known. That he helped because he wanted to and that he did not want to see the injured suffer. Also, that they were victims of people who had bad intentions towards the hospital and especially towards me "Maki spoke with a smile and a soft look.
"Why especially towards you?" Maki's mother asked with an expression that she didn't understand that part.
"Because the culprit had bad intentions towards me and even his family threatened my father, only that we did not know it and only father knew it" Maki said with an expression of hatred towards those guilty people that if it were not for Michael to help the wounded, how many people would have survived?
"Seriously?!" Maki's mother asked in surprise as this is the first time she has heard this. If it weren't for her daughter he was telling her, she wouldn't have known. "It seems I should speak to your father," Maki's mother said for a moment.
"Don't do it mother" Maki shook her head. "Father did not say it because he did not want to worry us. Besides, that family that threatened father, they have already been publicly destroyed and even captured by the police," Maki spoke.
"Eh? .. Is what you say true?" Maki's mother asked.
" Of course." She nodded Maki and continued: "They were exposed along with other people for many bad things they did. The person who exposed them was someone named Phantom."
Maki couldn't tell her mother that Michael was Phantom because otherwise her mother would worry and try to break the relationship. 'I hope father doesn't tell her either, to avoid worrying her' Maki thought inside her.
"Thank God" sighed Maki's mother, relieved that the culprits were caught and tried. Also, that she now she knew why her daughter fell in love with Michael.
Like every mother, what she wants for her children is that they be happy. So she decided not to separate her daughter from him and would even try to support her. On the one hand, is that she can see that her daughter is happy despite the fact that Michael has other women by his side but they do not treat her badly and even treat her like one more family. On the other hand, it is that Michael helped her family's hospital, avoiding a catastrophe and even improving his reputation.
"I think it's time to go back, mother." Maki suggested getting out of bed and waited for her mother to leave together.
"Come on daughter" Maki's mother agreed, getting up and walking with her daughter towards the door of the room but then she stopped for a moment and murmured something to her daughter in her ear that made Maki stop. embarrassed.
"Daughter, you still shouldn't take the last step in the relationship unless you get married in the future" Maki's mother said softly into her daughter's ear.
"M- M- Mother, what are you saying? !! Maki said with anger and embarrassment.
"Hehehe ~" Maki's mother giggled when she saw her daughter's embarrassed expression. "Let's go" Maki's mother spoke and left the room with her daughter.
-------------
In the living room, Michael was thinking about what Maki would talk about with her mother, but he calmed down because he knew that Maki would only talk about some facts and not the whole truth. So he decided not to worry too much and joked alongside Lilith and Nephilim.
30 minutes passed when they heard a door open, when they turned their gaze they saw Maki's mother leave the room with her daughter, who had a very red face.
'What have they been talking about?' Michael thought inside her but he didn't show it on her face.
"Sorry to delay us" Maki's mother said apologizing to Michael and the girls.
"I don't know worry Mrs. Nishikino" Michael said with a soft smile.
"Thank you" Maki's mother said relieved.
Afterward, Maki's mother joined the girls' conversation and there were times when she spoke to Michael about some medical knowledge. Michael, of course, answered the questions asked by his future mother-in-law.
Another 30 minutes passed, when they heard the front door open. They all looked towards the door and saw a man in a suit enter the house.
"Welcome dear" Maki's mother said approaching her husband and greeting him.
"I'm home" Maki's father replied to his wife's greeting.
She then she looked into the living room and was surprised when she saw Michael and his two girlfriends, whom she had met at Michael's house a few days ago.
Although she had doubts as to why Michael decided to visit him, she had a thought that he would have something to say.
Michael and the girls got up and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Nishikino."
"Good afternoon, father" Maki said softly and with a happy expression on her face.
Maki's father had a bad feeling when he looked at his daughter's smile but pushed it aside for a moment and walked towards them.
"Good afternoon guys" replied Maki's father and then looked at Michael. "Michael, did you want to have a chat with me?" He asked.
"Yes, I wanted to chat with you about something and I was hoping if you could help me" replied Michael sincerely.
"That's weird of you" Maki's father joked, surprising his wife because she knew he was not a person who had jokes.
"Follow me to my study, there we will chat quietly" suggested Maki's father and walked to the second floor.
Michael followed him but there was someone else who also walked with them.
"Father, I also want to chat with you about something" Maki said and walked towards her father.
"Okay, follow me" Maki's father nodded towards his daughter's request and continued walking
After a few minutes, they reached Mr. Nishikino's study and entered.
"Sit on the couch" Maki's father said as he sat down on a couch and invited Michael and Maki to sit.
Michael sat across from Maki's father while Maki sat next to her father.
Mr. Nishikino didn't know what his daughter wanted to talk about with him but for now he focused on Michael.
"What did you want to talk about?" Maki's father asked.
"Yes, more than talking is a request" said Michael and continued: "Do you have any acquaintances that works in a publishing house that publishes light novels?", He asked.
"Light novels?" Mr. Nishikino asked confused by Michael's unexpected question. "Why you ask?"
"It's like this ..." Michael said and proceeded to explain the reason for his visit.
After Michael explained everything to him, Maki's father was silent for a few seconds and spoke: "Why do you want to enter the anime industry when you know the state it is currently in?"
"Also, if you want you can start working in the medical field, I don't quite understand what you want to do despite having extensive knowledge in that field." Said Maki's father confused by the decision Michael made.
"I know what you mean but that's something I decided from the start" Michael said quietly looking directly at his future father-in-law.
"* Sigh *" Maki's father sighed and spoke "I think I have a friend who studied with me in high school and now she is a manager of a publishing house. Although the publishing house where she works is about to declare bankruptcy"
"If you wish, I can call her and make a meeting between her and you" Maki's father suggested.
"That would be for the best. Thank you so much for helping me with this selfish request of mine" Michael said gently bowing towards Mr. Nishikino.
"Don't worry. Besides, you've done a lot for my hospital and I still feel like I owe you" Maki's father said with a smile.
He then he looked at his daughter and asked: "Daughter, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Maki didn't answer her mother's question quickly and looked slightly at Michael as if asking for confirmation.
Michael of course knew what Maki wanted to talk to her father about and nodded.
Maki getting confirmation from Michael, looked at her father and let out a bomb.
"Father, I have started dating Michael today. I hope you can support my relationship" Maki said with his head lowered, gently squeezing her hands since inside of her she was nervous.
Mr. Nishikino heard the words of his daughter and froze in place. After all, it was very shocking news for him as who wanted his precious daughter to have a boyfriend at a very young age?