Your stepmother Azuma Hisato had called you out to come downstairs for the dinner given you were in your room, doing whatever that made you occupied. You were not really looking forward to see your stepmother because of a strained relationship you have with her because she seems to despite you and avoids you actively while you were still drowned in your misery because of your mother's recent death.

*She huffed before she took her fork and scooped some of the food on your plate into hers before forcefully shoving it into your mouth-- "C'mon! You can at least eat what I prepared for you!" *She said in a sharp tone, glaring at him. Her anger seemed to dissipate as soon as she tasted the food with her own fork-- Damn, this turned out really well... Even though it was supposed to be just for three, she's glad that her hard work wasn't wasted.

Hisato frowns deeper at your complaint-- "I'm making sure you eat properly! You know how skinny you are!" She pauses, her anger seeming to fade as she glances down at your chest-- It doesn't look like there's a lot of room left for her fingers...

"Anyway," She says after a moment, "I hope you enjoy the food. I worked hard on it today." With that said, she takes another bite of her own dinner, acting as if nothing had happened earlier-- But deep down, Hisato can't help but feel a small pang in her chest. She quickly pushes those feelings aside, telling herself that you don't deserve her sympathy...

Hisato narrows her eyes at you, feeling a surge of anger course through her veins-- "What do you mean by that?!" She practically growls. "I'm just trying to make sure you eat well, and you know it! Do you even appreciate all the effort I put into this?"

Her chest heaves as she tries to calm herself down, forcing a deep breath in through her nose-- Her cheeks flush with anger as she clenches her fists under the table. She really needs to control her emotions better...

Hisato glares at you, her anger still burning bright-- "Oh really? And how come I always end up doing everything around here then?" She snaps, irritated by your words. "I've been cooking and cleaning for this family ever since I married your father, and all I get in return is complaints about my attitude!" Her voice quivers as she speaks, the tension in her shoulders making it difficult to stay calm.

She takes a deep breath, trying to rein in her emotions once more-- But the anger only seems to make her more frustrated. "Look," She says between clenched teeth, "if you can't appreciate what I do for this family, then just leave me alone."

Hisato looks at you skeptically, her anger starting to simmer down a little-- But it still lingers in the back of her mind as she contemplates your offer. "Very well," She says with a small sigh, "I'll try my best not to yell... but I can't promise anything about patience." A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips before it disappears once more.

"And as for helping around the house... Don't worry about that," She says, waving her hand dismissively. "Your father and I have enough hands to do what needs to be done. Just focus on your studies and being a good son." Her tone softens slightly, but there's still an underlying edge of annoyance-- She can't help it... Not when she feels so conflicted about you.

"Now," She says, changing the subject, "why don't we watch some TV or something? There's a new variety show I wanted to check out." The mention of something lighthearted and innocuous brings her back to the surface, trying to dispel any lingering tension from earlier.

Hisato turns on the TV, finding the show she wanted to watch-- A variety program featuring cute idols and comedians. It's the perfect thing to help lighten the mood between them... Or at least that's what she hopes. She sits down on the couch, patting the spot next to her for you to sit down as well-- But there's still an unspoken tension in the air, lingering like a thick fog between them.

She can't help but wonder if this arrangement will last... If they can ever truly find common ground and work together as a family... Or if it's all just wishful thinking on her part. Either way, she decides to focus on enjoying the show for now-- It'll be better than dwelling on their differences, at least until something else comes up.

As the variety show continues playing in the background, you manage to doze off on the couch-- Your head ends up resting comfortably on her lap. It takes Azuma Hisato a moment to register this development, as she glances down at your sleeping form out of the corner of her eye. She feels a strange mix of emotions wash over her-- Relief that things are relatively calm for now, but also guilt for falling asleep when she should be watching you more closely.

Her hand idly begins to stroke through your hair, feeling the soft strands against her fingertips-- It's an oddly soothing sensation, almost lulling her back into the peaceful atmosphere of the room... But at the same time, it reminds her of how much she doesn't trust you with this sort of thing.

A part of her wants to wake you up and tell you to move, but another part wants to keep watching over you while you sleep-- Just in case something happens. The conflicting feelings cause a deep frown to appear on her lips as she continues petting your hair gently, trying to decide what the right thing to do is...

Hisato glances down at you with a confused expression-- It takes her a moment to remember that you had been asleep on her lap earlier. "Oh," She says slowly, trying to hide the hint of surprise in her voice. "It's alright... You didn't really do anything wrong."

She continues stroking your hair gently, watching you as you gradually wake up-- There's an odd sense of longing and affection welling up within her chest, but she tries to ignore it, telling herself that it must just be because of how tired she is.

Hisato glances down at you again, considering your request-- There's something about the way you look up at her with those big, innocent eyes that makes it difficult for her to say no. "I suppose," She says finally, smiling softly. "Just try not to fall asleep again... You know how easily that happens."

As she continues petting your hair, a warmth begins to spread through her chest-- It feels nice to be wanted and needed like this, even if it's only temporary. She can't help but wonder what it would be like if things were different between the two of you... If they could somehow find common ground and become a real family.

Hisato gives you a soft smile at your comment-- It touches her heart in ways she can't quite explain. "I hope I could be something like that for you," She says softly, her voice tinged with emotion. "You know... If you ever want to talk about anything..." She pauses, realizing how forward this sounds coming from her-- But it feels right somehow.

She continues petting your hair gently, their proximity making her heart race in a way she's not used to feeling. It's almost as if the more time she spends with you like this, the more she forgets about all the reasons why she shouldn't trust or care for you.

"You're welcome," She says with a warm smile. Her gaze drifts down towards your lap before quickly returning to meet your eyes-- It takes her a moment to realize that she's unintentionally been staring at your crotch. "Um, anyway," She continues, trying to find something else to talk about as she feels heat rising into her cheeks. "What did you think of the variety show we watched earlier?"

The mention of the show helps ease some of the tension that had been building between them-- It gives her an opportunity to change the subject and avoid thinking about how much she's enjoying this unexpected closeness with you right now... Even if it is just temporary.

Hisato can't help but smile at your admission-- It brings back fond memories of when you were still a child, and she used to take care of you. She tries to shake off the nostalgia, reminding herself that things are different now. "Well," She says with a small laugh, "I'm glad you enjoyed it even if you did fall asleep."

They continue talking for a while longer about various topics-- Mostly lighthearted and innocuous things like food or television shows. Occasionally, the conversation would veer into more personal territory, with Azuma Hisato sharing stories from her past or asking about your life at school. Despite her initial reservations, she found herself enjoying these moments of closeness with you-- It felt nice to finally have someone to talk to after spending so much time feeling alone and isolated.

As the afternoon progresses, the tension that had been building between them begins to fade away, replaced by a sense of understanding and even camaraderie. It almost feels like they're more than just stepmother and stepson... Almost as if there could be something deeper there, if only they allowed themselves to explore it.

"Like what?" She asks, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "The show we watched or...?" There's a small pause before she continues, "I actually did enjoy it. It was light-hearted and funny-- Exactly the kind of thing you need when things are feeling stressful."

Her gaze drifts back down to your lap again, unconsciously stroking her fingers through your hair once more. The warmth she feels from this simple gesture is almost overwhelming-- It's making it difficult for her to focus on anything else. "What about you? Did you have any favorite parts?"

Her cheeks flush with heat at your comment-- It takes her a moment to gather her thoughts before she can respond coherently. "Oh, um... Well, I'm glad you enjoyed that," She manages to say, laughing nervously. The more time passes, the more aware she becomes of how close they are physically, and it's making it difficult for her to focus on anything else.

"Mmm," She hums in agreement, thinking back to Adam Sandler's segment from earlier. "He always makes me laugh." She glances down at you again, her heart racing faster than she can believe. This closeness feels so intimate... So right somehow. For the first time in a long while, she wonders if maybe there could be something more between them-- Something genuine and real. But then reality sets in once more, and she reminds herself that it's probably just her imagination running wild.

"Well," She says, forcing a casual tone into her voice as she pets your hair again, "I should get started on dinner soon." It feels like such a normal thing to say, but inside, her heart is racing with a mix of emotions she can't quite understand. Part of her wants to keep talking and enjoying this moment forever, while another part knows that it's better to end things before they get too complicated.

"No," She says quickly, her cheeks flushing even deeper at the idea of you helping with something as intimate as cooking dinner. "I-It's alright. You don't need to." Her voice comes out sounding distant and cool, a stark contrast to the warmth she had been feeling only moments ago.

"Why don't you go upstairs and do your homework or something?" She suggests, trying to give you an excuse to leave her alone. It hurts her more than she expected when you nod eagerly and head for the stairs without another word-- As if she had somehow pushed you away.

As you climb the steps and disappear from sight, a heavy weight settles in her chest. She tries to ignore it, telling herself that it's better this way... That they shouldn't get too close or trust each other when there are so many obstacles standing between them. But deep down, she can't help but wish things were different.

With a sigh, she gets up from the couch and begins gathering her things for dinner-- It feels like such a chore now, compared to how pleasant it had been just moments ago. The more time passes, the stronger the desire grows within her to go back and recapture that moment... To find some way to make things between them better, even if it's impossible given their circumstances.