It was nearly midnight on a Saturday, but Miyu Kouzouki and Kanata Saionji were still at the local 24-hour convenience store. They had run out of everything a house needed to function: food, toiletries, and cleaning materials. Much to Kanata and Miyu's exasperation, Wanya forgot to go grocery shopping earlier because he was too caught up in a gooey dumpling festival that he passed on the way to the store. The two of them agreed to go shopping in the middle of the night when they realized that they wouldn't last a day if they didn't shop soon.
"Why do you always buy Dee-Jay Laundry Detergent?" Kanata demanded as he pushed the cart. "I hate that!"
"It smells good and it's cheap," Miyu shot back. "Besides, it's the one Wanya uses."
He grumbled and grabbed a bottle of pureed peaches for Luu. "Well, I should get to choose the bathroom cleanser. After all, I clean the bathroom."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Kanata, we can't use ammonia in the house. We have a baby!"
Her voice carried throughout the aisle, and several curious people turned to stare at them. An elderly woman remarked loudly to her companion, "Young people nowadays!" Another shopper whispered, "She looks too thin to have given birth…"
Kanata's face flushed. "Thanks a lot, Miyu. Now everyone's going to be talking about us."
"Shut up, Kanata." Blushing, she led them to the next aisle. "Our Luu-kun needs milk. Get two cans of Angel Milk, the biggest."
"Are you sure?" He asked as he saw the price. "These prices are ridiculous!"
"That's the best milk for babies. Luu loves it. Don't you want the best for our Luu-kun?"
He looked at her, baffled. Miyu was acting really weird today. Earlier, she made Kanata play house with her and Luu. Then she insisted that he eat dinner even if he wasn't hungry.
And then there was her talk. She kept using the words "our Luu-kun", "we", "our", and "our baby". It was driving him nuts with bewilderment.
"Earth to Kanata!" Miyu said, snapping her fingers in his face. "I asked what brand of diapers our Luu uses."
"I think it's J.M.E. Big Diapers." He grabbed some diapers and put them in the cart. "I can't believe Wanya forgot to go shopping."
"I know. He's totally addicted to gooey dumplings."
Kanata laughed. "Uh, Miyu-chan? I have something to ask you."
Miyu was poring over the grocery list Wanya gave them. "Shoot."
"Why do you keep calling Luu-kun 'our baby'?"
Miyu looked at him curiously. His tone wasn't biting or scornful; rather, it was offhand and puzzled. "Is it embarrassing you?" She reddened. "I'm sorry. It's a really stupid thing to do. It's just that I think of you and Wanya and Luu as my family. I love you all very much--" She stopped in mid-sentence.
He stared at her. Of all the possible explanations his mind brewed up, ranging from probable to impossible, he had never thought of this. He was quite at a loss for what to say. "Miyu-chan, that's really nice," he managed to say. He immediately felt stupid as the words left his mouth. Oh sure, that's what she wants to hear. That she's really nice. You baka, what were you thinking?
Miyu didn't comment on his idiotic response. She just smiled at him. "Thanks, Kanata-kun." She seemed to open up a bit as she said, "I miss my mom and dad, of course, but with you guys around, it's a very happy home. I want Luu-kun and Wanya to be happy while they're with us." She paused. "And of course I want you to be happy while you're with me."
He murmured as he took her hand, "I'm happy when I'm with you."
"So am I, Kanata-kun."
Later that night, Wanya couldn't figure out what happened. Miyu and Kanata arrived home grinning and being sweet to each other.
"I wonder what the convenience store did to Master Kanata and Miss Miyu…" Wanya mused to himself. "Oh well, I guess I'll never know."