Permission

"Okay, go freshen up for dinner, you guys~," Mom said as we entered through the door.

"Okay~," I cheerfully replied as I left them standing at the entrance and quickly ran up to the bathroom to take a shower.

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***

After entering the bathroom, I quickly took my clothes off, turned the shower on, and started to wash away all the dirt and sweat accumulated during the afternoon training.

After finishing washing up, I picked up the towel from the hanger next to me and wiped myself off, wrapping it around my waist. Then, I went near the bathroom mirror to check myself out.

Well, not gonna lie, I am pretty much in the category between handsome and average. But the most important and proudest thing...

I got the Six-pack abs, baibyyy!!

Yess! Because of these 5 years of hardcore training, I have these legendary six-pack abs, that some of you might have only dreamed of or seen in photos and videos.

Yeah I know, It's kind of a 4th wall break. But I can't help it, okay?! Just look at these babies!! Cough, cough, okay-

After checking out my abs, I started to flex my muscles and do some bodybuilding poses. Well, Boys doing Boys' shit.

2 minutes after doing all that flexing and posing, I completely went silent as I looked at my reflection's face in the mirror and started to contemplate something in stark silence.

-slap!

I don't know how it came to mind, but out of nowhere, I not-so-hardly double-slapped myself across my cheeks.

I can't help it okay?! I am pretty nervous right now. Because I am about to ask for permission from my parents about something that I know I will regret doing. I know even if Dad doesn't say anything, Mom will definitely nag me for days.

"Sigh~, goddammit... Let's do this shit."

I hardly awakened my sleeping determination from the deepest core of my heart with all my might and walked towards the battle fie- cough*, I meant, walked towards the dining room to feast upon the delicious meal that I knew Mom would be cooking...

After wearing my clothes, I came out of my room to the living room through the corridor. Well, this room is basically a room for show-of-, cough*, I meant this room is for serving any guests that come to our house, filled with couches, a table, and a TV.

Heh!, and adorned on the wall are the trophies and medals that me and my dad earned with our blood and sweat. Well, sweat for me and blood for my Dad.

My 2 golds and 3 silvers from the martial arts tournaments are in the second row and Dad's Medal of Honor is in the first row alone at the top. Well, compared to that, my golds and silvers look pale in comparison.

The other medals in the third row are just earned from some other competition like drawing, singing, dancing, etc.

-sniff, sniff...

'Wait... This smell... sniff!!.. Don't tell me!!'

I quickly went to the dining room and looked at the six-person middle-sized dining table... and as I thought, it was there. Hahahaha!!

"You're late as always. Now stop staring at the food and take a seat, will you~?" Mom chided as she noticed me entering and gawking at the food.

'I can't help it okay?! Chicken curry with rice is my favorite!'

Gulping, I slid back the chair and took my place, exchanging nods with Dad, who sat in his usual quiet demeanor, waiting for us to begin.

"What's the special occasion?" I inquired, watching Mom slice a lemon.

"Well, nothing great. Just my mood was good today," Mom replied, setting the plate down and taking a seat.

"And the reason?" I prodded playfully.

"Well, a rich customer came to the cafe today, and she was like, super cute. Her name was Risa Watson. Looking at her, she must be a few years younger than me. She ordered a ..."

I glanced at my dad and funnily smiled at each other in secret and continued to blissfully savor our meal as we listened to Mom's banter about her new acquaintance.

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*5 minutes later*

"... then we had a drink and hit it off pretty well. She was stressed about her new job and shared it with me and I advised her a little and we became friends. I invited her to our house by the way. Tomorrow evening."

"Well, It's great."

"Right?!"

As dinner progressed, Mom's banter filled the room and Dad interjecting occasionally. And me? Well -

"Um hm."

I couldn't even say something because my mouth was filled with food.

'Ahh, I love it'

"Need anything, guys?" Mom asked us.

"Uhu" "Uhu" and we both shook our heads in denial.

Then we continued to eat and talked with full delight. Well more specifically, only Mom was doing the talking. Well, It was our routine, Mom being the social butterfly while Dad and I listened, nodding along. Sigh, just how can she talk so much?...

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*Another 5 minutes later*

"... trynna do? and I was like what are you talking about? Hahaha, it was so funny," Mom chuckled, recounting another amusing encounter.

"was it?"

"Yeah! And then he said..."

Seriously, how could she talk so much?! Well, I guess it's a mom thing.

Mom is like, the most social person I've ever known in my life. Completely opposite to us antisocial pair of father and son. I have no idea how my antisocial father made Mom fall in love with him. It's a mystery.

"... like, rub it across the wall!! Hahaha!"

"Hmm."

I was done eating as I watched them happily chatting with each other.

As the conversation ebbed, I seized the opportunity to broach the topic weighing on my mind.

'Fuuhhhhh... Here goes nothing.'

"Um...," I began tentatively, raising my hand to speak.

Mom paused, giving me her full attention.

"Yes?"

'Okay, I got this.'

Summoning my resolve, I blurted out in one breath, "U-um, there is a birthday party tomorrow. Well, one of my friends from class, they invited me and I even prepared a gift. So, can I go?..."

Yeah, I know, it looks like I'm pretty nervous. Well, I AM nervous. Because at that moment, it happened what I feared of happening -

Silence followed as Mom scrutinized me, her detective mode engaged. I held my breath, waiting for her verdict. And it came,

"Well, we can't agree to this if you ask so suddenly. Tell us more specifically."

"....."

I said nothing. No, I can't say anything. As a result? It came,

"... Is she a girl?~" Mom's mischievous grin was unmistakable.

'Dammit'

"Yes, she is, but it's not like what you think," I hurriedly explained, trying to stop her horses, but it was futile.

"Hehehe~, A grown-up man now, ey? You naughty. Look how much you have grown~," Mom teased, much to my chagrin.

"No! She's just a friend," I protested, but Mom persisted with her playful banter.

"Yeeesss~, just frieeends~," she teased further, her fingers forming air quotes.

"No it's not frieeends~, it's just friends. Like in Normal Friends," I retorted, but Mom wasn't buying it.

"Yeess~," she persisted, unfazed by my attempts to set the record straight.

'Sigh~, she's impossible.'

Frustrated, I turned to Dad for support, but he surprised me with a straightforward question.

"When will be the party held tomorrow?"

Caught off guard, I scrambled for an answer. "U-um, probably at 02:00 or 03:00 pm."

"Where?" Dad's interrogation continued.

"In a newly opened restaurant near their house," I improvised, hoping to appease him.

"Okay. But get back home before night no matter what," Dad commanded sternly.

Relieved, I nodded in agreement, bidding them good night before retreating to my room. But before I could fully relax, a familiar sound interrupted my thoughts.

-woof!! woof!!.. woof!!

Suddenly I heard a sound of barking. And it's coming from the front entrance.

"After a whole day, finally found the way to home, eh?" Mom loudly spoke up in annoyance from her seat.

Well, I know who it is. It's him. No doubt about it. Finally came back home after being absent the whole day. I don't know where he was, but I have to act stern sometimes to prevent him from becoming more mischievous, right?

I quickly ran to the door and opened it... And there he is. The epitome of naughtiness. My number one best friend, Aaron. Aaro for short.

How can someone act sternly in front of him? Just look how cute he is~.

I had no choice but to bend down and happily pick him up as he crazily wiggled his tail. Well, he is a Husky not more than 13 or 14 months old. We adopted him and he pretty much became one of our family members.

-Slurp! Slurp! Woof!

"Wow! St-stop! Stop it!!"

And... Yeah, he licked my face off, covering my face with his saliva. And I sat him down.

"You're becoming more devilish day after day, eh?" I chuckled, scolding him playfully.

Well, I was the fool who picked him up in the first place.

-Woof!!

And he replied as I wiped my face with my sleeve.

"Sigh, what am I going to do with you, man? Where were you the whole day?" I asked him leaving out a sigh, despite knowing, he couldn't answer me even if he wanted to as I started to walk towards the kitchen to bring him his food.

"He was probably with his new girlfriend from the neighborhood," Mom replied on his behalf.

"Oh? New girlfriend?"

I looked at him with a playful smirk. Unknown to me, it was the same smile Mom was showing while teasing me. Well, genes...

"Haha, even Aaro has a girlfriend now. When will you bring me a daughter-in-law, son? My old bones can't keep me up already~" Mom playfully asked me with that same teasing smile.

"What are you talking about?! I'm 19!!" My face turned a little red as I flusteredly asked her.

"That's what I'm talking about!! You're 19! You're already past the age to make girlfriends, you self-proclaimed antisocial neet!! Oh, wait. Why don't you bring home that "Frieeend~" of yours sometimes?"

"Tsk!" 'Darn it.'

"Oi! Did you just click your tongue at me?!" Mom exclaimed, but I tactfully ignored her, focusing on attending to Aaron.

"Well, here's your special occasion chicken. Eat slowly, okay?" I served him his food on his named plate and he happily began to devour it. Then I stood up and said to my parents -

"I'm going to sleep. Good night, you guys."

"Good night~" "Good night."

Then I headed to my room, eager for some well-deserved rest...

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*Pov Change*

After Noah headed to his room and disappeared from view, Gary and Avanta exchanged a glance and shared a chuckle.

It was Avanta who chuckled, while Gary offered a small smile.

Then, Avanta playfully remarked as she watched Noah's departure, "Looks like the kid's all grown up now. Did he really think he could fool his own mother? Heh."

"Hmm. Let's hope it doesn't affect his studies. Then everything's fine," Gary said calmly.

"Don't worry. He can handle himself, just like we did," Avanta said smugly, casting a proud look at her husband.

"Hm? If I remember correctly, you barely scraped through exams and might've failed if it weren't for those few extra points," Gary said with a smile, his finger tapping his chin as if in thought.

Avanta's face turned bright red like a tomato, but she brushed it off and quickly tried to retaliate, "Well, at least I'm an expert in being a good wife," she said, giving him a grin.

"Oh, is that so?" Gary playfully responded with a smile. "Then why don't you demonstrate that expertise right now?"

Caught off guard, Avanta stammered, her face turning even redder as she hurriedly got up and made an excuse about having work to do, fleeing to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Meanwhile, if Noah had witnessed his father's teasing exchange with Avanta, he might have collapsed to the floor in astonishment, seeing his usually quiet and composed father's character break.

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*Pov Change*

After entering my room, I didn't waste a second and went directly to lie down on the bed. And started to think about the gift that I'm going to give the birthday girl tomorrow.

To tell you the truth, I just spun a web of lies with my mother and lied to her. Yeah. I have not prepared any gift for her. I lied because I wanted to show her that I was pretty serious about going to the party.

I can't figure out what I am going to give her, okay?! It's pretty hard. Shall I select something from the girly things like a hair band or hair clip? Or just go the gentlemen's path and give her a simple bouquet of roses and chocolate? I can't wrap my head around it, dammit!!

Sigh, well, tomorrow's things for tomorrow. So, let's just leave this for tomorrow to ponder and go to sleep. I'm pretty exhausted after that hardcore training anyway.

After a few seconds, as I was starting to fall asleep, at that moment, like a mosquito on my ear, my darn phone started to ring like a pain in the ass.

'There goes my sleep.'

Then I, drowsy and irritated, unwillingly picked up the phone near my pillow and looked at the caller ID.

As soon as I saw the name, my whole sleepiness disappeared without any traces. The reason? Well...

On the phone screen, there's a name showing there, written in big fonts.

And, that name is -

[ MA NIGGA ]