(Friday night — the eve of the grand banquet)
The afternoon had arrived quickly.
Sunlight streamed in like golden arrows, and yet the air felt cold. Quiet.
One of those afternoons where the wind seems to pass through the entire house, whispering:
"You should all be sleeping."
But inside the house…
No one was taking that advice.
Mei was shaping modeling clay with absolute focus while watching her favorite TV show.
Takeru was reading a book with the posture of someone preparing for a national exam.
And Harumi…
Harumi was in full mental breakdown mode.
She opened cabinets.Closed cabinets.Opened drawers, as if expecting them to contain adult-life fairies.Then went back to the same cabinet again.
"Tomorrow is the banquet…" she muttered. "I need to cook… I need to organize… preferably survive…"
She opened another cabinet.
Inside:expired flour, three boxes of tea, suspicious pasta, and a container of beans that clearly did not belong to the current timeline.
Harumi took a deep breath.
"Okay… I can work with this!"
Silence.
She started counting on her fingers everything she needed to somehow feed seven thousand people.
"I just need creativity… divine seasoning… and—"
She glanced down at the kitchen floor…
And saw it.
Her.
The cockroach.
THE COCKROACH.
Standing still.
Motionless.
With the arrogant posture of someone who knew she owned the house.
One antenna twitched.
As if saying:
"Good afternoon."
The world stopped.
So did Harumi.
And then—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Mei jumped.
Takeru slowly looked up from his book.
"…what is it now?"
Harumi pointed at the cabinet with a trembling arm.
"There's—there's—THERE'S A MONSTER IN MY HOUSE!!"
Takeru stood up and looked.
Pause.
"It's just a cockroach."
Harumi turned to him in shock.
"JUST a cockroach?!"
"Yes."
"Takeru, IT LOOKED AT ME!!"
"They don't have expressions."
"EXACTLY! THAT'S WORSE!!"
Mei jumped onto the couch in one swift motion.
"HARU!!"
"WHAT?!"
"It didn't like what you said… it's moving!!"
Harumi spun around so fast she barely managed to grab a broom.
She pointed it forward like a sacred sword.
"CHILDREN! EMERGENCY MODE!"
Takeru stood calmly.
"Harumi… let me handle this."
"NO!"
"…Hm?"
"I AM THE RESPONSIBLE ADULT!!"
"You're shaking."
"THAT'S WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DOES TO PEOPLE!"
The cockroach moved a leg.
Preparing.
For its ultimate attack.
Harumi stepped back twice.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, SIX-LEGGED DEMON!!"
Takeru picked up a slipper.
"Cockroaches can sense fear, so if you—"
THE COCKROACH FLEW.
TOO HIGH.
TOO FAST.
"I'M GONNA DIEEEEE!!!"
"Harumi—"
"MOM, HELP MEEEE!!!"
Mei looked absolutely terrified—especially seeing Harumi like that.
"HARUUU—"
And then…
She JUMPED.
Straight onto Harumi's head.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! GIANT COCKROACH?!"
"Haru, I'm scared!!!"
"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!!"
"IT'S COMING, AUNT HARU, RUN!!"
"MEI I CAN'T SEE!!"
"IT'S GETTING CLOSER!!"
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS!!!"
The cockroach ran across the counter.
It knew exactly where it was going:
"My target is her. She stole my house."
Mei kept narrating like a nature documentary.
"AUNT HARU…"
"WHAT?!"
"IT'S LOOKING AT US…"
"LET'S LEAVE!!!"
"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"
"THEN I'LL FLY AWAY!!"
"YOU CAN'T FLY!"
"I'M LEAVING THIS COUNTRY!!"
The cockroach moved.
Toward them.
"AUNT HARU IT'S COMING!!!"
Mei kicked at Harumi, trying to escape, while Harumi had no idea where she was—or where the cockroach was.
Harumi entered full panic mode.
And did the only logical thing.
She jumped onto Takeru.
"SAVE MEEEE!!!"
She started CLIMBING HIM.
"HARUM—"
"IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!!"
"GET OFF ME!!"
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"
"MY PANTS!!" — Takeru's pants slipped down a few centimeters.
"HARUMI!!!"
"I CAN'T GET DOWN!!"
"YOU HAVE TO GET DOWN!!"
"IT'S COMING!!!"
Mei pointed dramatically.
"AUNT HARU IT'S RIGHT HEREEEE!!!"
Then something strange happened.
The cockroach stopped.
Frozen.
It seemed to… hesitate.
It wasn't Harumi's panic.Nor Mei's chaos.
It was something else.
A presence.
An aura.
Infinite irritation.
Takeru sighed.
"…calm down."
Silence.
Harumi slowly climbed down.
Took a deep breath.
And raised the broom again.
"Alright… sorry about that!"
She pointed dramatically.
"I WILL BE THE HERO!!"
Takeru lifted his slipper.
"I support this."
Mei grabbed her toy binoculars.
"I'll be the observer!!"
They looked.
Searched.
Waited.
Silence.
Harumi blinked.
"…huh."
"Where is it?" Mei asked.
"It's gone," Takeru said.
Silence.
Harumi went pale.
"It's gone."
Mei swallowed.
"That's good!"
"WHAT?!"
"…that's bad?"
Harumi slowly turned.
"BAD?!"
"…."
"THIS IS THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO!!!"
She started pacing in circles.
"A MISSING COCKROACH IS A TIME BOMB!!"
"Harumi—"
"IT COULD BE ANYWHERE!!"
"Harum—"
Harumi normally took over two hours to pack for a trip.
But now?
A suitcase was ready in seconds.
"Let's go!"
She grabbed the luggage, grabbed Mei, and threw her over her shoulder with absolute determination.
"Huh?!"
"This is so fun!! Haru is so strong!!" Mei said, clearly enjoying herself.
Silence.
Then—
DING-DONG.
The doorbell rang.
Everyone froze.
Harumi's eyes widened.
"…it called its family."
"Harumi," Takeru said, "answer the door."
"DON'T OPEN IT, AUNT HARU!!!" Mei shouted.
Harumi made a face that clearly said:
"I've accepted my fate. Surrounded by cockroaches in my own home… what a cinematic ending."
She took a deep breath.
Opened the door—ready to attack.
And froze.
Dead silence.
Standing at the door was…
Kei Kurosawa.
Impeccable suit.Perfect posture.Calm expression.
He blinked once.
Taking in the scene.
Harumi:hair a mess,crooked apron,broom raised,giant suitcase,a child happily sitting on her shoulders.
Takeru:slipper in hand,messy hair,crooked shorts,slightly torn shirt.
Mei:on Harumi's shoulder, scanning the area with binoculars.
Silence.
Inside Kei's mind:
Who are these kids? Her children? Nieces? Cousins? Friends? Siblings? Is she married? Divorced? Rich? Why is this house so big? Is she living with someone? What is happening here?
Harumi smiled nervously.
"K-Ke-Ke—"
She took a breath.
"K-Kurosawa!!"
A painfully fake laugh.
"…do you, by any chance… have bug spray?"
"…Hm?"
Kei just stood there.
Absolutely stunned.