Chapter 18: Comeback

Charmel arrived back home after a day at school. She entered her room, greeted by her mother expression mad "Charmel, what kind mess is this? Are you getting rob or something?"

Charmel froze, caught off guard by her mother's unexpected presence. She hadn't expected her mom to be home this early, and the messy state of her room certainly didn't help her case.

"Uh, mom, I...I can explain," Charmel sputtered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Charmel, your room is a complete disaster," her mother scolded, her tone firm. "It looks like a tornado went through here. Have you even cleaned up since you got home?"

Charmel felt a pang of guilt at her mother's words. She knew she had let things slide lately, getting caught up in her hobbies and school work. But she still fought for her point "mom, I will clean it"

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Over the next few days, Charmel made an effort to clean up her room. She put everything back in its place, tidied her desk, and made sure her bed was made. When her mother checked in on her progress, there was a noticeable change. Charmel's room was clean and organized to her mother's standards.

"Mom can I umm...hh you know give back my hobbies?"

Charmel's mother noticed the effort Charmel had made in cleaning her room and decided to soften her approach. "Your room looks much better, Charmel. I appreciate the effort you've taken to tidy it up. As for your hobbies, I'll allow you to have them back, but with some conditions." Charmel's mother noticed the effort Charmel had made in cleaning her room and decided to soften her approach. "Your room looks much better, Charmel. I appreciate the effort you've taken to tidy it up. As for your hobbies, I'll allow you to have them back, but with some conditions."

Charmel's face lit up with excitement. "Conditions? What conditions? I'll do anything!.

Charmel's mother raised an eyebrow, amused by her daughter's eagerness. "First, you must maintain your room's cleanliness and tidyness. It's important to have a clean environment. Secondly, you'll need to prioritize your studies and responsibilities. Your hobbies are a privilege, not a right, and they shouldn't come before your obligations." Added "And lastly if I cought you late at night playing video games and didn't sleep I will take all your hobbies"

Charmel nodded, understanding the importance of following these conditions. "I promise, mom. I'll keep my room clean, prioritize my studies, and make sure I don't stay up too late playing video games. I understand the consequences if I don't stick to the rules."

"Well good, by the way I'm going to grocery store do you have something want to buy?"

Charmel thought for a moment before requesting her favorite snacks. "Can you get me some chips and a soda? Oh, and maybe some gummy bears too."

Charmel's mother smiled, amused by her daughter's sweet tooth. "Okay, I'll get those for you. Just remember to brush your teeth afterwards, and don't eat too much. Balance is key."

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Chika and Kai sat in Kai's room, discussing their plans for the day. "We haven't seen Charmel in a while and it's not like her to disappear like that," Chika voiced her concern.

Kai nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's worrying. Maybe we should pay her a visit."

"Great idea. We can surprise her and make sure she's alright," Chika said. "Let's grab some snacks."

With their plan set, Chika and Kai gathered some chips and soda for their impromptu visit to Charmel's house.

Kai, who noticed Charmel from a distance, was taken aback by the change in her appearance. Charmel's signature long, flowing hair was now short, a drastic change from what he was used to. He was curious about the reason behind the drastic haircut but decided to approach her anyway.

"Hey Charmel! I didn't know you cut your hair"

"Charmel?" The woman said

Kai hesitated for a moment, realizing there was something off about the woman standing in front of him. She had Charmel's face, but her demeanor and voice were different.

"Wait a minute..." Kai said, narrowing his eyes. "You're not Charmel, are you her big sister?.

Chika's joyous shout rang through the area, catching both Kai and the woman off guard. They turned to see Chika running towards them with a smile on her face.

"Auntie!" Chika wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, a gesture of affection and familiarity. "It's been so long. How are you?"

"I'm fine, how about you?"

"I'm doing great! School has been keeping me busy, but it's exciting. And I've made some amazing friends too."

Kai stood there, feeling a mix of surprise and curiosity. He hadn't expected to stumble upon Charmel's sister today.

"I'm Kai Jobin, nice meeting you Charmel big sister".

"Big sister?" she confuse Charmel's sister raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion in her expression. She glanced at Kai, trying to figure out exactly what he meant.

"Oh, I see. You must be one of Charmel's friends. It's nice to meet you, Kai. I'm Sophia, Charmel's mother." Sophia extended a hand in greeting, offering a warm smile.

Kai's mind raced, struggling to process the unexpected revelation.

"Wait, you're her mother?" Kai blurted out, his surprise evident. "But...you look so young. I thought you were Charmel's older sister!"

Sophia let out a soft laugh, amused by Kai's disbelief. Sophia is 35 years old but her appearance looks like 20's

"I get that a lot. People often mistake me for being much younger than I actually am. I guess I've just been blessed with good genes and a youthful appearance."

Chika, who had just finished hugging Sophia, spoke up first, her excitement evident.

"We actually came here because Charmel has been unusually quiet lately. We wanted to surprise her, spend some time with her, and maybe find out if she's alright. We've brought some snacks and soda to make it more fun."

Sophia nodded, understanding their intentions. "Ah, I see. Well because I punish her because of laziness."

Kai and Chika exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what exactly Sophia meant.

"Wait, what do you mean by punishing her because of laziness?" Kai asked.

Sophia sighed, her expression turning serious. "Charmel has been acting very lazy, neglecting her responsibilities and hobbies. She's been staying up late, playing video games, and not taking care of herself. So I had to step in and enforce some rules to help her get back on track."

"Oh, right. That makes sense," Chika nodded, understanding the situation better now. "We did notice that she's been a bit MIA lately. But we didn't know about the punishment."