"Marina, you're getting pretty smooth at this now, huh?"
After lightly patting Marina's cheek, Takumi had her clean him up, then stepped out of the bedroom.
"Takumi, I…"
Airi immediately hurried over. Her watery eyes were full of a tempting, pleading look.
Seeing Airi hesitate like she had something to say but couldn't get it out, Takumi smiled and shook his head.
"No, Airi. I already promised Marina."
The instant he refused, Airi seemed to lose all strength and slumped to the floor.
Takumi, meanwhile, was genuinely curious what kind of move Airi would use to break this deadlock.
If things completely froze up, then he was planning to step in personally and "melt the ice."
"Alright, Airi. See you tomorrow."
After saying goodbye, Takumi left.
Airi, reluctant and unwilling, looked like she'd just swallowed something sour—her expression was miserable.
Wanting something badly but not being able to get it… that constant gnawing hunger was torture. Who could withstand that?
"It's all my sister's fault! All my sister's fault!!"
Airi went upstairs. Seeing Marina asleep with a pleased smile still on her face, Airi's eyes grew even angrier.
You're satisfied, but you're blocking me from getting anything! Ugh—so annoying. So unfair!
Even though Marina was her sister, Airi was reaching her limit.
But after wrestling with it for a long time, Airi still didn't act. She wanted a better chance—something cleaner than right now.
…
Meanwhile, out on the street, Takumi was already sprinting toward the Yukinoshita estate.
"I need to deal with Yukino's request ahead of time. I can't keep Dorami waiting forever."
He still hadn't forgotten Yukino's cat outfit request.
As for figuring out where her snow-woman bloodline came from, Takumi decided to be direct.
Ask her mother.
With hearing and sight that could cover the entire city in an instant, Takumi quickly located where Yukino's mother was.
When he crossed the streets and reached his destination, he found Kirino Yukinoshita seated in the CEO's office.
She wore a black, form-fitting office outfit. The tailored workwear perfectly outlined her figure.
Beneath it, the white blouse sat snugly, buttoned up tight.
Takumi couldn't help thinking those buttons looked like they were under serious pressure.
Kirino had her hair pinned up neatly, her makeup immaculate. Her whole presence radiated that cool, elegant executive aura.
Takumi stared, eyes heating up.
Cold, high-powered CEO. Married woman. Family head. Mother-in-law…
Just imagining it was enough to make his mind run wild.
Even though Takumi was currently invisible, his gaze was so intense it seemed to put Kirino on alert.
Feeling like someone was watching her, Kirino kept glancing back.
When she saw only the cityscape beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, she almost laughed at herself.
A faint smile appeared on her refined, cool face—like ice and snow finally melting.
"Guess I've been too tired lately. And I don't know what's gotten into Yukino these days—insisting on living out there on her own. At least Haruno still lets me worry less. She's in college now… it's about time she came to the company and got some real experience." Kirino reclined in her chair, murmuring to herself.
But in truth, she was more tangled up in other matters. First was the family's transition. The Yukinoshita family was already a major name in business. If they wanted to step up further, they'd have to enter politics, but she still didn't have enough people she could trust completely.
If her husband were here… and the moment she thought of her husband, it triggered the second, more frustrating issue.
She couldn't remember who her husband was. She didn't even know whether he truly existed. Her past felt like a dream—there, but not there.
All Kirino could recall was that a man had once helped her seize control of the entire family and supported her rise.
After that, everything felt like a blank.
No matter how she forced herself to remember, she only got scattered fragments.
"Ridiculous… I'm the mother of two daughters, but I don't even have my own past. Ugh. What a headache." Kirino patted her temple and let out a long, weary sigh.
Because of that invisible barrier, her relationship with Haruno and Yukino was… just so-so.
She knew they were her daughters. The blood relation wasn't in doubt, but there was still this inexplicable sense of distance.
"My situation doesn't seem unique, either. I recently put together a group chat for missing pasts—maybe I can dig up some clues."
Just as she was about to open the group chat on her phone, Takumi's voice spoke behind her.
"Mrs. Yukinoshita, you look like something's been weighing on you."
"—Who!?" Kirino's hair stood on end. She whipped around instantly.
The previously empty space revealed Takumi's figure.
The moment their eyes met, a jolt shot through her whole body. At the same time, her expression shifted—from fear, to confusion, to surprise.
"You… who are you? You look familiar?" Kirino murmured, a dazed look flashing through her eyes.
She was certain she'd seen him somewhere—but she couldn't say where, or who he was.
That bizarre contradiction made her mind lock up.
And Takumi, who had been about to start asking questions, was the one who got stunned instead.
"Mrs. Yukinoshita… what do you mean by that? You've seen me before?"
"Maybe… but who are you, and why are you here?!" Kirino recovered, lowering her voice as she stood up from her chair.
Without hesitation, she pulled a pistol from the desk drawer and aimed it at Takumi.
Whether Takumi was the man from her fractured memories or not, his sudden appearance had startled her badly.
"Put down a meaningless weapon. I think we can talk this out."
Takumi's expression didn't change as he lowered his hand, motioning for her to sit.
Kirino's eyes flickered for a few seconds. She slowly lowered her hand, then—suddenly fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots in quick succession—aimed at Takumi's hands and feet, not lethal spots.
Kirino had survived countless business-world power struggles and her experience had taught her one thing: Only an enemy who's already down is someone you can negotiate with.
Besides, she'd already shown restraint. If it were anyone else, she would've aimed straight for the head.
But after she fired, Kirino froze.
The bullets flying from the muzzle slowed the closer they got to Takumi. The brass rounds spun as they approached him—yet never reached him.
Until finally, the rotating bullets all but stopped… suspended in midair right in front of Takumi.
....
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