7 The Family Home

After the omiai had finished, Yukiko finally had the chance to pay attention to the estate. Instead of traditional Japanese floorboards and subtle colors like her father's base of operations, the estate that they were in had a more Western focus.

The bold reds and golds were in stark contrast to the kimono both young women wore, and her father couldn't help but comment on it.

"Why did Yamamoto decide on this particular design?" he looked around, his gaze particularly focused onto a framed picture of a quaint farmhouse. There was an old woman bent over a wooden box that was taller than it was wide. There were other boxes around her as well.

The girl in the kimono glanced back at Togai. "Oyabun decided through a hat." The girl then turned back around, her posture impeccable.

Togai turned to look at his daughter and he mouthed the words, 'Through a hat' along with making an exaggerated confused expression.

Similarly, Yukiko shook her head to express her confusion as well. How could a person decide on something through a hat? Don't tell her that that old man was even more senile than her dad- perhaps he talked to hats... and they spoke back to him.

With a grin twitching at the edges of her mouth, Yukiko straightened up. They had finally entered a wallpapered hallway that had multiple doors.

"Please," the young lady stood to the left of the doorway and extended her arm out towards the door. Togai glanced at his daughter before sending her a wolfish grin.

"Have a nice sleep, eh, Yukki-chan?" he winked at her and entered the room before she could say anything.

"Mou[1]! That father of mine," Yukiko narrowed her eyes. If she knew her father, which she did, then the man would be gone by morning. Perhaps he wouldn't wait for morning. He'd be more likely to leave right after the sun set.

Piece a shit. Hmph.

The young girl had bowed before Togai had entered the room and it was only after the door closed that she straightened up. However, her previous impeccable manner transformed.

Although- when her father was with them- she had her hands clasped respectfully before her, the young girl now held them arrogantly on her waist as she placed most of her body weight on her right leg. But what transformed the most was the young girl's facial expression- her reverence became an outright sneer. Even her voice had increased by an octave. "Who do you think you are?"

Ara, ara[2]. Seems like the bitch finally showed her true colors, hmm?

But too bad for her. Yukiko faced harsher criticisms than the girl's crooked ass.

"Who do you think I am?" She raised an eyebrow, her voice filled entirely of amusement.

The girl flushed red as she stomped her feet. She hadn't expected Togai's daughter to fight back. Sizing up the larger girl for a few seconds, she hmphed and decided to ignore her. Turning around, her geta made muffled sounds on the carpet despite how much force she used to stomp away.

Yukiko watched in amusement as the girl fast-walked down the hallway. The girl was probably running back to the true mastermind. Who that was, however, Yukiko couldn't even begin to guess.

After all, she had just arrived.

Just before the girl reached the intersection at the end of the hallway, she glanced back at Yukiko and childishly stuck out her tongue. After ensuring that Yukiko noticed her, she raised her head up and turned right.

Yukiko was struck dumb.

Just who sent that girl to her...?

Did they not realize how stupid she was?

Shaking her head in disappointment, Yukiko began to walk down the hallway, the opposite way from the girl.

Since the family house could be seen from their omiai room, then the only thing she had to do was get outside and circle around the estate. Simple.

Doing just that, it took no time at all for Yukiko to find her new residence. The only issue was that she had no way to enter it.

Staring intensely at the gold doorknob of the family house, Yukiko could do nothing but sigh at it. If this was her father's house, she wouldn't have cared at all- that door would have been knocked down with one well-aimed kick.

Of course, she still needed to make a good impression on the other members of the Yamamoto family. Nobody wanted a potential yome to break down doors on the first day. She had to at least wait a month.

Sighing, Yukiko protruded her upper lip as she thought about her options. She couldn't break the door, and she didn't have the key. She reached out and rattled the doorknob. Nodding, she concluded that it would be possible. What would be possible? Yukiko grinned wolfishly.

Lock-picking, of course.

Taking off her geta, Yukiko cracked her knuckles before she reached onto her fancy hairdo, taking out two inconspicuous bobby pins. Bending one into the shape of a torque wrench, she began to stretch the other bobby pin out. After the second bobby pin was extended to a loose v shape, Yukiko bit off the round end.

Scrutinizing her tools, Yukiko was satisfied. The door could no longer keep her out from the soft futon she was expecting to be inside. Yukiko bent down on one knee so that her eyes were now level with the lock before she began to pick it. After one minute, the sharp sound of metal clicking signaled the unlocking of the door.

Yukiko stood from the ground leisurely and even took the time to wipe off the nonexistent dirt on her kimono. She casually opened the door and snickered when the lights were left on- somebody had purposefully locked the door for her.

How unreasonable.

She at least wanted to sleep before she had to play with them.

Sighing outwardly, but grinning inwardly, Yukiko felt exhilarated. It had been a long time since she felt excited about something.

Even her father's 'fun' hadn't been fun anymore.

Perhaps the omiai had been a good idea after all.

Nodding, Yukiko began to take her surroundings into account. The family home wasn't like the style of the Yamamoto estate nor was it purely Japanese. In fact, it was more of a mix between Western and Japanese designs.

There was a shoe holder right next to the door, and the wooden floor was slightly raised. There was even slippers already waiting for its new owner.

With a slight smile, Yukiko switched her shoes for her slippers and walked further into the house, however she made sure that her steps were quiet.

The house opened up and Yukiko could see that it had an open concept; the kitchen, dining area, and living room were all connected into one single space. The kitchen was to the immediate righto of Yukiko, while the dining room was right beyond the kitchen. The living room, on the other hand, was straight ahead.

Yukiko could see her two suitcases peeking out from behind a black leather couch.

After ensuring that there was no one on the first floor- she had even entered the bathroom- Yukiko turned off the lights before going upstairs and sleeping in the first open room that she found.

Of course, she had brought her luggage up with her, and she had placed a strand of her hair around the doorknob. It would snap if anyone entered the room.

After ensuring that everything was in place, she made her futon and crashed.

She was sure to play with them thoroughly tomorrow.