Akari felt a little awkward being in Tsumigi's room. She was grateful that Tadomeki found a place for her to stay other than his house. It would be even more awkward than it was now. Tsumigi was sleeping in a sleeping bag while Akari could use her bed, and that's likely the reason why she felt a little off.
- Are you comfortable? If you need anything else, just ask me - she smiled at her.
- You know, I can take the sleeping bag...
- Don't worry, I actually prefer it more than my bed. It reminds me of that one time when me and Tadomeki went camping when we were little...
They stayed silent for a while after Tsumigi's words. Akari even started to sweat a little. Even though they became friends, they had only known each other for a week. She didn't know anything about Tsumigi or her relationship with Tadomeki.
- You know him really well, right? - Akari asked to break the awkward silence between them.
- Since we were children - Tsumigi answered with a warm smile on her face, as if she was remembering those times - We met at my birthday party. He wasn't invited because I didn't know him back then. He came anyway, just so he could play with his friend. Even though he had never met me even once, he still gave me a present.
Akari smiled.
"I wish I met him sooner... Actually, have I met him sooner? I mean he feels so familiar and besides..."
- How was your childhood? - Tsumigi asked.
- My childhood...? I'm sorry, I… can't remember... - Akari sighed, her voice cracking - Tadomeki told you that I got into an argument with my dad, right?
Tsumigi got up from her sleeping bag and sat down on the bed.
- Do you want to talk about it? - she asked with concern.
Akari nodded silently.
- It happened a few days before the start of high school. I- I just couldn't remember anything from my childhood. But I didn't tell that to my parents, because I didn't want them to worry. Then... my father said something and I didn't know what he meant... You know the rest...
Tsumigi wasn't sure if Akari would feel comfortable with a hug, so she decided to refrain, but when she saw tears on her face, she immediately wrapped herself around her.
- It's okay… It's not your fault...
- Thank you... - Akari replied, wiping off her tears - I think I'm okay now. I'm so thankful to you and Tadomeki-kun for everything you have done for me, even though we don't know each other that well...
Tsumigi felt conflicted. When Tadomeki came to her house holding Akari's hand, she felt really jealous. After learning what happened, she felt really bad for her, but still, Tsumigi couldn't understand why he went through all the trouble to save someone he had known only for a week.
"Would he do the same for me?"
This questuon crossed her mind several times ever since Akari came here.
- Tsumigi… Can I ask you to keep this a secret from everyone else…? Even from Tadomeki-kun…
"Even from Tadomeki... Ugh, stop thinking about that Tsumigi!"
She lightly slapped her cheeks to stop the awful thoughts from flowing into her head. Akari looked at her surprised.
- Of course I will keep it a secret, Akari-chan. We are friends after all, right? Now let's get some rest, shall we?
Tsumigi came back to the sleeping bag and closed her eyes. Akari tried to fall asleep but struggled to do so. Her mind was filled with images of Tadomeki. "Why...? Why can't I stop thinking about him...?"
She asked herself with a huge blush on her face. After some time, she fell asleep as well.
___________________________
Akari woke up really late that day. When she got out of bed, she noticed that Tsumigi had already left. Next to the bed, she found a pile of clothes with a note instructing her to "Get dressed and come to the kitchen!". She put them on and left the old ones on the bed. She left the room and immedieatly heard voices downstairs.
- Don't eat it! We didn't finish it yet! - Tsumigi shouted.
- You mean Tadomeki didn't finish it, don't take away the credit from him - said a voice Akari couldn't recognize
- Stop acting like a married couple, you are going to wake up Akari-san - Tadomeki calmly responded.
She immediately blushed.
"He's he-here?"
She came back to Tsumigi's room and started to fix her hair. After a few minutes, she left the room again, but this time she ran into Tadomeki.
- Good morning Akari-san - Tadomeki smiled warmly - We made breakfast for all of us. Are you ready to come down or do you still need some time?
- U-Um…
Akari blushed and averted her gaze elsewhere. She didn't know how to respond. Words didn't want to come out of her mouth.
- Are you okay? Do you have a fever? - Tadomeki said as he placed his hand on Akari's forehead. She got flustered even harder, but she finally looked him in the eyes.
- I'm o-okay don't worry... Just give me a minute and I will come down, okay...?
- Sure, no need to hurry
Tadomeki came back to the kitchen, while Akari went to the bathroom. She splashed water on her cheeks and whispered to herself.
- Calm down Akari... You can't act like this every time you are near him...
When she looked in the mirror she noticed a tear, forming in her right eye. She didn't know why, but she felt weird that something like that occured. She wiped it off and after some time she finally went downstairs to the kitchen.
- Hi Akari-chan! - Tsumigi smiled warmly.
At the dining table she saw Tadomeki, Tsumigi and another person already eating breakfast. What was unusual was that everyone ate something different. Tadomeki was eating a piece of lasagna, Tsumigi was having eggs with bacon, and the other boy was eating cereal. The one with the most food though, was Akari's plate, but it would be better to say plates. For her, Tadomeki prepared a bowl of steamed rice, miso soup, and tamagoyaki.
- Hello Nakamura-san! Tadomeki told me a lot about you! My name is Watanabe Ren, nice to meet you! - the other guest smiled to her.
- It's nice to meet you too… - Akari answered and sat down next to Tadomeki and Tsumigi.
- Don't try to act nice, Ren - Tsumigi pierced with a cold stare.
- What do you mean? I'm always nice!
While Ren and Tsumigi argued, Tadomeki calmly turned to face Akari
- Did you sleep well? - he asked.
- Y-yes. Once again thank you so much for helping me last night...
- No problem, I'm always available if you need me - he smirked and came back to eating his "breakfast".
Akari looked at the food he prepared and started to question whether everything was for her. Tadomeki must have noticed that.
- Don't worry, it's all fo you. You didn't eat anything last night, so you should at least have a proper meal today.
- Thank you, but… why is mine a lot richer than everyone else?
- I just like cereal and besides I ate something at my house too - Ren explained, stopping her fight with Tsumigi for a moment.
- So you had breakfast earlier and you came here to eat for free too? - Tsumigi asked with a merciless look on her face.
- Can you two calm down a little? You're making Akari-san feel uncomfortable - Tadomeki told them off.
Ren and Tsumigi looked at him weirdly.
- Hm? Is something the matter? - he asked surprised by their expressions.
- You are acting really mature since this morning... Actually since the first day of high school. Is it because of Naka...
Ren didn't get a chance to finish because Tsumigi punched him in the belly.
- Ha… harder Mommy - Ren muttered with a smile. This time Tadomeki hit him.
- Here you go my friend - he said with a cold grin on his face - To be honest, you're actually lucky. Tsumigi would have hit you harder than me, so I saved you.
Akari looked at them, shocked by his reaction.
- Don't worry, that's quite usual for us. He often says something stupid, but he doesn't mean any harm, he just wants to make us laugh - Tadomeki smiled.
Akari for some reason felt familiar with this situation.
"Is this really the first time that I met them? They all seem so… close to my heart for some reason..."
She returned to eating her breakfast while Tadomeki went to put Ren down on the sofa. Only she and Tsumigi remained in the kitchen. She was looking outside the window, flustered by Ren's words.
- You know, that idiot actually has a crush on me... - she whispered out of the blue - That's why Tadomeki hit him. He wanted to stop him before he said anything unnecessary and made everyone feel awkward. Ren is unaware that I know, which is why him confessing in the heat of the moment would complicate things.
Akari listened to her spilling out everything that must have been sitting deep inside her for some time now.
- I... I don't love him. Ren is more of a younger brother to me than someone... like that... I don't want us to stop being friends because of something like that... We have known each other for so long, I don't want to lose our friendship...
Akari came up to Tsumigi and wrapped her hands around her, just like she did yesterday.
- I get you Tsumigi... If I had such great friends like you do I would fear losing them as well... Don't worry I will keep it a secret. We're friends after all, right?
Tsumigi looked at her and wiped off the tears.
- Thank you...
___________________________
- Are you sure you want to come back to your house today Akari-san? - Tadomeki asked her with concern - You and Tsumigi got really close, I think she wouldn't mind letting you stay one more day...
- Yes, I'm sure... I can't stay at her house forever. Besides, my mom is probably really worried about me...
They walked in silence, when Akari felt she finally needs to say something to not make things even more awkward between them.
- Can you just call me Akari? Without the honorifics? I noticed you refer to Watanabe-kun and Tsumigi-san just by their names...
- Sure, but you need to call me just Tadomeki as well~
They finally arrived to her house. It didn't look extraordinary, just another simple house in their city, but Tadomeki felt a little bit of divine energy residue. At least that's what he thought he felt.
- So, I guess this is a goodbye... I will text you how it went - Akari smiled faintly.
- No need, I'm coming in with you - Tadomeki replied calmly.
- Eh? B-but...!
- I need to make sure you'll be okay. Don't worry, I don't think they will cause you any trouble because of what happened yesterday.
After some negotiating between, she finally agreed for him to come in. When they opened the door, a middle-aged woman immediately jumped to hug Akari.
- Oh god! You finally came back! I was so worried about you when you didn't come home yesterday, but your father kept telling me not to worry... I'm so glad you're okay!
Tadomeki looked at her "mom" with a surprised expression. He thought she acted the same way as her father, but it looked like they really got along.
"Thinking back, I didn't get to see her fake parents so much in the other timelines... Though, when I met them she acted the same way to her daughter as now..."
That reassured him a little, that yesterday's events truly won't create any problems for Akari. The only thing he needed to take care of now, was...
- I told you she's okay. You didn't need to worry so much. She's a grown-up girl now, she just started high school l, afterall... - Akari's father shouted from another room.
- I guess you were right. And who's this young man, honey?
- Oh… he's just my new friend from school. His name is...
- I'm Kano Tadomeki. It's a pleasure to meet you - he said trying to make a genuine warm smile.
Her mom started to scrutinize him from every angle with a judgmental look. When she finished she smiled.
- Do you drink or smoke?
- Never.
- Can you cook?
- Yes.
- Are you good with house works?
- Yes, except ironing.
- I understand. You have permission to marry our daughter.
Akari's entire face turned red. She began explaining to her mother that "It's not like that!". Meanwhile, Tadomeki decided to use this moment to face her father. He was sitting on the couch, looking as if he was expecting him to arrive.
- Just like I thought, you're here. If you are worried I'm going to do something to her, then calm down. She's my daughter after all...
- Is that so? Actually that's great, that was the only reason I came here. I'm glad we came to an understanding.
Tadomeki gave him a cold smile and turned around to return to Akari, who was still trying to explain where she was. Then, her dad grabbed him by the sleeve.
- Can I ask... Who sent you?
- Hm? Nobody. I'm just helping Akari because I like her. See you soon father-in-law~!
Tadomeki smiled smugly and after bidding farewell to Akari and her mother, he left the Nakamura household.