"Well, this is the place. Ironically enough, it's still just the same as I remember." Issei pointed to the yonder luxury beach house.
"Your family owns this estate?" Even Ouroboras looked shocked, "How surprising, even though you stated before that they are wealthy, I am quite surprised they live such a highlife."
"Didn't you say you can know all there is to know about me with your Godly Omniscience powers?"
"Are you serious? Who would ever want to look into YOUR history?"
"Ouch, that hurts! It hurts so much I wanna die!" Issei dramatically spun around in place, "Did you feel the air getting more painful to breathe as you just said that? Your insults hurt more than any beast or bandit from the Vast World, Ouri!"
"Which was exactly the point. At least when I see you reacting like that..." He growled, "Now come on. Let us get this visit done and over with so that we may go to the meet already."
"Rush it or not, our time spent here with Issei's parents isn't gonna fly by any faster." I remarked, "We've still got another month or so before the fabled meet regardless, so for now we're just gonna sit back and crash at their place until then."
Right, Japan was fun and all, but the hustle and bustle of all the cities there really made my ears ring after a while. Don't get me wrong, I really like the food here, their quality of life gadgets are super convenient, and their various modes of transport are a traveler's wet dream. But even then, I can't help but internally cry out for some peace and quiet every now and then. I wonder, would I still be thinking like this if I had brought Cecily and the kids along?
"So your family... what's it like?" I asked, "You're an only child, right? Like me-Well, never mind."
"Yep, I'm one of a kind!" He proudly grinned, "There's my parents of course, but my grandparents live in the Kansai region, and my uncle..."
"Grandma." Ouroboras corrected.
"Eh?"
"Your grandma lives in the Kansai region."
"Grandpa...?"
Sobbing over this newfound tragedy he wasn't expecting, it seems Ouroboras is quite the evil God after all. What a way to find out, am I right? Can't say I know what it feels like though, since both sets of my grandparents died when I was around 5 or 6. Though with how long it's been since he was last here, it's pretty surprising even his grandma's still here by now.
"I-In any case, you were, ha-ha, talking about your uncle?" I tried awkwardly to change the subject.
"Huh? Oh yeah, uncle Freddy." He sniffled as he knocked on the front doors of his parents' beach house, "He lives in America... I hope."
He glanced at Ouroboras, or rather glared at him for that matter after he said that. Guess he wanted to make sure no one else croaked while he was absent.
"....Hm?" Ouroboras raised an Eyebrow, "What?"
"He DOES still live there, right?"
"I do not care enough to check."
"But you cared about my grandpa being dead!? What the hell!"
Just then, the doors opened and a lovely, albeit tired, slim and short older lady whose facial features very much resembled Issei's had appeared before us. She was wearing a dark Blue suit with a White undershirt. A very elegant fashion choice indeed, which perfectly fit with her hairstyle, which was tied up in a high updo. This must be his mother, though she looks young enough to be his older sister if he had one.
「よ。」Issei plainly lifted his hand up for the short greeting.
「一世...?」She gasped, slowly lifting her arm to reach out to him.
A momentous occasion - The fated rendezvous between mother and son. Anticipating an emotional mood that was expected of such a scene, Ouroboras and I politely stepped back to give them enough space to talk in peace. That being the case, what we didn't expect was for her to slap the shit out of him the moment she understood it was in fact her son standing at the doorway.
"Ack! Oof, ow!" He tried and failed to block every blow, "M-Mom! Ow, what the-!?"
「バカ！バカ息子！一体どこにいたの！？」
"I'll explain everything, so stop hitting me already!" He pleaded.
"You're speaking English again." Ouroboras made sure to remind him.
「ん？ それであなたも？」She finally noticed the two of us standing there watching all this unfold.
「私たちはあなたの息子さんの仕事仲間です。」Ouroboras replied casually.
"Eh? Work colleagues?" Issei found whatever he said to be weird, "What the hell are you telling her, dude?"
"Shut up." Ouroboras shushed him before continuing the previous conversation with his mother, 「ああ、初めまして。」
With a perfect 90 degree bow, he had shown the utmost amount of respect to this woman just like that. Even if we ignore the fact that he's speaking fluent Japanese despite his looks, his tone and body language appears to really be putting a focus into calming her down first and foremost. I don't know what he said, but even then I can tell he's trying his best to make a good first impression. Ah, I should follow suit too!
"Hajimemashite!" I bowed, though it wasn't as deep as Ouroboras' bow.
「一緒に旅行すると言っていた人たちですか？」She asked Issei in a questioning tone.
"Guys, sigh..." Issei facepalmed, "You don't need to bow. I'll handle the talking, so just go inside."
"Did we get permission from your mother?" I asked, "It'd be kinda rude if we didn't."
"Ah, right." He nodded before turning to his mother, 「しばらくここに滞在します。気にしないでしょ?」
Hearing this, the poor mother's Eyes opened wide enough for me to finally see her pupils. Just as I had expected, her Iro is just as black as her son's. So I guess it IS hereditary, just like Issei said. How weird. Either way, she took another second to slap her son for good measure before defeatedly sighing and letting us enter through the door. I felt super bad too, because our clothes haven't been washed for a long time now, and our shoes were muddy as hell. Well, there goes her clean entranceway. I just hope they let us sit on the couch...
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
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Soon after guiding us to the spacious living room, we were introduced to an average sized man of a pretty frail build who was apparently Issei's father. From what little I could pick up from their conversation with Ouroboras, it appears the mother's name is Asa, and the father is Itsuo. Rather odd names for a foreigner like me, but I'm sure they'll think the same when they hear Lune and Ouroboras just as well. Issei mentioned before that they both do big time jobs and are very successful because of it, and it seems to reflect a ton in their physical appearance. Asa looks like she's pretty strict on herself, wearing such a prim and proper outfit, and ol' Itsuo here looks like he got drained by a ghoul. They fit in quite nicely with the rest of the Japanese workforce, I'd say.
"Don't worry." Issei nudged me, "I told them you don't speak Japanese, so they won't be pestering you too much. You can calm down too, Ouri and I are getting them caught up, so we got the go ahead to stay here until we go to Mount Everest."
"Huh? Oh, good." I nodded, "But wait, you're telling them you went to another world?"
"Yeah, it's the truth, after all." He shrugged, "But Ouri obviously isn't gonna mention his Godhood. That'd be a bit too much, after all, so we're sticking to the story of you two just being my travel buddies."
"Oh, okay..."
That's good, but it still feels awkward to just come in here unannounced and tell them we'll be staying for the next month. Well, Issei told them ahead of time that we'll be coming over, but I doubt they expected all three of us to stay here. Then again, if Issei is being transparent with the whole 'got sent to another world' thing, then surely he'll tell them that I'm now the one stranded from my world, and they'll understand. God, sitting here without engaging in the conversation is making me feel like I'm a kid again, not understanding anything the adults are saying as I just fiddle around by my lonesome. How humiliating, I have a son and daughter of my own...!
"Ahem, Lune, was it?" The dad caught my attention by suddenly addressing me, "I know some English, but... not much. If you have anything to ask, please feel free to refer to me anytime."
"Itsuo~!" I cried tears of joy as I repeatedly shook his hand, "Your English is better than some of the Entropans I know, but never mind that! Thank you, thank you!"
"Hrm." He frowned before muttering to himself, "Honorifics, please."
Standing around in silence before somebody coughed to break the tension, Issei had finally decided to intervene and educate me on the matter.
"Ah-ha-ha, you're funny, dad!" He anxiously patted him on the back, "What a stickler, am I right? Lune, it's those honorifics I told you about, remember? It's rude not to use them!"
"Ah, that's right!" I hastily went to fix my mistake, "My apologies, Itsuo-chan!"
"Pff-!" The mom burst out laughing.
"Itsuo...chan?" The dad returned a death glare at me.
What? I said the proper one, right? It's chan, isn't it? That's what Issei called Marina back when they first met, if I'm recalling correctly. Oh, maybe it's that! I might be misremembering and said something that was a few letters off! Let me fix it!
"Itsuo-chin!"
"San!" He yelled.
"San-chin!"
"San!" He stomped angrily on the ground, "Itsuo-san!"
"Itsuo-san..." I repeated.
"Good!" He smiled.
"Ah. My apologies, Itsuosan-gudo!"
That was super confusing. I guess I didn't get the name right after all, no wonder he got offended. But damn, Issei never told me about that honorific. I'm surprised, it doesn't really sound all too Japanese. Still, who am I to judge. Hm? Why's his wife rolling on the couch laughing? And why the hell are Ouroboras and Issei holding back a livid Itsuosan-gudo that looks like he wants to fight me?
"Dad, just take Itsuo! It's your best bet, come on!" Issei pleaded.
"It is not worth it, Itsuo-san! That man is way younger than you, his body has been steeled through countless physical encounters!" Ouroboras barely held him back, "You will not win this!"
"Such disrespect and insolence will not be tolerated in this household!" Itsuosan-gudo demanded, "Who does this ruffian think he is? Suddenly crashing at my house and mocking my name? What immaturity being displayed at his age!"
"Again, your Entropic is immaculate for someone who claims it's their second language." I noted, "Also, I take offense to being called immature, you know? I have two kids and a wife who beg to differ."
"Do they, though?" Issei smirked.
"No one asked you."
"A family?" The dad immediately calmed down, "So what are you doing here, then?"
"Trying to come back to them..." I said with sincerity as I looked him in the Eyes, "...Itsuosan-gudo."
"Hrngh!"
After that, the mother genuinely couldn't handle being in the same room anymore from all the mad laughter she was being put through, so she had to leave to recompose herself. What a fun and youthful lady, she reminds me of Cecily. I'm sure Itsuosan-gudo is a happy man with her... Anyways, soon after that he stormed off after yelling some what I can only assume to be profanities in Japanese at me. Issei chewed me out for riling him up so much, and it was only then that Ouroboras had informed me that the dude's name was in fact actually just Itsuo, with the -san being the honorific.
"Then what the hell is -chan?"
"-Chan is the honorific for..."
"Ouri, don't answer that." Issei stopped him.
Well, so much for first impressions. Now I definitely know they won't let us sit on the couch...