Spring Upon the Solstice

V - The Snake Called Jormungandr

{ Jhiro Fukiyama }

"And what, pray tell, do you think you're doing strolling around outside at six in the morning?"

I wince as the woman before me jabs a finger into my chest, despite the fact that I'm half a meter taller and that she has to tiptoe to even have a chance of staring me in the eye. Whenever your mother chews you out, the world around you tends to shrink so that her words hit with ten times the ferocity.

"Mom, look, I simply lost track of—"

"I don't care! You know that you have to be indoors before sunrise," she exclaims, distress rising in her voice. "Sojirou, this is not a joke."

Kaede snickers in the background; she knows how much I dislike using my real name. Unfortunately, my father is also right there to join in, as he scratches his unshaven stubble half-asleep.

"On top of that, you also brought back your friends without telling me or your father, and what's more is that they're wounded?"

"We ran into some, uh, trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"It was just some guys."

"It was not just some guys. Tell me who it really was, or you're not getting dinner."

"Whoa, whoa, that's not fair! Aren't you making that bit of Wagyu beef?" All of a sudden, I find myself shrinking under the pressure. "Don't do me like this."

"Still want to commit to your silence?"

"I'm telling the truth!"

Mom simply raises an eyebrow, as if to punctuate my lie home with a smashing conviction.

"Oh my God, that's way too much suspense! Can I at least get a yes or no answer on dinner?"

"You'll get your answer when you tell me what really happened."

My father clears his throat, reeling Mom in before she destroys any more of my self-esteem, "Alright, darling, I think that's enough grilling Soji for now."

Kaede has to stifle her laugh with her hoodie sleeve now, and the giddy excitement bubbling behind her eyes reads off her thoughts as plain as day.

Soji? Are you serious?

I silently write a reminder for myself to get revenge on her later.

"Okay," Mom wrings her hands in defeat. "I'll give him dinner. Go to your room and take care of your friends."

Kaede jumps in, "Mrs. Fukiyama, you really don't have to do that. I can take care of myself and my brother."

"Oh, don't worry about it. The least I can do to make up for whatever Sojirou dragged you into is to offer you some refuge."

"I...okay. Thank you, Mrs. Fukiyama."

"Alright, go on," Mom motions me down the hall. "Just don't tear apart the room while the two of you are at it."

"Ma, what the hell?" I retort, justifiably upset. "The phrasing on that could've been worded a little better."

"You know, you said it, not me," she shrugs her shoulders, prompting a laugh from both my father and Kaede. The two of them combined make a fantastic team—but only when they unite to ridicule me.

"Oh, ha ha. Let's just go."

"Whatever you say, philosopher," Kaede follows after me.

As soon as my door closes, I drop the facade and rush to my computer, hacking in my password. Kiri-chat launches first; that's not what I'm looking for; but for the second time today, a new notification appears from a name that previously wasn't there.