Saiki looked at the dining table: there was spaghetti with Italian meat sauce meatballs, shrimp and broccoli salad, fried chicken, minced meat miso bean sprouts…
[This is definitely going to be delicious.]
Izumi Yuu's mom looked at her son bringing friends home and was extremely happy: "Don't be shy, eat as much as you want!"
Shikimori: "Thank you, then I won't hold back."
[I won't hold back either.]
"Then let me serve you some food."
Izumi Yuu's mom picked up the kitchen tongs, ready to help dish out some spaghetti with meatballs, but halfway through lifting it, it suddenly dropped.
By some coincidence, it landed right on a fork in the spaghetti meatball plate, and the fork flew into the air, heading straight toward Izumi Yuu's face.
Just as the fork was about to hit Izumi Yuu, Saiki stood up, reached out, and snatched the fork in his hand, then
"Clap clap clap!!!"
Izumi's mom and dad applauded in unison. "Oh! That was amazing."
(This is the time to clap?)
Shikimori couldn't help but comment: "This… you can really feel the strong family resemblance."
Actually, she had wanted to act too just now, but Saiki had moved too fast and beaten her to it.
Izumi Yuu asked a little worriedly: "Sorry, Saiki-kun, are you okay?"
[I'm fine.]
"Saiki-kun, I'm really sorry. Here, Auntie will serve you some more."
After apologizing, Izumi Yuu's mom reached out to pick up the fork again to serve more, but Shikimori nervously snatched it away first.
"It's… it's fine, Izumi-kun's mom, you can just sit down. Let me do it!"
(Well done, Shikimori-san.)
"Oh my, Shikimori-san, you're such a good kid."
Izumi's mom held her cheek with one hand and smiled with relief.
...
Shikimori took a bite of the pasta. "Mm, it's really good, just as delicious as what they sell in stores."
Saiki also twirled some pasta with his fork and took a bite.
[Hm~ It's really good as expected.]
"Eat more, okay?"
"No need to be polite."
After a while, both Saiki's and Shikimori's plates were piled high with food, especially Saiki's, which was almost overflowing.
Izumi Yuu smiled and whispered: "Sorry, Saiki-kun, my parents seem a bit too enthusiastic."
[It's fine.]
Saiki thought about his own parents. If he brought classmates home for a meal, they would probably be just as enthusiastic as Izumi's parents.
...After dinner.
Shikimori helped Izumi's mom wash the dishes, while Saiki sat on the sofa next to a sleeping Izumi Yuu.
(Eating until full and then falling asleep isn't exactly healthy, but whatever.)
Izumi's mom washed the dishes while saying: "By the way, thank you so much for keeping Yuu company like this."
"No problem, we're friends after all."
Izumi's mom covered her mouth with one hand, looking a little mischievous: "Shikimori-san, aren't you going to take the chance to ask about something? Like photos of Yuu from junior high, or baby photos."
Shikimori showed an interested expression, then quickly restrained herself: "That doesn't seem right. Izumi-kun is asleep, and just looking at his old photos like this…"
Izumi's mom took out a photo album, opened it, and started showing Shikimori.
"Come come come, look, this is Yuu from elementary school. Isn't he cute? This was during the school sports festival. Unfortunately, he fell in the second half."
"And this one, this is from when he was in kindergarten. Let me tell you, Yuu as a kid…"
Shikimori looked at the photos with great interest and didn't forget to invite Saiki: "Saiki-kun, Saiki-kun, come look at Izumi-kun's childhood photos. This is really interesting."
Izumi's mom also waved him over: "That's right, Saiki-kun, come take a look at Yuu's childhood photos. They're really fun. Look, back when he was in elementary school, that diaper…"
[This doesn't feel right. Looking at someone's childhood photos while they're asleep is probably not okay.]
"I see, alright then."
Shikimori and Izumi's mom had their backs to Saiki, looking at the album while letting out "hehehe" laughs.
Saiki peeked over at the two of them once.
[Hm, sneaking a look at other people's stuff isn't good. Even if you have the parents' permission, if the person finds out, looking at your own childhood photos would still be a little embarrassing. Yeah, that's it.]
This was the statement of someone who was a little regretful about not looking but still wanted to.
Izumi's dad: "Saiki-kun, it's fine, really. If you want to look, go ahead. I don't think Yuu would mind."
[No thanks, I'm not interested in that kind of thing.]
(Letting classmates and friends see your childhood photos would definitely feel a bit embarrassing or something.)
(I remember back in junior high, when a few friends came over to my house, my parents pulled out old photos and even videotapes to show them.)
(That was especially awkward. I don't know why. Some people might think it's nothing, but for me, it's as embarrassing as singing Happy Birthday at a birthday party. I just really don't like that kind of thing.)
(Back then, my brother Saiki Kusuke was probably jealous or something and gathered up all my photos, telling my parents that photos could only be shown to family.)
Saiki held his forehead. [Thinking about weird people again.]
"Huh, what's wrong?"
[Nothing, it's fine.]
Izumi's dad said enthusiastically: "I see, no problem. Then I'll just tell you about Yuu when he was little. When Yuu was really small, around two years old, he once…"
Saiki: ...
Izumi's mom glanced at Saiki and her husband chatting away happily, then started washing the last plate. She lowered her head and spoke to Shikimori: "Shikimori-san, can I ask you and Saiki-kun for one thing?"
Shikimori was a little puzzled. "What is it?"
Izumi's mom fell into recollection.
"Yuu, that child, when he was in elementary school…"
In the memory, Izumi Yuu's mom looked much younger. She supported a child in front of her—Izumi Yuu—who was wrapped head to toe in bandages and adhesive bandages, looking like he was bearing pain far beyond what a kid his age should.
(Ah, he was like that even back then?)
Izumi's mom worriedly gave serious instructions to elementary-school-age Izumi Yuu.
"Yuu, be careful of cars when you're walking on the road. Always look up, look down, and check behind you too."
Izumi smiled and replied: "Geez, it's fine, Mom. You're the one who shouldn't get hurt."
He even placed his hand on his mom's head to comfort her, then walked out the door with a smile.
Back to reality.
"So I'm always worried and can't even smile when seeing him off."
Shikimori was just about to comfort her.
Izumi's mom stretched out a finger, thinking seriously. "But you know, we've lived together for 16 years already. Even if a huge hole suddenly opened up in the house, I wouldn't be surprised anymore."
(No, normal people would still be surprised.)