I gave her a few moments before adding.
"It'll take you a long time to get used to the current world. I'll try to help as best as I can."
She eventually closed her mouth and nodded. However, she couldn't stop from following up on the topic.
"How's something like this possible?"
("How does it work?")
I was hoping she would go with the classic "Is this magic?" question but she didn't. What a shame. Less than a day in modern times and she was already breaking tropes. I felt great potential in her.
"That's a very good question. Unfortunately, with your current knowledge, you wouldn't understand the answer. Hmm, do you know about windmills?"
I knew the answer but I still had to ask. This was to be my fate from now on if I didn't want to reveal my power. Windmills were one of the most advanced pieces of technology in her time as far as I could tell.
"Yes."
"You can think of this tool as something a lot more complicated than that. Like, a lot more. Next, do you see this?"
I pointed to a car parked on the street.
"This is what we use instead of wagons and carriages. We call those cars. People go inside and drive the cars from there."
She had another look of wonder on her face. If I had to say, this was a bit funny. I continued to teach her this and that as we got close to our destination. A few minutes later and we were there.
"This is the building where my family lives."
("His family owns all of this? Is he rich, as expected?")
"My parents own one of the apartments inside the building. Let's go."
Just before entering the building, I turned my head toward the streets and watched the scenery.
'Those psychos are probably doing insane stuff all over the place, right? Damn them.'
I sighed and took the stairs home. I had more pressing issues for the moment. In front of the door, I marked a pause to look at Aginaci.
"Ready?"
She nodded. I took a deep breath and opened the door. My mother, who liked cooking, was still in the kitchen, making the last preparations for dinner. My father was in the living room, his back to us. I closed the door after Aginaci. I chose to go with the easier target first and headed to the kitchen.
"Mom."
She turned in our direction and was surprised to see the unknown girl.
"Who's this?"
"She's a classmate, Aginaci. Mom, she ran into trouble today. Can she stay at our place for some time until her situation stabilizes?"
("My son found himself a girlfriend on the first day of school? There's no way, right?")
"Is she your girlfriend?"
"No."
"Why would you take someone who's not your girlfriend home?"
"Isn't it normal to help someone in need?"
("Yeah, right. Is he interested in her? Hmm, should I help him with his crush?")
"It depends. What sort of trouble?"
"Her parents are away because they're on a mission abroad. She got assaulted by some people in our class and she's too afraid to stay alone."
("I can tell he's lying.")
My mother turned to Aginaci.
"Is that true?"
She nodded obediently, trying to look sad. She was doing a decent job at it. Even I felt like I wanted to comfort her when she looked like this.
"Hmm… Ask your father."
I knew it would turn out like this. It was her typical answer when she couldn't be bothered to make an important decision. It was now time to confront the true boss. We went to the living room to stand next to my sitting father, who was watching the TV.
"Dad."
He turned in our direction and was startled to see the unknown girl.
"Who's this?"
"She's a classmate, Aginaci. Dad, she ran into trouble today. Can she stay at our place for some time until her situation stabilizes?"
("There's no way he made a girlfriend on his first day of school, especially after begging me to transfer to another school so much.")
"What's your relationship with her?"
"She's a classmate."
"You want a girl that you know from today to stay here?"
"Yes. We must help each other when in need, right?"
("Not in the real world, kid.")
"No way. Who would let a stranger stay at their place for no reason?"
"There's a reason. Her parents are away because they're on a mission abroad. She got assaulted by some people in our class and she's too afraid to stay alone."
("Bullshit. I can tell he's lying.")
'I swear I need to take some acting classes or something.'
Just like my mother, he asked Aginaci.
"Is that true?"
She nodded and I could feel her doing her best to look dejected. I might ask her to teach me her trick in the future. Even my father frowned at her appearance. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to convince him.
"Anyway, that's a no. She'll have to find something else. Or call the police."
'There's no police in this world that would move based on those circumstances.'
I didn't want to have to use my trump card, if possible, but he left with no other choice.
"Isn't this your fault, Dad?"
"What?"
As a no-nonsense person, he was relatively quick to get angry when provoked. I tried my best to keep looking at his ferocious expression and continued with all the courage I could muster.
"I told you there were some dangerous people in my class but you completely ignored me. Now you have proof that I wasn't lying. This is your mistake. Take responsibility for it!"
All my life, he had told me to take responsibility for my actions. I was now using his logic against him. He was strict and insensitive but wasn't a hypocrite.
("Is that how a son is supposed to talk to his father? He's in serious need of some reeducation!")
I saw his level of anger increase instead.
'Uh-oh.'