Alkimia ~the Craft of Love~

9. +Family and +Friend (Shuya + Mako)

"Shuya,"

Stirring, Shuya slowly opens his eyelids. Without blinking, Shuys takes in the sight of Mako at his bedside.

Reaching out, Shuya sleepily touches Mako's cheek. Mako turns her head and bites his finger.

Okay, this Mako is real.

Pushing himself back to the wall, Shuya asks her while nursing his finger, "What are you doing here?"

"My parents come to visit," Mako replies, climbing on his bed

Shuya, despite being attracted to the sight of Mako on his bed, has a more pressing matter to attend. He was nearly blind. He isn't deaf.

Jumping off his bed from the other side, Shuya runs out of his room through his opened door to stop at the first step of the stairs.

There are familiar voices that aren't his parents' chatting in the living room.

Apprehensively, Shuya makes his way back to his room. The sight of Mako rummaging through under his bed gives Shuya a heart attack.

When Shuya manages to pull Mako out, Shuya inadvertently also pulls out a box covered in dust.

Shuya tries hard to remember what is inside the box while Mako unboxed it without caring about the dust.

Wow. Inside, there is a stack of lewd magazines.

Shuya freezes, recalling his past. Mako unreservedly takes one and flips through it.

"Was the past not advanced enough for you to have a hard copy of this instead of softcopy?" Mako absentmindedly questions. She also adds, "I saw Yusuke's in softcopy though," she also laughs, "I also sent the links to Sakura,"

Shuya feels pity towards Yusuke. Shuya is busier dying though.

Making up his mind, Shuya goes to stand beside Mako and performs dogeza.

It is to this scene of Mako flipping throughs lewd magazine and Shuya in dogeza that their parents appear.

Shuya is prepared to dig his own grave.

The parents are aware of what is in Mako's hand. They understand why Shuya is in that position too. They stifle a laugh.

Absentmindedly, Mako's Mama sees the rattan exhibited on a high shelf like a family heirloom and feels proud of Shuya. Mako's Papa feels it's funny that Shuya is so ready to perform dogeza that he thinks Mako trained the boy well.

Shuya's parents, on the other hand... Shuya's Dad says, "Explain,"

Raising his body to sit and faces them, Shuya solemnly says, "I was a spoiled imbecile. These magazines are my friends',"

Shuya's Mom lifts her eyebrows in surprise, "Your friends'?"

Shuya nods, "Middle school friends. You had seen them before,"

Shuya's parents make understanding noises. Even going as far as saying it makes sense now.

"Then, which are yours?" Mako asks curiously

Sighing, Shuya pulls the box to his side and takes out the magazine in the bottom pile without looking for it. After seeing that is what he intends to find, Shuya shows it to them.

A book compilation of beauties with flowers. An aesthetic and not lewd magazine.

"You have the same taste as your Dad," Shuya's Mom ends up saying, breaking the ice, "Even though the women you love end up aren't Yamato Nadeshiko type,"