Meanwhile, back in the university hallway...

"That was an awesome fight, wasn't it? Kana-chan!", Akiko told Kana with a bright smile.

"Ra-chan didn't really do much today, but I know he gave it his all!", she continued.

People have started walking their way back home due to this day's tournament battles finishing, before Akiko, Akio and Ana could continue their way out of the university though, Akiko and States suddenly bumped into them.

"... Ugh... I don't know about that, Akiko-nee.", Kana replied to her with a wry smile.

"Akiko-chan! It's been so long!", States called to her.

"Yuriko-chan! You were so cute back there!", Akiko answered her while holding both her hands.

They stood there smiling at each other while holding each other's hands.

"I was so scared the students were gonna go too far! Lots of students have been arguing non-stop before their battle even begins!", States told her with a tear in her eye.

"Those people are just big meanies! Lots of them even tried to insult my Ra-chan too! Those bullies!", Akiko replied with a cute pout.

"Mom, me and Ana are gonna head back first. Are you gonna be alright on your own?", Akio asked her with a wondering expression.

"Ah, don't mind me! Have your cutest little date, you two lovebirds! I'll head back home later.", she answered Akio.

"Okay, be careful on your way home.", Akio told her as him and Ana walked together.

"Take care!", Akiko gave her farewells to him while stretching her hands up on the air wide and waving it.

"Now, Yuriko-cha-"

""A-A-Akira's mom!"", two female voices suddenly called out Akiko by surprise.

"Hmmm....?", Akiko voiced as she turned towards where the voices came from.

There, Megumi and Koka stood looking nervous and surprised.

Ai was confused for a second but suddenly got nervous too.

"Oh, Koka-chan! You're still as cute and sexy as the day I last saw you!", Akiko told her with excitement.

"Uh-uh... Yes... Ishika- I mean Akiko-chan!", Koka replied.

Truthfully, they just waited until Koka has recovered from the nurse's office.

She has been completely healed a few minutes before Akira's match ended, so she ended up not being able to watch it and didn't get to bump into him in the clinic as well.

"W-w-wait? H-how did you know she's Akira's mom?", Ai asked them.

"W-well... My mom and her mom are friends and-... Wait, how did you find out she was Akira's mom, Megu...?", Koka was answering Ai's question when she suddenly noticed something and turned to Megumi.

"Th-that...haha...w-well... They resemble each other, right? Hahaha... You know.", Megumi answered as if she was trying to avoid the topic.

Koka narrowed her eyes at Megumi as if she was skeptical of her actions.

"You three seem to have something special with Ra-chan, hmmm?", Akiko teased them with a smile.

"W-well...", Koka blushed while grinning a bit and scratching her cheek.

Megumi just smiled and turned to Akiko with her cheeks turning a bit red, and was also a bit shaky due to nervousness.

Suddenly though Ai approached Akiko.

Both Megumi and Koka's eyes slightly widened as they saw this.

"Hmmm... Do you want to tell me something, cutie-chan?", Akiko told her with a friendly teasing smile.

"U-u-ummm... M-m-mom!", Ai suddenly called her out.

Megumi and Koka's eyes suddenly darken and their expressions turned into intimidating deadpan faces as they heard this.

"... A-Akira-sama... You... I just want to tell you th-that... Your son...I confessed my lo-", before Ai could finish her sentence.

"Mmpph! Mmpph! Mmmph!", Megumi and Koka quickly covered her mouth.

"Ummm... Is something wrong?", Akiko asked them with a wry smile.

"N-no, Akiko-chan. She was just a bit too nervous because of her match today, we just think she needs some rest.", Koka told her with a smile while trying to prevent Ai from talking.

"...but you also had a match today-"

"Don't worry, ma'am. We're sorry for disturbing you. We'll just be on our way now.", Megumi butted in with a smile as well.

"Well... O-okay..."

Megumi and Koka quickly then took their hands off Ai's mouth.

"Megu, Kokachi! Wh-why are you two-"

*zzzzooomm*

Suddenly, the three quickly pulled Ai with them and ran away.

Akiko just showed a wry smile as she saw this.

' 'I can't let Akira's mother know about Ai's feelings!' ', the two thought.

Akiko, Akira's mother, is an enthusiastic person willing to work her hardest to make people happy, especially the people she cared about the most.

She usually puts her all into trying to find ways to make them feel the happiest without looking for a reward.

That is why they forced Ai to not tell her.

They knew that Akira, being the kind of guy he is, wouldn't brag about a cute girl like Ai falling in love and confessing to him, so from their knowledge there was no way Akiko could have known Ai's feelings to Akira except if another person tells him.

With Akiko's extreme desire to make the people she cares about happy, if she realizes that Ai likes Akira, she would try her hardest to learn about her and help her be lovers with Akira, that's what the girls thought.

This has happened once during Koka's date with Akira.

"Is one of them your son Akira-san's girlfriend as well?", asked States while pointing her index finger on the bottom of her lip.

"Well, that's what I thought.", Akiko answered her with a wry smile.

'...So I misunderstood, hmm...' she thought with a smile.

The truth is though, Akiko has thought all this time, that...

Koka was Akira's girlfriend.

Due to them having a date once, she thought they were together and were already a couple.

She would ask Akira about his relationship with Koka, but to her, the best mom is the one who doesn't meddle in their children's love affairs.

Unless they asked her for help, she thinks it would be better to leave them to their devices rather than forcing things to slide according to her own opinions.

And another thing is that... Akiko used to be dense as well when she was young...but after growing up and maturing more, she changed and learned how to feel if someone has affectionate feelings towards another person.

'Ra-chan, you player.', Akiko thought with a wry smile.

Just from the reactions the girls show from seeing her, she already knew what they felt about him.

Even without Ai finishing her sentence, she already realized what she was about to say.

So even if Koka and Megumi pushed themselves to prevent that information from teaching her, they didn't have a choice in the first place.

'That pink haired girl though...she seemed kind of familiar.', Akiko thought.

"Akiko-chan, Kana-chan, let's go out! I'll treat you two!", States told them with a smile.

"Sure!"

"Um!"

The two replied to her with bright smiles.

As Akiko and States spokes while walking towards the exit, Kana who was walking with them, loosened up her smile for a while though.

'Tomorrow's Akira's and that Inoue-san's fight with their partners, huh?', she thought.

'Hope Akira could beat all of what I said to his head.'

"Kana-chan?", States called out to Kana, who was focused on her thoughts.

"Is something wrong?", Akiko asked her.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it.", she answered them with a smile.

"Then let's march our way there!", States cheerily told them.

"Yay!", Akiko cheered.

Kana just looked at them with a smile and followed them out.

______________________________________