Work Text:
“Hey, dad. Can I ask you something?” An asks her father one evening. They’re at the WEEKEND GARAGE cafe, like any regular day.
“Sure, kid.” Ken says, then stops. “Is this about the aprons again? Cause I’m not buying any new ones. The ones we have work just fine. And I’m sure they’re pretty enough for you to wear.”
“It’s not that, dad.” An shakes her head. “But just so you know, none of the aprons in our shop look cute in any sense of the word at all, okay? They're all plain and boring.”
“Alright, good . Then, what is it?”
An seems to hesitate. “What was it like when you and mom started dating each other? Like… How did you make that happen?”
Ken eyes his daughter. “Suddenly interested in romance, are you? That’s out of pocket for you. But I guess you’re at that age already, huh?”
An shakes her head. “Come on, dad. You’re avoiding my question.”
“Alright, alright. I have to be honest with you— I didn’t make it happen. I was as dense as a rock back then. I want to say that I’ve gotten better with the years, but your mom would probably disagree with me, haha .”
“So, how did you know? That you liked her that way?” An insists.
Ken seems to ponder for a moment. “Your mom is the most astounding person I’ve met. She is tough, but she has the voice of an angel. She was a lot like you when she was younger. I didn’t have much of a choice, really.” Ken says. “By the time I realized my feelings, she was two steps ahead of me.”
“Did you confess to her?” An tilts her head.
Ken shakes his head. “I’ve never been too good with words, so I bought her flowers. I showed up to her house with sweaty palms and a 12 $ bouquet I got with borrowed money from my old man. She was the one to confess to me that day. She must’ve really seen something in me, or she wouldn’t still be by my side twenty years later.”
“So it was mom who confessed to you first? Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me at all, haha .”
Ken smiles. “Laugh all you want, but do yourself a favor and remember this— men are dense . If you like a boy, be straightforward about it. But before you do any of that, bring him here. I trust your judgment, but I’d like to share a few words with him, man to man.”
An shakes her head, cheeks flushed.
“Dad, that’s not—” Ken laughs and throws an arm over An’s shoulders. An relaxes and settles in his hug. “...Thank you, dad.”
“How much longer are they going to take?” An complains.
“Toya just texted me. The bus they’ve taken has run into some traffic. Apparently there’s been an accident nearby.” Akito says. “How are we supposed to train properly if they arrive half an hour late?”
“Now, now. It’s not their fault they’re running late, but I understand what you’re trying to say.” An sighs. “ Ah , I hope they’re okay!”
“Since your friends haven’t arrived yet, how about you help out for a bit?” Ken offers. “Some of these folks have been asking about you lately. They’d be happy to see you.”
“Okay, dad.” An smiles, taking the apron. “I’ll help out until they arrive.”
An leaves to attend to the customers. Akito approaches the counter.
“She’s quite popular around here, isn’t she?” He says. “I already knew she did street performances; but when we had that competition, before we became a band, way more people showed up for her performance than I was expecting.”
Ken nods. “She’s a good kid. Very talented, too. Most of these folks are my friends, so a lot of them have known An for a long time. Though she spends more time chatting than she does actually serving customers, haha .”
Akito nods. “I have to admit— You have an impressive daughter, sir.”
“It’s funny that you should bring that up.” Ken says. “I’ve been meaning to have a word with you, kid.”
“With me?” Akito says. “About what?”
“You spend an awful lot of time with her, with this band thing you have going on. Now, I know you, Akito. And I know you’re a good kid. So I’m just going to say it like it is— Don’t hurt her feelings. Be respectful of her. Of all women, always. Be kind and understanding, and you and I won’t have any problems. Got it?”
“…Alright, sir.” Akito says, confused.
“Good.” Ken nods to himself, dropping a heavy hand on Akito’s shoulder. “Yes, good talk. Now, what can I get you while you wait? Black coffee?”
“That… Um . That would be great, sir.”
Akito’s sipping on his coffee when Toya and Kohane make it through the door. Toya approaches Akito.
“You look so pale, Akito. What’s with that face?”
“I just had one of the strangest conversations of my life.” Akito replies.
An quickly drops the apron on the counter and tackles Kohane.
“Finally, you’re here!” She says, hugging her tightly. “We were starting to get worried. Well , Akito was mostly annoyed. But I was so worried about you, Kohane! I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“ Ah, you’re crushing me, An-chan.” Kohane says, but she chuckles. “You didn’t need to worry, I’m alright now that I’m here.”
An loosens her embrace just a little, enough to look at Kohane in the eyes. She draws a bright smile. “You’re right!”
Ken watches his daughter with a smile.
I did the right thing, having a man talk with Akito.
“This curry is so good, mom!” An says, taking another bite from her plate. “That’s very surprising!”
An’s mom is a school teacher who seems to be bad at cooking.
“I’m glad you think so, darling. With this band training you’re doing now after school hours, you come home looking tired every day. But I’m happy to see you never lose your smile. Or your appetite, haha .”
“Of course! We have to train lots if we want to surpass RAD WEEKEND one day.”
“Is that your goal, now?” An’s mom smiles. “And how does the popular musician Shiraishi Ken feel about that?”
She turns to Ken.
“Me? Hm . If it’s An, I’m sure she will surpass that event one day. She’s a very talented kid. And her bandmates are not too shabby themselves.”
An draws a smile. “You think so? Haha . It feels kinda strange being praised by you.”
“I want to hear more about your friends, An.” Her mom smiles too. “Will you tell me about them?”
“ Ah , yes!” An says excitedly. “There’s Aoyagi Toya. His pitch is perfect . I heard his dad is a strict classical musician, but he dropped out of his classes to perform on the streets. He doesn’t really like to talk about that.”
“He’s a quiet kid. Very polite.” Ken nods. “I like that one.”
“Then there’s Akito—”
“ Oh , I remember him! Shinonome Akito, right?” An’s mom says. “He used to be your friend back in middle school, remember?”
“Well, we weren’t exactly friends —”
“I remember he used to visit the WEEKEND GARAGE every day after school to see you, Ken. Haha , that kid really admired you, didn’t he?”
“He followed me around like a puppy right after RAD WEEKEND.” Ken nods. “And now he’s pursuing his own path in street music. Good for him.”
“Dad, enough about him.” An says, turning to her mom. “Okay, and then there’s Kohane. Mom, you haven’t met her yet, but you would love her!”
“Is that so?” Her mom chuckles.
“Yes! She came one day to the WEEKEND GARAGE and we sang together, and— I just knew she had to be my partner!” An says excitedly. “She’s an awesome singer, mom. Once she puts her mind to something, Kohane stays completely dedicated to it. I think that's really amazing! And, after I told her my dream, she said she’d keep singing with me!”
“It sounds like she really supports your goals.” Her mom says. “That’s very good to hear.”
“Yes, she does. And I support hers, too! When Kohane isn’t sure about something, she leans on me and asks me for advice… That makes me really happy. And I don’t want that to end. That’s why I want to keep performing with her and realize our dream of surpassing RAD WEEKEND. If we’re together, I believe we can do it someday!”
“Isn’t that lovely?” An’s mom smiles. “You should bring her over for dinner sometime. I’d love to meet her!”
“You would?” An’s eyes sparkle. “Then I’ll definitely ask her! Kohane's always nice, so I sometimes think she holds back what she really wants to say out of politeness or shyness— Ah , but she already knows dad. And I’m sure she’ll be happy to meet you, mom.”
“What do you think of her, Ken?” An’s mom turns to him. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Is the curry that good?”
“Me? Hm . Kohane is a good kid. An always seems so happy around her.” Ken shrugs. “They seem to be very good friends.”
An’s mom chuckles and they resume the conversation.
“You can go ahead and have a bath, dear. Your father and I will clean up the dishes.” An’s mom kisses her hair and watches as she closes the bathroom door behind her. An’s mom walks up to Ken, by the sink. “This is the last one. Should I lend you a hand?”
“No, I got this. And that really was a good curry. Thank you, dear.” Ken says. “ Oh , I forgot to tell you. You don’t need to worry, I’ve taken care of everything.”
“And what shouldn’t I worry about, exactly?”
“Shinonome Akito. I had a talk with him earlier today.” Ken says. “You know, man to man. But he’s a good kid, I’m sure he won’t do anything inappropriate.”
“You had a talk ?” She repeats. “Just— What kind of talk did you have with the kid?”
“Come on. You know which talk.” His wife stares at him puzzled and Ken sighs. “Don’t mention her I told you this, but… The other day, An kept asking me about you and I. How we fell in love, who confessed first. Those kinds of questions. She’s sixteen now, so I thought—”
“So you thought An would have a crush on the Shinonome boy?” She says. “And you had the ‘protective father’ talk with him?”
“ Maybe . Listen, I’m not saying she—”
“ Hahaha . Oh, dear!” She chuckles, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You’re just as dense as the day I fell in love with you.”
“Dense—?” Ken frowns, turning to his wife. “What do you mean by that? Am I seeing something wrong?”
“She reminds me so much of you, you know that?” She smiles. “Our An loves passionately , just like you. And just as blindly.”
“Just like me?” Ken’s frown deepens. “I don’t— Alright . Walk me through it. What am I seeing wrong?”
“Okay. For starters, who’s been your greatest love?”
“Is that a trick question?” Ken frowns. “I’ve only ever loved you like that.”
“Alright, popular boy.” His wife says. “And how did you talk about me back then?”
“ Passionately , yes.” Ken nods. “What does that have to do with An and that Shinonome kid?”
“You’re not listening, my love.” She smiles. “Who was An passionately talking about, just now?”
“She was… She was talking about—”
Azusawa Kohane. Her group partner.
A girl .
“Oh.” Ken’s mouth draws a perfect circle. “ Oh .”
His wife chuckles at his expression. “Exactly. Oh .”
“Are you sure we’ll make it back in time for rehearsals, dad?” An says. She’s in the car with Ken. “Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with you! It’s just… Akito gets annoyed easily if we delay our training.”
“Don’t worry about it, kid.” He says. “This shouldn’t take too long.”
“Speaking of… Where are you taking me?” An looks out the window. “We don’t usually come to this side of town.”
Ken parks the car.
“This is where I used to live before I moved to Vivid Street and formed RADder, actually.” He opens the car door. “Come. There’s something I want to show you.”
An and her dad walk through the streets for a couple of minutes.
“It’s this place.” Ken opens the door of an establishment for her daughter. “I’m right behind you, kid.”
“What is this place, dad?” An enters and she looks around. There’s flowers all around. “ Oh , these are so pretty! Hm , they smell so good, too!”
“It’s a flower shop. This is…” Ken seems to steel himself for a moment. “This is where I first bought flowers for your mother.”
An turns around and looks at him, reading the implications in his voice.
“ Oh …”
“I’m surprised it’s still open. Your mother helped me ask that google assistant thing first. I didn’t want to bring you all the way for nothing, you know? So… Yeah .” Ken shakes his head. “Look, kid. We had a conversation the other day about your mom and I, romance and all that stuff. I want to say that I did get one thing right— men are dense . I am no exception. But now I see things are they are. I’m no expert, but… I’d say that women still like getting flowers, no?”
An stares at him for a solid second. “Dad, are you saying—?”
“Camellia flowers. That’s what I got your mother that time.” Ken scratches the back of his head. “They smell sweet, so… Your girl will probably like those.”
An blinks against the dampness of her eyes and tackles her dad in a hug.
“Thank you, dad. You’re the coolest!”
Ken pats An’s head. “ Haha , come on now, kid. We can ask an employee about other flowers if you want. You don’t have to pick the same one as your old man just for the sentimental value.”
An shakes her head, still buried in her dad’s chest. “No. I think those are perfect .”
They buy the camellia flowers and head back to the car, having a relaxed conversation.
“And then I told them I was going on a date, I didn’t mention with whom, and Akito just said, Go ahead and have fun ; and Toya said, We all need a breather from time to time ; and neither of them looked shocked! They knew right away I was talking about Kohane.” An sighs. “I was trying to tease them, but they knew right away. Akito even said, I mean, who else could it be if not Kohane? Like— Even you figured it out, dad! Was I really that obvious?”
“ Hahaha! Well, there’s nothing surprising about that. You’re a lot like me in that sense. When you feel strongly for someone, there’s really no mistaking it.”
Ken says, completely ignoring the fact that it was his wife who gave him the hint. An doesn’t need to know that.
“ Tsk — To think that it’s no surprise that you would say that.”
“Of course I would know. You’re my daughter, aren’t you?” He smiles. “But more importantly, the flowers will wilt within the next few days. Are you ready to pour your heart out like your old man?”
“I thought mom was the one to confess to you, though.”
“Don’t change the subject, kid—”
“ Haha, alright.” An chuckles. “But yes , I’m ready. I’m quite straightforward with my feelings, this shouldn’t be any different. I can’t say I’m not nervous, but… I’m also excited to tell her!”
“Best of luck, kid.” He ruffles An’s head. “If everything goes well, invite her for dinner this weekend. Your mom would love to meet her.”
“Tell us more about your pet snake, Kohane-chan.” An’s mom says over dinner. She’s quickly warmed up to her daughter’s girlfriend.
“It’s my dad’s, actually. He and I adopted it when I was in kindergarten.” Kohane says with a small smile. “It’s called Count Pearl, and it’s like family to me!”
“The snake is terrifying , mom! I was so shocked when I visited Kohane’s house for the first time.” An says. “She didn’t strike me as the kind of girl to have a snake as a pet. But then again, Kohane has changed a lot since I first met her!”
“ Oh. All I did was cut my hair and switch to contacts.” Kohane shakes her head, bashful.
“There's that too, but you also feel like a different person. Your expression is more confident than before.”
“You should have a little more faith in yourself, Kohane-chan.” An’s mom says. “From what An says about you, you sound like a very talented young girl!”
“ Ah… Thanks, I’ll try!” Kohane says, hopeful. “The group may have acknowledged me as a member, but I want to keep honing my skills until I'm good enough to be able to stand next to everyone with my head held high.”
“That reminds me! What was it like for you, Kohane-chan, when An invited you to be her partner?” An’s mom asks. “We already know An’s side of the story, she’s been talking about it non-stop, haha .”
“That was the very first day Kohane came to the restaurant and I heard her sing a little bit.” An repeats the story, eyes sparkling. “As soon as I did, I just had the feeling she was the one!”
“You really caught me off guard when you suddenly asked me to sing like that.” Kohane blushes a little. “But that was the day all this first started.”
“ Yep! One thing led to another, and now look at us.”
An squeezes Kohane’s hand over the table with a soft smile, loving in her demeanor.
“Yeah. It's starting to feel more natural every day.” Kohane says shyly, squeezing her hand back.
Ken reaches across the table.
“And you made these sweets, Azusawa?” Ken asks.
“ Yes . An is always treating me to tea, so I thought it would be nice to learn to make something sweet for her.” She says. “And I thought it wouldn’t be polite of me to come empty handed after you invited me for dinner.”
“You’re so kind, Kohane!” An says with a big smile, hugging the girl tightly.
“ Ah, you’re crushing me, An-chan!” Kohane says, but she chuckles.
They resume having dinner, conversing relaxedly.
“Your father and I will take it from here.” An’s mom says, starting to clear the table. “You and Kohane-chan can go to your room now.”
She kisses An’s hair and waves them goodbye. She watches An holding Kohane’s hand and leading her to her room, I want to show you something, Kohane! I just got this star projector, you’re going to love it!
“Keep the door open!” Ken says over the sink. His wife chuckles. “What? Kohane is a good kid, but I’m still An’s old man.”
“You’re a good father.” She kisses his cheek, smiling. “You did so good this time, dear.”
“I just did what I had to do.” Ken shakes his head. “I got something for you, too. Hold on a second.”
He goes to his room and comes back with a single red camellia. His wife raises her eyebrows, taking it delicately in her hands.
“For old times’ sake?” She says, eyes softening.
“And for today, and all the days we have together after.” Ken says, and draws a gentle smile. “I know perfect love stories don’t exist —Yours and I’s is far from flawless—, but I hope Kohane and An come close. I hope they find in each other a place to stay and be happy, for as long as they can.”