Putting aside for now whatever torment little mochi Sakiko was about to suffer at her mother's hands...
[Elsewhere]
Having returned home, Kaito paused, faintly sensing something, and looked off in a distant direction.
He seemed to have vaguely heard a cry for help from his little secretary.
But the jade pendant he had given the girl hadn't issued any warning, nor had the protective mechanism engraved within it been triggered.
'It is probably just my imagination.'
Shaking his head, he didn't think further. The moment he stepped into the entryway, Mortis, who had heard the noise, threw herself straight into his arms.
"Onee-chan, my crepes!"
The daily "rocket headbutt" greeting arrived right on time, as always. Kaito was already used to it.
Fortunately, he was a sword cultivator, rounding up, that made him something like an athlete. He could take it. Otherwise, he'd have been knocked into internal injuries sooner or later.
He handed over the paper bag in his hand, speaking concisely, "Here."
However, even after getting what she wanted, Mortis didn't immediately pull away from his embrace.
She took the chance to rub her face against his chest, as if acting spoiled. But her amber eyes shifted quietly.
Her small nose twitched lightly.
Like a little dog, the girl secretly sniffed the scent on him. It didn't take long before she caught a trace of unfamiliar fragrance, something like a mountain lily just blooming in early summer.
'Known: the only body wash at home was gardenia-scented.'
'Also known: Sakiko next door prefers classic jasmine.'
'And also known: Soyo, the one closest to Nee-chan, usually uses a mature violet fragrance.'
'From this, it can be deduced that the unfamiliar scent on Nee-chan most likely came from that bad woman he went to watch a movie with today.'
'And judging by how faint the scent is, with little lingering presence…'
'Tsk! Maybe she's just some plain, flat-chested nobody!'
The battlefield of romance is war. Teacher Kaguya had always been one to assume the worst when it came to her rivals.
Though she still wanted to stay in her brother's arms a little longer, better yet, completely overwrite that other woman's scent, too much was as bad as too little.
The girl slowly pulled away from his embrace, standing up straight, her face already back to its usual obedient look.
She took the paper bag from Kaito, lowering her head to open it as she asked casually, "Was the movie good today?"
Kaito thought for a moment and answered honestly, "It was alright."
He wasn't particularly into artsy films, but a highly rated movie had its reasons. The director clearly had skill, despite the film being mostly slice-of-life scenes, it never felt dull.
The ending was also a happy one. In an art scene where everything seemed to lean toward bleak and heavy just to prove depth, Kaito preferred something where everyone could happily make sushi together.
"Oh."
Mortis followed him into the living room, holding the wrapped crepe as she took a small bite. Some cream accidentally smeared onto the corner of her lips.
She licked it off, then asked as if offhandedly, "Sounds interesting. Can you take me to see it tomorrow too?"
"I can take you, but not tomorrow."
Kaito shook his head slightly, "I have plans."
"I see…"
Mortis felt a little disappointed, cut off again, "Is it Soyo? Or Sakiko?"
"Neither."
Kaito thought for a moment before saying, "It's… an older sister you don't know."
Mortis: "?"
'Just how many good little sisters do you have for me out there?'
———
"I-I don't really remember that clearly."
Inside the pitch-black Maybach, Togawa Sakiko's gaze drifted. She had no idea what had gotten into her mother, suddenly grilling her nonstop about the details of how she first met the president.
'How am I supposed to answer that?'
She couldn't exactly say that the first time they met, she'd dazedly followed him home and ended up with a belly full after just one meal, could she?
That would completely violate proper lady etiquette. If her mother found out, she'd definitely laugh at her again.
"Oh?"
Togawa Mizuho raised a brow, "For most people, their first time is a very special memory. To forget something that important… could it be that you were so dazzled back then that all you did was stare at his face?"
"I was not!"
Sakiko couldn't help retorting, though she soon felt a bit guilty.
Thinking back to that first meeting with the president… well, she might have been slightly, possibly, just a little out of sorts. But she'd quickly regained herself, and her behavior afterward was perfectly proper. It wasn't as infatuated as her mother made it sound.
"Hm~ I'll believe you for now."
Seeing her daughter's face suddenly flush red in the rearview mirror, Togawa Mizuho wisely stopped there. As Sakiko's mother, she knew exactly where her silly daughter's tolerance limit lay. Push any further, and she'd trigger her "spinosaurus mode," hissing indiscriminately, and she couldn't very well hand her over to Zeiss for handling.
Just then, the familiar building came into view. Togawa Mizuho parked the car, picked up the document envelope from the passenger seat, and raised a brow at her daughter.
"What are you waiting for? Time to get out."
"This is such a small thing, I could've come alone… honestly, Mom…"
Sakiko reluctantly opened the car door, grumbling inwardly. It was just delivering an ID document to the president. For her silly mother to insist on coming along at her age, didn't she realize there was a huge generational gap between her and young people?
Togawa Mizuho paid no mind to her thoughts. Already humming lightly, she rang the doorbell, her posture lively, somewhere between a teenage girl and a junior about to confess to her admired senior.
A moment later, the door opened.
"Ms. Togawa… and Sakiko?"
In truth, Kaito wasn't surprised. The moment he sensed someone outside, he had already extended his awareness to check, even noticing the document envelope in Togawa Mizuho's hand. He was fully aware of the purpose of their visit, but appearances had to be maintained. After all, no one liked the feeling of being observed.
"Kaito-kun, long time no see."
Togawa Mizuho waved the document envelope at him with a smile, looking like she was taking credit, "About what you asked me before, sorting out Mortis's identity, I've already taken care of it. Won't you invite me in for a seat?"
"Me too! Me too!", Sakiko squeezed past her from behind, forcibly taking up half the space in front. Her silly mom lost all sense the moment she saw the president, completely forgetting the daughter who came with her. This was beyond ordinary favoritism, she had to strike back.
So the two girls, one big (questionable) and one small, jostled at the doorway like celebrities vying for the center position on a red carpet, neither willing to give way.
'You think you can challenge me, Sakiko?'
'You think you can block my happiness, Mom?'
As their eyes met, it was as if sparks flew between them.
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