Chapter 3

"Huh? He's going to work with us?" Onodera's mom looked at me once again as if evaluating me before continuing: "I wondered who you were talking about when you said you knew someone who could cook but—" Onodera's mom stopped her words.

"But a student?" She then seriously looked at her daughter. "Kosaki, today I wanted someone perfect to go into the kitchen! Originally, the kitchen was a holy place for work! It's not some high schooler who can sort of cook.".

Previously I'm in an indescribable trance-like state but my eyes twitched after hearing that. 'This b*tch, are you looking down on me? Even if you are the future grandmother of my child, you ain't my mom, I can kick your ass.'

I forcefully held myself, my blood may be boiling but there's no need for tearing your face early on. I mean logically I can get behind her words if a wuss high schooler like this Raku-guy came to my restaurant or shop because he can cook, I won't even land a look at him. 

But still. 'I'm not a doormat like the original Raku, I refuse to be looked down at.' As I'm about to grit my teeth. My attention immediately shifted to the one talking.

"Ichijou-Kun isn't that kind of person! He's always cooking for his entire family! And there's a lot of them... Umm... dozens of them!" Onodera defended me once more.

'What do you mean dozens of them, nevermind she's cute.' My previous anguish disappeared instantaneously replaced with an unfamiliar but familiar feeling. It is very contradictory but that's the best way to explain it.

'Urgh!' I can't help but grip the side of my pants because of indescribable pain surges in my chest. My heart to be exact. 'F*ck, what the heck is this feeling?!'

I'm staring at the side of her face as she defended me from her mother. 'Happy? I'm feeling happy?' The more I looked at her figure the more I go crazy.

Memories flowed inside my head reminding me that this girl, Onodera Kosaki, is "my" all-time crush, I have always liked her since middle school, there are so many times that "I" tried to tell her that "I" liked her but it got stuck in my throat. Nope, it didn't even pass the esophagus!

This girl... She's is the love of this wuss Raku, he's in love with her, now I'm merged with Raku, no. — I'm Raku now and expectedly his feelings are my feelings now, his memories are my memories now and I'm helpless and cannot do anything about it.

'Great, now I inherited your years' of accumulated infatuation to this girl. Great, f*cking great.' I thought while annoyed. 

'Tsk, this wuss, you always troubled me and I can't even beat the sh*t out of you, frustrating! Oh yeah, I'm Raku now and I don't beat myself because I'm not a crazy person!'

Fortunately, the mother and daughter didn't notice me who weakly and quietly almost stumble myself.

---

Now Onodera's mother is looking at her daughter desperately defending this high schooler boy who is also her classmate.

She is more or less amused. 'I never saw my Kosaki act like this before nor even think that she'll ever bring a boy home.' Her previous dismissal attitude of the high schooler boy turned into curiosity.

The boy may look like a beansprout but looking at the boy's mannerism, she deduced that he is a strong-headed person, and of course, the courageous look of his eyes with a tint of arrogance didn't escape her eyes.

'At least he is not a cowardly person.' Now amused she decided to let it be, at least now she has something to tease her cute eldest daughter with.

Looking at her eldest daughter who is looking at her with expectant eyes like a puppy. 'Look at her, so cute.' Her heart melted inside.

But outside she acts unconvinced. "Umm... If you say so..." Looking at her cute daughter once more, she decided.

"Fine. Guess, he'll have to cook me something. I'll be the judge if he's capable or not. If he can't handle it, he'll just go home!" She said while casting her "serious look". There's nothing to lose anyway. If the boy didn't pass, fine he'll let him be a server in the shop today or assist in the kitchen.

'Look at her, she clearly likes the boy haha~.' She chuckled inside her head. Her daughter is looking like a maiden-in-love with this boy. No wonder.

---

"Don't worry madam, I'm more than capable," I said with confidence to Onodera's mom. 

Her other eyebrow raised. "Oh, confident, are you? Then begin."

I nodded seriously. But then...

'Hey, you are blinding me with your eyes.' I thought as I glance back to Onodera whose eyes are shining ever brightly, full of expectations and confidence in my skills, and saying something that makes my heart ever warmer: 

"Good luck Ichijou-kun!!!"

'Ukkh!'

I can't help but feel relieved when her feelings to me are so easy to see, I can feel her aura alone, and her expectant but loving eyes look at me that I can't help but wonder how the f*ck original Raku can be so dense. I decided that I can do better than that dunce. 'But he's me now, and I'm not a dunce.'

I have inherited the nervousness of the original Raku, and the reasons are legitimate. Raku may be a very good cook but candy and sweets are not his things and according to his memory the moment Onodera invited him to go to their family shop.

Since that day ( before the fateful day I became him) he had practiced it countless times on how to make confections. And since now I'm him of course I'll utilize these skills and experience as calmly as possible and maximize better results!

And I started working, I poured all my focus on this, I don't care if I disappoint her mother but I cannot bear to disappoint her, I don't even know why I felt that way but it seems natural to be that way.

I skillfully and effortlessly move my way to the kitchen, trusting Raku- Uhh no, MY experiences and the practices I made, I navigated the kitchen like a natural master chef who is now getting his hands on candies that aren't his specialty.

Of course, this didn't escape the eyes of Onodera's mom who is a cook herself, she deduced that the boy is for sure a very good cook, just by his movements alone, he is a veteran but how about candies? She can see that this is unfamiliar territory for him but he is trying his best and not making major mistakes and a few minor ones.

And after seriously doing my best making the sweet that "I" had practised on almost every days' end, Ta-da! I'm done and I place the food in front of Onodera's mom. 

"Here ya go," I said before wiping the sweat from my forehead. I'm a bit nervous myself, not gonna lie.

"Ohhh!" Onodera's mom exclaimed, I can see clearly that he didn't expect I could pull this off at all. 

'Hmp!'

Done with my silent huff. I glanced towards Onodera herself and I'm not disappointed. She seems to be amazed but surprised but also proud. That look is enough for me, I felt that I can be done with this sh*t today and f*ck off, and go home and sleep peacefully and soundly knowing that Onodera is amazed at my skills!

But we're not done yet, and lastly. The taste test! Onodera's mom didn't utter any word anymore. She just grabbed one of the food and chew on it.

"Ohhhh..." She calmly exclaimed as she chew on it more. Surely, no words need to be said, I can already see from her face that I pass!

"Hmm... Your name's Ichijou-kun right?" She asked, earlier she looked at me as if I'm not worth her attention but now she is looking at me with approval. That made me more satisfied with myself.

"Yea," I replied. 'Hehe, I passed! Mom said that if I  like a girl, I must also pass the test of her parents too or if not then I'm not filial. Mom I did it, I got my first sure-ball!'

"Okay..." She said, she momentarily looked at her daughter. And with a perfectly normal smiling expression, she uttered the words that seem to be normal for her to say at this very moment: "You're going to be my son-in-law."

"Fue! E-Eh?!!!" The already flustered Onodera immediately go blushed, she's red as a tomato, no, maybe redder than that. 

And her mom is not done yet, she continued in a teasing tone: "Ahh~ I was worried about you but you've brought home a good man!"

"A-A man?!" Onodera became stuttered and became redder realizing she indeed brought a MAN to their home. 

"I-Ichijou-kun's not that kind of—" but her mom is not done yet.

"I was worried about you since you space out a bit." Looking at her embarrassed daughter who is more and more obvious. 

"H-He's...." Onodera's mind is a mess now, she's getting teased by her mother in front of her crush, that's a huge blow to her sanity alone.

But unfortunately for Onodera, her mother is still not done and continued the exaggerated teasing

"He's got some good skills and he looks like he'll take on the family business!" 

"I-I said h-he's not like that!!" Onodera's already messed mind becomes more messy. 

'I-Ichijou-kun taking our business, t-then it means w-we are going to be married! M-Married!!!' Onodera imagined.

'I need to stop for a moment or she'll become crazy hehe~ I didn't know she's so in love with a boy and even inviting him home even though they are not together yet! My daughter is so daring!~ The boy is also not bad!' Onodera's mom thought that she must give her poor daughter a break but was still astounded by her daringness. 

"Well putting that aside, looks like I can trust him. Kosaki,  teach him how to make the simplest dishes and-" She stopped for a moment before seriously saying to her daughter: 

"Don't do anything yourself!"

'If she cooks, it'll be bad, well at least we got a better cook now.' Onodera can't cook, all of the family knows that. 

"I'm going to handle the register till the afternoon." She added.

After seriously saying her part, looking at her daughter who thought her embarrassment is finally done. She couldn't have been more wrong.

The mother smiled mischievously. "Ara~ But what a face you're making in front of a man!~"

The daughter who thought she was safe became beet red once again but suffering continues. "And for you to introduce him to me. Ara~ Kosaki you're so DA-R-ING~ ♡"

"M-MOTHER!!!"

"This is the first time mommy saw it ♡~" Her daughter is already out-of-breath, maybe she'll faint if she teases more so she'll be out now.

"Nyohohaha later!~" And she walked away with an accompanying villain laugh.

As this whole scene fold-out, I am still stunned state, I must say I am not normally lost composure to such things except people who think that treats me like a doormat but it still echoes to my mind: "You're going to be my son-in-law."

'I-It means I passed! Not just passed! I passed with flying colors! Mom, your son is going to be unsingled now! Mom, I swear I will not be unfilial anymore, I got the blessings of my mother-in-law in advance!' That's the running process in my mind now. 

And now Onodera, she's speechless, her embarrassing look for her Ichijou-kun to see, again and again, she's been teased and embarrassed and now her mind is a mess and the already awkward connection with him became more awkward!

'W-What he thinks of me now!!' She doesn't even dare to think about it.