The dreaded moment Ginger had been anticipating finally arrived. Meeting other people's parents had never been on his agenda, leaving him uncertain about whether the Fukudas would accept him.
Haruki's parents arrived roughly thirty minutes before the boys finished preparing an early dinner. During that time, Ginger struggled to determine the appropriate way to behave.
Would they see through his bratty and occasionally mean-spirited façade and caution Haruki against associating with someone like him?
Perhaps they would even uncover his true identity and chase him away!
In the past, trivial matters like these never bothered Ginger. But for some reason, they gnawed at him now...
No.
He shouldn't care about the outcome. Even if he never saw Haru again, it wouldn't matter. The troublemaker was a nuisance anyway... or so Ginger tried to convince himself.
Deep down, this meeting represented Ginger's sole opportunity to make a friend. Naturally, he was nervous!
But all his worries proved unnecessary once Akashi and Maki Fukuda, after being introduced by Haruki, displayed a warm and welcoming demeanor. Their friendliness towards the ginger-haired boy left him dumbfounded, as within minutes of sitting down for dinner, they treated him as if they had known him for ages.
"I can only imagine how much Haru bothered you while we were away," Maki remarked casually at the dinner table. "It's reassuring to know he had someone looking out for him."
Ginger couldn't help but wonder: Do these people realize that Haru and I only met a few days ago? It hasn't even been a week.
Well, at least now he understood where Haruki's carefree attitude originated.
"He wasn't a bother at all," Ginger lied with a smile. Earlier, in the kitchen, Haruki had practically begged him not to mention the accident that had occurred a few days back.
"He hasn't been forcing you to hang out with him all day and play video games, has he?" Maki inquired, her motherly intuition guiding her.
"Hey, I don't force people, and I certainly didn't force him," Haruki protested with his mouth still full.
"Eat or talk, sweety, not both," Maki reminded, prompting Haru to behave.
"Actually," Ginger responded after a pause, "We did play video games, but not because I was forced."
Haruki nodded in approval.
"Are you sure?" Maki pressed.
"Yes, ma'am," Ginger humbly shook his head. "In fact, he's been like the kind older brother I always wished I had."
Maki, "....."
Akashi, "....."
Haru, "....." Huh?
Both parents shot simultaneous glances at their son.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Haruki asked, bewildered.
"How much did you bribe him to speak highly of you?" Akashi asked first.
"Or perhaps you're blackmailing him?" Maki directed a concerned gaze at Ginger. "Is that what's happening, dear?"
"What do you take me for??" Haruki felt utterly wronged.
"That's not it at all, Mrs. Fukuda," Ginger reassured. "No one has ever shown me such care and concern before, so I genuinely appreciated it." Well, I did borrow a few words he used on me once.
Nevertheless, Haruki couldn't help but also stare at the other kid in astonishment.
Meanwhile, Maki seemed on the brink of exploding from the overwhelming cuteness exuding from Ginger.
She excitedly waved her hands at Akashi, saying, "Do you see, honey? Our Rue-rue has actually made a child his age happy."
Haruki felt offended. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of monster."
Ignoring her son's protests, Maki focused her undivided attention on Ginger, sweetly urging him, "Dear, just call me Auntie. No need for formality, okay?"
Ginger grew flustered and immediately lowered his gaze to his plate. This family wasted no time at all. What if he was a bad influence on their son?
Akashi, who had been observing the boy for a while, finally asked with uncertainty, "Have we met before?"
Ginger gave him a perplexed look, contemplating for a moment before shaking his head. "No, sir. I don't believe we have."
"Really?" Akashi nodded slowly, then waved his hand dismissively with a smile. "Then I must have mistaken you for someone else. Forget I mentioned it."
"So, Ginger, dear, how old are you exactly?" Maki inquired, shooting her son another disapproving glance. "This clueless son of mine wouldn't utter a word about you."
Well, he didn't share much with me either. I'm just as curious as you; Haruki grumbled inwardly.
Ginger appeared hesitant before confessing, "Mrs— Actually, Auntie, my name isn't Ginger."
Maki and Akashi were left speechless.
Haruki face-palmed. He had completely forgotten about that. As he mulled over this, an eerie chill ran down his spine. He dared not look in his mother's direction.
Though she wasn't gazing at him either, Haru sensed an ominous energy emanating from her, directed at him.
I better find a way to excuse myself from the table before things take a turn for the worse; Haru thought, pretending to rise, only to find his mother's hand pinning him down discreetly under the table. She did it so subtly that the other two present remained oblivious.
However, Haruki froze, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Maki maintained a smile throughout. "Is that so? I suppose he just came up with a random nickname to spite you?"
Ginger pondered for a moment. "I suppose..."
"HUH? Don't pin this on me when you're the one who didn't— mph!!" His statement was cut off as his mother swiftly shoved a massive chunk of meat into his mouth, with lightning speed and precision.
Ginger visibly flinched, a tinge of terror in his eyes.
Akashi remained unfazed as he continued speaking. "Our apologies, we were unaware. So, what is your name?"
"Kentaro," the kid replied. "Kentaro Nomura."
Kentaro, huh? Haru thought, chewing on the meat. That guess was so far from his mind that he wouldn't have gotten it right even under gunpoint.
"Nomura?" Maki contemplated the surname, but it didn't ring any bells. Yet, something about Ken felt oddly familiar to her—his face, his demeanor...
She proceeded to ask, "How old are you?"
"I'm twelve."
"HA, I knew it!" Haruki exclaimed, capturing everyone's attention.
At this point, Maki had given up on him entirely. Thus, she turned to Ken with a sweet smile. "Would you like to take Haru's place and become our new son? We can't handle 'that' anymore."
***
After dinner, Haruki offered to accompany Kentaro part of the way home, as darkness had already settled. He couldn't help but replay the events at the dinner table in his mind, including the moment his own mother had tried to get rid of him. But setting that aside...
"I thought you said you lived alone," Haru remarked as the two walked together towards Ken's house. "I didn't know you had a nanny."
"She's a housekeeper."
"Aren't they the same thing?"
"Not really," Ken said nonchalantly.
"But last time I asked—"
"She was on leave," Ginger interjected. "She's back now, so it doesn't matter."
Haruki raised an eyebrow. "Oh... okay?"
"I like your parents," Kentaro admitted sincerely. He kept his head down throughout their walk, lost in deep contemplation. "They're so warm and welcoming."
"Even though they tried to replace me?" Haru chuckled.
"That's precisely what I mean."
"Eh?"
Kentaro's lips curled into a smile. "Just kidding. I mean they accepted me so quickly."
"See? I told you there was no need to be so nervous," Haruki grinned.
Yeah, Ginger thought to himself, feeling an odd sense of relief.
It took a while before Haruki spoke up again, breaking the silence between them.
"Hey, Ken. I don't know if you were messing with me earlier, but why did you lie about your age?" Haruki's voice carried a mix of curiosity and concern.
Kentaro remained silent for a moment before finally responding. "I thought if people believed I was older, they would respect me more," he admitted, his words tinged with a hint of vulnerability.
Haruki's certainty grew as he probed further. "But being older doesn't guarantee respect. If anything, it might make you more vulnerable to bullying," he countered, trying to make Ken see the flaw in his reasoning.
Ken's doubt lingered, fueling his desire to defend his perspective. "That's just how I've lived so far. I don't want to be seen as a defenseless kid," he argued, his voice tinged with frustration.
Absorbing the other's words, Haruki paused before offering a different perspective. "Acting older won't change who you are. Embracing your age might even make others go easier on you. Don't rush to grow up," he advised, trying to impart his own experience.
Kentaro's annoyance flared, and he retorted, "Easy for you to say, since you're taller and more confident."
Even so, Haruki's chuckle dispelled the tension. "Being taller than you doesn't make me the tallest person on the planet. In fact, I used to get into fights precisely because I was the shorter one. People thought I was an easy target," he revealed, trying to dismantle Ken's assumption.
Despite Ginger's skepticism, Haruki continued, undeterred. "If someone bullies you again, let me know. I'll teach them a lesson," he assured, his sincerity shining through.
Kentaro's initial resistance softened, but he maintained his pride. "Why would I bother telling you?" he scoffed.
Haruki shook his head, not buying into Ken's façade. "Because we're buds. Naturally, I'll help you out."
For a moment, Ginger fell silent, contemplating his next words. Who knew he'd suddenly say something so unexpected, "I never agreed to be friends with you."
Haruki was taken aback, momentarily speechless.
It wasn't like Kentaro had lied. All this time, the kid had even told him that visiting his house had been purely because of guilt for having caused Haru's injury.
Still, it kind of stung, realizing he'd meant it.
With an awkward chuckle, Haruki scratched his temple, "That's true. You never did..."
"But I want to give it a try."
When those words came so suddenly, Haruki was certain he'd misheard. "...Huh?"
Ken's gaze shifted away, his cheeks slightly flushed. "You seem like a good person. So whatever."
By now, Haruki knew how easily embarrassed Ginger would become when feelings were involved. He knew how hesitant the kid was too.
Having expected some kind of response, Kentaro's gaze went back to the person beside him, only to find Haruki also looking at him with a wide grin etched on his face. The ginger-haired kid became even more flustered. "W-What's with that?"
"You said I'm a good person."
"So??"
"I'm happy," Haruki reached out, ruffling Ken's hair affectionately. "And Im glad you finally said 'yes'."
Ken tried hard to shake away the hand as he retorted, "I didn't say 'yes' to anything, idiot. Don't make it sound like a proposal."
"It's only weird if you make it weird."
"Ugh.."
Finally, when they reached the midpoint between their homes, Kentaro made up his mind to continue the journey alone.
"I can walk you a bit further," Haruki offered, but Ginger declined.
"No, it's fine," he said, walking away.
"Hmm, afraid I'll see your rundown place?" Haruki teased. "That's why you never want me to visit."
"Trust me, my home is much bigger than yours," Kentaro stated flatly.
Geez, this guy... Haruki sighed, "Secretive brat, isn't he?"
There were so many things Haruki wondered about Kentaro Nomura, but the other person remained reserved. Discovering he had a nanny surprised Haruki even more.
He couldn't believe he'd only learned the other's name today after an entire week of knowing him. Had making friends always been this difficult?
"Haruki!"
Haruki hadn't walked far when he heard Kentaro's voice calling out to him. Surprised, he turned to find the boy a few feet away, slightly out of breath.
"Oh, what's up? Forgot something?" Haruki asked. He thought Kentaro would be long gone by now.
"I..." the ginger-haired boy seemed a bit embarrassed, his gray gaze wandering. He obviously had something on his mind but was too shy to say it.
"You okay, Kentaro?"
Hearing the name, Kentaro became even more hesitant, his face turning redder under the dim light of a nearby streetlamp. "Y-You, um... Does this mean you'll stop calling me 'Ginger'?"
"Well, yeah. I know your name now, and it seemed like you didn't like the nickname," Haruki shrugged.
"It's just strange hearing you suddenly use my name, and anyway..." Kentaro trailed off, unable to continue. The situation was embarrassing for him.
However, Haruki understood the meaning behind Kentaro's words. He smiled and hummed, "Is that so? Could it be that the nickname grew on you?"
Kentaro silently glared at him. His lack of response and flushed face spoke volumes.
"By the way, let's exchange contact information," Haruki suddenly suggested, earning a puzzled look from Kentaro. He sighed, "We're officially friends. What's wrong with sharing that information? So secretive."
"It's not that," Ginger sounded a bit sulky. "I just don't have a phone."
"Oh," Haruki nodded in understanding. Then, after a moment, he remarked with confusion, "Huh???"
"Give me your email," Kentaro suggested. "I have a computer."
Did he mean a laptop, or a desktop computer?
At least Haruki's sister had forced him to create an email account last year; otherwise, this situation would have been extremely awkward.
After repeating it to himself a few times, Kentaro turned to leave again. "Make sure to check your email when you get home, or I swear I'll never talk to you again."
No goodnight or anything.
Haruki stood there, speechless; Uh, okay?
But as promised, half an hour after returning home and retreating to his bedroom, Haruki received his first email from Kentaro Nomura.
~~~~~~