Harumi's mom was still hugging her daughter when she noticed—over Harumi's shoulder—two children standing there, staring at her with politely shocked expressions.
Mei: startled.Takeru: internally asking, "why am I here?"
Her mom blinked.
— …Harumi.
— Hi, Mom.
— These… children… are…
She turned slowly to her husband, one eyebrow raised.
— Are they from your side of the family?
The dad jumped like a fish being yanked out of water.
— WHAT?? NO!! What kind of question is that?!
— I don't know! — she snapped, already pouting. — Maybe you had secret kids somewhere, Makoto? I leave for Brazil for six months and you throw a whole party?!
Harumi slapped her chest in panic.
— MOM, MOM, CALM DOWN! They are NOT Dad's!
— Oh, thank goodness. — Her mom relaxed for half a second. — Then whose are they?
Harumi froze.
Mei gave a tiny wave.
Takeru looked away like: I don't know her.
— So… Mom… I'll explain in the car—
— Great! — her mom said immediately. — Where's the car?
Harumi pointed.
Her mom looked.
Blink.
Blink.
Blink again, like she needed to reboot her brain.
— …Harumi.
— Yes.
— That's the car?
— Yep!
— Harumi, that is MY car from when I was twenty-two!!
— I know!
— I bought that when I first came to Japan!
— I KNOW!!
— AND I LEFT IT BEHIND YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE BECAUSE IT WAS DEAD!!
Harumi pointed at herself proudly.
— EXACTLY!! I REVIVED IT!!
— HARUMI, THIS IS NOT A POKÉMON!!
The dad tried to mediate.
— It… still runs… kind of…
— Makoto, this car is THIRTY YEARS PAST ITS LIFE EXPECTANCY. It's running on divine intervention!
Izumi muttered:
— Technically, it coughed going uphill…
And then—
they realized.
The car.
Did not.
Fit.
Six people.
Harumi's mom crossed her arms.
— Alright. Where's my luggage?
Everyone froze.
Harumi froze.Izumi froze.The dad froze.
Takeru slowly looked at the trunk.
— …Harumi.
— Mom…
— How many people came to pick me up?
Harumi raised a finger.
Wrong.
Confused.
Stopped.
Started counting on her fingers.
— Five.
— And we're going back… as six.
Her mom inhaled deeply.
— Harumi…
— Yes.
— WHERE is my suitcase going?
Harumi looked at the car.
Then the sky.
Then the ground.
Then a pigeon, as if it might have the answer.
— Mom…
— Don't.
— Maybe… like this—
— DO NOT put my suitcase on a child's lap.
— I was gonna say on the roof! I have rope if needed!
— THAT'S WORSE!!
The dad tried again:
— Well… it's just one suitcase, right?
— It's two, Makoto.
— …oh. — he whispered.
While Harumi struggled with suitcase physics, her mom pointed again at Mei and Takeru.
— Harumi… I'm still waiting.
— Mom…
— Where. Did. These. Children. Come from?
— Mom, it's complicated, I know, but I'll explain later!
— Harumi…
— I KNOW, I KNOW, but can we focus on the CAR right now?! Haha…?
Her mom put a hand on her chest and did a neck stretch that looked borderline dangerous.
— …Makoto.
— Yes. — the dad answered, already defeated.
— You knew about this?
— I thought… I just… didn't question where the kids came from…
— MAKOTO!!
Ten minutes later, after attempting spatial sorcery:
— The suitcases go on Makoto.
— ME???
— Dad, you're the strongest! And your belly is soft!
— That is NOT a compliment…
— And Mom sits in the front with me!
Her mom's eyes widened.
— With you? Harumi, you drive like a kidneyless dog.
— MOM???
— I say that with love!
— THAT WAS LOVE???
— In Portuguese, yes!
Everyone gets in.
Front:
Harumi driving… in slippers, Her mom strapped in like a hostage, seatbelt aggressively tight, wearing sunglasses(It is still dark.)
Back:
Dad crushed by TWO suitcases, Izumi crushed by Dad, Mei crushed by Izumi Takeru pressed against the door like an emotional sardine, with a face that CLEARLY says I do not want to be here
Harumi turns the key.
The car makes a sound like a chicken being abducted.
Her mom SCREAMS:
— JESUS MARY JOSEPH TAKE ME BACK TO BRAZIL!!!
Dad:
— Honey, calm down—
— CALM DOWN?? CALM DOWN, MAKOTO???
Mei:
— You're so nice!!
— Aww, sweetheart, YOU'RE sweet… but we are going to die.
Takeru mutters:
— Why am I here…
Harumi:
— GUYS, I AM DOING MY BEST!!
Mom:
— Your "best" is dangerous!
Izumi:
— Agreed.
The car finally moves.
It coughs.
It shakes.
It cries.
But it moves.
Meanwhile—
Mom (in full Portuguese mode):
— Makoto, why did you let our daughter drive THIS car?
Dad (in Japanese):
— She said she wanted independence…
Mom (Portuguese):
— Independence from life, maybe.
Harumi (Japanese):
— MOM, I UNDERSTAND PORTUGUESE, OKAY?!
Mom:
— I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT!
Mei (in Japanese):
— Her language is pretty.
Takeru:
— I don't understand anything.
Izumi:
— Welcome.