The next morning, sunlight filtered softly through the kitchen window, casting a golden glow across the worn wooden table where Amelia was setting out plates.
The scent of brewing coffee mingled with the faint aroma of jasmine from the small plant on the windowsill.
Ryunosuke appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Emily followed close behind, her blonde hair tousled, bright in the morning light.
Amelia paused, watching the two silently as they settled in for breakfast.
Emily laughed at something Ryunosuke said, nudging him playfully with her elbow. He smiled—a rare, unguarded smile that softened his usual seriousness.
Amelia's voice was warm and low. "You two started getting along faster than I thought."
Ryunosuke glanced up, slightly caught off guard, then looked to Emily, who shrugged with a grin.
"He's not as brooding as he lets on," she said.
Amelia chuckled. "I'm glad. This house needed a little light."
Ryunosuke folded his arms, pretending to resist. "Don't get used to it."
Amelia smiled, pouring another cup of coffee. "Too late."
Outside, the city kept moving—loud, impatient, relentless—but inside the kitchen, something gentle had begun to take root.
The restaurant was closed for the day—a rare break from the clatter of pans and the steady thrum of dinner rush. Amelia had gone out to run errands, and the apartment above felt unusually still.
Ryunosuke stood by the upstairs window, sketching absentmindedly, pencil tracing the edges of rooftops he could see from across the block.
Then—
BANG. BANG. BANG.
A fist slammed against the front door.
Followed by:
"OPEN UP, LOSER!"
Emily jolted on the futon, nearly spilling her tea. "What the hell?"
Ryunosuke sighed, already heading for the stairs. "That's Lucas."
Before he could even reach the handle, the front door burst open.
Lucas stood there, arms raised like a victorious gladiator, his grin wide and chaotic.
"Victory!" he shouted. Eighteen, taller than Ryunosuke by a hair, with wild black curls and a face that never learned how to sit still.
"I told you he wouldn't lock it."
Behind him came William—blond, effortlessly stylish, sunglasses still on despite being inside, both arms overflowing with iced coffees and a bakery bag stuffed to capacity.
"Guess who brought carbs and caffeine?" William beamed, holding up his offerings like sacred relics. "And don't say no—we've already committed a crime."
Emily peeked over the railing. "Who are these two?"
Lucas spotted her and gasped. "Is that the cousin?"
Ryunosuke groaned. "Here we go."
William looked up. "Emily, right? Heard about you. Didn't expect you to look so… normal."
Emily blinked. "Didn't expect you to sound like a discount game show host."
Lucas howled, slapping William's back. "She's definitely one of us."
Ryunosuke shook his head, a smirk tugging at his mouth. "You two are still clowns."
Lucas threw an arm around him. "And you love us for it."
William passed out the drinks and flopped onto the couch like he lived there. "Today's a celebration. Reunion of the idiots. Emily, you're invited—honorary idiot status pending approval."
Emily grinned as she sat beside him. "I accept the challenge."
Laughter filled the space. The apartment—once quiet and full of old echoes—buzzed now with something newer. Louder. Messier. Warmer.
It felt like now, not before.
And for the first time in a long while, Ryunosuke didn't feel like he was carrying everything alone.
He was home.