Chapter 8

He sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve before sliding out of bed. His feet padded quietly against the wooden floor as he made his way to his parents' room.

Maybe he could just sneak in and sleep between them for just five minutes, he thought. Just enough to stop shaking.

He twisted the doorknob slowly, trying not to make a sound. The door creaked open— And his eyes widened in horror. They were passionately kissing and... and... "Oh my—WHAT THE HELL?!"

Reika's sharp, icy glare snapped toward the door, but the moment she locked eyes with Nagi, her entire façade crumbled. Her mouth opened in horror, but no words came out—just a strangled gasp. Keiji was fast in pulling up the sheets to cover them. "NAGI!" Reika's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Why are you here?!"

The shout unfroze their son. He started backing out, face burning, shaking his head violently. "NOPE! I—NOPE! I'M GONE! I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING!" Nagi slammed the door shut with a bang that echoed through the house.

The noise jolted Rei awake in his room. He blinked at the ceiling, disoriented. "Huh? Was that... an earthquake?" He yawned, rolled over, and passed out two seconds later, drooling on his pillow.

Nagi finally staggered back to his room, face crimson, and threw himself onto the bed, clutching his pillow.

Across the hall, Arato—who had been awake the entire time—stood silently in his doorway, deadpan. He tilted his head slightly before whispering to himself,

"Lucky."

Kenji locked the closed door. His wife remained frozen clutching the sheets tightly around her. The heavy silence was almost deafening.

Kenji cleared his throat, straightening his glasses with one hand while returning to the bed. "…I suppose that was bound to happen eventually."

Reika pressed her lips into a thin line, her expression icy as she fixed the sheets around herself more properly. "You did forget to lock the door."

Kenji's brows furrowed, but his tone stayed even. "You were the last one to come in."

Reika exhaled sharply through her nose, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well… there's no point dwelling on it."

Kenji nodded once. He looked around the room for a while before returning to stare at Reika. "Shall we… resume?"

Reika hesitated, casting a glance at the now-locked door. Her shoulders stiffened. "It would be impractical to stop now."

Kenji tossed off his glasses, his face unreadable. "Agreed."

The Thursday morning sun shone on Kenji's face as he woke first. He rubbed his temples, adjusting his … now crooked glasses from where they'd been hastily tossed the night before. He stretched happily. Luckily Nagi's interruption didn't ruin their night. This was rare. It would have pained him if Reika was so mortified she couldn't continue.

He looked over to her. Actually, now she was sleeping, she was very cute. Her usually pristine hair was tangled slightly, her breathing slow but shallow, betraying how lightly she dozed. And her body was littered with red welts that Kenji was proud of.

She looked exhausted—not that she'd ever admit it. The stress lines around her eyes had deepened recently, and even in sleep, her expression remained tense.

Kenji slipped out of bed quietly, making sure not to disturb her. The house was silent. That was unusual for them, Usually Rei alone was enough to wake the whole house up. He went down the stairs to check if they were at school.

All three boys were still there.

Nagi sat at the kitchen table, glaring daggers at the empty counter as though the sheer power of his hatred could make breakfast appear. His small hands were clenched around a juice box, his disheveled hair sticking up at odd angles. His face still held a trace of redness from the night before.

Arato was leaning on the fridge, eyes hollow, hair messy, staring into space as if contemplating the vast emptiness of life. 

And then there was Rei, slumped over the table with his cheek pressed against the cool surface, still in his wrinkled pajamas. He managed to be the most dramatic without saying anything. He looked like he had been in a car wreck.

Honestly Kenji was wondering if they were alright these days. Their faces deteriorated each and every day. He sighed, rubbing his neck. He stepped into the kitchen, his presence barely acknowledged.

"Well," he began, voice calm, "since your mother is still resting, I think it's time I teach you all how to cook."

Three heads turned toward him in unison. Rei jumped in surprise. Once he registered what was said – "What?" Rei asked, his face scrunching in disbelief.

Nagi narrowed his eyes. "Us, cook?"

Kenji adjusted his glasses. "You can be quite capable like us too, actually."

Arato blinked slowly. "I burn tea."

Kenji paused but didn't let his composure slip. "That doesn't count."

Rei groaned, flopping dramatically into his chair. "Dad, I'm too young to die of food poisoning."

But Kenji ignored him, already rolling up his sleeves. "Come on. You'll need to know this one day. Nagi, set the table. Rei, you can help me with the eggs. Arato—"

But Arato had silently disappeared. Kenji sighed again. "Two out of three isn't bad."