After hanging up, Ren put the phone back into Sefirah Castle and stood up. He needed to go see Yoko.
Walking out of the room, the setting sun lit up his face in red, casting a flawless glow over his features.
He closed the door and went to the next room.
Knock knock knock!
"I'm coming!"
A voice and hurried footsteps quickly sounded from inside.
The door was flung open with a bang.
Standing there, one foot stepping on the entryway floor, and the hand opening the door still held a soup spoon. She must have been in such a hurry to answer that she didn't even put down what she was holding.
Ren stepped forward, took the soup spoon from Yoko Okino's hand, squatted down, and wrapped his arms around her.
"Eh?"
Yoko looked surprised—genuinely surprised.
"It's just opening the door. Why were you in such a rush?"
Ren's tone had a hint of scolding in it, making Yoko shrink back slightly. But she looked behind him and saw that the door, which no one had closed, had quietly shut itself.
She gave him a light smack.
"I was just excited to see you, and now you're upset about it?"
Hearing that, Ren froze for a moment. Just as Yoko started to think he was angry, he leaned close to her ear.
"I'm very happy."
The soft breath at her ear made it ticklish, and Yoko's face turned bright red. She had never experienced something like this before.
"But next time, don't run to open the door in the middle of cooking, okay?"
With that said, Ren carried her deeper into the room.
Yoko's house layout was almost identical to Ren's, even down to the decoration style—it was as if the same contractor handled both.
Which made it easy for Ren to find the kitchen.
It was nearly in the exact same spot as his own kitchen.
No wonder Yoko seemed so familiar when she came to his place the first time… Ren finally understood what had felt "off" back then. It was that sense of familiarity.
Still holding Yoko, he arrived at the kitchen entrance.
Puff!
The clay pot on the stove was letting out puffs of steam, and the soup inside was starting to boil over.
"Ah! My soup!"
"Don't move."
Yoko tried to wriggle free and jump down when she saw the mess on the stove, but Ren gently restrained her.
"But…"
Yoko looked at the bubbling pot with a pitiful expression. She had spent so long cooking that soup just so her brother could taste it.
Ren sighed helplessly.
With a snap of his fingers, the bubbling pot instantly stopped overflowing. It floated into the air and drifted over to the chopping board.
The door closing earlier, and now this move—both looked just like something out of a superpower display. Definitely not staged.
Yoko was a bit stunned.
"What I used on you before was a special ability. But just now, that was pure magic."
"Magic?"
Yoko puffed her cheeks, clearly offended. Her pink cheeks looked even more adorable like that.
"Do you think I'm dumb? I might have gone into art after high school, but I'm not naive enough to believe flying stuff is just 'magic.'"
"Even if it is magic, what about your technique? You carried me in without even setting anything up. How could you have arranged it?"
Magic, no matter what kind, needed tricks to deceive the eye. But those tricks needed setup. If there was no prep, then it wasn't magic—it was a superpower.
"…Magic with some special abilities."
"That's still a superpower!"
After complaining, Yoko climbed down from Ren's arms.
She went to check the results of her three hours of hard work and confirmed that only a bit of soup had spilled. It wasn't a big deal.
Then, Yoko turned to look at her brother standing behind her.
"Tell me. Why did you decide to reveal your secret now? Didn't you say you'd wait until I got something first?"
Ren's expression didn't change at all.
"That part still needs to be kept secret. Until we actually get it, I won't say a word about what it is. But there are some things I can explain."
Ren paused, glancing toward the clay pot now resting off to the side.
"Should we talk while we eat?"
Yoko, hands on her hips, deflated a little.
The topic had been diverted so smoothly that her momentum was completely gone.
She turned back to look at the soup she had spent three hours cooking. She had made it especially for her brother. It was her first real attempt at making soup. But now she wasn't sure if the earlier spill would affect the taste.
Worry written all over her face, Yoko kept glancing at the pot. Then she looked back.
"Fine. Talk while we eat. But since you decided to tell me something, don't just brush me off with vague answers."
"Of course."
Ren smiled as he made the promise.
---
At the same time, Kisaki Eri had also returned home.
"I'm back."
Standing at the entrance, Eri took off her tiring high heels, slipped into the soft slippers by the doorway, and slowly stepped inside.
The rich aroma of rice filled the air, making her stomach rumble.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Kogoro had been living like this for the past few years. If she had known earlier, she would've brought Ran to live with her long ago.
After nearly a month of eating her daughter's home-cooked meals, Eri's stomach could no longer tolerate takeout or pizza.
Those foods now tasted as bland as noodles soaked in hot water. Just looking at them killed her appetite.
With that thought, Eri walked into the living room, tossed her briefcase to the floor, and began undressing from her business attire.
She took off not just her jacket but also her suit skirt.
She stretched her hands behind her back, and with a crisp snap, pulled the shoulder straps of her bra out from under her arms, left and right, and then casually pulled a large bra from her collar.
She tossed it carelessly onto the blanket on the floor.
Now completely relaxed, she collapsed onto the soft couch like a lazy cat.
This was her most peaceful moment.
The clothes that had restrained her all day were finally off. The sense of complete release brought an indescribable comfort.
But that comfort was short-lived—her daughter's voice came echoing from nearby.
"Ah! Mom, why are you stripping down like that again?!"
(To be continued.)
***
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