Chapter 89: Caretaker

Rena

[Earlier]

I turned my chair toward my siblings. "Alright, Mom is asleep, and Kai is out looking for a job, so I'm the boss today."

"Why? Can't I be the boss?" Kyo asked, swinging his arms behind his head.

"Kyo!" Kumi said, pouting. She might've been five, but she was oddly more mature than Kyo and Kira who were almost twice her age. Actually, twice in Kyo's case.

"What? I was just saying," Kyo said.

Kira smiled at me. "If you need any help, you can on us!"

Kumi nodded.

Kyo grinned and gave me a thumbs up.

I smiled. Thank the gods that I had some rather mature siblings. Although, it probably helped that we didn't ask for much. Having grown up in a broken home with financially struggling parents, we couldn't really afford to. Well, Mom was at least. I wasn't sure about Dad's situation. Kai, Kyo, and he did go on a lot of trips in our eastern neighbor, but those were hiking trips. Dad might've just been super knowledgeable.

I nodded at them, feeling a surge of gratitude for their support. "Thank you guys. Really, I appreciate it."

The room filled with the quiet hum of the television screen, the silence a comfortable presence among us. We were used to days like these, each of us lost in our own world but still sharing the same space, the same reality. It was a bond that was born out of necessity, but had grown into something much deeper, much more profound.

Kumi was the first to break the silence, her soft voice ringing out as she asked, "Rena, what are we going to do today?"

I glanced at the television. Should I have them just sit and watch cartoons? It was a weekend. Kai and I used to spend our weekends watching cartoons before our messy parents split up.

I pondered for a moment before responding to Kumi's question, "How about we do something different today?" 

Kyo, who had been lazily scratching his head, suddenly perked up. "Different how?" he asked, curiosity evident in his eyes. 

"How about we do some cleaning around the house first? Then maybe we can have some fun. We can play some games or maybe do a little bit of reading together," I suggested. 

The idea was met with mixed reactions. Kira seemed excited, already standing from her seat, ready to take on any task. Kumi, though initially surprised, gave a small nod of agreement. 

Kyo, however, groaned, "Cleaning? Really, Rena?" 

I gave him a stern look, "We all live in this house, Kyo. It's only fair that we all help to keep it clean."

He pouted and sat down in front of the television. "You girls can go clean. I'm gonna watch my show!"

I sighed. 

Kumi walked over and sat down next to him. Guess cleaning was a bad idea after all. What did kids like other than cartoons?

I tried to think back to how Kai and I used to spend our days when we were around their ages. That was when our parents had tried the whole getting back together thing, giving birth to Kyo and Kumi.

Ah, that's it. We used to play games. Not just any games, but ones that we invented ourselves. We used to turn everything into a game - cleaning, studying, even eating. It was our way of escaping from the harsh realities of our life.

Maybe that's what we needed today, a little bit of escapism.

"Alright, change of plans," I announced, rolling my chair over to the coffee table to grab the remote. The television's volume was promptly lowered, and three pairs of eyes turned to look at me with curiosity.

"We're going to play a game," I said, a grin spreading across my face.

"A game?" Kira asked, her face lighting up with excitement. Kumi clapped her hands together, her eyes shimmering with anticipation. Kyo, having lost interest in the television show, turned around to face me, a smirk on his face.

"What game are we playing?" Kyo asked, leaning back on his hands.

"Well," I began, "It's a game Kai and I used to play when we were your age. It's called 'Super Clean-Up Heroes'."

At the mention of the game, a chorus of giggles filled the room. Yes, it was a silly name, but it was a game that held a lot of fond memories for me. Maybe it could create some for them as well.

I spent the next few minutes explaining the rules, and soon the three kids were running around the house, laughing and cleaning at the same time. It was chaotic, it was messy, but it was also incredibly fun. I only wished I could've joined them. Looking at them go reminded just how much this illness had taken from me.

Hopefully, my surgery was the end of it. But it would be some time before I could recuperate what was lost.

As I watched my siblings play 'Super Clean-Up Heroes', a bittersweet feeling washed over me. Seeing them laugh and bond over a simple game brought me immense joy, but it also served as a painful reminder of my own limitations. The illness had taken so much from me, not just physically, but emotionally as well. I longed to join in their fun, to be able to run around the house with them and share in their laughter.

As the game continued, I sat back and watched, a smile on my face as I saw Kumi, Kira, and Kyo working together to complete their cleaning tasks in the most imaginative and playful ways. They had truly embraced the spirit of the game, turning a mundane chore into a thrilling adventure.

After a while, the cleaning was done, and the house was sparkling clean thanks to the efforts of my little superheroes. I clapped and cheered for them, feeling a surge of pride at their hard work and creativity.

"Great job, Super Clean-Up Heroes!" I exclaimed, earning cheers and high-fives from my siblings.

As a reward, I suggested we watch some cartoons. They earned the break.

After the last of the morning cartoons ended, the doorbell rung.

I rolled my chair to the door and tried to stand up to look through the peephole. It was Sekin!

"Hey, Rena," Sekin greeted me, flashing me a handsome smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

I shook my head, a soft smile on my face. "No, not at all. It's always a good time when you're here."

Sekin stepped inside, his gaze shifting to the clean and tidy living room. "Woah, it's so clean!"

I chuckled, nodding. "They did an amazing job. It thanks to a fun game we played."

Kumi, Kira, and Kyo peeked out from their spots, curious to see who had arrived. Sekin greeted them warmly, earning shy smiles and waves in return.

"Would you like to join us for some cartoons?" I offered, gesturing towards the couch where we could all sit together.

Sekin's eyes lit up with amusement. "I'd love to. It's been a while since I watched cartoons."

As we settled in to enjoy the animated antics on the screen, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me.

Although the peace was broken when my baby brother began to cry.

"There, there baby," Mom said, walking down the stair with my baby brother.

I rolled my chair over to Mom as she descended the last step.

Mom noticed me holding out my arms and handed Kite over to me.

"Be careful, Rena."

I tried to soothe his cries. "It's okay, little one. Rena's got you," I whispered softly, gently rocking him back and forth.

As I held my baby brother, trying to soothe his cries, I felt a wave of tenderness wash over me. The weight of his small body in my arms, the sound of his soft cries. It wasn't easy, but it was something special.

Mom smiled. "You will be a good Mom one day."

Sekin blushed at her comment.

I smiled back, feeling a surge of warmth at her words. Hopefully. 

I looked back at Kite, his tiny fingers grasping mine, and I felt a surge of love and protectiveness well up inside me. 

"You're a natural, Rena. The way you care for Kite... it's inspiring," Sekin said, smiling.

I blushed at his words.

Kite's innocent green eyes meet mine as he giggled. I smiled back, tears of joy in my eyes.