1 Chapter 1: New Family

"What is this thing?" I asked myself as I lifted up the thing I found by accident in the living room.

School had ended quite early today. Since there was nothing better to do, I decided to do some cleaning. Equipped with a bandana and duster, I was trying to clean the living room when I found something that was quite obscene under the TV table.

It was a small plastic statue of a woman. But the thing that bothered me the most was her outfit that left almost nothing to the imagination.

Since when did our house have something like this?

I started to think about who could possibly be this thing's owner. Ryuma? No, he would never be interested in something like this. Haruka-san[1]? No, I couldn't imagine her keeping something like this either.

That left one person left...

"Aaah!"

Suddenly someone shouted behind me. As I turned around I saw a man wearing a white tank top staring at me with shock, or to be precise, he was staring at the thing in my hand.

With high speed, he snatched that thing from my hand and hid it behind his back, as well as averting his gaze.

It took me a few seconds to shake off my daze before I started to confirm. "As I thought, it's yours, isn't it?"

He flinched before retorting back, "H-huh? What are you talking about? I mean, it's true that this is mine but I didn't buy this on purpose, you know. I got this as a prize at the mang- bookstore and since it's kind of a waste to throw it away I brought it with me and..."

He kept rambling by himself. He frantically moved his right-hand to punctuate his speech as his left hand was still holding the thing. I just looked at this man blankly as I didn't understand most of what he was talking about.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Now get off, I need to clean the place before Haruka-san gets home." I brushed him away as I moved on to the next room. There were still a lot of places that still needed to clean and I didn't need any disturbance, especially from him.

I opened the door before he abruptly shouted, "Ah, don't go there!"

But it was too late, I had already opened the door before I abruptly stopped. I couldn't describe how I felt when I saw the scene in front of me.

To summarize, this room is a mess. Many books, boxes, cables, dirty clothes, trash, tissue, etc fill the floor and every surface in this room. The window's curtains are closed, making the room dim and humid. The only light in the room comes from the computer screen, which only makes the room look more horror. Not just that, there is a shelf to one side of the room that is full of statues similar to the one I found before.

No matter how you look at it, this room seems extremely unhealthily.

I glanced back at the man, who just averted his gaze, again.

***

"You see here. You may think this is weird, but this thing is called culture. You know, culture."

I was sitting on the floor with trash around me while listening to this man lecture. The curtain already opened, making the room become brighter. Since the room was also damped I demand that he open the window.

The man, or to be precise, the grown-ass man, who was an occupant of this room sat in front of me in his tank top and boxers with legs crossed. He rubbed his short beard, that he was too lazy to shave, or maybe it was just his preference.

"You are not from this country, so it's understandable that you would see this weird. But you need to know that it is already common sense to respect the native culture when you are in a foreign land."

"So, is having a naked underage statue displayed on your shelf also a part of this culture?" I said as I gazed at his collection.

"Tha- She's not naked! Can you see her wearing a swimsuit? And it's not a statue! It's called a figurine!"

"The fact that I can't see it makes me think she is naked though." I shrugged.

"It's their design, no need to ask any further."

The man tapped his finger on his arm impatiently before sighing. He opened a box beside him and examined his manga[2] collection. His gaze reflects nostalgia.

"Twenty years have passed, and I've missed so many things ." He lamented to himself.

"Even 'Cardcatch Sakurei' that I finished decades ago has a brand new sequel. It really brings back old memories."

"Card what?"

"'Cardcatcher Sakurei'. It's a mahou shoujo series that started airing decades ago."

He then pulled a poster showing a group of little girl characters with various outfit colors which could've come straight out of a crayon box.

"This thing is called 'Mahou Shojou Meduka Meguca'. It's a turning point in the evolution of the mahou shoujo genre. You see…"

He kept rambling again about this Mahou Shoujo stuff. He told the story about 'little girl fighting a monster with not-so-practical outfit' to 'little girl killing each other'. It was so messed up that it gave me a headache.

"Wait, wait, wait. Before you continue let me ask you one thing." I stopped him as I raised my hand in front of him. "Why are they all underage girls?"

He looked at me weirdly, like I was asking a stupid question. "'Why' you ask? it's because they're called 'Mahou Shoujo'. You know what shoujo[3] means right?"

"So what are they if they grow up?" I asked back.

…

It took him a few seconds before he answered. "They don't grow up."

I blinked in confusion, "What?"

"I said they won't grow up!" he said stubbornly as he folded his arms and looked away.

I looked at the man in front of me for a moment and sighed. This man had been speaking nonsense since earlier. There was nothing to do here. I stood up as I was ready to leave.

"Look, I don't care about whatever your hobby or preferences are. But please," I glanced at the shelf and snorted, "keep those disgusting things for yourself and make sure it does not pass out from this room."

"Hey, you just offended the 23% population of Japan you know!"

"AND!" I turned back, glared at him. "Please clean and tidy your room properly! I don't want Haruka-san to faint after seeing this pigpen."

As I came out of the room, I heard a small chuckle from behind. "Faint you say? She would try to kill me before she has any chance to faint."

***

My name is Ezawa Ouma. It has been two weeks since we moved to Japan. It's a nice place with advanced technology, compared to my birthplace.

I used to live in a small village in a faraway country with my mother. We were having a happy life there before she caught a disease and passed away. I then moved to Japan as that was the only place where my relatives lived.

At first, I was kinda lost in this new environment, but now I've adapted quite well here. I made some friends at school and am already familiar with the neighborhood. Haruka-san also helped us a lot.

Ezawa Haruka was my aunt. She used to live alone by herself before, so she let us stay in her apartment. Her place was wide enough for four of us to live. I couldn't thank her enough to accommodate us.

Yes, I was very grateful to her, unlike the man from before.

Ezawa Masaji, that is his name. He is her older brother. It seems he ran away from home when he was still young. So this house can be said as their house since they used to live here with their parents, or they can be called my grandparents.

And my relationship with that man? Well, I'd rather not say it out loud if I can.

My mood was already down from earlier so after I cleaned the apartment I started to cook dinner to distract my mind.

One thing I liked in my new home was the kitchen that was super advanced. You didn't need to collect firewood to make a fire, the water didn't need to be taken directly from the river, and more importantly, there were many cooking tools I could use.

Cooking was already my favorite hobby. Whenever I cooked I could calm my mind. I still remembered how my mother used to cook for me. The sound of chopping knives, the sound of boiling water, the heat from the stove, it all reminds me of her. I used to cook for her after she got sick, which prevented her from doing housework.

As I focused on my work, something touched my right shoulder, making me startled. It turns out that someone was placing his chin on me, staring at the pot that was still boiling.

"R-Ryuma? Stop scaring me like that! What if I get hurt?" I scolded him.

"Food?" He kept staring at the pot intensely. Somehow, I could see the drool on his mouth.

I shook my head, "Later. There is still some time left until dinner is ready."

"Too long. Hungry."

"Later. Now go to your room." I insisted.

I try to push him to his room, or to be precise, our room. He gave me a dejected look before lazily moving on to our room. I sighed.

Ezawa Ryuma is my little brother, or to be precise, my new little brother. He has short dark-red hair, amber eyes, and tanned skin. He is slightly taller than me, and (heh) also more well-built than me. He is the one who was the most eye-catching in the class. We are in the same class in school btw.

Despite those traits, he also has some shortcomings. He rarely shows any emotion, always maintains a poker face and is also stingy with his words when speaking. Sometimes he can just sit dazed for hours before I called him. And he is also a big-eater, who can consume ten portions by himself.

He also moved to Japan with me. So, it was already my duty to take care of him, as he lacked some common sense.

You asked how I got a (new) little brother when I used to live alone with my mother? Well, It's a long story, and it's kinda complicated.

When the dishes were almost ready, the phone on the living room table rang. I quickly picked up the phone and answered formally. "Hello, this is the Ezawa resident. May I know who this is?"

"Ah, is this Ouma?" I hear a familiar sound across the phone.

"Haruka-san? Is it you?" I relaxed a little as I talked to her. "It's rare for you to make a call at this hour. Did something happen?"

"Yes. You see…" A sound of her sighed could be heard. "There will be a drinking event at my workplace tonight. My boss said that everyone has to attend, so I think I can't join you for dinner."

Haruka-san is an office lady who works eight hours per day, so I'm trying to lessen her burden by doing all the chores at home.

I answered her with a reassuring tone, "It's okay, Haruka-san. It can't be helped if it's about work. Please don't push yourself too hard."

"Thank you, Ouma. You are such a good kid. I will try to get home more early next time. See you soon."

"see you soon too, and be careful on the way home. Stay safe."

She hung up the phone, and so did I. It seems there will only be three of us at the dining table tonight. It was too bad Haruka-san couldn't join us. I already prepared a hot pot for tonight. What a shame.

Haruka-san was the one who gave us a place to call home. I want to return her kindness by helping her as I could, not like-

"Hey brat, get me a beer from the fridge."

Not like this piece of shit.

I looked at the couch to see the man was lying lazily with crossed legs, reading a manga. His hairy legs were widely exposed, ruining the scenery.

I shook my head as I saw his vulgar pose. "Tsk tsk, can you at least not read while lying down? You will damage your eyes."

"Are you my mom? Stop worrying about useless things and give me a beer." He talked while still having his eyes on his manga. Occasionally he would turn the page and giggle to himself. What a creep.

"Tch, later. I need to prepare for dinner first."

"I want it now. And don't 'tch' me."

Seriously, he left this house for twenty years and came back like it was nothing, and what he does is nothing more than lazing around. It makes him look like a freeloader.

Seriously, how did mother end up with this kind of man in the past?

***

I placed the hot pot on the table and looked at the dish with satisfaction. The dinner was finally ready. Now I just need to call everyone.

As I walked to my room, I saw the man was sleeping on the couch with his manga on his chest. His droll was dripping from his mouth, and flowing onto his manga.

I pinched the gap between my eyes as I sighed. "If you want to sleep do it in your room..."

I stood behind the couch and looked at his face. His eyes were tightly shut while his mouth was slightly open. There was a strand of his long hair entering the corner of his mouth. Surprisingly, he had a quiet snore.

I stared at him for quite some time. No matter how I thought about it, it was still quite sudden.

I had lived my life with my mother for sixteen years. Although we were living in a small house in a remote village, we were happy with our life. There was nothing missing, or at least nothing before she was gone.

But who would have thought that not long after my mother's funeral, I would come across someone who claimed to be my father?

We met by coincidence. A coincidence that was too ridiculous if you may ask.

I was already used to supporting our household since I was the only one who could work because my mother couldn't leave her bed. After she died, I sold our house and lived as a wanderer, moved from village to village, from town to town, worked at different places, etc. It was a fun and thrilling adventure like I was traveling around the world.

There were also a lot of people I met on my journey. One of them was a cocky middle-aged man who liked drinking alcohol. He was a wanderer like me who claimed to have traveled around the world to taste many kinds of liquor.

He asked me rudely why someone as young as me became a wanderer. I replied that it was none of his business. And then that smug bastard said something like 'kids like you should stay at home with your mom and drink milk'. We end up arguing quite fiercely.

We interact quite often after that. Even though he looked proud of himself and sometimes made unfunny jokes, he was surprisingly pleasant to talk with. He liked to share his story about his experience in different regions. Some of them were kinda exaggerated though.

But he did look like a traveler. His firm figure, rough skin, and messy long black hair showed how he liked to travel a lot and didn't really bother to care about his look. His short beard looked neat though, as he took pride over it.

One thing led to another and we ended up traveling together.

He always acted carefree along the way. Sometimes he liked to make fun of me too. Even though he often looked like a helpless person he was surprisingly dependable. Sometimes he could make my blood boil, but he can also make me feel at ease. Before I knew it he was already like a good friend of mine. A companion who I could trust, although that trust was shattered not long after.

It came all of sudden. He told me that he was actually my father, that he knew my identity since we first met. I didn't know what I should think about it, but it seems he wanted to go back to his hometown and asked me if I wanted to go with him.

It was an awkward period after that. We avoided eye contact as we didn't know what to say to each other. I mean, how would you react to someone who you know for some time turns out to be your long-lost parent?

Should I be happy? Or should I be mad? I didn't know. I really didn't know.

And now here we are, living in the house which he left for 20 years, along with his sister. One thing could describe what happened when they first saw each other in years: chaos. I could only hide watching the reunion of the two siblings which was basically a killing attempt. Haruka-san was a black belt judoka[4] after all.

I never dreamed of something like this. Mother was the only family I have before. Now, I have a new life, a new family, a new home, and I can also attend school too. It was all thanks to him.

Still, I have mixed feelings about him. In the past, I never thought about having someone called 'father' because I had a mother that was always with me. But now that the real person has appeared...

How should I see him?

How should I talk to him?

How should I treat him?

Those questions kept lingering in my mind, and before I knew it, the time had already passed until the sun disappeared to the horizon.

***

Ryuma was lying on the bed while rolling around in boredom. He looked at the clock. It was already six pm, dinner should have been ready by now.

This apartment was designed to have the main room as the living room, dining place, and a kitchen which were only separated by a short wall, closer to the entrance. There are three additional rooms connected to the main room. He and Ouma shared the only room that faced the balcony.

He came out from his room, looking at the dining table. The dish was already served, along with the people.

"Ryuma, you came." Ouma brought the plate and the cutlery as he placed it on the table. "I was just about to call you. Come sit."

They pulled out the chair and sat on it. As Ryuma sat in front of the old man, he spotted that he had an ugly look. He was curious about what happened, but he was too lazy to start a conversation.

Noticing that someone had been staring at him for some time, he asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Face." Ryuma spoke his word shortly.

"Huh? What about my face?"

"Ugly."

"Pfffft..." Ouma tried to hold his laughter as the old man looked at him, annoyed.

He scratched behind his head while saying, "Well, that's because there is someone who can't wake up people nicely."

Ouma just put the meat into his bowl as he replied, "Well, you wouldn't wake up no matter how I called you, so I didn't have any choice other than using another method."

"By choking me to death? Is that it?" He slammed his fist on the table, making the dish vibrate.

Ouma shrugged with an indifferent face. "What do you mean 'choking to death'? I think 'kissing a pillow' was a more appropriate name."

"That is the same thing! And don't try to sugarcoat it! Do you know what nightmare I had because of you?"

"Must be as hideous as your sleeping pose. Next time if you don't want to have any nightmares sleep in your roo- oh wait, that place should have already attracted a lot of dark energy. I'm surprised you can sleep in that kind of environment. Have you lived at a garbage dump this whole time?"

"T-this brat…" He ground his teeth.

Ryuma was eating his food while watching this father and son arguing.

"...Noisy." He murmured quietly.

They got along quite well, didn't they?

***

A/N:

[1] As you may know, Japanese society values hierarchy, and someone of higher status may drop the honorific title. San, the most common one, could be translated as "Mr.", "Mrs." and "Ms." and is gender-neutral.

[2] Manga is a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children.

[3] Shōjo is a subset of shōnen (meaning "minor") and refers to any female juvenile who has not reached the age of 20.

[4] Judoka is one who participates in judo, a modern Japanese martial art.