A Different Turn

Chapter 12

(8man PoV)

'Mmmmh'

I wake up feeling surprisingly refreshed, as contrary to most mornings when I wake up with varied degrees of being tired. Though I can't say I'm looking forward to today, something tells me I won't mind whatever can happen from now on, like, I can't actually decipher this feeling, like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I feel light...

'gah'

I shake my body in an attempt to break out of the trance as I glance over to my not-so-trusty alarm clock, 6:55 AM, whelps, I'm up early for a change.

Getting up from my bed, I stretch my body a bit before witching on my autopilot mode, go to the bathroom, brush, shower, put on uniform, pick up bag and head downstairs, everything is done in the usual manner but I can't help but feel...different, I think I wouldn't mind this sort of feeling.

Going down the stairs, and into the kitchen I notice that Komachi isn't present in the kitchen, rather I'm greeted to the somewhat rare sight of mom tossing around a few vegetables in a pan, well, looks like breakfast today is going to be good.

"Morning mom." I greet her, using my usual lame greeting this early in the morning will only earn me a lecture.

Acknowledging my presence, mom turns around and greets me with a smile.

"Ah Hat-chan you're up earlier than expected, did you sleep well last night?" I detect a tone of concern in her voice.

"Like a log." I reply almost instantly, and I believe in what can be considered a cheerful voice, am I even capable of sounding cheerful?

"That's good" her voice sounds like she's in a better mood now, "We'll be having egg fried rice and miso soup for breakfast." She turns around before putting cooked rice in the pan, soon enough, a 2 steaming bowls of rice and soup are placed before me.

'Itadakimasu'

I dig in like a famished refugee, I almost didn't eat anything last night, combine that with mom's culinary skills and I'm sure you can get the picture.

Halting my spree momentarily, I notice that that mom isn't eating but looking at me with an amused expression, hey I can eat however I like at home!

"I made quite a bit Hat-chan, have as much as you want." She says, her expression unchanging, well I'm not gonna hold back when I'm home, so I give her the empty rice bowl which is refilled as I inhale my soup, well, what can I say, I'm hungry dammit!

"What about Komachi?" I ask between bites.

"She left early, something about meeting up with her classmates earlier," it had better not be that bug, "I asked her to wait up a bit but she ran like the wind taking the leftover cheeseburger as her breakfast." Her tone is a bit annoyed, well its Komachi's loss anyway, I mean we eat that stuff almost regularly but mom's breakfast is a rare event; is meeting up with your 'friends' so important that you miss this Komachi? I mean few months from now when you get into high school they'll be nothing more than names in your contact list, man I can't understand the riajuu way of thinking.

"Her loss is my gain, I get to eat more." I'm sure I earned some Hachiman points here.

She smiles at my comment, "Going to get ready now?" she asks me.

'What?'

"I'm fully ready mom." I mean I've already put on my uniform, what more do you expect me to do?

Her expression darkens, "Hachiman,"

Great what did I do now?

"Don't tell me you go like that to school everyday."