Secret Routes

Before investing the whole citizens, I guess I should proceed to investigate this abnormal house – I call Grandparents sweet home. According to my Mom, this house has two main blocks. One where I'm standing and the other above me where my Mom never visited yet it's not like we're prohibited to enter. It's strange to say that even Uncle Ren had never visited the second block though it wasn't restricted. Now it gives false vibes after knowing both of their perspectives.

If they weren't stopped to enter then why hadn't they ever visited the place yet?

That sounds odd now. For the very first time, I smelled the unbearable chemical odour, do they perform any kind of excursion above there? Even if I assume it yet I don't have any valid information against my so-called step-grandparents. I can't even raise my voice to speak against them, what if they suspect me and mask their real faces? I need to perform my numbers behind their presence. Until then I should keep an eye on them and find a way to get to know the second main floor well.

"Tsuki-chan, what are you staring at the stairs?"

"Mrs– Grandma, Can I have my room on the second floor?"

It makes me feel so hard to address her 'Grandma', man!

I turned to her and found Mrs. Kiyoko in hot water. Should I suspect her? I narrowed my eyes when her jaw moved to speak. What excuse will you give me, Mrs. Kiyoko?

"Ha-ha. Tsuki-chan, isn't your room settled on the first floor?" Her voice is so soft and melody to actually call her sweet Grandma but I'm reluctant to be so extinct. I feel so suffocating in this little world of Uncle Ren's yet there comes a list of lies they use to pamper us with their welcoming warmth. But…

I hate the people who pretend to be someone they aren't.

"RIght. Then who lives on the second floor?"

"That is… for the guest! Tsuki-chan."

She's lying. I can see her eyes pulling downway, doesn't that mean she's hiding something? I will figure it out soon.

"Aren't we guests? Anyhow the floor is empty then why are you stopping me?"

Before her jaws could move, a sudden voice rang behind me that I urged to have a look behind.

"Uncle Ren?"

"What's stopping you, Moon?"

I can't use Uncle Ren against her. That will only leave a black eye on me – I will interrogate about this floor personally with Uncle Ren. That can work before implementing anything out of line. That's right now, keep up with an ordinary face, Moon.

"Grandma was just stopping me from running through the corridors."

"Is it, Moon? So, will you obey your Grandma?"

"Yes, Uncle Ren."

Idiot, why would I even obey a false statement?

I was just staring at my so-called Grandma who was being so fluent with her son. I was standing there reluctantly until I was pulled out of the place by Uncle Ren. Tell me if I hadn't mentioned this, they were chatting about the upcoming weekend's planning when I thought they had been babbling about the next world war. Trust me, I'm an extraordinary overthinker. Can you relate it too? Speak up dude, it's ok to be a fool sometimes!

"Hey, Uncle Ren. I wanna ask you something."

"Yes. But why the hell are you speaking in a whisper, Idiot?!"

"Hehe. Just to sound playful, you know."

"Foolish. Now let me hear your question."

Serious mode cultivated!

"Is Grandma by chance involved in… home-peace rituals?"

He abruptly spotted a puzzled slight on me and his brows formed an arc as if I sounded in a way I shouldn't sound. But shortly all that unexpected expressions on his face vanished like a silent fog over harbours.

"No, Moon." Ah. That's a relief. I was to suspect them – "Not your Grandma but your Grandparents are involved in home-peace rituals, Moon. But how did you reach this question when I or Mom hadn't mentioned my parents occupation to you?"

I was just feeling light but I hadn't known that it was just an incomplete statement. Damn, the complete statement was heart throbbing! So heartbreaking, dude! I was now surely deaf to answer him back. Now when their occupation is cleared I need to explore the second floor eventually but that doesn't come true in my Grandparents presence. And it's not even possible for me to wait until they leave out – I only have less time.

I have an idea in my mind but it yearns for patience and dedication.

Which isn't possible for me! Ayya!

"Ah. Uncle Ren, are there any secret routes for this house? I'm bored."

"Ahha! If you wanna kill your time you can explore the two secret routes in the garden. You can find out where they are connected."

"Have you ever tried?"

"I have never done it but you can, Moon. No restrictions from my side."

Great! What an unexpected way to my mission! I'm gonna take full advantage of these secret routes. In the name of gardening, I will explore those routes. There might be fewer chances that one of them ought to be a path to the second floor.

Mom is gonna help me out with this.

"Mommy ~ Your sweet daughter needs your little he!p ~"

"I'm busy ~ Help you next time ~"

"Mom! It's not any exam to say help you next time! I need your help, Mom!"

"Eh! Why don't you ask your Dad, Moon?!"

"Dad…?"

She knew I didn't have one… how can you say something like this, Mom? I kept quiet and turned to walk away with no words left on my lips.

"I-I-I don't mean that, Moon. Let me help you out, Baby. Please forgive, Moon."

"As long as you're ok to help me, I will be fine, Mom." I smiled and Mom took a relief breath with a slap on my head for going this far with my acting. Well, I didn't though.

But… wait. If we accidentally find something unbelievable then the first person who couldn't hold such sensitive matter is my Mom. Should I really take her help? But I really need someone who can understand what my aims are. Mom. She doesn't speak about anything like this with anyone, not even her second husband. So she's the best option for me but why am I having such a strange gut feeling? Should I really take Mom's help?

"What are you guys doing?"

Uncle Ren?

Haiz! Why does he appear in every situation, huh? Eh – wait, what if I take Uncle Ren's help rather than Mumma? Yep! That might be good indeed!

"Moon asked me to help her."

"Mom, let it be. I'm thinking of taking Uncle Ren's help."

"Me? Why me suddenly?"

"Don't say why me? It's just a little help, help me out, Uncle Ren."

"Eh… okay."

I walked to the garden under Uncle Ren's guidance. Obviously, it wasn't how I anticipated it to be. I… had never seen such a garden ever in my life! It was strangely ploughed to plant the different varieties of… Hyacinthus? And the weird feeling is: they were planted in a zigzag pattern. Why?! Is that position valid for their growth? From a distance, I estimate that this field is huge – bigger than the house! Do grandparents are so fascinated by gardening? Not to mention, it's so fabulously maintained. But! There's no separate path to walk around the garden! There's no existence of soil in any corner or empty space! First of all, there's no empty space. It's wholly covered with Hyacinthus! In this crowded Hyacinthus, how are we supposed to find those two secret routes? This's gonna be a big deal, though.

"So. What are we going to do in this garden?"

"We're supposed to find out those 2 secret routes, Uncle Ren."

"Secret routes? You really wanna find them out?""I'm not here for a joke, Uncle Ren. I really wanna find them out!"

"Huh?"

Then. A sudden silence was surviving in that sheepish atmosphere. I looked at Uncle Ren and immediately formed waves of wrinkles over my forehead after seeing his blank face covered with interrogation marks. Hell, did I mess up? I might have sounded more serious than boredom.

"Ah! Ha-ha-ha, I mean to kill my time I can do anything, Uncle Ren."

"Oh. I see. But just you felt so serious, Moon –"

"Serious? Me? Not at all possible, Uncle Ren! Haha!"

God! I'm dead weary by faking sheepish laughs!

"Ok then, let's find these routes immediately. But…,"