Attack Of Parasites

"That's not true, Mom! What's wrong with you?" Izumi stammered, surprised by his mother's intense reaction, especially since it was the first time she had addressed him like this.

"Excuse me, but if there's someone we should ask what's wrong, it's you. I don't understand what's happening to you! Something has changed in you; it's like you're not my son anymore..." she said, tears streaming down her face as she mourned for the Izumi she no longer recognized.

"Honey... please calm down," the father intervened, having witnessed his wife break down in tears.

"Please tell me!!! What happened to you? We are your family, not strangers!" the mother insisted, urging her son to reveal what he was hiding.

A long silence enveloped the family, especially Izumi, who was being questioned. He lowered his head to stare at his right hand resting on his knee under the table for a few moments, hesitating as to whether he should tell the truth, feeling the weight of his mother's sorrow...

Migi appeared with one eye, a warning message about breaking their agreement.

"I thought I would feel lonely; I only felt that way this morning. But when I talked about your trip with my classmates and my refusal, they laughed at me. So I reconsidered and realized I was being selfish, thinking only of myself. That's why I have no objection to your trip, as I said before," Izumi said, feigning emotion, especially after Migi's appearance.

His parents reacted positively to his speech and the reason behind his change of heart.

"I can invite Dekim to stay over if I feel lonely; that's all," he added.

"Since we're leaving tomorrow morning, I'll leave you a file to give to my partner when he stops by the house," the father said, pushing his chair back to get up.

"I'll bring it," his mother replied, placing her hand on her husband's arm.

As she headed toward the desk, the mother suddenly stopped. The door to Izumi's room was slightly open, with bright light spilling out. Numerous thoughts rushed into her mind; she still hadn't satisfied her suspicions and was convinced Izumi was hiding something. Breaking the barrier of privacy, she entered the room, hoping to discover something about her son. The first thing that caught her attention was a scientific magazine on the floor, a special edition on "Parallel Lives with Supernatural Beings."

She picked up the magazine and began flipping through its pages. It seemed strange to her; her son wasn't interested in this topic and had even opposed it vehemently while watching a movie about supernatural beings, dismissing it as mere viewer bait. She took a few steps to place the magazine in a cabinet near the desk.

Frozen in place, she couldn't move when she saw the gun on Izumi's desk. Migi must have forgotten to put the gun in the drawer as Izumi had asked him to. The sight of the gun shattered her composure, confirming her suspicions about something Izumi was hiding.

Without thinking much, she picked up the gun and headed toward the dining table to place it on it. The father's gaze was suspicious; the type of gun was different from his work weapon. Izumi looked shocked. How!!! Izumi realized he was in trouble.

"Is this what you plan to do while we're gone? Is this how you want to end your life?" his mother said, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What!!!" the father exclaimed, hitting the table with his hand.

Though the moment wasn't long, it was enough for Izumi to think of a way out of the predicament he found himself in. "Okay, first, I think you misunderstood, Mom. The purpose of this gun is not what you've concluded; it's simply for self-defense while you're away from home. The mystery of the torn flesh crimes isn't over yet, so I decided to get an effective weapon in case something happens while I'm home," Izumi said calmly, controlling himself.

He looked at his father and continued, "Secondly, the way I obtained the gun isn't legal, and I know, Dad, that my actions are punishable under Japanese law. But as long as the government cannot protect its citizens from these crimes that innocent people fall victim to, it has no right to penalize anyone for possessing a weapon for self-defense."

With cleverness, Izumi shifted the responsibility to the Japanese state for its failure to resolve the crisis of unexplained crimes. In that moment, he managed to turn the tables in his favor; neither his father could oppose his son's argument, which he found largely valid, nor could his mother say anything, feeling embarrassed by the contradictions in her earlier conclusions.

After a long silence, the father said, "Only draw it if absolutely necessary, and be careful in how you handle it," referring to the gun.

Izumi returned to his room, angry about the intrusion into his personal affairs and belongings—something he had never experienced from his mother. Yet, he couldn't confront her, especially with a gun in play. He flopped onto his bed, placing his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling.

Migi appeared and said, "I admit, sometimes you're as smart as Lelouch and other times you're as foolish as Nobita."

"Shut up, it's not the time for your jokes," Izumi replied angrily.

"How is it possible that she took no time at all to return with the gun in hand instead of the file she was supposed to bring? It's like there's a surveillance camera in my room—strange," Izumi wondered aloud.

"I left the gun on the desk and didn't turn off the lights when I followed you. Plus, the door was only partially closed..." Migi explained.

"What did you say!!! Didn't I tell you to put it in the desk drawer?!" Izumi shot up from his bed, furious.

"And you say sometimes I'm as foolish as Nobita!" he added sarcastically.

"Well, it would have been easy to hide the matter and not disclose it like you humans do, but I see no point in hiding the truth," Migi said, stretching and relaxing in the desk chair.

Morning arrived, and Izumi's parents were ready to leave after packing the necessary items for their holiday.

"The taxi will arrive in a moment," Izumi said, putting down the phone.

"This might be the first time we're leaving for a long time; when we lived in the first apartment, we didn't have many joyful times," his mother remarked.

"I completely agree. Things were tough back then," his father said, then grabbed his wallet and slung it over his shoulder.

"I remember getting that burn back then," his mother said, glancing at her right arm, which bore scars from the burn.

A look of sadness crossed Izumi's face as he directed his gaze to the ground. His parents noticed and approached him to say goodbye, reminding him to take care of himself, along with the usual motherly advice like turning off the gas stove, locking the door properly, and returning home early.

"Alright, we're off. Don't worry about us," the father said, opening the door before stepping out.