Archive of Our Own

Tachiki Tadasu stared up at his daughter’s boyfriend and tried not to feel intimidated. He’d made the mistake of dismissing some of the descriptions in his daughter’s letters as the exaggerations of a young girl in love. As it turned out, she’d been fairly accurate. Izark was muscular, unusually good-looking, and several centimeters taller than Tadasu himself.

“Oh, Noriko, he’s so tall!” Emi exclaimed, staring up with a delighted expression. “I bet you never have to ask anyone for help with reaching things on the top shelves!”

“…Not since I was young,” Izark replied at length, looking more than a little overwhelmed.

“Now, now, why don’t we let the young people come inside and sit down,” Tadasu said, smiling at his wife.

“Oh!” Emi exclaimed. “I have some sweets and tea in the kitchen! Noriko, come, help me serve!”

Noriko, all grown up and looking utterly at ease in a distinctly European-style dress, took a few seconds to slip out of her leather shoes before following Emi to the kitchen.

Izark carefully slipped off his own shoes and walked into the house, glancing around the doorway cautiously.

“I guess this must all seem very strange to you,” Tadasu said, as he took off his own shoes. “Compared to your world, ours is very different.”

“Yes,” Izark said. “But this is Noriko’s home. I want to learn more about it.”

Tadasu smiled to himself. Ahhh, to be young again…

Emi and Noriko met them in the living room, where Noriko was carefully pouring tea into the nicest set of teacups they had.

“Mom, you really don’t need to impress Izark, he’s not expecting anything fancy,” Noriko fretted.

“Oh, but he’s your boyfriend, and we’re meeting him for the first time! I just want to make a good impression,” Emi fretted in return.

“They’re alike,” Izark said softly.

“Yes,” Tadasu said. “Noriko takes after her mother.”

“She takes after you, too,” Izark said, after a moment. “She told me that you are very smart. She is also. It took her much less time to learn my language than it took for me to learn yours, and she is better at it.”

Tadasu was first surprised, and then flattered. “Thank you, Izark.”

Izark flushed.

“What are you and Papa talking about?” Noriko asked in a teasing tone, holding out a cup of tea on a saucer to her boyfriend.

Izark took the saucer with a nod, then said, “How smart you are.”

Noriko turned bright red and started sputtering denials. Izark’s mouth turned up at the corner. Emi giggled and passed Tadasu some tea of his own.

“Well, it seems Izark knows how to compliment our daughter,” she said.

“Yes, yes it does,” Tadasu agreed. He turned to Izark. “But can we trust you to look out for her, when we’re not around to do it?”

Izark’s tiny smile smoothed out into a serious expression. “I would protect Noriko with my life.”

“Papa, don’t!” Noriko exclaimed. “I’ve written to you about all the times Izark protected me, haven’t I?”

“I wanted to hear it from him,” Tadasu said. He put a hand on Izark’s shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of Noriko, Izark. Make sure to let her take care of you, too, okay?”

Izark stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t give him a choice,” Noriko said.

“That’s my girl,” Emi replied.

The two of them high-fived, as Izark looked on, baffled.

“You should try the tea,” Tadasu suggested. “It’s one of Noriko’s favorites.”

Izark considered his cup with renewed interest.

Tadasu, meanwhile, took a second to look at his daughter, who was animated and engaged in a way she’d never been during high school. He wouldn’t have chosen this life or this partner for his daughter—but she’d chosen them for herself, and she’d clearly chosen well.