They went home.
Rei said, "Bye… see you tomorrow."
She replied, "Sure… bye," then went inside, closed the door, and as she tossed her bag on the sofa—before the bag could even touch the surface—her mother called from the kitchen,
"Honey… get changed quickly, food is almost ready."
Sera smiled and replied, "Okay, Mom."
She quickly changed into comfortable clothes and came downstairs. But before she even reached the bottom step, her mother called out again,
"Honey, are you hungry? Come on, food's almost ready!"
Sera stood in the doorway for a second, watching her mom work. Then, with a hesitant voice, she said,
"Mom… actually, I ate at a café."
The sounds of utensils went silent for a moment. Then her mother asked,
"But honey… you forgot to take your pocket money this morning. So how did you pay?"
Sera quickly answered,
"Rei paid for it… I told him not to, but he insisted."
"Ohhh… who is Rei? Did my little Sera get a boyfriend?" her mom asked, her voice playful and amused.
Sera's face instantly turned red.
"It's not like that, Mooomm!" she yelled, embarrassed.
Then she ran upstairs, went into her room, and slammed the door shut. She jumped onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow, murmuring to herself,
"It's nothing like that… he's just a friend."
After only a few minutes, her mother's voice came from the other side of the door,
"At least show me a pic of my son-in-law, dear."
Sera groaned loudly and threw her pillow at the door.
"He isn't your son-in-law, Mom!" she yelled in frustration.
Her mother, still teasing, said,
"What about inviting him for dinner this weekend?"
Sera sighed and replied,
"Okay… but only to repay him for the food today."
Her mother clapped her hands.
"I'll make every tasty food he likes!"
Then, the door slowly opened, and Sera came out.
"Mom… I'll make dinner for us that day," she said with a grin, a hint of defiance in her voice.
Her mother teased again,
"Ohhh… practicing to be a good wife? That's my daughter!"
Sera blushed again and replied,
"Mooomm… how many times do I have to tell you it's nothing like that?!"
Her mother, still amused, asked,
"At least tell me… is he handsome?"
Sera shrugged, her heart racing once more.
"Yeah… kinda," she muttered.
Her mother smiled and walked away, but then said,
"Honey… don't lie to yourself. If you like someone, just confess your feelings. Don't let your soul stay heavy. I liked someone at your age too… and now he's your dad. So, be honest with yourself. Maybe you'll find your soulmate too."
Then she walked away, her voice calm yet serious.
Sera's eyes widened.
"It's rare to see her talking seriously… and why is my heart racing so fast?... Why do I even feel this way?"
---
—to be continued
~Rei