From the living room, the mood had already begun to shift.
"Woo~!" Kenji grinned, raising his glass in the air even though it was still empty. "Our drinking partner has arrived!"
Kazuma chuckled beside him, nudging his brother-in-law with an elbow. "At least now we're not the only ones who'll get dragged into Father's rounds tonight."
Haruki gave a polite laugh as he stepped out of his shoes at the genkan, bowing once more toward Kitayama, who responded with a gruff nod of approval and poured himself another cup of sake.
Meanwhile, Kyouko moved quietly down the hall and stepped into the first guest room.
Inside, Satomi was already in her casual clothes—her legs tucked beneath her as she scrolled through her phone, relaxed as if the storm of earlier had never happened.
"Satomi?"
"Mm?" She looked up. "Yes, Mom?"
Kyouko spoke calmly. "Move your bag to the next room. Haruki's already here."
Satomi blinked, lips parting slightly. "Umm… okay."
