149 Chapter 149: Meeting the Parents?
Tokyo.
In an instant, the timeline shifted to winter. The sudden change in weather made Senichi complain, but he had no choice but to accept it.
Even as the weather grew colder, the city continued to operate like a machine, with countless people acting as gears, yet none of them were essential.
If something breaks, it gets replaced. No one is indispensable. That's the cold reality.
Standing in front of a bus stop, Senichi observed his surroundings and couldn't help but think about the previous case.
Shaking his head, Senichi pulled himself out of his slightly negative mood.
"What are you thinking about? Is something bothering you?" A gentle female voice suddenly entered his ears, bringing Senichi back from his personal world.
Ayako stood in front of Senichi at that moment. She was wearing a white turtleneck sweater with a black overcoat, paired with black pants.
The simple contrast of black and white added a touch of sensuality to her intelligence.
A bright and gentle smile bloomed on Ayako's cheeks, dispelling the faint gloom in Senichi's heart, to the point where he couldn't even feel the cold.
A date.
It is a pleasant thing that lifts one's mood.
It helps you forget the unpleasantness of work, adjust your mood, and make you face each day with positivity.
At least at this moment, Senichi's slightly gloomy and melancholic atmosphere from before suddenly turned into a warm and bright one.
"It's just some work-related matters, already resolved." Senichi smiled and said, "Seeing you makes me feel much better."
"Really, you're exaggerating." Ayako hooked her arm around Senichi's and lightly bumped into him, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "You smooth talker."
"Let's go then, don't you want to go to the aquarium?" Senichi smiled and said, "Let's enjoy ourselves today."
"Yeah, let's go."
The Sunshine Aquarium was located in Ikebukuro, a bustling urban area.
For couples, this aquarium was a popular dating spot, where they could observe various types of fish in an underwater tunnel.
Schools of transparent fish swam by.
As the name suggests, you could even see the fish bones inside them, which was quite fascinating.
Colorful tropical fish darted among the coral reefs, appearing to be at ease and content.
Transparent jellyfish transformed into beautiful hues under various lights.
As Senichi and Ayako toured the surroundings, they walked and stopped, occasionally joking about some peculiar fish. From time to time, they would witness massive creatures swimming past them.
In a separate icy world, two adorable penguins snuggled up to each other, exuding the scent of love.
"By the way, Senichi-kun..."
Just as the two of them finished visiting the penguins and were preparing to move on to the next site, Ayako hesitantly called out to Senichi, "Um... Because of Sonoko... my mom found out about us..."
Upon hearing this, Senichi was momentarily stunned but felt a sense of surprise mingled with inevitability. After all, it was normal for Suzuki Tomoko to hear Sonoko's straightforward remarks during their conversation.
However, the news still came too suddenly, causing Senichi to feel a little flustered...
Senichi didn't even know why he was flustered, but it was a reflexive physiological reaction. Many people who have met their partner's parents must have experienced this feeling.
Oh, everyone is single... Well, that's fine...
But it's still possible to imagine... feeling a sense of panic when faced with the unknown...
However, after the initial nervousness, Senichi immediately composed himself. After all, once he calmed down, he looked at Ayako and asked, "How did Aunt Suzuki react when she found out? Did she approve or..."
"Of course, she approved!"
Ayako didn't let Senichi finish his sentence, as if she was afraid he would overthink it. She quickly interrupted him and said shyly, "Before you say anything else, my mom said she had a deep impression of you from the previous meeting and she's very satisfied with you... She said I found a good husband..."
As Ayako said this, her face turned completely red. The last sentence came out almost in a whisper, and if it weren't for Senichi's sharp ears, he could barely hear what she was saying.
Though Ayako's cuteness was apparent, Senichi was also slightly taken aback.
After all, Suzuki Tomoko was a strong-willed person, and even Makoto Kyogoku had to pass her test to officially date Sonoko.
But on his side, he hadn't even met her in person. She had only heard that Ayako was dating him, and she directly agreed to their relationship, with Ayako even mentioning that her mom admired him.
If they had met before, it would have been during the incident on the cruise ship when he helped protect the Black Pearl. Senichi didn't expect that the good impression from that time would now come to his aid.
It could be said that a fortuitous encounter had turned into a great opportunity.
"So, should I visit them now? What kind of gift should I bring? What do Uncle and Aunt like?" Senichi scratched his head and blurted out several questions in a row.
Although he felt a bit uncomfortable and unsure about what to do on his first visit, he knew that even if he had doubts, he should still go. It was a matter of etiquette.
After all, now that he was in a relationship with their daughter, it was only natural to pay a visit to her parents once they knew about it.
It was not only a matter of etiquette, but also a responsibility and an attitude. It was not just about showing respect to the parents, but also indicating to his partner that he was serious about this relationship.
As the saying goes, "Any romantic relationship that is not aimed at marriage is just playing around."
If he hesitated and made excuses, not only would he upset his future mother-in-law, but his girlfriend wouldn't be happy either.
Although Ayako hadn't heard that saying, she didn't respond with hesitation or rejection. Instead, she seemed happy about the idea of him visiting and even looked at Senichi with softer eyes.
"No need to visit now, don't worry." Seeing Senichi's continuous stream of questions, Ayako quickly spoke up, "I told my mom not to rush and give you some time to prepare."
After speaking, Ayako hooked her arm around Senichi's and smiled gently, saying, "After all, it would be too sudden to have you visit right away."
"Well, thank you. To be honest, I was feeling a bit flustered. I won't even know what to do when I visit them. I'll probably be clueless about where to put my hands and feet." Senichi let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Ayako's words and smiled.
"So, even the famous 'Great Police Detective' gets nervous, huh?" Ayako squinted her eyes and laughed playfully. "The reports always say you're calm and decisive, like a great general."
"It's not that simple," Senichi said with a hint of annoyance. "I think no matter which man meets his future mother-in-law for the first time, it's probably not going to be easy. Just put yourself in my shoes and imagine how you would feel if you were visiting my family. Would you be worried that my parents wouldn't like you?"
"It seems like you're right," Ayako thought for a moment, and with a somewhat unnatural expression, she looked at Senichi and asked, "Uncle and Aunt won't really dislike me, will they?"
"Don't worry, a virtuous girl like you won't just be liked, but loved. There's no way they would dislike you." Senichi held Ayako's hand and pulled her forward. "Don't think about those things. Let's finish visiting the aquarium and then go out for dinner."
"Okay, how about celebrating with a hot pot?" Ayako suggested.
"Sounds good. It's a perfect way to celebrate."
"What are we celebrating?"
Senichi looked at Ayako, smiled gently, and said, "We're celebrating getting your mom's approval, of course~"
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