I step into the kitchen, the faint smell of simmering vegetables already filling the air. Hayato's standing near the stove, silently stirring something in a pan. His expression, as usual, is calm and unreadable—like always.
"Oh! You're cooking again, Hayato-kun?" I say with a smile, tying up my sleeves. "Mind if I help?"
He doesn't look up. "Do whatever you want."
He might sound cold, but I know he doesn't mean it that way. I quietly grab a cutting board and start slicing some carrots, humming to myself. It feels... warm, like a small piece of peace in all this madness.
Things won't be easy from now on… I glance toward the hallway as I chop the vegetables. More than the outside threats, I think it's the inside that'll break us faster. Ruby-chan and Kaito-san—those two are like fire and steel lately. They barely even talk without tension in the air. And Takumi-kun... he blames himself. I've known him long enough to notice when his heart is sinking behind that silly grin. We're supposed to be a clan… a family. But right now, it feels like we're just a bunch of broken parts trying to move together.
Just when I was finally getting the hang of the stew, the kitchen door creaked open. I looked up—and of course, it's Ruby-chan.
She strolls into the kitchen, arms swaying casually. "So, what's for dinner, Hayato?"
He doesn't even look up from the pan. "Grilled salmon, miso soup, steamed rice, some sautéed veggies and green tea mochi for dessert. Basic."
Ruby raises an eyebrow. "Woah, you cooked all that alone?"
"Nope!" I say proudly, pointing at myself with the ladle. "Chef Shizuka to the rescue!"
Hayato sighs. "She mostly stirred things and stole side dishes."
I gasp. "Rude! I did emotional support!"
Ruby chuckles. "Honestly, if it's edible, I'm not complaining. So, where's everyone else?
I glance around while setting the plates. "Takumi-kun's training outside. Still going at it, even after all that…"
" Yora's in his room. Locked in with some weird machine and wires. I think he's trying to invent another weird automatic vaccum cleaner… version five or something."
I giggle a little.
"And Kaito-san—"
"Yeah, yeah. Let everyone do whatever they want," Ruby says, waving it off. "Right now, all I want is food. I'm starving."
I blink. "U-uh… yes ma'am. Hungry Ruby-chan is scary…"
The rice cooker lets out a soft ping. Dinner's ready.
---
Hayato quietly finishes his food and gets up without a word. "Thanks for the meal," he says simply, walking off like he always does.
Now it's just me and Ruby-chan, still sitting with our plates. I lift a dumpling with my chopsticks and glance at her. "So Ruby-chan… how are things going with Kaito-san?"
"Hmm? Going? It's not going anywhere," she replies with a short laugh.
"Eh?" I lean in a bit, curious. "But you two talked about after everything, right?"
Ruby shrugs, taking a sip of her soup. "We talk, yeah. Then we argue. Then we pretend like nothing happened. Pretty typical."
I smile. "But you do care about him, don't you?"
She looks away for a second. "It's complicated, Shizuka. We've got bigger things to worry about than sorting out our egos."
I just nod with a soft hum. Those two… they really are like thunder and flame.
The kitchen goes quiet again for a few minutes. Only the soft clinks of chopsticks and the faint hum of the fridge fill the air. I pick at my food, pretending to be focused, but really… my mind's been spinning.
Then, I look up at Ruby-chan and softly speak, "You know, Ruby-chan…"
She glances at me with a raised brow. "Hmm?"
"I know you think Kaito-san was all cold and silent when Takumi-kun was imprisoned... but actually… he was the most worried one. Out of all of us."
Ruby doesn't say anything.
"When the news broke," I go on, "he was the one who kept us together. While I was panicking and Yora was breaking his own inventions in frustration, Kaito-san… stayed calm. Like, weirdly calm. But I could see it—his hands shook when he thought no one was looking."
Ruby finally looks down at her plate, slowly twirling her noodles.
"He stayed up all night," I continue. "Tried reaching out to the council, checked every legal loophole possible. He even spoke with the Cyberwatch once… hoping they'd consider leniency. But…"
I take a breath. "When the final date was announced… something in him just broke. He didn't say anything, but I saw it. "
"That night… I overheard him whispering to himself, pacing in the hall. He was considering something drastic. I think he was about to go beg the government personally. Maybe even offer something in return for Takumi-kun's life."
She finally lets out a quiet sigh. "Why didn't he?"
"Because the next day… you broke Takumi-kun out." I smile faintly. "And before he could act, you already did what he couldn't."
Ruby looks up at me now, her gaze calm but unreadable.
"I'm not saying he's perfect," I add quickly. "He is stubborn and proud and a bit of a rock when it comes to feelings. But he really did care, Ruby-chan. Maybe too much."
There's silence again. Then Ruby leans back in her chair with a slow exhale. Her eyes linger on the wall, lost in thought. Then, softly, she says, "You think I don't know Kaito?"
I blink.
"I knew he was up to something," she continues, a small sigh escaping her lips. "I've known him long enough to recognize his patterns. He's not the type to sit still when someone close is in danger. Especially not Takumi."
Her voice stays calm, but there's something heavier beneath it now.
"I know he can do anything to save a comrade," she says. "That's never been the problem."
She puts down her chopsticks with a quiet clink and folds her arms. "The only thing I've ever hated about that man… is how he deals with things."
I tilt my head, listening quietly.
"He wants everything to be clean. Legal. Within the lines. He clings to the idea that we should never disrespect our clan's name, no matter how rotten the world around us gets."
Ruby looks at me now. Her expression's sharp but not angry—just deeply firm.
"He knows how messed up this world is, Shizuka. How twisted this government and its systems are. And still… he keeps choosing the path that plays by their rules."
She pauses, then adds, "You know what? He even tried to contact me when all this happened. Sent a message."
I widen my eyes a little. "He did?"
She nods. "Yeah. But I didn't reply."
There's a flicker of guilt on her face, but it vanishes as quickly as it comes.
"Because I knew," Ruby says, voice low but steady, "that going legal in this case would only hurt us more. It would've cost us Takumi. Maybe the clan too. So…"
She leans back, shoulders relaxing as if she's made peace with the choice.
"…what I did was important. And I'd do it again."
I don't say anything. I just nod slowly.
Ruby-chan isn't the kind who talks like this often. But when she does… it hits hard.
She stares at the wall for a second. Then she says softly, "Guess I've got some things to talk about with him … soon."
I grin. "Yup! And I'll be watching like a drama episode."
"Ugh. Great." Ruby rolls her eyes, but her voice is lighter now.
Maybe things won't fix themselves right away, but at least… the truth is out there now.