The morning began with Izumi slinging her backpack over her shoulder and sighing like she was heading off to war.
"— Haru… it was fun. But I NEED to leave before I completely forget how living in a place with civilization works."
Harumi pouted.
"— You're leaving me, Izumi?"
"— Yes."
"— …Fair."
Mei wrapped her arms around Izumi's legs.
"— Aunt Izu, will you come back tomorrow? You're not gonna do what Grandpa did, right?!"
"— I-I'll be back this weekend, okay?"
"— Promise?"
"— Double promise. With a pinky seal."
Takeru just nodded quietly, wearing that tiny smile that only shows up when he's genuinely happy that a certain someone is leaving.
When Izumi left, Harumi closed the door, took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and declared to the universe:
"— Today's Mission: turn this house into a REAL house!"
"— Aunt Haru…" Mei blinked. "Does that mean cleaning?"
"— Yes."
"— Then it's a deadly mission."
"— Exactly. That's why we need courage."
Takeru crossed his arms.
"— You do know we still don't have electricity, and the bathroom doesn't have a door… right?"
"— Of course I know!" Harumi replied with absolute confidence. "And that's whyyyyy… TA-DAAAAA!"
She dramatically pointed at a huge box leaning against the wall.
"— THE BATHROOM DOOR HAS ARRIVED!! It came last night!"
Mei clapped excitedly.Takeru stared at the box with the expression of someone thinking, This will definitely go wrong.
And, well…He was absolutely right.
"Manual? Never heard of it." — Part 1 of 12.084
The box was as heavy as destiny itself.
Harumi tried dragging it.Tried pushing it.Tried encouraging the door to move with motivational words.
"— Come on, door… think positive…"
"— Harumi," Takeru observed, "doors don't think."
"— EXACTLY! That's why I'm teaching it!"
In the end, Takeru had to move it by himself—because Harumi got stuck for five full minutes with her hand tangled in bubble wrap.
After twenty minutes and an entire résumé of disasters:
"— Takeru, pass me the screwdriver."
"— That's a hammer."
"— Same thing."
"— NO."
"— Okay… then pass me that yellow thing."
"— …That's tape."
"— Perfect."
Mei watched everything with sparkling eyes, like she was witnessing the greatest show on Earth.
"— Aunt Haru is like… a hero?"
"— …Something like that," Takeru replied, defeated.
Thirty minutes passed…
Forty…
An hour…
CLACK.
Harumi:
"— I'M DOOOOOONE!!!"
She spread her arms like she had just climbed Mount Fuji.
Mei applauded.Takeru took a deep breath, accepting that miracles sometimes happen.
Harumi turned the doorknob to test it.
The door opened.She smiled.
"— SEE?! I told you I know how to assemble things! I'm a genius! A master of tools! An arti—"
She closed the door.
Turned the knob.
Turned it again.
Pulled.
Pushed.
"— …Takeru."
"— Hm?"
"— The door won't open."
"— You installed it backwards."
"— I INSTALLED IT… WHAT???"
Harumi stared at her masterpiece… and realized: yes.
Just yes.
The door was completely backwards.Lock on the outside.Hinges on the wrong side.
"— Aunt Haru…" Mei held her hand. "Don't cry."
"— I'M not crying… I'm just sweating through my eyes."
After the universal humiliation of The Door Incident, Harumi decided to continue the mission:
Cleaning, Harumi™ Style
"— Let's clean the living room and hallway!"
"— You said you'd never clean the house again after yesterday," Takeru reminded her.
"— And I WILL! I am un-stop-pa-ble!"
"— You can't even open your own door."
"— THAT IS A DETAIL."
Mei helped happily, holding a little cloth.Takeru cleaned like a professional.Harumi cleaned like a gentle tornado—meaning she made more mess, tripped over buckets, and nearly cleaned the floor with her own face.
After a few falls:
"— OW! My spine is making a suspicious noise."
"— You should stop," Takeru suggested.
"— Stopping is for the weak."
"— You are weak."
"— I am emotionally sensitive today, Takeru. Don't destroy my morale."