Later that evening, Ken invited Steve into his house once again. It seemed to have become a frequent affair, so much so that Yuki and Chris would ask questions if he didn't come over.
"Afternoon Mrs. Takagi." Steve said, sending her a smile.
"Stephen, how many times have I told you to call me by my first name." Yuki said, though she wore a pleased expression.
"Ah boys, you're here. Doing some more studying tonight?" The sound of Chris's deep voice called out as he walked into the dining room.
"Well not exactly. We're trying to brainstorm ways Steve can ask this girl to prom." Ken replied matter-of-factly.
Hearing his friend spill the beans so casually to the adults, Steve was taken aback. Just how much did the guy tell his parents?
Both Chris and Yuki's eyes instantly lit up, their attention turning to the young man in question. Of course Yuki's favorite pastime was matchmaking whenever she could, therefore such words were basically asking for her expertise.
"Ahh to be young again." Chris said softly, his face wearing a melancholic expression.
Yuki instantly abandoned her cooking and appeared in front of Steve, grabbing both of his hands. Before he could realize what had happened, he was already sitting down across from Ken's mother at the dining table.
"Tell me everything." She said expectantly.
Steve turned his gaze towards Ken, his expression like a man who was screaming for help. However, all he received in response was a sly grin.
'Damn it… This was intentional.'
With everyone's gaze on him, Steve was forced to spill the beans. He spoke about Stephanie and their past, as well as the changes in their relationship when he had left homeschooling and joined McCallum High.
"Don't forget about Stacey." Ken added, just as he thought Steve was going to skip past it.
"Oho? Who is this Stacey girl?" Chris asked, flashing the teen a look of appreciation.
Yuki, however, let out an unimpressed huff. It was clear that she had already settled on Steph as her favorite.
Steve sent Ken a glare, as if to say 'Thanks a lot'.
"Stacey is just a girl from our class. She keeps trying to hang out, even asking if I want to study with her." He said, letting out an exasperated sigh.
Yuki relinquished her hold on Steve's hands, her mood calming down. "Okay, it's not as bad as I thought."
"It gets worse…" He replied, this time sending a mischievous grin towards Ken.
Ken frowned for a moment, but he quickly realized what the guy was on about. "Ah don't say—"
But before he could complete his shout, Steve already started. "You see, Ken was asked to prom by this girl Brittany…"
In an instant, both Yuki and Chris snapped their attention to their son. The latter was wearing a disappointed expression, but Yuki seemed like she was about to explode in anger.
"I obviously rejected her." Ken said in Japanese, holding up his hands in defense. He had been so spooked by his parent's anger that he reverted back to default settings.
After a few tense moments, both his parents seemed to calm down. It was clear that they were very protective of Ai.
Obviously not knowing Japanese, Steve was stunned for a moment. But he continued, "Well, he obviously rejected her. But then she spread a rumor that Ken and I were… Together."
"Together?" Yuki seemed confused. English was her second language, so she didn't necessarily understand the implications of the word in this context. However, the same could not be said for Chris.
"PFFT"
He suddenly bent over, stifling the laughter which threatened to escape his lips. But it seemed that he was not strong enough in the end.
"HAHAHA, I can't believe it." He cried out, wiping away a tear which had escaped.
Yuki looked towards Ken, as if trying to understand what was going on. To which Ken replied, "Dousei…"
She stared blankly at him before a look of horror appeared on her face.
"EH!?"
The situation took a few minutes before Ken's parents finally calmed down. The duality of Chris's amusement and Yuki's shock was rather funny, but not so much for those involved.
"So has this Stephanie girl heard the rumors?"
Steve nodded, and from his downcast demeanor, it was rather obvious that she either believed them and was disgusted by it.
"Looks like we have our work cut out for us." Yuki stated plainly, letting out a small sigh. But her down mood didn't last for long as she swiftly got up off her chair and returned to the kitchen.
"Let's have some dinner first, and then we'll get down to business."
At the mention of dinner, all three guys in the dining room perked up. There was nothing more appealing than Yuki's food when one was feeling down.
Soon enough, everyone had finished their food and were nursing full stomachs. It didn't take long for the conversation to start up again.
With Yuki's expertise and Chris's understanding of prom and American tradition, they soon came up with a few options for Steve to choose from.
However, out of everyone present, Steve seemed like the one who was the least motivated. It was clear that he was doubting that Stephanie would say yes, even if he went through all the effort.
Seeing this, Chris smiled softly, imparting his wisdom. "Stephen my boy. Women are mystical creatures who are very difficult to read. But sometimes you need to make a grand gesture, putting all your feelings on the line in order to gain their attention."
Yuki raised an eyebrow at her husband, listening to his words carefully to ensure he wasn't being disrespectful.
"It's clear that this Stephanie girl liked you at one point, but you likely did something in the past to throw her off. If you sincerely open yourself up, I'm sure that she'll respond positively… I think."
Steve was enamored by Chris's words. He even managed to ignore the final line, his opinions changing on the spot.