Chapter 5 - Guardians
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As the day of school neared its end, Lisa casually asked her new friend Consuela,
"Do you have any other gaming devices at home?"
Consuela, now more at ease around Lisa, began to think hard, recalling all the stuff her Aunt had dropped off whenever she visited, when she recalled another console that her Aunt had dropped off a year before the 3DS.
However, that one didn't look as impressive as the 3DS, so she quickly put it away in a box at home back then. Upon hearing Lisa's question, Consuela began to feel a little nervous as she cautiously asked,
"T-There seems to be one at home... but, I don't remember its name. It looked smaller and older... and not as good as this one. Would that be fine??"
Consuela gestured to the 3DS hidden within her school bag.
Lisa immediately became intrigued as she held Consuela's little hands and spoke eagerly,
"Take me home with you."
Consuela became visibly embarrassed upon hearing Lisa's request. She thought back to the dilapidated rental room, rented by her parents, and began to hesitate.
Seeing through her hesitation, Lisa began to pester Consuela in a coquettish manner.
Little Consuela couldn't put up much resistance against her new friend's antics as she agreed to take her home at last.
Lisa gained a spring in her steps as she walked along the queue of students exiting the school gate. Seeing her Uncle there to pick her up, Lisa trotted over to him and asked,
"Uncle, I wanna go to my friend's place first. I want to play with her at her home for a bit. Can you wait somewhere nearby until we are done?"
Her Uncle looked visibly surprised at Lisa's words. Although she had been born with a friendly personality and was a popular girl in the neighbourhood, she had never been that close to any particular kid her age, certainly never having visited others' homes at her discretion.
Lisa's uncle glanced towards the quiet black haired girl, whose height only reached Lisa's shoulders while standing next to her, and began to ponder over Lisa's request, before he agreed,
"Alright then. But remember not to tell your Mom about it, okay? I don't wish to get scolded by her again."
"Okay~!"
Lisa knew that her Uncle would agree. In reality, it was almost like her Uncle and Aunt were the ones raising her, as both her biological parents were mostly busy with their careers, trying to gather lots of money.
Lisa's Mother was a well-known local celebrity, often earning a lot more than her Father. Her Father was a very ambitious man, rapidly gaining promotions and switching jobs when necessary in search of better growth opportunities.
Little Lisa only got to meet them at night, sometimes only one of them.
Both of her parents were very good-looking for their age, yet her Mother was inherently seductive, adding to her already charming looks. Lisa's looks were mostly inherited from her Mother, and only a few minor traits came from her Father.
Her Father was often complimented to be a charming, dandy-looking man, despite his real age still being in his twenties, and was four years younger than his celebrity wife. He still had women confessing to him left and right whenever he went out alone.
And to add to the trouble, her Mother was an extremely possessive lady by nature. It was so bad that her tendies could be said to be like a yandere at times. She certainly didn't enjoy the fawning of young girls over her good-looking husband, whose charm seemed to be getting stronger as the years went by.
In comparison, her Uncle ran a store near their house, with Lisa's cousin helping out in her free time. And her Aunt was a housewife who hated working and lounged around the house all day.
Her airheaded and kind nature made others worried about her getting conned, and so nobody dared to force her to work against her wishes. She spent all her time either browsing the Internet or watching TV.
The brotherhood between Lisa's father and her Uncle was strong. So strong that even their earnings were still managed by her Grandmother living in the countryside.
Both brothers still survived on the allowance from their Mother. Her daughters-in-law had it good, though, as Lisa's Mother could still keep her own income, while her Aunt and Cousin received a generous amount each month, leaving her two sons in tears when glancing at their pockets.
Even their housing was a combined type, with both families living under the same roof. Her Aunt was the one taking care of the joint household duties, while her Uncle took care of the supplies.
Lisa's parents seemed more like guests in their house. Still, they were all comfortable in their self-assumed roles and respected each other's space. None of them were fans of bickering and were all pretty chill around each other in their everyday lives.
Lisa and her Uncle hailed a cab while Consuela stood outside, hesitating. She was already used to going home alone on foot. Her Mother was busy taking multiple shifts to supplement their household expenses. Her Father was working out of town in a faraway City as a construction worker.
Although earning enough to get by, her family struggled to deal with massive debts while handling the daily expenses. Consuela's early academic brilliance was a point of pride for the two parents, who themselves couldn't study properly due to various burdens at home.
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