Lunch After the Zoo
After spending the morning at the zoo, Su Yu took them to a restaurant for lunch.
Kawasaki Saki didn't refuse Su Yu's offer to pay.
After the main meal, he even ordered three desserts.
Su Yu bought a fruit basket before heading to the hospital.
As Kawasaki Saki walked up the stairs, her face flushed slightly, as if she was thinking about something.
At the private hospital room, Kawasaki Saki knocked on the door.
"Come in." A gentle voice responded.
Kawasaki Saki opened the door, and Kawasaki Keika ran in first.
The woman lying on the hospital bed, Kawasaki Rieko, looked pleasantly surprised to see Keika.
But when she saw Su Yu, her expression became slightly confused.
Inside the Hospital Room
"Mama!"
Keika jumped onto the bed, snuggling into her mother's embrace.
Kawasaki Rieko gently caressed her daughter's hair, a look of guilt in her eyes.
"Mama, look! I drew these! We went to the zoo today, and I even sketched a panda!"
Keika held up her sketchbook eagerly.
Kawasaki Rieko flipped through the drawings, smiling at the cute illustrations—
Until she reached the last page.
She froze.
Then, she slowly looked up at Saki and Su Yu.
"Hello, I'm Su Yu, the landlord of Sakurasou. I'm also Saki's friend and classmate."
Su Yu placed the fruit basket beside the hospital bed.
"Su Yu-kun…?"
Kawasaki Rieko's eyes widened slightly.
"Thank you. Saki told me about you. If it weren't for your help… I might not even be here today."
Her grateful expression was sincere.
"Saki is my friend."
Su Yu smiled and sat down on the chair beside the bed.
"Are you really just friends?"
Kawasaki Rieko suddenly held up the last page of the sketchbook for Su Yu to see.
Su Yu glanced at it—
A drawing of him and Saki holding hands.
The drawing wasn't super detailed, but it was clear enough.
"Mama, that was just from my imagination!"
Keika's voice became small, and she avoided looking at Su Yu.
Kawasaki Rieko blinked.
"Your imagination?"
She had thought that maybe—
Kawasaki Saki finally noticed the drawing and immediately turned red.
Su Yu, on the other hand, remained calm.
"Sorry, Su Yu-kun. That was my misunderstanding."
Kawasaki Rieko apologized.
"No worries. It's a good drawing."
Su Yu glanced at Keika.
"Sorry, Su Yu-nii…"
Keika lowered her head.
"Just practice more and draw better next time."
Su Yu said lightly.
Keika nodded.
She loved drawing.
Kawasaki Saki sat on a chair, glancing at her mother and little sister before sneaking a look at Su Yu.
"Kawasaki-san, the biggest reason I helped Saki is because she works hard."
Su Yu shifted the conversation.
"Right now, she's training at my company. In the future, she might become my assistant or secretary."
"Your family's company?"
Kawasaki Rieko looked curious.
"No, my own company."
Su Yu shook his head.
"My family… had an accident. I'm the only one left.
Sakurasou was left behind for me, but my company—I built myself."
Kawasaki Rieko's eyes widened in shock.
"Su Yu-kun, you're incredible…"
She couldn't believe a high school student could achieve something like that.
"Kawasaki-san, Saki is important to me. I want Sakurasou to be your second home."
Su Yu spoke seriously.
"Su Yu-kun… are you saying you want Saki to stay by your side?"
Kawasaki Rieko looked at Su Yu with a knowing smile.
Without any hesitation, Su Yu nodded.
Kawasaki Rieko turned to her daughter.
Saki's face was bright red as she lowered her head, too shy to look at either her mother or Su Yu.
Keika didn't understand the full meaning, but she knew it was about her sister.
The hospital room suddenly fell silent.
After a long moment—
Kawasaki Rieko sighed.
"Su Yu-kun… you saved my life. You helped Saki.
We can never repay this debt."
Her voice softened.
"I'm a terrible mother. I can't decide Saki's future for her.
If she agrees, then I have no objections."
"I understand."
Su Yu looked at Saki.
She lifted her head—and met his gaze.
Their eyes locked.
And then—
"I won't leave your side."
Her voice was firm, her eyes gentle.
Kawasaki Rieko watched silently.
Her daughter had grown up.
Leaving the Hospital
They stayed at the hospital for two hours.
Keika was reluctant to leave, but she didn't argue.
She knew that if she behaved well, her mother would be more at ease.
Saki, however, understood that from now on, whenever she visited her mother, there would be one inevitable question:
"How are things progressing with Su Yu?"
On the way out, Su Yu and Kawasaki Rieko had a long conversation—
Mostly about Saki's life at school, at work, at Sakurasou, and about Hiratsuka-sensei's help.
Kawasaki Rieko was very satisfied with Su Yu.
Before they left, she even said:
"Saki is in your hands now."
Outside the hospital, Su Yu hailed a taxi.
Saki sat in the middle.
Keika sat on one side.
Su Yu sat on the other side of Saki.
As the car started moving, Keika looked back at the hospital.
Su Yu glanced at Saki—then took her hand.
Her face immediately turned red—but she didn't pull away.
Su Yu leaned closer and whispered in her ear—
"Don't misunderstand. I'm just fulfilling your sister's imagination."
"…Mm."
Saki lowered her head, blushing harder.
"From now on, Sakurasou is your home.
You don't need to pay rent anymore.
And the money I give you—don't refuse it."
"I don't want your money."
Saki instantly protested.
Su Yu frowned and let go of her hand.
Saki hesitated—then quickly grabbed his hand again.
"I just… don't want to owe you too much."
Su Yu leaned in and whispered:
"I want you to owe me more—
So much that you'll never want to leave me."
Saki's face burned as she lowered her head.
Back at Sakurasou
When they arrived, Su Yu finally released Saki's hand.
As they entered the courtyard—
They saw Hiratsuka Shizuka standing there.
"Why are you three together?"
Shizuka asked suspiciously.
"Su Yu-nii took me to the zoo! And then we visited Mama!"
Keika responded cheerfully.
"You went to the hospital?"
Shizuka frowned.
"Yeah. I visited Kawasaki-san."
Su Yu answered casually.
Shizuka stared at him.
"Do you realize what she'll think?"
"Of course. I asked her to let the Kawasaki family stay in Sakurasou."
Su Yu met her gaze.
"And for Saki to always stay by my side."