I lift him up to eye level.

 

"Guess he died." I shrug and place him on the counter.

 

The other matokis, who silently watched, jump up onto the counter and crowd around their leader.

 

"He isn't dead yet. He lost consciousness from shock." States Jokomato.

 

"Oh... Oh well." I look through the fridge and pull out various food articles.

 

"He-Jin... We need to tell you something..." Dadamato says shyly.

 

"Shoot."

 

"We've decided to stay on earth so we can learn the culture and explore." Answers Kekemato.

 

"That's nice. Have anywhere you're going to stay, or are you going to be living on the road in your ship?" I take a sip of milk and lean on the counter.

 

"We were going to stay with you."

 

EPIC SPIT TAKE!!!

 

"Girl, that's nasty." Said Tatsmato as he wipes some of the milk off his body.

 

"Ah, sorry." I grab the nearby paper towels and clean off the mess. "I was just surprised."

 

"Is it okay?" Dadamato asks.

 

"Huh? Maybe... But you all have to agree to help out around the house."

 

"WE PROMISE!!" They bow and say in unison.

 

 Shishimato wakes up and holds his head. He stands up and stumbles around like a drunkard. 

 

"You, are pure evil." He clumsily points to me. Tatsmato catches him before he falls off the counter.

 

"Awe, thank you." I put my hand on my heart and smile evilly.

 

"She's not evil. She's a goddess!!" Dadamato shouted. He covers his mouth immediately after.

 

I blink, he blinks, all the matokis blink.

 

"Thanks, Dadamato." I pick him up and butterfly kiss his head. I put him back down and go upstairs to change.

 

•  •  •

 

"You don't have to keep calling us by our first names. Just say our names without the 'Mato'." Tatsmato says to me as we sit down under the shade.

 

"Okay, thanks." I sigh and rest my body under the big tree.

 

Although it was a tree, you know, hard coarse bark, it was surprisingly comfy. It was the willow tree my dad planted when I was five. I always felt it had more life in it than it seemed. Even if I'm eighteen, I still believe the tree talks to me.

 

Even now.

 

Tatsmato might be too small, but the leaves and hanging branches from the tree brush against my skin and the wind whistles though it's stiffer branches, like a mother caressing me and a father whistling a tune. If anything, my parents live on in this tree.

 

I stretch out my body on the luscious grass, the cool dirt pressing up against the revealed skin on my back. The sun, coming through spaces in the tree, warms the top half of my body in random places. The sky is full of super white and fluffy clouds, the same ones you could use for cloud watching. Although I'm not a flower addict, I still keep my mother's flowers alive. They blossom like it's the end of the world, adding beautiful splashes of colour to my green backyard. Butterflies fly and bees buzz around them, taking in their wonderful aroma and spreading their pollen. 

 

A small butterfly drifts from the flowers and lands on my bare toes. Tatsmato looks at it in wonder, and an idea crosses my mind. I hold my index finger to my mouth and slowly bring my feet closer. As soon as the butterfly is within distance, I nudge it onto my finger and hold it in front of the pink masked bunny.

 

The others stop their playing and quietly come and join us. Totomato puts his hands out to touch the insect, but Jokomato slaps them away. Shishimato grunts and our new companion flies away.

 

"Nice job, you grump!" I glare at him, but he returns it.

 

"It was just a stupid butterfly." He grumbles and walks back towards the house.

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