We are currently standing at the neighbor's front door.

"You guys ready?", Aunt Ayaka asked.

""Yes"", me and Asuka answered.

Aunt Ayaka pushed the doorbell.

While waiting, I saw Asuka eyeing the cake that I was carrying. Well, she's been eyeing this ever since this was handed to me by Aunt Ayaka earlier.

Asuka's eyes are way too fierce like she's about to pounce the thing I'm holding right now.

I heard the door opened and saw a blonde gorgeous woman at the door giving us a warm smile.

Woah, a foreigner, I didn't expect that.

"Ayaka-chan, you're here.", the woman said.

"Sakura-chan~", Aunt Ayaka waving at her happily.

They look close already, well it's Aunt Ayaka, what do I expect, she's way too friendly.

"So this is my nephew, Okita Tatsuya.", Aunt Ayaka introduced me.

"Hello, I'm Ikeda Sakura, just call me Sakura. I heard a lot about you from Ayaka-chan.", smiling at me.

"Uh, yes.", I answered while still confused.

Is she a foreigner? She's fluent though. But suddenly I got cut off on my thoughts.

"Even though I look like a foreigner, I grew up here. My parents migrated here when I was young."

My eyes grew wide like she knew what I was thinking. An Esper?

"Fufu~ You thought, 'How' right? Your expressions are the same with all those people who started talking to me for the first time.", Sakura-san said while laughing.

I shyly scratched my cheeks.

"I didn't expect that your nephew is so good-looking.", Sakura-san said.

"Yep, I told you.", Aunt Ayaka replied with a smug grin on her face.

While the two are chatting with each other, I wondered whether they only met each other yesterday? Or maybe they knew each other already? Because I'm pretty sure Aunt said to me that the new neighbor just came yesterday. They look close though.

"Asuka-chan~", Sakura-san greeted, but the girl is still staring at the cake that I'm holding. I'm pretty sure all this time, she didn't even notice that Sakura-san is in front of her. Haa... Do you really like this cake that much, you can't even take your eyes off it?

"...", Asuka ignored her, still can't take her eye off on the cake.

I gave her a soft flick on the forehead, she exclaimed, "Owwie."

"Sakura-san is greeting you, look.", I pointed.

While scratching her head she greeted, "Hello, Auntie Sakura", then looked at me with a pout.

Sakura-san crouched down and patted her head.

"Hehe~ Asuka-chan~", and hugged her,

While that's happening, someone called, "Mom."

I saw a girl who seems to be older than me, she got blonde hair like her mother and a pretty face, and most importantly she's only wearing a shirt and shorts. She suddenly stopped when she saw me looking at her.

Oh sh*t, I feel something's gonna happen.

Upon realizing that there's a guy on the front door her face suddenly became beet red, while her mouth is shaking.

"Aw- wa- wawawa.", with her face beet red, she swiftly went upstairs.

Woah, her face is so red, she got embarrassed when she saw me. I guess, she didn't expect a guy to visit their home. Oh boy, this is gonna be awkward later.

"Ha—aa... That girl... I told her that we have a visitor coming, sorry about that.", Sakura-san apologized.

The girl does look familiar, I feel like I've seen her somewhere...

As I was immensely pondering on my thoughts, suddenly Aunt Ayaka spoke, "Oh my~ Naoki-chan have grown, so well~"

My thought suddenly got cut off with what Aunt Ayaka said.

Wait, they knew each other? Well, Asuka did call her Auntie, I thought Auntie just told Asuka to call her that way. I should've trusted my guts, I feel like an idiot.

"Come in, dinner will be ready.", Sakura-san said.

"""Pardon my intrusion.""", we said in unison.

As we entered, currently standing in the living room, I looked around and caught something that piqued my interest. It was a painting hanging on the wall, being mesmerized at how well-made the painting. Sakura-san spoke, " Ohh~ Are you interested in paintings?"

"Oh, not really, but I do find that painting mesmerizing to look at."

The painting is covered with a strange black, exquisite cosmic background with shades of red and yellow. The streaks in a form of thin lines resembling a thread resonating to the woman at the top, with all the threads flowing down on the woman appearing like tiny rivers running down. A woman figure at the top could be seen which seems to be holding all the threads together while looking up at nothingness. The lower part of the picture is an organic shade of velvety red surface, which covers all the lower parts of the painting. I couldn't interpret what the painter was conveying in this painting.

"My husband made that.", Sakura-san pointed out with a smile on her face.

"Really?", I asked.

"Yup, it was one of his treasured creations."

"He didn't explain the idea behind the painting, and only said 'I'll tell you if I feel like it'. What a piece of sh*t, right? He didn't even bother to give me a hint. His wife.", Sakura-san added.

I slightly laughed

"Alright, enough of the painting, let's go and eat.", Sakura-san said.

I nodded and followed Sakura-san to the dining table.

When I got there, I only saw the girl from earlier, and now well dressed. She looked at me then nodded with her face slightly red, so I nodded back.

"Ohh, you're here Naoki. Here's your Aunt Akaya's nephew that I told you."

"Hello, I am Okita Tatsuya.", introducing myself.

"Hi, I am Ikeda Naoki.", she nodded then looked down.

Is she wary of me?

"..."

"..."

Um, this is so awkward.

Then, suddenly I saw a guy popping up at the kitchen counter.

"Oh, is this Ayaka's nephew?", the guy questioned.

"Yeah, he's the one, and by the way where's Ayaka and Asuka-chan anyway?", Sakura-san said.

"Oh, they went to the bathroom."

"Oh, I forgot, this is my husband Ikeda Haru. Ta— Oki—"

I cut her off by saying, "Tatsuya is fine."

"Okay, Tatsuya-kun", while smiling at me.

"Ah, good evening, Ikeda-san.", I greeted.

"Haru is okay since you're Ayaka's nephew"

"Okay, Haru-san."

"Alright, dinner is almost ready.", Haru-san said.

So I sat at the dining table, it's a 6 person table. One chair at each end of the table and two at each side. I sat perpendicularly of Ikeda-san, the daughter. I decided to call her Ikeda-san, since she looks very uncomfortable with me around. Haru-san and Sakura-san sat on each end of the table. As we were waiting for the two, Sakura-san spoke, "So, Tatsuya-kun what year are you gonna be next week?"

"Freshman high school.", I replied.

"Oh, You and Naoki will be in the same year.", Haru-san said.

"Oh right, you will go to the same school with Naoki.", Sakura-san added.

I didn't expect that we're the same year, I thought that she was older than me. She looks way more mature.

"Hey, Tatsuya-kun", Sakura-san said.

"Yes?", I replied.

"Do you have a girlfriend?", Sakura-san asked.

"Eh? A- ah, Um, No.", I replied shyly.

"Great! Want to date our Naoki?", with a smug on her face.

That came out of nowhere, but a loud sound rang on the dining table. It was Ikeda-san slamming her hands on the table, and shouted at her mother, "M—Mooom!".

"Oh come on, Naoki. Look, Tatsuya is good-looking if I'm single and young, I would totally date Tatsuya-kun.", still wearing her smug face.

"H- How can you say that! W- We just met! And have some shame! Daad!", Ikeda-san exclaimed while her face was beet red, and looked down embarrassingly.

"Alright alright, stop teasing her honey.", Haru-san said.

"Boo~", Sakura-san pouted.

My face was beet red too. I didn't expect that at all from Sakura-san, it seems that she could be childish like Aunt Ayaka, now I know why they're so close. These two could be dangerous, I need to be cautious whenever I'm around with these two.

Speaking of the devil, it was Aunt Ayaka carrying Asuka in her arms.

"Oho~ I heard that.", Aunt Ayaka said.

Then Aunt Ayaka put Asuka beside me, and went to Ikeda-san's side.

"Soo~ Naoki-chan~ Want to date my Tatsuya?", with a stupid smug on her face.

Can you stop? I feel bad for Ikeda-san right now. And, when did I became yours? Look at her she looks so red that I feel like it will blow any second.

Ikeda-san glared at Aunt Ayaka, but she just kept her mouth shut.

"Ayaka, stop teasing her, and let's just start eating dinner.", Haru-san interjected.

"Boo~ You're no fun at all~ Why did you even marry this guy, Sakura-chan.", Aunt Ayaka teasingly said.

"I don't even know Ayaka-chan", Sakura-san replied in a teasing manner.

Yep, this two are dangerous when they're together.

"You two... Let's just eat, look at Asuka staring at the food.", Haru-san said.

Haru-san, I'm pretty sure Asuka is only staring at the cake box.

"Okay, let's start eating then.", Sakura-san said.

""" Thank you for the food. """