Kaito Ishioka had a problem. He had a massive problem. More than one, actually. One, he's a romantic. Two, he's horrible at studying. Three, his tendency to work until he achieves his goal is ruining his life. It's an obsession. An unhealthy one tha...
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WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT that Kaito had made it onto Aoba Johsai's volleyball team, his family had thrown him a mini party. They insisted on making a big deal out of it, even though Kaito thought the whole thing was unnecessary. In truth, he wasn't one to celebrate any kind of accomplishment—he just did what he could, and whether his efforts paid off or not, it didn't change a single thing. Life would still continue...just a little less fun. But, for the sake of the small gesture, Kaito went along with it. If his family wanted to throw him a party, they were allowed to. It only seemed fair. They had put up with him and his excessive training for the whole of summer, after all. Besides, Kaito loved the extra food Mizuki made for this occasion.
His mother set up the roundtable with an assortment of drinks and dishes. His family all sat around the table, practically drooling over the feast before them. Streamers and balloons hung from each corner of the room, and the flames of the candles at the center of the table emphasized the atmosphere circling the room: warm, content, and full of love.
"Damn, ma," Kaito whistled, chewing on a piece of steak, the brown sauce smeared across his lips and chin as he continued speaking through his mouthful of food, "You sure you don't want to get a job in the culinary industry? You could be a five Michelin star chef at this rate." His older brothers gave him a disgusted look, muttering something about his bad manners, but Kaito knew they didn't look any better than him.
When presented with such a fine, seldom opportunity, it was only given that the Ishioka boys stuffed themselves full.
Sora gave a hearty laugh and nodded in agreement. "Your mother would utterly destroy her competition." He reached forward for more potato salad, but Mizuki swatted his hand away, pointedly staring at his face.
"Clean your mouth, Sora," she chastised, her voice stern. "You're setting a bad example."
"What!" Sora's eyes widened, hands fumbling to gesture in front of him. "But look at them! They're just as bad as me!" he defended.
"That's because they take after you." She stuck out her tongue, a glint of playfulness in her eyes. Sora pouted at the subtle insult but relented. With a huff, he pulled out a napkin and began dapping at the corners of his mouth, careful not to stain his shirt.
Satisfied, Mizuki turned to her middle child and smiled kindly. "Thank you for the compliment, honey. You're too generous."
Kaito shrugged. "Just saying the truth."
"So, what happened at your tryouts? Don't spare any detail."
Kaito chewed on a second piece of meat and swallowed it hastily. His lips parted, and his family braced themselves for the obvious rant coming their way. "You won't believe it, mama!" Kaito's eyes shone like twin jewels; his cheeks were puffed out, and he looked ready to burst into tears of joy at the mere recollection of the event. "I was doing drills with Shi-san, and everything was going smoothly– except I have to work on my blocks more, but that won't take long. I just need to fix my form and watch videos on—"
