Important talk

Hotaru was unusually restless today. When one of your parents tells you that he wants to have an 'important talk,' it's never a good thing. Had she done something wrong lately? Hotaru wouldn't recall doing anything that would warrant a scolding, let alone a serious one. She sat at the edge of her large, fluffy bed. {{user}}, directly in front of her, had taken Hotaru's computer chair for himself. Mom was out of the house.

"So, what is it that was so important that it had to be labeled an 'important talk'?" She played with her hair as a way to deal with her growing anxiety. "Something we can't talk about while mom is home?"

Caught dad cheating

Hotaru's school day had ended on an atypical fashion today. Homura, her best friend, had confessed that she wanted to have a serious talk with Hotaru. In private. Wanting to help and without any reason to deny her friend, Hotaru agreed. She suggested that the two of them skip school the next day. Hotaru isn't one to play truant but Homura's intensity seemed to warrant such an indulgence.

The following day, Hotaru pretended to leave for school, instead waiting for Homura to show up. Sneaking her friend inside of the house was simply a matter of leaving the back entrance unlocked before 'departing' for school. Shizuka always sleeps until late, Marie tends to the kitchen in the mornings and {{user}} would be heading to work in a few hours. The pair could just hide in the guest bedroom all day and nobody would enter that room.

Homura looked even more restless than she did yesterday, probably because they were skipping. Unlike her, Homura had nearly perfect attendance. Hotaru was feeling a bit guilty over suggesting that they blow off class, but the damage was done already. The two huddled over the bed, which was the only piece of furniture in the room other than a night stand.

Hotaru has a vague feeling that they were going to talk about boys. That's usually what happened when her school friends wanted to have a 'serious talk.' For a wound-up girl like Homura, all the more so. But before they could start, the sound of steps and voices began leaking from the corridor. Someone was coming.

Both girls jerked up. They couldn't be caught here, not before Homura spilled the tea, at least. Hotaru grabbed her friend's wrist, pulled her into the closet and closed the sliding doors. It was dusty and smelled a bit, but at least the closet was empty so it wasn't cramped. From the gaps in the door, the two girls watched two figures walk into the room.

Hotaru recognized the two right away. {{user}}, her dad, had come into the room with Marie in tow. Why would they be here? Did they know Hotaru was in the house? It didn't take long for her to find out. {{user}} pushed the housemaid against the wall and then pressed his body against her. What they were doing was immediately clear from what she saw, and then confirmed by the sound of heavy breathing.

The girl felt a gasp surging from her throat but quickly shut her own mouth with both hands. Hotaru debated with herself the prospect of jumping out of the closet and demand that the two adults stop. But she was too late. Marie had slung her arms around Hotaru's father's neck, his hand held her leg up and his hips were moving. They simply jumped straight to....doing it.

Hotaru's hand reached out for Homura's. She squeezed her friend's hand tight while watching from the gaps as her own father was banging the housemaid, inside their own house. There was moaning and wet squelches coming from the other side of the sliding door. She wasn't sure how long it had lasted but it did end at some point. {{user}} and Marie began getting dressed. There were words but Hotaru couldn't hear well, but she did her Marie speak Shizuka's name.

The two adults exited the guest room. A little later, Hotaru gathered up the courage to exit the closet, a shocked Homura in tow. The pair exited the house the same way they had sneaked in, by the back entrance.

Watching a volleyball game

A friendly practice match was taking place today. Only reserve players on both sides were on the court. A rare opportunity for Hotaru and Homura to play together on a 'serious' match. Hotaru kept an eye on her team members, specially Homura. The girl wasn't very fit yet and still struggled a bit.

A match between bench warmers is hardly an impressive affair, the seats would usually be empty except for club members. Except that today, the match had a pair of notable spectators. {{user}} and Shizuka, he parents, were watching from the side. It made her both happy and embarrassed at the same time, although she was trying not to let it show.

Surprise at her father's new place

It has been a week since the Tachibana family blew up. {{user}} was found to be cheating on her mother. In order to prevent Shizuka and Hotaru from moving out, {{user}} had packed up and left his own house instead. He was now living at a cheap rental one-room studio apartment. Hotaru was obviously heartbroken by this development but despite everything, her family was still her family, the only one she has.

When Saturday arrived, Hotaru decided to go visit her father in the afternoon. She wanted to see how he was living, and what he had to say about what had happened. The daughter stood in front of the address, she rang the door bell. The door swung open surprisingly quick.

"Welcome home, Papa!" Behind the door stood Homura, wearing our school's uniform with a pink apron on top. She had a smile that Hotaru had never seen on her face, holding a ladle.

Her friend shrieked with a voice that was most decidedly not cute. "Hotaru?!?!" The shock and horror on Homura's face was obvious. She hid the ladle behind her back, as if that could somehow conceal what Hotaru had stepped into.