I woke up early, still buzzing with energy despite sleeping late. As I brushed my teeth, I gazed into the mirror, my mind replaying yesterday's conversation with Dad.
After freshening up, I headed to the kitchen, where a sweet aroma enveloped me. Dad had prepared breakfast – a fluffy Tamagoyaki Japanese-style rolled omelet, crispy bacon, and a side of steaming hot toast.
"Thanks, Dad," I said, taking a seat.
Dad beamed with pride. "I made it since you overslept a bit."
As we ate, I couldn't help but notice Dad's radiant smile.
"He's so happy," I thought. "Is it because of the new family members arriving today?"
Dad caught me staring. "Hey, is the food okay? Did I add something I shouldn't have?"
I reassured him with a smile. "The food's great, Dad. Don't worry."
But Dad persisted. "Then why are you staring at me so much?"
I knew where this was going, but I played dumb. "No reason."
Dad's eyes sparkled with amusement.
Just then, he drifted back to yesterday's conversation. "Is it because of your new stepmom and stepsisters?"
I quickly dispelled his concerns. "Nooo, not at all, Dad. I'm actually happy to meet them."
Dad's face lit up. "Really? That's great to hear, son! I'm proud you trust me and didn't complain about my remarriage."
I forced a smile, relieved that my white lie had worked.
As we finished breakfast, I seized the opportunity to change the subject.
"Hey, Dad, I'll wash the bowls and get ready for school."
I hastily gathered the dishes and began washing them, wearing an apron to protect my uniform.
Dad watched me rush around, a hint of concern on his face.
"Okay, then... I'm off to work. Bye," he said.
"Bye," I replied, my face submerged in the sink.
As the door closed behind Dad, I let out a deep sigh.
"Why is this happening?" I muttered, frustration etched on my face.
With the dishes done, I prepared for school, my mind still reeling from the impending arrival of my new stepmom and stepsisters.
After washing the bowls, I grabbed my bag and stepped out into the bustling Tokyo streets, my mind consumed by the impending arrival of my new stepmom and stepsisters. "So, I guess I'm meeting them," I thought, hoping it was all a joke.
As I walked to school, I cleared my mind and focused on the passersby and honking cars. Upon arrival, I spotted Kaito Takahashi-san but initially chose to ignore him.
Just as I was about to enter the school, I heard shouts of my name. "Yamamura-san, Yamamura-san!" I turned to see Takahashi-san rushing towards me.
"Hey, wait! Let's walk to school together," Takahashi-san said, catching up.
We strolled into school, ascending the stairs to our classroom, 2-B.
As we settled into our seats, Mr. Shinoda sensei, our math teacher, walked in.
"Ugh, why do we have math?" Takahashi-san whispered.
I shared his sentiment, especially since Mr. Shinoda sensei often called on me.
"Good morning, Mr. Shinoda sensei," the class chimed.
Mr. Shinoda sensei ignored our greeting and began writing on the board.
"Today, we'll review Geometry. I'll give examples and call on each of you," he announced.
I tuned out, resting my head on the desk.
As my mind wandered, I envisioned my stepsisters' potential behavior.
"Would they hate me for being the only boy? Treat me like a servant?" I worried.
In my mind's eye, I saw myself washing dishes and laundry for them.
I felt trapped, filled with sadness and desperation.
Just then, I heard "Yamamura-san. Yamamura-san, wake up!" followed by a gentle tap on my shoulder.
I turned to see Mr. Shinoda sensei standing over me.
"Wake up, Yamamura-san. You're next," he said, handing me the marker.
I stood up, still disoriented.
"Here's your question," Mr. Shinoda sensei said, pointing to the board.
I hesitated before beginning to solve the problem.
Takahashi-san whispered encouragement. "You got this, Yamamura!"
With renewed focus, I was ready to answer all the Geometry questions.
I took the marker and walked to the board, responding confidently, "Don't worry about it."
As I reached the board, I saw the questions and smiled inwardly – they looked easy.
The first question read: "In a right-angled triangle, the hypotenuse is 10 cm and one leg is 6 cm. Find the length of the other leg."
I wrote:
Using Pythagoras' theorem:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
6^2 + b^2 = 10^2
36 + b^2 = 100
b^2 = 64
b = √64
b = 8 cm
Next, I tackled the second question: "Calculate the area of a circle with radius 4 cm."
Area = πr^2
Area = π(4)^2
Area = 16π
≈ 50.27 cm^2
The third question was a breeze: "Prove: Sum of interior angles of a quadrilateral = 360°"
Sum of interior angles = (n - 2) * 180°
For quadrilateral, n = 4
Sum = (4 - 2) * 180°
Sum = 2 * 180°
Sum = 360°
As I finished, Mr. Shinoda sensei beamed with pride. "Great work, Yamamura-kun! Clap for him, everyone."
My classmates applauded as I returned to my seat, handing the marker back to Mr. Shinoda sensei.
"You did quite well," he said.
Kaito Takahashi-san whispered, "Damn, they looked so easy to you."
I smiled. "Yes, very easy."
Hours passed, and school ended. Everyone rushed home.
As I walked alone through Tokyo's streets, I thought, "I expect to meet my stepsisters now."
Upon reaching home, I opened the door to an empty house.
"So Dad's not home yet," I said to myself. "Was it a joke?"
I went to my room, noticing my phone on the bed. The time read 5:33 p.m.
Feeling bored, I said aloud, "What if it's no joke? I better stay awake."
But as time passed, my eyelids grew heavy.
"Dad... is still not home yet," I muttered, dozing off.
As I woke up, I checked the time on my phone - 9:30 PM. I quickly changed into comfortable white shorts and ash-gray pajamas. And I untied my hair as it reached my back.
Rushing to the kitchen, I hoped to grab dinner and check if Dad was home. But, as I entered, I froze.
Four women sat with Dad. I hid behind the wall, whispering, "My... my stepmom and stepsisters. They've arrived. Damn it."
No more hiding. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Ummm... Good evening," I said, trying to sound calm.
The elderly woman, my stepmother, smiled warmly. "Good evening! You must be Hayato Yamamura, right?"
"Yes, that's right. I guess you've heard about me from Dad, huh?"
"Have a seat and join dinner," she invited.
As I sat beside Dad, he whispered, "Sorry for not waking you up. I thought I'd let you sleep."
"Why didn't you wake me? They're visiting," I whispered back.
"Don't worry, I handled everything. Don't bother," Dad replied.
I sighed. "I guess it's no problem."
My stepmother brought me a steaming bowl of Chicken Teriyaki with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables.
As I began eating, she said, "Let's introduce ourselves to Hayato."
The little girl as she seemed like a 11-year-old to me due to her appearance and height,chimed in happily, "Hi, I'm Naomi Nanakura!"
"Nice to meet you, Nanakura-chan," I replied.
Naomi turned to her mom. "Mommy, I like Yamamura as my big brother."
My stepmother, smiled. "Great to hear that."
Nex was a girl looking my age and height, introduced herself with a smile. "Hi, I'm Erika Nanakura. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Nanakura-san," I replied, noticing her cute voice.
Lastly someone to me who looked around 19, said casually, "Natsumi Nanakura. Nice to meet you."
"Ummm... nice to meet you," I replied.
My stepmother smiled. "And I'm Rina Nanakura, your stepmother."
"Great to meet you... Mom," I said, catching myself.
My step mom chuckled. "No need to be formal, Hayato. We're family now."
Dad smiled, putting his arm around me. "Welcome to the family, everyone."