In the kitchen of Lilaâs house, Ethan was preparing breakfast while chatting with Lila on his phone.
Given how complicated things were at his place, there were always a lot of questions she needed to ask him.
But even while multitasking, Ethan handled everything smoothly. His cooking was as effortless as a flowing stream.
He scooped a bit of soup into a small dish, tasted it, and nodded in satisfaction. In no time, he had whipped up breakfast for four.
Just then, Ethanâs sharp ears picked up the sound of footsteps. A small figure appeared in the living roomâit was Lilaâs younger sister, Ivy.
Still in her pajamas, her eyes barely open, Ivyâs nose twitched slightly, as if she had been drawn in by the delicious smell.
Ethan chuckled and called out to her, âIvy, breakfast is ready! But youâve gotta brush your teeth first.â
His voice snapped Ivy out of her sleepy daze. She blinked, suddenly realizing that the person in the kitchen wasnât her momâit was her sister.
Wait, her sister!?
Ivy rubbed her eyes hard and even tugged at her cheeks, as if trying to figure out whether she was still dreaming.
âWhatâs wrong?â Ethan walked over to her, crouching down to gently ruffle her hair. He couldnât help but think how adorable Lilaâs little sister was.
But Ivy, seeing this unusually cheerful version of her sister, took a step back, her expression quickly turning to one of visible panic.
The next second, she let out a loud âWaaah!â and bolted from the room, shouting, âMom! Somethingâs wrong with Lila! Sheâs acting really weird!â
âUhâ¦â
Ethan froze for a moment, then realized what had happened.
He had underestimated the impression Lila had left on her family.
And honestly, he had gotten a bit too comfortable, acting completely like himself. Considering how socially anxious Lila usually was, it wasnât surprising that Ivy would freak out at such a drastic change in her sisterâs behavior.
But after thinking it over, Ethan decided to just let it go. He had no intention of pretending to be Lila, just like he wouldnât expect Lila to pretend to be him. That would be way too exhausting.
Heâd just come up with an excuse to explain things to Lilaâs mom later.
Soon enough, Lilaâs mother, Margaret, was dragged into the living room by Ivy.
At first, Margaret was a bit confused, thinking her younger daughter was probably overreacting. After all, she knew Lila well.
Sure, Lila was a bit introverted, but she was a good kid. She wouldnât do anything strange.
But as soon as Margaret stepped into the living room, she saw the dining table already set with a lavish breakfast, and standing beside it, wearing an apron, was her eldest daughter. It was clear that all this food had been made by her.
âAh.â
Margaret hadnât expected this at all.
And who was this dazzling person!?
The next second, Margaret instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. Her daughter was so radiant in that moment that she could hardly bear to look directly at her.
Seeing her exaggerated reaction, Ethan tilted his head and asked, âWhatâs wrong, Mom?â
Margaretâs expression immediately shifted to one of visible panic.
Without missing a beat, she scooped Ivy up, tucked her under her arm, and turned to run, shouting, âThomas! Somethingâs wrong with Lila! Sheâs acting really strange!â
Why is even her mom reacting like this? Ethan thought to himself, feeling a bit exasperated. He could only hope that Lilaâs dad would be a bit more level-headed.
Soon, Lilaâs father, Thomas Harper, arrived on the scene. At first, his reaction was just like Margaretâsâconfused and unconcerned. But when he saw the scene in the living room, there was no doubt he was just as stunned.
Margaret and Ivy hid behind him, sneaking glances at âLila.â
To his credit, Thomas, as the head of the Harper family, didnât panic. He just looked completely bewildered, as if he was still processing the situation.
And so, the room fell into an awkward silence.
Do they think Iâm some kind of monster? Ethan muttered to himself, before finally breaking the tension. âHow about we just eat first?â
At the dining table, Ethan calmly ate his portion of breakfast, while the other three were clearly struggling to keep their composure.
The food was so delicious that it exceeded their expectations, and for a moment, they all forgot about Lilaâs strange behavior. Their eyes lit up as they focused entirely on devouring the meal.
It wasnât until they finished breakfast that the Harper family finally snapped back to reality.
âAhâ¦â
Ethan didnât think much of it. After all, his cooking skills were more than good enough to land him a head chef position at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
But even though breakfast was over, the Harper couple remained silent. Meanwhile, Ethan was busy playing with Ivy. Being just a kid, she quickly warmed up to her ânewâ sisterâs personality.
At that moment, the Harper couple exchanged a glance, as if they had come to some sort of decision. Finally, Margaret spoke up, âLila, sweetie, I know a very talented medium.â
Wait, do they think their daughterâs possessed by a ghost? Ethan couldnât help but chuckle to himself. Well, technically, they werenât entirely wrong.
But to avoid further complications, Ethan decided to come up with an excuse. He leaned his elbows on the table, interlaced his fingers under his chin, and spoke in a deep, serious tone, âI know youâre both confused by my sudden change. Thatâs because you donât know what Iâve been through.â
âBeen through?â The Harpers swallowed nervously, waiting for their daughter to continue.
âIt all happened last night, in a dream,â Ethan began, spinning a dramatic tale. âIt was an epic adventure in another world, where I was on a quest to find the Dragon Balls. After countless trials with my friends from that world, we finally gathered all seven Dragon Balls and summoned the mighty dragon. I made a wish to change myself.â
Both the Harper couple and Ivy were completely engrossed in Ethanâs theatrical storytelling.
Thomas, wide-eyed, exclaimed, âSo, Lila, your transformation is because of the dragonâs power!?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
But then he saw his daughter shake her head, looking a bit indignant. âNo, after I made my wish, the dragon told me that through the journey, I had already changed on my own. Then, it just sent me back to the real world. Sure, the dragon cheated me out of a wish, but your daughter was reborn!â
As ridiculous as the story sounded, the Harper couple seemed to buy it completely. They were even clapping, clearly moved by the tale.
Ethan hadnât expected them to believe such an outlandish explanation. Maybe it was just a testament to how much the Harpers adored Lila.
He couldnât help but feel a bit touched. The Harper family really was the picture of a loving, model family.
After that, Ethanâs time with the Harper family went smoothly. He even volunteered to wash the dishes. Once everything was cleaned up, he checked the time and realized it was about time to head to school.
As he left, the Harper couple stood in the living room, watching the door.
Suddenly, Thomas spoke up, sounding a bit nostalgic, âHey, do you think we should write a thank-you letter to Akira Toriyama?â
Margaret turned to him, shocked. âYou donât actually believe that Dragon Ball story, do you?â
âOf course not,â Thomas laughed, shaking his head. âI was just joking.â
âAre you sure Lilaâs really okay?â Margaret still seemed a bit worried about her daughter.
âItâs obvious, isnât it? Lilaâs growing up.â
Thomas gently hugged his wife, reassuring her. âSheâs a teenager now. Itâs not unusual for her to change. You see it all the time in mangaâshy kids suddenly become outgoing when they start high school. Maybe this is just her late-blooming high school debut.â
Why does it feel more like a late-blooming case of chÅ«nibyÅ? Margaret thought to herself, but then quickly recalled the maturity her daughter had shown that morning.
Whatever the reason, it was clearly a positive change. It seemed like their daughter didnât need too much worrying after all⦠though, maybe it wouldnât hurt to book an appointment with a therapist, just in case?