This Conversation Isn't Okay!

I left my mom to continue her cooking and strolled to my room. From down the hall, shouting could be heard. Of course, I’m not allowed to have peace and quiet there after a long day of school.

Sitting with her legs criss-cross on my chair, hunched over with a large T-shirt, was Nao Yoshioka.

Remember her? I mentioned her once before. In that conversation with Takechi and Sato. Of course you remember because you diligently note every character that appears.

I’m kidding of course. It was Sayuri. Along with her though was a girl in a sailor uniform laying on my bed—this being Nakatsuka Nino.

You remembered her name without me having to mention it too, right?

The latter of the two girls was kicking her legs in the air with a stack of my light novels next to her.

“Is this what they call a “hostile takeover”?”

Sayuri didn’t respond as she was too focused on Offensive Strike 2, and Nakatsuka simply glanced at me.

“What do you mean I’m, “problematic for the team”!? What kinda bull shit is that! I carry! I’m the one at the top of the leaderboard! When you’re all quiet and unmotivated because we’re a few rounds down, who's the one calling!?”

“...”

“MY CALLING ISN’T BAD! YOU’RE JUST RETA—”

I shut the door and stepped out of my room.

***

“It’s always nice having you over for dinner Nino-chan.” My mother smiled as she served her two taco’s. “I’ll say though, for a bit I was getting used to making three times the portions for Kaoru-chan.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her comment.

“Kaoru-chan?” Nakatsuki asked.

“Ah, she’s a girl that Mako brought over this weekend.”

“Mako-kun!? You had a girl over!?”

Why did mom have to bring that up!?

“No-no-no, it wasn’t like that. We’re in the writing club together and we’re working on a project.”

“Hmm… seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. There’s no funny business going on.”

“You’re lame as always… Oh! That reminds me! Sayuri-chan had her first kiss~!”

My mother’s reaction was quite positive compared to mine. She gave a calm, “That’s lovely” while I choked on my food then spit it up. Now, I didn’t have a reflex like that just because someone violated my precious sister, it’s because I was reminded of my recent first kiss.

“Mako, don’t be so rude, it’s a big moment for Sayuri.”

“I— I wasn’t reacting for the reason you think… It… it made me remember something.”

“Remember something?”

Sayuri bolted up from her chair, leaning across the table. “Mako! Did you kiss Kaoru-chan!?”

“Honestly, I wish that’s what happened…”

“Geez! You can’t be so vague about something like a first kiss! You have to tell us!”

I could feel my face heating up just at the thought of when I kissed— My palms were clamming up and my face was probably beet-red.

“Fujioka-chan!?”

“No… It was…” I gulped. “It was…”

“A random hook-up at a love hotel!?”

“It was— It was Akimoto-san’s brother!”

The room dropped dead silent. Before, where there once was a lively atmosphere, none now existed. It wasn’t even tense or awkward—there just wasn’t a mood anymore.

The three girls stared at me emotionlessly for a moment before Sayuri finally spoke up.

“Ah, Mako, I guess mom and I always kinda expected this… Uhm… The world is a very open place now so… we uh— we uh— we understand.”

“Yes Makoto… As your mother I’ll support you. No matter what.”

“I’M NOT GAY!”

“Sounds like what a gay person would say,” Nakatsuka commented.

“AHHH! I’M NOT! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!”

“How do you accidentally kiss another man?” The same girl asked.

“We— He— I mean… The point is I’m not like that! Not that there’s anything wrong with it of course!”

My mom touched my shoulder and gave me an inviting smile.

“It’s okay Mako.”

I give up. Guess I like men.

***

“That is quite the convoluted story, Mako, I see how the incident occured,” My mother said.

I took the time to carefully explain the story of how I had to kiss Akimoto to prove to her mother we were (fake) dating. And how her brother swooped in to “save her”.

“Did you like it though?”

Sayuri smirked while pointing her chopsticks at me.

“Mm… I mean no! Of course not!”