With Soho and Tsuki gone, the lively warmth of the kitchen faded, leaving a quieter hum in the living room.
Aoki sat comfortably on the floor cushion, still in his floral pink apron.
Ryu leaned back with one leg crossed over the other, sipping tea. Venzel settled between them, amused already by their looming exchange.
Ryu squinted at Aoki, lips twitching.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, take that apron off. It's giving me goosebumps."
Aoki held his chin high, puffing his chest like a proud rooster.
"Excuse you. This apron is hand-picked by my wife. It's stitched with love." He pinched the frilly hem and did a little dramatic twirl. "You just wouldn't understand romance."
Ryu scoffed.
"Romance? I'm more worried about what goes inside your wife's head to personally give you an apron." He turned to Venzel with mock horror.
"Look at this old man, can you believe it? Your father is the root of all evil."
Aoki snorted, waving his hand like swatting a fly.
"Yeah right. And you're the lizard who never learned to shut that sharp tongue."
Ryu smirked.
"Big bear's still got bite."
Aoki shot back.
"Small lizard's still got bark."
"Shouldn't you be hibernating by now?" Ryu leaned in, grinning wide. "Didn't you say you were drowning in cash? Something like, too much, nowhere to spend?"
Aoki huffed, crossing his arms.
"Yes, thank you. I own a massive farm. So vast, I forget where it ends. I sneeze and earn a fortune."
"Tch." Ryu rolled his eyes. "And yet you never thought to use that land properly. Told you long ago, develop it, lease it out, do something other than gloat about it. The last is freaking vast!"
Aoki raised a brow, smirking.
"Oh? And I told you to use the land. I've always said you could build your dumb construction company on it."
Ryu snapped his head around, eyes wide.
"You stupid bear. I run a trading company, not construction!"
Aoki waved it off with a shrug.
"Same thing, you lizard. Both sound noisy and boring."
Ryu clutched his chest like he'd just been mortally offended.
"You absolute buffoon! That's like calling a chef a plumber just 'cause they both use water!"
Aoki grinned, totally unfazed.
"Exactly. You get it now."
Venzel sat between them, silently sipping tea, eyes darting between the two.
Next, the two glared at each other for a moment, the tension so fake it was nearly theatrical.
Venzel cleared his throat gently.
"Ahem."
The spell broke. Both men straightened, suddenly calm like guilty children caught by a teacher.
Ryu reached for his tea, coughing into his cup.
"Anyway... I stand by what I said. That apron is cursed. It's making you lose your intelligence, so hard you don't know how to use your vast land."
Aoki adjusted it proudly, nose in the air.
"Love makes you wear strange things. You'll understand one day, son."
Venzel chuckled quietly, watching the two men bicker with barbs and warmth.
For all their jabs and insults, it was obvious—this was how they said: I've got your back.
Aoki leaned back on the couch, stretching his arms over the backrest.
"Oh, by the way, son, why don't you show Renji around the place a little?" he suggested casually.
Venzel gave a polite nod.
"Sure, Dad. I'll take my leave now, Uncle."
He offered a respectful bow to Ryu, who nodded with a smile, and headed for the door.
The moment he stepped outside, the warm air wrapped around him like a soft blanket.
He pulled up his system tab with a flick of his hand, muttering:
"Harvest and sell."
Golden sparkles floated upward from his crops onscreen, and in a satisfying jingle, his pouch clinked.
[Potatoes harvested. Sack of Gold received]
"Buy potato seeds and plant."
[1x Potato Seed Pack (🥔) Acquired]
The screen shimmered as his in-game character returned to the tidy pixel farm. A new icon blinked in the corner.
[New Feature Unlocked: Auto-Farming]
Venzel's eyes lit up.
"Wow. Convenience after convenience. Use it."
A green checkmark appeared.
[Auto-Farming Activated: Your farm will now plant, harvest, and sell potatoes automatically for the next 12 hours.]
He gave a satisfied nod.
"Alright. Let's go find the kid."
Venzel slipped the phone back into his pocket and wandered across the backyard, where the trees stretched overhead and the wind rustled lazily through the shade.
It was quiet, peaceful,buntil he heard a voice.
Muffled but sharp. A little further behind the tool shed.
He stepped closer.
"Yes, yes, I know. Stop it already!" Renji's voice crackled through a phone call.
"I'm in that freaking house right now. Ugh, I hate their family."
Venzel froze.
Renji's tone wasn't just annoyed, it was bitter, disgusted.
"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to keep repeating it."
A pause. Then, louder, more aggressive,
"B*tch, shut up! I know what I'm doing!"
Venzel took a step back.
Harsh words, but not his problem.
He couldn't hear the other end of the call, only Renji's voice, but the target was clear enough.
That family.
The one he was currently staying with. Which could only meant...
Aoki. Tsuki and him—Venzel.
Venzel paused, gaze resting on the shaded ground. The breeze rustled past like nothing had happened.
He let out a soft breath through his nose.
"Tch. Not my circus, what a clown," he murmured, already turning back toward the yard.
"Let's check in on the potatoes again," he said with a smile.
He didn't take it personally. After all, not everyone needed to like him.