The three walked into an elegantly styled cafe, where soft lighting and soothing music created a relaxing atmosphere. Kanjuro gentlemanly pulled out chairs for the two ladies before taking a seat opposite them. He skillfully took the menu, gently asked about their tastes, and ordered suitable drinks and an exquisite dessert platter for everyone.
While waiting, Sonoko's gaze could hardly move away from Kanjuro. She rested her chin in her hands, her eyes sparkling, completely immersed in Kanjuro's handsome face and elegant manner.
(Oh my god... how can someone be so good-looking and speak so gently... He's like a Prince Charming straight out of a fairy tale! He's much more charming than those so-called 'elite' young masters who hang around me!)
As she was thinking this, the waiter happened to bring the drinks. Kanjuro naturally pushed the cappuccino decorated with latte art toward Ran first, smiling as he said, "Ran, your cappuccino. Be careful, it's hot." Then he gently placed another cup of fruit tea in front of Sonoko. "Sonoko, this is the Peach Oolong you ordered. I hope it's to your taste."
This thoughtful gesture made Sonoko's heart flutter once again. Looking at Kanjuro's slender fingers and focused profile, she couldn't help but blur out, saying to Ran in an exaggeratedly envious tone, "Ran! I'm so jealous of you! To have such a handsome and considerate brother! Facing this face every day, you could probably eat two extra bowls of rice, right?"
Ran was taking a small sip of her coffee and nearly choked when she heard Sonoko's words. She chided her in embarrassment, "Sonoko! What nonsense are you talking about!" Her face flushed slightly, and she subconsciously glanced at Kanjuro, only to find him looking at them with a smile, seemingly not minding at all.
Perhaps caught up in the atmosphere, or perhaps to hide her shyness from being teased, Ran replied with a half-joke in an affectionately teasing tone, "Oh, Sonoko, you're exaggerating. If people didn't know better and just saw us like this, they might even think Mr. Kanjuro and I are a couple."
She was originally just playing along with Sonoko's joke to lighten the mood.
Upon hearing this, Kanjuro gently set down his coffee cup, making a soft clinking sound. He looked up at Ran, his deep eyes appearing exceptionally soft under the lights. A faint, inscrutable smile played on his lips as he responded warmly, "Having such a cute 'girlfriend' like Ran would sound quite nice, wouldn't it?"
His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried a strange magnetism that added a hint of ambiguity to the joke.
Ran's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks turned even redder. she quickly waved her hands. "Brother Kanjuro! Why are you teasing me along with Sonoko!" She turned to Sonoko and explained with a bit of helplessness, "Brother Kanjuro, please don't mind her. Sonoko is just like this; she says whatever comes to mind. She means no harm."
Sonoko didn't care at all about Ran's 'accusation.' Instead, she became even more excited because of Kanjuro's words. She leaned in close to Ran, lowering her voice but still letting Kanjuro hear, "See, see! Even Brother Kanjuro said so himself! Ran, you're practically in the perfect position to win him over!"
Kanjuro watched the two girls interact and simply smiled indulgently, as if it were all just a harmless joke between a sister and her friend. He timely pushed the dessert platter toward the center and said softly, "Alright, try the desserts here; they're said to be very good. Sonoko, you should eat more too."
His thoughtfulness timely dissipated Ran's embarrassment and made Sonoko feel that he was even more perfect.
While scooping a spoonful of mousse cake, Sonoko continued to steal glances at Kanjuro with an admiring gaze, the image of 'Prince Charming' becoming clearer in her heart.
In the café, a subtle atmosphere—seemingly relaxed and pleasant yet with undercurrents of tension—drifted between the three. As the coffee reached the bottom and the desserts were mostly finished, Kanjuro elegantly wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and suggested warmly, "It's getting late. I should head back."
"Ah? Are you leaving so soon?" Suzuki Sonoko immediately showed her reluctance. Her eyes darted around, and she instantly thought of a plan to spend more time with Kanjuro. She said enthusiastically, "Brother Kanjuro, since it's on the way anyway, let's walk Ran home together! It's not safe for a girl to go back alone at night!" She puffed out her chest with a look of righteousness, but her flickering eyes betrayed her little scheme to spend more time with Kanjuro.
How sharp was Kanjuro? He naturally saw through Sonoko's little plan in an instant. He found it somewhat amusing but remained calm on the surface. He simply nodded and smiled, "Very well. Then I'll have to trouble you to join us, Sonoko."
Ran looked at her enthusiastic (and ulterior-motive-driven) friend and her considerate 'brother.' Her heart felt warm, and she accepted their kindness with a smile. "Then thank you both."
The sunset had completely faded, and the city lights were beginning to glow. Kanjuro and Sonoko walked on either side of Ran on the way back to Eri Kisaki's Law Office (which was also the mother and daughter's residence). Sonoko chattered all the way, trying to find topics to talk about with Kanjuro, while Kanjuro maintained perfectly appropriate responses—neither cold nor overly enthusiastic, always composed and graceful.
Soon, the three arrived downstairs at the office. Warm light filtered through the windows above.
"I'm home. Thank you so much for walking me back today." Ran stood at the entrance, turned around, and gave Kanjuro and Sonoko an incredibly gentle and sweet smile, the moonlight and streetlights interweaving on her elegant face.
Kanjuro gazed at her, his eyes deep, as he suddenly asked softly, "Ran, were you happy being with your brother today?"
His voice sounded exceptionally low and gentle in the night air.
Ran nodded vigorously almost without hesitation, her eyes sparkling as if filled with starlight. Her tone was full of sincere emotion. "I was happy! Very, very happy!" She lowered her head slightly, her voice softening with a hint of imperceptible choking. "I feel like... since I was little, I've never experienced such warm and reassuring familial love like today. Thank you, Brother Kanjuro."
Her words were like a fine feather, gently plucking a string in Kanjuro's heart that had almost never been touched. He looked at Ran's completely trusting and happy gaze, fell silent for a moment, and then let out a nearly inaudible sigh.
(It seems... I'll have to give this'sister' a little more 'care'.)
This thought circulated coldly in his mind, forming a bizarre contrast with the almost genuine softness showing on his face at that moment.
"As long as you're happy." Kanjuro reached out and naturally ruffled Ran's hair with a gentle motion. "Your brother will accompany you often in the future. Go on up; don't keep your mother waiting."
"Mm! Goodbye, Brother Kanjuro! Goodbye, Sonoko!" Ran replied happily, waved to Sonoko, and then turned to walk into the building with a light step.
Sonoko watched this scene from the side, especially Kanjuro's 'brotherly care' head pat, feeling that Kanjuro was perfect beyond reproach, her heart racing.
As for Kanjuro, he watched Ran's figure disappear behind the door, the gentleness on his face gradually receding until only a night-like, deep calm remained. He knew that the path to his'sister's' heart had successfully taken its first step. With Ran gone, only Kanjuro and the still-excited Suzuki Sonoko remained.
"Brother Kanjuro!" Sonoko clasped her hands together, her eyes shining as she looked at him expectantly. "Um... do you have anything else to do next? If not... would you like to come over to my house? It's nearby!" Fearing he might refuse, she quickly added, "My mom... she loves good-looking people the most, especially a handsome guy like you, Brother Kanjuro! She'll be so happy to see you! And I want to introduce you to my family too!"
Looking at Sonoko's undisguised enthusiasm and slightly clumsy invitation, Kanjuro showed a perfectly measured smile of helplessness, as if indulging a willful younger sister. He actually had no interest in meeting some Mrs. Suzuki, but Sonoko's suggestion happened to allow him to integrate into this circle more naturally, and... the background of the Suzuki Conglomerate might come in handy in the future.
"Sonoko, this invitation is quite sudden." Kanjuro's tone was gentle with a hint of teasing, but he didn't mean to refuse.
"Oh, come on, let's go! It's on the way anyway!" Seeing his tone soften, Sonoko immediately pressed her advantage, stepping forward as if to grab his arm.
"Alright," Kanjuro finally nodded, as if unable to resist her enthusiasm. "Then I shall trouble you."
"Great!" Sonoko cheered and led the way excitedly.
The two walked side by side on the neon-lit street. Sonoko continued to chatter incessantly, telling funny stories about her family and describing how her mother, Tomoko Suzuki, was a witty and 'appearance-obsessed' noblewoman. Kanjuro mostly just listened with a smile, occasionally responding with a word or two.
However, as they walked, Kanjuro's pace faltered almost imperceptibly. His gaze fell on the profile of the jubilant Sonoko beside him. A very faint but absolutely undeniable sense of familiarity, like a ripple disturbed in the deep sea, quietly emanated from the depths of his heart.
(This aura...)
His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and the power of the Eye of Truth operated invisibly, capturing that extremely obscure resonance from the depths of his bloodline. This feeling was somewhat similar to when he first met Ran, yet it carried different characteristics.
Then, a figure buried in eighteen years of chaotic memories, accompanied by the name 'Tomoko Suzuki,' suddenly surfaced in his mind!
It was at the dark and damp underground ritual site. Among the many bewitched or coerced female figures, there was a woman who, even in such a chaotic environment, still maintained a certain noble air. She had a beautiful face, and her eyes held a mix of terror, humiliation, and yet a strange hint of intoxication. Her expression at the time was complex—there was pain and confusion, but her lips always seemed habitually curled in a faint, soul-stirringly gentle arc. Behind that arc lay a fox-like charm well-versed in the ways of the world.
(Tomoko Suzuki...)
(That woman with the gentle expression and fox-like charm...)
(So... Sonoko is...)
Kanjuro's gaze fell once more upon the oblivious Sonoko, who was still imagining how to introduce him to her family. A flash of realization and cold amusement passed through the depths of his eyes.
(This is... getting more and more interesting.)
(The seeds sown eighteen years ago are actually returning to me one by one after eighteen years in such a manner.)
He showed no sign of anything unusual, his face still wearing that gentle and harmless perfect mask as he obediently followed Sonoko's lead toward the Suzuki Mansion, which was both 'familiar' and'strange' to him. The threads of fate tightened another loop. The Suzuki Family's villa was located in a quiet, high-end residential area, grand yet elegant. Like a cheerful bird, Sonoko pulled at Kanjuro's sleeve and impatiently rang the doorbell.
The door was soon opened by a servant, but more eye-catching was the figure that appeared at the end of the entrance hall—Tomoko Suzuki. She seemed to have just finished her day's work, still wearing a sharply tailored custom suit. Her pearl necklace gave off a soft glow, and her face showed a hint of fatigue, but upon seeing her daughter, she immediately broke into a gentle smile.
"Sonoko, why are you back so late to—" Her words stopped abruptly as her gaze moved past Sonoko and landed on the tall, slender figure behind her.
The moment she saw Kanjuro's face clearly, the smile on Tomoko Suzuki's face froze instantly. Her pupils uncontrollably constricted as if she were seeing a phantom that absolutely should not exist in this world. The folder she was holding loosely in her hand fell to the floor with a 'thwack,' but she was completely unaware of it.
(No... impossible...!)
That face... that face that was exactly the same as eighteen years ago, even younger and more handsome! Time had left no trace on him, as if it had completely stopped for him. This face had been the focus of her countless late-night nightmares and complex memories, the past she had tried to bury completely with wealth, status, and a busy life!
A chill surged from her spine to the top of her head, making her shudder violently. The emptiness from her husband Shiro Suzuki being busy with work for years and rarely being home was now drowned out by this sudden terror.
Memories were like a bursting flood, fiercely washing away the psychological dam she had meticulously maintained for eighteen years. The dark, damp underground space filled with eerie fragrances and suppressed gasps... that Kanjuro who possessed a demonic charm, like a young deity and a deep-sea demon... and that chaotic, humiliating, yet life-altering hundred-person ritual... It was after that night that she found out she was pregnant. After immense panic, she used her family's power to cover everything up and gave birth to twin daughters—Sonoko and Ayako. To give the children a legitimate identity, she quickly married the mild-mannered Shiro Suzuki, who was seeking the support of the Suzuki Conglomerate at the time and did not look too deeply into her past.
For these eighteen years, she had worked hard to play the role of the shrewd and capable Mrs. Suzuki and the loving mother, almost successfully convincing herself that the past was just an absurd dream.
But now... the nightmare had come true, standing at her doorstep, right next to her innocent daughter!
Tomoko Suzuki's face instantly turned pale, her lips trembling slightly. Her eyes were filled with extreme shock, fear, and a hint of confusion buried by time that even she couldn't understand. She seemed to have all her strength drained in an instant, only able to lean against the doorframe, staring blankly at the high schooler with a faint smile on his lips and eyes as deep as the night.
"Mom? Mom, what's wrong?" Sonoko noticed her mother's abnormality and Ran forward in concern. "You look so pale! Are you too tired?" She followed her mother's gaze to Kanjuro and quickly introduced him, "Mom, this is Ran's brother, Brother Kanjuro! Isn't he handsome? I specifically invited him over as a guest!"
(Ran's brother?)
This address threw Tomoko Suzuki into even greater confusion. She looked at Kanjuro, then at her innocent-looking daughter. The sheer volume of information and the shock left her mind blank. For a moment, she didn't know how to react, just standing there dumbly as if under a paralysis spell, her soul already drifting back to that unbearable eighteen years ago.
Kanjuro took in all of Tomoko Suzuki's loss of composure. The gentle smile on his face didn't change in the slightest, as if he were merely a top student visiting a classmate's home for the first time, feeling a bit reserved. He bowed slightly, greeting politely, his voice clear and pleasant:
"Good evening, Mrs. Suzuki. I apologize for the intrusion."
This greeting, like a thunderclap, exploded once more in Tomoko Suzuki's ears.
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