Ketsueki moved her gaze onto her little brother and said. “Don’t worry, one of these idiots has a table on them. While the other is planning on replacing the broken table.” Shiro and Reiki spoke in perfect harmony, they simultaneously said. “Broken table?” Sachi let out a soft laugh as she covered her mouth while sitting on a chair. Ketsueki glared at her friend while Namida made her way to the couch while pretending she wasn’t in any pain. Namida said. “I’m not going to be the one who explains it to them.” She sat on the couch as she felt pain in her lower spine.
Sachi stood up from the chair as she glanced around the other three chairs that were positioned with a table in the middle, she said. “Yeah, not it.” She made her way to the couch where Namiad waved her hand as the remote flew into her palm as she turned the tv on. Ketsueki's head was turned sideways as she stared at a wall and couldn’t look at her younger siblings, Reiki said. “Onee-chan?” Shiro gently tugged on her older sister's jacket and said. “Onee-chan, if you convince Onii-chan to give me more than one piece of chocolate I’ll take your side.”
Ketsueki gave her little sister a slightly narrowed-eyed look, she said. “Nice try, but you’re still going on a diet.” Shiro puffed her cheeks at her older sister while Reiki was about to make his way to the kitchen and said. “I’ll go see what’s inside the fridge.” Ketsueki gave her little brother an odd look, she said. “Didn’t you just make us a late lunch?” Reiki gave his older sister a nod and said. “I used up the groceries they gave me last time you were sick.” He took a couple of steps as Ketsueki grabbed the collar of his green tunic.
Ketsueki moved her gaze onto her two friends who were pretending to watch tv while sitting on the couch as they were eavesdropping on the conversation, she said. “You two, grocery shopping.” Shiro held onto her older sister's jacket as she wrapped her arms around one of Ketsueki’s thighs. Namida casually placed her left elbow on the backrest of the couch as she turned her head sideways to look behind and said. “What kind of household makes their guests go outside to buy groceries.”
Sachi elbowed Namida’s rib cage as her entire body jolted in pain. Namida glared at her friend from the corner of her eye while Sachi ignored it and said. “What he meant to say was, we’ll be glad to buy some groceries for dinner.” She moved her gaze onto Reiki, Sachi continued. “Reiki, got anything you want to eat?” Shiro tugged on the jacket Ketsueki was wearing as her older sister slightly bend forward and picked up her little sister and carried her. Reiki scratched the side of his head and said. “How much fish can you get your hands on?” Sachi raised a brow at him while Namida gave him an odd look.
Ketsueki was carrying Shiro in her arms as she was trying to convince her older sister by giving her a spoiled look. Namida moved her gaze back onto the tv as she moved her elbow from the backrest of the couch, she said. “On second thought, I have plans to eat out with friends.” Ketsueki’s glanced at her from the corner of her eye as her lips curled into a smirk, she said. “All your friends are here.” Sachi let out a chuckle as she took out her phone from the pocket of her green dress.
Ketsueki poked Shiro’s pudgy belly and said. “Shiro, this is the second time this happened.” Reiki watched her two sisters talk with each other while Sachi turned her phone on and said. “How are you going to cook it? Baked? Fried? Grilled sounds good too.” She tapped on her contacts while Namida stared at her friend's phone screen. Shiro wrapped her arms around her older sister and said. “It’ll be fine, Onee-chan. We know I have a slow metabolism.” Reiki moved some straight stray hair that was blocking his view.
He said. “I’m in the mood for some sushi, I’ll go check how much rice we have.” Ketsueki had a helpless smile on her lips as she playfully pinched Shiro’s cheek and said. “All the more reason why you need to abide by the diet.” Namida stopped browsing through the channels as Sachi turned the smartphone she was holding off by using the button on the side. Shiro coyly pulled on the sleeves of her older sister’s jacket, she said. “But, I want to eat more elven chocolate.” Ketsueki stared at her little sister with a slightly narrowed look and said. “Do you even take the long way here anymore?”
Sachi tapped on Namida’s shoulder a couple of times and spoke in a whisper. Sachi said. “This is where you shine.” Shiro didn’t say anything as she just stared at her older sister, Ketsueki saw the reaction of her little sister and said. “No wonder you’ve felt a bit heftier than usual.” Namida glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye as she spoke through gritted teeth, she said. “Ever heard of a gentle touch?” Sachi’s lips curved into a sweet smile as she playfully slapped Namida’s shoulder again.
Namida clenched her hands into fists as her brown pupils faintly turned pitch black. Shiro’s eyes had a hint of panic in them, she said. “I-I’m not hefty!” Sachi turned her head sideways to look behind the backrest of the couch, she pointed at a furies Namida and said. “He’s going to be the one responsible for the fish and rice.” Ketsueki pretended to not believe her little sister as she gently raised Shiro who she was carrying in her arms up and down as if to weigh her. Ketsueki said. “I don’t know…” Shiro inhaled deeply from her mouth and sucked her bloated stomach as much as possible.
Sachi’s eyes had a hint of a twinkle in them, she said. “What kind of sushi are you making?” Shiro was doing her best to hold her breath as she exhaled while her stomach went back to its pudgy state and slightly drooped. Reiki had a pondering expression on his face and said. “I don’t know how much variety I’m going to make, but I’ll at least make some sashimi, nigiri, temaki, uramaki, futomaki, inarizushi, and I feel like eating a few ehomaki.” He thought. It’s too bad we only have wasabi paste, Onee-chan never stocked up on wasabi that I can grate.
Shiro’s breathing was haggard as she looked up at her older sister with a hint of hope in her eyes, she said. “H-How is it, Onee-chan?” Ketsueki let out a laugh while shaking her head sideways and said. “Shiro, how many times do I have to say it doesn’t work like that?” Shiro spoke with an innocent look on her face, she said. “Until it works for me at least once.” Namida who was sitting on the couch took a deep breath as she turned her head sideways to look behind the couch.
Ketsueki poked her little sister’s nose and said. “Well, it didn’t work this time so the diet stays.” Shiro placed her hands on her stomach as she molded it, Namida watched the two sisters and said. “Hey, japanese blonde, do you have any wasabi?” Reiki watched her little sister who was molding her pudgy belly into shapes while being carried in Ketsueki’s arms, he thought. How long is this conversation going to be? Ketsueki watched Shiro make a circle with her belly as she moved her gaze onto her friend and said. “Of course I do.”
Namida had distrust all over her face which pissed off Ketsueki as she spoke with a hint of anger in her tone. Ketsueki said. “What is that look supposed to be?” Namida spoke with a hint of blandness and said. “I already know it’s the tube kind of wasabi.” Sachi let out a chuckle as she picked up the second to last eclair on the plate that was on the coffee table, she said. “I mean, she does live in a dump.” Shiro raised her right hand in protest and said. “It’s not a dump!”
Ketsueki smiled in delight as she placed her left hand on her hip, she said. “You tell them, Shiro!” Reiki looked around the simple room and thought. Eh, so it’s a bit on the small side. Shiro grabbed her older sister's jacket sleeve while Ketsueki felt the sting of her words. Shiro said. “It’s small, we don’t have a lot of fancy things, and it kinda smelled before Onii-chan took over the cleaning.” Ketsueki tried to keep a straight face while Sachi and Namida had smirks on their lips, Ketsueki thought. She’s supposed to be on my side, right?
With a serious expression on her face, Shiro continued. “But, Onee-chan works hard every day so we can have a normal life.” Ketsueki had a slightly odd expression on her face while Sachi and Namida were staring a hole through her, Ketsueki thought. Just give me three months, Shiro. And we’ll leave this dump and live in a mansion. She glanced at her little brother who was in thinking about something and continued her train of thought. That or when Reiki forgets about the whole promotion in three months thing. Reiki let out a yawn as he pointed in the direction of the kitchen, he said. “I need to prep a lot of rice, see you, girls, at dinner.”
He took a few steps toward the kitchen as Ketsueki placed Shiro back down on the ground and grabbed her little brother’s green tunic by the sleeve making him stop. Reiki felt the back of his tunic and said. “Onee-chan, what are we going to do if the fabric stretches out?” Shiro made her way to the couch as she rested her chin on the armchair of the couch and gave Sachi and Namida a bright smile. Ketsueki let out a slightly sarcastic chuckle and said. “Please, from how its quality even if I carried you by the collar it’ll be fine.”
Reiki straightened some folds on the tunic he was wearing, he said. “That doesn't mean you can just test out its durability.” Sachi took a bite of the eclair in her hands while Namdia waved her hand as the last millionaire shortbread flew into her palm. Namida said. “We’re not going to fatten you up, cottontail.” Shiro watched Sachi take a big bite of the eclair in her hands as some of the whipped cream in the middle slightly oozed out. Shiro let out a hmph and said. “I-I’m not hungry.”
Ketsueki’s gaze slightly narrowed as she stared at her little brother, she said. “You’ve grown awfully attached to those clothes.” Reiki looked at the green tunic and brown pants he was wearing and thought. Oh yeah, I need a change of clothes. He looked up and saw the slightly hostile look his older sister was giving him, Reiki said. “They’re comfortable.” Sachi pushed Namida as she forced her to move to the side of the couch while making room for Shiro. Sachi patted the empty spot beside her and said. “Shiro, don’t just stand there and sit.”
Shiro sat beside her while Sachi couldn’t pry her curios eyes from her pudgy belly. Reiki gave his older sister a smile and said. “D-Do you want also want a pair, Onee-chan?” Ketsueki stared at the clothes he was wearing and thought. He did say they were comfortable… She let out a scoff, Ketsueki said. “No thanks, that shade of green would look tacky on anyone who isn’t an elf.” Reiki raised a brow at her and thought. Would that be a racist remark? Shiro noticed Sachi politely staring at her bloated stomach from the corner of her eye, Shiro said. “You can touch my tummy, Sachi-nee. I don’t mind.”
Sachi placed what's left of the eclair on the plate that was resting on the coffee table, she gave Shiro a smile and said. “I’m sorry for staring, but it’s not every day you know someone with a…” She watched Shiro pat her bloated stomach a couple of times while Namida was waving the millionaire shortbread in her hand around. Namida said. “Gut, belly, stomach.” She glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye and continued. “Sachi, almost every living thing has one.”
Reiki took a step toward the kitchen and said. “So, can I go to the kitchen?” Shiro poked her pudgy belly a couple of times as a hint of confusion appeared on her face, she said. “Almost everything?” Namida gave her a smile and said. “Fish and a platypus don’t have a stomach.” Sachi’s brows furrowed as she gave her friend an odd look, she said. “Why do you know that?” Ketsueki stared at her little brother and said. “You don’t need to worry about food since Namida is going to have someone bring what you need here.”
Namida placed her left hand inside her pocket, she said. “When you have plenty of time and internet as fast as I have, you tend to have more than one program open.” Shiro cutely tilted her head sideways, she said. “What’s a platypus? Is it cute?” Sachi gave Shiro a slightly hesitating look and said. “That depends on what you think cute is.” Shiro’s brows furrowed in confusion, she said. “There are different kinds of cute?” Sachi glanced at Namida who took out a smartphone from her pocket, Namida said. “Yeah, I know. I’ll show her the mammal.”
Reiki scratched the back of his head and said. “Onee-chan, how about a back rub?” He gave his older sister a flattering smile while pretending to be ignorant of Ketsueki’s judging stare. Shiro leaned closer to Sachi while Namida tapped on the screen a couple of times while taking a bite of the shortbread she was holding. Sachi felt an itch in her left hand and said. “Shiro, does your offer still stand?” Namida was typing on her phone with one hand while finishing off the shortbread in her hand. Shiro grabbed her flabby belly with both her hands, she said. “I don’t know why you have to make it so weird, Sachi-nee.”
Sachi slowly placed her right hand on Shiro’s pudgy stomach and thought. It feels like a warm pillow… Namida tapped on the screen of her smartphone a couple of times, she said. “Images, here’s what a platypus looks like-. What are you two doing?” She saw her friend pinching the young girl's stomach, Shiro glanced at her and said. “Namida-nee, do you want to try it too?” Ketsueki took a few steps past Reiki as he subconsciously flinched back, she made her way to the nearest armchair and sat down.
Reiki quickly went after her and stood beside the chair Ketsueki sat down and placed his hand on her shoulders. Namida stared at Sachi repeatedly poking Shiro’s stomach and said. “Sure, why not.” She passed her smartphone to the small girl, Namida continued. “Here’s a picture of a platypus.” Shiro took the phone off her hands and stared at the screen, she said. “They look kinda cute.” While the other two were poking and sometimes gently pinching her pudgy stomach. Shiro carefully slide her fingertip on the screen and saw a different picture and said. “What is this?”
Ketsueki kept a straight face while enjoying the massage her little brother was giving her. Reiki had a flattering smile on his expression, he said. “Onee-chan, do you have any specific request for sushi for dinner?” Shiro showed the images on the phone to Namida and Sachi who moved their gazes to it. Sachi stopped poking Shiro’s belly and said. “That, my bulky bunny is a baby platypus.” Shiro puffed her cheeks at her, she said. “I’m not bulky!” Reiki felt something in his pocket slightly move as some faint light was emitting from it, he thought. They’re going to ask for the bar.
Ketsueki's eyes narrowed as she noticed the faint glow in her little brother’s pocket, Reiki gave her a big smile and said. “Onee-chan.” Ketsueki closed her eyes as she rested on the backrest of the armchair while forcing his little brother to move his hands away, she said. “I don’t care.” Shiro’s eyes slightly widened when she process the words, she said. “Platypus look… Weird as a baby…” Sachi glanced at Namida who was using her back to rest with her flat chest, she glared at her friend and said. “Can you stop leaning on me?”
Reiki took out a tattered pouch from his pocket and placed his hand inside while pretending not to notice the intense stare Ketsueki was giving him, he thought. Just pretend you don’t know anything. Namida rolled her eyes at her friend and said. “Why? It’s not like I have any useless weight on me.” Shiro was awkwardly browsing through the images on the smartphone while Sachi tried to elbow her friend in the face but missed as Namida easily dodged it. Namida had a taunting expression on her face, she said. “Maybe you should consider going on a diet to lose a few pounds.”
Reiki was holding onto a faintly glowing talisman, he thought. I sense nothing but resentment and jealousy in those words. He spoke in flawless elvish and said. “Somehow, I already know what we're going to talk about.” Ketsueki had a serious expression on her face as she glanced at her friends who had almost identical looks on their faces. Ketsueki thought. Good, I don’t even have to tell them to translate. From the talisman everyone in the room could hear the sound of a female elf’s voice, Enora said. “I’m just going to ask you for a small matter.”
Shiro was browsing through pictures of platypus on Namida's phone as the sound of another voice came from the talisman. Enrel spoke with a hint of urgency in her tone and said. “That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one who lost thousands of platinum!” Reiki felt three pairs of eyes burning in him, he thought. Maybe, I should retreat into my room? He was about to grab the talisman as he felt the intensity of Ketsueki’s stare increase, Reiki continued his train of thought. Or not, standing is good for your posture.
Reiki spoke in elvish saying. “The answer is yes, Cherry did steal a bar.” Sachi placed an arm around Shiro’s shoulders as she gave her a smile and said. “What do you think, Shiro? Are platypus cute or not?” Shiro’s brows furrowed as she contemplated while staring at the images on the phone, she said. “When they're fully grown, eight out of ten.” Shiro passed the phone to Sachi while Namida was too busy eavesdropping on Reiki’s conversation. He said. “Don’t worry, the bar is in one piece. I’ll return it to you when I visit again.” Reiki let go of the talisman as it floated in mid-air.
From the talisman the sound of Enrel who was on the verge of screaming, she said. “If there’s so much as a single scrat-!” Before she could even finish her sentence it was followed by another female elf voice with a hint of irritation in her tone. “I went to the bathroom for a few minutes and why is this old hag screaming at the talisman?” The corner of Reiki’s mouth formed into a slight smile, he said. “Hi, Mora.” Ketsueki’s gaze narrowed as she crossed her arms and glared at her little brother, she thought. I’ve never heard him use that tone before.
From the talisman, Enrel’s voice rang out. “Moranor, you don’t understand. I lost-.” She was cut off by a long sigh, Moranor said. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thousands of platinum, Reiki will give it back so stop emphasizing on the bar.” Sachi’s lips turned slightly cruel as she took the phone off Shiro’s hands and said. “What about when they're a baby?” Shiro placed a hand on her chin and said. “Hmm… Six out of ten, they look weird but are still cute.” Sachi was casually browsing through her friend’s phone while Namida was still preoccupied with listening to Reiki’s conversation.
Reiki felt the glare from Ketsueki and Namdia, he thought. Well, it’s a good thing I know how to make sushi. I’ll just hope whoever Namida orders brings decent quality fish. From the talisman everyone in the room could hear the hint of shyness in Enora’s voice, she said. “So, when are you going to drop by? It seems Enrel is in dire need of the bar.” It was followed by Enrel who said. “Not really, I just wanted to make sure-.” She was cut off by Moranor who spoke in a hasty tone, she said. “I just got word from mom that her majesty is calling for you!”
Reiki was staring at the floating talisman in front of him as the sound of Enrel’s voice came out from it, she said. “Isn’t she in the middle of a briefing with-” She was interrupted by Enora, she said. “Enrel, take the hint and get out!”
