Chapter LXXXVIII: A Day with the Lavenders
As the morning sun begins to rise, Kota's phone buzzes with a new chat message. It's Megumi.
Megumi: "Hey Kota-onichan, are you awake?"
Kota, groggy from a deep sleep, rubs his eyes and reads the message. He sits up in bed and responds.
Kota: "Morning, Megumi. Yeah, I'm awake now. How are you?"
Megumi: "I'm good! How are you and Akiko-neesan doing?"
Kota smiles, thinking about Akiko. He types back quickly.
Kota: "We're doing great! We had a blast over the weekend, even though there were a few hiccups. How about you? What's new?"
As Megumi starts typing a reply, her grandma's voice calls out to her from another room. Kota waits, curious about what she wanted to say.
Megumi: "Oh, sorry Kota-onichan, my grandma needs me for something. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
Kota: "Sure thing. Talk to you later!"
Kota sets his phone down and stretches, feeling the weight of sleep still clinging to his body. He glances over at his desk where a small notepad lies open, filled with scribbled ideas and plans. He grins, thinking about the surprise he's planning for Akiko.
Kota: (to himself) "She's going to love this."
Determined to keep his plan a secret, Kota grabs the notepad and reviews his ideas. He jots down a few more details, ensuring everything will be perfect. As he writes, he thinks about the moments they've shared and how much he wants to make this surprise special for her.
Kota: (thinking) "I can't wait to see her face when she finds out."
After solidifying his plans, Kota decides to get a head start on his day. He showers, gets dressed, and heads out to gather the items he needs for the surprise. He keeps his phone close, ready to reply to Akiko or Megumi if they message him, but determined not to give away any hints.
As he walks through the bustling streets, he mentally checks off items from his list. Flowers, a personalized gift, and reservations for a special place they had always talked about visiting. Each step brings him closer to creating a memorable day for Akiko.
Later in the day, he stops by a quaint little shop that sells unique and personalized gifts. He spends some time browsing before finding the perfect item. He smiles, knowing Akiko will love it.
Shopkeeper: "Can I help you with anything?"
Kota: "Yes, I'd like to get this gift wrapped, please."
As the shopkeeper wraps the gift, Kota's phone buzzes again. It's Megumi.
Megumi: "Hey, I'm back Oni-chan! Sorry about that. So, where were we?"
Kota quickly responds.
Kota: "No problem! Just out running some errands. What were you going to tell me earlier?"
Megumi: "Oh, it's just a funny story from the weekend. I'll tell you when we catch up properly. How's your day going?"
Kota: "Pretty good, just getting a few things done. Talk later!"
With the gift now beautifully wrapped, Kota heads out of the shop, feeling excited and a bit nervous about his plan. He hopes everything will go smoothly and that Akiko will be surprised and happy.
Returning home, he carefully hides the gift and begins preparing the rest of the surprise. He checks his phone one last time before diving into his preparations.
Akiko: "Hey Kota! What are you up to today?"
Kota smirks, deciding to keep his plans under wraps.
Kota: "Not much, just some errands. How about you?"
Akiko: "Just relaxing. TTYL I got some chores to do"
As he finishes his preparations, Kota feels a sense of satisfaction. He's ready to make the day unforgettable for Akiko, and he can't wait to see her reaction.
Kota: (to himself) "This is going to be perfect."
With everything in place, Kota relaxes for a moment, feeling excited for the surprise he's planned. The rest of the day is dedicated to final touches and anticipation, knowing that soon, he'll create a beautiful memory with Akiko.
Kota stands at the door of a grand house, holding a large paper bag in one hand and a bouquet of purple tulips in the other. The house, with its elegant architecture and well-manicured lawn, matches the address Akiko had given him. He takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell.
To his surprise, the door is opened by two identical maids, both wearing crisp uniforms and bearing polite smiles. Kota blinks, momentarily confused.
"Is this the Chisai residence?" he asks, regaining his confidence.
The maids nod in unison.
"Yes, it is. How can we help you?"
"I'm here to see Akiko," Kota says, feeling slightly more at ease.
The maids step aside to let him in. Kota walks into the opulent living room and sits on a plush sofa. One of the maids offers him the remote to watch some television, but he declines politely. As he waits, he glances around, taking in the luxurious decor.
After a few minutes, Akiko's mom walks out of one of the rooms. She heads to the kitchen for a drink, and as she passes the living room, she starts in surprise at seeing Kota.
"Oh! I didn't realize we had a guest," she says, smiling warmly.
"Kota, right? Akiko has just had breakfast and gone to take a bath."
Just then, Akiko's grandma's sister, known affectionately (and sometimes not-so-affectionately) as the "old hag" due to her snarky and cranky demeanor, enters the kitchen. She looks Kota up and down, then offers him a bowl of udon and some chocolates.
"Here, take these upstairs to Akiko's room," she says, her voice surprisingly kind.
Kota thanks her and heads upstairs, balancing the udon, chocolates, flowers, and the paper bag. As he passes by Akiko's brother's room, the door opens slightly, and her brother peeks out, curious.
Seeing Kota with all the items, Akiko's brother smirks.
"Planning something big, huh?"
Kota smiles nervously.
"Shhhh. Keep it quiet, okay?"
Akiko's brother chuckles and retreats back into his room, leaving Kota to continue to Akiko's room. He enters and places the flowers and the paper bag on her desk, then sits down to wait.
A few moments later, he hears the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Akiko, wrapped in a towel, enters her room, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the flowers and the gift. She turns, and before she can react, Kota steps out of the shadows, accidentally startling her.
Akiko lets out a scream, and the towel slips off. Kota's face turns bright red as he tries to calm her down.
"It's just me, Kota!"
Akiko, now naked and excited, jumps into his arms, hugging him tightly. Kota's head spins, and he feels like a whistling kettle ready to boil over. Just then, they hear the old hag yelling from downstairs.
"WHAT'S GOING ON? ARE YOU GUYS ROUGH-HOUSING?!"
The entire household—Akiko's mom, grandma, brother, and the two maids—responds in unison, "NO!!"
Kota and Akiko remain in their embrace on the bed, with Kota blushing furiously. Akiko looks up at him with a playful grin.
"Love what you see there? Tehehe" she asks teasingly.
"I-I-I... love... i-" Kota stammers, before his nose starts to bleed while something is wrong beneath him.
Akiko laughs, and says,
"For Today's Battle, Akiko Wins", mimicking the narrator from "First One who Confesses Loses the Game!"
She then gets dressed. While getting dressed, Kota helps her. Kota, still flustered, changes into some house clothes that Akiko hands him. Meanwhile, downstairs, the old hag announces she's going out shopping, which brings a collective sigh of relief from Akiko's brother, mom, and grandma.
They head upstairs with an electric fan, knocking gently on Akiko's door.
"You two, come downstairs and relax," Akiko's mom says, smiling warmly.
Kota and Akiko head downstairs, joining the family in the living room. The atmosphere is much more relaxed now, with the old hag out of the house. They sit around the electric fan, enjoying the cool breeze and each other's company.
Kota glances around the room, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Akiko, who are the two maids?"
Before Akiko can answer, her grandma and mom, who have been eavesdropping, walk over.
"This is Hana and Hina," Akiko's grandma says, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Akiko's aunts dressed as maids because of that bitchy sister of mine. You can tell them apart by a mole on their arms. If there's a mole, it's Hina; no mole, it's Hana."
Kota's eyes widen in surprise as he looks at the two identical maids, who nod in acknowledgment. Akiko's grandma continues,
"And this is Akiko's mom if you still remember, Hatsune. She's a high-ranking nurse working abroad, like a supervisor."
Hatsune smiles warmly at Kota.
"Nice to meet you, Kota."
Kota, is now mesmerized with the changes since back then, Akiko's mom looked heavy ago but she has now lose some weight.
"Oh, you might be wandering how I became like this? Well, short story son,
Back in the Emirates, there was a plague in our town so I was in a lockdown. I realized that I need to go healthy and fit, that's why you are seeing the fit woman in front of you now", she says to Kota.
"By the way, who is the old hag who keeps yelling Ma'am?", Kota asks.
"Just call me Mom", Akiko's mom says.
Kota is embarrassed but calms down as Akiko squeezes his hands.
"Oh that? That's Mama's grumpy old sister. Don't mind her, we'll handle her"
As they settle in, Akiko's grandma starts recounting stories about their family's past, particularly the truth about Akiko's dad.
"Back when Akiko wasn't born yet, whenever Hatsune got her salary from the local health office here, that bastard son of a gun came around. My husband scolded Hatsune for her choices, but she didn't listen. When they went abroad to the land of arid deserts, Akiko was conceived, and they returned here. Although we couldn't accept him as a father due to his attitude, that sick bastard still signed the papers, but we cut off his surname. Akiko was born here in Japan."
Kota listens intently, understanding more about the family dynamics. After sharing these stories, Akiko's grandma and mom return to their chores, leaving Kota and Akiko to cuddle on the sofa and binge-watch their favorite series.
As the day turns into evening and Kota prepares to leave, Akiko's family gathers to see him off.
"You know, son," Akiko's mom says,
"I haven't seen someone so patient with Akiko. I'm really happy because I think you're a suitable mate for my daughter. Take care of her always and understand her...because sometimes, she can be a bit bitchy too." She laughs softly.
Akiko's grandma adds,
"Oh yeah, especially during small misunderstandings, like when she didn't get that Vista's Bag in Tokyo. She just threw it like a baseball."
Akiko's brother chimes in,
"Yeah, I walked away from that event."
Akiko's mom and grandma exchange a knowing look before turning back to Kota.
"But you know,"
Akiko's grandma continues,
"if there are any problems, we are just one call away to help you. We want to support you, Kota. You're a good man to our family. We'll help you if ever there are problems between you and Akiko."
Kota feels a wave of gratitude wash over him.
"Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."
As Kota steps out of the house, he looks back at Akiko, who stands in the doorway, smiling.
"See you soon," she says softly.
"See you," he replies, walking down the path with a sense of contentment and a deeper connection to Akiko and her family.
The evening sky begins to darken, and Kota's heart is full as he heads home, reflecting on the day's events. He knows that despite the challenges and surprises, he's found a place in Akiko's life and her family's hearts. And for now, that's all he needs.