Meeting her
"Mama, mama why are you making so many dishes today?"
A girl with caramel-coloured hair asks the woman who was cooking in the kitchen with a humming sound. The woman seems to be having fun cooking such large portions of food as if she was welcoming guests after a very long time and that indeed seems to be the case.
"It's because your dad's friend is moving here to Kyoto with his family. So today, mama is going to make our princess favourite for our guests."
"Really? You're going to make sashimi!"
"Of course. Has mama ever lied to you?"
The girl with the star in her eyes promptly yet cutely shakes her little head before kissing the woman on her cheeks.
"Mama is the best."
"And she knows it. Hehe~"
The little girl also joined her mother in the cooking saying she will do her best to help mama. Naturally, the mom has no choice but to fulfil her adorable daughter's wishes. Though most of the work was done by herself, she would just giggle, seeing how serious her daughter's face was.
Ring—!
As both mother and daughter duo were busy in their fun time, they heard a doorbell not long after they finished preparing all the food.
"Perfect timing. Go and call your father down, honey. I will go and greet the guests."
Putting her apron down, the woman sends her daughter upstairs to call her father as she walks towards the front door.
❄❄❄
"We are here."
After we moved from our home, it took exactly five hours to arrive here and I must say that my weak body was feeling so bored that I slept for most of the time in our journey.
"Son, would you do the pleasure?" Saying those words and without giving attention to my answer—both of my parents hide in the bushes, leaving their luggage behind without a care in the world.
Yup, they want a 7-year-old kid to ring someone's doorbell whom he never met in his whole life.
What would be the other parties' reaction when they open the door?
Are you lost, baby boy?
Moreover, why in the world are we entering other people's houses before going to ours?
Sigh—!
I climbed over the fallen luggage as it was already challenging for me to reach the bell.
I swear, I would look pathetic if someone saw me like this.
Ring—!
I did it!
I exclaimed in my heart before turning around to my parent's side but they were yet to come.
Sure enough, following Newton's third law, a woman opened the door after my action of pressing her bell.
"Who might you be? Are… you alone!"
And when she opened the door, I was incredibly surprised from inside that I unconsciously twitched my brows.
Ahem. Ahem.
It was not because of the beauty who was otherworldly mesmerising. Well, she is a beauty of her kind but the reason why I was surprised is that a quick question was raised inside my head.
In order to open the door, the woman just pushed the door towards me, right there, that is the action, so how come the door opens instead of giving an equal and opposite reaction on her side.
Hmmm. Interesting...
"Child, are we still here?"
Bringing me out of my stupor was the voice of the beautiful woman with light-dark hair who was waving her hand slowly.
"Ma'am, I have a question for y-"
"Surprise!!!"
"Ekkkk—!"
Wow. what a beautiful gasp.
Is that why my parents wanted to do this?
I could only shake my head as I changed the question I was about to ask.
"Ma'am, are you acquainted with these people who self-proclaimed that I am their blood-related son?"
"Er?" the woman titled in confusion causing her long black hair to fall to the side.
"Oy son, that hurts, okey?"
"Ayami-chan, are you asking for a beating?"
Not giving any attention to the duo's complaining, I bowed my head to the beauty and gave an animated smile.
"How silly of me. Talking to a beauty without asking her name. Uhmm, so, can I have the pleasure of knowing your name, ma'am?"
The woman quickly maintained her shocked expression before coughing to hide her embarrassment which was so fake that I would give her 2/10.
"Haah, surely, you are their child. My name is Hina Aida but for you, it's aunty Hina, understood?"
"Yes, Aunty Hina." I said as I walked beside her, "Uh… Aunty Hina met my parents. They are a little loose in their head so, I hope you'll take better care of me as a neighbour, obviously."
Listening to the words out of my mouth, aunty Hina gave a soft giggle finding it strangely amusing but her smile turned cold when facing my parents.
"What were you guys doing in the bushes there and why is that your luggage still here? Don't tell me, you guys straight up come to my house to trouble us after arriving in Kyoto. Above all, did you really make a 7-year kid press someone's bell?"
In front of the barrier of such questions, my parents opened their mouths but no words came. They stood silent as if a single mistake would take their life.
Amusing. They actually were afraid, huh?
At last, it was my mom who answered weakly.
"Hey, h-Hina-san don't be mad. W-we just missed you so much that we came to visit you fir-ekk"
"And you think I would buy for that."
Oh my, I can't believe there is someone who can talk like that to my mother and she didn't dare to fight back.
I guess, there is someone in this world who can pamper my mom, after all.
Now, that's a chance I won't leave behind.
I tugged the sleeves of my aunty's black sweater and forced myself to well up tears in my eyes. My tear-filled eyes were circling and shaking at the same time—feeling afraid of rejection. It was a pitiful face that would win an Oscar for touching others' hearts.
"Aunty Hina, living with my parents is so hard. Can I stay with you for some time? I promise I will be a good boy and stay inside the room all the time. Also I… think I want to be with aunty Hina."
How is that, huh? Surely, you will not reject--wait, what?
Why is there so much steam coming out of Auntie's head?
My parents also noticed the abnormality and quickly rushed in.
No. They didn't rush in to help but rather rushed inside the… house?
""Hahaha.""
Yeah, they went inside the house not caring about my dear Auntie who just collapsed on the floor and now they are laughing.
Are they villains?
"Hehe, Shiro–Kun, Look at our son's face. How perplexed he appears." My mother carried my aunty on her shoulder before noticing my disturbed face.
Looking at my face, my father laughed again as he explained Ms Hina's predicament.
"Aww, son, don't worry. Your aunty is alright. If you have a system from the books you read then it would have said, [Cuteness overload!!! cuteness overload!!! cuteness overload!!!]
[Hina Aida.exe has stopped working.]… she is weak against cute creatures, you see."
"Hey, don't call me a creature so openly."
"So, basically saying, she just fainted because of your cute face. Anyway, thanks for the help, son. We just dodged the bullet thanks to you." Mother said with a grateful face while patting my head.
I nodded my head with a calm expression but in reality, I was screaming internally.
'Oh, shoot! my plan backfired on me... I thought I would make
"By the way, is she the one you guys talked about?"
I asked after getting inside the common room and sitting beside my auntie whose cheeks were still rosy red.
My parents told me that we will be getting shifted to their friend's neighbours as the husband of aunty Hina is running some sort of basketball club and gym.
"Yeah, she is still scary as back then."
Seeing the horror-filled eyes of my mom, I couldn't help but think of what I know about their relationship.
It should be noted that they used to be the besties in their high school time.
But it becomes a little bit spicy when they marry each other crushes from the basketball team. No, none of them, cheated on each other. It was, in fact, another way around.
What actually happened was that my dad and his mysterious friend, after winning the game purpose my mom and aunty Hina together in front of the whole stadium.
They were very happy at first but become baffled realizing that their love targets are criss-crossed. They wanted to reject but couldn't muster the strength for that and blah… blah… I and aunty Hina's daughter came into this world.
What a love drama they had!
Moreover, I was surprised to learn that my father was a national basketball player yet I have never seen him playing it… anyway, it has nothing to do with me, right?
Obviously, my mom wouldn't say something that her crush was taken by her bestie. It was my dad who made such a great sacrifice to nap me to bed and get punished later.
"Hey, who are you calling scary? That's my wife."
As I was pondering over those things, a hoarse voice sounded behind my back as I turned to look around, I saw a man in his late twenties standing with a cheeky grin.
"Tori-san!!"
Suddenly, my father exclaimed as he leapt over the man like a koala unwilling to leave its favourite spot.
"Urgh, you are still doing this, Shiro. Get off me!! Your son is giving me a weird look."
Wow, was I too obvious?
"Shiro–Kun. Come and sit with me." Mother said to father with a smile which doesn't meet her cold eyes.
Listening to her Majesty's warning, my father who was unwilling to let go of his spot instantly returned to my mom's side.
Women are really scary!!
I took a mental note that when I grow up I will not fall into any kind of drama and marry a gentle girl like spring or else like my father, I will have to get henpecked by my wife for the rest of my life.
The man checked the condition of Ms Hina who was subjectively his wife.
Finding that she was fine, he walked close to me and gazed at me for a while before picking me up and plopping me over on my father's lap.
"You're not even seven and still want to sit in a chair. Firstly, grow up some hairs, kid."
What, just because of that.
"But there are still many chairs here."
"Like I said before, grow up some hair before sitting in the chair."
This person… is he a retard? What kind of argument is that?
I looked at him properly before opening my mouth.
"Does it still matter whether you have raised your hair or not if you cannot even treat your guest properly?"
Red spider veins appeared on the man's forehead to which in response, I just stuck out my tongue.
"What does 'growing hair' mean, father?"
Questioning out of nowhere, a brown-haired girl appeared between us luring our attention towards her. Well, I did see her coming with this man but I didn't take a proper look.
And when I did, ironically, for some unknown reason, she seemed quite familiar even if it was our first time meeting.
Is it fate? Ugh… bullshit!
As I was about to ask my parents about them, my head suddenly started to throb.
Clutching my head in pain, I felt some of the memories that I have long forgotten getting restored unusually as if regaining the data from recycle bin.
I was momentarily in a daze before the girl's name popped inside my head.
Riko Aida.
I was surprised.
What is she doing in this world?
No, wait, I will do one better.
Why in the seven hell am I in this world?
And because of the shock l received, just like my aunt Hina, I also fainted...
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