The next morning, it was back to the norm.
The birthday energy had thinned away now.
Izan was leaning against the kitchen island when Komi approached him.
"Can you drop Hori off?" she asked gently.
Izan blinked once, slow with sleep still creeping in around the edges.
"I can, but why?" he said, stifling a yawn.
Komi shook her head.
"I have a lot of commitments tomorrow."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're kind of the boss."
"That doesn't mean I should slack off," she replied calmly.
"Plus, I am working for someone too," she said while smiling, but he shook his head.
"I am your son, so that doesn't really count."
He exhaled through his nose after that and nodded.
"Fine."
Komi stepped closer after his answer and then kissed his cheek softly.
When she pulled back, her expression changed.
For a moment, her eyes lingered on his face longer than usual.
"You're looking more and more like him," she said quietly. "But at the same time… not like him at all."
