Akifumi let out a quiet sigh, recalling the conversation he'd just had with his father.
"Even if you tell me not to worry... how could I not?"
No matter how he spun it in his head, his father had clearly kept something from him. Probably because the less Akifumi knew, the less trouble he'd get involved in.
But from what he knew from the original work there's probably nothing good will happen in the future, better start preparing early,
'But just to be sure… when I get back, I'll check the internet and news sites again. Maybe there's also something about the supernatural going on in this world,' he thought to himself.
If a world-ending scenario actually happened—like some messed-up event straight out of a dark anime—he'd probably grab his loved ones and his parents and run somewhere safe. Anywhere far from danger.
'But if that really happened… where would we even go? Antarctica? The moon?' he wondered with a wry smile.
With a resigned shake of his head, he slipped the pendant back into his pocket and stretched his limbs.
His father had told him not to worry, and right now, that was all he could do—keep moving forward. Overthinking it would only give him a headache.
"Well... guess I'll just head home."
Standing up from the airport lounge seat, Akifumi made his way toward the exit.
Hmm?
By the lounge's exit, he spotted Yor standing still as a statue, her arms weighed down with some shopping bags. From the looks of it, they were all filled with high-end clothes and accessories.
Seeing that familiar sight, Akifumi let out a wry smile.
'Mom… you're spoiling her rotten. but seriously, whose kid are you even pampering here?'
If Akifumi didn't know who his mother was, he might've seriously thought that Yor was her secretly adopted daughter.
'Wait a minute, now that I think about it… having Yor my older sister wouldn't be so bad,' he mused with a small smile.
The way she cared so selflessly for the people around her—so much that she willingly gave up her own childhood to raise and protect her little brother—only made Akifumi respect her all the more.
She wasn't just a beautiful woman with a kind smile; beneath that gentle surface was an unwavering strength.
A strength that quietly endured pain and hardship without ever asking for anything in return.
In the pages of Spy x Family, Yor might have seemed clumsy, scatterbrained, and hilariously bad at keeping secrets... but to Akifumi, that only made her more human.
More real.
After all, how many people in the world could live such a dangerous double life, act as a loving sister, and still try to be a good wife even if only in name all at once?
Most would've broken under the pressure. But not Yor.
She smiled, laughed, cooked terrible meals, and tried her best without ever letting her burdens show.
To Akifumi, that strength the kind that didn't need words or glory was far more admirable than any flashy hero from manga or anime.
Shaking his head in mild amusement, Akifumi walked up to Yor.
"Yor-san, let's head back," he called gently.
But she didn't move.
She stood frozen in place, as if lost in thought, not even noticing he was right in front of her.
"Yor-san? Are you okay?" Akifumi asked again, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Eh?"
Yor blinked in surprise, she snapped out of her daze only to find Akifumi's face unexpectedly close to her.
Flustered, she quickly took a step back—too quickly. But forget to control her strength, and she ended up bumping the back of her head against the wall behind her.
'Crack'
"Ouch..."
The shopping bags slipped from Yor's hands as she knelt down slightly, while rubbing the sore spot on her head.
Akifumi winced at the sharp sound. That wasn't the sound of someone merely bumping their head...
He glanced over at the wall behind her—and sure enough, there was a small crack running across the surface. A cold sweat ran down his back.
'Thank god she stepped back instead of forward...' he thought, swallowing nervously. If she'd headbutted me with that force, I'd probably be sent flying into another world...
"Are you okay, Yor-san?" Akifumi asked carefully.
"I-I'm fine, young master," Yor replied, still rubbing her head.
Akifumi sighed. "Please... don't call me that, Yor-san. Just call me Mugiho, like usual."
"I... I can't do th—" Yor started to protest, but the serious look on Akifumi's face made her swallow her words.
"...Yes... Mugiho-sama," she finally said softly.
Akifumi let out another quiet sigh. 'Mom... just what have you been telling her?' he thought to himself.
He could tell Yor had built a wall around herself—unlike before, when she acted like a clumsy yet dependable big sister. Now... she was acting like a proper "bodyguard", distant and formal.
"...Well, that's fine for now. Here, let me help you."
Akifumi gently offered his hand.
Yor stared at it for a moment before hesitantly taking it. With a gentle pull, Akifumi helped her back to her feet.
"I'm sorry, youn— I mean... Mugiho-sama..." Yor muttered meekly, looking down.
"Don't worry about it. It was nothing, "But... is something wrong? You've been out of it the whole day."
Hearing that, Yor flinched.
She couldn't help but remember the promise she made with Akifumi's mother.
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"I want you to tell him everything—about yourself, about what you've done to my son. If he rejects you... if he's disgusted and asks you to leave—then fine. I'll let you do whatever you want. Disappear, quit this job, retire... it's your choice."
Nakui Akifumi's mother gently took Yor's trembling hand in her own, her voice soft but firm.
"But if he doesn't... then please, stop hurting yourself like this."
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'There's no way... no way Mugiho-sama would even look at me the same if he knew what I really am...' Yor thought bitterly.
Her nickname in the underworld echoed in her mind, cold and sharp.
"Thorn Princess."
Her true self—the assassin who lived in the shadows, who knew nothing but blood... and death.
Maybe it's better this way, she thought bitterly. Better if everyone stayed away from me... just like they would from a thorn.
She shook her head, steeling herself, then met Akifumi's gaze with newfound determination.
"Mugiho-sama... do you have time today?" she asked firmly.
Akifumi blinked, surprised by the sudden request.
"Right now?"
"Yes. Right now. There's something... important I need to talk to you about."
Akifumi pull out his phone and glanced at the time.
5 o'clock in the afternoon.
Eriri had taken Mahiru and Mashiro out for the day, and Akifumi was too tired to bother cooking dinner tonight. There was no dinner waiting for him at the apartment.
Akifumi gave a small nod.
"Alright then. Let's eat outside today."
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and added, "Eriri and the others said they'll be out for a while, so we might as well get dinner on our own."
"Y-Yes!" Yor replied.
She quickly gathered all her shopping bags in one hand—a ridiculous feat considering how many there were—and straightened up.
"L-Let's go, Mugiho-sama!" she said in a rushed tone.
Before Akifumi could even open his mouth to respond, Yor suddenly bolted toward the exit like a startled rabbit.
Akifumi stood there, scratching the back of his head in confusion as he watched her hurried figure.
'What's gotten into her...? Is she really okay?' he wondered silently.