Chapter 4: The Souma Family (2)

A/N: I've been following Mizuryu Kei's work for a long time and the first color spread of the two souma characters— Mitsuko and Kurumi, showed them to be raven and brown-haired respectively with almost the same eye color. I realize that in the more recent CG sets, the color scheming has changed but I like the previous one so I'll use that. And, in the last ff, I think I misunderstood the eldest daughter's name? I really thought it was Souko but now it shows Reiko, so I will use the newer name.

***

Mitsuko's house was pleasant. Although there were a lot of things out of place and in need of tidying up, it made it look lively. But of course, Nik's 'bad' behaviors were all disciplined so that his customers wouldn't raise a complaint but now, once again, Nik felt the itch of simply taking out the trash by feeding it to Infinity and gain points. At least, 1 Authority Point so that he can finally understand the language of this world. The longer it took, the more uncomfortable Nik began to feel.

"Mom, can he really not understand Japanese?"

Nik glanced at the girl who looked like a spitting image of Mitsuko save for the fact that her hair was brown and much longer and there happened to be no glasses supported on the bridge of her nose. Though younger, at least, than him, the young woman looked quite beautiful. Especially in her pink top and black hotpants while a pair of black knee socks covered her foot and only revealed a bit of her plushy thigh. Why would Nik act rudely and glance at the thighs of the supposed daughter of the woman who temporarily took her in?

Nik looked sideways once again and the twin-tailed girl frowned. She once again propped her legs on the table and leaned sideways that revealed the back of her thighs mushed into the couch, indicating their softness. Meanwhile, with a pair of honey-gold eyes, the girl glanced at Nik with his shirt a bit stretched onto his shoulders.

This was another thing that made Nik amazed. The outside was clearly chilly but the interior was so warm. And he had yet to recognize this source of warmth. But turning onto the more alerting issue was that the girl in front of him was trying too hard.

'Yes, I saw your legs. What now? Can't keep staring at the same canvas my entire life,' Nik sighed. If it was him, he would have been more subtle. The mess around him would have been the perfect opportunity to move around and show off the goods to attract the highest payer.

'You've got to stop thinking like a whore, man,' Nik admonished himself.

"Kurumi! Don't be rude!" Mitsuko's voice came from the first floor as the girl pouted, "Not like he can understand me..."

"What's the point of even bringing someone you can't even talk to?" Kurumi stood up and gazed at Nik before taking her phone out. Japanese is surely a more complicated language, that she knew but its specific translation applications worked wonders. Especially the paid ones, the kind she of course wouldn't have. And the idea of buying applications on the smartphone... well, it was demeaning to Kurumi.

But...

'Translating constantly is such a pain,' she sighed softly and walked away to see who was at the door.

Nik followed Kurumi out with his gaze before leaning back on the comfortable couch. He loved the springiness of the couch. His world still couldn't get that right.

"I'm back," a low voice echoed from the entrance with a strange whimper occurring simultaneously. Nik had heard Mitsuko saying 'Tadaima', too. It seemed to be the natural response when one enters a house.

"Oh, Sayoko is back?" Mitsuko's voice echoed and she stepped downstairs. The narrow corridor through the entrance led right next through the flight of stairs leading to the first floor of the residence so the entire family met at the entrance. Mitsuko had already changed into something much more comfortable. She had already gotten out of her sweater and instead of tight trousers, she wore a pair of maroon tights.

Mitsuko gazed at her family. Three daughters. Kurumi being the youngest and in the last year of highschool, graduating next year. Sayoko, being the middle child and the drunk she unceremoniously set on the edge of the floor being her eldest daughter, Reiko.

"I got your text," Sayoko pointed at the white polybag and inquired, "What's going on? Why were you asking if I knew Hindi? Which, I don't, by the way," Sayako mumbled

"Oh, that's a shame," Mitsuko sighed while touching her cheek. Genuinely sounding a little distressed, she crouched towards her eldest daughter and patted her cheeks, "Reiko, dear, get a hold of yourself. Or do you not want to see the 'surprise'?"

"I'm awake... just resting my eyes," Reiko groaned and rubbed her eyes, "Never should have ordered beer during lunch. The office was a mess today."

The remaining three women's lips twitched as Sayoko glanced at Kurumi inquisitively.

"You'll see," Kurumi replied coolly as if it didn't interest her at all.

Once Reiko stood up by herself, limping sometimes in her drunken stupor, the family of four walked towards the living room's entrance finding Nik standing on the couch while looking at the air conditioner with a dazed expression.

"Mom," Sayoko sighed softly, "Why is that man so interested in our A.C.?"

Mitsuko traced her chin thoughtfully, "Maybe he remembered something? Oh, I didn't tell you this before but he's amnesiac and has nowhere else to go."

"And you brought him here?" Reiko blinked, "Gosh, and I thought I'm drunk."

---

Nik once again glanced at the large white box with the plastic exterior mounted near the top edge of the wall of the living room with an amazed expression. That was the source of the warm air: He realized.

'A... C... quite a catchy name,' Nik marveled and then looked at the food in front of him. The living room and the kitchen where the dining table was set was divided by an ornamental screen that could be folded back with a push and the kitchen itself didn't seem too different aside from the utilities. The marbled counter next to the edges of the wall gave more space for the dining room. To the end sat Mitsuko with a gentle smile on her lips, and next to him sat Kurumi who continuously snuck glances at him.

For a moment, Nik couldn't help but observe the diversity of the family. Like Mitsuko, Kurumi and the eldest daughter Reiko presented soft facial features. However, the blonde-haired woman who introduced herself as Sayoko looked too different. A sharper nose and a more shapely pair of lips with her eyes piercing blue, unlike Mitsuko's and Kurumi's honey-gold and Reiko's brown eyes.

In fact, all of them had different personalities, too. Reiko looked a bit exhausted and flaky as she gazed at her food with concentration far greater than Nik had ever seen before. Her hair was short like her mother and even though she took her jacket off, the disheveled white shirt on her body was a sight to behold.

Sayako wore a deep v-neck sweater that... well, was bold. Thick locks of her hair would fall over a better portion of the right side of her face which she would pull back at times but this didn't seem to annoy her.

"Do you like the food?" Mitsuko inquired using her smartphone and Nik nodded with a grateful expression. Words aren't always necessary to reply and Nik tried not to speak much. The food ordered seemed to be noodles, but flatter, dipped in a delicious cream and then cooked with a few vegetables such as onions, capsicum, and corns. Fortunately, the spoons and forks weren't much different but how Nik ate was quite graceful. He ate in big bites, but was graceful nonetheless: the reason why Genta's wallet took a dent in today's brunch.

'Though, I wish there was more,' Nik sighed internally.

"Hey, you have to eat it," Sayoko nudged Reiko's shoulder and she blinked before gazing at her younger sister, "I know that. I was just feeling a little tired to move my hands."

"So? Do you speak any other language?" Sayoko typed in on her smartphone while eating and showed her screen to Nik. With the ability to translate into speech and words, Nik was beginning to comprehend why these mobile devices are also referred to as 'smart.'

By now, Nik knew a bit of it. Pressing the image of the microphone, Nik spoke up, "No, I don't think I do."

Sayoko nodded and Nik set his fork down before closing his eyes for the moment.

'Gods should be different in a different world... but thank you for a dinner,' Nik sighed and picked the bowl up before glancing at Mitsuko questioningly.

With a chuckle, she pointed at the sink and Nik stood from the table to place the bowl in the sink.

He was still hungry, but for some reason, the amount of dinner brought was simply too low for his body. It wasn't like that previously, but he just had to accept this fact.

"So, I already have the bath ready. Once I teach Nik the basics of it—"

"Wait," Kurumi frowned and cut Mitsuko off, "Why do you have to be the one to do all that?"

"Ara," Mitsuko glanced at Kurumi with a confused expression, "Because I remember you saying about your quiz tomorrow. And Sayoko has her online seminar or something tomorrow. Reiko needs to... sober up."

"And a warm bath is a way to go," Reiko grinned before twisting her fork and circling the pasta before eating it.

"Whatever," Kurumi scoffed.

"Hmm? Did you want to be the teacher?" Mitsuko inquired as Kurumi looked at Nik returning to the seat next to her and coughed softly, "Well, he looks my age. And I'm better with my phone so the chances of it getting wet are low."

"I'd say the chances of you getting wet are rather high," Sayoko ate calmly and Kurumi glared at her elder sister, "Oh, don't you start this now! I meant my phone!"

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Both of them glanced at each other before Sayoko shrugged, "Now, don't get so annoyed. A slip of tongue."

"You've been having a lot of those lately," Kurumi scoffed and stood up before walking towards the Living Room.

'So... you aren't going to eat this?' Nik glanced at Kurumi's share of pasta before quickly looking away.

"Fine, just go and confirm the temperature for me. And be a little patient," Mitsuko called out as Kurumi's loud reply came in a snap, "I know!"

"I'm sorry, she's just... ah, I remembered you didn't even understand it," Mitsuko shook her head and picked her and Kurumi's bowl. One in the sink and the other one in the refrigerator for when Kurumi would crawl out later in the night to look for her dinner once again.

"Nik, do you want to take a bath?" Mitsuko inquired, "I can find something for you to wear for the night," she added.

"Yes, please!"

Nik almost let out a loud sigh of relief.

"All the best, Kurumi's stupid," Sayoko swept her locks back.

"Don't say that. She's just at a dumb age," Reiko leaned back with a heave. As Nik left, both of their gazes followed him out before Sayoko muttered, "Have you ever seen someone like him?"

"The junior I had before just transferred... but he wasn't as reserved as this guy. Hmm, he's tall, too. Not to mention..." Reiko leaned her head down on the table, "He really didn't look at us that much."

"You really should stop acting drunk. Mom is getting worried. The next thing we know, you're actually sober but still pushed into a rehab."

Sayoko smirked.

"Kurumi is right, your tongue's slipping quite a bit. You know what? You aren't even that good."

"You two! Quickly clean this up," Mitsuko clapped her hands as she left the dining room.

"Yes, mom!" Sayoko and Reiko grumbled simultaneously before standing up and cleaning up the kitchen.

---

Nik found that, unlike his world, this one had a separate toilet and bathroom. Both of them were within the right side of the narrow entrance with the toilet separated by a translucent sliding door. There was also something like a giant basket with a circular door in the middle. Inside the bathroom, aside from a small mirror in front of a short shower, there was a large wooden tub that seemed properly processed since Nik couldn't find any splinters poking right out of the bat.

Half-naked with only his pants on, Nik gazed at the water in the tub that slightly let out steam and made the bathroom space warmer and cozier.

"Well, you need to sit here," Kurumi pointed at the stool close to the shower, signifying that taking a shower while standing wouldn't be too comfortable. Then she pointed at the bottles set on the side. Pointing one by one, she signified the areas that could be washed and by what. Finally, Nik glanced at the tub. Though small, it certainly looked deep enough for him to fit with his legs crossed and he wanted to try taking a dip.

"No, no, first take a shower, and then take a bath..." Kurumi wrote on her phone and Nik nodded after reading it. Honestly, in Hindi, the words bath and shower looked the same, but given the context, Nik understood what Kurumi meant.

"So... do you need help?" Kurumi wrote further and Nik looked around before nodding.

Though half-naked, he wasn't particularly chiseled at the moment. It may be only because of his bloodline's skill that Kurumi gazed at him quite obviously. Pointing at himself, Nik then pointed at his shirt set outside in a different basket than the one that seemed like a machine.

"Your clothes?" Kurumi typed in and Nik nodded.

"Well... mom will take care of it. Anything else?"

Kurumi inquired before speaking the words of thanks he learned over the dinner table.

"T-thank you," he nodded. Sounding like a stutter but Kurumi sighed nonetheless before walking out.

"Hey? You're already out? Wait, don't tell me..."

Reiko was occupying the entire couch while watching television as she saw Kurumi walk in with a calm expression and muted the channel.

"What?" Kurumi snapped.

"A quick shot... huh, it happens. Don't worry about it. This just means you're too good!" Reiko snickered shamelessly and Sayoko walked in. Looking at Kurumi and seeing her expression, she grinned, "Hmm? Did you get turned down? Oh, that's sad. You would think to give a patient suffering from amnesia some space but no~ You couldn't control yourself!"

Kurumi glared at her and stated with each note emphasized, "You're. the. uncontrollable—"

"Just kidding. Besides, mom just entered the bath. I thought you would be in there, too," Sayoko smiled and sat down on the chair before setting her laptop on the table. Kurumi's expression froze before she left the room in a bit of fluster.

"What are you doing?" Reiko inquired as she looked at Sayoko.

"Nothing, just some project I need to complete. Only have two days left."

"Tough. Oh, hey, what happened?" Reiko looked at Kurumi who returned with an even more noticeable scowl and she erupted.

"She locked the door!"

"Please, don't shout. I'm trying to concentrate," Sayoko sighed.

"I hate this family!" Kurumi stomped her foot and left the room while Reiko called out loudly, "Love you, too!"

"She's getting more irritated by the day. I wonder what happened," Reiko mumbled and Sayoko gazed at her in surprise.

"You didn't know what happened at the school?"

"Nuh-huh," Reiko shook her head. Thinking briefly, Sayoko decided to speak up and Reiko almost laughed out loud.

"That was it?"

"See? And Kurumi is angry at me for laughing, too," Sayoko sighed, "It wasn't even on purpose."

***

A/N: I didn't know that writing in such a slow pace can take out from oneself so much smh. Still, another chapter inbound.

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