The hatchback car drove slowly, cutting through the dense streets of Sector 7. Johnny drove in the front with his back straight, while Aerith and Mother Elmyra sat in the back.
There was no music. No conversation. Only the smooth hum of the engine and the sound of street dust hitting the windows.
Elmyra's eyes swept over the scenery outside. Sector 7 was far more squalid than Sector 5. Garbage piled up in street corners, many buildings were semi-permanent shacks made of scrap metal, and the people looked harder, more guarded.
However, as the car turned onto a neater street, Elmyra's gaze landed on a three-story shophouse. Unlike its dull neighbors, this building looked well-maintained. The walls had been freshly painted, the workshop windows were sparkling clean, and above the door hung a wooden sign carved with pride:
GARRICK & SON(Specialists in Vehicle Repair, Home Appliances & Electrical)
Johnny parked the car smoothly in front of the shop.
Elmyra stepped out of the car, smoothing her blouse. Her eyebrows raised slightly. She had imagined Johnny's living quarters to be a thieves' den or a dirty, greasy garage, but this place... was organized and tidy.
Johnny tapped the horn lightly to signal their arrival.
The shop door opened. Garrick and Marilla were already standing there, welcoming their guests.
Garrick had clearly put in the effort. His thick mustache was combed neat and oiled. He wore a crisp white long-sleeved shirt paired with a smooth maroon vest—his best clothes, usually reserved for festivals or weddings. A small red ribbon was pinned to his chest.
Beside him, Marilla, Johnny's mother, smiled nervously but warmly. She wore a modest beige house blouse, draped with a thin knitted cardigan to cover her arms.
Elmyra and Johnny's parents exchanged glances. The assessing gaze of a mother met the wary look of parents whose child had caused trouble.
Then, their eyes shifted in unison to the two "defendants": Johnny, standing tall beside the car, and Aerith, who stood with her head bowed next to him.
Marilla, with her motherly instinct, immediately broke the freezing atmosphere.
"Good morning," she greeted softly, bowing slightly. "Please come in, Mrs. Elmyra. We just happened to brew some tea and prepare some snacks."
Garrick stepped forward, extending a large hand that had been scrubbed clean of oil.
"Welcome to our humble abode. I am Garrick, and this is my wife, Marilla. Johnny has told us a lot about your daughter, Aerith," Garrick said, trying to smile hospitably despite the cold sweat running down his back.
Elmyra accepted the handshake. Garrick's grip was firm but polite. The hand of a hard worker.
"Thank you," Elmyra replied. Her voice was calm, but her face remained serious, devoid of pleasantries. "I apologize for the sudden visit. But there is a serious matter I must discuss regarding your son and my daughter."
The smile on Garrick's face twitched slightly. Marilla's smile faded, replaced by genuine worry.
"We understand, Ma'am. Please, let's talk inside," Marilla invited.
They went up to the living room on the second floor, above the workshop. The room was simple, with wooden floors, but impeccable. The scent of freshly baked sponge cake filled the air.
The parents sat facing each other on the main sofa. Elmyra on one side, Garrick and Marilla on the other. To the left, two extra wooden chairs had been set up specifically for Johnny and Aerith.
Meanwhile, atop a display cabinet in the corner of the room, Puck and Ivalera were already seated comfortably. Puck had even taken out a packet of mini potato chips from his bag.
"Psst, Ivalera," Puck whispered. "This is more tense than fighting Bahamut."
"Shut up and eat your chips," Ivalera retorted, her eyes glued to Elmyra.
A moment of silence. Garrick poured tea into Elmyra's cup with a slightly trembling hand. The clink of the cup against the saucer sounded incredibly loud.
Elmyra didn't touch her tea. She folded her hands in her lap, staring straight at Garrick and Marilla.
"So," Elmyra began, her voice flat but sharp. "Perhaps you have already been told by your son about what happened over the last three days. You have told them everything, haven't you, Johnny?"
All eyes turned to Johnny.
"I have, Mother," Johnny answered firmly, sitting upright with his hands on his knees.
Aerith beside him only looked down, playing with the hem of her dress, not daring to lift her face.
"Good," Elmyra said. She turned to Garrick. "Mr. Garrick, Mrs. Marilla. I raised Aerith alone since she was little. I have guarded her very strictly. And all this time, she has been an obedient child."
Elmyra took a deep breath, pointing at Aerith.
"Then your son took my daughter away for three days. Fighting monsters is one thing. But sleeping in one room? One bed? Cuddling? Kissing?"
Marilla's face flushed red with embarrassment. Garrick cleared his throat loudly, trying to find his voice.
"Mrs. Elmyra..." Garrick adjusted his sitting position. "First of all, as a father, I want to apologize profusely for our son's impudence. We raised Johnny to respect women, and... well, it seems his young blood boiled over a little."
"A little?" Elmyra cut in sharply. Her eyes shifted to Aerith's ring finger. "Boiled over enough for him to give her an expensive ring without my knowledge."
Garrick and Marilla gaped. They simultaneously looked at Aerith's hand. There was a ruby red glint there.
"A ring?" Marilla shrieked in shock. She turned to Johnny. "Johnny! You didn't mention a ring!"
"It... it... it was just for Aerith because it suited her," Johnny defended quickly.
"A ring on the left ring finger means something else, you fool!" hissed Garrick.
Elmyra tapped the table lightly.
"Sir, Madam," Elmyra's voice lowered. "I came here not just to be angry. I want to know, what kind of intentions does your son have? Is he just playing around? Taking advantage of my daughter's innocence?"
Before Garrick could answer, Johnny stood up. His chair screeched.
"I am not playing around, Mother Elmyra," Johnny's voice was heavy, filling the entire room.
Johnny looked at Elmyra, then at his own parents.
"I love Aerith. Maybe this sounds crazy. I gave her that ring not to bind her by force, but as a promise."
Johnny turned to Aerith, who was now looking up at him with teary eyes.
"I know I was wrong to cross the line. I know I am not worthy yet. But I work hard. This workshop, my Monster hunting... I gathered it all so I could be worthy."
"Dad, Mom," Johnny turned to Garrick and Marilla. "Forgive me for embarrassing you today. But I do not regret loving her."
Silence.
Garrick stared at his son. He saw a grown man, no longer the little boy who loved playing with oil or the spoiled child who couldn't sleep without his lucky pillow. Marilla covered her mouth, moved.
Elmyra stared at Johnny for a long time. The sternness in her face slowly cracked, replaced by the weariness of a mother realizing she could no longer protect her daughter inside a cage.
"Sit down, Johnny," Elmyra commanded softly.
Johnny sat back down.
Elmyra sighed deeply, then finally reached for her teacup and took a small sip.
"The tea is delicious, Mrs. Marilla," Elmyra said suddenly.
Marilla started, then smiled in relief. "Thank you, Ma'am. It's... a family recipe."
Elmyra placed the cup back down.
"Very well. What's done is done," Elmyra said, staring sharply at Johnny, but this time there was a hint of acceptance in her eyes. "You said you wanted to take responsibility?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Johnny answered.
"In that case, starting tomorrow, you must always come to my house. You have two homes now," Elmyra said firmly. "Not just for dates. But that house needs a man's touch. There are leaky roofs, leaning fences, and heavy market groceries. From now on, those are your tasks under my supervision."
Johnny smiled. This was the kind of work he usually did at the church or helping out neighbors anyway.
"Thank you very much, Mother," Johnny said, his eyes misting over.
"And..." Elmyra pointed at the ring on Aerith's finger. "That ring... Aerith you can wear it. But don't expect any more 'night activities' until you are properly married. Understood?"
Aerith's face brightened instantly. "Really, Mom? You aren't angry anymore?"
"I am still angry," Elmyra huffed. "But seeing your good parents, and the courage of this reckless boy... I will give him a chance."
Garrick let out a sigh of relief so loud it sounded like a tire deflating. "Praise the Planet."
Marilla immediately poured more tea. "Come, come, drink the tea and eat the cake. Please, dear Aerith, try the sponge cake."
Garrick then offered a better idea. "Mrs. Elmyra, since we also just found out that Johnny has already put a ring on Aerith..."
Elmyra and Marilla understood Garrick's meaning immediately.
"Then let us make your engagement official starting today."
In the corner of the room, Puck clapped slowly while chewing on a chip.
"The drama has a happy ending," Puck whispered. "But it's a shame, no fight scenes."
"You bloodthirsty fairy," Ivalera sneered, smiling as she watched Johnny and Aerith, who were now exchanging shy glances.