The door opened with a long creak.Almost too dramatic for a simple door.
And there he was.
Kei.
Impeccable suit.Straight posture.Neutral expression.
Harumi froze.
The broom still raised like a katana.
Kei silently took in the entire scene.
One eyebrow lifted.
"Good evening, Harumi."
She swallowed hard.
"G-good evening, Mr. Kei—I mean—Kurosawa—I mean—boss—I mean—"
She stopped.
Breathed.
"Good evening."
Silence.
Her soul left her body for five seconds and slowly walked back in.
He blinked once.
"I came to deliver the documents."
Harumi almost collapsed on the spot.
"OH—MY—GOD—I—FORGOT."
She tried fixing her hair.Failed.
Tried adjusting her apron.Failed again.
Tried to look like a responsible adult.
Failed for the third time.
Kei continued calmly.
"The reports for Monday."
Harumi felt her spirit leave her body for the second time.
"I COMPLETELY FORGOT."
"I sent a message saying I'd come today."
Harumi froze.
"A message?"
"Yes."
"I… was… busy."
Mei muttered quietly from Harumi's shoulder, with dramatic narrator energy:
"Fighting the cockroach…"
Kei looked at her.
Then at Harumi.
"…Fighting the cockroach?"
Harumi wanted to disappear from the planet.
But her dignity was already gone, so—
"There's a cockroach in my house."
"I see."
"It showed up in the kitchen."
"Alright."
"It flew."
"Alright."
"AND THEN IT DISAPPEARED."
Pause.
Kei responded with the same calm tone as always.
"I understand."
He very clearly did not understand.
But still…
He took off his jacket.Rolled up his sleeves.And removed his tie.
Then walked inside.
Harumi blinked several times.
He murmured, so quietly almost no one could hear:
"…She hasn't changed at all."
Harumi looked at him immediately.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He looked away.
As if the sentence had never existed.
Her heart skipped in a strange way.
But before she could think about it—
Tick… tick… tick…
Mei slowly pointed.
"Haru…"
Harumi turned.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
The cockroach was RIGHT NEXT TO HER FOOT.
The scream she let out probably startled half the neighborhood.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
She jumped back.
Dropped the broom.
Slipped on the rug.
Hit the tatami.
Spun.
Almost knocked over a chair.
Mei fell onto the floor.
Takeru tried to keep track of the situation.
Kei watched everything with calm irritation, like someone analyzing a complicated report.
"Found you."
He grabbed a folded magazine.
"Excuse me."
He walked over calmly.
Crouched down.
And—
SMACK.
The sound echoed through the house.
Harumi opened one eye.
"…Is it dead?"
Kei glanced behind the cabinet.
"No. It fell back there."
Harumi had an emotional collapse.
"SO IT'S STILL ALIVE?!"
"Yes."
"SO I'M STILL IN DANGER?!"
"Technically, yes."
Harumi dropped to her knees on the tatami.
"I WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS LIFE."
Takeru muttered:
"Dramatic."
But Kei simply placed a hand on the cabinet.
And lifted it.
With one hand.
Like it was an empty box.
Total silence.
Harumi blinked repeatedly.
"K-Kei…?"
"Yes?"
"Since when do you lift furniture?"
He replied without changing his tone:
"Sometimes it's part of the job."
A lie.
But he said it seriously enough to sound true.
There it was.
The cockroach.
Still.
Defiant.
Arrogant until the very end.
Kei took a breath.
SMACK.
Clean.
Precise.
Final.
He picked it up, tossed it away, and set the cabinet back down.
Silence.
Takeru was impressed.
Mei was fascinated.
Harumi was emotionally destroyed.
Kei put his jacket back on.
"All done."
Harumi spoke carefully.
"…It's… gone?"
"Yes."
"…."
"It's over now."
Harumi nearly cried from relief.
Takeru crossed his arms.
"He's kind of scary."
Mei grinned.
"He's really strong!"
Kei dusted off his hands.
Then noticed Harumi staring at him like he was the hero of a drama.
He immediately looked away.
She did too.
Both pretending nothing happened.
She muttered:
"…Thank you, boss."
He replied without looking at her:
"No need to thank me."
Pause.
"Good night, Harumi."
And he left.
The door closed.
Silence.
Harumi collapsed face-first onto the tatami.
"MY BOSS SAW ME FIGHTING A COCKROACH WITH A BROOM."
Takeru crossed his arms.
"It could've been worse."
"HOW?!"
"The cockroach could've won."
Harumi screamed into a pillow.
Mei climbed onto her back.
"Aunt Haru, you were so brave!"
Harumi slowly lifted her head.
Tired.
Humiliated.
Traumatized.
But… smiling.
And then—
Her phone started vibrating on the table.
VRRRRRRRRRRVRRRRRRRRRRRRRVRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Harumi looked.
"Oh no."
"What?" Takeru asked.
"Another insect."
She answered.
"Hello?"
Her sister's voice came in like a hurricane.
"HARUMI. Tomorrow. Airport. Six in the morning. MOM IS ARRIVING."
Silence.
"…What?"
"Come early to Dad's house with the kids. Get the car. Pick us up. We're going to get her."
"Wait—"
"It's forty minutes. Don't be late."
"But—"
"Bye."
Beep beep beep.
The call ended.
Harumi stood there.
Expressionless.
Blinking slowly.
Takeru tilted his head.
"Problem?"
"Yes."
"Big?"
"Gigantic."
"Ah. Figures."
Silence.
"My mom is arriving tomorrow."
Takeru blinked.
"Why are you nervous? Is she dangerous?"
Harumi grabbed her head.
"SHE'S BRAZILIAN."
"…."
"And she talks loudly."
"…."
"And she asks about EVERYTHING."
"…."
"And she thinks everyone needs to eat."
"…."
"AND SHE'S GOING TO WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU TWO ARE."
Takeru took a deep breath.
"I see."
Mei raised her hand.
"I like food."
Harumi pointed dramatically.
"THAT DOESN'T HELP."
And so…
With a shared sense of incoming disaster…
The night came to an end.
Because tomorrow…
Harumi's Brazilian mother would arrive.
And absolutely no one was ready for that.
And there was still the banquet.
And the day promised to be…
a historic disaster.