Tamiko's face turned a hot, bright red. She looked like she was melting. She tried to hide her head under her long hair, but Shido just laughed. He leaned his head against hers and gave her a wide, naughty grin.
"S-stop it!" she whispered, her hands shaking like a nervous bird. "Everyone is looking at us!"
"Let them look!" Shido declared, finally letting go of her with a wink.
Kento rolled his eyes. "Can we eat in peace now, or do I have to kick the 'hero' out of the kitchen?"
Hori reached over and delivered a sharp smack to the back of Shido's head. Her face was still a little pale from the scare.
"Don't do that, you donkey!" she shouted, waving her hand. "I was terrified that Kento or Kashima would actually have to give you CPR! I can't deal with watching three boys rolling around on the floor like that!"
Kento made a face like he had just swallowed a lemon. "If I had to touch his lips to save his life, I think I'd just let the bread win."
Kashima didn't even look up from his tea. He simply adjusted his hair with a cold, elegant finger. "I would have used a straw. I have standards, Kirishima."
"See?" Shido shouted, rubbing the back of his head. "Even in my final moments, my friends are debating my worth. Truly, I am a lone wolf in a world of sheep."
Shiyi let out a long, tired sigh. She leaned her chin on her hand as she watched the drama. 'He is such a headache,' she thought, but a small smile pulled at her lips. "Honestly, Shido. My six-year-old brother has better manners than you. You're like a hungry puppy who forgets he has a throat."
"He's a complete moron," Kashima added, cleaning a splash of water off the table with a napkin.
"Total idiot," Kento agreed. He finally let go of his spoon, which he had been gripping very tightly.
Mr. Kamitani sat back. A warm smile returned to his tired face. "Don't be so hard on him. He just likes the food too much. Though, Shido... try to stay alive until we finish the tea, okay?"
Shido flashed his usual grin at Tamiko, who was still blushing. "See? Dad understands. This might be the first time in sixteen years you've said something sensible, old man."
"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Shiyi scolded, pointing her chopsticks at him like a tiny sword. Everyone laughed, the sound echoing against the kitchen tiles.
Mr. Kamitani's smile turned a bit smaller. He looked at the empty seat next to him. He set his cup down with a soft clink.
"To answer your question, Shido..." his voice became low and heavy. "Your mother is still at the Amamiya house. She's staying there to help them. There are a lot of... difficult things to plan for Asuka's funeral."
The laughter died away. A heavy silence filled the kitchen. The steam from the soup rose in thin lines, but the room felt cold.
Shido's hand stayed on Tamiko's shoulder. He wasn't joking anymore. His face looked pale. 'A funeral? It feels too real now,' he thought. 'Usually, the morning news is just stories, but this is happening to people we know.'
Kento gripped his spoon so hard his knuckles turned white. He stared at the table, but he wasn't seeing the food. 'Asuka...' Mr. Kamitani stood up. He didn't look like a tough lawyer; he looked like a father who had seen something terrible. He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth slowly. Then, he let out a long, tired sigh.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Kento asked. His voice was low and shaky.
"Do you have to go to work?" Shido added. His voice lost its funny spark.
Mr. Kamitani walked toward the fridge. His footsteps were slow. "No. I am not going to the office today," he said softly.
Shiyi stoohd up quickly. "What do you need? I can get it for you," she said, her eyes full of worry for him.
Mr. Kamitani turned and gave her a small, warm smile. He reached out and patted her shoulder gently. "Stay seated, Shiyi. Don't trouble yourself. You've done enough already." He took a bottle of water from the fridge. The plastic made a loud crinkle in the quiet room. "I am going back to the Amamiya house."
Kento stood up so fast his chair almost fell. "Wait! Did the funeral not happen yet? Why is it taking so long?"
Hori and Tamiko looked at each other. They were confused. 'Asuka? Who is Asuka?' Hori thought. She saw how shocked Kento looked. 'He looks like he was hit in the stomach. This
person must have been very important to him.'
Tamiko noticed Shido was staring into space. With shaking hands, she poured some more soup into his bowl. "Here," she whispered.
"Thank you," Shido said. He didn't even look at the soup.
Mr. Kamitani stood with his back to them. He looked at the water bottle in his hand. Finally, he turned around. His eyes were soft but sad. "No, Kento. There is no funeral yet."
Shiyi leaned forward. "But it has been six hours since the accident. Why are they waiting?"
Mr. Kamitani sat back down for a moment and leaned toward them. His voice was gentle but serious. "It was a hit-and-run accident. Right now, the police do not know who to blame."
Shido's mouth fell open. "What? That makes no sense! Someone died! They have to find the car!"
"It makes sense," Kento said. His voice was cold. "This sort of situation happens when the driver is someone powerful. Someone with enough money to hide the truth."
"You are right, Kento," Mr. Kamitani said. He reached out and placed a hand on Kento's arm to calm him. "When people have too much power, they try to make the evidence disappear."
Under the table, Kashima was falling apart. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His knees were shaking so hard they hit the table leg. He gripped his own legs until it hurt. 'They are going to find the car,' his mind screamed. 'They are going to find my father.'
Hori leaned over. "Is it just paperwork? Is that why the police are waiting?"
Mr. Kamitani shook his head slowly.
"Someone is buying time, Hori. They are delaying the reports. Until the doctor signs the paper, the body is evidence. They are keeping that poor girl in a cold room because they want the tracks to go cold."
Kashima looked up. His glasses were foggy from the heat of his skin. "Do you..." he started. His voice broke. He swallowed and tried again. "Will the police ever find the criminal? Are you sure?"
Mr. Kamitani looked at Kashima. He saw the boy shaking and thought he was just scared of the news. He gave him a warm, fatherly look. "They will, Kashima. Rich people think they can hide anything. But they always leave something behind. It takes a long time to dig for the truth because they fill the hole with money. But eventually, the money runs out."
Tamiko felt a sharp pain in her heart. She didn't know who Asuka was, but she thought of the mother waiting for her child. "It's not fair," she whispered.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Tamiko?" Shido called out her name. He saw tears running down her cheeks.
"It's not fair!" Tamiko cried softly. Her voice was trembling. "That mother... she just wants to say goodbye. She wants her daughter to be at peace. Why does she have to fight just to have a funeral?"
Mr. Kamitani sighed. He reached across the table and patted Tamiko's hand. "If we give up because it is hard, Tamiko, then there is no justice. We can't let the law disappear."
Kento stood up straight. His eyes were burning with fire. "Then you have to do it, Dad. You're a great lawyer. Don't let them win.
Catch the culprit. Make them pay for what they did."
Mr. Kamitani stood up and gave his son a firm, determined nod. He looked at all the children with a brave smile. "I will, Kento. I promise."
Mr. Kamitani finished his water. The plastic bottle made a loud crinkle as he set it down. He looked at Kento. His eyes were heavy and dark.
"Kento, get ready," Mr. Kamitani said. His voice was like a heavy stone falling into a quiet pond. "I want you to come with me."
Kento blinked. He looked at the steam rising from his half-empty bowl. "Go with you? Where?"
Mr. Kamitani let out a long, tired sigh. He leaned against the white counter. "It is obvious, isn't it? We are going to the Amamiya house. Your mother is waiting there. We must show our respect."
Kento did not move. He looked around the table at his friends. The room felt tight.
Kashima was staring at a blue flower on the tablecloth. His eyes were wide and frozen. He did not move a muscle. It was as if his soul had left his body. He did not seem to hear the voices around him.
Tamiko was holding her phone with both hands. Her thumb moved fast, scrolling through a list of dates and times. It was her work shift. She looked worried, her brow pinching together as she checked her schedule.
Shido was sitting low in his chair. He was busy pulling at a loose white thread on his sleeve. He kept his head down, trying to look like he didn't care, but his fingers were shaking.
Near the window, Hori held her phone to her ear. "Yes... I will be late," she whispered. Her voice was soft. "Something happened. I am sorry."
Only Shiyi was watching. She sat very still, her dark eyes moving from Kento to Mr. Kamitani. She could feel the air getting thick and uncomfortable.
"Kento?" Mr. Kamitani called out.
Kento jumped slightly. He had been lost in his own head. "Yes?"
"Why are you spacing out?" Mr. Kamitani asked. He looked annoyed now. "I asked you a question."
Kento looked at the floor, then at Kashima's pale face. "I... I don't think I can go, Dad. My friends are here. I can't just leave them."
The kitchen went dead quiet. Kashima's head slowly turned toward Kento. Tamiko stopped her phone. Hori clicked her phone shut with a small snap. Even Shido stopped pulling the thread.
Mr. Kamitani's face turned a dull red. "Kento! How can you think about your friends right now? This is a serious matter! A girl is dead!"
He stopped. He saw the children jump at his loud voice. He realized he had said something wrong. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath.
"I am sorry," he said, his voice softer now.
"Friends are important. But right now, going to the Amamiya house and sharing their sadness is more important. It is what a man does." He looked at the others. "Actually... you are all welcome to come. It might be good for Kento and Shido to have you there."
Shido groaned. He leaned back until his chair creaked. "What would we even do at a house like that? I hate funerals. I can't look at sad, horrible things, Dad. It's too much—"
He was going to say something rude, but he stopped. He saw Tamiko looking at him. Her eyes were sharp and angry. She was biting her lip, looking at him like he was a monster.
Shido's voice died in his throat. He looked away, feeling ashamed. "Sorry. I didn't mean that."
Kashima stood up. His chair scraped loudly against the floor. Screeeak. "I am sorry, Mr. Kamitani," he said. His voice was thin and hollow. "I... I cannot go. I am not comfortable in places like that."
But then, Tamiko spoke. Her voice was small, but it filled the room. "I will go. I want to go to the Amamiya house and share their pain. Even if I don't know who they are."
Shido looked at her, shocked. "Tamiko, you don't have to. You'll just cry."
Tamiko looked at him. A single tear sat on her eyelash. "Life is like a flower, Shido. One morning it is beautiful, and the next it is gone. We should be there for people while we can. It is the only thing that matters."
Mr. Kamitani turned to Shido. He looked at him with a playful, casual grin. "If Tamiko is going, you surely cannot let her go alone, right? You're the one who called her a delicate flower."
Shido rubbed the back of his neck. He looked at Tamiko, who was staring at the floor, her shoulders still trembling. His face softened. 'I hate funerals,' he thought. 'But I hate seeing her sad even more.' "Fine, fine!" Shido groaned, but he stepped closer to Tamiko so their sleeves touched. "I'll go. I'm basically her bodyguard. I'll make sure she doesn't trip over her own feet while she's crying."
Tamiko didn't look up, but a tiny smile pulled at her lips. She felt a little safer with Shido's loud voice nearby.
Mr. Kamitani looked at Shiyi. "What about you? You coming to help me keep these boys in line?"
Shiyi shrugged, trying to look cool. "Someone has to make sure Shido doesn't say something stupid to the priest."
"That's my girl!" Mr. Kamitani laughed. He turned to Kento. "Last chance, Kento. Ready?"
Kashima stepped forward, his fingers gripping Kento's sleeve. His face was pale. "Mr. Kamitani... wait. I need to talk to Kamitani. It's important. Please let him stay."
Mr. Kamitani looked at the two boys. He saw the sweat on Kashima's forehead. He sighed and patted Kento's head like he was still six years old. "Alright, alright. Stay here and handle your 'important' business. Just think of a good excuse for your mother tomorrow, or she'll have my head!"
"I'll tell her you forgot me at the gas station," Kento teased.
"You brat!" Mr. Kamitani chuckled. He waved his hand and led the group out. Shido walked with a giant, grumpy frown, his hands deep in his pockets, while Tamiko and Shiyi followed quietly.
Kento pushed the door shut behind them.
CLICK.
The house was suddenly very quiet. The ticking of the clock on the wall sounded like a heartbeat. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Hori stood in the middle of the hallway. She blinked, looking at the door. "Wait a minute,"
she said, her voice rising. "Mr. Kamitani didn't mention me. He didn't even ask if I was coming!"
She paused, then her face lit up. She did a little happy spin. "Does that mean he thinks I'm special? Mr. Kamitani would have known that I didn't want to go. So he didn't ask me to make me feel embarrassed."
Kento rolled his eyes, leaning his back against the door. "Or maybe you're just so unimportant he forgot you were even in the kitchen."
"Definitely unimportant," Kashima added, his voice finally losing some of its shake. "You're like the background character in a movie, Hori."
"HEY!" Hori screamed, her face turning red. "I am the main character of this kitchen! You two are just mean!"
Kento let out a deep breath, the laughter dying in his throat. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his head rest against the hard wood of the door. "Kashima," he said softly. "Thanks."
Kento opened his eyes and looked at his friend. Kashima was watching him closely. "Why did you stay, Kamitani ? You could have gone."
Kento started walking slowly down the hallway, his hands behind his head. The golden sun through the windows moved across his hair. He gave a small, flirty laugh.
"How could I leave? I have two guests. I couldn't just chase Hori out of my house, could I? That's not how a prince acts."
Hori watched him, her eyes wide. She didn't yell this time. She could tell his laugh was a lie.
Kashima stopped walking. "You didn't notice it," Kashima said. His voice was steady now, but heavy. "But I've spent enough time with you and Kirishima to know when you're hiding something."
Kento stopped. He didn't turn around.
"You didn't stay because of us," Kashima continued. "Something stopped you from walking out that door. I think... you were stopping yourself."
Hori stepped closer, her voice a whisper. "Is that true, Kento?"
Kashima walked up to him. "Tell us. What is it? Why couldn't you go see her?"
Kento moved to the living room entrance. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and looked down at the floor. The shadows were long and dark. 'Asuka,' he thought. The name felt like a bruise in his mind.
"I knew her," Kento said. His voice was beautiful and sad, like a song playing far away. "Asuka and I... we grew up together. We used to catch dragonflies in the summer until our fingers were stained orange. She was only one year older than me. I never called her 'Elder Sister.' I always just called her Asuka."
Hori and Kashima stayed silent. They could almost see the memory of the children playing in the sun.
"When Dad said she was dead," Kento whispered, "I felt like the world just... broke. It's not fair. Life shouldn't just end at 3:00 AM on a cold road."
He looked up, his eyes bright with a strange, painful fire. "I don't like it, Kashima. I hate seeing people suffer. I hate the thought of people dying alone in the dark, scared and cold."
He gripped his own arm, his voice trembling now. "I want people to have a proper death. A peaceful end. Not a lonely one. Not a scary one like hers. I couldn't go to that house today... because I wasn't ready to see that her end wasn't peaceful."
-----
✦ 🔮 A GLIMPSE INTO THE NEXT CHAPTER 🔮 ✦
"What awaits beyond this page...?" 🌙
(灬･◡･灬)♡
"But Asuka's Mark... it never went away. The dark wanted her. And it took her."
"Is that the Kamitani boy? What a temper... even at a funeral."
----
🌙 The stars may fade, and memories may sleep...
But the Spiral continues to turn.
Until we meet again beneath the same forgotten sky.
(*꒪ヮ꒪*)
— SakuraShinomiya