This Villainess Shall Vow to Live Humbly and Frugally this Time Around

Eight: Fitting In Again (part 1)

It's been about a month since I became Kouzuki Akina again. To be honest, I'm still trying to fit in both at home and school but mostly at school. At home, my only worries were the strange looks that the servants gave me sometimes. They're not quite used to my change of attitude yet. It was as if they were just waiting for the other shoe to drop and I'd be back to my bratty self again. Not that I don't understand where they're coming from but it was still a bit disheartening. My family, however, took my change of attitude well... or maybe too well.

"Akina, we're leaving for work now." My father said as he looked at me expectantly.

I internally sighed at his expectant look. Sometimes I really don't know what was going on with the rest of my family.

As per morning routine, I tugged his sleeves till he was on level with me and I kissed his cheek.

"Iterrashai, Otou-sama."

"Akina" My mother had called for me so it was her turn now. I tugged her down and kissed her cheek.

"Iterrashai, Okaa-sama."

They both looked at me with satisfied smiles before they turned to the rest of my siblings. This routine immediately started almost the day after I went back to school and gave my brothers pecks on their cheeks before going inside my classroom. Apparently, a lot of students witnessed the scene and reported it to their parents when they came back home. Somehow, it reached my parents' ears, and here we were. And it wasn't as if they were asking my other siblings to do it too. It was just me they were asking it from. So yeah, sometimes I really don't what was going on in my parents' heads or the rest of my family for that matter.

"Haruto, Natsume, take care of your younger siblings." I heard my mother say then she caressed Yukine's cheek who was sitting on his high chair and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you later, my little snowflake."

My father ruffled my brothers' hairs. "We'll be going now."

"Iterrashai" My two brothers chorused while Yukine just looked on curiously.

"Mama, Papa" Yukine babbled. He's been talking a lot. It was still mostly undistinguishable babbling but he was learning names too.

My parents were really different now compared to then. They were more affectionate and they were spending more time with us too. My parents were warmer. Our family was warmer.

My father ruffled Yukine's hair one last time and then they left in separate cars. It couldn't be helped. Their workplaces were different. My father had to run the family company and my mother had to go back to her studio to work on her designs.

The Kouzuki's family company mostly dealt with technology. In my grandfather's time, it was mostly appliances and stuff but with my father's takeover of the company, they have expanded to cellphones and other gadgets too. I heard they were developing some kind of AI and some other technologies. If Natsume entered the company when he gets older, then the company might just expand to game-making and robot manufacturing too, or maybe even before then. He's been trying to convince Otou-sama and Otou-sama seemed to be considering it. I don't know which though. Game-making or robot manufacturing. Probably both. My father seemed to like innovation and profits too for that matter. Both of my brothers will probably lead the company in the future. Haruto would be focusing on the numbers and the business as a whole while Natsume would be on the creation side of the business.