Fanon:The Treehouse on Moonlight Lane/6

6
You decide to go in. They did invite you in, didn't they?

You take off your shoes as they ask and step onto the wooden floor of the house. You take a moment to absorb the beauty of the room. The floor glistens and at the end of the hall is a painting of…something. The figure in the painting is but a silhouette and stands aggressively with a rising full moon in the background.

How ominous.

You follow Mitsumi and Ryuunosuke to the end of the hall and turn into the kitchen and dining room. The room is elegant and functional, with clear, glass sliding doors leading to the backyard lining one of the walls.

"Please, have a seat," says Mitsumi, gesturing towards one of the tall chairs facing the kitchen island. You sit down. Ryuunosuke sits down on the dining table. He picks up a pen and flips a notebook open before starting to write in it.

"So, you're new around here, eh?" Mitsumi asks. She is cleaning one of the tables.

"Yeah," you reply. "We arrived a few hours ago."

"Well, I hope our families will become good friends in future," she smiles. You find yourself smiling back.

She turns to call out to Ryuunosuke. "Ryuu-chan, can you please go and get some carrots and cucumbers?"

"Yes, okāsan," Ryuu replies obediently. He leaves his book and walks outside.

Mitsumi walks to the fridge and opens it, "Do you like sushi, dear?"

Hmm…do you like sushi? You don't know. You can't remember.

"I'm not sure. I'll give it a try," you say.

"Excellent!" Mitsumi smiles again. She collects some canned fish, rice, nori and vinegar. You turn your head and look at the backyard. Ryuu is pulling out a carrot. He already has two cucumbers and another carrot under his arm.

Mitsumi approaches a drawer and opens it before pulling out a small bamboo sheet. She lays it on the table before covering it with plastic wrap. She puts a saucepan on the stove and pours some water and the rice into the saucepan. She cooks the rice, pours vinegar into the pan and mixes it around.

"Here, okāsan," Ryuu places the carrots and cucumbers on the table.

"Thank you, Ryuu-chan," Mitsumi replies. Ryuu smiles before sitting back down.

"Don't mind him," Mitsumi says as she washes and chops up the vegetables. "He's just very shy, that's all."

"I didn't get your name," she says.

"I'm ."

"Nice to meet you, Anon!" Mitsumi smiles again.

"Tadaima!" a voice calls out from the main entrance.

"Otõsan!" Ryuu cries out. He almost leaps from his chair and rushes to the door.`

"Hey, kiddo!" the voice laughs. "How was school?"

"Not that great," Ryuu sighs. "I got pushed around again."

"You need to stand up to them, Ryuu!" the voice says. "Maybe punch them back?" Ryuu laughs. The two enter the room.

"Naomi, don't teach him how to punch people up, please," Mitsumi says.

Naomi comes up to Mitsumi and pecks her on the cheek, "I was just joking, honey."

The man now looks at you. "Well then, we have a visitor, do we?"

"He's new, dear. Just moved in." his wife says as she rolls up some sushi and chops them up expertly.

"Naomi Kita. I'm Ryuu's father," Naomi smiles and extends his arm. You shake it.

"I'm ."

Yet another voice bursts through the halls of the house. It's higher-pitched than Naomi's, but it's the same word. "Tadaima!"

Naomi flattens his body against the wall and positions himself right next to the kitchen entrance. A boy walks into the room and is instantly attacked by his father.

"Hello, champ!" Naomi laughs as he attacks the boy with his tickling hands. His victim laughs loudly.

"Get off, get off!" the boy screams. Naomi relents. He steps back.

"Sohei, there's someone you have to meet," Mitsumi says.

Sohei turns to look at you. "Hi! I'm Sohei. What's your name?"

"This is ," Mitsumi says, saving you the trouble of having to introduce yourself all over again.

", huh?" Sohei says. "That's a pretty cool name!"

"Thanks," you reply.

Sohei is wearing a beige shirt and similarly coloured shorts and shoes. A sash winds around his waist and shoulder. It has several badges on it.

So Sohei is a Boy Scout.

"Sushi's ready!" Mitsumi says. Naomi, Ryuu and Sohei sit at the dining table as Mitsumi serves the sushi, with some soy sauce and wasabi in small dishes.

"Come! Have a seat." Naomi gestures to an empty seat next to Ryuu.

"Uh, it's alright," you say, putting your hands up in polite refusal.

"We insist!" Naomi and Mitsumi say together.

Well that was creepy.

Giving in, you awkwardly sit down. A plate of sushi materialises before you.

"Itadakimasu," Naomi says. He puts his palms together and closes his eyes. The others copy his movements. You decide to do the same.

"Ite…dake…mas?" you whisper, unsure of yourself. The Kitas look at you and smile.

Naomi, Mitsumi and Sohei pick up pairs of chopsticks and start eating their sushi. They dip their sushi into the wasabi before the sushi disappears into their mouths. Ryuu tries to use his chopsticks, fails miserably, and then uses his hands instead. You decide to not even try to use chopsticks and use your hands as well. Slowly and cautiously, of course. You are about to put the sushi into your mouth.

And then it slips out of your hands.

Right into the wasabi.

You sigh. You pick up the sushi. The Kitas are looking at you to find out what you're going to do next.

If you decide to eat the sushi, click here.

If you decide not to eat the sushi, click here.