Chapter 228 — Meeting the Parents: Part Two, The Ongoing Saga!

Even though she had promised the night before, by seven in the morning, Yamada Ryou was still fast asleep.

Breakfast had come and gone.

Figuring she’d be hungry when she finally woke up, Aoki Kei went out and bought her some bread from the nearby store.

By 7:30, she still hadn’t stirred.

“No need to wake her yet,” Director Togo said kindly. “She must be tired after such a long trip yesterday. I’ll warm up some milk for her when she wakes up...”

But Kei shook his head firmly.

He knew her too well.

Back in Tokyo, when she stayed at his apartment.

She had the same habit — sleeping in way past any reasonable hour, not because she needed the rest, but because she simply didn’t want to get up.

“I’ll go wake her,” Kei said.

With the bread in hand, he climbed the stairs and stopped outside the guest room Director Togo had arranged for Ryou.

He knocked.

No answer.

He waited a few seconds, then tried again — still nothing.

So, he quietly pushed the door open.

Light flooded the room as he drew back the curtains.

Ryou was curled up in bed, hugging her blanket instead of using it to cover herself.

And of course, she was wearing his shirt which, by now, had basically become her favorite pajamas.

The sunlight must’ve hit her face, because she gave a little groan of protest and buried her head even deeper into the blanket.

Kei had seen this scene countless times back in his apartment, so it barely fazed him.

Standing at the doorway, he called out,

“Ryou, it’s seven-thirty. You said we’d go to the shrine this morning, remember? Time to get up.”

“...Mmm...”

The reply was muffled, half-asleep — it could’ve meant anything from ‘okay’ to ‘leave me alone.’

“Come on,” he coaxed. “I bought you bread. And maybe after the shrine we can try some street food — I heard the grilled crab here in Tottori’s amazing.”

“...Mmm.”

That one at least sounded like agreement.

But she still didn’t move.

So Kei tried a more effective tactic.

“If you don’t get up, I’ll just go without you, alright? Time’s running out.”

He didn’t mean it, of course — even if he had to wait an hour, he’d never actually leave her behind.

But Ryou was the type who fell for that kind of bluff.

And sure enough, she shot upright almost immediately.

Her eyes were still closed, but she turned toward him with an adorably dazed expression.

Even fresh out of bed, her face was flawless — perfectly delicate, the only imperfection being her messy hair.

“...Suki-san,” she murmured groggily, her voice still thick with sleep.

Then, with her usual teasing tone, added, “You know... if you keep staring, you’ll have to take responsibility for me.”

Kei sighed.

He’d lost count of how many times he’d heard that line.

Ever since Ryou had started staying at his place, this had become their morning routine — he’d wake her up, she’d flirt half-asleep, and he’d end up sighing helplessly.

But this time, after a pause, thinking about how she’d been there for him these past few days, and remembering what she’d said on the train platform.

he smiled faintly and said, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll take responsibility. Now get up, Ryou.”

The answer caught her off guard.

Her sleepy brain froze for a second before snapping fully awake.

Flustered, she waved her hands.

“S-Suki-san! J-Just go downstairs! I’ll be ready in ten minutes!”

“Got it.”

“...Leave the bread!”

When Ryou finally came downstairs, she had a slice of bread in her mouth and her hair still a little damp from washing up.

Ten minutes sharp.

The whole “take responsibility” thing was never brought up again — quietly swept under the rug.

After a quick breakfast, they got ready to head for the village shrine.

It wasn’t far, but still a bit of a walk — hence the early start.

Go too late, and the crowds would be unbearable.

They arrived around eight.

Even though it was still morning, the place was already packed — no surprise, it was New Year’s Day.

They offered their prayers first, then each drew an omamori charm for good luck.

At the wishing board, Kei wrote:

“May the future be happy forever. May everything go smoothly.”

A simple, earnest wish.

Ryou also wrote something, but she didn’t show him.

“You’re not supposed to let your friend see your wish,” she said with mock seriousness. “It won’t come true if you do, Suki-san.”

After the shrine visit, they went for grilled lamb — a local specialty Kei had been raving about.

He loved it.

Ryou... not so much.

Next, they decided to buy handheld fireworks to play with later that night.

While Kei was talking to the shop owner about prices, Ryou’s phone suddenly buzzed.

It was a video call — from her parents.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Even though there was no reason to panic, she suddenly felt nervous.

Glancing at Kei, who was still chatting with the shopkeeper, she hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Ryou! You finally picked up your phone!”

“I thought something happened to you,” her mother said, relief flooding her cheerful voice as her face appeared on the screen, bright as ever.

“It’s been a yesterday since you last called,” she continued, squinting at her daughter through the camera. “You didn’t forget your poor mother already, did you?”

Before Ryou could reply, the faint sound of a vendor shouting about his fresh bread carried through the phone.

Her mother blinked, then her lips curled into a teasing smile.

“Oh? You’re outside? And I can hear someone selling something in the background…” She leaned closer to the camera, smirking.

“So? Did you have fun with him?”

“It’s fine... What’s up, Mom?”

“What kind of tone is that?” her mother teased again. “Can’t a mother check in on her own daughter once in a while?”

Ryou looked away, lips pressing together in silence.

“Oh, I see how it is!” her mom huffed dramatically. “You get a boyfriend and suddenly forget your poor mother? Is that it? Is this how it ends for me—?”

Before she could finish her theatrical complaint, Ryou interrupted quickly, cheeks turning pink.

“M-Mom! Kei’s right here!”

Her mother’s eyes widened.

“What!? He’s there with you? Oh, you have to let me see him! I can’t believe I’m finally meeting the famous Aoki Kei outside of a music video!”

At that exact moment, Kei turned around, sensing her gaze.

Only to find Ryou looking right back at him, caught mid-video call, her expression a mix of panic and embarrassment.