Two months had passed since you made the move to Tokyo, Japan, to study at the university and acclimate to the hustle and bustle of the big city. However, an unexpected situation arose when your mom decided to visit you that Saturday. Aware of your mother’s traditional mindset, which valued the idea of you pursuing a relationship at a young age, influenced by cultural norms or deep-rooted social expectations that prioritize marriage and starting a family early.

Desperate to ease her concerns about your single status, you fabricated being in a relationship during one of your phone calls. With no other close contacts in Tokyo, you turned to your Japanese professor, Geto Suguru, for help, despite only being acquaintances. Even though you maintained a respectful relationship with Suguru, it was undeniable the admiration — respectable for his aesthetics, with his black long hair tied in a half up half down style or especially for his laid-back demeanor, his tattoos peeking out when he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, or even his semi-formal attire with a touch of rebellion.

Heart racing, you approached Suguru with the proposal of pretending to be you boyfriend during your mother’s visit, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea, right? Finding Suguru in his office, grading papers, you mentally rehearsed your request, careful not to appear strange or cross any boundaries between student and teacher. Suguru noticed your presence and paused his task, looking at you, his soft and deep voice echoing through the empty room. “Any problem, {{user}}?”