Aiko Maeda pinched her arm at the sight of her son's report card.

Gathering herself together, she sent a fax of Atsushi's grades to her husband. He required weekly reports on everything to calm his anxiety. His job overseas gave him less interaction with his family. The current trend of their son's delinquent actions caused great tension. More than enough to cause arguments through the phone. Fights which she broke with an utterance. She basked at having them subdued before she continued on the conversation. Kicking her son to the living room to watch his programming.

Sometimes, she wondered if her past criminal activity came back through her son. She joined a gang during high school and mischief commenced. Her parents went through grief from her actions and almost disowned her. Those thoughts left her mind once she observed her son. His behavior paled in comparison to her own rebellious phase.

When he returned from school, she showed him the report card. He stiffened and tried running out the door. She held back a guffaw at his startled reaction to her positive comments. Pulling him in a tight hug, he laughed. Clear and happy. She ruffled his hair as she lead him inside of the dining room. His enthusiasm from seeing his favorite meal brought a smile to her own face.

"How did this happen?" She asked him.

"I'm getting tutoring."

"Ha! By who?" Aiko served him iced tea while he packed on the rice inside his bowl. "I thought you gallivanted with your friends all the time. Your teachers kept calling me about your ditching and awful test scores last month. Not that I'm complaining. My phone line is free without their pestering."

Atsushi scratched his cheek. "Well…Sakamoto offered when he saw my grades."

He recalled the sad sigh escaping from Sakamoto's lips. This brought him so much embarrassment. Before Sakamoto came into his life, he cared little about his grades. School bored him. His attention went toward whatever caught his interest that day. It helped that Sakamoto gave him rewards whenever he got an answer right.

"Sakamoto?"

"He's in my class. Top of the class. All smart and all that shit." He served his mother her bowl of rice to hide the warmness developing on his cheeks. "We study in the library. Kenken and Mario are in our study group too but they end up leaving early." His friends smirked on their way out. Knowing their real tutoring happened when they left them alone.

"Nonsense, bring him here. We have to thank him for doing the impossible. I'll even make a celebratory dinner."

Atsushi's grip slacked on the serving spoon on his hand. "Hell no! Isn't my report card enough for you?"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me Atsushi!" She snapped, he hunched his shoulders. "Bring him over. Do you want him to think we are ungrateful?"

Knowing he lost against her, he relented to her demands. "No. When do you want him here?"

"Tomorrow."

"I'm home!" Atsushi placed his hand near his mouth as Sakamoto entered beside him. He grinned at Sakamoto while he gave a small smile of his own. "Don't worry, my mom is cool. She won't go crazy over asking questions."

"Welcome back!" Aiko wandered out of the living room, her black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. "Good. You didn't try to lie out of this one."

"Mom!" Atsushi slipped off his shoes and set them on their usual spot. "Not in front of Sakamoto!"

Sakamoto bowed, graceful as ever, no hair out of place. "It's a pleasure to meet Atsushi-san's mother. I'm Sakamoto." He straightened up and reached into his book bag. "I passed a store on my way over." He took out a box with different flavors of tea. "Atsushi-san told me you brew a good pot of loose leaf tea. I took it upon myself to buy you this sample box."

Aiko thanked him as she held the box in her hands. The set displayed flavors she enjoyed to drink. Flavors which she added no sugar or honey to sweeten. Atsushi and her husband understood little her love of tea at all.

Sakamoto's good looks were not exaggerated. Prim and proper. Nothing indicating of any affiliation with any troublemakers. In fact, her son showed her a drawing he drew of him during a bored day in class. A talent almost wasted with his foolery. She asked him for a photo for further proof but he talked his way out of providing photographic evidence. His strong reaction just made her want to check his phone.

"He's polite and knows his manners?" Aiko gripped the box close to her chest when she snapped at her son. "Where the hell did you get your manners?"

"I got them from you!" Atsushi hissed.

Sakamoto took off his shoes and set them aside. He fought the smile coming onto his face. He waited them to stop their bickering. Aiko and Atsushi muttered their apologies as they motioned him into their home.

"Your home is delightful, Maeda-san." Sakamoto commented.

"Thank you. Oh, call me Aiko." She waved her hand, "It's no problem with me. I hope you boys are hungry! I made a huge spread. Lucky enough, I had time off this weekend."

Atsushi sniffed the air. "Sweet! My mom is a great chef. Trust me, Sakamoto, the food is delicious."

"Sit in the dining room and I will be back with the plates."

"Aiko-san?"

"Yes?"

Sakamoto asked her, determination clear in his eyes. "If you don't mind, may I help you plate your dishes?"

Aiko told him. "It's alright. You're our guest. Sit down and relax."

"I insist." Sakamoto said.

"Mom, just let him." Atsushi walked into the kitchen. "He always charms the girls with his plating."

Aiko leaned against her counter. "Prove it, Sakamoto."

In a fury of movements, Aiko stared at Sakamoto arranging her dinner into a pleasing display. The arrangement of the food stomped on her own plating skills. His meticulous care showed through the presentation. Peeking from the corner of her eyes, Atsushi stared at Sakamoto while he worked. A fond light smile which brightened his face.

A stare she shared with her husband.

Interesting.

"C'mon Sakamoto, you're usually faster than this." Atsushi drawled.

Sakamoto finished the last plate. "Art takes time, Atsushi-san."

Aiko went to her usual seat and Sakamoto scooted her chair for her to sit. "Thank you, Sakamoto-san." She sat down and he went to the free chair.

Atsushi sighed in relief. Sakamoto won his mother over. From what he heard, Sakamoto charmed the ladies around town. (Not just women, men were starstruck as well.) They recognized the charming young man who helped them out or entered their establishments. So few women resisted those charms. He was glad he saw nothing of the sort with his mother.

He imagined gagging from witnessing such a scene.

Dinner went without problems. Atsushi waited for his mother to start her line of questions but she kept them subtle. Descriptive questions stayed below the permitted line. She wondered about the study tactics he used on her son. Atsushi hid his incriminating face through chomping on his food. Sakamoto asked his mother about her high school years. His jaw dropped when she gave no sign of her own delinquent stupidity. She might spring it on him in a later future.

When they had their fill, Sakamoto excused himself from the table. Not before helping Aiko clean the dishes. This earned Atsushi a glare from his mother which got him to help them out. They walked Sakamoto toward the door and he left with a simple goodbye.

"Phew!" Atsushi wiped the sweat from his brow. "He didn't seem too stressed from being near you." Aiko hid her smile behind her hand, he saw the amusement in her eyes. "What is it now?"

"Oh nothing." Aiko smirked. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she informed him. "Your father will love to hear about your secret romance with your tutor."

Atsushi's face went bright red. "Yeah right?! I'm not with Sakamoto!" Aiko snorted. "Okay, okay, how did you find out?"

"You just told me."

"Mom!"

The end.