"Wow… this is incredible."
I couldn't help but marvel at the variety of dishes spread across the dining table.
There's a strong stereotype that British food isn't very good.
But that's not to say that British people can't cook.
In fact, a fair number of world-renowned chefs are British.
And from what I could see, Rika's mother clearly belonged in the latter category.
"Huhu, I heard we were having a guest, so I decided to put in a little extra effort for the first time in a while."
Rika's mother said, puffing out her ample chest with a proud look on her face.
Her mannerisms were the spitting image of Rika's.
Is this what Rika will be like when she's older?
We couldn't start eating just yet, as Mr. Kishimoto hadn't come out of his room. Rika's mother asked us to wait a moment and walked over to the study in the living room.
"Honey! Hurry up and come out! The food's going to get cold!"
Just then, the tightly shut door opened, and out came a man with a friendly face who looked to be in his mid-forties.
He had a gentle appearance, but I knew exactly who this man was.
I'd seen photos of him from magazine interviews a few times while browsing the internet.
The manga artist, Kishimoto Musashi.
Real name, Kishimoto Sojiro.
Commonly known as the "God of Manga."
Having been active for over twenty years, he was one of the masters of the industry, a legend in the world of shonen manga.
When Mr. Kishimoto spotted me, he looked surprised.
"So you're Yu-seong-kun? You look just like an 80s shonen manga protagonist, just as I heard."
"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Kishimoto."
I was so thrilled to meet a manga artist I admired, more so than meeting a friend's father, that I instinctively used the most formal language I could.
"Haha, let's not stand around talking. Please, have a seat. My wife went to a lot of trouble since she heard you were coming over."
"Oh, you."
They seemed to be a very loving couple, showing their affection for each other without any hesitation.
Once Mr. Kishimoto joined us at the table, we were finally able to begin our lunch.
"Here, have some of this."
"Ah, thank you."
The main dishes on the table were primarily Western-style Italian cuisine.
A British woman marrying into a Japanese family and making Japanese-style Italian food. It felt a little ironic.
As I was savoring the delicious lasagna Rika's mother had served me, Mr. Kishimoto, who was slicing into a filet mignon, spoke up.
"Lately, whenever Rika's at the dinner table, she talks about you a lot, Yu-seong-kun, so I really wanted to meet you. This is the first time our daughter has been so open about being close with a boy."
I swallowed the food in my mouth and spoke up to prevent any potential misunderstandings.
"Rika and I are just ordinary friends. I happened to help her when she was lost in the subway on her first day of school, and that's how we ended up becoming close."
Then Rika's mother, twirling some pasta onto her fork, added.
"I drive her near the school in the morning, so I didn't know, but I heard you help her get home every evening, Yu-seong-kun. We invited you for lunch today to thank you for that."
"Haha… I see."
Something... something felt awkward.
When I first arrived, I was bursting with excitement at the thought of meeting Mr. Kishimoto in person, but now, eating with Rika's parents felt like being in a high-pressure interview.
As I silently stuffed food into my mouth, unable to hide the tremor in my voice, Rika, who had been watching from the side, jumped in.
"Geez! Papa, Mama, how can you keep asking him questions while he's trying to eat! He's going to choke!"
At that, Mr. Kishimoto's demeanor changed in an instant.
"Ahh, you're right, of course! Papa was just worried he was being a little too harsh. It's just, he's the first male friend Rika has ever made, so I was a little worried what might happen if he had bad intentions~"
"Ryu-chan isn't like that at all?!"
Though a comment clearly meant to keep me in check popped up in the middle of their friendly father-daughter banter, I could only laugh it off.
After all, a father with a daughter reacting sensitively to her male friends is a classic trope in romantic comedies.
If I had a daughter as pretty as Rika, I'd probably see every guy who approached her as a wolf, too.
Still, thanks to Rika stepping in at the right moment, the tense atmosphere at the table eased, and I was able to finish the meal in much more comfort.
After lunch, as we were eating the fruit Rika's mother had peeled for dessert, Mr. Kishimoto made an offer.
"I heard from Rika that you're a fan of my work. If you're okay with it, would you like to see my studio after we're done here?"
"If that's possible, of course I would!"
I replied, my excitement getting the better of me. Mr. Kishimoto nodded, his expression a little softer than before.
"You have something to look forward to. I haven't shown my studio to the media even once since moving to Tokyo."
"Thank you, sir!"
To think I would get to see the revered Mr. Kishimoto's studio with my own two eyes... As a fan who worships the God of Manga, I could die happy.
***
Kishimoto Sojiro was a wildly popular, forty-five-year-old manga artist.
Since winning his first award and entering the manga industry at the age of twenty, he had spent nearly twenty-five years prolifically creating shonen manga.
Having achieved enough success to be considered a master in his field, he prided himself on having a keen eye for judging people.
Since he'd been on the fast track to success from a young age, more than a few people had approached him with their eyes on his money.
In that sense, the first impression manga artist Kishimoto Sojiro had upon seeing Kim Yu-seong, the friend his daughter brought home, was 'big'.
He himself wasn't short by any means, having been on the basketball team in middle school, but there was something about the young man before him that made him seem even larger than his actual height.
Was it his unique aura? Just by being there, he seemed to exude an unprecedented power that could make others submit.
He'd wondered if the boy was some delinquent who'd approached his daughter for her looks or his own background, but after talking with him over the meal, that didn't seem to be the case.
On the contrary, he was a surprisingly earnest young man, quite different from his appearance.
He was inwardly admiring his daughter for picking a decent boy as her first male friend—she must have inherited his good judgment—when his wife suddenly spoke.
"I drive her near the school in the morning, so I didn't know, but I heard you help her get home every evening, Yu-seong-kun. We invited you for lunch today to thank you for that."
Due to the nature of weekly serialization, he was always shuttling between home and his studio, so he had no idea that had been happening.
Hearing that this young man had been looking out for his daughter when he wasn't around, he felt a renewed sense of gratitude.
He went on to ask the young man a few more questions.
What did his parents do, where did he live, was his Rika doing well at school.
They were the usual questions one might ask a daughter's friend, but his daughter, sitting beside them, apparently didn't see it that way.
"Geez! Papa, Mama, how can you keep asking him questions while he's trying to eat! He's going to choke!"
Anyone could see she was embarrassed.
If there was one thing he was sensitive to, it was the emotional state of his wife and daughter, and he realized it at once.
Rika had a crush on this young man.
His wife had probably noticed it long ago, which was why she seemed to be intervening more actively between the two.
He felt a wave of deep emotion at the fact that his daughter was already old enough to fall in love, but at the same time, he felt a strange bittersweetness.
The same Rika who, since she was little, had always said she would marry her papa when she grew up, had brought home a potential boyfriend far sooner than he'd expected.
Still, Kishimoto Sojiro wanted to be a good father to his daughter, so he smiled and said.
"Ahh, you're right, of course! Papa was just worried he was being a little too harsh. It's just, he's the first male friend Rika has ever made, so I was a little worried what might happen if he had bad intentions~"
"Ryu-chan isn't like that at all?!"
They didn't even seem to be dating yet, but watching her defend him so passionately, as if it were her own business, was somehow adorable.
Kishimoto Sojiro smiled warmly at his daughter's innocent display and made an offer to the young man, who seemed completely oblivious to her feelings.
"I heard from Rika that you're a fan of my work. If you're okay with it, would you like to see my studio after we're done here?"
At that, the boy's expression brightened noticeably.
"If that's possible, of course I would!"
His claim of being a fan wasn't just a lie to get on his daughter's good side; seeing his genuine delight, Kishimoto Sojiro couldn't help but soften his expression.
"You have something to look forward to. I haven't shown my studio to the media even once since moving to Tokyo."
"Thank you, sir!"
Since things have come to this, I'd better give my daughter, who's a complete novice at romance, a proper helping hand.