Yoichi couldn't believe it. Kameko—his Big Aunt Tsusiko's second of her twin daughters—had come earlier than agreed to pick him up. She gave him a tight bear hug that made him lose his breath for a while. He couldn't believe this was the same Kameko he had met a few years ago.
"Cousin Yoichi, it is you!" she exclaimed, letting go of him. "You've grown much taller!"
"You speak of me, I completely didn't recognize you," Yoichi replied, using tips from the friendly family association handbook he'd read.
"I thought you were supposed to arrive an hour later. Guess the train took off earlier than expected?" she asked.
"Yeah," Yoichi said. "You could say that."
"I'll call for the chauffeur to come pick us up. It'll take just a minute," she said with a wink. She walked away to make the call.
Yoichi sat back on the bench, feeling confused. "This feeling… Is it… a sense of belonging?" he thought. He recalled a time in the past when his Big Aunt hadn't cared about their family—not until Mika came along. Her daughters were even worse, especially Kamiko, the first of the two twins.
"Alright, Cousin Yoichi," Kameko called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Our ride's here," she added.
Yoichi picked up his luggage and followed Kameko to the car.
Big Aunt Tsusiko's mansion was huge. It had a large garden, an open field, and even a swimming pool at the back. The house was just as neat inside as it was on the outside. Maids and other workers moved around, making everything look perfect. Kameko led him to a secluded guest room. The room wasn't anything special—it was exactly what Yoichi had envisioned. Big, but eerily silent and dark. Even the butler gulped when he opened the door.
Yoichi turned on the lights. It didn't make much of a difference. The room was now lit up, but the furniture looked like it belonged in a rundown trailer. "Inferior. That's the word," Yoichi thought, surveying the room. "Oh well. Time for some house-making, I guess."
He dropped his luggage on the bed and shut the door. After opening his luggage, he took out an apron, a spray sanitizer, a nose mask, and a pair of gloves. Yoichi put on all the equipment, holding the spray sanitizer firmly in his left arm. Then, he pulled out a tool kit and opened it. Inside was an electronic screwdriver.
"Alright, let's get to work," he thought. And with that, he began fixing up everything in sight.
A couple of hours later, Yoichi was screwing in the last couple of screws into the bottom of his king-sized bed. It was the last thing left to do—besides taking out the trash he'd gathered. Just as he was about to finish, he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened, and a pair of feet—clearly belonging to a girl—walked in. Yoichi couldn't see the girl's face because he was still under the bed. Then, there was a scream.
He quickly stood up and saw the girl in a maid's uniform. She looked at him, startled.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in the guest room?" she demanded. "No one ordered a DIY service."
Yoichi glanced at the pile of trash he'd gathered. Her eyes widened with concern. "What have you done with the madam's guest?" she asked.
Before Yoichi could explain, she lunged at him. He dodged the attack, thinking she was going to call security instead of attacking him directly. He turned to see the damage to the wall where she'd struck it. "She's good," Yoichi realized.
She came at him again, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks. Yoichi weaved through the onslaught with ease, closing the gap between them. When he was right in front of her, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder and jumped back, expressionless.
She took it as mockery and lunged at him angrily. Yoichi dodged, stopped her from falling, and tapped her on the shoulder again before jumping back.
Clearly enraged, the girl lunged at him again with full force. Yoichi sidestepped, grabbed her arm, crossed it behind her back, and pinned her to the ground.
"Is this really an appropriate way to treat a guest?" he asked.
The maid stared up at him, wide-eyed. Yoichi let go of her and stood back, waiting for her to get up. She didn't move at first, embarrassed by what had just happened. Finally, she pleaded with him.
"Please, I'll do anything you ask, just… don't tell the madam what happened," she begged.
Yoichi thought about it for a moment. He could use her for information when needed, or in case he got into trouble.
"I forgive you," he said after a long pause. "But you'll owe me three favors."
The maid blinked, stunned. "Three favors?" she repeated, still trying to process what just happened.
Yoichi nodded. "Yep. Remember that."