The house was… too functional.Which, on its own, was already suspicious.
Takeru placed the plates on the table with surgical precision.Everything aligned.Everything in place.The face of someone who has accepted that life is suffering—but at least it's organized.
Mei was on the living room floor, surrounded by colorful papers, glue, scissors, and an art project that clearly wouldn't survive until the end of the day.
And Harumi…
Harumi was on the couch.In pajamas.Hair tied up in a questionable way.New glasses sliding down her nose—something she was still pretending was temporary.
She held a huge glass of radioactive green smoothie and watched TV with half-closed eyes.
"Man… I really am getting old. When did I become the adult who needs glasses to watch the evening news?"she thought, adjusting them.
"Next thing I know, I'll be complaining about the volume and starting conversations about the weather."
She took the last sip of the smoothie.
— SSSSSSHRRRRRRRRRRRR—
Silence.
Takeru froze mid-movement.Slowly turned his head.
— …Harumi.
— Yeah.
— It's empty.
— I know.
— Then why are you still sucking the straw?
— Because emotionally I haven't accepted that it's over.
He sighed. A tired, ancient sigh.
At that exact moment, the TV went BEEP and changed channels on its own.
"BREAKING NEWS"
Harumi blinked.
— Huh?
The screen turned red. Dramatic music. Big letters.
"Children without documentation are being referred to authorities, and the responsible party is being sought."
Harumi froze.
The report continued.
"Two children were under the care of an adult without proven legal guardianship—"
— GLUP.
Even with nothing in her mouth, Harumi choked.
— COF— COF—
— Harumi? — Takeru dropped a plate.
— EVERYTHING IS GREAT — she replied, hitting her chest. — I just choked… on air.
The reporter kept talking. Authorities. Documents. Detention.
Harumi slowly turned her head toward Takeru.Smiled.
It was the smile of someone who just realized they forgot something very important months ago.
— Hehe…
— What?
— Nothing. Just normal thoughts. Adult thoughts. Very healthy.
— Let's eat. — he decided, ending the subject before it got worse.
They sat down.
Mei threw herself into the chair next to Takeru, excited.
— Lunch looks nice!
— Because I made it.
— Harumi, come!
Harumi sat down.Picked up her chopsticks.
Her body was there.Her mind… on another planet.
"Okay, Hypothesis A: I get arrested.Hypothesis B: they get taken away.Hypothesis C: I pay a ridiculous fine.Hypothesis D: all of the above."
— Haru. — Mei poked her arm.
Harumi jumped.
— I SWEAR I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING—
— Can you pass the salt?
— …Salt.
She grabbed it and handed it over with the face of someone who had lost control of their life.
— Thanks!
Mei started pouring salt onto her plate.
— Not that much. — Takeru said immediately.
— But I want to.
— It's bad for you.
— It's not.
— It is.
— IT'S NOT.
"Health."
The word dropped into Harumi's mind like an invisible rock.
— You never care about that! — Mei complained. — We don't even have proper vaccination cards!
"Vaccination cards."
ANOTHER rock.
— You even threw the old one away! — Mei added, offended.
"THREW IT AWAY."
Harumi froze completely.
The chopsticks hovered mid-air.
Her soul left her body.Literally.
A tiny ghost version of Harumi appeared next to her, arms crossed.
— You're really going to pretend you didn't hear that?
— I AM PROCESSING.
— Doesn't look like it.
Meanwhile, the argument escalated.
— THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T HAVE FRIENDS.
— SAYS THE ONE WHO CAN'T EVEN READ PROPERLY.
— YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ACTS LIKE AN OLD MAN READING—
— I'M PREPARING FOR SCHOOL, AND YOU? FOR AN ART COMPETITION?
— HARUMIIIII!!! — Mei called for help.
"Is pre-teen life always like this? They used to be so… friendly… haha…"
But Harumi was having an internal collapse.
"School."
Harumi opened her mouth.
— Can I add salt?
— …You can.
Mei added salt.
Mini-Harumi sighed.
— Congratulations. You've unlocked: Domestic Existential Crisis.
Inside Harumi's mind, a list appeared in giant flashing letters:
"DOCUMENTS — VACCINES — SCHOOL — SCHOOL SUPPLIES — HEALTH — CLOTHES — TRANSPORT — EXPENSIVE SCHOOL TRIPS — FULL HOUSE — MORE KIDS — FUTURE"
— I'm going to get arrested.
— Maybe.
— They're going to be taken away.
— If you keep sitting there, yes.
— GET UP. — said mini-soul. — NOW.
The two stopped arguing.Looked at Harumi.
She was a mess.Hair wild.Glasses crooked.Empty stare.
— …Are you okay? — Takeru asked.
— She crashed. — Mei concluded.
Harumi blinked.Once.Twice.
— Not on my watch.
She stood up abruptly.
— THAT'S IT.
— What?
— ENOUGH. — she said like a hero. And it was one.
— Enough of what?
Harumi pointed at the air.
— Of pretending problems solve themselves.
In the kids' imagination, Harumi appeared running after giant papers, flying syringes, and signs labeled "DOCUMENTS" escaping from her.
— We're going to hunt them down. Find them. — she declared with a terrifying face.
— Hunt what? — Takeru asked.
— EVERYTHING.
Mei broke into a huge smile.
— Like a game?
— Like a game.
— Can I help?
— You can.
— Me too?
— YOCHA!!!! Now we're a team.
Mini-Harumi crossed her arms, satisfied.
— Finally.
And just like that, because of a salt shaker…
Harumi's life officially entered advanced chaos mode.