The trio just got out of Riel’s residence and was walking with goals of their own; The Laganda sisters wanted to go back home while Riel was curious about their living environment.

“A-are you sure you are okay…?”

The Luna who was worried about Riel spoke as they walk slowly towards the exit gate of the subdivision.

“You know very well that I’m drunk, but there’s nothing to worry. Experience and practice allowed me to carry myself just fine during situations such as this.”

The next one who talked was Runa.

“Just say if you can’t go back home. You can have an overnight with us he he!”

Riel scratched his head after hearing Runa’s words paired with her playful expression.

“I just told you that I’m fine.”

The trio continued together, but Runa seemed to be texting someone on her phone. Riel didn’t bother much because he knew the feeling of one’s privacy being invaded. For a few minutes, what accompanied their walk was peace and quietness. It was nighttime, but the trio had the street lights to guide them.

“Beautiful…”

Luna murmured a single word, but Riel couldn’t understand what she was talking about.

“The street lights? They look normal to me.”

But Luna shook her head upon hearing Riel’s words. With a gentle smile on her face and satisfied expression, she spoke once more.

“The moon is beautiful.”

That was what prompted Riel to view the night sky. It was a sky devoid of clouds. Because of light pollution, the stars visible to the eyes were few, but the moon held onto its grace without hints of giving up. It was a night accompanied by a bright, full moon. The moon appeared to be larger and brighter than usual, but Riel hasn’t bothered looking at the sky for who knows how long. It was not possible for him to figure out what’s “usual” about the moon.

Riel understood the connection between Luna and the moon. After all, it was he who named Luna. It was he who gifted her the words that carry her identity.

“Indeed. It’s beautiful. Just like you.”

Riel didn’t understand at the moment that what he said could be taken a number of ways. Luna gained red cheeks the soonest she heard Riel’s words while Runa pouted as if she was envious.

[Jeez, we are twins. If Luna gets a compliment about her appearance, I should also be happy…]

That was what’s running on Runa’s mind. She knows full well that she shouldn’t feel envious, but there already have been a number of situations where Riel would spoil Luna, and Luna alone. She felt somehow left behind. Luna on the other hand,

“N-no… I’m not really beautiful… Sis looks a lot better…”

But Riel wasn’t about to give up his praise.

“What are you talking about? You are twins. Runa looks just like you. If Runa is beautiful, so are you. Heck, even your first names have the exact same meaning.”

Riel was talking about the Runa and Luna part of their names. Runa is just the Japanese version for Luna because the Japanese alphabet didn’t have an L. Upon hearing Riel’s words, Runa learned that to Riel, they are of equal position. Or at least, that was what she wanted to believe, but the way Riel gives attention to Luna is clearly different. Runa was suspecting that Riel might have special feelings for Luna, but in reality, it was just because Riel was seeing himself in Luna. Although unlike Riel who gave up and let his fear of people get ahead of him, Luna continued pushing forward. That part of Luna was what Riel held with great admiration.

After just a little more than five minutes of walking, they finally made it outside of the subdivision.

“We’re lucky it’s still early in the night. Jeeps are still running.”

That was Riel voicing his monologues to the twins. The twins had no reaction, but Riel wasn’t really expecting anything because it was just him trying to get something out of his system. They quickly took a Jeep that was awaiting passengers, but for some reason, the Jeep went ahead the moment the trio boarded it.

“Would the driver be able to offset his fuel costs with this few people?”

Asked Runa. It was a logical question. Aside from the trio, there were only two other passengers boarding the Jeep. Riel has an answer to the question, though.

“This part of the Jeep’s route has few potential passengers around this time. It would be better if he were to stop at the gasoline station near the bridge where a lot of people are going home from work.”

“That makes sense.”

Just then, the trio heard one of the passenger whispering to the person beside her. They were probably together.

“*Giggle* *Giggle*. Those twins look so cute!”

The man whom the passenger talked to replied.

“That guy is living the dream.”

The lady passenger continued the conversation.

“I wonder who’s his girlfriend? They don’t seem like family to me, and the man looks just like he’s about their age.”

The man finally snapped. He said in a low voice,

“Lucky bastard.”

Of course, the trio heard everything that they were saying. It also didn’t seem like the passengers were desperately keeping their conversation a secret.

“*Giggle*. Did you hear that, Riel? You’re such a lucky man to be dating two cute girls at once.”

Riel knew what Runa was trying to do. He decided to play the “lucky guy” role.

“Yeah. I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world. In fact, I can’t wait to go home with you two anymore.”

The dude passenger was clearly getting so envious the veins on his temple began to bulge.

“Damn that bastard… Is he going to…”

But the other passenger stopped his mouth.

“What they plan to do is not our problem.”

Luna giggled first before joining the play.

“Let’s have a lot of fun… The three of us together…”

Was what Luna said. Of course, the fun that she was talking about was an innocent kind of fun. Definitely not the kind of fun that the dude passenger was thinking about.

The play pretend didn’t last long because the other passengers dropped early. The lady smiled at the trio as she whispered “Good luck.” to them. The dude passenger on the other hand,

“Bro, keep living the dream for us plebs.”

He said those words to Riel with a thumbs up. Riel wanted to laugh so hard but decided not to at least until the Jeep gets far enough. It just so happened that Riel wasn’t the first one to laugh, but Runa.

“HAHAHAHA!! That was fun. The guy must be having all kinds of misunderstandings. Hahaha!”

She laughed without restraint with her eyes closed and her mouth showing clearly. Her shoulders kept moving up and down as her lungs asked for air so she could keep on laughing.

“You’re much more charming when you laugh like that instead of always frowning.”

Riel’s remark that was a little sudden surprised the Runa who was laughing her lungs out just a few moments ago. It made her feel self-conscious. A blush could easily be seen from her light-colored skin, but she finally caught on to something.

“I appreciate the fact that you find me charming, but somehow I feel like something is not right with you.”

Luna decided to also say what’s on her mind.

“You’re kind of sweet tonight…”

“Yep! That’s it, sis! Riel is too shameless right now!”

That didn’t surprise Riel as if he already knew what was going on.

“Ah, do you know how people change when they are drunk? I guess this is my drunken personality talking right now. Don’t worry about it. It’ll go away by tomorrow.”

“I see. So you’re THAT drunk right now?”

“Well… I’m certain you can tell by the look in my eyes, right? I must be ugly right now.”

But Luna didn’t want Riel saying that to himself. She was fidgeting from shyness, but she steeled herself.

“You look cool…”

Runa continued

“Well, you do look a bit more serious than you usually are. You know, the cool guy aura.”

Riel also had something to say

“I have the tendency to be too quiet when I’m drunk, but there are also times when I say some words that would make people misunderstand.”

After Riel said those words, Runa began to wear a playful expression with her right hand on her lips.

“They say that drunk people tend to speak what’s really on their mind. Are you sure you haven’t fallen for us yet? Ehehe!”

“Ehh?! Riel is…!”

Luna seconded her sister. However,

“No way! The age difference is huge not to mention you guys are still minors. The thought of rotting in jail is a big nightmare!”

Riel seemed to have gotten back his normal personality for a moment.

“There’s no such thing as age when it comes to love. Being imprisoned just because you fell in love is wrong.”

“Well, the reason I became a shut-in in the first place is that this society is crap.”

Luna didn’t notice that they were already on their dropping point, but fortunately, Runa was paying attention. They dropped off and the Jeep continued ahead, but Riel suddenly remembered something that he wished he didn’t.

“Hey… Did we pay? We didn’t, right?”

The twins opened their mouths agape as a jolt shocked their brains.

“WE FORGOT!”

Runa shouted.

“W-what do we do…?”

Luna asked, but Riel has a better question.

“Why did the driver went ahead? Did he forget that we haven’t paid yet? But Jeepney drivers are usually greedy enough to not miss something like that…”

“Well, we can’t do anything about something that’s already happened. Let’s move on.”

Runa was totally correct. They went ahead and entered the subdivision where the twins reside. Unlike Riel’s residence which is at the very heart of his subdivision, the twins’ home was not far from the entrance. Though the guards of the subdivision where the twins live are stricter with their rules. Riel is a first timer, and so he got questioned even when he was with the twins, but after calling the Laganda residence, he was allowed as a visitor.

What appeared as the home of the Lagandas wasn’t something that Riel was expecting. It was more normal and ordinary than what he imagined considering the Laganda family should be wealthier than they let on. However, Riel was glad to know that a humble family among the higher class still exist. There, a lady that didn’t seem to be that old was standing right at the front door as if awaiting their return.

“I didn’t know you two had an older sister.”

Was Riel showing his surprise to the twins by way of words, but

“That’s our mom.”

Runa said.

“Come on, stop with the jokes already. Luna, that’s your sister. Right?”

But Luna shook her head.

“Mama. We are home…”

Riel couldn’t believe that Runa was telling the truth.

[Damn. She didn’t age since I was six years old? You must be kidding.]

“Welcome back. Runa. Luna. That lovely boy must be Riel.”

The mother welcomed her daughters’ return. She also noticed Riel’s presence who looked nothing like an adult.

[Lovely… boy? What the hell...]

He thought before he introduced himself.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Riel Miurick. I’m sorry for always having your daughters visit me at home.”

“You’re so sweet! You don’t have to worry about it. I know that my daughters are the ones who are always interrupting your peaceful life.”

Riel hated pleasantries, but that one was an exception. He was still in his drunken state, after all.

“By the way, you can just call me Mom.”

“Umm… Excuse me?”

“I mean, it would be inconvenient if you have to call me and you don’t know how to, right?”

“It would be alright to call you….”

Riel realized that he didn’t know how he would address the twins’ mother. He could have just asked her name, but he also couldn’t fathom calling by name. Well, there could be a number of ways that Riel could call the twins’ mom, but he was overcome with the feeling of shyness and awkwardness at the time.

“See! So, just call me mom. Okay?”

The mom said that with a smile on her lips hidden in her right hand like a real maiden.

“Alright, then. I will call you mom. I got your daughters back safely. It’s time I go now.”

Riel didn’t want to waste his time, or rather, the embarrassment was getting to him. He planned to retreat, but

“Since you’re here, why not take a look around?”

“Ah, I’ll do that another time. I’m quite drunk. I just want to head to bed already. Oh, by the way, I made sure your daughters were safe from alcohol. Runa insisted tha-”

Riel was almost going to say something that would be a blunder to Runa, so she attempted to stop him.

“Just wait a moment! You can talk once you’re inside.”

“Just like what I said, I’m drun-”

Mom decided to force Riel by the power of pressure. She grabbed Riel by the arms and dragged him inside. The soonest that Mom did that, Riel realized where Runa got her forcefulness.

[What’s the saying? An apple doesn’t fall far from its tree…]

“Do you want to eat? Just say it. I’ll cook for you!”

“I’d be very happy to eat your cooking, but unfortunately, I’ve already eaten before getting here. I made sure to feed your daughters, too.”

But Runa didn’t like the sound of that last part.

“What are we? Pets?”

“Riel… Feeding me…”

Luna didn’t seem to hate the idea, but Runa has to stop her sister from falling further in her dream.

“Stop dreaming, sis! That thing will never be considerate enough!”

But Mom just laughed it off and decided to let them go.

“If that’s the case, then you would want to take a rest. Luna, will you show him to your room?”

Luna nodded with a soft smile on her lips. Runa looked once more on Mom only to see their female parent raising two thumbs up.

“Umm… Can I just go home, please?”

“B-but…! You’re drunk.. Aren’t you.?”

“Well, yeah. But I can’t impose on you any more than this.”

“Y-you’re not imposing on us… We want you.. To be here.”

Luna opened the door to her room the soonest they arrived while Runa followed up from behind. What Riel saw was the room of a teenage girl filled with cute stuff. Teddy bears of different sizes along with other stuffed animals. Pink desk, pink bed, pink mat. It was the epitome of femininity at least as far as Riel’s knowledge goes. There were also a number of books that seemed like novels to Riel. Those books were meticulously arranged on a small shelf. It showed how much the owner loved and cared for her books.

“It smells nice.”

“Hey, don’t go having weird thoughts now.”

“Then, may I go home now?”

“I didn’t say I wanted you to go home.”

Riel could only sigh at the ever so difficult Runa. Meanwhile,

“T-take a sit…”

“On your bed?”

Luna nodded upon being asked by Riel.

“But I’m positive I smell like beer right now…”

“Don’t worry… You don’t smell bad.. Hehe”

[Ughh… How can Luna be this cute?! I feel like I might need Insulin soon.]

Those words ran through Riel’s mind as he suppressed the urge to pat Luna on the head.

“...”

“...”

And then, there was silence. The trio didn’t know what they were supposed to do now. Runa had thought of an interesting game to play after a few moments, but Riel showed signs of exhaustion.

“A-are you okay…?”

Luna asked the Riel who held his forehead with his left hand.

“Yeah… My head just hurts. I guess hangover’s finally setting in. May I have some water?”

The sisters looked at each other as if talking in their minds. After that, Runa nodded and went out to get a glass of water. Meanwhile,

“You should lie down…”

“Thanks, but my head spins worse when I’m lying down.”

Luna was so worried that she thought Riel was just being humble and shy. She hasn’t experienced being drunk, so she doesn’t know how it affects those who drink too much alcohol.

“I think you really need to lie down…”

She pushed Riel with the might of a thousand concerned angels, but she also lost her balance and ended up falling. Riel cushioned her with his body just fine, but they realized that their positions were not something that they should be seen at that moment.

Both tried to steel themselves and move, but they were too nervous and embarrassed that they stayed like that for a little while longer. The two wore flushed cheeks and eyes that try to avoid each other. Their breaths so close, minds that could not think properly.

[This is wrong on so many levels. I need to fix things quick.]

Finally, Riel regained his ground. He suspected that Luna just needed a bit of a mental pinch so she could move. He decided to dispel the air of shyness by saying something no matter how useless.

“Um.. May I borrow your Wi-Fi? I want to play Brave Summoner 2.”

The still flustered Luna quickly stood up with cheeks as red as an apple.

“Umm… Y-your.. P-phone…!”

She extended her arms awkwardly.

“H-here…”

“Thanks.”

[Damn… Staring at my phone’s screen will make me even dizzier.]

But Riel couldn’t do anything about it. Luna also decided to go open her game so they could play together. Meanwhile, Runa finally got back with a glass of water.

“Here’s your water.”

“Oh, sorry for the trouble.”

“Nah, you seem to be in a bad shape. Aren’t you glad you stayed? Maybe you should really spend the night here.”

Riel didn’t react to Runa’s offer. Instead, he looked for the toilet.

“A-are you sure you’ll be fine…?”

“Sigh, you should have known your sister was cheating. She was making you drink more than anyone else.”

“Tsch. It happens every time. I usually have no problem, I don’t know why I have to be struck this hard now.”

After the toilet, Riel went back to Luna’s room only to look for medicine. He doesn’t have a good tolerance to pain in the first place. It also happened that his head was one of his weakest points. Again, Runa went to go get whatever Riel needed. Meanwhile, Luna watched over him once more. This time, Riel decided to just lie down because his body no longer had the strength to sit for a longer period of time. By the time the medicine arrived, Riel had already fallen asleep.

“Here’s the med-”

Runa was stopped by Luna who gestured to her sister.

“Oh, he fell asleep.”

The two of them observed him for a few minutes before finally having decided to sleep together in Runa’s room.

“He has the sleeping face of a child.”

“Yep… I’m glad… That he’s smiling..”

The two went out of the room with plans to move to Runa’s when Mom saw them.

“Did he fall asleep?”

The twins nodded.

“Is that so? I wish him a night filled with beautiful dreams.”

Riel got home fine the next day at around the afternoon. He thought of apologizing to the Lagandas, but he decided to voice his gratitude instead. He also enjoyed the games that they played together not just with the twins, but also with Mom.