Flashback – Years Ago
High school.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the school gates.
Satomi stood alone, her bag resting against her legs as she checked her phone.
Her lips pouted slightly.
"Mom's late again..."
She sighed.
It wasn't the first time. But today hurt more.
It was her birthday.
Then—
A familiar black sedan pulled up beside the curb.
She blinked.
"Papa~!!" Satomi lit up the moment she saw who stepped out.
Harusawa Satoshi, still in his early 40s back then, wore a crisp white shirt with his sleeves rolled to the forearm, collar slightly open. A calm, confident man with a businessman's posture.
"You're picking me up today? Where's Mom?"
He smiled, tossing his keys slightly as he approached.
"Hmm? I'm not too busy today." he said, brushing her bangs back gently with one hand.
"Besides… we haven't hung out much since I started the company."
He opened the car door for her.
"And it's your birthday today, right?"
Satomi froze.
