(Part 1 of approximately 873 tragedies)
The morning began with Izumi putting on her backpack.
She sighed.
A long sigh.
The kind of sigh from someone who had survived a week in a war zone.
"Haru… it was fun. But I need to go back home before I forget how to live in a place with civilization, electricity, and doors that actually work."
Harumi pouted.
"You're abandoning me?"
"Yes."
"Without remorse?"
"None."
Mei hugged her legs.
"Izumi… will you come back tomorrow?"
"I'll come back on the weekend."
"Promise?"
"Official promise with a pinky swear."
They linked pinkies.
Mei looked satisfied.
Takeru simply nodded.
But there was a tiny suspicious smile on his face.
Harumi noticed.
"Takeru… are you happy she left?"
"No."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You're smiling."
"That's my normal face."
"You look like a calm villain."
"Thank you."
When Izumi finally left…
The house became quiet.
Harumi closed the door.
Took a deep breath.
Rolled her shoulders.
And declared dramatically:
"MISSION OF THE DAY!"
Mei's eyes widened.
"Are we going to have a mission every day?!"
"YES! EVERY DAY A NEW PURPOSE! And today's mission is to turn this house into a real house!"
Mei blinked.
"Does that mean cleaning?"
"No… it means—"
Harumi paused for maximum suspense.
Then pointed dramatically at the doorless bathroom.
"PUTTING A DOOR ON THE BATHROOM!"
Mei grew serious.
"So… it's a life-or-death mission."
"Exactly!"
Takeru appeared from the kitchen.
"We still don't have electricity."
"Minor detail."
"And we don't even have that door anymore."
Harumi smiled.
That smile.
The dangerous smile.
"About that…"
She pointed outside to a huge box leaning against the wall.
"TADAAAAAA!"
Silence.
"The bathroom door arrived last night."
Mei clapped excitedly.
Takeru looked at the box.
Then at Harumi.
Then up at the ceiling.
Like someone saying a silent prayer.
"This is going to go wrong."
Phase 1: Opening the Box
(Or trying to)
The box was heavy.
Very heavy.
Heavy on the level of "how would one person even carry this?"
Harumi tried pulling it.
Nothing.
Tried pushing it.
Nothing.
Then she placed both hands on the box and said seriously:
"Door… I believe in you."
Takeru blinked.
"Are you trying to motivate an object?"
"Yes."
"It doesn't think."
"Exactly. That's why I'm teaching it."
Five minutes later…
Harumi was trapped in the bubble wrap.
"MEI!!"
"Hm?"
"My hand is stuck."
"How??"
"I don't know."
Mei tried to help.
But ended up getting tangled with Harumi.
They both fell onto the floor.
Takeru was watching the whole thing like it was a TV show.
"You two are incredibly stupid…"
Takeru went over to save the day and free them from their prison.
"THANK YOU!!!"
"OUR HERO!!!"
The two of them jumped on him like he had saved their lives.
Which… in a way… he had.
"Get off…" Takeru muttered, trying to escape.
But he quickly gave up resisting.
Phase 2: Installing the Door
Twenty minutes later.
"Takeru, pass me the screwdriver."
"That's a hammer."
"It works."
"NO."
"Then give me that yellow thing."
"Duct tape."
"Perfect."
"It's not perfect."
Thirty minutes.
Forty minutes.
One hour.
Absolute silence.
Then—
CLACK.
Harumi raised her arms triumphantly.
"I FINISHED!!!"
She looked like someone who had just climbed Mount Fuji.
Mei applauded.
Takeru observed with scientific caution.
Harumi turned the doorknob.
The door opened.
"SEE?!" she shouted. "I AM A MASTER OF TOOLS!"
She closed the door.
Turned the knob again.
Nothing.
Turned it again.
Nothing.
Pushed.
Pulled.
Silence.
"…Takeru."
"Hm?"
"The door won't open."
He looked at it.
Thought for two seconds.
"You installed it backwards."
Silence.
Harumi froze.
"I installed… what?"
"Backwards."
"…."
"The lock is on the outside."
"…."
"And the hinges too."
Total silence.
Mei grabbed Harumi's hand.
"Auntie Haru… don't cry."
"I'm not crying."
"Yes you are."
"I'm just sweating through my eyes."
Phase 3: Cleaning to Forget the Trauma
Harumi stood up dramatically.
"OK."
"OK?" Takeru repeated.
"NEW PLAN."
"What plan?"
"LET'S CLEAN THIS MESS."
"This mess is yours… and yesterday you said you would never clean this house again."
"I lied."
"Why?"
"Personal growth."
Harumi cleaned like an emotional tornado.
She:
knocked over a bucket
almost fell off the ladder
hit her head on a shelf
cleaned the floor… with her own foot
After another fall—
"Ow."
Harumi grabbed her back.
"My spine just made a suspicious noise."
"You should stop," Takeru said.
"Stopping is for the weak."
"You are weak."
"Today I am emotionally fragile, Takeru."
"I noticed."
Mei watched them.
Thinking.
Very seriously.
Then she said:
"You two argue like couples in those 6 p.m. soap operas!"
Silence.
Takeru froze.
Harumi froze.
They both looked at Mei.
"NO!" they said at the same time.
"They're like two old people who are 97 years old!"
"62."
"…TWO OLD PEOPLE WHO ARE 62 YEARS OLD!"
Mei blinked.
"Okay then."
She went back to cleaning.
"Weird couple."
After another hour…
The living room was clean.
The hallway too.
Harumi collapsed dramatically onto the floor.
"I survived."
And right at that moment—
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Someone knocked on the door.
Harumi stood up.
Opened it.
And froze.
Because outside were…
Neighbors.
Lots of neighbors.
With boxes.
With food.
With blankets.
With gifts.
Harumi blinked.
"…help."