Chapter Text
Shiori was, as many human mothers were, involved in the development of her son’s love life-- or rather, she would have been, had Kurama ever accepted any of her suggested matches for him. First, it was the grocery store cashier, then the physician's assistant, their neighbor’s niece, an intern at the library, a college student working at the bakery downtown . . .
Any girl with a nice smile and friendly disposition seemed to make Shiori’s mental list of potential girlfriends for her son, and though he was ever patient in declining her offers, his saint of a mother was hitting her limit.
“Shuuichi, I’m getting old,” she said one day after he had come over for dinner.
He was washing the dishes, passing them to her to dry, “You’re 57. That hardly counts as old.”
If only she knew how many years he’d seen.
“Yes, but you know, Miyuki at work is 3 years younger than me and already has 2 grandchildren.”
“That’s nice.”
“Shuuichi.”
“What? You know what I’m going to say.”
“That you’re not ready to settle down, I know, but… well, you were always so busy with clubs and trips when you were younger, and I thought maybe you wanted to get adjusted at work, but it’s been more than enough time now. You’re set to take over the company when Kazuya retires, and I’m worried if you don’t settle down before then, you’ll get consumed in work and turn into one of those old salary men who isn’t really living his life,” she sighed deeply, making sure he knew just how much the thought bothered her. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.”
“I also want grandchildren.”
“Ah, the truth comes out,” he chuckled. “There’s always Shu-kun.”
“He’s not nearly as mature as you yet, and he’s still studying.”
Silence. He could guess what was coming next.
“There’s a lovely girl at work. A kindergarten teacher in the English program. She’s good friends with Keiko. Beautiful smile, intelligent, great with the kids…”
It was Kurama’s turn to sigh, the dishes done. He would give his mother anything in the world if she asked him, and yet this one thing, he wasn’t quite ready to face. He looked up from the empty sink and found her watching him, eyebrows raised and eyes timidly hopeful.
“A friend of Keiko’s?”
“Yes, [Name]. You should ask about her. “
“Do you even know if she’s single?”
“Yes. I already checked.”
He imagined his mother gossiping with the other teacher aids and laughed. “Ok. I’ll ask Keiko.”
Shiori jumped up, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. He barely caught them both from falling over. “Please don’t be this excited. Agreeing to a maybe date is not a proposal, and it certainly doesn’t mean grandchildren.”
“I’ll take my victories where I can.”
Kazuya walked into the kitchen, surprised to see the two embraced in laughter. “What happened? Good news?”
Shiori squeezed her son tighter, practically beaming when she declared, “Shuuichi has a date!”
Kurama’s protests of “not a date yet” weren’t listened to, Kazuya clapping loudly and exclaiming, “Congratulations!” with a look so proud it would have been embarrassing had there been anyone else in the room with them. The normalcy of it struck a chord in Kurama, and not for the first time, he was amazed at just how human he’d become over the last 32 years.
As promised, he did ask Keiko about [Name]. It made for a rather odd Line conversation, Keiko sending a series of question marks and then about 7 laughing caricature stickers once he revealed the reason behind his asking.
✰Keiko✰: I love your mom
Minamino Shuuichi: I do too. Please help me make her happy.
✰Keiko✰: If only it was that easy!
Minamino Shuuichi: What do you mean?
✰Keiko✰: [Name] hasn’t dated anyone, like, ever
✰Keiko✰: She just isn’t interested in the whole thing
Minamino Shuuichi: Same, good match then?
✰Keiko✰: I don’t think she’d sign up for a date.
Kurama found an appropriate sulking dog sticker among his collection, selecting it to use in the chat. He would screencap this exchange and send it to Shiori as proof he tried.
✰Keiko✰: We could try a double-date? Or group thing? I think she’d come if I invited her out. We eat lunch together almost every day. I’ll try to find out when she’s free.
He did not mind either way.
Minamino Shuuichi: Don’t stress over it.
✰Keiko✰: Stress? Haha! On the contrary, this is the most exciting thing to happen since Kuwabara finally proposed to Yukina ❣
Marriage again.
Minamino Shuuichi: I’m not proposing to anyone
✰Keiko✰: I believe you ;)
He ignored that.
✰Keiko✰: For real though, I think you’ll get along great, even if it doesn’t end romantically, she’s a good friend. Super sweet.
✰Keiko✰: Hurt her and I’ll hurt you.
Minamino Shuuichi: Noted. Thanks, Keiko.
✰Keiko✰: Np!
He did not know what conversation ensued at the Urameshi home following their chat, but five minutes later he received a new message from Yusuke.
YᑌᔕᑌKE: GET IT
Minamino Shuuichi: ...you are eternally 15, aren't you?
YᑌᔕᑌKE: :P
Kurama set the phone down on his desk, shaking his head with a half smile on his lips. He turned in his chair and looked out his bedroom window, watching the bare branches of a neighboring tree sway in the night. It had been a mild winter, but the temperature was due to drop soon. He thought about which jacket to wear on his not-date, which scarf, which shoes-- imagined his mother’s delight at his effort in appearance and his smile grew. He really did want her to be happy.
He hoped he could be friends with [Name], that nothing weird happened to affect his mother’s job. She had quit working for Kazuya soon after their marriage, but once he joined the company and Shuichi went off to college, she grew bored of being home alone all day. She tried a series of part-time jobs, none of them quite sticking, before Kurama casually mentioned her situation to Keiko. She had told him of an opening for a teacher’s aid, and at 55, Shiori found her calling providing mother-tongue support for the Japanese children at an international primary school.
His mother had said [Name] was a friend of Keiko’s, but he knew nothing else about her. Which kindergarten class did she teach? Was his mother ever in her classroom? Did they have lunch together too?
He supposed these questions made for good small talk when they eventually met and stored them in the back of his mind. No sense worrying about them now.
The screen of his phone lit up with a new message from Keiko.
✰Keiko✰: Sunday around 18:00 at the diner?
Three days to think of more questions. Kurama picked up his phone and typed back his response:
Minamino Shuuichi: See you then!
Dai-ichi International School was celebrating its 10th anniversary. [Name] was on decoration duty, flipping through old yearbooks and picking pictures to photocopy and collage together for the entry hall. Her colleague, and alumni of Dai-chi’s sister school, Keiko Urameshi was busy writing up the accompanying text. Having been around since the school’s creation, she did not need any resources. She knew everything there was to know about the school, from campus shortcuts to desk manufacturers, and while [Name] was always happy to work with Keiko, she was particularly relieved to be partnered with her for the “looking back” display.
It was late Friday afternoon and all the children had returned home. Teachers came in and out of the library looking for the next week’s storytime books, carefully stepping over the mess [Name] had created on the floor in the center of the room. She apologized for the obstacle each time, but made no effort to move it. Keiko laughed, adding to the pile with her printed explanations. She sat down to help the final sorting and arranging. “I’m excited for you to visit the diner.” She said.
“Me too!” The invitation to Keiko’s family diner had been extended days after their first meeting three years before, but quickly became one of those things agreed to and not followed through, a vague “come over sometime!” with a date never set. They spent a lot of time at school together though, lunch periods overlapping, and often grabbed dinner nights Keiko’s husband worked late. Weekends were rare. Until recently, [Name] had needed that time to dedicate to her online graduate studies. Free time was a new and exciting concept, so when Keiko invited her to come visit the diner Sunday evening, she agreed in a heartbeat.
“One of Yusuke’s friends is coming too.” Keiko continued, “He’s Shiori’s son.”
“Oh, really?” [Name] glanced up from the papers on the ground. “Which Shuuichi? The red haired one or brown haired one?” She’d seen many pictures of Shiori’s family on her phone in the faculty room.
“Red hair,” Keiko clarified. “I hope you don’t mind the extra company.”
“Not at all.” [Name] smiled, standing up and brushing carpet lint from her winter tights, “I’m curious to meet him. Shiori talks about him so fondly.”
“I won’t say he’s as perfect as she describes him to be,” Keiko laughed, “But he’s nice.”
[Name] hummed, looking down at the display they’d made, “What do you think?”
Keiko got to her feet too, hands on her hips in satisfaction, “I think the principal will approve.”
“Great.” [Name] grabbed her phone off the nearest table and snapped a picture, “Let’s get a stapler and put this thing up.”
“Then, weekend!”
They both cheered.
Sunday was overcast and cold in a way that made the air taste like snow. With the address Keiko sent her over Line, [Name] found the Yukimura diner on her phone’s GPS. It was a quaint little restaurant, the front banners well-worn. An old wooden menu stand was propped against the outside wall. Steam poured out from a high vent on the first floor into the street, the second story appearing to be where the family lived. Window curtains were drawn shut to keep the draft out. Keiko’s childhood home was cute, and the warmth it promised to provide her frozen fingertips urged [Name] forward.
She was surprised when someone fell in step alongside her, beating her to opening the front door. It was a man, surely not much older than herself, tall and slender, with short crimson hair that stood out in stark contrast against the dark color of his overcoat. Their eyes met and she was stunned by the vivid green of his irises. She recognized him, but the shock she felt at it had nothing to do with his appearance. Photos could only tell a person so much. [Name] was not prepared for the gravity of his aura. Unique to each person like a fingerprint, but general enough to sort them into kind or aloof, [Name] noticed people’s energies in much the same way she observed their physical traits.
Shuuichi Minamino was unlike anyone she had ever met.
“You wouldn’t happen to be [Name], would you?” His English was perfect, voice smooth.
“I am.” She returned his smile politely. “Shuuichi, right?”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
He held the diner’s welcome banner up above their heads, gesturing for [Name] to enter first. She was greeted by the smell of cooked eggs and pork, and the loud and friendly bellow of, “Irrashai!” from the man behind the counter. Keiko jumped out of her seat at one of the small tables, smiling wide, “Hello! Welcome!”
Yusuke continued sitting, but he turned to wave and offer his own “hey,” a straw hanging out the corner of his mouth. He was another person whose aura had impressed [Name] the first time they met, although she’d quickly gotten used to it, his colorful personality distracting her from its strangeness.
Keiko tugged [Name] over to her parents, switching into her native tongue. Shuuichi sat down next to Yusuke, but neither talked, listening in to the self-introductions. When [Name] and Keiko came to join the table, Shuuichi spoke in the same language they had been using, “Your Japanese is good.”
[Name] waved off the praise. Japanese people were quick to compliment foreigners on their language skills, no matter how lacking they were. “I’m still studying,” she said, “but thank you.”
Yusuke returned his straw to the glass of cola in front of him, “I was relieved she understood Japanese the first time we met. My English sucks.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.” [Name] said, but Keiko shook her head.
“No, really, he sucks.”
He was not offended, nodding his head along with the confirmation.
“How long have you been in Japan?” Shuuichi asked.
“Almost four years,” [Name] responded. “And you? How long did you spend abroad?”
“Oh, I haven’t lived abroad.” He said. “I quite liked English in school and I use it at work sometimes, but I’m still learning too.”
[Name] looked at him skeptically. His command of the language was more natural than his words would have her believe. Then again, some people were just more inclined to learning multiple languages than others. She could see that in her classroom. “What’s your work?”
“I’m a software engineer.” He explained, “My stepfather owns the company and he’s very passionate about improving technologies in healthcare. Currently we’re developing an app to help with patient diagnoses, but as you can imagine, it requires an extensive amount of research and testing.”
“Wow.” If his English wasn’t enough to convince [Name] of his intelligence, his work certainly was.
Yusuke whistled, “I had no idea that’s what you guys do. That’s so cool.”
Keiko rolled her eyes at him. “You’re the worst, Yusuke.”
“What?” He shrugged, “We don’t talk about work.”
[Name] genuinely admired Shuuichi and his stepfather’s plight. “It sounds amazing. I’m sure it will help a lot of people one day.”
“We hope so.” He smiled. “In the meantime, I’m enjoying the process.”
Keiko’s look of exasperation at her husband turned pleased in response to [Name]’s exchange with Shuuichi. She pushed a menu between them. “What would you like to eat? It’s on the house today.”
“You don’t have to do that.” [Name] protested.
“Nonsense, I invited you.” Keiko said, “Think of it as a celebratory meal in honor of your graduation.”
“Graduation?” Shuuichi inquired.
“[Name] just finished her masters.”
“Oh, congratulations!”
“Yeah, congrats!”
“Thank you.” It was nice to have her hard work acknowledged.
They each picked dishes to try from the menu, Keiko going to put in the order. While she was gone, Shuuichi continued the conversation. “What did you get your masters in?”
“Education,” [Name] explained, “focusing on globalization and the programs our schools need to evolve with the times. The system many schools use now was designed for the industrial revolution and assembly lines, but this is the age of technology. We have to switch our focus to skill-building, get rid of rote learning.” She took a deep breath, “I could state the case for holistic education all night, but I’ll spare you my thesis.”
Shuuichi looked amused, “I can see you’re very invested in the subject.”
“Well, you have to be in order to get through graduate school.” She replied.
“That’s certainly true.” He glanced at Yusuke who was already spacing out in his seat. “I’d be happy to listen to more, but I think it might be a bit much for him right now.”
Yusuke snapped back to reality, “I’m listening.”
“Are you?”
“School sucks. We should change it. I’m down.”
He really had listened on some level.
Keiko returned to them, striking up a new topic. “It looks like it’s going to snow tomorrow.”
“Really?”
She nodded towards the small TV behind the counter, the weather forecast for the week on display. [Name] was excited to see the prediction, because although it was cold every day in late January, snow wasn’t something she’d seen often in Japan. “I’ll pass on a blizzard, but a few flurries would be lovely.”
“Enough to build some tiny snowmen on the playground,” Keiko agreed.
The two women went on about events at work, and Yusuke and Shuuichi did their own catching up, the former curious about the logistics of how programming worked. While they talked, [Name] would occasionally glance over at Shuuichi, trying to figure out his character. She searched for Shiori in his features, but there was nothing of her in his face. It was odd to think this Shuuichi was her biological son and not the other. [Name] supposed he resembled his father, having no idea what he’d looked like. Mannerisms, however, she could see the similarities in-- the warmth of his words, his politeness, the way he talked about his work with modest pride. These were things [Name] admired about Shiori, ever calm and helpful at school.
“[Name]?”
She turned back to Keiko, embarrassed she had tuned her out while thinking. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Keiko gave her a look that was hard to read, but she didn’t seem upset. “You finished your water. Would you like more, or something else to drink?”
“Water is fine, thank you.” She answered, feeling her cheeks flush.
The food arrived, perfectly “home cooked” in look and taste. Keiko’s parents were experts at Japanese comfort food and the group shared several dishes, [Name] choosing her favorites from the spread of fried patties, vegetable tempura, omelettes and rice.
“It’s too bad Keiko can’t cook like her pop.” Yusuke lamented, earning him a punch to the shoulder.
“Can you cook?” [Name] asked him.
“I used to own a ramen stand.”
“Is that what you did before becoming a detective?”
“I was doing some detective stuff before then too, but yeah, it was before I started my current business.”
Keiko had not told [Name] much about Yusuke’s job other than its title. The times she brought it up, the subject was deliberately changed. It was a bit mysterious, but maybe that was for the best. The details of a private detective’s work should not be public knowledge.
They were an interesting pair.
It was after 8PM by the time dinner came to an end, 3 of the 4 having to wake up early the following morning for work. (“I love being my own boss,” Yusuke had said when they mentioned the hour, finishing off his beer.) [Name] complimented and thanked the Yukimura family for their hospitality and promised to visit again, bidding farewell to Yusuke and Keiko at the front door as they were staying behind to help close up shop.
“Which way are you heading?” Shuuichi asked under the nearby streetlamp.
“To the station.” [Name] said. “I’m only a few stops away from here.”
“I’ll walk you there.”
“You don’t have to if it’s out of your way. I don’t want you catching a cold on my behalf.”
Shuuichi wrapped his striped scarf around his neck, tucking the ends into the v-shaped dip of his closed coat. “There, now I won’t catch a cold.”
[Name] copied him, securing her winter wear and putting her hands into her pockets as they walked. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, thankful when he spoke first.
“My mother said you’re one of the kindergarten teachers. Which class? Is it one she helps with?”
“I teach K-3, so the oldest bunch. They’ll be first graders in autumn. Shiori is usually in K-1 or 2, but she’s come to help me a few times in the past when my TA was out sick. She’s really sweet, your mom.”
“She is.” He sighed. “Too sweet. It’s difficult to say no to her, painful to disappoint her.”
“I doubt you’ve done anything to disappoint her. She only says good things about you.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but I caused her a lot of stress growing up.” He confessed. “Stupid things as a child, risky things as a teenager-- that’s mostly Yusuke’s fault, though.”
“You’ve been friends with Yusuke that long?”
“Half my life. Keiko too. They’re dear friends of mine.”
The fluorescent lights of the station became visible up ahead. [Name] wondered what adventures the small group had seen together. “You’ll have to tell me stories one day.”
“We’ll see,” he chuckled, slowing to a stop at their destination. “I enjoyed meeting you today.”
“Likewise.” [Name] returned, finding she meant it. “I’m freed from my studies so I’ll be saying yes to Keiko’s invitations more. Maybe I’ll see you next time.”
“I’ll do my best to be there.” Shuuichi offered [Name] his hand to shake and she was surprised how warm his fingers were in the cold night. “Be safe getting home.”
“You too.”
She stepped away from him, turned and tapped her train pass to the ticket gate and passed through. She looked back once to find Shuuichi waiting for exactly that, and he waved goodbye to her with a smile.
Home and ready for bed, [Name] was setting her alarm when a message from Keiko appeared at the top of her phone screen.
✰Keiko✰: Sooooo what did you think of Shuuichi??
[Name] couldn’t be bothered to think of the words’ implications. She typed up a quick response, then sent a sleeping “oyasumi” character sticker.
On the other side of town, Keiko was happy enough with the answer she got.
[Name]: A true gentleman.