Curry Chicken, Rice, and a Five-Minute Shower

I stared up at our exposed apartment, wondering how to reach the second floor without stairs. Little Shit perked up on my head, then hopped down and started creating tiny volcanoes in a zigzag pattern up the wall.

"Oh. Thanks buddy."

I climbed the makeshift steps, trying not to think about how I was basically scaling a wall using active volcanoes. When I finally pulled myself onto our floor, Gran Gran was already on the phone.

"Yes, yes, Ito-san? The whole wall. No, not tomorrow - tonight! What do you mean you're sleeping? Your grandfather would never- Hello? Hello?" She clicked her tongue. "People these days, no hard work, want easy life."

I brushed debris off my costume as Little Shit scampered next to my leg. Gran Gran shuffled to our low table, setting out bowls of curry chicken and rice.

"Come, sit down. The food getting cold already. And what are you wearing? You drag dirt everywhere!"

"I can't. He won't let me." I pointed at Little Shit, who had already planted himself by the table, staring intently at the food.

"Pah. So spoiled." Gran Gran started eating, seemingly unfazed by the kaiju at our dinner table or the half-destroyed apartment.

I picked up my chopsticks, watching Little Shit stare intently at the steaming curry. "Gran Gran, aren't you going to ask about, well..." I gestured at him.

"What? The cross-eyed potato?"

"Well, about the whole world-ending thing too? Any of that?"

"I already eighty-three! End of the world? I go before that. Now be good and pass the pickled radish."

"Gran Gran!"

"What? You think I got time to worry about end of the world? My back pain already killing me and now must deal with useless contractors. World wants to end, it can wait its turn. I'm not dying until I see you graduate Shibue University and get proper job here."

And there it was - the real reason I hadn't escaped to Tokyo yet. Ever since I could remember, Gran Gran had my life mapped out: top scores, the top university in Shibue because it was nearby, career in medicine, engineering or law. Nothing less would do.

"Your father worked himself to death for your education," she'd remind me at least twice a week. "What kind of granddaughter would waste that sacrifice?"

The kind who secretly works at a tacky kaiju café, apparently.

I shifted in my seat, now hyper-aware of the mother's tip. Gran Gran had a sixth sense for sniffing out cash. One time she found 1,000 yen I'd hidden inside a hollowed-out math textbook. Another time, she discovered birthday money I'd taped under my desk drawer.

If she found out about KaiKool... I shuddered. She'd march down there and get me fired. I needed a hiding spot so good no one would ever think to look.

"You playing with your food again. What you thinking now?"

"Nothing!" I stuffed chicken in my mouth.

She narrowed her eyes but went back to shoveling rice into her mouth. I let out a silent breath. For now, my secret was safe.

I picked up a piece of chicken from my plate and held it out to Little Shit. "Here Little Shit, you must be hungry after all that stair-making."

Little Shit stared at the meat cross-eyed, then turned away.

"Just like you," Gran Gran cackled. "Remember when you only want eat rice and umeboshi for three months? And really, you named it Little Shit? What kind of language is that for a young lady?"

The phone's ring cut through before I could respond. Gran Gran hobbled over and picked it up.

"Hello? Ah, it's you." Her tone shifted from annoyed to slightly less annoyed. "Yes, she here. Yes, we saw the news. Your stupid daughter's gone and gotten herself mixed up with the monsters."

Gran Gran thrust the phone at me. "Your father wants to talk about the cross-eyed potato."

I froze mid-bite. Dad?

I took the phone, my hand trembling slightly. "Hey Dad."

"Ryūka! Are you okay? I saw the news and-" His voice crackled with static. "What were you thinking getting close to that thing?"

"I'm fine." I watched Little Shit balance a grain of rice on his snout. "He's harmless."

"That's not the point! Do you know how dangerous- Sorry. I just... I should be there."

The familiar guilt in his voice made my chest tight. "It's fine. Really."

"No, it's not. The airports are complete chaos right now. Kaiju keep appearing in terminals, and with all this end-of-the-world talk..." He sighed. "I tried booking emergency flights, but everything's grounded."

Little Shit sneezed, the rice grain flying across the room. Gran Gran swatted it away with her chopsticks.

"Dad, seriously. We're managing fine here."

"Your grandmother told me half the apartment's gone."

"Yeah, but-" I glanced at the night sky through our missing wall. "It's temporary. And hey, better ventilation, right?"

He let out a weak laugh. "That's my girl. Always finding the bright side." A pause. "Listen..."

"Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Really. We've got it handled."

Another static-filled silence.

"You sound so grown up now. When did that happen?"

I didn't know how to answer that. Little Shit crawled into my lap, his warmth seeping through the costume.

"Hey, when I get back, maybe we could catch up properly?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Stay safe, kiddo. Try not to end the world before then."

I hung up the phone, staring at the blank screen. Dad's voice still echoed in my head - he always sounded so guilty, like every missed birthday and empty chair at school events weighed on him. 

Gran Gran snatched the phone from my hand. "Stop moping! Give me the phone. Long-distance call not free you know!" She slammed the receiver back into its cradle.

I picked at the remaining rice in my bowl. Maybe I should've tried harder to connect with Dad when he was around. Asked about his work or... something. Now with kaiju rampaging and the world maybe ending, those missed chances felt heavier.

"You finish eating, then go take a shower. But don't waste water! That good-for-nothing Water Department say some monster squatting in their building. Charge double for half the water!"

I pushed myself up from the table, Little Shit now clinging to my costume. A shower sounded perfect after this day.

"Five minutes only, ok?" Gran Gran called after me as I headed to the bathroom. "You take too long and I turn off main valve!"

I closed the bathroom door and started peeling off the costume, but Little Shit tightened his grip. "I need to shower."

He made a squeaky noise and buried his face in the costume.

"Look, I promise I'll put it back on after." I managed to wiggle one arm free.

Little Shit's crossed eyes stared at me for a while before he reluctantly hopped down. He curled up on top of the costume pile as I stripped it off, watching me like I might try to make a break for it.

The familiar sound of water hitting tile filled the small space. A shower was exactly what I needed. Even if I only had five minutes.