081 – An Easy Pill to Swallow

"Uhhh… Ahhhhhh…

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH…!!!!!!!"

The year hasn't ended yet, and so are the cold days. The sun still rises later than normal, and it was indeed not very bright outside…

But the neighborhood, especially Gin, heard a loud and long yelp from the still closed window of his room. Both he and Haku synchronously jolted from the bed with the sudden scream. It was still minutes away before his alarm clock will ring, but he did not care about it as the lengthy cry held Rin's voice.

He dove out of his window while at the same time opening Rin's window that was thankfully unlocked. Effortlessly, as expected, he landed safely if not gracefully.

What he did not know is that Haku was on his back when he jumped and is now accompanying him on the successful landing.

But Gin was not as stupid as we thought he would be. He was quick to think to calculatingly land facing the bedroom's door which was opposite of the bed. No matter how worried he is, a balancing scale was established by Kuro in his mind—between Rin's unknown issue and the Akanami family's trust to him.

After all, he is kind of intruding and one wrong move may take his life, so to speak. It is only a valiant sacrifice if the door opens, slamming on his face.

"Waaahhh… Ugh… Would you please just turn around now, Gin…?!

What should I do… I don't know what happened to me…"

Without looking yet, Gin had guessed that Rin was in tears not because of sadness, but fright and slight frustration. Following the exclaimed demand, he faced Rin who was sat on the mattress and trembling with a mirror on her hand.

He looked closely with worry still painted on his face. Huge pearls of tears were still hanging on Rin's eyes, as they looked eye to eye. But the man's eyes widened and so did the cat whose jaw has dropped. Very deep in the mind, Gin and Kuro had a vague thought.

Something on Rin… is different…

Because of an information overload in his head… his body fell, fainting, with his eyes still open.

"Apples… Rin is…"

‹Haku›

Meow. (To verbalize what Aruji can't possibly articulate with his extreme confusion and astonishment…

It seems that Ringo-ojou has aged… a few years forward…)

Today is December 17.

▪ ▪ ▪

The day before.

"Me, changing my major department?"

Gin was surprised with a suggestion early in the morning after the homeroom in CA was done. Thus, he was asked by Dean Taiyou in the vacant first period.

"Yes, you heard me right, Gin. It's not yet too late to consider changing your main department as we have three months to the school year. You should know already that your marks are much better in CA than in VA even though you are an irregular student."

"Alright, I get what you mean, Taiyou-sen. But I chose CA as my minor course since I'm already employed as a chef, and I am familiar with the concepts being taught."

"Hahh… Why did you even take CA, then…"

"It's for the purpose to expand my knowledge about it.

I chose VA because there is a feeling of endlessness. Improvement can be so understated since there is no apparent wall that you will hit in this visual interpretation. But don't get me wrong, Taiyou-sen. I even consider culinary as art for its preciseness."

"…

Hah. You really know how to show your conviction. Just make sure that you'll do your best for the remaining months."

"I sure will."

…

"What were you talking about with Taiyou-sen, Potato?"

"Hmm. This and that."

"Ah, I haven't told you yet. Do you want to come with me in Rena's house this Thursday? They're inviting me again for dinner."

"You were the only one invited, though."

"I told them that I'll try to pull you if I can."

"Well, that sounds great. I'll go there directly once I'm off from work."

"Okay!"

~ ~ ~

Morning break.

"Huh. Are you busy in your work that you have to bring your laptop with you, Ryuuya-san?" Marcel asked, while Kaizo was pulling out a computer from his bag.

Right after unfolding the screen, he saw heaps of unread emails in the Northern characters that extended from the top of the page down to the bottom. And it seems that there was more to that.

"Man, you sure are busy with your stuff. Are those related to your reports about me?"

"Some of them," Kaizo replied while eating and typing at the same time. "I even have an in-person meeting to attend tomorrow so I won't be around for WT and I can't attend with this appearance. Actually, I will be absent perhaps for the rest of the week because of the work piling up on me."

"Well, does it really matter if you dropped out with your absences? You've pretty much reached your educational attainment so long ago, right?"

"Then I won't be able to do my observation."

"Hahh… You are too explicit."

"Oh, right. I have to 'change' before lunch. I can't afford to forget that since it doesn't take effect immediately…"

~ ~ ~

At the same time in a different room, Rin along with the other VA students are writing their written narrative reports on their portfolios. As they have expected to see, the silver-haired man is sitting quietly while browsing on his phone before all of them lost the connectivity once again after break.

"Can you check my draft, Potato? I wrote a long one that it made my head hurt a bit…"

"You check mine too, Gin," added Nagi.

"You can ask G. I don't think there would be a difference if he checked it."

Gin has been known in his circle to be very literate in English even if in just written outputs as he is mediocre at best when speaking the language. But the same thing can be applied to Ginji, who was once a school representative for essay writing, although it has been mentioned that he regretted it. Still however, he is quite fond of reading books, mostly of the North's literature, more than Gin. And the context of the books that he reads serves as a very good avenue to conversing to the one he is courting. But even before the time of their fourth year, Gin has been a very strict proofreader.

Having finished the checking with his swift hands that made the paper pasted with the red ink, he went back in front of his phone's screen. Rin noticed a frown on his eyes, and peeked on the heading of what he is reading.

"'You wake up finding out that you grew up a few years from your original age…'

…

Hmm. Talk about a certain someone who went from 15 to 17 in one week."

"People's imagination really runs wild, huh."

"What if I suddenly woke up like I am in my early 20's? What will you do about that?" Rin jokingly asked.

Gin's body stiffened and his eyes went all over the place. Flustered, he tightened his hood to hide his face.

"…

Why do you have to ask that of all times…"

A lightning struck Rin's mind. She and her mother indeed heard the loud voice of Shuu from last Thursday pointing out to the sudden and astonishing declaration from Gin, while they are not in the influence of alcohol. Rin mostly did not take it to mind, as she overheard that things will begin to develop in a few years’ time, and not in a very near future. Knowing that there is still a long time for that, she was not very affected by the declaration that Gin actually plans to marry the maiden in question; a bombshell that Gin is unable to say directly to the point in front Rin's father, thus, getting stuck in vague elaborations.

She finally realized why Gin suddenly felt flustered and slightly disconcerted. His claim that people's imagination running wild was suddenly applied to him as he made many assumptions—like wanting to ask what is Rin's preferred marriageable age. He will not stop being an idiot.

"W-What… you're telling me that you're suddenly going to apply to CCI at the age of 23 or something? Not like that's my problem, though…"

Surprisingly, Gin uttered a very tsundere response still under his hood as if hiding the redness that has built up on his cheeks.

"Then what would you think if that happens to me, Shiro?" Nagi ignored the idiosyncrasy and asked the person beside her.

"I guess I wouldn't mind it if you're suddenly two years older than me."

"That's too safe an answer. I am at least thinking how your hairstyle will look like in your adolescence."

"Nagi has a point, Shiro. I think I'd want to see Rin's hair grow long, or that might be a good time for her to tell the world that she has a forehead, especially in summer."

"Yup, yup. Indeed one of the things that make a woman beautiful is hair."

"…

You guys…"

They say that the imagination of humans run wild sometimes, and that idiocy is a very contagious disease.

~ ~ ~

4th period.

"'Scuse me… I have a headache so I'll rest for a bit in the clinic, Mato-sen…"

Rin, who has his head prone to the desk for the whole period had finally found the tiny energy to speak about her hurting head.

"Don't go on your own, Ringo."

"On it," Gin voluntarily stood up alongside Rin and walked out of the room. "We'll excuse ourselves."

…

"How's your headache?" without a hint of worry, Gin asked while treading in the hallway.

"My head feels like splitting… Probably because I didn't have a good wake-up earlier…"

"Hmm. I guess that'll go away in a few. You think you can go to WT today?"

"I'll drink medicine then I'll see once I sleep a bit."

"If you're unable to go to Giotto's, that's pretty much getting the half-day. You're great, Rin."

"How many times have you already skipped classes…"

"If being insane for a month doesn't count, then I have already made you skip a period."

"Right… You really are a bad influence… Maybe I should break up with you…"

"Ahahaha. You jest."

"I do."

"…

W-W-What 'I do…' You mean… you're going to break up with me, or… you're just joking… or… or…

THAT?!"

"I-I jest…"

"Oh, thank goodness that's what you meant…"

Rin thought that there is something that is slightly disrupting her vision, like a white veil in front of her face. But it turns out that it was just her headache acting up.

A few meters before the clinic door, Kaizo was seen coming out of the room in a hurry.

"Good day, Gin, Akanami-san. Excuse me."

"Ossu.

Nurse Jul, you have a patient."

"Hmm? What happened to her?"

"Probably a migraine. She needs medicine and some rest."

"I see. Let her sit first and then she can drink the medicine on the table."

Rin with her squinting eyes looked at the name of the medicine, and it was indeed the remedy for her headache. After getting the medicament, Gin rubbed a menthol ointment on her forehead upon raising her fringes up. Rin then felt a pat on her head as Gin stood up.

"I'll be coming back to class, Rin. Call me if you need anything."

"Mhm…"

Taking slow steps, she made her way to a bed and immediately pulled a blanket and wrapped it on her upon lying down.

"Is Gin your boyfriend?" the nurse asked, but didn't get a response as Rin had quickly fallen asleep.

~ ~ ~

"Full recovery…!" is what Rin might say if she was transported to another world as a blue slime, but she is not. Realizing that she had planned to make her lunch on the HE Room that she was unable to do as she enjoyed her slumber until 15 before 12, she immediately set off to her house once noon had hit and ate lunch with her mother.

Minutes after, Gin entered his house seeing Rin in the kotatsu who is playing with Haku's fur, in which the feline submitted to and liked. She has changed her clothes suitable for work in the kitchen, and so Gin prompted her to wait until Gin is also ready so that they can go together. But in truth, it was just Gin's way of making an excuse while minding the little worry in his mind.

…

There were however no issues in Rin's health as she did her normal routine inside the kitchen.

"Uhh, Gin," Hiroomi called. "Can you do something about Nikudo and Katae? It feels like they are acting a little weird when they are here."

"Ahh… Sorry about that. I think it's kind of my fault."

"Huh. Aren't the past issue already resolved?"

"I guess it has something to do with the things that I said when I was reprimanding them. But that's not really the cause. They're still probably anxious of me after discovering that I am an Exile."

"They discovered what?!"

"I didn't have any choice if there are kidnappers that were about to blast a building down. Most of the high school, or at least the second years probably know by now."

"Wait, that happened in your school trip?"

"Please don't even mention those two words again, Hiro.

But, yeah. I'll never go to such an activity again."

Hiro fell to slight surprise. He saw the blank expression of Gin slowly changing to a forlorn countenance. His right eye, in a very short moment, was one step to shifting its color as it turned dark blue and to black again.

"Gin… Did something happen apart from that?"

However, it was Gin who was more surprised. He thought, Hiro would have known as he is now family to Rin, and yet there he was, asking obliviously which gave Gin a grain of angst.

"Did you not hear from your wife? Rin was nearly hit by a faulted truck when we were there…

Do you expect me not to personally hate such a trip like that when someone I love almost got hurt…? I know that I'm being immature for reacting like this, but can I at least lament for once…?"

"…

Gin… Tell Ringo that you two are going to be dismissed now. I mean, right now. Come to our place at 6:30 and join us later. I already know that dinner with us won't satisfy as an apology, but let me do that at least, for you two and for Yu."

"We'll be going then, if that's what you say."

…

"Chef Yuzu."

"Yes, head chef?"

"Can I ask you a favor to help Sean in closing up the resto later? Something important came up so Yu and I will be leaving in 5."

"How about Chef Gin? He suddenly left after plating an order?"

"I dismissed him with Ringo. I would be surprised if you still don't get why things on my side escalated."

"…

…!

I understand. Leave the rest of the shift to us later."

"I'm counting on you."

Gin's disappointment was quickly relieved after a sumptuous dinner prepared by the couple. All of them were at least thankful that it was not a very quiet meal. Both Hiroomi and Yuna apologized to the two for two different reasons in which one of that was Yuna being caught on her emotions after learning about the news about what happened to her younger sister, and thus, unable to tell his husband about it. Hiroomi however was greatly affected. As an Exile, he never had someone close as her like Rin to be considered as his sister.

Nevertheless, all of them are trying to consider it as water under the bridge, even if the incident leaves an extremely bad aftertaste to them. It was a hard pill to swallow, in the end.

▪ ▪ ▪

Back to the present.

"G-Gin…?! Are you okay…?"

"I'm fine. Mostly…" Gin woke up and got up to his knees while scratching his head.

Hearing the scream, her parents came to her room after nearly making the door fly off from its hinges. As usual, Shuu's roaring was even louder than the scream that had reverberated outside. Gin and Haku were truly not just seeing things. What fell to the parents' gazes is the sight of their daughter, as if she was born when Yuna was just three years old.

In other words, Rin is wearing an appearance of a 22 year-old young lady, approximately.

"C-Can we at least eat breakfast first before we talk about how Ringo ended up like this…?" Sumi forced to utter while coming out of the room with her hand massaging her forehead.

"You get outta here, musuko. Help us on preparing the table," Shuu spoke up, surprisingly in a not so stern tone even after seeing a somewhat distrusting scene.

"Ah.

Ojamashimasu…"

As if a model on a runway began walking, the three that was already sitting on the dining table watched Rin as she slowly and timidly made her way to them with her usual clothes. They silently thought that nothing much had changed from Rin apart from her face, seeing as the clothes that she usually use still fits her frame. But in another note, Gin has been looking at her, quite abashed and slightly spacey while he initiated a very loud clap that the parents followed.

~ ~ ~

"Alright, do you have anything to say first, musuko?"

"I swear that I have no idea on what has suddenly happened to her. I can't honestly say that I have no knowledge as to what possibly caused this as I'm still trying to rack my brain as I speak.

Anyway, this humble cat can testify that I have done nothing aside from fainting once from shock, your honor."

Haku continuously nodded, "Meow. (I would never lie unless I'm pulling a prank, or I want to fool someone to giving me food.)"

"Thank goodness they can't understand you, you mischievous furball," Gin whispered.

"But how did this happen… are we sure that this isn't some kind of an illusion?" Rin worriedly asked.

"Doesn't seem to be too plausible even in today's unreal standards. It's hard to find things that are without reason, like my hair right now, so there should be an evident reason as to why this happened.

But in the end, we can't get to a conclusion that will satisfy the criterion, can we?"

"Why are you suddenly talking scientifically?" they thought.

"Don't you think this has something to do with my headache yesterday, Potato…?"

"Well, that's one thing to be considered. But that just doesn't hold itself as a good reason. That's too vague to be supported.

On second thought, maybe that's it? I don't know much about biology, but your splitting headache may be the cause. It's just that I don't have the capacity to explain it."

"That can't be caused by the medicine that I drank, right…? It clearly said that it was for headache."

"I can't fully agree though, Rin. It's medicine after all so there should be science behind this. I just can't imagine anyone leaving a disguised med out in the… open…

…"

Gin was about to ask, "Who in their right mind…" but stopped abruptly and fell to a deep thought. Regardless of the issue at hand, the Akanamis weren't able to hide their chuckles while watching Gin in a daze with his eyes looking at empty space, and his open mouth that looks like a jet is about to depart from its carrier plane.

Coming back to his senses, he shot his gaze to the wall clock that says 7:46 in the morning.

"Uncle Shuu, Aunt Sumi… I suddenly recalled that this world is not so normal in many ways.

I would excuse myself for five seconds and I'll be back."

A blur has left the Akanami household and went to a certain house in Queen Street; and not a mansion. It took a person that is studying in Blue Ink with its uniform on its shoulder and carried him back to Rin's household.

Identified as a woozy Kaizo Ryuuya, he was dropped on the floor, sitting, while his head literally spun.

"Hello, Mitsumi-san? It's me, Sakato. I'm very sorry if Kaizo suddenly disappeared from the complex house; part of it was my fault. Can you please fetch him in Rin's house with his bag on your way to school with Yuzuri-san? We have a few things that we want to ask him."

"Sakato-kun… Don't tell me that Ringo-chan-"

"I think that's most likely the case."

"Oh my goodness! We're very sorry for all the trouble that Kaizo-kun brought…!"

"No, that's just fine, and so is Rin. There's still not much of a problem with the status quo if insights aren't considered.

Anyways, thank you, Mitsumi-san."

*beep*

"Now that that's out of the way…

Kaizo Ryuuya-san, I suppose you have a lot of explaining to do?"

"Y-Yes…! But please spare me, Gin…!"

…

All it took Kaizo was to mention a certain series involving age manipulation and both Gin and Rin were able to catch on with the current circumstance. Still, Gin was astonished that even after the Facade, they were also able to develop a drug that changes one's appearance to a subsequent growth.

"So you're saying… The pill can also take effect on people that hasn't drank the Facade, so anyone can have its effects. And just like in the reference material, it does not change one's constitution and it will remain parallel to one's current age."

"Yes. But that's already the concept of Facade."

Without a choice, Kaizo explained the existence of the Anew Company to Rin's parents to compensate for all the trouble that he gave. The story goes that he had to take the aging pill prior to his next day's meeting. But because Rin entered the clinic while the pill was left behind unattended, the slight accident happened.

"So, when will our daughter turn back to her original age?" Shuu asked.

"That… She will stay in that appearance unless she takes the pill that will revert the effects of the aging medicine. If she takes it, the effects will take place once she had at least five hours of sleep, similar to the prior pill."

"And where's the so-called reverting medicine?"

"…

I am extremely sorry… But the pill will be delivered two days from now…"

From the parents and Gin, Kaizo, a grown-up, received an earful.

Now that the technicalities have been fulfilled and said, Ichika and Yuzuri came to get him. Because of the current degree of the issue, both Rin and Gin decided that they will not attend school for the day, and also the work training for her.

The house had quieted down, and so Shuu suddenly took Gin to the kitchen and sat behind the counter as if hiding from the other two.

"Musuko, I got the gist of the explanation earlier but I will still not give our daughter to you."

"You're funny, Uncle. I would never ask her in this current time. Even if she's 22 right now, at least in appearance, I know that you and Aunt think that it's not yet a marriageable age in your opinion. I really respect that, so please don't worry."

"Do you have your word, musuko?"

"Yes. I do have my word. Man to man."

This time, the ladies did not hear them.

~ ~ ~

10am, Giotto's.

"Mornin', bossman."

"Gin? Don't you have classes today?"

"The strangeness of the world didn't let me go to school."

"Eh."

"Can you step out for a bit? It's not yet busy so I can also pull Sis along."

"Goodness, did something happen again?"

"Yeah. Not so bad as what you're thinking, though."

…

"Here's a picture."

What the married couple's sight landed on to is a picture on Gin's phone showing what looks like a "family picture" taken in the Akanami household with Sumi, Shuu, Rin, and Gin respectively; in all smiles. In just a few hours, Rin had surprisingly grown accustomed to her new appearance.

"Little bro, I know that you're already skillful in photoshopping things, but you shouldn't joke like this."

"You can ask Yuzuri-san about this later, Hiro~"

"Uhh…

…

What?! Are you saying that this is their doing?!"

"Accidentally, yeah. Kaizo was pretty careless, so this happened.

And mind you, she's gotten very beautiful, isn't she."

"Of course that's a given. She's my sister after all," the couple said in one voice.

"…"

"Yeah… I'll just consider my plans probably when I turn 26 or 27…"

"So with that, she won't be attending WT for today and tomorrow. She's asking permission from Tenth if she can work for two whole days, though. I guess I'll help her study if she is allowed."

"I see, I see.

Then I guess we'll be crashing in for tonight's family dinner."

"Oh, sure.

…

Apples…"

"Now what?"

"We're invited for dinner at Rena's place tomorrow…"

▪ ▪ ▪

It is Wednesday, my dudes. But we'll skip the dinner for once, and jump to the next day, where Gin and Rin are standing in front of the Azuki's house.

"Good evening, Gin and…

R-Ringo…?!"

The floor of the house was just mopped, and Rena's jaw has already fallen down on it. In any case, they were warmly welcomed in. Rin immediately walked in the living room and looked for Yoru's crib. For the many times that Rin had visited the house, Yoru had grown fond of Rin's presence, and looks at her with a happy smile… most of the time…

Well, he cried.

"Yoru-kun doesn't like me anymore…" Rin teared up, and knelt in utter defeat.

"Ringo Akanami, 22 years old; is crying alongside a two year-old," thought Gin.

A colleague from CCI gave Kobana a rather expensive gift. In their plates are individual pan-seared rib eye steak with a reduction sauce that came from the fond. It just so happened that he was given four 1-inch slices and so they invited the two. They discovered that CCI is definitely for everyone—as long as they meet the standards and the required skill—may they be coming from a normal family or a wealthy one, everyone is assessed equally.

The perk of knowing a culinary instructor is that Gin was taught how to make a sauce from the pan where the steak was seared. Because Giotto's does not really have a steak menu, and he does not meet a beautifully marbled steak everyday, he has surprisingly little experience of making a sauce. But now he has so much of it in his mind and is now "fond" of it.

Gin is definitely not dreaming of eating a dry-aged Japanese A5 Wagyu at all. Only his drool was falling on the newly mopped floor.

~ ~ ~

*Gin explains for the umpteenth time how Rin suddenly matured.*

"…And I have the full ability to tell this all because Rena was a candidate as an observation subject of Anew as they noticed some irregularities in your background. Sometime after, I objected after knowing that you need no support of that kind.

But don't worry. I personally burnt all of their records about you and permanently erased the information from their database."

※ He wasn't lying.

"Wow. To think technology like that already exists right in this age… This world is kind of scary sometimes."

"It always is, Kobana. There are people that live with that fear all over the world. Happenings like Horach's ebullition can happen again.

Still, we try our best to live our lives peacefully. Do you agree with that?"

"Yes. As long as we're with our son, we are very much content."

"Hahaha. What a great family.

Ah, the time. I think it's about time for us to take our leave. It was an amazing dinner; thank you for having us."

"We hope to invite you again some time."

"Or we should be the one doing that next time."

~ ~ ~

"Ahhh… That was a really nice dinner…"

"It sure is."

An idle conversation started as they walk under the illumination of the street lamps.

"Potato, can you honestly tell me how you really feel with my sudden appearance change?"

"That's so out of the blue.

But if I were to say, I didn't really take it seriously after I fainted. I wasn't really a fan of it also. Seeing you suddenly grow up felt like your times as a teenager does not exist. I don't want what happened to me in the past to happen to you too. Watching you enjoy your youth is already a supplement to the enjoyment that I didn't feel as a child. I guess… that's part of my delight for saving you from the program.

And honestly… my thoughts were in all sorts of places even until right now. I'm very much used to your dad's jokes, and I didn't take it seriously when he told me that you're still not in a marriageable age.

So, please tell me that you didn't take what I just said right now so seriously."

"Don't worry. I know that Dad was just joking when he says it like that. And I trust you in that matter, Gin."

"Well, that's good to hear.

But… in your opinion… what do you consider your marriageable age?"

"…"

Rin suddenly turned about face to Gin and aimed a flick on Gin's forehead while she uttered her teasing words.

"It's a secret."

"Wha-?! Then-"

"Then I wouldn't be able to know when I'll give you a ring…!"

"…

Hahahaha… You win.

But with that aside, I'm actually making plans with Akira for something."

"Are you also telling me that it's a secret?"

"Nope.

You know that the winter break is right around the corner, and winter will apparently last until the first week of January.

You see, we're planning to go camping in Presto in the 2nd. The OG six, that is."

"But Presto…? I don't have anything to disagree with that, but are you really fine with that?"

"We're following a different route, so things will be fine. Trust me."

"…

If that's what you say, then I'll look forward to it."

Chapter Message:

This is one of those chapters where I completely forgot I wrote it but everything came flooding in after a few paragraphs when I was proof reading. Sometimes I really do some strange things in this story, huh.

On the other hand, the cover has been once again updated! The new cover was made around February 2020 and it really has shown its age. I used to think it looks good enough, but now it's just a mess of proportions. These days I always think I'm not improving in art but having this as a look-back tells me that I have gotten better. *cries*

Also, a Honeyfeed x YOASOBI collab was not in my 2023 bingo card.

Thank you for reading!

Next

082: Camping and payback. Camping with a payback.