Meet The ‘Rents

(Saint Tail Version 1.0)

“We’re here, Asuka—I mean, Daiki.” Haneoka Meimi blushed at calling her boyfriend by his first name.

“H-ha…” Asuka Daiki blushed.

“Well, come on!” She tugged on his hand. “They don’t bite. Usually.” She whispered the last part.

He gulped.

“Mama, Papa, tadaima!!” She called to the residents of the house. “I brought someone!!”

“Okairii, Meimi.” Eimi Haneoka called back, coming into the room. Then, her eyes came upon the green-haired boy who held her daughter’s hand while looking at the floor. “Ara, ara, you brought your boyfriend!! How cute!!!” She lifted his head. “Aren’t you Asuka’s boy?”

“H-hai!!” He stuttered, turning another shade of red. Meimi giggled; he pouted. “It’s not funny…” He mumbled and she giggled again.

“BOYFRIEND?!!!!!!!” Geniichirou Haneoka crashed down the stairs, cards and tricks alike. “Meimi, you never told Papa you had a boyfriend!!!”

Both Meimi and Asuka Jr. blushed.

“Papa, this is Asuka Daiki. I think you know him.” She said, introducing him.

Asuka stared at her father before bowing quickly and stuttering, “D-D-D-D-Domo.”

“Meimi!!!!” Her Papa began to sob. “You already have a boyfriend!!! Before I know it, you’ll be getting married!!! NOOOO!!! Papa doesn’t want that!!! NOOO!!!!”

“Geniichirou-san,” Her Mama pulled him off of their daughter’s legs. “I do believe you’re scaring him.”

And the Haneoka’s all sweat-dropped at the frozen younger Asuka.

- - - - - -

“Daiki, dear, are you staying for dinner?” Meimi’s mother asked the young man.

“No, thank you.” He politely refused. “I have to go make dinner for my old man.”

“Shame on him, making a young boy cook!!” Eimi held up a finger. “Call him right now!! He’ll come over here and eat my food!!”

“O-okay…” He looked at Meimi for guidance.

“I-I’ll get it.” She jumped out of her seat. “Be right back.”

So Asuka Jr. sat with his hands in his lap before the other female Haneoka questioned him.

“Asuka Jr.?” She called.

“Hai!” He responded immediately.

“Will you help me make dinner?” She looked down at the boy who would taller than her in no time.

“O-of course!!” He jumped right up. “What can I do?”

She smiled. ‘What a good choice, Meimi!’ her mother giggled. ‘You picked such a sweet and handsome boy!’

- - - - - -

“Musuko,” Asuka Sr. nodded to his son.

“Oyaji,” The younger Asuka nodded back.

His father smiled. “I knew you had girl problems, but why didn’t you tell me it was girlfriend problems?”

“Oyaji!!” His son blushed hotly.

“Come on in, Asuka-keiji.” Meimi opened the door farther for the elder Asuka.

“Is this her, musuko?” He pointed to the girl shamelessly.

“OYAJI!!!!” He shouted, blushing a tomato-y red along with Meimi.

“Yep, that’s my Meimi.” Haneoka Eimi said, wiping her hands. “I just found out they were going out as well.”

“Oh…” He put his cigarette out before throwing it away.

“But,” Eimi began again, this time with venom in her voice. “What brought you here was that your son told me he couldn’t stay for dinner because he needed to cook for you.”

The detective gulped. “He’s better at it.”

“You’d make a boy his age cook for you rather than eat with his girlfriend?!!!!”

In unison, a blushing Asuka Jr. and Meimi shouted, “Mama!!” and “Haneoka-san!!!”

Asuka Sr.’s gaze flitted to his son. “He could’ve just told me. I would’ve let him stay.”

“Well, you’re here now.” Eimi began. “So let’s eat.” She walked to the stairs for her husband. “Geniichirou-san!! Gohan-yo!!!”

The word “Boyfriend,” could be heard, even at the bottom of the stairs as they all sweat-dropped at the voice.

- - - - - -

Chopsticks clicked against bowls as they all silently partook in the food.

“It’s good,” Asuka Jr. suddenly spoke up.

“Better than yours, musuko.” His father took a jab Asuka’s cooking skills.

“Well, you cook then.” Asuka ‘hmph’ed. “I’d like to see you not burn water.”

Meimi giggled at the duo.

“He’s just jealous,” Asuka Jr. whispered in her ear. She held her napkin up to her mouth to keep the giggles in. “Of my girlfriend.”

Meimi had tears coming out of her eyes by this time.

“Asuka Jr.,” Geniichirou had nearly snapped his chopsticks. “Would you like to share this whispered secret with the rest of us?” The vein in his forehead pulsed as Meimi and Daiki sweat-dropped.

The elder Asuka popped another piece of food into his mouth. “It’s probably just about me.”

“Oh,” This satisfied the man. “So, Meimi-chan, when did you meet Asuka Jr.?”

They blushed before Meimi pushed her fingers together. “Since sixth grade,”

She began.

“Ho…” Asuka Sr. said, shifting his gaze to his son. “And how was that?”

“Umm…” She put a finger to her chin. “It went something like this…

- - - - - -

“Hey!!” A 12-year-old Haneoka Meimi shouted at the boys picking on a smaller boy. “Leave him alone!!!”

“Why should we?!” They shouted back.

“Grr!!” The red-head began rolling up her sleeves before puffing out her cheeks.

“Meimi-chan,” Her friend Seira tugged at her friend. “Please don’t fight!!”

“But Seira!!” She turned to her nun-in-training friend, “They’re hurting him!!”

“Idiots!!!” A rough voice called out. “Leave him alone!! My dad’ll arrest you guys if you keep that up!!” A younger Asuka called out.

Meimi stared at the boy in wonder.

“We’re sorry!!!” The bullies had run off, tails-between-legs.

“They’re so dumb…” The green-haired one mumbled, then smiled at the boy. “Are you alright?”

“Asuka-senpai!!” The boy jumped on the elder one. “Thank you so much!”

“No prob!” He smiled. “Stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Hai!!” Then the boy scampered off.

“How cool…” The girl mumbled. “That was nice, Asuka Jr.!”

“Huh?” The boy looked around, then spotted his caller. “Oh, it’s just Haneoka…”

“What was that?!” She said, flaring up.

“Nothing, geez!!!” He held up his hands. “Sorry!!”

“Mou, and here I was thinking you were nice!!” She folded her arms.

“What did I do?!” He shouted to her face.

“Nothing, right?” She shouted back.

Seira giggled nervously at the visible tension between them.

“Meimi-chan, let’s go…” She pulled her blue-eyed friend away.

“Come back here, you coward!” The boy yelled.

“You come here!!” Meimi struggled against her purple-eyed friend. “Seira, let me go!!”

‘They’re so cute!!’ A knowing Seira giggled. ‘I wonder what they’ll look like together when they’re older?’

- - - - - -

“And that was how we met.” Meimi finished.

“That was a great first impression…” Asuka Jr. mumbled. “I really was just trying to help, y’know…”

“I know.” She giggled.

“I think I liked you guys better when you were fighting…” Geniichirou mumbled.

The couple sweat-dropped.

- - - - - -

“I’ll see you at school, Daiki!” Meimi waved, a smile and a faint blush evident on her face from the kiss just recently placed on her cheek.

“A-ah!” He waved back, his blush a twin to hers.

As Meimi closed the door, she sighed happily.

“Such a sweet boy.” Her mother came from behind and put an arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “You two look so cute together!”

“Mama!” Meimi blushed. “He is really nice, though. He stuck up for ‘Saint Tail’ a lot as well.” She blushed even harder. “He always knew that what I was doing wasn’t wrong and he always told people that. But, what I liked most was that his eyes saw only me, if only for the moment.” Meimi sighed happily again.

“How cute!!” Eimi hugged her daughter. “I can’t wait to see what your kids’ll look like!”

“Mama!!” Meimi blushed a fiery red akin to her hair color. “I’m nowhere near even thinking about that!!!”

“Ara?” Her mother put a finger to her forehead. “Are the two of you nearly in 3rd year? I’d figured you would’ve by now.”

“I have thought about the name Asuka Meimi…” She mumbled with a hot blush.

“NOOOOOO!!!” Geniichirou grabbed his daughter’s legs. “I approved of your boyfriend, but not marriage!!! Meimi!!!!”

The mother and daughter just stood there and laughed.

But, somewhere on the other side of town, a 15-year-old, green-haired boy sneezed.

(Something I would’ve liked to see happen in the anime; Asuka meeting Meimi’s ‘rents. oMg, I would’ve laughed. All. day. I laughed writing this, so I hope you at least got a kick out’ve it. Laters,

-Ashie-chan.)