Chapter 6

Finally, the beginning of summer break arrived – no more drooling kids and stingy teachers with their endless homework. The person who invented homework must be Satan himself. I invited my usual friends over, and Saya couldn't come since she went to the States with her mom.

Looking at Riri and Ruu, who had practically become my roommates, I asked, "So, what are your plans for summer vacation?"

"We're probably going back to the countryside to help grandma," Riri replied, while Ruu, glued to the TV and clinging to my sleeve, nodded enthusiastically.

Then, Riri, attempting not to watch the horror movie playing, glanced at me. I appreciate the effort, Riri, but you don't have to force yourself.

"What about you, Will? Do you have any plans? If not, you can join us in the countryside; grandma would love to have you," Riri suggested.

Ruu turned around, nodding rapidly, her hair hitting my face. Hair in my mouth – the glamorous life.

As I removed her hair from my mouth, I said, "Oh, I'm about to go to the US to visit my mom's parents. They want to see if my dad is feeding me right, hahaha." I hear something dropped, and I looked at Ruu and Riri, on the verge of tears, tackling me to the carpeted floor.

"Did we do something, Will? Are we disturbing you all the time?" Riri launched into a full-blown apology monologue, while Ruu hugged me tightly, pleading with her eyes for me not to leave.

I patted their heads, "I'm not staying there permanently, just a couple of months." It took a whole day of convincing them to leave me alone

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Airport

Ruu and Riri clung to my shirt, on the verge of tears. I patted their heads, "Hey, I'm just going for a couple of weeks to visit my folks."

Ruu, with tearful eyes, looked up, "You promise, right, Will?" She raised her pinky.

I smiled, locking in my pinkie, "Promise."

Riri hugged me tighter, tears staining my shirt, "Come back as early as possible, okay, Will?" I teased, "Yeah, I know, Riri. Who's gonna do my math homework if you're not there?" She hmphed, punched my arm, and then smiled.

"Come on, now; your grandma is waiting for you." I pointed to a sweet old lady waving for the girls to come. Reluctantly, they let me go and hugged me one last time. As they left, I handed the house key to Riri and Ruu, "You know, if you want to clean the house or watch a movie."

They looked at the key, gave me another big hug, and left with smiles. My dad, carrying our bags, just looked at me.

After enduring a few hours of mundane airplane movies and tasteless airline cuisine, we finally touched down in the land of the free, the home of the brave – you know the usual drill.

Stepping out of the gate, I was warmly greeted by my lovely grandma and her husband – the type of guy you see on the street and think, yep, he's American, my grandpa.

My grandma enveloped me in a tight embrace, and my grandfather just looked at us with a smile. The bustling airport surroundings seemed to fade away in the comfort of their familiar faces.

"Will, it's been too long!" Grandma exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with joy.

Gramps chuckled, "Look at you, growing like a weed." As he ruffles my hair.

Grandma smacked Grandpa's arm with a playful glare, "Stop ruffling Will's hair, you coot."

Grandpa rubbed his arm, feigning injury, "I'm just excited to see the boy; it's been a while since we've seen him."

Then, Grandpa turned his attention to my dad, "I see you've been taking care of my grandson," patting my dad on the back.

Dad just smiled, and we were led to the parking lot where we loaded our bags onto Grandpa's truck.

We settled into the car, my dad and I occupying the back seat while my grandparents took the front. The engine purred to life as we left the airport behind, the hum of tires on the road blending with the casual conversation in the vehicle.

Grandpa turned his head with a twinkle in his eye and inquired, "I heard from your dad that you've been lending him a hand with hunting."

I looked at him "Yeah, we hunted this massive deer, and we even opened up an interior decorating business."

Dad shook his head, "Will, for the last time, we are not doing your weird idea of a business. We're hunters."

Will glanced at his dad, "Fine, but you're missing out on my genius."

Grandpa laughed, "How about you join me and my friends when we go out hunting? It would be a fun time."

Grandma smacked his head, "You and your guns. Last time you went out hunting, you didn't even tell me if you're alive or not."

Grandpa rubbed his head, "Hey, I'm driving; do you want us to die?"

Grandma stared at him menacingly, then looked away.

After countless pit stops at random convenience stores, we finally arrived at my grandparents' farm. The smell of American air was more like a lungful of dust, but hey, at least we made it.

The countryside sprawled out like a scene from a feel-good movie, or those chezzy romance movies that Riri forces me to watch blergh. As we rolled up to the farmhouse. I then spotted some cows and some fields at the horizon.

"Ah, the sweet smell of cows and tractors," I muttered sarcastically. 

As we were unpacking our stuff my grandma turned around and smiled.

"Welcome home, Will!" Grandma beamed as we stepped into the house, the scent of homemade apple pie lingering in the air.

Grandpa added with a chuckle, "Now, let's get you settled in, and then we'll eat dinner afterwards."

As they showed me to my room, Grandpa nudged my dad, "You done good, Ryo. His mother would be proud."

Dad nodded, "Yeah, he's a handful, but he is a spiting image of his mother"

The evening rolled by in a delightful blend of hearty meals, laughter, and the warmth of family. 

As night fell, the stars adorned the sky like scattered diamonds, and the quiet hum of the countryside lulled me into a serene slumber.