Part 5
Yukie had always been an early bird. It came as no surprise to Akiza when she discovered her mother already hard at work making breakfast. The scent carried and practically mesmerized her nostrils as she strolled into the kitchen.
"Good morning sweetie," her mother greeted warmly.
"Good morning."
There were seven pancakes ready for consumption so far, though the table hadn't been set yet. Akiza carefully avoided her mother's as she got to work setting the table.
"Aki, what's wrong?"
「Damnit!」
There was just no hiding anything from this woman.
"Uh..."
This was not how she wanted to start things off.
"Are you feeling sick?" Yukie abandoned the pancake to walk over and feel her only daughter's forehead.
Akiza couldn't help but notice how aroused she still felt inside. Even after a good night's rest. It was only now, after her mother went out of her way to check her health, that she truly grasped how hungry she was…in the wrong kind of way.
「How utterly disgusting, she thought. Sexual intercourse must always be for procreation, never for recreation. Happiness through efficiency. Efficiency through procreation. Decadence is prohibited. Decadence leads to independence. Independence leads to disorder. Disorder leads to displeasure. Displeasure leads to despondency.」
"No, I'm fine. I just, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Yukie's expression changed accordingly, blending a mixture of surprise and concern.
"What is it sweetie?"
.
..
...
"I...I'm moving out!" It felt so good to finally say it out loud, but the sensation was short lived as Yukie's face just…broke.
"Moving out?" Akiza could easily count on one hand the number of times she'd seen her mother be genuinely surprised by something. In her normal state, she was one of those ultra, super, Jedi Master type moms. Nothing phased her.
Nothing…except this.
"Akeno said it's alright if I stay with her until Kanata and I can find a place of our own."
"But why?"
Akiza hesitated.
「No!」
「I have to do this.」
"Akiza, if this is about—"
"Mom, it's not I swear."
"What's all the racket about?" Akiza mentally cursed Izayoi for picking the worst possible moment to wake up. She shot daggers at him entering the kitchen.
「Why can't he just keep his nose out of other people's business?」
No, this wasn't on him.
She should've held this conversation somewhere private.
But it still irked Akiza knowing that she had to listen to Izayoi, as well as her mother tell her how silly she was for wanting to move out.
"Your sister is moving out."
"What? You're leaving?" Izayoi uttered equal parts confused and surprised.
「There you go Izayoi. The bitch is out of your life.」
「And the perv is out of mine.」
"Don't go jumping for joy just yet," Akiza replied. "I'll only be staying with Akeno Thursdays through Sundays." That was still four days she didn't have to put up with him.
"Akiza, are you sure about this?" Akiza could tell her mother was still trying to find some way to talk her out of this idea. "You don't have to move out if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel unwelcome in your own home."
"I don't feel unwelcome mom," Akiza lied. It was not a complete one though. "I just feel like it's time. I'm testing the waters for when Kanata and I get a place together."
"Magic Kanata?" Izayoi joked much to her annoyance.
"Shaddup!"
"Izayoi, this isn't the time!" Yukie snapped also. She really wasn't taking this well.
"I'm sorry." The apology sounded sincere. "And I agree…" The declaration took Akiza by surprise. "You shouldn't move out if you're only doing it because you feel unwelcome. And I'm sorry if I've somehow made you feel that way."
As much as I can't stand Izayoi, that was shockingly…honest.
"Whatever problems we have, if they're the reason you're leaving, I promise I'll try to, I don't know, be better."
Akiza reeled from the revelation that her step brother was capable of being earnest. It really was quite unexpected.
"Thanks, but I've made up my mind. Besides, I can't stay with my parents forever. I am older, remember?"
"Alright. You can move in with Akeno," Yukie finally agreed. "But I want to talk to you every day, okay?"
"Okay. I don't have a—"
"And if you run into money troubles, you have to let me know!"
"Sure mom, you'll be the first—"
"And make sure you don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Mom, I would never! And I'm a big girl. I can look after myself. Promise."
***
Akiza decided to skip out on breakfast to tell Akeno the good news. From there she got to work packing, doing her best to avoid running into her mother or Izayoi. In her mom's case, it was partly due to the guilt over breaking her heart.
Akiza wiped the sweat from her brow before stepping back and admiring her handiwork.
「So many boxes.」
If she had money, she could pay someone else to do all the packing for her. Looking around the room, she still couldn't believe it.
She was leaving this behind.
She could vividly recall the day she and Yukie first set foot in this house, scoffing at each other over how many boxes there was to unpack.
How times have changed.
But she needed to get out of here.
And this wasn't permanent. Her bed certainly wasn't going anywhere.
As she finished duct-taping the last box shut, Akiza's mind drifted to her mother and how quiet she'd been all day. She felt like a heel leaving her alone with Izayoi.
Yukie may only be his step mom, but she's seen the kinds of illegal magazines he keeps 'locked' away.
If they weren't related—by marriage—she would have turned him in to the Obscenity Institute in a heartbeat.
And that's why she decided to come back every weekend! Someone has to keep that creepy perv in check.
"You all packed up?" Izayoi's voice asked, snapping Akiza back to reality. She looked back him, leaning against the door frame.
"Don't do that! You're not a support pillar."
He could be so lazy sometimes.
Izayoi didn't budge.
He could also be such an ass sometimes.
"Yes. I think I have everything...I think."
"Toothpaste?"
"I'm moving in with Akeno, not camping out in the wilderness."
"Hey, I'm just trying to be helpful."
"WI don't need your help."
"Oh really?" Izayoi dangled his car keys in front of her. "So I can go back to work?"
「Damnit!」 She got so caught up in moving that she forgot she needed someone to transport everything. 「Stupid Izayoi!」
He smiled again, and spun smartly on his heel.
"Wait!" The foot stayed raised. "Just help me."
"What was that?"
"Don't be jerk. I said I need you to drive me."
"Didn't catch that last bit?"
"God Izayoi are you gonna make me beg for it?!"
"How about we start with a 'please' and take it from there?"
.
..
…
"Fine. Please help me." With comical deftness, Izayoi spun himself back round to face her. In many ways it felt like watching one of those early silent, slapstick, black and white comedy films.
"Good. Now which box contains the breakables?" The smugness dissipated, flicked off like a light switch. In its place Izayoi sported the gap-toothed grin of a seven-year-old who just learned that his parents had bought him all the presents he asked for. Izayoi briefly scanned around before picking up one of the clothing boxes.
Maybe she was too hard on him.
"Hey, you gonna make me carry all this stuff or what?"
「Never mind.」
Akiza sulked at the realization that insufferable jerk will always be Izayoi's default mode. She grabbed a box and followed him downstairs.
It took two trips each before everything was finally loaded into the car.
"Hey, Izayoi?" Akiza said while fastening her safety belt.
"Hm?"
"Thank you." She didn't know what to make of his reaction. Her step brother genuinely seemed surprised.
"Uh sure. I mean we're family, right?"
"Yes...family."
[author]
This is the first part of my new Light Novel "My Life as an Ero-Magi Sucks! All Roads Lead to Perversion!!". I will be posting updates periodically on here, as well as on my Patreon and WebNovel.
It has been a huge joy to work on this series and I've been careful to balance all the elements that make up great Light Novels: Fun, interesting characters, a nice-enough mystery and of course an excellent premise.
If you can't wait to find out what happens next, you can grab Volume 1 for just $5.99 from
Smashwords
Amazon
[/author]