The Strict Family Part 2

Chapter 6

Rei approached his mother-in-law, hand behind his back as he trotted toward her. She was on top of a ladder with a hedge shear, using both hands to trim the sides of the tree bushes. "Mother, let me help you. You can sit down and relax while I do it for you."

Mayumi glanced at him briefly, her hands not stopping their little trimming. "I can finish."

"I insist." He lay his hand on the shear, suggesting to replace her. "I'm also very bored."

She felt a little awkward giving him a task. She seemed to think for a second and Rei gave her a confident grin. She nodded, handing him the item as she climbed down.

Rei tilted the shear, the gleam reflected in his eyes and climbed up the foldable step ladder. He saw the butlers of his house do it. It looked like an easy job. He used both of his hands, opening the blades. He noticed how heavy and straining it was to open it. He closed it with force to test it. He didn't notice he cut a big chunk of the bush. Oops… he barely even started and he already messed up.

"What did you do?" Mayumi from behind, moved to the side to see with more clarity.

"Nothing special… I made it look so much better now." He was lying. It was time he committed the mistake he made so he just cut more of the bush to cover up his mistake and make it look more intentional.

"No, that's too much." Mayumi blinked, eyes widening a little when large chunks fell to the ground.

"I think it actually needs more." Kept opening the difficult equipment and closing with force.

"No, you are cutting to-" Mayumi cut off herself.

"Looks so much better now." Rei stepped back. It looked really bad especially with the other side of the trees looking proper and organized. He sincerely apologized in his head but- He moved the stairs to the side and started to cut the other trees so they could, at least, look similar to each other and more in touch lookwise...

"No, it doesn't." Mayumi held him from the back of his shirt, trying not to hurt him by forcing him down. "I think you need to step down. I'll finish... what is even this..."

"No, no, let me finish. It looks like an artwork."

"This is not the art museum."

"Nah, trust me on this."

Mayumi and Rei now stood side by side as they looked at his horrendous mess up. He thought gardening was easy work but now he realizes how wrong he was. They didn't look anything identical to each other.

"You never did this before, did you?" Mayumi's lack of expression stayed there. He took a large breath in. "Nope!"

"Thought so." Mayumi took the ladder and sheath, walking away nonchalantly. Rei couldn't help but be intrigued since she wasn't mad at him. Maybe she was hiding it well?

He grinned, following her like a puppy since his wife isn't available to entertain him so he will get rid of his boredom this way. He spent the next few hours annoying her mother.

First he did…

"Let me help you clean the window!" Rei immediately got to work, soaking the rug and rubbing it on the window.

"Wait! The way you do it scratches the glass-" She heaved a sigh since he already made the mistake again. She had the tools for window cleaning and that wasn't for it. How long could she endure him?

Second he did…

"Let me help you mop the floor." Rei once again was meddlesome. A large puddle of water filled the floor from where he mopped, Mayumi who didn't notice the mess he did, walked on the puddles, trying to pass but slipped out, falling down on her behind. Rei's mouth parted. "So sorry..."

She stared at him lifelessly. That still didn't annoy her yet? Rei did feel bad that he was causing more trouble but the lack of anger amused him more. He can see her fingers twitching. She was almost there.

"I would appreciate it if you helped me by doing nothing."

He was really testing her patience but Mayumi didn't snap at him once. At least not yet. How long could she endure him?

Third he did…

"Let me help you clean the dishes!" Rei could see Mayumi close her eyes, taking a deep breath as she was chopping vegetables, making dinner for everyone. She was halfway through the process, just letting the food boil on the stove.

"No, you don't need to."

"I insist." He used the magic word. This household's only flaw is that they were polite. They can't refuse if he insists so he was taking it to his advantage.

"You are a guest-"

"I'm your son now." He grinned innocently although there was something in her that softened.

Rei went to wash the dishes, getting too much soap and scrubbing. Because of how liquid he poured, the plates slipped out of his hand into the sink, breaking. "Opps…"

Mayumi's brow twitched.

"I really didn't mean it-" He turned back, his elbow hitting a glass cup that was on the corner of the counter . It was like slow motion, Mayumi dived into the ground, letting out a low grunt as she held the cup in time before it broke as she slammed on the ground.

Rei clapped at her precise movements and amazing reflex. As he turned, another glass got knocked over and both Rei and Mayumi yelled, with outstretched hands, "Noooo!"

It fell down, breaking into pieces. Opps?

Just then, an alarm rang all over the house. Fujiwara, Kana and Haru from above the staircase, came to check what happened. Fujiwara fist clenched, almost trembling, face red.

"Ah… he broke another rule." Haru scratched his head as he looked at Fujiwara while Kana tried to calm down the very angry man. "Father… it's still his first day… he doesn't need to get punished for it."

Fujiwara took a long breath as Rei looked around confused as to why there was a loud ringing noise as if there was fire.

"Mayumi! Close the alarm." Fujiwara pivoted sharply, stomping as he went back inside his room.

Rei looked at Kana confused before shrugging. She gave him a disapproving head shake before going back inside. The day wasn't ending fast enough for him if he was honest.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

It was almost dinner time and Rei decided to stop harassing his mother-in-law and just sat on the dining table with the rest of the family doing nothing.

"I'm home." An older man in his late twenties entered the house, black, messy hair. Bangs long, they were interfering in his vision. He wore a regular black suit, white plain dress shirt underneath and a tie. He looked like a regular salesman.

Fujiwara nodded at the short, curt greeting. "You are late... Kaito?"

"I won't be late again." And just like that the conversation ended.

Rei couldn't help but think this family was boring. Where were all the necessary questions? Like why were you late? What were you doing? Or even, how's your day? How do they live with each other? Nobody is interested beyond the surface level answers.

Kaito approached their table and then he noticed Rei. They had a bit of a staring contest. Rei smiled friendly at him while Kaito's black eyes were piercing.

"Tch." Kaito clicked his tongue before looking away. What did he do to all of them for them to treat him like this? Rei's amused smile didn't leave his face as Kaito sat next to him on the dining table. The dinner was quiet as usual and the rest of the day went by uneventfully as Rei decided to behave.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

After they finished eating, Ito Rei went outside, to the yard, looking at the sky while everyone in the Fuijwara family gathered around for the first time to gossip about someone.

"I don't like your new husband." Fujiwara got straight to the point as they sat near in the living room, on their left, the glass window showed their yard. His wife, Mayumi, walked by to set tea for them to have.

Oh she didn't like him either....At first... but now... Kana fanned her tea with a light blow, curious on what his plan was by creating chaos in her family this much in the first day. She also noticed he was giving her mother a hard time. Where was this all leading up too?

"I never met anyone this rude in my whole life." Fujiwara huffed whenever he remembered his manners.

Kaito set his cup down also looking annoyed even though he wasn't around. "I haven't liked him since the day of the wedding. He never approached us or even bothered to talk to us when my sister was getting married."

Kana sweatdropped. She felt like Kaito's hatred was mostly and very likely her fault.

"He… he kept creating more work for me but he insisted he was helping me..." Her mother, who usually doesn't talk much, was actually sharing her own experiences. "The chips he ate... I had to clean the crumbs… when he helped me in the garden, he made the tree bush look... wonky."

All five of them looked at the window, the many trees looked uneven, like something abstract. They all let out a simultaneous sigh.

For a moment, Kana thought it was interesting... her family usually never gather to complain or even have a normal conversation yet everyone reunited to hate on her husband.

"My brother-in-law is new in our house... it will take time for him to adjust." Her angelic brother, Haru, came to his defense, trying to diffuse the anger everyone felt about him deep inside.

"Kana, do you not have any comments about his behavior?" Fujiwara directed his gaze to her.

"He is my husband, if I also complained about him, it would not be proper." Kana smiled, letting them know it's none of her business. "I'll just let him know of the rules."

She looked at her father who avoided her gaze. She resisted the urge to laugh. This was the only leverage she had over her father since he picked him and the funniest part, she actually felt glad she married him but of course, she can't let him know how happy she is so she kept her face expressionless.

It seems like her life here will be amusing for a short while.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Can you repeat that again?" Rei looked at Mayumi, who was at his room doorsteps with Kana beside her.

"At Nine PM, room inspection starts," Mayumi simply said.

"I heard that but I mean why?" Rei looked at Kana as if asking for an explanation.

"Family rules..." Kana shrugged.

Why does this family have so many rules? He stepped aside to let Mayumi in and leaned on the doorway instead.

She pulled out a pair of blue gloves from her pockets, letting the elastic hit her wrists as fingers twirling as she started to basically check every corner of the room.

"Kana, what is this?" Rei genuinely asked as they both stared at Mayumi doing the inspection.

"Here. I wrote down the list of the rules so you know what you are getting into." Kana passed him her miniature notebook then she crossed her arms. "Although why did you choose to sleep over when you know nothing? You are creating more chaos in my family than I thought... Are you trying to make everyone hate you?"

"Quite the opposite actually. I'm trying to make everyone love me." He basks in the attention he gets even if it was negative.

"You are not doing a very good job." Kana's sarcastic response made him smirk.

"Don't worry... I have a plan... I'm just planting seeds right now." He rubbed his lips, a cocky, confidence radiating from him. "Although is this prison? What exactly is she looking for?"

Did she think he had a knife hidden somewhere? Why was she checking under his bed mattress?

"She is looking for electronics and snacks." Kana sighed in defeat. "We used... to sneak them in when we were bored... so father implemented a new rule to make sure that never happens."

"You know what? This family belongs in the asylum. All of you… except Haru." There was just something so toxic about trying to restrict young adults' movement so much. He was getting the impression that Fujiwara was a control freak and that wasn't a good thing.

"You are one to talk too," Kana retorted.

Mayumi seemed to be done doing her check up as she shared an approving look with him before leaving. Kana tapped the notebook in his hand.

"Make sure you read this today. I don't know what plan you have but I trust you so I won't pester you about what you are doing." Kana smiled at him then pivoted, her hair strands floated briefly as she left his room.

Rei's pupils followed her. She trusted him? She? Even though she didn't care about him? A small smile crept up. Nobody really trusts him when they know who he is.

"Don't say it like that…" he whispered as his eyes lingered on her a little longer. "You are making me grow fond of you."

She was too far to hear him but he didn't want her to hear that anyway. He forcefully tore his gaze away to the notebook she gave him. Rules… "Let's see."

After reading for five minutes, he closed the notebook. He threw it on his desk. There were a lot of crazy guidelines for a family to uphold, especially rule number three. Like who even thought of that one? At least he knows now why the alarm went off today despite not doing anything.

Ito Rei took a seat on the chair, raising his leg high on the desk, crossing his legs over each. Now that he knows what his weapons are, the Fujiwara family were in for a ride.