The sun shone, roasting his scalp as soon as he stepped off the bus, an icky contrast to the breezy weather. Somehow, the smell of metal and hot rubber just made the place more hospitable: a steel cubicle resting beside a road, and behind him, crop fields as far as he could see - a scene worthy of being titled "Boonies".

The scenery was pleasant, both to look at and to take in, and he hoped that he could have some time visiting the forested hillsides. But now wasn't the time to play tourist.

He immediately planted himself on the closest bench and sighed. He was supposed to meet his coordinator at the airport, but her sudden email switched things up considerably.

If there was a way to get on Soma's shit-list, it was last-minute changes.

So much for Japanese punctuality. Nah, don't think like that. What did Mom say? There's gonna be slip-ups, just appreciate everyone's hard work and thank 'em.

The sound of clinking glass in his bag made him smack his lips. How do you get exhausted sitting on your ass for fifteen hours?

He pulled out a half-filled bottle and swigged. Frowning at the mouthful left, he clicked his tongue and poured the remaining water on his head, groaning in satisfaction. He knew he had snacks from the last station, but his body still felt like lead. He wasn't hungry, just empty and tired.

The stop was completely barren, and he couldn't help but smirk. This was the last time he was going to be alone for a while. Might as well soak it in.

According to the map, Yasaka's a couple miles away. I could just walk there, but maybe Smith just wanted to introduce me personally. What an honor.

He got up and stretched. Despite its first impression, the place was more familiar than he thought. Houses lined up in blocks, a strip mall here and there, and the occasional car driving up and down. If he ignored the signs and the mountains in the distance, he could have sworn he was in some suburb back home.

Some misplaced sense of nostalgia, he constantly told himself. That, and globalization.

Fully reclining on the bench, he tapped his pockets, making sure the essentials were still on him, put on his cap and closed his eyes. His coffee-addled brain would keep him from falling asleep. He just needed to rest his eyes. It was an hour before the agreed time - the minimal traffic was a godsend - and he read all the books and documents he had on the plane.

The sun was getting warmer, and the scent of soil wafting from the fields stung his nose. He lazily kicked his suitcase and tried to keep his smile from falling.

Well, could be worse. It could be summer and I'd be sweating buckets right now. Hell, I'd still be back home doing god-knows-what.

It was a whole day after he left home, and he tried to keep his chin up. This was the first time he's ever traveled this far by himself, and although he was sure he followed his instructions completely, Smith's last message didn't inspire much confidence.

Actually, what the hell, might as well.

Bending over to his suitcase, he pulled out a brown pencil-case and a large sketchbook. He didn't have time for much, but at least he could get a couple ideas in for later.

"Oi! Satou!"

He laid down his equipment and checked his watch. Huh, time does fly when you're having fun.

"Ms. Smith - er, Ms. Smith?"

Spotting her climbing out of a dark SUV, he shoved his sketchbook back in his case as casually as he could.

"Sorry for being late, my last host family was in some trouble."

"You're, uh, twenty minutes early," he muttered, checking his watch again.

She raised her glasses. Despite her self-proclaimed faux-pas, her smile never left her. "The fact that you're here before me means I'm late."

"This was a race?" Soma's brows furrowed in confusion. "So are we headed to Yasaka Temple now?"

"Yep. Hop in when you're ready." She leaned against her ride, and pointed at the pencil-case still in his lap.

His face burned as he frantically packed it away, and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Do you know much about the family there?" he asked, trying to keep the mood light. He only communicated with her via emails and the occasional phone call. Could anyone fault him for being nervous?

"Eh, a family of four: grandmother, mother, two daughters. There shouldn't be any problems as long as you read those booklets I sent you."

"About a dozen times."

"Great! You know what you're doing, unlike my last client."

She was good. He knew what she was doing, buttering him and getting him to open up. She's done this before.

He walked up to the car, closing the trunk after hoisting his suitcase in. "I had a month to prepare for this, but I was not told there would be so many - monoeye?"

Inside the car, a slim, short woman in a similar suit was sitting in a far corner, behind Smith's seat. Her bob cut did little to cover her eye, which immediately looked away as he saw her.

"Something the matter?" Smith asked curiously. He couldn't see it, but she stopped smiling.

"Ah, no, it's - ah, damn," he hissed, looking down. "I was... not expecting other coordinator."

"She's not a coordinator. She works for M.O.N. with me. Say hello to Manako." She lowered her glasses. "There's not a problem, is there?"

"Ah, hello, Ms. Manako." He instinctively extended his hand to her. He read about Japan's liminal unit, and tried to compose himself. His parents told him about first impressions.

It took a few seconds, but the monoeye returned the gesture. She still wouldn't look at him, though.

"And no, there is nothing wrong. But-" he let go of her hand "-ahh, are you the ones that can shoot lasers out your eye?"

Smith laughed as she got in her seat. "No. She's not a backbeard. Come on."

Not sure what to do, he kept quiet and sat down opposite to her and closed the door.

"So… anything I should know about?" he asked, dropping his backpack between his legs.

The vehicle revved with life as Smith shifted gears. "Mmm, nothing that you haven't read already."

"I meant more on the matter of why a member of M.O.N. is here."

"Why not?" He looked at Smith through the rear-view mirror, and her smirk grew wider. "It's a long drive, and I wanted company. Besides, think of this as practise. You're going to be talking to a lot more ladies when we get there. Unless you're the shy type?"

So much for professionalism.

"That, and the fact my Japanese is just good enough for casual conversation."

"Really? I mean-"

He turned towards the monoeye, only for her to avert her eyes again. "I mean… you speak so well, I thought…"

He waited, but it seemed that's all her confidence spent. From her tone and volume, he couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not, but tried to keep the conversation going. It was either that, or risk spending the entire trip in awkward silence.

"My parents trained me well, Ms. Manako. But I don't speak it as fluently as either of you."

He waited again, but she said nothing.

Soma scratched his head, heat rising up his face. "Ms. Smith, who did you say was the shy type?"

"Hey, getting people to talk with you's an important part of conversation. Show some charisma in front of the lady," she egged on.

When did Smith turn into my mom?

"How am I supposed to do that when she looks like she wants nothing to do with me?"

She rubbed her chin. Manako was always shy, even around other members of M.O.N. Sure, they treated her all the same, and did nearly everything together, but most others could never see how deep their friendship went to getting her to open up as much as she did. Strangers didn't have a chance.

What it said about how he would interact with his host family, she didn't like thinking hard on it.

She looked at the pair through the mirror, her gut twisting at the sight. Manako couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat, and Soma weakly tried to make eye contact with her. She figured someone polite and mild-mannered would get him comfortable. But that backfired, and now she was stuck with two adults that acted more like pre-teens.

"So… do you know the family well, Ms. Smith, Ms. Manako?"

Even as he said it, he knew he slipped up. He should have mentioned Manako first! He looked her way, but she kept staring at her shoes.

"Ms. Smith, I'm sure you work with a lot of people. I know I don't fit the typical body type, but am I that ugly?"

That got Manako's attention.

"No, that's not what I meant - it's just - I'm the one -"

"Don't tease her, Satou," Smith chuckled, waving a hand at him. "And relax. No one's going to care much how you look."

"It would help if she-" he jabbed his thumb at Manako "- said that. But really: stuck in a car with two women with perfect bodies, while I wear this rag? Makes a man feel inadequate."

Smith barked with laughter. Manako had her face hidden in her hands and Soma looked down at his clothes. Indeed, compared to their sharp outfits, he looked like a lazy high-schooler on a weekend.

"Heh, you'll feel more of that when we get there." A sharp left turn made her stop her commentary as she focused on driving, the momentum crushing Soma's face against the window. "On another note, before Manako melts in her seat, you think you'll be alright living with them? Living with strangers is one thing, but a family of lamias?"

"Ahh, so that's why Ms. Manako is here?" he asked, rubbing his cheek. "I think I can manage."

There's that face again. That lax, youthful face, hardened. Sour. That was what made Manako the most nervous. It was the anticipation, the look of anxiety, that made everyone in the car tense along with him.

Smith didn't bring Manako with her just for introductions. She wanted to see how the homestay would react to a liminal in the flesh. He seemed casual enough, but she could tell: he was forcing himself to talk. Putting up a face. Even when joking, he didn't smile along with her. He just stopped frowning whenever he got into conversation.

Manako noticed it as well, as much as her token glances would allow her to. As reluctant as she was, she still wanted to help anyway she could. But it was clear he was more comfortable with Smith than herself.

"I don't know. Lamias can be pretty passionate when they want to be. Honestly, we hoped that the homestay would have been a female."

"Why are you so worried? They lived here for long enough by themselves. They must be doing something right."

Smith sighed. "That's… hah."

Soma leaned against the window, not caring how ambivalent her response was. He was going to be living here for a whole year. Might as well take in the scenery and make a minute effort to memorize the roads.

"Uhm, why did you… what made you decide to be a homestay?"

He faced Manako with a raised brow. This time, she didn't look away. He gave her body a look-over before focusing on her eye.

He had to hold back a laugh. Maybe she was rubbing off on him, but look at her long enough, and it hit him how short she was. Shorter than him. Then he remembered that as a member of M.O.N., she could break him in half if she had to. This fact did nothing to diminish his humor.

"Do you really want to know?"

This time, she didn't look away. Her eye reminded him of a marble, and his finger twitched with the impulse to touch it.

She nodded. He looked out the window again. She saw his reflection in front of the mountainside.

"I just wanted to get out of the house."

Yasaka Temple was one of many erected across Japan. Not that it held much significance, it just shared the name. Unfortunately for the people in Iga, it was destroyed along with a small edge of the town when an earthquake hit. Fortunately, repairs were done within the year and the temple was now refitted with accommodations for liminal standards.

Unfortunately, it was located on top of hill above a stone staircase that stretched for as far as he could see. Normally, it wouldn't be a bother, but with a suitcase with wheels, it was a different story.

"Need some help with that?" Smith asked ahead of him.

He lifted his suitcase over to her. "Yes, please."

"You really need to work on your people skills," she muttered, tapping her head. "Giving a lady the heavier load."

"You asked to help."

"But a man's supposed to turn her down."

"I'm not most men-" he stopped walking and frowned when Smith smiled. "Why English?"

"I thought you'd be more comfortable." Smith crossed her arms. "What? No good?"

Soma looked as if he smelled rotting garbage tanning in the sun. "The accent. Your English is fine, but your accent is… ugh."

She clicked her tongue and kept walking. "Well, your Japanese isn't that good either," she chided.

"Yes, my parents said the same thing," Soma jested. The wheels kept hitting against each step, and enough was enough. He stopped trying to pull the suitcase up and changed tactics. Carrying his backpack in his right hand, he hoisted the suitcase on his back with his left.

"You sure you don't need help?" Manako asked beside him. Finally, she was looking at him without flustering.

"All I have in here is my clothes. It's lighter than it looks."

He wasn't struggling, and he hasn't slowed down his climb, but just the appearance of a man with a load hoisted on his back like that made her worry. It was from carrying loads like that that people broke their backs.

"S-still! If you don't mind!"

Manako was being awfully insistent. Smith narrowed her eyes. Was it to make up for her behavior in the car? A sense of pity?

Soma did the same and dropped his suitcase. His frown never left him as he looked at Manako, his suitcase, and back again.

"I do mind," he said, looking at the ground between them. His small smile returned. "Do not take it personally. If my father saw me handing luggage to someone else, he would kill me."

Manako looked down, her hands rubbing together behind her back. She didn't know if he was serious or not, but he was diligent about this. She could respect that.

"See this, Smith?" he grunted behind her as he swung his stuff onto his back. "What kind of person recants helping someone after offering?"

Smith had to keep her head on the path to keep from them seeing her scowl. At least he's getting along with Manako, judging by the slight giggle she heard. She had to wake up extra-early to make to time escort him, and she knew better than to let some ribbing get to her.

I knew I should have brought a thermos. Haaaah, where's Darling's coffee when you need it?

"How long has the family been here, Ms. Smith?"

"A little over a year. I check on them once in while, when I get the chance. I'm like a family friend, see?"

"Hmm." He glanced up the steps and sighed. He could see the entrance, but he could swore that the steps were growing steeper. At least the trees were nice to look at. "How'd they get through the winter season? An extra-fluffy sweater? A hot water bottle the size of a sleeping bag?"

"You'd be surprised," Smith said, placing her hands akimbo. "There's been some heavy reconstructing since they moved in. And Japanese science is always making headway into improving liminal lives."

"Huh. And I thought Japan was only good for cars, video games, and crazy game shows."

Apparently, neither of them found that funny, or didn't know how to follow up on that, or didn't bother due to the sight of the temple. Regardless, Soma was glad to get the weights off his shoulders.

However, he couldn't help but bite his lips. Despite what it was called, other than the lines of stone pillars and the red gate, there was nothing remotely traditional about the site. The main building itself resembled more of a small mansion than a temple, with the main doors decorated with stained glass windows. The roofs were not nearly as curved as the pictures in the brochures made them out to be, being complete flat with not a ceramic tile in sight.

The front yard was nice though. He didn't know how extensive the damage was, but the stone path to the entrance was smooth and sparkled under the sun. A freshly-painted fence surrounded the summit, with a forest that extended further up the hill past the building. The two trees, resembling oversized bonsai, met their branches over the path, spraying yellowing leaves all over the yard.

It would have been a scene right out of a landscape painting, if it weren't for a twenty-feet tail stretched across it.

"Ms. Airi!"

The lamia turned around and smiled. "Ms. Smith! Welcome! Ah, and this muda-ah, the exchange person?" she asked, her voice deep and gentle.

As much as he stared at her, the burning sensation creeping up his face signaled him to look away. Smooth, tan cheeks dimpled behind a bob of dark hair. Bright green eyes. He could barely make out the brown scales on her face as he bowed.

"Good afternoon! My name is Soma, er, Satou Soma."

"Satou? Ah, that was the name!" the lamia chirped. She glided over to the trio, a broom and dustpan in her hands. A thick brown dress covered her down to a good chunk of her snake half, casually wrapping around her curves as she returned the bow. "Please wait here. I will bring the girls."

"Nah, don't. I wanna surprise them," Smith said, dragging a blushing Manako up beside her. "I know Amaru wants to see us again."

She nodded and slithered to the doors. Smith and Manako followed close behind, while behind them, Soma's eyes fixated on the snake tail.

Smith took immediate notice and slowed down her pace to side with Soma - difficult, considering how slow the host was moving. "How's the first impression going?"

He would have heaved over laughing - when did Engrish didn't? - if it weren't for the lamia in front of them. "She seems nice, but I think I'll be tripping over a lot of tails in the future," he whispered.

"If you want to stare, stare at her chest. They like that."

He clutched his bags tighter and gritted his teeth. "Yeah, great impression, me perving on the kids' mother."

"Mother?" Smith's smirk turned diabolical in a flash. "This is Airi Naharu. She's the grandmother."

"Gran-"

He didn't believe it, but his mouth went slack when he could make out the grey roots from her scalp.

"Yes, I am the grandmother," the lamia laughed, her deep voice reverberating against the trees. "Call me Naharu. Hurry in. You must be tired."

His breath stopped halfway up his throat, unable to form words. Smith and even Manako sniggered at the look of shock on his face.

"You are the… hah~"

"Something wrong, Soma?" Smith asked, her smile still present.

Naharu placed her broom beside the door. She turned to her guests and frowned. "Are you alright, Satou? I can take your bags."

"No-No, I am fine. It's just-" he palmed his face in exasperation, even as he mentally kicked himself "-you are the grandmother, but you look better than my mother."

The lamia raised a hand to her mouth. Smith looked ready to explode. Manako looked at the floor, covering her scorching face with both hands.

Naharu was the first to break the silence. Cackling like a clown, she held her sides with one hand while covering her mouth with the other. Her entire lower half curled and clumped together like earphones in a pocket, briskly but gently wrapping everyone within its scales.

"Uh, Naharu?" Smith asked, her sunglasses askew from the constriction.

"Wahi tae-taqid… ji-ddaan… ha!"

Soma tensed at the cold sensation of scales rubbing against him, but he couldn't help smiling along with her, however weakly, even at the sight of the lamia's scaled hands. He looked at Smith and Manako, silently begging for help, but they were suffering too, in their own way.

Smith tried to laugh it off, but the tail tightened around her the most, forcing her to push the still-laughing lamia off herself. Manako was the most uncomfortable, being practically crushed due to her minimal resistance..

"Naharu, the door?" Smith asked again, frowning.

Wiping away her tears, she took a few breaths before realizing what she's done. Everyone was bent at awkward angles, stiff from being held by her.

"Oh! Alllae-I mean, I'm so sorry! Ah, the door, right!"

She unravelled herself and hurried inside, nearly hitting her head with the door in haste. Smith took the moment to correct her glasses and Manako tried to straighten her hair. Soma tried to push the corners of his mouth down, but they kept rising, and Smith's befuddlement didn't help.

"Is the rest of the family this… touchy?" he asked, hoping to change subjects.

"It's just the weather. She's cold, but she's trying to hide it. Come on."

"Hm. And I thought it was my bodybuilder physique."

And that's the first chapter to a fic that I can hopefully stick to writing on. I have written fics before, but never for the MonMusu series or finished a multi-chapter story. If you've read this far and are reading this now, thanks for your attention, I hope you enjoyed what I got. I got more materials and ideas for how to continue this, but until I get around to writing them down, please enjoy what's already there. I don't know when the next chapter's going up, but I hope to start working on it soon.

Shoutout to Pokelolmc for beta-ing this.