"Xin?"
When Sayuri Uchiha, Mikoto's mother, saw Xin arrive with gifts in hand, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
With a delighted smile, she set her teacup aside and quickly shuffled over in her wooden sandals. She wrapped him in a big, tight hug and playfully pinched his cheeks.
"My, you've grown! Really grown up, you little rascal. It's been years, and you didn't come to visit me at all!"
"Ouch, ouch! That hurts!" Xin cried out, even though she wasn't pinching him hard.
"Stop whining, I didn't even use any strength," Sayuri scolded, giving him a light smack on the arm as she took the gifts and set them aside.
The two of them sat down in the courtyard. However, Sayuri noticed how restless Xin was, unable to sit still. She sighed, remembering how he had always hated sitting in the traditional kneeling posture ever since he was a child. It wasn't a surprise that he still couldn't handle it.
"My legs hurt," Xin said with a sheepish grin, shifting to sit cross-legged instead. Kneeling was just too uncomfortable for him.
"You haven't changed a bit," Sayuri chuckled, a mix of affection and amusement in her voice as she observed him.
"Still so handsome, though," She added with a grin.
"I've always been this handsome," Xin replied, feeling comfortable in her presence.
"Oh, stop it," Sayuri said, playfully dismissing his words as she poured him a cup of tea. "So, are you here to see Mikoto? She's at the police force. She won't be back until late. The war's made things a lot busier for her."
Whenever war broke out, spies inevitably stirred up trouble, and Mikoto, who worked in the administration department, had been working overtime almost every day.
"No, I didn't come for Mikoto today," Xin shook his head. "I actually came to ask you for a favor."
"For me?"
Sayuri blinked in surprise. Xin visiting Mikoto wasn't strange, given how close they were growing up.
In fact, many people in the village assumed they were already a couple.
But for him to seek her out directly? That caught her off guard.
"Yeah," Xin said, setting down his cup. "I'm opening a restaurant with a friend, and we need someone reliable to handle the money. Naturally, I thought of you, Auntie."
"A restaurant? You want me to handle the cash?"
Sayuri stared at him in surprise, pointing at herself in disbelief.
"Of course! Who else would I trust with something like this? I can't just let anyone deal with it," Xin replied.