For some reason, when I opened my eyes, I found myself sandwiched between my wife and Kiana.
I tried to rack my brain for an explanation for this predicament, but no logical answer presented itself.
One thing was certain, though... these two were definitely awake, yet neither of them showed any intention of getting up.
The real problem was my arms. Serving as human pillows for both of them, my circulation had been cut off entirely, leaving them prickling with a painful, numbing sensation.
If I stayed like this much longer, I feared my limbs would actually succumb to necrosis. I finally resolved to force them both out of bed.
Besides, if we stayed in bed any longer, we'd be late for the morning routine.
I might be fine skipping a meal, but I would sooner let dust get in my eyes than let my daughter go hungry before starting her day.
As expected, they had been awake the whole time. Upon hearing my voice, they exchanged wary glances before sitting up simultaneously.
My wife immediately clung to me, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Kiana like a sentinel. In stark contrast, Kiana simply beamed, offering me a cheery greeting.
"Good morning!"
"Morning... I think. I won't even ask why you were sleeping next to me."
"You're allowed to ask, you know?"
"No, I have a feeling I'm better off not knowing. So, did you sleep well?"
"I slept great! I feel totally refreshed!"
"Well, that's a relief, at least."
The fact that she was refreshed was a small mercy, considering my own arms were so numb I couldn't move them an inch.
My wife, on the other hand, didn't look like she'd slept well at all.
She was practically growling like a wolf protecting its territory, refusing to lower her guard against Kiana for even a second.
If I hadn't been hugging her back and stroking her hair, I honestly suspected she might have lunged out and bitten someone.
"By the way, don't you two need to get ready for work?"
"I'm off-duty today, so I'm fine. But I wonder about Bronya—"
"The Bronya is also off-duty today, so it is fine."
Wow. It had been quite a long time since I'd heard her refer to herself in the third person.
Back when we were younger, it was her default, but she'd moved away from it as she got older. Now, it was a rare sight—something I'd only hear when she was half-asleep in the morning or when her emotions were particularly high. Seeing it now meant she was agitated in more ways than one.
And while the exact cause was a mystery, I was certain it had everything to do with Kiana.
"Hmm~ My memory says otherwise, though..."
"If The Bronya says she is off-duty, she is off-duty."
I felt a phantom spark of static electricity crackle between them, making me flinch. Why were they so antagonistic this early in the morning? I could understand my wife's position, but Kiana, why were you fanning the flames?
"Sigh."
After barely managing to escape their clutches with the excuse of making breakfast for our daughter, I beat a retreat to the kitchen.
I set the kettle to boil, checked the fridge for remaining ingredients to decide on a menu, and began washing the rice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my wife making a phone call.
"I am taking today off."
[...Excuse me? Wait a moment, Acting Commander Bron—]
She hung up before the person on the other end could even finish, leaving me momentarily speechless. Didn't she just say she was off-duty?
...Well, she had been pulling a lot of overtime lately. It wasn't a bad thing for her to take a break for once.
Honestly, seeing her rest at home was much easier on my heart than watching her drag herself back from an overnight shift only to head out for a morning one.
"Want some help?"
"I appreciate the offer, but... Kiana, can you actually cook now?"
"That's rude! How long ago do you think that was?"
"Mmm... well, my only memories are of you adding extremely suspicious ingredients to every dish."
"Urk! Th-that was... I just thought it would make it taste more interesting!"
"As long as you promise not to do that 'last-minute addition' thing, you can help."
"Alright! I'll show you what I'm really capable of!"
"Just... take it easy, please."
I was worried her excitement might lead to a disaster. Still, despite the concern, it felt oddly fresh to be cooking with someone else after so many years of doing it alone. And that someone was Kiana, of all people.
Back in the dorms or when we were students, there was always someone around in the kitchen, so it felt natural. But since getting married and starting a family, this was a first.
Since I was technically 'retired' and living off my severance pay, I'd taken over all the housework to support my working wife. Occasionally she'd help out, but that was usually during dinner—never during the chaotic morning rush. This help was a nostalgic surprise.
My wife, who had been watching us with a slightly miffed expression, was interrupted by our daughter running into the room. She scooped the little one up and retreated to the sofa, letting our daughter sit on her lap.
My daughter seemed thrilled to have her mom home for a lazy morning, leaning back against her and humming a happy tune while swinging her legs. I could understand that feeling; my wife practically lived at the office.
The daughter's joy seemed to soften my wife's mood. A gentle smile touched her lips as she carefully smoothed her daughter's hair.
While the rice finished cooking, I lowered the heat on the stove and handed them both mugs of cocoa made with water from the kettle, now at the perfect temperature. I also handed a mug to Kiana, who had finished helping me with the soup after I completed the rolled omelets.
"You know, standing here like this... we kind of look like that."
"Huh? Like what?"
"Like newlyweds."
"*Pfft!*"
At Kiana's words, my wife spectacularly sprayed her mouthful of cocoa into the air. My daughter watched the brown mist with sparkling eyes, shouting, "A fountain!" I could only sigh as I grabbed a towel to clean up the mess.
"Are you okay?"
"*Cough, cough*... I am sorry."
"It's fine. But look, you got some on our daughter too. Hold still for a second, okay?"
"Okay!"
I gently wiped the cocoa droplets from my daughter's face as she beamed up at me. My wife, however, was not quite so cheerful.
"Kiana, what on earth are you saying?"
"I'm just saying how I feel! We were cooking together and everything. Doesn't it feel like a joint project between a husband and wife?"
"The Bronya can do that much as well. Your smugness is laughable. If we are talking about domestic synchronization, Senior Mei would be far more suited for that description."
"Wait—Senior Mei is a cheat code!"
"Precisely. Therefore, do not throw around the term 'newlyweds' so lightly."
As they spoke, both of them seemed to recall the times I had cooked with Senior Mei. Their previous competitive fire vanished, replaced by a sudden, collective slump of defeat. I had to admit, cooking with Mei was incredibly seamless. I barely had to ask; she'd hand me what I needed or anticipate the next step before I even thought of it.
I did the same for her.
How should I put it... it was like we shared the same rhythm. I remember Major Himeko looking at us with an exasperated expression, saying we were too coordinated for our own good.
People even used to ask if we were dating.
Of course, Senior Mei would immediately turn bright red and vehemently deny it with a look of pure shock. Thinking about it now, I felt a bit of a psychological sting. We got along well, but I suppose the idea of us being a couple was just... too far-fetched for her back then.
Soon, the meal was ready. I woke up Siegfried, who was still crashed in the guest room, and the five of us sat down at the living room table to eat.
"Oh! It's a normal rolled omelet!"
"An omelet is an omelet, Kiana. What did you expect?"
"I don't know, one that explodes in your mouth?"
"Ugh! Forget about that already!"
As if I could forget. That one time the food actually popped in my mouth... it nearly turned into a medical emergency. If I hadn't been the first one to test it, that day would have been a catastrophe. To be fair, the flavor wasn't actually bad once the smoke cleared... but I certainly wasn't looking for a round two.
"Oh, there's something I need to tell everyone."
"What is it?"
"I've decided to stay here from today onwards!"
"Pardon?"
Thinking I'd misheard, I asked for clarification, but Kiana simply repeated herself with a bright smile.
"...That's a bit sudden."
"Sorry! I got transferred to this branch, you see? And my old room at our house was turned into storage ages ago. I already got permission from my dad."
"From Mr. Siegfried?"
I turned to look at Siegfried Kaslana. He was sitting there, chewing his food with such intensity it sounded like he was grinding stones, looking for all the world like he was weeping tears of blood.
"...Did you really give her permission?"
"It's... fine... (*crunch*). Since... Kiana... (*grind*)... wanted it. Don't... (*shatter*)... worry about it... (*blood trickles*)."
You do not look 'fine' at all, sir. In fact, he'd bitten his lip so hard in his fury that blood was actually starting to leak out. It was like watching a real-time horror movie.
"Well... even if you have his permission, you should have consulted us first."
"Haha, sorry~ But I already got the okay from Bronya!"
"Wait, really? I didn't hear anything about this... Bronya, why didn't you—wait, Bronya, are you okay?!"
"The Bronya... (*crack*)... is perfectly... (*grind*)... okay... (*crunch*). You have... (*shatter*)... no need to... worry... (*grind*)."
When I turned to my wife, she was in the exact same state as Siegfried, grinding her teeth with enough force to powder bone while looking absolutely murderous.
No, you are definitely NOT okay!
Interestingly, our daughter was the only one thrilled. When Kiana told her, "I'll play with you while Mommy is at work!" she let out a cheer. They always did get along well, though I kept the thought to myself that they played more like peers than an adult and a child. I knew better than to invite that kind of trouble.
After a very loud and tense breakfast, Kiana left to fetch her luggage, followed by a slumped, defeated-looking Siegfried. I began readying the guest room for her.
"This brings back memories."
Living together again... it felt like stepping back into our school days. Even the bickering between Kiana and my wife was a familiar melody. Back then, they fought so much that Mei and I were constantly playing mediators.
Of course, whenever those two actually put their heads together, they'd cause double the trouble. It always left me wondering if they were actually best friends or sworn enemies.
*Ding-dong~*
"I'll get it."
"Please do."
At the sound of the doorbell, I called out to my wife and opened the front door. Standing there was a face I was truly happy to see.
"It's been a long time. How have you been?"
"I think I should be the one asking you that."
I took the gift she was offering and smiled, giving her a warm welcome.
"It's good to see you, Senior Mei."