||TsukkiYama||Sing For Me||Wattys 2020||

|16|

Doing math during vacation has a huge impact on your mood. A negative one, that is. I feel all life force leave me as I solve one problem after the other. I hand in my paper.

'You've got all of them wrong.' he says as uncaring as ever. I look at him in disbelief. It must be a joke. 'No, really. You used the wrong technique to solve the problems, so you got it wrong.' he gives back my paper. So much for giving it my all.

At the same time my soul leaves my body, a growl does too. It is two o'clock. It hasn't been that long since I've eaten breakfast, but my stomach seems unsatisfied still. I look down, hoping Tsukishima hasn't noticed and that we can continue the lessons. However, an even louder growl fills the room.

Tsukishima gets up. 'Your stomach is a perfect timer for lunch. I was getting hungry anyways.' he says as he walks towards the hallway. 'Akiteru. Get the kids down and come eat some lunch.' he half-yells, probably because he is too lazy to raise his voice any more.

Before long, many footsteps can be heard running down the stairs. Five small children enter the room and the silence I enjoyed before ends. None of them pay any attention to me. They're screaming, laughing, pushing eachother, playing.

Just a few seconds after the kids come in, Tsukishima's brother walks in as well. As soon as he notices me, he sits down next to me. 'I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Akiteru.' he smiles. It's a soft smile, way different than Tsukishima's.

'Tadashi. Yamaguchi Tadashi.' I return his smile with one of my own. He seems like a nice person. Someone I could get along with. Maybe he writes songs?

Right when I am about to ask him who the kids are, Tsukishima puts plates in front of me. He puts them down a bit too hard, scaring the children, making the whole room silent. He too keepd silent as he walks back into the kitchen.

Not much later the noise returns as the kids join us on the couch. It's way too cramped, but they don't seem to mind it. I do however, so I place myself on the ground. Tsukishima returns with a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, and I can finally silence my stomach.

For just one second, I find comfort in this, feeling like I'm a part of this normal, big family. I hope I can have a family like this too one day. Not a busy one, made out of workers mostly, with more money than I can spend. Just a cheap, small life.