Chapter Text
The night was bitingly cold, swallowed entirely by an eerie, breathless silence. High above, a magnificent full moon cast a stark, silver glow over the quiet residential neighborhood. There wasn't a single breath of wind, nor the rustle of a single living creature.
Then, the heavy front door of the Natsuki household creaked open, instantly shattering the stillness.
"Kenichi," a voice called out from the darkness, dripping with a terrifying mixture of gentle warmth and sharp irritation. "How many times have I told you to stop working overtime?"
Standing right in the entryway was a woman wearing a ridiculous cartoon rubber ducky apron. When she smiled, she easily looked like the kindest, most pure-hearted mother in the world but the exact second she grew angry, her large eyes turned into narrow, piercing slits.
"I know, Ma'am! I'm sorry! I swear it won’t happen again!"
Natsuki Kenichi sat squarely on the polished floorboards of the entrance, effectively cowering beneath his wife's heavy gaze. He was still dressed in his sharp corporate suit, his massive, highly muscular frame stretching the fabric of his dark jacket to its absolute limits. He wore a pair of thick glasses that usually gave him a stern, intimidating presence to strangers, but right now, the neighborhood celebrity was entirely at the mercy of his own household partner.
"You say that every single time!" Naoko crossed her arms tightly, her foot tapping rhythmically against the step.
Kenichi rubbed the back of his head, looking up at her from the floor with a nervous, highly strained smile. "Uhm, Naoko, look... I was only late because I was passing by a luxury designer shop. I saw this beautiful dress on display and immediately thought of yo—"
He stammered mid-breath, his dark eyes darting away toward the wall. Kenichi was a highly capable man in the corporate world, but a smooth liar was something he was absolutely not. The clumsy falsehood died right on his lips the exact millisecond Naoko raised a critical eyebrow.
"Is that truly the best you could come up with, dear?" Naoko let out a soft sigh, looking down at her kneeling husband.
It was an utterly absurd visual sight. A heavily built, towering six-foot adult man in a crisp business suit, effectively shrinking his entire physical frame into a ball of pure guilt before a tiny woman standing tall in a duck apron.
"Grrr...! Found out before I could even finish the pitch!" Kenichi muttered in total defeat. Did he honestly think that weak excuse would work?
Taking a deep, grounding breath, Kenichi stood up to his full height, his physical posture instantly shifting as his usual roaring, boisterous confidence surged back into his veins. He smoothly patted down the lapels of his suit and ran a large hand through his hair, slicking the strands straight back with his fingers. "Look, the real reason is that a few of my junior colleagues at the firm cornered me for some career advice. You know how I am, dear—I just couldn't bring myself to abandon them."
Naoko tried her absolute best to maintain her sternest, most imposing glare, but her tough facade quickly crumbled into an adorable, soft pout. "Gosh. You really can't help yourself when it comes to jumping into the line of fire for other people, can you?"
Kenichi grinned broadly, a sheepish, profoundly genuine expression breaking across his features.
"Though..." Naoko murmured softly, her pale cheeks suddenly dusting with a warm pink glow. She twirled a loose strand of her hair, her eyes looking away shyly. "...that is one of the many reasons I chose to marry you."
"God! Why is my wife so incredibly cute?!" Kenichi cheered in an exaggerated, high-pitched voice, lunging forward with open arms to launch a dramatic hug.
Naoko nimbly stepped backward, easily swatting his large hands away as she stammered, "B-but still! You know... I get incredibly lonely around the house! Now that our son has reached that age... I'm mostly left entirely by myself during the day."
The playful, chaotic energy in the entrance instantly softened. Kenichi’s boisterous smile faded, replaced by a quiet, solemn understanding. He looked at her features, his heart tightening. "Naoko..."
He reached out, extending a large, calloused hand toward her palm. "Here, take my hand. Let's head up to the bedroom and talk about it properly. It's getting late, and we wouldn't want to ruin your beauty sleep, would we?"
Naoko untied her apron strings, a soft, deeply comforted smile gracing her lips as she nodded. "Yes. We definitely wouldn't want to do that."
A few minutes later, the married couple were settling inside their bedroom, changing out of their daytime clothes into comfortable, loose loungewear.
"Naoko," Kenichi spoke up, his deep voice carrying a serious rumble as he pulled a soft shirt over his head. "I was actually thinking about Subaru while I was sitting at my desk today. I think it’s finally time we roll up our sleeves and give him a little push."
Naoko flinched slightly, her shoulders tensing up at the sudden mention of their shut-in son. But the physical tension quickly evaporated from her body, leaving behind a long, heavy sigh. "Yeah. I’ve been running similar thoughts through my head lately."
Kenichi raised a sharp eyebrow, adjusting his square glasses with an investigative smirk. "Ho? And what grand, high-tier strategy has my beautiful wife devised?"
Naoko sat on the edge of the mattress with a soft thump, dangling her legs as she stared up at the rotating ceiling fan, her mind lost in deep thought. Finally, she pumped her fist into the air with total determination. "Well, first, I will loudly call him down for breakfast! Then, I will give him a massive plate of mayonnaise and peas! After that, I'll have a serious talk with him, and then I'll walk him all the way to the school gates!"
"Mhm, mhm. Now that is a solid pla—"
Kenichi stopped dead mid-sentence. The analytical gears in his adult brain turned slowly as he processed the wording of her pitch. He spun around on his heel dramatically, throwing his arms wide into the air. "That isn’t a structural plan at all! First of all, we already give the kid mayonnaise with every meal! Second, you only include peas in that menu because you don't like eating them yourself! And forcefully walking a teenager all the way to school? The kid would literally die of pure embarrassment on the sidewalk!"
Naoko instantly snapped her mouth shut, looking up at him guiltily with wide, puppy-dog eyes.
Kenichi let out a long, exhausted sigh, turning back toward the clothing closet. "Naoko, I thought you'd become a bit less of an airhead over the years, but I guess some things never change."
"Hey! I am absolutely not an airhead!" she protested frantically, puffing her cheeks into a massive pout.
Seeing that the conversation was derailing, Kenichi shook his head with a chuckle. "Well, my dear, here is my actual plan—"
"Actually!" Naoko interrupted loudly, her voice suddenly switching into a frantic, high-priority alert. "The real reason I was so incredibly angry with you today... is because the household has just completely run out of mayonnaise!"
Kenichi stood entirely dumbfounded in the center of the rug, a single black sock dangling uselessly from his hand. He blinked twice before his brain caught up with the data. "Hey! I thought you were worried about me being late and you feeling lonely!"
"That too," Naoko said quickly, shifting her gaze.
"Also, you explicitly said we ran out," Kenichi pointed out, narrowing his eyes behind his lenses with a playful smirk. "I think you mean you ran out of your private supply."
Realizing her operational cover was completely blown, Naoko deployed her ultimate weapon, the one specific move that guaranteed she would secure her beloved condiment, no matter the cost.
"Well, dear husband," she said, her voice dropping into a playful, teasing purr as she tilted her head. "You know with absolute certainty how much I love mayonnaise. And if I don't have any for my morning meals... I might just have to go 'borrow' some from that secret stash hidden in your drawer..."
Kenichi froze completely in his tracks, his brawler reflexes tensing. His eyes wide-dilated behind his glasses. "Oh, don’t you dare! Wait... where the heck is my wallet? I don't feel the weight in my pockets. Oh man, don't tell me I dropped it during the walk home!"
Seizing the golden opportunity, Naoko clapped her hands together with a triumphant grin. "Oh no! What terrible, tragic timing! But hey, maybe you should go retrace your steps right now before the night gets too late. And, you know, if you happen to locate it near the convenience store... you might as well buy a fresh bottle of mayonnaise on the way back!"
Kenichi let out a defeated, helpless sigh, walking straight toward the bedroom door. "In the absolute end, you always manage to win the negotiation, don't you?"
"Hurry up now," Naoko called out after him, a victorious, beautiful smirk plastered across her face. "Or I might just go hunt down that special bottle of yours."
Kenichi sharply snapped his head back, panic flaring in his eyes. "You better leave that locker alone! That is going to be my 7,777th bottle! Don't ruin the milestone!"
Naoko simply smiled, her eyes crinkling with a deep, absolute warmth that filled the room. "Come back quickly so we can talk about your actual plan for Subaru."
"Don't worry, I will," Kenichi promised, his voice softening.
Stepping back down into the front entryway, Kenichi slipped his shoes on and reached for the polished brass doorknob. Just as his fingers were about to twist the doorknob, Naoko’s soft voice called out from the hallway one final time.
"Hey, wait! One last thing!"
Kenichi turned back around. Naoko was standing under the warm light of the corridor, gently waving her small hand, a soft, beautiful smile illuminating her entire face.
"Hm?" Kenichi blinked behind his lenses.
"Take care," she said softly.
Kenichi felt every single drop of residual stress from his long workday completely melt out of his body. His heart felt lighter, his mind entirely at ease. He smiled back at the woman he loved more than life itself, his voice carrying an ironclad stability.
"I will."
He pulled the heavy door open, stepping out into the cold night air. He took three slow, steady steps down the concrete path, the streetlights flickering dimly overhead.
Then, the shadows beneath his sneakers began to twist.
"I can’t believe I actually dropped my wallet," Kenichi muttered to himself, his breath fogging into a thick white cloud in the crisp air.
The night was bitingly cold, the wind barely existent. The quiet suburban streets were entirely empty, save for one heavily muscled man jogging down the asphalt sidewalk. He had swapped his corporate business suit for a clean white T-shirt, a bright orange sweater, and black sweatpants, his sneakers clicking rhythmically against the pavement.
"It should be somewhere around here..."
He had been carefully retracing his exact steps for over ten minutes now, and the temperature was only dropping further.
"Welp, I’m finding this wallet no matter what. But seriously, where could it be?" Kenichi slowed his pace, his dark eyes scanning the ground. "Don’t tell me it’s going to be conveniently placed right next to the entrance of the convenience store. That’s a bit too cliché, isn't it?"
He continued jogging, his mind shifting into a more reflective gear. Ay, maybe there's even a chance I can bump into Subaru on his way back home. The kid thinks we don’t notice when he sneaks out once in a while at night…
He jogged for a few more minutes until the glowing neon sign of the convenience store finally came into view across the block. Just a few yards away from the sliding glass doors, a distinct shape caught his eye near a strange, manicured bush.
"Wait a minute... that’s no plant. That’s my wallet!"
A massive wave of relief washed over his face. Kenichi hurriedly ran over, his heavy footsteps echoing loudly across the concrete slabs. He snatched the wallet from the dirt, flipping it open with an absolute focus.
"Let me see if the everything is still in here..."
He didn't care about the cash. His fingers immediately moved to check the most important item tucked securely inside the clear plastic sleeve.
"Ah, good. Our family picture is still here."
Kenichi stared down at the small, glossy photograph. It was taken on Subaru’s very first day of high school. His son looked so incredibly happy in the photo.
Nowadays, though... he just looks— Kenichi let out a heavy, solemn sigh. Haa. I absolutely hate that look in his eyes lately. He looks like he’s completely given up on life. He always tries his absolute best to hide it from us, but the kid has always been terrible at masking his true emotions. Ha! I guess he inherited that particular flaw from me. Or is it from Naoko? Forget it.
Kenichi shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he snapped the wallet shut and slid it securely into his sweatpants pocket.
"Actually, on second thought, why would anyone steal a family photo instead of the cash? Haa... seems like my age is catching up to my brain at last. I oughta hurry up and get that mayonnaise before Naoko loses her mind.”
Kenichi quickly jogged into the store. A minute later, he stepped back out into the night, triumphantly holding a plastic grocery bag.
"How lucky! A rigged coin scratch-off prize on the counter. Seems like Naoko’s absurd luck is finally rubbing off on me!" he thought to himself, admiring his prize.
Then, suddenly, the world went completely still.
"Hm?" Kenichi stopped dead in his tracks.
A strange, phantom sensation washed over his body. "What was that? Is my age actually catching up to my health? Oh god, please no, not a stroke..."
Before he could even finish the calculation, a blinding, flashing light erupted.
The darkness of the Japanese night vanished in an instant, replaced by a searing glare. Kenichi squeezed his eyes shut, his large hand instinctively gripping the handles of the grocery bag tighter.
"Ah, what is that light...?" he muttered, stumbling backward as his senses violently spun.
And then the light faded.
When Natsuki Kenichi opened his eyes, the cold, quiet street was completely gone. He was standing on a cobblestone road, bathed in warm, midday sunlight. The quiet neighborhood had been replaced by a bustling, chaotic street. Grand carriages and heavy wagons pulled by large, strange, reptilian creatures moved slowly up and down the road.
All around him, a sea of people walked by dressed in bizarre clothing and outfits that looked like they belonged in a historical renaissance fair, filled with colorful robes, tunics, and smocks. But it wasn't just humans. Looking closer, Kenichi spotted individuals with animal ears, long tails, and scaly skin.
Several of the pedestrian onlookers stopped in their tracks, staring at the massive, muscular stranger in the bright orange sweater with black sweatpants and thick glasses with utter amazement.
But Kenichi, on the other, could only look at the lizard creatures, the medieval stalls, and the floating particles of light, and say one single word.
“Huh?”