Relaxing Moments and Embarrassing Memories

                                    

                                          
The Richardson family had finally caught a break. 
After weeks of intense training, emotions running high, and everything that had transpired, the day had finally come for them to relax. 
No more drills, no more intense lessons. 
It was time to just unwind and enjoy each other's company.
The afternoon sun bathed the house in a warm glow as the family gathered in the living room. 
Pops was lounging on the couch, Seraphina next to him as they looked through the lates fashion. 
Dad was reading a book in his favorite chair, his massive frame slightly hunched over as he lost himself in the pages. 
Seraphim was sprawled on the floor, headphones in his ears and Fredrick was sitting beside him, his usual playful grin never far from his face. 
And Hiroki? 
Well, he had just made himself a sandwich and was now enjoying the little moments of peace.
“Feels good, huh?” Fredrick said, glancing over at Hiroki as he took a bite of his sandwich.
“Yeah, it’s a nice change,” Hiroki replied, leaning back into his chair. 
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to just sit and relax without a heavy weight on his chest. 
It felt... liberating.
Fredrick leaned forward, elbows on his knees. 
“Well, now that we’re not training or running for our lives, we might as well share some embarrassing moments, right?”
Seraphina, who had been quiet up until that point, raised an eyebrow. 
“Embarrassing moments? You mean like that time you tripped over your own feet trying to impress a girl?”
Fredrick’s grin widened, but he shook his head. 
“Nah, I’ve got something much better than that. Remember the time I tried to show off with that stupid backflip?”
Hiroki couldn’t help but laugh. 
Fredrick’s antics were always amusing, and it was nice to see him so carefree. 
But Seraphina’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she leaned forward, preparing to share her own version of the story.
“You think that’s embarrassing?” Seraphina chuckled. 
“Nothing will ever top the time Fredrick walked into our parents' room while they were... you know.”
Hiroki’s eyes widened, his mouth suddenly going dry. 
“Wait, what?”
Fredrick’s face turned a deep shade of red. 
He immediately dropped his head into his hands. 
“Please don’t tell them about that. I was, like, five years old! I didn’t know what was going on!”
But Seraphina wasn’t backing down. 
“Oh, it was priceless. Fredrick, looking all innocent, walked right into Pops' and Dad’s room without knocking, and there they were, in the middle of... the devil’s tango.”
There was a pause as the entire room fell silent, and Hiroki just blinked, unsure whether to laugh or cringe at the mental image that had just been painted. 
Fredrick’s face was still as red as a tomato.
“I had no idea what was going on!” Fredrick exclaimed, his voice cracking. 
“I just thought maybe they needed help with something, so I—”
Seraphina cut him off, a sly smile creeping onto her lips. 
“And do you know what happened next? They just froze, like deer caught in headlights, and Pops’ face was completely redder than yours. Dad was just sitting there like he’d seen a ghost.”
Fredrick buried his face in his hands, clearly mortified. 
“That was a long time ago. I don’t even remember most of it, okay? Can we please move on?”
Hiroki couldn’t hold it in any longer. 
He burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. 
"You seriously walked in on them?!" 
His voice was full of disbelief, though there was no malice in it—just pure amusement. 
Fredrick gave him an exasperated look. 
“I didn’t mean to! I was five!” he repeated, his voice tinged with a mix of embarrassment and exasperation.
“Yeah, yeah,” Seraphina teased, clearly enjoying the moment. 
“I bet you learnt to alway knock after that, huh?”
Fredrick groaned and slumped back against the couch, his face still a deep shade of red. 
“I just—seriously, I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
“Nope,” Seraphina replied, grinning. 
“But don’t worry, Fredrick, it’s not like you’re the only one with embarrassing moments. We all have them.”
Hiroki, still laughing, took a deep breath and wiped a tear from his eye. 
“Well, that definitely takes the cake. But, um... what exactly  the devil’s tango?”
The room fell silent for a moment, and Seraphina shot a quick glance at Fredrick, who was now staring at the floor, clearly too embarrassed to answer. 
Seraphina smiled a little too sweetly.
“I think we’ll leave that up to your imagination, Hiroki,” she said, her voice laced with mischief.
Hiroki just nodded, suddenly feeling like he was a part of something deeper—something with real bonds and connections. 
He was here, with these people who genuinely cared about him, who shared their embarrassing moments and who were willing to laugh at themselves.
Even though his past was filled with pain and betrayal, these moments reminded him that the future could hold something better. Something brighter.
“Alright, alright,” Fredrick interrupted, wiping his face dramatically. 
“Enough about me. Anyone else got a story?”
Pops, who had been silent up until this point, raised an eyebrow and looked over at Dad, who simply grunted in acknowledgment. 
“Fredrick, you’re lucky we still love you after that little incident,” Pops said with a smirk. 
“But if you ever walk into our room again without knocking—”
Fredrick immediately shot up. 
“I won’t! I swear!”
The entire room erupted in laughter again, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Hiroki felt like he was truly at home.
As the laughter died down, Hiroki glanced over at Seraphina, who had a satisfied smirk on her face. 
She was always the one to bring the chaos and lightness to the group.
“Thanks,” Hiroki said, his voice sincere. 
“For everything. For making me feel like part of the family.”
Seraphina just looked at him with a wink. 
“This is nothing. You’re one of us now, Hiroki. No going back.”
Hiroki smiled, feeling his heart swell with gratitude. 
And as the family settled into the comfortable silence that followed, he realized something—this was what family was all about. 
Laughing at each other, sticking together, and always having each other's backs. 
No matter how embarrassing things got.