Miserably Delightful

chapter 24

When Kota approached me before homeroom in the courtyard, his cheeks tinted red and muttering numbers under his breath, I immediately became concerned. I smiled reassuringly and motioned for him to sit next to me, intertwining fingers with him. I squeezed his hand gently, letting him know I was there for him.

"Everything okay?" I asked, cocking my head slightly. After I did so, I thought that Kota might have muttered "adorable" but I couldn't be too sure.

"Uh, well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, obviously embarrassed about whatever it was that was bothering him. "I've been talking about you a lot, lately." It was my turn to blush now. "And my mom wanted to know if you would like to have dinner at our house tonight..."

At first I was shocked by the inquiry but then I was beaming. I had met his mom and sister a couple of times, but only in passing when I was meeting with Kota and we had somewhere to be. I resisted the urge to bounce in my seat from excitement.

"I would love to have dinner at your house," I exclaimed, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. His cheeks flushed a deep red again, and I couldn't help but grin. It felt good to not be the only one always blushing.

So, that was how I ended up waiting on Kota's doorstep, nervously smoothing over my skirt as I waited for someone to answer the door. I was squirming in place, both excited and anxious, the two emotions waging a war in my stomach. I nearly sighed in relief when the door opened and Kota's smiling face greeted me. I could have kissed his face off if it weren't for the fact that I knew his mom was inside the house waiting for us.

"Don't worry," he muttered to me, obviously noting the fact that I was continuously smoothing down my skirt to keep my hands busy. I tried my best to smile as he led me into the kitchen, a hand resting on the small of my back. "My mom is going to love you."

"I don't have the best track records with parents," I whispered to him, eyeing up the back of the woman I assumed to be Kota's mother. "I mean, you have met my mom, right?"

He chuckled and gently bopped my head. "Shush."

I giggled but then abruptly stopped when Erica Lee turned around and faced me, a beaming smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile back, the vibes she gave off making me feel comfortable and welcomed. My mood dimmed slightly at the fact that my mother had never greeted me in such a way, and she never would, knowing her. My smile slipped some, but I managed to keep it on my face.

"It's so good to finally formally meet you, Sang!" Erica exclaimed, seeming genuinely pleased that I had taken time out of my schedule to have dinner at her house.

"It's nice to finally formally meet you too," I said, my shyness shining through. I spent most of my time around the guys, allowing my outgoing and bubbly side to shine through a lot. When around other people though, I reverted back to my shy and mostly quiet form though.

"Do you need any help with anything, Mom?" Kota asked, resting his hands on my shoulders as a reassuring gesture. I leaned into his touch, and didn't miss the way Erica's eyes shone at the movement.

Erica waved her hand dismissively, still smiling. "No, no. Dinner is almost finished. You two can hang out while I finish up and I'll call you in when it's ready."

I wanted to insist that I could help somehow, but before I got the chance, Kota was pulling me into the living room and leading me over to the couch. He sat on the couch, then raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to sit with him. I grinned, resisting the urge to shake my head at him, and plopped down beside him.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in close and nuzzling his nose against my neck. I giggled, winding an arm around his neck, leaning into his touch. It was harder for Kota and I to get time alone due to the fact that he took a lot of hard classes, and we were both often handling the boys. In a way, I liked to think of us as a team, leading and taking care of the others together. Since we barely spent any time alone, I savored the small moments of privacy we occasionally stole.