Later that morning, as Kyouko stepped into the hallway, clutching her handbag and adjusting her dress, she found her mother waiting near the entrance.
"Kyouko-chan~"
"Y-Yes, M-Mother?" Kyouko froze mid-step.
Hanako narrowed her eyes, lips curling with soft amusement. "Where are you going?"
Kyouko fumbled with the strap of her bag. "Just... just going to the grocery store."
"No~" Hanako's voice turned lilting. "You want to go to that seaside house. Because Haruki is there~"
"I... I'm not..."
"Yes? You're not? Really?" Hanako tilted her head with a teasing smirk. "It's only a few days until the wedding, isn't it? Why not just wait?"
Kyouko lowered her gaze, biting her lip softly.
"Haruki just left yesterday, didn't he? And didn't you two already enjoy yourselves enough yesterday~?"
Hanako's hand lifted playfully, forming a circle with one finger sliding in and out of it.
Kyouko's cheeks flushed. "M-Mother!"
"I wasn't going to stay long…"
