My second chance in a strange reverse world!

"What do we do, Alex?!" Luna exclaimed frantically, her eyes darting around the kitchen in a panic.

"Don't yell!" I scolded her, hastily covering the stew pot that had somehow caught fire. Honestly, how did that even happen?

As soon as I managed to smother it, the flames greedily consumed the oxygen and extinguished themselves, prompting a relieved sigh to escape my lips. Simultaneously, I cast an accusatory glance at my little sister, who squirmed uneasily under my gaze.

"Didn't you claim you could cook?"

"I can," she nodded, avoiding eye contact. "I just never said I was any good at it." She shrugged.

I placed a palm on my forehead. "Now what are we going to do? The food is ruined," I lamented with a sigh.

"Mom can order pizza," Luna suggested, her voice hopeful.

"Ordering pizza sounds like a plan," I agreed, preparing to leave the kitchen. "I'll go call her before she's alarmed by the blaring smoke detector."

(***)

I ascended the stairs to my mother's room, finding the door slightly ajar and flickering lights emanating from within.

"Mom?" I called out, pushing the door open and absentmindedly glancing at the program that seemed to have captured her attention.

Swiftly dismissing it as a sports channel, judging by the half-human girls engaged in a basketball game, I shifted my gaze towards the bed. There she lay, still dressed in her formal attire, fast asleep with the remote still clutched in her hand.

She hadn't even managed to remove her shoes entirely, leaving one foot still clad in footwear while the other wore only a black sock.

Surprised by her lack of response to my intrusion, I reached over and switched off the TV before making my way to her side, settling on the edge of the bed.

"Mom," I gently shook her, but she merely grumbled in her slumber. "Mom," I called out once more, this time raising my voice slightly.

I contemplated allowing her to continue sleeping. I knew she was exhausted; in our previous world, fatigue was a constant companion for her. However, at least our… father helped alleviate some of her burden through his pension. It was different here, though, as she fulfilled the role typically associated with a man. I couldn't help but wonder how she ended up with custody of us, but that's a matter for another time. What concerned me now was her well-being.

I wasn't entirely sure what she did for a living here, but I understood the feeling of returning from work and yearning for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow would be Saturday, though, and perhaps it would be best to give her some respite. I resolved that I would ensure she enjoyed uninterrupted rest. It was the least I could do for the moment, to help her relax. I doubted she would confide in me if she needed any further assistance. If she possessed even a fraction of the pride typically associated with a man, she would likely insist that she was fine.

After a few gentle taps on my arm, my mother finally stirred awake, her eyes widening in surprise as they met mine. "Alex, what's wrong?"

I offered a slightly embarrassed smile. "Well... I let Luna help me in the kitchen, and..."

My mother, still a little red-eyed from sleep, put a hand to her hair and scratched it. "Say no more, I understand." She said with a sigh. "Pizza then?"

I nodded toward her. "I'll call, I just wanted to know if you were okay with it."

"Yeah, honestly, I don't care what we eat right now," she half-laughed, half-yawned. "I could devour a whole cow."

I chuckled and rose from my spot beside her. "Alright, come downstairs once you've changed into more comfortable clothes."

With those words, I exited my mother's room.

(***)

"Oh, it's worse than I anticipated," my mother remarked as she finally descended to the living room. "The smell of smoke lingers."

Observing Luna and me cleaning up the kitchen, she inquired, "Are you both sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Mom, don't worry," we replied in unison.

"If you say so..."

We nodded in response and continued tidying the aftermath of our culinary mishap. It was unfortunate that the stew had turned into a mess, but sacrifices had to be made in the heat of battle. With a tinge of regret, we flushed the failed concoction down the drain and proceeded to wash the pans.

"Go clean up," I instructed Luna once we finished our cleanup task.

"Why?" she queried.

Approaching her, I sniffed her and smiled. "You smell a little burnt."

"Oh, right," she replied after taking a sniff herself. "Then I'll go take a bath."

I grinned and watched her depart, then relaxed and left the kitchen, making my way to my own room. A quick shower seemed like a good idea, but I would have to wait for Luna to finish using the bathroom; after all, my room lacked a shower.

(***)

The pizza arrived promptly, and as I opened the door, a delivery girl in a red uniform greeted me. She possessed a certain beauty, and I could sense her nervousness from the slight stutter in her voice as our hands briefly brushed.

A part of me was tempted to ask for her number, but I could feel the gaze of both my mother and Luna fixed upon me, silently discouraging any further interaction. Regrettably, I had to let the opportunity slip away just like that.

After dinner, my mother remained engrossed in a television series that I couldn't quite comprehend, so I decided to retreat to my room. However, just as I was about to enter, I changed my mind and redirected my steps towards Luna's room instead.

When I heard muffled sounds of gunshots emanating from behind her door, along with the occasional outburst in Luna's voice, I knocked lightly. Receiving no response, I knocked again, this time with slightly more force. To my surprise, the door opened slightly, revealing that it hadn't been fully closed.

Curiosity piqued, I pushed the door open a little further and peered inside. Luna was seated in front of her TV, fully immersed in playing a video game that astonished me with its remarkable graphics. It appeared to be a shooter set in a war-themed environment, and an undeniable desire welled up within me, urging me to join in and play with all my might.

My sister noticed my presence, removed one of her headphones and tilted her head. "What's wrong, Alex?"

"Ah." I said, after that I moved forward a little and sat next to her. "What are you playing?"

She sent me a glance before pointing at the screen. "A shooting game."

I laughed lightly. "Yeah, I can see that." After that, I noticed she had an extra controller, so I pointed to it. "May I play?"