The clock read 4:30 a.m.
This was the time when responsible adults would already be awake—drinking coffee, checking routes, calmly preparing the car.
Harumi, of course, was going to bed.
— Harumi. Wake up. — Takeru said, delivering a strategic pillow strike straight to her face.
— Ghhff— cough— n-no… don't waaant toooo…
— You said you had to wake up at 4:30. It's already 4:32.
Harumi's eyes flew open like she'd just remembered she left a pot on the stove seven days ago.
— OH MY GOD, THE AIRPORT!! MY MOM!! IZUMI!! THE CAR!!
She jumped out of bed.Fell.Got up.Ran to the door.
Takeru watched.
Getting the kids ready (or trying to)
Mei stood there, half-asleep, while Harumi tried to make her look "presentable."
— All set, Mei! So cute! Cute coat… ahh, what an adorable girl!!— I like it! — Mei smiled.
Then it was Takeru's turn.
— Takeru, put this on—— No.— But it matches—— Don't like it.— Okay… then maybe this hairstyle—— No.
Five minutes later, Harumi gave up.
Takeru appeared perfectly dressed his way, without a single thing Harumi had suggested.
— …Did you notice you're still in pajamas?— I am?— Yes.— …They're comfy. I'm going like this!
They took the train exactly like that and arrived at her father's house at 5:27 a.m.
Only 32 minutes left until Harumi's mom arrived.The trip was theoretically 40 minutes.
This was going to go badly.
At her parents' house
Harumi got out of the car wearing slippers, with dark circles that practically wrapped around her head.
Izumi was at the door looking exactly the same—destroyed, messy, and with her soul halfway out of her body.
— …Are you wearing pajamas? — Izumi asked.— Yes.— …Nice.— Nice how?— Nice that I'm not the only failure today.
Their father appeared behind them, overly energetic, with a bright smile that absolutely did not match the hour.
Short, chubby, bald, wearing a fanny pack, shorts, and a professional camera… for some reason.
— GOOD MORNING!! Who's ready to pick up mommy?!
Both sisters stared at him like he was a natural disaster.
— Dad… it's FIVE IN THE MORNING.— So? The day's beautiful!!— It's dark.— Beautiful!
Harumi opened the driver's door.
— Everyone get in, hurry!
— I'm not sitting in the front. — Izumi said immediately. — If there's an accident, the front person dies.— Me neither. — Takeru said.— I'm a kid. — Mei raised her hands. — I can't.
Everyone looked at their dad.
— I'll go. — he said proudly. — I've always wanted to die dramatically.
— DAD, THAT'S TERRIBLE!! IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GONNA DIE JUST BECAUSE I'M DRIVING!!
There was a silence that said everything.
— Just kidding! Just kidding! Well… half kidding.
He got in calmly, like boarding a cruise ship and not a car that should've retired years ago.
Harumi started the engine.
The car made a noise like an elderly man complaining for 30 years straight.
— Is that normal? — Izumi asked.— It's the sound of pain. — Takeru replied.— It's the sound of determination! — Harumi insisted.
She stepped on the gas.
The car jumped.
— SWEET MERCY!! — Izumi grabbed the dashboard. — Did you forget how to drive?!— NO! — Harumi yelled, turning the wheel fully left for no reason. — I'M JUST READJUSTING!!— THAT'S WORSE!!
Takeru, fully used to Harumi's chaos, just sighed and fastened his seatbelt.
— I knew I'd die today.
Ten minutes later, the car coughed.
Actually coughed.
They ran out of gas.Obviously.
— …Haru?— Don't say it.— Did you forget to fill the tank?— I SAID DON'T SAY IT!!
They stopped at a gas station that looked abandoned since 1983.
Miraculously, it worked.
Their dad got out smiling.
— So nostalgic! This station existed when I was young!— Dad, that's not comforting.
Harumi filled the tank, paid, apologized three times to the barely-awake attendant, and they hit the road again.
Arriving at the airport (alive — barely)
They parked.Got out.Exhausted.Mentally destroyed.
Mei was almost asleep standing up.Izumi was dying of embarrassment over Harumi's slippers.
And then…
THEIR MOM APPEARED.
Tall.Beautiful.Hair perfectly done.Elegant, like she stepped out of a magazine.
She saw Harumi and opened her arms wide.
— My girrrrrls!!!
Harumi froze.
Takeru and Mei stared at her like they'd just seen a celebrity.
Izumi muttered:
— …Yeah, genetics definitely skipped you, Harumi.
Their mom hugged Harumi so tightly she almost fell over.
Their dad smiled proudly, clearly in love with his Brazilian-model-amazing wife.
And Harumi could only think one thing:
"Oh my God. This is going to be A LOT of work."