"Mom!" cried Yuya as he raced down the stairs with his friend, Yuzu, in tow. "Mom!"
"What?" Yoko asked while she and her husband sat up on the couch.
"Mom, something bad happened!"
"What do you mean?" her face fell.
"We were having a tea party upstairs, and…and then…" Yuzu trailed off while staring at Yuya.
"Yuzu's tea was poisoned!" Yuya exclaimed.
"Oh," Yoko blinked as her son continued to stare her down. "Are…you suggesting that I did it?"
"You were the one to give her the teakettle, dear," Yusho pointed out, causing his wife to lightly backhand his arm as he snickered.
"No! Mama didn't do it, but Yuzu's gonna die if she doesn't get cured," the five-year-old explained.
"Who would poison such a sweet little girl?" queried the boy's father as he patted Yuzu on the head.
"It doesn't matter! We're wasting time! Yuzu's not doing good! See?" Yuya motioned toward her.
"I feel faint," she threw her arm dramatically over her eyes as she collapsed against the arm of the couch, causing Yusho to chuckle as he placed a hand on top of her head.
"Oh my. It is serious, isn't it?" Yoko agreed. "So what's the cure, doctor?"
Yuya motioned for her to lean closer to him so that he could whisper in her ear.
"Oh. I see," she smiled at her son.
"Hurry, Mama! She's wasting away!"
"Okay. Okay. Let me go get the cure," Yoko stood and headed for the kitchen.
"Don't worry, Yuzu, I'll save you," Yuya put a hand on her shoulder. "Mama, hurry! She can't even stand anymore!"
Yuzu immediately fell to her knees with a thud.
"Yeah, you better hurry, darling," Yusho called out. "I don't think she has much time left."
"I'm coming. I'm coming," the woman rushed back into the room and bent down to Yuzu's level. "Here you go, sweetie. One cure just for you."
Yuzu gasped in happiness as she eagerly accepted the chocolate chip cookie that Yoko was offering her and took a bite.
"Hey! Where's mine?" Yuya whined.
"You said Yuzu was poisoned. Not you," Yoko gave him a facetious look.
"You didn't think about that, did you, son?" Yusho chuckled again.
"Here, Yuya," Yuzu broke off a piece of her cookie and offered it to him. "You can have some cure just in case."
Yoko and Yusho smiled as Yuya eagerly accepted Yuzu's offer and scarfed down the treat.
"So is that it? Is Yuzu cured?" asked Yusho.
"Yes. I feel much better," the little girl nodded, beaming brightly.
"Good. Because I wouldn't want to have to explain to your dad that you died thanks to a poisoned tea party," Yoko sat back down on the couch beside her husband.
"Thanks for saving my life, Aunt Yoko!" Yuzu rushed over and hugged the woman.
"Oh, you are very welcome," Yoko squeezed.
"Hey!" Yuya objected. "It was my idea!"
"Yeah, but I executed it," his mother pointed out causing the boy to sneer.
"Aw. You did a lot, too, Yuya," Yuzu turned around and hugged him as well. "You were the one who knew the tea was poisoned."
"Clever," Yusho stated. "But how exactly did Yuya know the tea was poisoned without actually consuming any himself?"
"I don't know," Yuzu shrugged. "He just knew."
"Yeah, Daddy. I know these kinds of things," the young boy agreed.
"It just sounds a little suspicious, doesn't it?" he asked the kids, who only gave him blank stares as answers, so he turned to his wife. "Doesn't it, Yoko?"
"Yusho Sakaki, are you suggesting that our sweet little boy knew that the tea was poisoned because he was the one who poisoned it?" the mother asked.
"Yuya!" Yuzu cried in offense. "Did you poison our tea?"
"Huh? No!"
"Why would you ruin our tea? I almost died!"
"It's not even real tea. It's just water!" Yuya argued.
The parents winced as Yuzu took out a paper fan and whacked their son over the head with it as punishment.
"Ow!" Yuya rubbed his head. "I didn't poison it!"
"Good job, Yusho," Yoko chastised her husband playfully while placing her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry! I was just joking! Yuya would never do something like that. I don't know why I ever brought up the notion!" the father babbled.
"Oh," Yuzu drooped. "Sorry, Yuya."
The boy glanced at her, wearing a grumpy expression on his face as he sat on the floor and folded his arms over his chest.
"Yuya, don't be mad at Yuzu. Your father was the instigator here," Yoko frowned.
"She's right. I take full responsibility. Even though your mother helped," Yoko shoved him. "I'm sorry, Yuya."
"But she didn't hit you!" Yuya grumbled.
"Maybe another cookie would make you feel better!" suggested Yuzu.
The boy glanced at her as a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Maybe," Yuya agreed.
Yoko sighed as she headed back toward the kitchen and returned with two more cookies. The kids' faces immediately lit up like a Christmas tree.
"But this is it," Yoko explained while handing them their treats. "No more tonight."
"But what if the tea gets poisoned again?" asked Yuya with his mouth full.
"Poisoned tea should be the least of your problems right now," Yoko smirked.
"Why?"
"Because I just gave you both poisoned cookies," the mother shrugged before taking her seat once again.
Yuzu gasped.
"Mama!" Yuya stared in horror.
"Oh no!" Yuzu grabbed her throat.
"Mama, why?"
The woman shrugged again.
"This is it, Yuya! It's all over now!" Yuzu reached a hand out toward him.
"Dad, save us!" begged the boy.
"He can't," Yoko spoke. "I'll poison him if he tries to help."
"Ooh. I don't want that," Yusho shook his head.
"No," Yoko agreed.
"Goodbye, cruel world!" Yuzu cried before falling down onto her back.
The parents chuckled.
"Mom!" Yuya crawled across the floor and grabbed her ankle.
"Bye, son. It was nice knowing you," she waved.
The boy crawled toward Yuzu, letting out a garbled choke before plopping face first onto her stomach. The girl giggled, but otherwise did not stir.
"I think they're dead now, Yoko," spoke Yusho.
"Go poke them and see."
"Ew. No."
Yoko chuckled.
"So what should we do now that the kids are dead?" he asked.
"I don't know," Yoko shrugged. "I guess…we'll just have to leave 'em there."
"I think people might question us if they find two dead kids in our house, though."
"Nah. We'll be long gone before morning. They'll never catch us."
The two children giggled.
"Hm. They make an awful lot of noise for being dead," frowned Yusho.
"They do, don't they?"
Yusho gasped.
"Yoko, you don't suppose that…?"
"That what?" she raised an eyebrow.
"That they've turned into zombies!"
"Impossible, Yusho! If they were zombies they would have gotten up and attacked us by now."
At those words, Yuya sat up, followed by Yuzu.
"Uh-oh," Yusho turned toward his wife with a grin. "I think you may have spoken too soon, my love."
"Rah!" Yuya cried as he raced for his father.
"Oh no!" Yusho laughed as Yuya jumped into his lap. "Yoko! Help me! Or else he'll turn me into a zombie, too!"
"You're on your own. I have my own problems!" Yoko laughed as Yuzu hopped onto her.
"Haha! Now you guys are zombies, too!" cried Yuya.
"We're one big family of zombies," Yusho squeezed his son.
"Even me?" Yuzu cocked her head to the side, her pink pigtails swaying.
"Yes. Even you," Yusho tickled under the girl's chin, making her giggle.
"Come on, Yuzu," Yuya hopped to the floor. "We gotta get back to our party."
"Yeah. Our tea is getting cold," the girl agreed.
"It was already cold, Yuzu."
"But we were pretending it was hot," Yuzu giggled.
"Come on!" Yuya scampered off with Yuzu in tow.
"Make sure to check your tea thoroughly for poison this time," Yoko called after them as the pair clambered up the stairs. "Somehow I feel they weren't listening."
"Eh. They're zombies now. Poison probably won't kill them. Again," Yusho shrugged.
"Sure, but they'll do anything in order to get more cookies," Yoko pointed out.
"So will I. What's your point?"
The woman shook her head before leaning against his shoulder.
"This is why I can't leave you in charge of the kids. Because you're just a five-year-old trapped in a grown man's body."
Yusho smiled as he leaned his head on hers.
"But you love me anyway."
Yoko smiled as she nestled into him more.
"I do," the woman's eyes fluttered shut as she felt the warmth from her husband and heard the distant sounds of Yuya and Yuzu laughing from upstairs.