After five minutes of walking, we had finally reached his place. The residence was actually pretty nice.
The house signified his parents were considerably well off. I had heard Sora-kun's dad owned a small business inherited from his father; Sora-kun's grandfather.
*DING*
Sora-kun pressed the doorbell, the sound reminding me I would be meeting his parents soon, why was I so nervous? I have met countless people at parties arranged by my parents; I have never felt this nervous while meeting people there.
"Coming!" A warm voice echoed within, probably Sora-kun's mother. With each approaching footstep, my heartbeat got faster.
*CLICK*
The door finally opened, revealing a lovely woman. She had silky black hair cascading down her back, and vibrant green eyes matching Sora-kun's own. Her gaze was full of warmth while she looked at Sora-kun, reminding me of the past when my parents spent time with me.
"Hey, hon-" before she could finish her word, her gaze landed on me. Her eyes instantly trembled.
"U-uhm, who might you be, dear?" I could tell she knew who I was but still decided to ask.
"Tsubasa Ayame, Sora-kun's friend," my voice might sound calm but the turmoil inside me was very opposite, I was sweating bullets.
Arashi Hana, Sora-kun's mother. Her previous warm atmosphere was slightly faltering.
"Ah! Yes! Sora always talks about you!" She said with a forced smile.
I smiled while nodding, "Well, come inside! Make yourself at home," she urged.
---
While Sora had gone to leave his bag in his room, Ayame went towards the living room. There she met his dad, Arashi Kato. He had dark brown hair with matching eyes. He was reading a book when he suddenly realized Ayame was looking at him; startling him.
"Who are you?" He questioned. Before Ayame could answer, Hana entered the room, "It's Sora's friend, the one he always talks about," Kato's expression slightly trembled like Hana.
Ayame couldn't blame them, her parents' reputation was very apparent in society. But she must prove to Sora's parents that she was just a normal girl, determination washed over her. She gulped down all her anxiety.
"I am Tsubasa Ayame, Sora-kun's friend, it's nice to meet you, uncle," Ayame bent herself slightly.
Both Kato and Hana were surprised by her polite nature, "Nice to meet you too, Tsubasa-chan, I hope you don't mind me calling you that," Sora's dad replied.
"Please, both of you can call me Ayame, I'd appreciate that"
"Okay, Ayame-chan," Both of them replied in unison. They had slightly relaxed seeing her surprising politeness.
"Back!" Sora had finally come back.
"Sora, show her around the house," Hana said with a less forced smile.
"Mhm! Come, Ayame-chan!"
Ayame followed him, he first showed her his room, which was very clean for his age. But that didn't surprise her considering Sora was a very clean person.
Then he showed her the rest of the house, "Your house is very cosy," Sora smiled, "I know, right?"
Then he remembered something, "How long can you stay?"
"Hmm, an hour or two? I don"
"That should be enough, have dinner with us!"
"H-huh? No, Sora-kun, maybe another day?"
"Don't sweat it, Ayame-chan. I know what you're worrying about," he said with a knowing smile, "I know my parents were a bit stiff at first, but they just worry about me too much. They loosen up after getting to know someone, that's why I want you to spend more time with them," Sora was surprisingly understanding for his age.
"Mhm," Ayame hummed in agreement.
They continued to play until dinner was ready.
"Dinner is ready, come down kids!" Hana called them downstairs.
---
The warm smell of the food hit Ayame. This was not something she was used to. Her family chef prepared the dinner, it was strictly professional but this, it was more familial.
"Don't forget to wash your hands, you two" Sora's dad reminded.
After some time, all four of them finally sat down at the dinner table. Ayame was nervous with a hint of excitement.
Ayame and Sora were the first ones to get served. The adults served themselves later.
"So... What are your hobbies, Ayame-chan?" Hana asked, though she was not as apprehensive as before, there was still some stiffness.
"Spending time with Sora-kun, playing with Sora-kun, having lunch with Sora-kun," surprisingly enough, she said all those with a straight face.
'Huh? Isn't that the same thing? And are those even hobbies?' The parents thought in unison.
Ayame, after some time, finally realized what she said, and started blushing from embarrassment, "I mean, reading books and stuff," she fixed her answer with an awkward chuckle.
Sora and his parents couldn't help but chuckle seeing her expression.
"The food is delicious, Auntie," Ayame tried to change the topic, though, the food was truly delicious.
"Is that so? Glad you like it, Ayame-chan. Also, you can call me Hana," she replied with a smile.
"O-okay, Hana-san," She was finally making progress!
Sora had decided to stay silent and let the three converse. He was happy his parents were slowly starting to relax.
---
After they were done eating dinner, Ayame offered to help wash the dishes but Hana insisted otherwise.
Ayame, slightly dejected, went towards the living room where Sora and his dad were.
The three of them continued to chat, Kato asked them about their school and other stuff, just basic conversation.
"I should go home now, it's getting late," Ayame said while looking at the time.
"Already? *Sigh* Fine," Sora didn't try to force her to stay.
Hana, Kato, and Sora followed her towards the entrance.
Ayame still felt she couldn't persuade them to trust her, so she stopped avoiding this matter.
She started by looking at Kato and Hana, her eyes full of determination.
"Hana-san, Kato-san. I understand you guys feel uneasy around me, and I don't blame you given my family's reputation. But I'd like to assure you, that my family or I won't do anything to harm Sora-kun. He is the first person I am friends with,"
Before continuing she took a deep breath, "Making friends... Wasn't exactly easy for me, considering my background. Everyone in the school is scared of me, but Sora-kun... He was different, he saw past my family, he sees me for who I am,"
Silence filled the air before Kato decided to reply, "Ayame-san, first of all, I am sorry. Our protectiveness towards Sora led to a misunderstanding. We thought you were a bad influence towards Sora. But that's clearly not the case."
He paused slightly, his gaze softening, "After spending time with you today, we understand you're just a normal girl, kind and polite. For judging you, we are truly sorry," Kato and Hana's faces were covered with genuine guilt.
Kato bowed and Hana also mirrored his action, shame flickered in their eyes. A silent acknowledgement of their mistake. It was a very warm moment, adults taking responsibility for their assumptions.
Ayame felt a surge of warmth through her chest. Relief washed over her with a newfound respect for Sora's parents. Their apology was genuine, their willingness to admit their fault humbling.
"Thank you," she finally said, her voice soft, "I understand where you're coming from, wanting to protect Sora-kun. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with you guys."
After a couple of minutes of conversing, Ayame had finally left, and Sora had gone to walk her to her car.
Arashi Kato and Arashi Hana smiled warmly at each other.
"So," Hana began, "What did you think of her? We truly did mess up there."
"Yes, we did, her family background shouldn't have clouded our judgement. She is a good kid and handled the situation very well. Very mature for her age," Kato said, his voice laced with surprise.
"And, I am proud of my son. He chose a good friend."
"We should invite her over again, this time without the stiff atmosphere, perhaps barbeque?" Hana suggested.
"Mhm, definitely. I am sure Sora will be thrilled."
---
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For advanced chapters, check out the novel in Zetro.
https://zetrotranslation.com/novel/the-whispers-of-a-yandere/