Next Gen. (The rivalry continues)

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Words buzzed around our family about my mom's sudden invitation and uncle rang my mom's phone like a debt collector after I texted him about it. My father looked stunned when he learned about what was about to happen tonight and based on their reactions, I can tell that something haD happened between all of them in the past. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to infer about the situation. So, while my mom was preparing, I decided to infiltrate and ask some questions to feed my curiosity. 

" Mom, why'd you want to invite Leon's dad by the way?" I questioned while stealing a bite of the mochi she bought. Her eyes tried to avoid mine like she was keeping some secret. 

" Oh, nothing. It's just we rarely invite guests in our house," her lips curved up in a smile. My mom is good at hiding her emotions, especially when she's upset. The only response I could come up with is to make a sound of agreement and nod my head. Just as I was about to take another piece of mochi the doorbell rung loudly. 

" Natsuki, can you open the door for me," she pleaded so I did as I was told. The door creaked loudly as I opened it. Leon was standing in the center between Oikawa-san and his mother. I lowered my head and respectfully bowed to them. 

" Good evening," I greeted his parents. Leon stood still while on his phone as if he was uninterested in the whole thing.

" Good evening, Natsuki-chan." Oikawa-san smiled cheerfully. I was taken aback by how cheerful Leon's father was. 

" Where are your parents?" He looked around for answers. Before I could respond, I felt my mother's hands on my shoulders. 

" Hi, Oikawa." She greeted and dad stood beside her. 

" Thanks for inviting us, by the way." 

" Oh, no problem." They both smiled at each other. I looked to see my mom confused while eyeing Leon's mother. Oikawa-san must've noticed and took it as a chance to introduce us to her. 

" This is Ayako. She's my girlfriend." I nodded my head but stopped as soon as I saw Leon. He's been trying not to pay attention to anything until now and his face showed a hint of annoyance. 

"O-oh. I see." She laughed awkwardly like she expected something else. My dad stepped in and greeted Ayako-san. 

" You guys should come in. It's getting cold." Dad said and escorted the two to our dining room. Leon followed neither of them and stayed with me. I could sense something was wrong or that he wasn't feeling it. 

" Just so you know." 

"hm?" I turned around to look at him. His hands were placed inside his pockets and he looked at me dead in the eyes. 

" She's not my mother."  My eyebrows furrowed. " Really?" He nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders. 

The dinner was awkward at first. It was like our tongues were all tied up and everyone refused to speak. I couldn't handle the silence anymore, it was annoying and unbearable so I decided to start the conversation. 

" Mom, dad. How'd you know Oikawa-san?" Dad choked on his food, leading me to believe that what I asked was a rather inappropriate question. 

" Hmmm, we went to the same junior high back in the days," Oikawa-san replied quickly. It was an attempt to save the air around us. Leon looked quite interested, and so I decided to keep the questions going. 

" Ahh, that's really cool. Then, is it true that Oikawa-san and my dad rivalled each other?" I turned my head to my mom and dad, hoping that they'd answer the question this time. 

" Yeah. In our high school days, our schools rivalled against each other." I was surprised to see my dad respond. Now that I've run out of questions to ask I had no idea what to do to ease the tension. I ate quietly instead, this was not what I quite imagined to happen. I expected a lively chat from our parents, some catching up with life or anything else. My mom cleared her throat and smiled at Oikawa-san.