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In the Yozakura family, the unusual is often commonplace. Poisons, explosions, and near-death experiences are a regular part of the routine, so it's safe to say that there aren't many things that can shake the Yozakuras. If something happens on a scale that does manage to disrupt them, chances are, it was caused by one of them in the first place.
In the five or so years that Taiyo has been a part of the family, Kyoichiro's torment has more or less been constant. Even with the family rule preventing him from killing the boy, he hasn't relented in his attempts to get rid of the vile creature that stole away his precious Mutsumi. If anything, it's only forced him to resort to more creative methods. One such method is to use one of Nanao's many poisons, though unfortunately he's restricted to the non-lethal variety. After scouring the dusty shelves and vials, he comes across a suitable concoction that brings a sly grin to his face. Were anyone else in the room to witness it, the expression would surely remind them of the numerous evil masterminds they'd encountered in the past.
In the early hours of the morning, the entirety of the Yozakura family is awoken by a loud, sharp shriek. Immediately identified to belong to Mutsumi, it's barely even a second before every one of her protective siblings and children have burst into the room. Guns are cocked, someinine is pumping, and everyone is fully prepared to fight to the death for whatever danger their sister is facing against. However, upon closer inspection, the head of the family is remarkably... happy? And, now that there isn't the veil of sleep to dull perception, the shrieks seem more like an excited high school girl's squeals of joy.
"Everyone, look at him!"
With a bright grin, she holds up a small boy wrapped in vastly oversized pajamas. Immediately, the signature swirl amidst bright red hair makes the child's identity obvious.
"Taiyo?!"
"Papa?!"
Somehow - though the person responsible is immediately obvious - Mutsumi's husband, dearly loved by (almost) everyone, has been reverted to an age no older than his own children. With the sudden circle of spies surrounding him, staring with wonder and curiosity, he shrinks into Mutsumi's comforting hold. Kyoichiro is the only one who seems unphased by this development, though his reaction doesn't come as any surprise to the siblings who've already figured out his plot.
"My, how dreadful! With Taiyo but a helpless child, there's no way he can properly act as Mutsumi's husband. Whatever shall we do with him? Perhaps I should dispose of-"
A pointed glare from the head of the family promptly shuts him up, though his eerie grin remains. Mutsumi then turns to the youngest sibling, seeing as he's the most familiar with this sort of transformation.
"Nanao, what do you think? How long will he be like this?"
While the pharmaceutical expert theorizes the various possibilities concerning the shrunken Taiyo, the young twins manage to drag their father away from the others. He'd been eager to get away from the group of scary adults, so it didn't take much convincing to follow the only people his age.
"Do you know who we are?"
Alpha, ever the daddy's boy, is beyond curious about what his dad may have been like at his age. Taiyo squints in concentration, but eventually sighs.
"No... But, you feel like family!"
He says this with a smile, and Alpha jumps to fill him in on everything he knows.
"That's right! We're your-"
"Cousins."
Hifumi, who had been silent up until this point, cuts off her brother. He pulls her aside, just far enough to be out of Taiyo's earshot.
"What're you lying for?! That's papa, we should tell him the truth!"
With a relaxed, almost dazed expression, Hifumi shrugs.
"But now we can be equals with papa. Besides, he might treat us weird if we tell him."
After a lengthy debate of morals in his mind, Alpha eventually agrees with Hifumi's reasoning. Under the guise of his cousins, they return to their conversation with Taiyo.
The adults finish up their discussion, coming to a general consensus on what to do with this sudden situation. Since he'll return to normal in roughly 24 hours, the only thing that matters is to take care of him until then. Unsurprisingly, Kyoichiro is banned from interacting with Taiyo. A four year old simply can't handle the trauma of being near the eldest brother. Even the twins, who seem to be quite advanced in comparison to the average child, tend to avoid their creepy uncle. So, with Kyoichiro out of the way, the siblings are free to pamper their tiny brother-in-law. Though, by now, the kids have dragged him halfway across the house.
"Come on, pa- Taiyo..! You've gotta meet Ai!"
Hifumi and Alpha each have a hold on one of Taiyo's hands, running along the corridor to their sister's room. Their adoptive sibling greets them all with a wagging tail and sparkling eyes, fixated on the boy trying to hide behind them. She and Ayaka were the only two members of the household who hadn't gone running to the sound of Mutsumi's earlier squeal, having been responsible for a few too many destructive false alarms in the past. After the ninth exploded messenger drone and the fifteenth window repair, they were banned from attacking on impulse at home.
"Woah..! Taiyo, you're small! So tiny!"
The shrunken Taiyo's eyes are fixed on the fluffy ears perched atop her pitch-black hair, clearly fascinated and curious. It's obvious he wants to pet them but he remains apprehensive, perhaps a subconscious recollection the discomfort she has with the top of her head being touched. Instead, his attention is drawn to the poofed tail wagging back and forth. With playful encouragement from the other children, he reaches to pet the fluffy appendage. Upon contact, his already tiny hand is practically swallowed by the long tufts of fur, bringing an excited smile to his face.
"So soft! It's really real?"
Ai puffs up with pride, flashing an endearingly smug, fang-filled grin.
"You bet it is! That's not all, either - Watch this!"
She extends her arm as it morphs into a paw, eliciting more fascination from the temporary child as she shows off her quirks. The room becomes filled with excited giggles, making it easy for others to track down where the children ran off to. By the time Futaba comes along to check on them, they've exhausted most of their plentiful energy and are passed out in a nap pile.
The room is expectedly a mess, with toys, scattered crayons, and colourful papers strewn about haphazardly. The sight makes Futaba reminisce on her younger years, back when this was a common sight within the family. Quite often she would be in Ai's current role, holding the younger ones close to her in a rare moment of peace. She notices the tent that's pitched over their heads, Hifumi's yoyo suspending the blanket in exactly the way Kyoichiro used to do for their siblings. Though they already look quite comfortable wrapped in Ai's fur, Futaba's instincts as the eldest sister make it impossible to resist draping a blanket over the young ones. Smiling softly to herself, she decides to leave them be. However, as she's gently closing the door behind her, she stops to take one last look at the picture before her. Taiyo, her incredible brother-in-law who faithfully protects his family without hesitation, being granted a moment of vulnerability with his children without the need for constant vigilance. It's hard to believe that this smiling child is the same haunted, insecure boy who married into the family only six years ago. She silently closes the door, a warm smile gracing her face.
"Funny, how much you've grown..."
While Futaba is kind enough to let children rest after tuckering themselves out, the same can't be said for the other Yozakura siblings. One pair in particular, known for being quite nosy and inconsiderate at times, pounce on the poor children the moment there's no longer a responsible figure to scold them.
"So! Darn! Cute!!"
Circling around the cuddle pile like vultures, Kengo and Shion take pictures with impossible speed. With how many photos are being snapped in such quick succession, they may as well be recording a stop motion film.
"Adorable!"
"So sweet!"
"Precious treasures!"
Their swooning is enough to wake up Taiyo, who sleepily rubs his eyes as he looks around. The cuteness of baby Taiyo's yawn practically pierces through the troublemaking duo, hitting harder than any bullet or blade ever could. Shion crumples to the ground on her hands and knees, head hung in defeat, while Kengo falls back with a hand gripping his chest as though there were an arrow sticking out of it.
"T-Too much... Cuteness! Limit exceeded..!"
With Shion's brain effectively fried, and Kengo acting as though he's bleeding out from the heart, Taiyo quickly gets worried. Climbing over his sleeping playmates, he runs up to the two siblings to check if they're alright. The moment he's within their range, the lifeless bodies spring back to life and scoop him up. Taiyo is carried away to Kengo's room, where he's then set down on a small stage. Kengo digs through a pile of old clothing, still just as unorganized as it was five years ago, before finally emerging with a heap of various fabrics.
"Alrighty, Taiyo! Lets find you an outfit that'll amp up that cuteness to the max! Shion?"
He turns to his sister at her computer, not even needing to tell her what he's thinking. She's already pulled up a projection of her screen, displaying what looks like an avatar customization menu.
"All set!"
The lights go out, replaced by stage lights. When he spots the full rack of clothing off to the side, young Taiyo realizes he's in for a long ride.
Ever since the morning's unexpected start, Shinzo's been looking for Shion's help. He, much like everyone else, wants to spend time with Taiyo while he's shrunken. However, Shinzo is too scared to approach the kid himself. As if his social insecurities weren't already bad enough, any interaction he's had with kids has ended up in tears from both parties. Wanting to avoid scaring his little brother-in-law, he decided to ask Shion for access to the security cameras, but she's nowhere to be found. This worries him, since whenever Shion isn't cooped up in her room, it means she's probably getting up to mischief. Shinzo still shudders at the memory of some of her pranks, particularly the ones devised by both her and Kengo. Hopefully they aren't harassing Taiyo, but just in case they are, he decides he should check Kengo's room. Unfortunately his hunch is right, and the poor kid is being chased with cutesy outfits. Brotherly instincts kicking in, he scoops up Taiyo as he runs by, protecting him from Kengo's attempt at a fashion show.
"Kengo, leave him alone! Can't you see he's stressed? And Shion, don't encourage this!"
Though his eyes aren't visible beneath his thick blonde hair, it's clear that the leading trouble maker is making puppy-dog eyes at his brother.
"Shinzooo, c'mon! He looks so good in my baby clothes, it would be a waste not to show him off! Pleeease?"
Taiyo sticks his tongue out at Kengo, confident now that he's got someone strong defending him.
"Nuh-uh, I'm done playing dress-up!"
This newfound sassy attitude surprises all three siblings, as the normal Taiyo's never been that blunt and assertive. Sure, there've been times where he tried to decline requests and the like, but it's always with a passive, polite smile. Small Taiyo, however, clearly has no such reservations.
"Your outfits are weird, I don't like them!"
While Kengo looks as though he's been stabbed in a cold betrayal, Shion and Shinzo have to try and stifle their laughter. Shion struggles in this task, tears forming in her eyes as she ruthlessly snickers.
"You tell 'im, kid! Pfft- I told ya they were tacky, Ken! Hah, and you know how honest Taiyo is!"
The mockery is enough to cause a minor brawl to break out between the two, giving Taiyo and Shinzo an opportunity to sneak away unnoticed.
"Phew... You alright?"
The two escaped to the kitchen, knowing that due to it being Mutsumi's domain, it's effectively a holy land in which conflict is prohibited. Additionally, Taiyo's in need of a snack after being kidnapped. Shinzo doesn't consider himself to be very good with kids due to his intimidating appearance, but he has more than enough experience taking care of his younger siblings. It doesn't take him long to put together a plate of fruits and vegetables, chopped down to safe sizes to avoid choking. Taiyo cheerfully starts nibbling away at the treats, staring at Shinzo from across the table every now and then.
"Are you a super hero?"
The question shocks Shinzo, frozen under the kid's gaze of curiosity and wonder.
"Wh- I- Me? Why- Huh?"
Still munching away on his vegetables, Taiyo answers as though it should be obvious.
"You saved me and you're strong and you're nice! That means you have to be a super hero!"
Shinzo feels his eyes start to water at the compliments, unsure of how to respond. Thankfully, Mutsumi just so happens to appear at that moment to whisk Taiyo away, saving him from being a crybaby in front of the kid who called him a super hero.
With her tiny husband in her arms, Mutsumi hums happily as she makes her way to the garden. The last time Taiyo got shrunken like this, she hadn't been sure of whether he'd remember anything from the duration of being a baby. Now that she knows he won't recall any of this tomorrow, she can coddle him to her heart's content! Normally she's too shy to fawn over him directly, but this is her chance to appreciate him in all his cuteness! Once she's reached the garden, she sets Taiyo down in front of a patch of flowers, pulling out her camera to take as many photos as she can. However, Taiyo looks at her with confusion.
"What are you doing, Mutsumi?"
She freezes at the question, realizing he's smarter and more independent than he was the last time he shrank, meaning he's aware of what's going on around him. Embarrassment rises in her cheeks, as she tries to defend herself and convince him that she isn't absolutely obsessed with how adorable he is, and that she most definitely isn't trying to add baby photos to her Taiyo album. Meanwhile, he simply gets up from the grass and grabs her hand, trying to lead her elsewhere.
"C'mon, let's play!"
Mutsumi can't help but oblige, reminded of their childhood. Before tragedy struck the two of them, they would play all sorts of fun games together. Taiyo was more adventurous back then, and seeing a glimpse of that forgotten side of him brings a bittersweet nostalgia to her heart. The album can wait, right now she wants to cherish this memory of those carefree times.
"Alright, what shall we play?"
"...Nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come!"
Taking her hands away from her eyes, Mutsumi looks around for her friend. The garden has many possible hiding spots, many of which are only available to small kids due to their size. With her keen sense of perception, she searches for Taiyo. Even when he was young, he was quite good at hiding. From the corner of her eye, Mutsumi detects movement amidst the red carnations. She wonders how much of a coincidence it is that Taiyo chose to hide in the very garden he planted himself, the flowers that represent his place as a member of the family. Approaching the garden quietly, she scoops up the hiding boy into her arms.
"Found you!"
He tries to squirm out of her grasp, displaying playful frustration at having been found so quickly.
"Aw, no fair! One more round, I'll win this time!"
Though he wants to continue playing, his frequent yawning makes it clear that he needs some rest. He's always tried to push himself past his limits, even as a child.
"It's getting late, Taiyo, we've been playing for hours. How about we head inside for dinner?"
He pouts at their playtime being cut short, but the kid can't say no to the prospect of food.
Mutsumi quickly puts together a meal, hoping to tuck Taiyo into bed before any of her siblings notice. The last time he shrank, there was a family rock-paper-scissors tournament to determine who have the privelege of cuddling with the cute baby. She'd just barely managed to win thanks to her iron-clad determination, but there's no way she's willing to risk the chance of losing this time around.
"Alrighty, Taiyo, here you go!"
The toddler's crimson eyes sparkle as a plate of katsudon curry is placed in front of him. Having been his childhood friend since birth, Mutsumi is an expert when it comes to Taiyo and his favourite foods. Unfortunately for Mutsumi and her plan, the smell of a freshly cooked dinner doesn't go unnoticed by the rest of the house. As the rest of the family piles into the dining room, she's obligated to prepare servings for each of them.
Unsurprisingly, dinner concludes with a high-stakes competition between the siblings. Mutsumi fights with every ounce of determination in her body, but ultimately falls at the hands of Nanao. After a sorrowful defeat, the Yozakuras can do nothing but watch as the youngest brother carries away the spoils of his victory. Taiyo sleeps in his arms comfortably, tired from a long day of playing and a filling meal. Come tomorrow, the family will mourn the loss of this little angel.