Chapter 4

If there was anyone Akashi got his intimidating aura from, then that person definitely had to be his mother, Kyouko. Although she would often wear a diplomatic smile unlike her son, her vibe was something that could not be masked. It was just there.

On the other hand, if there was anyone Akashi got his charm, then it had to be his father—the black haired lad beside Kyouko. His name was Ryuusei. Even though he looked quite cold, he had a calming and securing type aura (the opposite of his wife's). He had not uttered a single word since he and his wife got there, hinting that he's a man of few words.

Despite the impressions they'd most likely leave on most people, Kuroko knew better.

Kyouko did not just seem like a crafty person. She really was.

Ryuusei did not just seem easygoing. He really was.

And although they seem as if they had been watching over Akashi closely from the moment he was born—they hadn't. It wasn't until recently that they've started making bonds with their son—so recent that throughout the whole of Kuroko's and Akashi's middle school (amidst the frequent tutoring), Kuroko had only met his parents thrice.

Just thrice (and they've noticed Kuroko without any problem during those times too, hinting that they're very keen with their surrounding, pretty much like Akashi, really).

Shifting to his game on mode, Kuroko cracked a small smile. Turning to their (Kyouko and Ryuusei's) direction, he kneeled (in a traditional way) and bowed down—his forehead, aligned and almost reaching his forehand. Softly, in a higher and more feminine pitch that he's accustomed to, he greeted, "You must be Seijuurou-kun's mother, Kyouko-san. It's nice meeting you, my name is Tsuraiya Kuronuma."

Even after the greeting, his head remained bowed down; he waited until Kyouko spoke—people like these after all, Kuroko thought, has a soft spot for polite and feminine women.

Kyouko giggled a bit. Walking closer to Kuroko, she kneeled down in the same way he was and bowed back in the same manner.

"It is nice meeting you as well. As expected from Seijuurou, he had chosen such excellent woman." she paused and rose from the bow. Looking at Kuroko, she continued, "Nevertheless, please rise from your bow, Kuronuma-chan."

After Kuroko had risen from his bow, Kyouko stood up and walked over to the parallel side of the side of the table they were at, dragging her husband a bit with her. Ryuusei didn't protest. Obediently, he followed his wife.

With finest, the two, reaching the other side, took their seat.

This cued Kuroko to completely rise from his bow and turn his full body to their direction.

For a while, the quartet was silent.

The type of silence they fell into was something you do not encounter everyday—it was a calculating kind of silence. And by the calculating kind of silence, we mean, that for every second that passed, there was something the other was discovering about the other.

In other words, for a moment, the four were silent—secretly and quietly trying to analyze one another.

The first one to read the atmosphere, Kyouko giggled. Suddenly, she turned her head to the side and called one of the maidservants in their household, "Shizuru," she called.

A brunette quietly entered the room, "Is there anything I can help you with, madam?"

Kyouko tittered a bit, "Kindly get us tea—the usual—unless…" she turned to Kuroko, "Is there any type of tea you prefer, Kuronuma-chan?"

Kuroko shook his head lightly, "I don't exactly quite have a preference when it comes to tea. Thank you for offering though, Kyouko-san."

With a new smile on her face, Kyouko turned back to the female counterpart of a butler, "It's settled then. The usual, please."

Giving her a nod, the brunette slowly exited herself from the picture, to get what Kyouko requested from her, again leaving the four to stare at one another.

"Kuronuma-chan," the smile on the lips of Akashi's mom disappeared. She gazed at Kuroko, straight in the eyes, "Seijuurou's about to get married to the only heir of the Momoi Clan—"

Much to Kyouko's own surprise, Kuroko, maintaining his usual deadpanned face, cut her off, "I am aware of this, but I will not break up with Seijuurou-kun even then. I…" Kuroko snuck a glance at Akashi, before continuing, "I've loved Seijuurou-kun even before this whole engagement was made known. Wouldn't it be just downright unfair for us to break up when our relationship got first before we were informed of this?"

After saying so, he slid his hand towards Akashi's and rested it on top of his. Squeezing on it, he eyed Akashi (who eyed him back).

Whether that was awe or shock in Akashi's eyes, Kuroko didn't get enough time to read what exactly was it—he had to keep on going.

With hands still squeezing on Akashi's, he tore his gaze away from his eyes and turned it to Kyouko.

"Please," Kuroko bowed, "Please hand Seijuurou-kun over to me."

The room fell into deep silence—even Akashi was pretty much silenced himself.

For a second, Kuroko could've sworn he just screwed up big time. Although his face remained as deadpanned as always, he could feel his breakfast rising up to his throat. It wasn't until he heard a giggle from the parallel side of the table that he was actually able to breathe.

"I think I know now what it may be that my son saw in you. Can you see it too, Ryuu-chan?" Kyouko, with a small (sincere—and actually quite refreshing) smile on her face, turned to her husband.

Snorting a bit, for the first time, Ryuusei spoke, "Yeah."

Kyouko turned back to Kuroko. With a smile, she said "Alright, alright. Since we are confident in Seijuurou's ability to choose, and you don't seem too bad, we'll make arrangements with Satsuki-chan's parents—it seems like she has someone she's currently seeing anyway, isn't that right? What's his name again…? Was that…uhm…Tetsuya?"

Kuroko felt Akashi's hand flinch underneath his. Glancing at the redhead, he couldn't help but flinch himself—Akashi, he looked quite grim.

Darkly, the captain corrected, "It's Daiki."

Kyouko giggled.

"Oh, that's right! Dai-chan. I missed that. My bad."

After her giggle died out, again, there was silence—but this silence was more short-lived than the rest as it was instantly broken by Akashi, who finally (properly) spoke up.

"Mother, father, about Tsuraiya…" Akashi suggestively glanced at Kuroko, cueing him to dish out to them the back story they came up with.

Kuroko let out a nod, then turned to Akashi's parents, "I—"

Before he could go beyond that though, suddenly, a man burst inside the venue, "Ryuusei-dono, Kyouko-dono, Seijuurou-dono!" he yelled, brows furrowed and eyes all wide.

"Juuri-sama! She has been rushed to the hospital!"

Juuri?—That name sounded familiar, was what Kuroko thought.

Glancing up to Akashi and seeing the thunderstruck expression on his face, he immediately remembered.

Juuri Akashi—she was none other than Akashi's…

"Auntie has been rushed to the hospital…?"

…Beloved aunt.