After that brief meeting between Junpei and Ruka, my night didn’t get any calmer. Nope — it was about to get even weirder.
Right now, I was at home, apron on, a spatula in one hand and a pot lid in the other, like some dramatic cooking show contestant who had no idea what he was doing.
Keiko was busy beside me, chopping vegetables like a pro, while I stirred curry so hard it looked like a whirlpool.
Why?
Because tonight… Rin was bringing over a “special friend.” And not just any friend — the one. The partner. The mysterious person Rin’s been secretly dating behind my back. And it was happening at 9 PM sharp.
I glanced at the clock.
8:45 PM.
Panic mode: activated.
We were in such a rush, we didn’t even have time to shower. My hair was a mess, my face probably greasy from the stove heat, and Keiko? Well, she still looked like a goddess, as usual. Unfair. I looked like a side character that gets killed off early in a drama.
As I plated the last dish, my stomach did this weird flip-flop thing. It’s not every day you meet your daughter’s partner for the first time. And knowing Rin’s temper, one wrong move from me could turn this house into a battlefield.
Breathe, Ryusei. Inhale… exhale… you can do this.
9 PM came too fast. Keiko and I barely sat down when we heard Rin’s voice call out from her room.
“Dad.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. She rarely calls me that nowadays — usually it's just "Oi," or "Old man."
“Please… don’t embarrass me. No weird dad jokes. No interrogation like questions. Promise.”
Ugh. Shot through the heart and she's to blame.
“I promise,” I said, forcing a smile that probably looked like I was holding in a fart.
Ding dong.
THE bell.
Keiko made a move to get up, but Rin quickly intercepted like a secret service agent protecting a VIP. “I’ll get it,” she declared.
Alright. I sat back down, my heart was pounding like a damn taiko drum.
The door opened, and there she was.
Wait—she?!
HER?!
Yes, people, he was a she! Do you get what I'm saying?! I mean… it was a girl!! A real, actual, breathing, adorable, tiny-stepping, bowing girl!
Wait... My daughter’s 'special friend' turned out to be a cute girl and here I am, sitting here like an idiot in my dad-sweatpants trying not to pass out.
My brain did a hard reboot right there. I was speechless. Like, open-mouthed, fly-catching, goldfish-level speechless.
This instantly shot to the top of my 'Plot Twist of the Year' list. And yeah, I know we’re still in January, but I swear nothing’s gonna beat this for the rest of the year — unless aliens land on my rooftop asking for Wi-Fi password.
I turned to Keiko, hoping she was as shocked as me. But nothing. Calm as a zen monk.
“Hello, welcome. Come sit here,” Keiko said it so casually, like she knew it already.
Wait, am I the only one malfunctioning here?!
I felt my jaw hang open. My daughter… was dating a girl? Not that I minded, but come on—
“Hey… you promised.”
Rin’s voice snapped me out of my daze. Right. I promised.
Ryusei.exe restarting…
We started dinner. The food was actually pretty decent, if I may say so myself. Though I was too distracted to taste it properly.
Rin cleared her throat. “Her name is Yamada Chiyori. We’re classmates and… well... she’s my girlfriend.”
I almost choked on my rice.
Keiko smiled like some benevolent queen. I, however, looked like I’d seen a ghost. The room went quiet and awkward.
Alright Ryusei, time to act normal. Be cool. Say something cool.
“So… how long have you guys been dating?” I managed to ask, though my voice sounded like a teenage girl hitting puberty.
“About two months,” Rin said, and Chiyori just nodded shyly.
Two months? And Rin already had a hickey on her neck last week? Damn. She's really my daughter. I smirked.
“Ohhh… wow... really? nice…” Damn. I sounded so fake. Someone please unplug me.
Trying to save the conversation, I blurted, “Uhmm… so, Chiyori, what do you like about Rin?”
The room tensed. Rin shot me a death glare so sharp, I swore I lost five years of my life.
Oh crap… why did I ask that?
Chiyori blushed so red I thought she might spontaneously combust. “It's just... Because… I like her.”
And there it is. The answer equivalent of a shrug. Fantastic. Well, rest in peace, meaningful conversation — you had a good run.
Also girl, you trying to kill me with that voice volume? It was the tiniest, softest voice I’d ever heard.
“Oh… wow… okay… great… you heard that, Rin? Hahaha…” I sounded like a malfunctioning NPC in a dating sim.
Keiko, goddess among mortals, saved the day as always. “What about you, Rin? What do you like about her?”
Rin squirmed in her seat, looking like a delinquent caught cheating in an exam. “I… I don’t know, Mom. I just… want to be with her. Protect her.” Rin's cheeks blushing.
Ahhh, my precious little daughter. So naive.
“B-but Mom, Dad… I hope you’ll support us. I know it’s not normal. You know... We’re both girls.”
What? ‘We’re not normal’?
Rin… girl, look at your dad right now! Do I look normal to you? Your dad’s been stuck in a young girl’s body for almost a year and your mom STILL loves me like I’m the hottest thing. Normal? In this house?
“Of course, Rin. You will always have my support,” Keiko said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah… also... gender doesn’t matter. What matters is… the person.”
Keiko chuckled softly.
Rin gagged dramatically.
And Chiyori just looked confused.
Poor girl, doesn’t even know this older sister is actually her partner’s dad. We’ve been acting to avoid unnecessary drama.
“Thank you,” Rin mumbled.
We chatted casually after that. Things calmed down. The girls relaxed after they got our support, Keiko smiled warmly, and I managed to dial my weirdness from 11 down to 5.
When dinner ended, Rin escorted Chiyori back home — a ten-minute walk, thankfully.
As soon as the door closed, I slumped onto the couch.
“Well, that was… something,” I muttered.
Keiko grinned. “You handled it well. Kinda.”
“Kinda? I was an absolute trainwreck.” I groaned.
“True. But it’s part of your charm.”
I sigh, it was awkward, chaotic, shocking — but it ended well.
At least for now.