Asuna's P.O.V.
Asuna's mother shuts the door and looks at her. "What are you dawdling for? Go get dressed this instant! I want you to look your best. Your outfit is fine, but your hair and makeup need desperate attention. Get upstairs and fix it!", she said.
Asuna did just as she was told. She went upstairs and fixed her hair and makeup. She still couldn't believe her mom had just been nice to her and acted like a real human being. The only thing that was hard now was telling her mom that she was moving out. She would need to wait a while and plan everything. She needed to get a job, first of all. Second of all, she needed to find a place. Third of all, she needed to get the place. She knew this would probably take a while, a few months at least.
Asuna finished with her makeup. She had taken it all off and just done the foundation and mascara. She didn't want to doll herself up too much for this. She was determined to keep her boyfriend and not have her mom force her into anything else.
Asuna went downstairs to find that the guest had already arrived. She looked at the clock above the mantelpiece and found that it was much later than she thought. It was already 6:30. Where had the time gone?
Her mom turned and spotted her. "Asuna. This is Mr. Takumi. He is an investor in your father's company. Say hello.", she said.
Mr. Takumi was a tall man who looked to be about age 25. If Asuna were to guess, she would say he was probably six feet tall. She was only 5'6. Her mom was the same height. Takumi was handsome and had longer hair, tied in a ponytail behind him. Asuna hated the way long hair looked on men. This man was no exception. He was still handsome, but he would be better without the long hair.
Mr. Takumi extended his left hand to her to shake her hand, and Asuna realized with a jolt that he was wearing a gold wedding band. She felt much better now. She could be herself and not make herself seem boring and uninteresting. She had always tried to be annoying to the guys that her mother had tried to set her up with. She hated acting that way, but when one was trying to be unattractive, it was all she could do.
Asuna sat down at the table and stared at the feast that was sitting on it. There was Sukiyaki, tempura, sashimi, yakitori, tonkatsu, and even soba udon. Asuna had never known her mother to make such extravagant dishes. Asuna had never even tried half of what was at the table.
Asuna was seated across from Mr. Takumi, who, to her surprise, was looking at her like one of her mother's suitors. She gulped and decided that maybe she would play boring just in case. She didn't think it was anything, but it could have been something.
"Mr. Takumi, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself? Are you married, any family?", said Asuna's mom. Mr. Takumi smiled politely. He spoke to the whole table, but he looked more often at Asuna.
"I was married. I have two children, but my wife died while delivering them. They are two years old. Both girls. One is Hayami and the other is Hanada. They are very sweet children. I wish that they had a mother. They might turn out better if they were nurtured by a woman, too, rather than just a man.", Takumi said.
Asuna gulped again. That seemed to be directed at her. She didn't want to marry him! His hair was gross! No way! She had to play dull. She couldn't be interesting at all. She had to be stupid and ignorant. Guy often hated girls like that, so maybe she would even have to be disrespectful. Just in case the other was not enough to dissuade him.
"Oh? Your wife died? That's sad.", Asuna said. She tried to be a little monotone.
"Yes, it is. She was a very wonderful person. She wasn't too independent, she was beautiful, she was kind. She would try to cook, but she was just not very good at it, so I handled the cooking. It was comical how she would always mess it up. I miss her a lot, but my kids take most of the pain off my mind. they are such bright little things." , he replied.
