«Oh, I almost forgot. I got married. Again.»
It's dinner time when Hakuto Tendo hears those words from his father—Shin—spoken with such nonchalance that he nearly falls out of his chair.
He's not sure if he should be mad, shocked… or just plain tired of yet another wedding. The man's had more wives than birthday candles.
Hakuto is a sixteen-year-old boy with brown hair and eyes of the same color—fairly ordinary, but still good-looking. His father looks like an older version of him, aged by thirty years—grizzled hair, scruffy beard, and an unhealthy addiction to cigarettes.
For as long as he can remember, Hakuto has never seen him without a cigarette in his mouth. Their tiny apartment, buried in the rundown alleys of Sanya, has walls so stained with cigarette smoke they've turned a sickly yellow - once upon a time, they were white.
«W-WHAT?!»
«Why so surprised? Not happy your old man's found love again? Or are you just shocked I can still flirt at my age?»
«I-It's not that, it's… WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO TELL ME?!»
«I just did it!»
Shin's voice is a blend of calm and amusement, with a permanent smirk etched across his face.
Hakuto sighs quietly. «...Let's hope this one goes better than the last time...»
«The last time...? Mmh...» Shin stubs out his cigarette in the sink and immediately lights another. «What was so bad about your ex-stepmom? She even taught you how to be a man.»
Hakuto keeps his eyes on his plate. He doesn't know what cuts deeper—the memory itself, or the fact that his dad still wears that proud grin like it's something to be proud of.
«Some might call it child abuse... you know?!»
«Oh come on, don't be so picky... Having sex with your stepmom is every teenager's dream.»
Hakuto grips the edge of the table. His smile disappears, replaced by a look that says he's officially out of patience.
«I was twelve. TWELVE!»
Shin clears his throat and scratches the back of his head, realizing he just said something completely out of line. He then decides to handle it the only way he knows how: by pretending nothing happened and changing the subject.
«Speaking of teenage dreams—tomorrow we're moving into my new wife's house. Or rather, her ultra-luxurious mansion. She's the CEO of a pharmaceutical multinational—Seiryu Biotech. This time, your old man really hit the jackpot!»
This time, Hakuto actually falls off his chair. Getting hit with the news of the marriage and then the sudden move—all within a single minute—is too much to process.
Sure, leaving their damp, smoke-filled shoebox of an apartment for a mansion doesn't sound bad—but he still needs a few moments to wrap his head around it.
«And I haven't told you the best part yet!» Shin's smile widens—almost devilish. «My new, sweet, and filthy rich wifey—Kagura Narkhalis—has two adorable daughters, both about your age...»
«And so?!»
«You know what else every teenager dreams of—besides having sex with his stepmom?»
«No, and I don't want to know!»
«Doing it with your two stepsisters... at the same time! Don't tell me the idea of living with two gorgeous girls doesn't excite you, even a little! Like walking in on them naked in the bathroom... or waking up with them suddenly in your bed, no warning at all! Being woken up by sexy stepsisters—that must be paradise!» Shin shakes his head, disappointed. «Oh, if only I were your age...»
«Dad, you seriously sound like a pervert...»