(Hyoudou residence, 1983, April 9th)
WAPP!
The mop hit the floor, Miki Hyoudou moved it back and forth with ease, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to check on the small boy wobbling behind her.
Haru clutched a tiny toy mop, trying his absolute best to copy his mother's movements. His eyebrows were knit together in concentration.
"No, Haru, little circles," Miki said, demonstrating. "It's easier that way."
He nodded seriously and tried again… only for his mop to smack the floor with another soft wapp. His frustration showed instantly, cheeks puffing out, but he kept going. Miki smiled quietly at the effort.
*****
(Later that day)
Out in the garden, Haru stood beside his mom, both of them hovering over a tiny patch of freshly turned soil. He tipped a small watering can forward, letting a thin stream spill out.
"Slowly," Miki reminded him gently. "Plants only need a little. Too much, and you drown them."
Haru, after holding onto the question for a few days, finally couldn't keep it in anymore.
"B-But… why do you do this at all?" he asked, head tilting with genuine confusion. "Wouldn't it just be easier to buy it from the market?"
Miki let out a small laugh.
Haru, seeing this, blinked in confusion.
'Did I say something stupid?' he wondered honestly, not understanding what was funny.
"Well… buying it is easier," she admitted, tapping the watering can lightly. "But growing things yourself feels different. When you take care of something every day and watch it grow, it makes you feel proud."
She reached over and placed a gentle hand on his head, fingers slipping through his hair as she softly ruffled it.
"Maybe one day," she said warmly, "you can grow something in this garden that you would be proud of too."
They stood there for a moment, the thin stream of water still trickling from the can. Haru carefully tilted it back to stop the flow, then looked up at his mom with bright eyes.
"Maybe I will." he said, a tiny smile tugging at his lips.
His mom reached over and gently took the watering can from him, holding it safely to the side.
"Alright, little man, I think I can handle the rest on my own. There's no need to help your perfectly capable mother all the time."
She crouched slightly, looking at him with a warm but playful glint in her eyes.
"Go get some rest and play…"
She paused, a small, devious smile tugging at her lips.
"…but don't forget to bother your father for me."
Haru gave a small salute. "Yes, ma'am," he said, then turned and broke into a sprint, already knowing what was coming next.
Miki's eyebrows twitched. "WHO are you calling ma'am, you brat!"
Seeing him dart away, she reached behind her, and out of nowhere, a slipper appeared. With perfect aim, she tossed it,
BONK!
hitting Haru squarely in the back of the head mid-retreat.
"I'll have you know," she called after him, "your mother is still young… and beautiful!"
"Ya, ya," Haru muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he walked back into the house.
Feeling a bit parched, he decided to head to the kitchen for a glass of water. As he made his way there, he noticed his father sitting on the living room couch, absorbed in a movie.
Haru's eyes lit up. 'Perfect opportunity.'
He crept quietly toward the couch, trying to make as little noise as possible. Once he reached the back of it, he leaned in and shouted,
"AH! BUGA BUGA!"
Startled by the sudden noise, Gorou jumped. "AHHH!"
He spun around, only to find Haru looking up at him with a wide, amused smile.
Seeing it was just his son playing a prank, Gorou sighed. 'Looks like he got me… I'll have to get my payback later.'
Now, you're probably wondering payback?
Ah, hell nah, no way a grown man is holding a grudge against a little kid. And you'd be right. It wasn't a grudge. Miki and Gorou had been pranking each other since almost the day they met, and they'd kept it up all the way to now. Of course, Haru had naturally joined in on the harmless fun.
As Gorou was thinking this, Haru started walking toward the kitchen again. Seeing an opportunity, Gorou called out, "Hey, Son, can you bring me some of the pudding from the fridge?"
Haru responded without hesitation, "Okay."
As he got closer to the kitchen, a new smell hit him, something rancid, sour, and sharp. It hadn't been there when he and his mom were tidying up just an hour ago.
His tiny nostrils flared instinctively. 'What… is that awful smell?'
The stench grew stronger as he entered the kitchen. By the time he passed the fridge, it hit him like a wave, sharp and sour, making his eyes water.
opening the fridge, he reached for a milk carton that was blocking the pudding he'd been sent to fetch. As he moved it, the smell seemed to shift with it, even stronger than before.
Haru peered inside the carton, holding it close to his nose. and immediately gagged. "AHH!" he yelped, pushing it away.
'Yeah… this is definitely spoiled.'
He squinted at the expiration date, expecting it to be ancient. But to his surprise, it wasn't even close to expiring.
'What the…?' he thought. 'Maybe I should get a second opinion.'
He grabbed some pudding and started making his way back to his father in the living room. Once there, he held the milk carton out and asked, "Hey, Dad… does this smell bad to you?"
Gorou took the carton, opened it, and sniffed cautiously. His face twisted slightly at first, but then relaxed.
"Nope," he said, shaking his head. "Smells perfectly fine."
Haru stared at him, wide-eyed. 'Wait… what?'
His dad passed the carton back to him, and Haru took another whiff. The sour, rancid smell was still there, but now… he also caught something else.
'Barbecue? Ribs?'
Why was he smelling ribs? The thought made his mouth water, a little drool escaping the corner of his lips.
'AH! Ribs~!' he thought. 'It's been so long since I… since I ate any… hell, even smelled any.'
Then his focus snapped back. 'Wait… ribs?'
Seeing his son's expression shift so rapidly, his dad couldn't help but break into a small sweat. "Is there something wrong with the milk?" he asked cautiously.
"Nah… but by chance, do you smell any ribs?"
Gouro, absolutely and thoroughly confused by this sudden change in topic, said, "No?…" unsure if there were actually ribs nearby or something.
Haru then said, "Cool."
And then handed his dad the pudding and left for his room, forgetting about the thirst he had to quench.
Gouro, after seeing this, instead of going back to his movie, he went to where Miki was and said, "Honey! I think we should have some ribs for dinner… are you okay with that?" He had clearly misunderstood the situation.
Miki, hearing this, turned and said, "Ok?", Unsure why Gouro wanted ribs all of a sudden, especially since he had asked for steak earlier today.
Gouro, hearing her response, turned around and said, "Alright then. I'm going to the store. Send me a list. Might as well make a full grocery run."