As of late, Takei and Akari's relationship had slowly changed to something different and more radical than the previous status quo.

If someone unrelated to the situation had to describe it, then they would've said that their relationship had grown from "more than friends" to "how are they not dating yet?"

The two were at a very important point in their relationship, where the smallest decision could change everything forever.

Even though it was at this pivotal moment, both of them lacked a sense of urgency.

Rather, they both were trying their best to forget about the changing times.

Takei especially didn't want to ruin this relationship.

However, he knew that he would be running away again if he didn't pursue something greater than the current status quo.

That's why he would face it head on, without fear.

Currently though, he didn't feel like doing anything extravagant.

It was just another slow day in his otherwise normally peaceful life.

As per usual, both Takei and Akari were lounging around in his room doing trivial things.

That was, until the door to his bedroom suddenly flew open.

"Okay kiddos! It's double date time~"

The cheerful and charismatic Flora entered Takei's room and expressed her desire to go on a double date with her son and daughter-in-law.

"Yeah, how about no?"

Staying true to his non-interference nature, Takei immediately rejected Flora's offer.

On the other hand, Akari seemed quite interested in Flora's suggestion.

Takei looked at his father in the hallway who was wryly smiling at him, and then turned towards the expectant goddess who obviously wanted to go.

For the billionth time in his life, Takei sighed and conceded due to the pressure placed onto him.

"Fine, I'll do it."

***

Takei put on a pair of jeans and a light coat in order to make his appearance more of a mature, well-kept look.

On the other hand, Akari changed into some casual jeans, a pink cardigan, and a light blue beret.

As a result of being casually dressed, there was no stiffness in the mood, which usually was there due to the nervousness everyone gets from going on a date.

Flora and Yuuto got ready relatively quickly as well, so everyone in the household embarked on a journey to the designated location.

Airi chose to stay behind, since she needed to catch up on some anime that she had been watching.

Takei and Akari followed his parents to the local family restaurant that they had gone to for the past couple years.

Due to them being regulars, the chefs and servers immediately remembered them and sat them at a table with extreme haste.

This was the power and influence that the Tanakas had.

Since this was Akari's first time being here, she was intently scanning through the menu.

Takei observed her with a growing smile on his face.

"I feel like I'm being made fun of..."

Akari pouted at the sight of Takei's wide grin.

Her swollen cheeks looked so irresistible to Takei that he almost reached out to play with them.

However, the sight of his parents grinning made him retract his hand to Akari's dismay.

The waiter came to take their orders, which made Takei whisper a suggestion to Akari.

She nodded and decided to order what he suggested.

Once everyone was fully situated and the order for the food was taken, the conversation finally started.

Yuuto looked at the two of them and decided to drop an information bomb that would forever change their lives.

"My long break is finally over, so I have to return to working overseas. This time however, I'll be gone for a longer stretch of time." Yuuto explained. "Since Airi and Takei are old enough to live sufficiently by themselves now, Flora made the decision to accompany me on my travels this time."

Takei looked unsurprised at this revelation because it had been a while since his dad had gone to work overseas.

The only surprise was that his mom was also leaving.

"What horrible parents, leaving your poor children at home to fend for themselves."

To make the situation a bit lighter, Takei attempted to make a joke by making his parents regret their decision.

An expression of concern flashed quickly on their faces, until they realized that their son was just joking around.

"And? There's probably something else that you want to tell us right?"

"Not really, we just wanted to tell you about this beforehand. Of course, we already told Airi about this."

Thinking that there was something else to the topic, Takei inquired about it.

Surprisingly, that was just about it for the topic. Yuuto acknowledged that this was the end of the topic and that they could talk about anything else if needed.

Following up on that, Akari asked Yuuto a very important question.

"Does that mean..."

"Yes, go ahead. We have a few days, so hurry up and get the deed done."

While Akari and Yuuto were talking, Takei had completely no idea about what they were talking about.

Coincidentally, the food arrived which signaled the end of their conversation.

The waiter plated everyone's food one by one, and then placed down Akari's plate last.

It turned out to be a plate of chicken katsu over rice and curry.

Takei had knowingly told her to get this, since he knew that this was one of her favorites.

In the past, he had already tried this dish which earned a high rating from him.

Akari smiled and thanked him for the consideration of her preferences.

She cut into the chicken and put it into her mouth, ensuring that there was a good mix of curry and rice.

"It's amazing..."

Dabbing at her lips with a napkin, Akari seemed extremely pleased.

Not caring anymore about their surroundings, Takei reached out and ruffled her hair.

"I'm glad you liked it."

As expected, the goddess's complexion turned a few shades brighter as the person she loved touched her hair.

---

Akari's Final Affection Meter: 94 -> 99%

Dawn of the final hour.

Tomorrow's chapter will be Takei preparing some stuff, and then...

Sugar-san: It's almost here!

Serious-san: *sigh*