Can We Keep Her?

Mahiru’s shoulders jerked up when she heard Kousei say the word “girlfriend,” heat rushing to her face. She was the one to have proposed to him, yet it came as a shock when he’d decided to use a romantic term.

His hand felt warm and strong. Although they’d held hands only a few hours ago, his grip was a lot tighter now, making Mahiru feel so safe that her hesitancy had magically disappeared.

“That’s right.” Mahiru said with a soft smile. “Your son is the very definition of a gentleman, so I couldn’t help but fall for him when we started talking at school.”

Kousei nodded, a quiet approval in his gaze. They’d already discussed what to say to his parents about how they had met, so this was in line with their plan. However, Mahiru’s spontaneous compliment, highlighting their supposed romantic relationship, caught him off guard. His cheeks flushed a deep pink at her sweet words.

His father raised both his eyebrows, while his mother theatrically jumped up in ecstasy.

“Oh, I can’t believe it, our young angel has finally fallen in love! Mahiru, what a lovely name you have. I’m Asuka, Kousei’s mother. Please call me by my first name, okay, darling?”

His mother beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She shook Mahiru’s hands so vigorously that Kousei was afraid they would fall off.

“Uh, uhm… pleased to meet you, Asuka,” Mahiru stammered, still caught off guard by the overwhelming warmth.

“You don’t need to be so formal with me, Mahiru. You can treat me like your own mother. After all, you’re going to be my daughter-in-law one day.”

Mother, Mahiru thought, swallowing her breath.

The word lingered uncomfortably in her chest. Her own relationship with her mother had become one of emptiness and broken trust a while ago. The idea of calling someone mother felt foreign, like something she was afraid of experiencing. Asuka’s words, probably meant to be comforting, instead felt both warm and bitter. She didn’t know what it meant to treat someone like her own mother, so she was unsure how to respond.

“This is my husband, Satoshi. We once were two young lovebirds like you. I know, it’s hard to believe,” Asuka continued, laughing hysterically as if she’d just made the joke of the century. “He’s a bit more of a serious type, but if you like Kousei, I’m sure you’re going to get along with him as well.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Yoshida,” Satoshi said, extending a hand to Mahiru. “Our son was just about to tell us about your situation. If you don’t mind, could you explain it to us in a little more detail?”

Mahiru anxiously clutched the hem of Kousei’s shirt. Even though they’d rehearsed this conversation with Mamoru over and over, preparing her for every possible question, the reality of talking to Kousei’s family still felt unnerving.

“Of course. My parents and I have a difficult relationship,” Mahiru began, her gaze dropping to the floor.

“My father is very strict and only allows me to leave the house for school. He admonishes me every time I don’t meet his expectations and constantly compares me to my older siblings. He has clear plans for my future that I’m supposed to follow, and he doesn’t like it when I try to make my own choices.”

Mahiru paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Her chest tightened, but she forced herself to continue.

“And my mother… She’s quiet. She always sides with my father. I haven’t had a real conversation with her in years.”

Kousei blinked his eyes inquiringly. This wasn’t the story they’d agreed upon with Mamoru. She was only supposed to say she’d been kicked out after an argument with her parents – nothing more. But Kousei could sense this was how Mahiru truly felt. In the midst of the lie she’d made up, the truth was shining through.

In a comforting gesture, Kousei reached out for her hand again. His touch felt gentle, reassuring.

“Mahiru…” he said in a soft voice.

She gazed up at him with determined eyes, as if to say It’s okay, though he quickly realised that they glistened with unshed tears. But before anyone could say anything, it happened.

“Mahiruuuuuun!”

Mahiru spun around, only to find Yuuna leaping towards her. This sudden act of affection startled her, causing her to instinctively release Kousei’s hand.

“Mahirun, I’m sorry this happened to you! Your parents sound horrible, I can’t believe they would treat you like that. Dad, can we please keep her? I’ve always wanted a sister to do girl thingies with,” Yuuna pleaded, almost crying herself.

Kousei couldn’t help but shake his head at the choice of his sister’s words, making Mahiru sound like some sort of pet to be adopted.

His father furrowed his brow, appearing deep in thought.

“What do you say, Satoshi? Don’t you think we should help her out?” his wife turned to him.

Mahiru's heart raced, her palms damp with sweat. She was so scared to hear Satoshi’s response that she instinctively curled closer to Kousei, hiding her face in the fabric of his shirt.

“I think…” Satoshi started, Mahiru hanging on his every word. “I think we could lend her a hand for a while. After all, she’s our son’s girlfriend.”

“R-really?” Mahiru’s eyes lightened up, her voice cracking from excitement. The weight of Satoshi’s words washed over her like a wave of relief. Glancing at Kousei, she could see his entire body relaxing as well.

“Mahiruuuun, welcome to the family! We’re going to have so much fun together, it’s going to be amazing! We’re gonna go shopping, gossip about my brother and even bake something together. I’m so excited!” Yuuna embraced Mahiru with all her being, almost squeezing the life out of her in the process. “Woah, your hair is so smooth, almost like silk! What conditioner do you use?”

Only after being let go again was Mahiru able to talk, a wide grin on her face.

“Thank you, Ms. and Mr. Satou. I can’t even begin to explain how much this means to me. I will make sure not to cause you any trouble. And about our girl activities,” Mahiru faced Yuuna, unsure how to address her, “that sounds lovely. But I’m afraid I’m not great when it comes to baking.”

“Oh right, I forgot you’re still attending regular school. Most girls don’t learn to bake until they graduate and go to Bride School. Well, except for me, hehe. I was already a baking prodigy as a young kid thanks to my father,” Yuuna remarked with a playful wink, poking her tongue out.

Kousei shook his head, in disbelief at his sister's blatant lie. She may have been a prodigy at eating dessert, but it was usually recommended to keep her as far away from the oven as humanly possible.

“A Bride School? N-no, that’s not really part of my plans,” Mahiru waved her hands in front of her chest. “I would like to attend university after graduating.”

In an instant, a heavy silence filled the room. Everyone’s gaze turned towards Mahiru, stern and cold. But she obviously couldn’t comprehend what caused those reactions.

Shit, Kousei thought. I really should have mentioned something about the whole Western work culture to her.

“W-well, that’s my Mahiru, always so ambitious and full of dreams. I guess it’s no surprise I fell in love with you,” Kousei said laughingly, putting an arm around her. “Why don’t we head upstairs so I can show you around the house? You must be really tired after walking all the way here.”

⸻⸻⸻⸻❊❊❊⸻⸻⸻⸻

By the time Kousei and Mahiru finally found a moment to breathe, night had already fallen. Over the last few hours, they’d brought all her belongings to Kousei’s room, showed her around the house and shared dinner with his family.

For the first time since the previous day, the two were alone. Kousei lay sprawled on his bed, while Mahiru had just come out of the bathroom and now settled into the futon they’d laid out for her.

“I’m sorry you have to sleep on the floor like that. Are you sure you don’t want to switch?” Kousei asked, putting his book away.

“It’s okay, really. How many more times do you want to ask?” Mahiru said, stifling a laugh with her hand. Kousei couldn’t help but smile, struck by how cute she looked when she laughed like that.

“Alright. Wake me up if you need anything. Good nigh–”

“Wait, Kousei.”

“Hm?”

“I just wanted to say thank you. We’ve only known each other for a day, but you keep doing so much for me. You’re a really kind person. And your family is so sweet as well.”

Mahiru could feel the warmth spreading around her heart. She pressed her hands over her chest, trying to embrace this feeling. Was this what true affection felt like?

“Yeah, my parents are good people. I really owe a lot to them. Yuuna’s a bit of a pain though, especially when she wants desserts. Oh and…”

“Yes?”

“Try not to reveal too much about yourself. You know, the whole thing with going to university and stuff.”

“Oh.” Mahiru suddenly remembered how the room had gone quiet when she’d mentioned that. “Did I say something bad?”

“No, not exactly,” Kousei replied, pausing as if choosing his words carefully. “It’s just…unusual for women to go to university here. Most of them attend Bride Schools after graduating.”

Kousei thought of Yuuna. She’d graduated from high school last year, but university had never been an option for her. Every morning, she went to Bride School with her female friends, and helped her father in the pastry shop after that.

“A Bride School? What’s that?” Mahiru asked.

“Wha–” Kousei’s eyes went wide. “You don’t have that in the East?”

Mahiru thought hard, but she couldn’t remember ever hearing about it while living with her parents.

“No, I don’t think so. In the East, almost all women work. Many apply for jobs right after graduating, but some also attend university for a few years first.”

“Guess you’re quite ahead over there when it comes to that, huh? Every woman here goes to a Bride School where she learns about cooking, ironing, polishing clothes – basically taking care of a family. It’s a bit of a weird concept now that I say it out loud, but it’s always been like this.”

Mahiru tilted her head in surprise. She never would have expected a state that prided itself on freedom to have such old-fashioned views on women’s roles.

“That’s…interesting. I didn’t know that,” she murmured.

“Yeah, I should have told you about it, sorry. You know what? Why don’t we head outside tomorrow? I’ll show you around so you can get a better feel of our culture.”

Her heart skipped a beat, hopeful anticipation bubbling up inside her. She would finally get to see the West her grandfather had told her about.

“Yes, I’d love to!”