To the New Life
"Moriyama Kairo, what are you doing here?!"
"Sorry, I know this is really sudden but..... wait, can you please let me in first?! It's cold out here."
"Okay okay fine. Come in." Erika sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose while she slowly opened the door for the surprise guest. Kairo quickly went inside afterwards.
"Do you want something to drink, son?" Erika's mother asked generously.
"Um... Probably some hot chocolate." Kairo answered casually.
"Um.. Hot chocolate... About that.." The tone on her mother's voice kind of faded bit by bit.
"We don't have that here, Moriyama. God, can't you see the state we're in?" Erika blatantly said.
It was just then that Kairo actually observed what's around him. Erika has been living in a substandard household, a below-average life. Their house are really old, walls freckled will holes of termites, a squeaky wooden floor, and patchy shoji dividers. It occurred to him whether or not he'll continue to ask a selfish favor from her.
"We have tea though, if you don't mind." Erika said to cut Kairo's confounded self.
"Tea! Tea will do." He said as he scratched his cheek with his forefinger. "Actually anything warm will do."
"Got it." Erika then stood up and stretched her arms in the air before she went to the kitchen to prepare tea for him. Meanwhile, Akito is by the sink, pouting, because he ended up finishing what Erika left with the dishes.
Kairo started fidgeting uncomfortably as he is sweating with a bit of regret. However, the sound of the tea cup being placed on the table snapped him from his thoughts.
"Get to the point, Moriyama. You're alarming me." Erika said in a tone of slight annoyance when she sipped on her tea.
"Can I live here?"
"Pfftt----", the girl spat on her tea after what Kairo dropped down so suddenly. She wiped her mouth in a lady-like manner right after displaying an unethical scene. "I shouldn't have told you to get to the point. You're gonna give me a heart attack. I think I heard you wrong."
"Can I live here?"
"Okay, that was exactly what you said but man.... Are you serious?!"
"I have nowhere to go, Hatsugawa-san." Kairo said anxiously. He held his forehead as if he is going through some complicated turn of events.
"I mean, I am sure you are sensitive enough to draw a conclusion in our lifestyle right? Do you actually think we are capable of accommodating another human being?!"
"I know! But I will help, Hatsugawa-san. I will um... have a part-time job or something so that I wouldn't be a burden."
"You can't even freaking cook!"
"I will apply on a job that doesn't involve cooking!"
"You don't understand. There isn't even a spare room for you to stay in."
"I can manage in the living room. I can have a bed foam, some blankets, 2 pillows and I am fine."
"Are you serious? ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Do you even think this house have a bed foam?! Do we look like we're sleeping on an actual bed?!"
"...then how about 2 pillows?"
"We have a "one pillow each" rule in this house."
"What?! How do you even sleep comfortably?!"
"In the sound of the mosquitoes' lullaby."
"..... there are mosquitoes?"
"Do you think this is Mars or something? THERE ARE MOSQUITOES EVERYWHERE!"
Kairo vacantly looked in his chipped teacup with disbelief. This is below what his expected setting in his mind of what kind of life she actually lives in. But he was so determined to persuade her since he actually has no choice for himself. At the moment, she is the only one he actually knows.
"It's fine." You know there was a slight hesitation on the tone of his voice.
"Why are you doing this, Moriyama? Did your house burn or something?"
"I cannot be found, Hatsugawa. It's about my past. I.... I can't really tell the specifics about it. But I wish you could trust me enough to let me in. I just.... I just really don't have any choice."
"Your messed up past, huh." Erika began to look down and stare at the ripples on her tea. "So you really are a drug dealer."
"Well if me being a drug dealer would convince you, then so be it." Kairo chuckled awkwardly.
"I can't really paint the picture of this situation, Erika. I don't think I completely understand his situation, but if Moriyama-kun is this determined despite seeing our situation here, then I guess it will be fine." Her mother smiled gently as she caressed Erika's hair. She looked at Kairo afterwards.
"Moriyama-kun, if it is alright with you to have this home as your refuge, then we'll gladly take you in."
"Mom.", Erika looked at her mother with trouble in her eyes.
She really doesn't know if she is making the right decision, and she is worried that it'll bring more toll on her mother's body, taking care of 3 younger beings.
"I'll be alright, Erika. As long as you help around from time to time. Probably this time, you wouldn't complain about the dishes." her mother laughed quietly after saying that. Erika couldn't help but smile upon her mother's optimism.
"No more complaining about the dishes." Erika mantras softly and then she looked at Kairo. "You'll help around, okay?"
"I will. I promise to not cause any problems here." Kairo said willingly.
"You wouldn't complain about this house being shabby."
"Roger that."
"There is no hot chocolate in this house."
"No hot choco. Noted."
"Only one pillow."
Kairo whimpered a bit upon hearing that but he nodded slowly, "Only....one....pillow. But I have Burger-san with me. So that counts two for me right?"
"Burger-san?" Erika tilted her head a bit in confusion.
"This!" Kairo took something from his luggage which happened to be a giant burger plush toy. "Burger-san!"
"It is literally a burger... okay. You'll have that burger inside."
"No! He's not 'that burger'! He's Burger-san! Call him Burger-san."
"B... Burger-san then. Burger-san will be accepted."
Kairo grinned happily because he finally found a new home for himself to stay in. This relieved him so much considering his case at the moment.
"Also, you'll make sure Burger-san will be away from Akito. He'll surely snatch it." Erika added.
"EEEEHHH??!!" Akito and Kairo said at the same time.
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"So Moriyama-kun, you'll be with Erika in her room."
"EEEEEHHH??!!" Erika and Kairo said at the same time. "Mom! You know it is not normal to be in the same room as a guy right?!"
"Erika, you know it is weirder for Moriyama-kun to stay with me right? We only have two rooms in this house. Akito stays with me. I cannot have him actually sleep in the living room, you know. The mosquitoes will feast on him."
"But mom---my.... MY SHRINE!"
"Ah yes, that "shrine" of yours. Get rid of it at once."
"I WOULD NEVER."
"Oh you will. Or would you prefer having Moriyama-kun witness your shamelessness?"
"Hnggnn.... But... But..."
"I think I'll be fine whatever is in the room, umm---"
"Oh. Sachiko. Sachiko Hatsugawa. You can call me Sachiko-san, Moriyama-kun." Her mother smiled gently towards the boy.
"S--Sachiko-san... I'll be fine whatever is in the room. At this point, Hatsugawa-san surprises me in all sort of ways, I don't think I'll be surprised with whatever will flash before me again."
Sachiko giggled softly with what he said. "Erika's been really odd towards you, hasn't she?"
"Odd in an adorable way, Sachiko-san." Kairo said softly with a smile.
"And it is not like I would actually put down my shrine for you." Erika huffed as she stomped her way to the second floor.
"Well then, just follow her, Kairo-kun. She'll fix everything for you."
"Thank you for having me, Sachiko-san." Kairo said and followed Erika afterwards.
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"You know how I said I wouldn't be surprised anymore with whatever will flash before me right?" Kairo said in a monotonous tone while his eyes scanned the contents of her room.
"Yes, what about it?"
"I take it back." He said as something outrageous welcomed him inside her room.