Makoto nodded solemnly as he took Ayane's hands when she sat back down beside him. "Stability. I guess all parents want that." He smirked at the rich guy, then turned to her mother. "But do you think she'd be happy with a husband who only treats her as a trophy?"
He paused, letting a wicked grin spread across his face. "And I assume you didn't choose Ayane's father just because he was stable either, Madam."
The room fell dead silent.
Kaito's smug smirk vanished. His face flashed with genuine fury. Ayane's father turned dark red and opened his mouth to say something loud and angry, but his wife beat him to it. She gasped softly, then she smiled. Not the polite, forced smile from before. This was genuine and beautiful, devastating in its warmth and nostalgia. "No," she said quietly. "I didn't."
She looked at her husband, and for a moment, they were somewhere else, years ago. "I chose him," she continued, her voice growing louder and brighter, "because he was a broke, arrogant, incredibly stubborn artist who told my father he'd rather starve than give up on his dreams."
She turned back to Makoto, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And," she added sweetly, "he had a very cute, very overprotective little sister who threatened to set my hair on fire if I ever broke his heart, like you."
The tension shattered completely. Ayane's father stared at his wife in pure shock. Then he started laughing. A deep, rumbling, genuine laugh that seemed to shake the whole room.
Makoto chuckled softly. "I can understand how dangerous a little sister can be, sir."
He turned to Ayane with a fond smile. "I don't have a stable job yet, but I'll try my hardest after graduation. And I'd give up my dreams to do whatever's needed rather than let Ayane starve."
He playfully stomped on her foot under the table. "Isn't that right, Ayane?"
Ayane jumped slightly but recovered flawlessly. She turned to him with wide, adoring eyes that were completely fake but somehow convincing. "Of course," she whispered breathlessly. "And you wouldn't have to give up your dreams. We'd support each other. Always."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. It was small and chaste but incredibly convincing. A masterful performance. The final nail in Kaiji's coffin.
Kaiji shot to his feet, his face twisted with fury. "This is ridiculous," he snarled. "Are you actually buying this?" He glared at Ayane's parents. "I'm leaving. And I'll be sure to tell my father that our partnership is cancelled. NOW!" He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The silence that followed wasn't awkward, but peaceful instead.
Ayane's father let out a long breath. "Good riddance," he muttered. He looked at Makoto with new respect in his eyes. "So," he said curiously, "what are your dreams, young man?"
Makoto met his gaze steadily. "It's quite simple, sir." His eyes filled with honesty. "I don't really want fame or riches. I just want to build a happy, caring family." He left out the part about multiple wives, of course.
Ayane's father studied him for a long moment. He wasn't looking at clothes or posture anymore. He was looking into his eyes, searching for truth. And apparently, he found it. He sighed with satisfaction and leaned back. A small, genuine smile touched his lips. "That's a good dream," he said approvingly. "The best one, indeed."
Ayane's mother was practically glowing. "Oh, you two are just perfect together!" she gushed, clapping her hands with delight. "So when's the wedding?"
Makoto and Ayane both choked on air simultaneously.
Yuna, who had been quietly demolishing the entire plate of cookies, looked up. Her eyes went wide with a mix of horror and strange excitement. Mika just sipped her water, a knowing smile on her face. She was enjoying the show immensely.
Then Ayane spoke up, brilliant actress that she was. "Well, Mom," she said, her voice too sweet and hopeful. "We were thinking of waiting until after graduation. But..." She looked at Makoto, eyes sparkling wickedly. "Since you're so supportive, maybe we could move up the timeline?"
Makoto sputtered, trying to regain control. "We're still considering that. I mean, we're still at the holding hands and kissing phase, sir, madam."
"Technically, we hadn't even gone that far yet," he reminded himself.
Ayane's mother giggled with delight. "Oh, how sweet! So old-fashioned. I like that." Her father nodded with a small smile. "You should take your time," he said. "But not too much time. I'm not getting any younger."
The rest of the visit blurred together. Polite conversation mixed with good-natured interrogation. They asked about his CS major, his part-time job, and his hobbies. He answered honestly (mostly), and they seemed pleased.
Yuna and Mika were perfect little angels throughout. They stayed polite and charming, only occasionally shooting death glares at Ayane when they thought nobody was watching.
Finally, it was time to leave. Ayane's parents walked them to the door with smiles and handshakes.
"It was a pleasure to meet you," her father said, and Makoto got the distinct feeling he actually meant it.
"Please come over for dinner soon!" her mother added hopefully. "All of you!"
The door closed. The four of them stood in the hallway for a long moment, nobody moving. Then Ayane turned to him. "You," she said, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "owe me. Big time."
Makoto shrugged casually. "Huh? What the heck did I do?" He looked at her, his eyes sparkling with a wicked light. "You should be the one who owes me, for saving you from marrying that dork."
Ayane stared at him in disbelief. "Owe you?" she whispered incredulously. "Owe YOU?!"
She took a deep breath, visibly trying to control her temper. And she failed spectacularly. "You brought your psycho harem stepsisters to meet my parents!" she shrieked. "And you let them think we're actually dating! And you let my mother plan our goddamn wedding!"
She pointed a trembling finger at him. "And now," she growled, "they think you're the perfect, responsible, family-oriented man. They're going to compare every single guy I ever bring home to you! You just saved me from one arranged marriage. And then you've ruined my entire love life, Makoto!"
Yuna, who had been watching with a smug grin, finally spoke up. "She's right, you know."
Mika nodded with a knowing smile. "You've been a very bad, very irresponsible fake boyfriend."
Makoto yelled in protest. "Huh? What the heck? Make it make sense for me, please! So I've ruined your love life because I did my job too well?"
"EXACTLY!" all three girls shouted in perfect unison.
Ayane stepped forward, eyes blazing. "You weren't supposed to be good at it! You were supposed to be awkward and a little weird! A plausible but ultimately unappealing alternative!"
"Not..." she gestured wildly at him, "this! This charming, responsible family man who dreams of a white picket fence!"
Yuna nodded. "You've set the bar too high, you idiot!" she snarled. "Now every time Ayane brings a new boy home, her parents are going to be like, 'Well, he's okay, but he's not Makoto-kun.'"
Mika smiled sweetly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It's a classic rookie mistake. You went for the 'happily ever after' ending when all she needed was a temporary side character."
"So," Yuna growled with her saccharin anime-like voice, "how are you going to fix this, onii-chan?"
"He's going to have to take responsibility," Mika added, her voice too sweet.