Nyanko da! (ft Natsume): A Brothers Conflict Fanfic

Chapter 10: Parental Update

We catch an evening train to the downtown. The supermarket lights glow in the fading light. Ema opts to go to one of the bigger ones.

"It'll have household things too," she says, considerate of my list.

Ukyo has sent her a grocery list, so she and Yusuke split up to get those things. They take one of the shopping carts while I head over to the household section. I take a bigger cart, ready to find myself a new comforter.

The store is relatively busy, with tons of people having been let out of work. There are a few families with children. I nearly knock into one of them, apologizing profusely before going on my way.

In the bedding section I find a plain comforter that's not nearly as soft or fluffy as a futon. But it's cheap and (probably) within my budget. I start to feel a little regret for splurging so much on the ice cream earlier.

Whatever. I needed it.

Next, there's things like a toothbrush and toothpaste, some extra socks and a hairbrush (no way am I trusting my old hairbrush now that it's been covered in sewage).

My cart soon becomes full of things, so much that it's like I'm moving again. 

I'm reminded of when I first moved out four years ago. Kaasan and Tousan took me out to the local stores to get things. I left a lot of my stuff at home because I'd planned to travel light. 

Sadly, that meant leaving behind most of my beautiful manga collection. Since then I've been renting or borrowing books from campus or local shops, but it's not the same since I have to return them in the end. Though I guess it was a good choice in the long run, since now they'd be wrinkled with water.

I remember Kaasan fretting about whether I'd gotten all the things on the list. "Do you have enough snacks? How about dental floss and hair conditioner? Eh? You're choosing that brand? Get this one, it's better."

All the while, Tousan would silently add things in like a box of bandages or a matching pair of cat mugs.

I smile at the memories, finding that I miss my family. I have yet to respond to my mom, and frankly I'm also regretting not having talked to her earlier.

She wouldn't freak out just yet, since if I don't respond she'll assume I'm at work or doing school things.

Gingerly, I reach for my phone and dial her number. Leaning on the handle of the shopping cart, I wait for her to pick up.

"Moshi moshi?" 

"Kaasan?" I gulp. "Hello?"

"Mai!" She sounds relieved. "Honey, she's on the phone. Come and say hello."

Seconds later I hear my dad's "Hello."

"Yo, Tousan. How's work?"

"It's doing alright. How is school?"

"It's going well. I have some things due next week."

"That's good to hear. Your studies are important."

"Honey, she knows that already. Mai, are you okay? You didn't pick up earlier so I was worried, but I know you have work and all that."

"Un. About that..." I take a deep breath and brace myself for their reactions. "My place flooded today, so I have to move out."

There's a good five seconds before Kaasan screams, "NANI?"

On the other side Tousan is trying to calm her down, but Kaasan won't have it.

"What do you mean it flooded? You're paying good money for that place? Don't tell me it was that sketchy landlord. Uwa! This is why you never trust men in starched suits!"