Getting Pulled Over and Bundled into the Trunk

Awkward Conversations

Gakushuu hadn't been expecting much when he'd agreed to have a Christmas meal with his father, they never really celebrated it properly anyway.

So he'd been surprised and a little freaked out when he'd come back to the house to find a Christmas tree, the living room decorated head to toe in tinsel, and a full course meal ready for them.

Gakushuu shifted uncomfortably as he sat at the dining table, his father coming in with the chicken. A full course of veg, rice, potatoes, meat, and seasoned creations he wasn't sure of laid out on the table like something from a heart-warming American Christmas movie.

"Uh..."

"There we are." His father put the chicken down and took off his oven gloves. "That should be everything, feel free to eat."

"...Okay." Gakushuu looked unsure, staring at the meal. "Thank you...dad."

Fuck, this was weird. Was this what normal families did?!

His father smiled and sat down at the head of the table. "I found the different recipes on this website called Pinterest? Have you heard of it?"

Gakushuu raised an eyebrow, piling some veg and rice on his plate. "...Yes."

"It's quite useful for mood boards," he replied, smiling still. "I also decided to join the Twitter—"

His eye twitched. "It's just called Twitter."

"Yes, that." His father carried on. "I've been following your profile—you don't post much."

Gakushuu sighed. "Yes, well, I tend to let Ren just do the posting on behalf of both of us." He started eating so he wouldn't need to talk much.

"Ah, I see." His father sipped some juice. "So what is Itona doing this evening?"

"He's playing video games at Karma's," Gakushuu replied, shrugging. "He'll be back at nine. Then we're going to play some board games together."

"Oh." His father looked surprised. "What kind of board games?"

Gakushuu hesitated a little. "Koyama got him hooked on Dungeons and Dragons."

"Ah." His father chuckled lightly. "I see. Yes, I think I've heard of that. Do you like playing it?"

He shrugged, poking at his beef. "It's enjoyable, I suppose..."

His father nodded, looking interested. "Would you like a copy for your birthday?"

"What?" He frowned, confused briefly before he realised his father wanted to get him a gift. "Oh..." He started to feel uncomfortable. "No, it's fine. I don't really want anything."

His father's smile wavered. "Well, perhaps you'll change your mind and think of something."

Gakushuu hummed, trying to force a smile. Koro-sensei keeps nagging us to give people second chances, he reminded himself. His father was still his legal guardian for the next two to three years, it would be in his best interests to try to get along. Even if it was a little bit too much...

The whole shift in the atmosphere was jarring, the lights and decorations around the house felt too bright like they belonged somewhere else. He would have preferred it if they'd just cooked something simple together and not had so many decorations around.

His father placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

Gakushuu forced himself to relax. "Yes. The food is nice." He ate a big mouthful; it was delicious, but it also made him feel bloated.