Although Utaha felt a long-overdue joy of returning home when they first met, this joyful mood only lasted for a short moment before vanishing.
As for the reason.
"I feel like... Utaha has gained weight this time?" Sitting in the passenger seat, Kao blinked her wine-red eyes, which were identical to her daughter's, and said in a tone that gave off a strong passive-aggressive vibe.
Clench! My fists are clenching!
"Hehe, it's been a while." Gritting her teeth slightly, suppressing the anger on her tense, pretty face, Utaha replied in a 'calm' tone. "Mom, you're joking, right? Seriously, you don't have the talent for comedy either."
"Is that so?"
Like a young girl, Kao turned her face, tilted her head slightly, and put on an innocent, natural expression.
"Although I wasn't joking just now, since you put it that way, Utaha..."
Saying this, Kao withdrew her gaze from her daughter in the back seat and turned to her husband, who was driving the car nervously.
"Mr. Naoki, please stop at the shop ahead. I need to buy a scale to take home."
Snap—!
The string in her brain named 'Reason' broke. A non-existent '#' symbol prominently appeared on Utaha's forehead.
"Aren't you a doctor? Please don't waste time on your daughter, hurry back to the hospital."
Hurry up! Roll back to your hospital right now!
Glancing at her daughter, who looked like an exploding cat in the rearview mirror, and then at his wife, who was wearing a pleasant smile, Naoki let out a heart-tired sigh.
"Sigh....."
Although he had long been used to his wife and daughter bickering like cats and dogs every day ever since Utaha was in elementary school, thinking about his colleagues and subordinates at the law firm who always talked about how harmonious their wives and kids were,
Naoki couldn't help but feel envious.
Why did other people's wives and daughters get along so well?
And in his family, his wife and daughter were always like... well, what was that phrase again?
Oh, 'Welcome to the Thunderdome!'
At the same time.
The mother and daughter, who were busy sarcastically mocking each other, very synchronously caught Naoki's sigh at the exact same moment.
The next second, the two of them simultaneously turned their piercing gazes toward the husband/father driving the car, shouting in unison:
"Mr. Naoki / Dad, do you have any complaints? Please say it loud and clear!"
Hearing the nearly synchronized voices of his wife and daughter, and the faint threat hidden within their words, the corners of Naoki's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Alright, so when it comes to me, you two large and small ladies have reached a consensus, huh?
At this moment, this Naoki, who commanded the courtroom and was respectfully called the "Undefeated Lawyer" by many peers, faced the threat from his wife and daughter. With a solemn expression, he slowly opened his mouth, his tone as resolute as striking iron:
"By the way, do you want to go eat teppanyaki later? It's your favorite."
"...."
"...."
For a moment, both Kao and Utaha were rendered silent by Naoki's utterly submissive statement.
However, unlike Kao, who watched him with a smug, triumphant smile, the sharp gaze Utaha leveled at her submissive father carried a distinct you're hopeless edge, accompanied by an involuntary click of her tongue.
"Tch....."
From her daughter's attitude, Naoki faintly heard Utaha saying in his ear, 'Dad! Why are you surrendering to this woman! Fight back!!'
To which Naoki could only say.
Well... daughter, you were threatening me alongside your mother just now.
More importantly, you've never beaten your mother once in all these years... expecting me to fight back? Are you kidding?
...
In the end, amidst the family's 'lively and cheerful' banter, the Kasumigaoka family arrived at a rather nicely decorated Western restaurant.
As for why they didn't go to the teppanyaki restaurant Mr. Naoki mentioned, which both mother and daughter liked... the reason was...
Utaha: "Dad, look at what I'm wearing today. If we eat teppanyaki, I'll go home smelling like grilled food."
Kao: "Darling, did you get too much sun at the station plaza? Seriously, Utaha, go apologize to your dad. He waited for you and got sunstroke."
Listening to the mother and daughter perfectly syncing up to sarcastically mock him in the car, Naoki wore an expression that was both helpless and wronged.
Sigh, being a man is just so hard.
After the family of three sat down at a four-person table.
"Utaha, look at what you want to eat." After receiving three menus from the waiter, Naoki handed one to his daughter sitting opposite them, smiling as he said, "Dad's treating today. Eat whatever you want."
"Oh, the cheese lobster here is delicious. Do you want to order one?"
Listening to her father enthusiastically introducing the restaurant's signature 'Cheese Lobster', Utaha, who was about to open her menu, twitched the corners of her mouth.
You're really bringing up the one thing I shouldn't hear, aren't you, dear Dad.
Thinking of the scale that had been bought on the way and was now quietly lying in the trunk, Utaha's face darkened slightly as she looked up.
She happened to meet the eyes of her mother, who was smiling brightly, looking like she was watching a good play.
".....I'll have a vegetable salad."
Although Utaha knew that ordering this made her look like she was conceding defeat in her mother's eyes...
But considering she was in public, and recalling the performance of a certain blonde ojou-sama she had just met yesterday...
Yes! A lady! I, Kasumigaoka Utaha, am a generous, graceful, and elegant young la—
"Oh my? Not ordering the lobster?"
Obviously, Kao, whose passive-aggressive streak had been thoroughly awakened by her daughter's rare visit home, wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. Resting her chin on her right hand, a playful smile on her face as she watched her daughter's expression crumble the moment she spoke, she said in a highly amused tone:
"My dear Utaha, Mommy wants to tell you, even if you skip this meal, your weight isn't going to drop by much later, you know."
'!'
Furious!
Waaah, I don't want to look at this woman anymore!
I want to go back to Tokyo!!!
Miyahito, hurry up and come pick me up and take me back to Tokyo! ヽ(*.>Д<)o゜