Shy

Chapter 10

          Clink.

Tsukiko's chopsticks clinked against her bowl. She had just finished eating and was preparing to tell her parents that she was going to come home late. She looked to her guardians.

Her mother was at the sink, washing the dishes. Her father sat at the head of the table and was reading the newspaper as usual.

Something seemed oddly familiar about this scene.

This time, it was Tsukiko's mother who noticed that she was just sitting there. "Oh, are you done eating, sweetie? Here, hand me the dishes." Her mother held out her hand for the dishes. Tsukiko complied. "U-um..." Both of her parents looked in her direction.

"I-I'm going to be home l-late again...Is that o-okay?" Her father widened his eyes. This was the first in a long time that his daughter was being so outgoing. Usually she would be home right after school. There were a couple times in a whole semester where she would stay for classroom cleaning duty or for festival preparations, but never consecutively for some other reason. "Again? What are you staying for?" Her father asked. He truly hoped that it wouldn't be because of the boys' volleyball club again.

"I'm j-joining the Student Council t-today." Both parents' eyes widened. Her mother was the first to react. "Honey, that's great! I'm so happy to see you joining a club! What position are you?" "V-vice-President."

Her father gave a boisterous laugh. "That's my girl! Next thing you know, she'll be President in no time!" He started muttering to himself about how smart and capable his little Tsu-chan was. Tsukiko slightly smiled. Her heart was swelling with pride, but she still needed to tell them about also going to the boys' volleyball team practice. "I-I'm also going to w-watch –" She was cut off by her mother's hand covering her mouth.

"Oh, Tsukiko! Look at the time! You'll be late for school if you don't leave soon." With that, her mother pushed Tsukiko's briefcase book bag to her and then proceeded to push Tsukiko to the front door. Tsukiko's father was still busy muttering about how great his daughter is and hadn't even noticed that Tsukiko had something else to say, nor did he notice how his wife cut her off and was urging Tsukiko to leave.

When they reached the front door, Tsukiko gave her mother a questioning look. Her mother already knew what Tsukiko wanted to ask. "I know you were about to say that you were also going to watch the boys' volleyball team practice, but if you had said it, your father would've freaked out. Then, neither of us would hear the end of it."

Tsukiko nodded at her mother, but still held a small bit of confusion on her face. Why would her father be troubled about her going to the boys' volleyball practice?

Her mother looked at her knowingly. Of course her daughter wouldn't know. She probably wasn't even aware of the extent of her father's affections towards her, but she wasn't going to touch on that subject now.

"You're going for that boy, aren't you? The one from last night? The one who walked you home?" Tsukiko gave a startled squeal of embarrassment and her cheeks flushed the usual red. She hadn't known that her mother was aware of the whole situation yesterday. Her mother hadn't said a single word about it, nor did she give any sort of indication that she saw the events that transpired.

Her mother always knew though. She wasn't completely oblivious to her daughter's activities. She witnessed the events of last night through the kitchen window, while she just about finished preparing dinner. Of course she couldn't hear the conversation, but she could've taken a few guesses as to the topic, seeing how both of them were flustered.

Tsukiko's mother gave her own squeal. "My daughter is finally blossoming into a young woman!" Tsukiko blushed further at that. "I-I'm just going as an a-apology! I treated him unfairly, s-so I wanted to repay him..." She trailed off, gripping her briefcase book bag tightly while looking down at her feet.