Yuzuki’s face shifted into a brief grimace at the suspicion in her daughter’s voice. ‘Do you want the long answer or the short one?’
‘I think I’d better have the long one. The short one would probably make this situation very awkward.’
‘More so than it already is? Very well. First, we will support you, no matter what you wish to do.’ Ouch. Not good. ‘We have seen no reports of your relationship with Nava, so it seems that you are keeping it quiet.’
‘For now.’
Yuzuki nodded. ‘Very well, for now. If you make it public, or even official, there will be repercussions. I assume you understand that?’
‘Yes. No one has mentioned marriage, Mother. Something like that is far too premature.’
A smile slid onto Yuzuki’s face. ‘And I am glad to see that all semblance of common sense has not left you. If you become less quiet about your relationship, there will be… unpleasant stories in the media. There will be gossip. There are some who will shun you for your choice of partner. There are many who will view Nava as a gold-digger. Her treatment is likely to be harsh.’
‘That kind of thing doesn’t bother her in the least.’
‘It will bother you.’
Mitsuko paused and then nodded. ‘You’re right. It would. Alright, you asked what my intentions are. What I want is that Nava moves into my apartment and that we make the relationship public, at least as far as the school is concerned.’
‘I see.’ There was no disapproval in Yuzuki’s tone. Then again, Mitsuko knew that her mother was almost as good at hiding her feelings as Nava was.
‘What we’re doing is waiting. Nava insisted. If we’re still together at the start of next year, then she’s agreed to be my roommate as well as my, um, lover.’
Yuzuki actually grinned this time. ‘Don’t want to say that word in front of your mother?’
‘It was like pulling teeth.’
‘This is why an arranged marriage is better. The parents are expecting sex to be involved so there is no need to mention it.’ A puzzled sort of frown replaced the grin. ‘Of course, my mother insisted on giving me “the talk” on the night before our wedding, so perhaps it all evens out. I assume, from your wishes and their resolution, that Nava has insisted upon the delay?’
‘Yes. She may not care what people think of her, but she is concerned about my reputation. Probably more so than I am.’
Yuzuki picked up the glass of juice she had poured. ‘As I said, Zackery and I will support you, no matter the outcome, but you should think on the matter as seriously as, it seems, your lover has.’ There was a very slight emphasis on ‘lover’ which brought colour to Mitsuko’s cheeks. ‘Off the record, the more I learn of Nava Ward, the more I think that she is an excellent catch. If you break up with her, we may have to put her on the payroll to keep someone else from grabbing her.’
With that, Yuzuki swept out of the room, leaving Mitsuko moderately confused. And still blushing.
~~~
Michiko was sulky at dinner because she had heard that her Onee-chan was going to the city in the morning and had been told that she was not allowed to go too. Rochester did – mostly jokingly – suggest that she take his spot, but Onee-chan was being firm.
‘I’m not sure how you can deny anything to someone that cute,’ Kyle said. He was grinning, but he was also right. Michiko was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts today, rather than a yukata, but she was terminally cute whatever she wore.
‘Years of practice,’ Mitsuko replied. ‘You must show Kyle your Telekinesis, Michiko. Kyle is something of a specialist in that kind of thing.’
‘You are?’ Michiko asked, all her sullenness vanishing in the face of someone who might appreciate her magic.
‘Well, I suppose I am,’ Kyle replied. ‘I have a number of ranged spells, but I’m really a close-combat specialist. With the Telekinesis spell, I can fight someone far away with the same moves I’d use close up.’
‘Oh. Are you going to join the ASF when you leave school? Are you really still in school? You look too old to be in school.’
Kyle grinned. ‘I am still in school, but I won’t be next year. And, yes, I do plan on joining the ASF, though which part of it is… unsure at the moment.’
‘My fault,’ Courtney said. Her cheeks were a little red. ‘I plan to go into policing work and Kyle’s not sure whether he wants to go the same route or stick with the regular marines.’
The comment was really more for the adults at the table, but Michiko pondered it carefully. ‘I think the police are more important. We haven’t had a war in a long time. The police keep everyone safe at home.’
‘Ah,’ Zackery said, ‘but there are pirates and smugglers, Michiko. The navy and regular marines deal with them.’ His attention turned to Kyle. ‘Not that it’s my business to provide career counselling for you, young man, but you may get much the same experience in an ASF Special Tactics Unit as you would in the marines, with the added benefit of not spending half your life on a spaceship.’
‘I wouldn’t want to spend all that time on a spaceship,’ Michiko said, possibly to keep her place in the conversation.
‘It’s a valid point,’ Kyle agreed. ‘And thank you for your advice, sir. I had considered that. It’s possible that my talents would be better suited to an STU, actually.’
‘You know you’re going to actually have to make your relationship official if you want the ASF to keep you together,’ Mitsuko said.
‘We know,’ Courtney said curtly. ‘That’s down to me too. It’s my family who’ll kick up a fuss.’
Mitsuko glanced at her mother, but it was Nava who spoke. ‘Your family is quite a powerful one while Kyle’s is not. It’s a shame that the difference in social
