Chapter 16 - The Second Son’s Peaceful Morning (1/2)

My morning started early.

The alarm clock rang at 5 a.m, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and got out after staying in bed for about 2 minutes.

Although it was better to wake up since it was summer, but it was still cold and you couldn’t part from the futon.

My room in the new house is at the end of the hallway of the first floor.

In the house where we used to live, I was together with my older brother, so I’m still not used to staying in a room by myself. Sometimes, even though there’s no one there, I would turn around and call my brother, it’s very embarrassing.

I was the one who chose the room on the first floor. At first it was supposed to be a room on the second floor, and my dad’s room was supposed to be here.

I think that my father conceded the second floor because it was narrower, but for me this room was better since it was closer to the kitchen and the toilet, so I requested my dad to change with me.

After I left the room, I headed to the sink and washed my face.

I was reflected in the mirror with my unkempt hair and sleepy face.

I turned my gaze upwards a bit while I was brushing my teeth.

The sink was furnished with small accessories.

There were two different colored shavers in a place where I couldn’t reach.

The orange one is my brother’s, and the black one is my father’s. If you asked why they bought two different ones, they each had to find suitable one’s, it seems that it hurts if it’s not suitable.

How troublesome. I wonder if I’ll also use it soon.

Both my father and my older brother are tall. I have to look up all the time, so it hurts my neck.

Both this house and our previous one had many places where I couldn’t reach.

Since I organized the kitchen, most of the stuff are placed within reach, but there are things I can’t do without a step stool for example, replacing the shampoo, bath detergents and light bulbs.

There are some things that I can’t reach even if I use a step stool.

I want to become bigger sooner.

I rinsed my mouth and wiped my face.

I was still sleepy, but there was no time, so let’s hurry up.

I arrived at the dining room.

I turned on the light and took a good look at the room.

It was spacious and pleasant.

A new kitchen, I have to get used to it quickly.

An open style kitchen is amazing. It feels like we’re rich.

I opened the rice cooker, It was bought for me last Christmas, the far infrared pot is amazing. This is one of my favorite things.

My father said that since the rice cooker was something the whole family uses, he’ll buy something else for me, but there isn’t really anything I want.

I decided to buy it after I had something I wanted.

My father smiled wryly and said, “You siblings really aren’t greedy.”

Is that so? I really wanted the rice cooker though.

By the way, my brother tried to look cool and said, “I’m not a kid anymore, so I don’t need a Christmas present.”

Then my father pointed at him, burst into laughter and said, “The guy who said he’s not a kid is spending Christmas at home.”

Even though it’s fine to spend Christmas at home. Actually, the best place to spend it is at home.

Alright, the rice is cooked.

An odor that stimulated my appetite permeated the kitchen, I love this smell.

I took out a frying pan from underneath the sink and placed it on the stove.

I placed a long steeping stool that my father made for me under the stove.

This kitchen was different to the old one and was slightly taller.

I set the frying pan on the fire and went to open the dining room curtains.

It was still dim outside.

I pressed the power button of the air conditioner that was hanging on the wall.

I took the apron hanging at the entrance of the dining room, returned to the kitchen and turned on the ventilator.

I got the yellow apron last year, this is also one of my favorites.

I opened the refrigerator and took out a dish.

Bacon wrapped asparagus that was prepared yesterday evening. I peeled off the cling wrap and placed it in the kitchen.

I picked up the salad oil bottle and poured it around the frying pan.

Now I have to make father’s bento.

My father didn’t change workplaces even though we moved quite far from where we used to live.

Now, it takes him one hour to get to work, a tough work life is about to begin.

Well, it was my father’s who wanted to move, so he has no choice but to do his best.

At least for lunch, I want him to eat something delicious.

It’s been responsibility to make father’s bento since grade 3.

Apparently, we ate convenience store bread up until then. No matter how you put it, it would get dull.

I was still a senior in kindergarten when my mother died.

Both my father and my older brother are very clumsy, but even if I looked at it from my childish perspective, they both did their bests and worked very hard doing things around the house.

I was still young so I couldn’t do anything, but I was able to help little by little and now here I am.

At first, it was cleaning, but just to the extent of finishing what was started.