The soft hum of the jet's engines filled the cabin — steady, calm, almost inaudible.
After all the chaos, on the left side of the cabin, Megumi was sleeping, stretched across two reclined seats. Her head rested on a small, plush pillow, and Kaido's jacket lay over her like a blanket.
On the right side, Lili sat by the window — serene, hair flawless, chin resting lightly on her hand. Kaido sat beside her, relaxed, wearing only a white T-shirt, without his jacket.
Meanwhile, Asuka… arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.
Positioned across from the two, glaring at Lili like she was the prime suspect.
Which, of course, she was.
"This kidnapping, you know that?" Asuka fired, her voice low but loaded.
"Kidnapping? Que exagérée! (How exaggerated!)" Lili replied without even looking away from the window.
"You could have left. You just didn't want to."
Asuka leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"With all those guards? You wanted me to walk through a battalion?" she hissed, irritation overflowing.
Lili finally turned her head — slowly, deliberately, savoring the moment.
"I have full confidence that a brute like you could've managed. In fact, you probably wouldn't even have to fight. They'd move aside out of fear."
Asuka clenched her fists and leaned forward, ready to stand—
Kaido's hand landed gently on her arm, firm and steady.
"Asu… not now. Megumi's still asleep."
That hit her like a bucket of cold water.
She scoffed softly and leaned back, arms folded tight.
Lili smiled and crossed her legs, enjoying the moment. The plane sank back into silence — the silence of yet another battle won by Rochefort.
Kaido just watched her quietly. She noticed, and it bothered her.
"What is it now?" she asked, raising a brow.
Kaido looked toward the window for a moment before meeting her gaze again.
"I just remembered… yesterday, you got called to the head office."
At that, her eyes dropped, caught off guard.
Kaido recognized it instantly. That same silence had followed her since Thursday. He rubbed the back of his neck, uneasy, not sure whether to approach or pull back.
Maybe I shouldn't push it…
"…If you don't wanna talk, that's fine," he said, softer than he intended.
Asuka turned to the window, trying to hold her composure… but in the reflection, she caught Lili's faintly satisfied smile, and that only made it worse.
Her shoulders tensed — not from fear, but from the weight of that memory pressing inside her.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to speak, if only so no one else could claim the last word.
Her voice came out restrained, almost grudging:
"It was… because I broke a wall."
Kaido blinked twice, leaning forward.
"Sorry… what?"
Asuka's jaw tightened, her neck stiff — having to repeat it was torture.
"I broke the school wall," she said a little louder, though her embarrassment was clear.
Kaido frowned.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Asuka exploded, spinning toward him, her face red with rage and humiliation.
"ARE YOU DEAF?! IT'S BECAUSE I PUNCHED THE WALL, OKAY?! AND IT CRACKED! SATISFIED?!"
Her shout echoed through the cabin.
Megumi, sleeping across from them, jolted awake in panic, looking around wide-eyed.
"H-Huh? Where… where are we?! This… this isn't the museum!"
Lili leaned forward slightly, clutching her stomach.
"Pff—! Ahahah! Asuka, you're impossible!"
Kaido instantly pressed his fist against his mouth — not because he was laughing yet… but because if he didn't, he absolutely would.
Asuka turned sharply toward him, pointing a furious finger.
"Don't you dare laugh!" she hissed.
Kaido's eyes widened as he pressed back against the seat.
"I'm not laughing!" he protested, voice muffled behind his hand.
"Yet!" Asuka snapped back, face flushed with anger and embarrassment.
Lili adjusted her legs with slow elegance, like a queen adjusting her crown.
"Asuka… you are pure entertainment," she said with that natural softness of hers. "I've never met anyone who can turn life into a constant spectacle of chaos. I must say, it's quite charming."
Asuka turned her face away, cheeks burning.
"Haa? Omae ga iu shikaku nai desho! (Huh?! You have no morals whatsoever to say that!)"
She sat back again, arms folding tight, as if throwing up a shield in a hurry.
"The principal called me to his office. He said that… that I should be expelled for this kind of behavior."
Kaido's face filled with worry as he leaned in.
"Expelled …? Asu… what made him change his mind?"
Asuka hesitated for a few seconds, then lifted her head and looked toward Lili.
"He said: 'But since Miss Kazama is lucky enough to be friends with Miss Rochefort, who contributes so much to our university… we'll overlook this kind of trouble.'"
Silence.
Lili propped her chin elegantly on her hand, satisfied — as if she'd just won a game she didn't even know she was playing.
"Oh là là… finally someone with good sense."
Kaido let out a breath, genuinely relieved.
"I'm glad…"
Asuka turned instantly, as if his words tugged a thread inside her.
"Glad? … BOKE! (Idiot!)" she grumbled, blushing, arms crossing even tighter.
Lili smiled, far too calmly.
"No need to thank me, chérie."
"Aa, urusai!(Shut up!)" Asuka snapped, sinking into her seat.
- - -
As the cabin finally began to settle again, Asuka let her gaze wander — and it stopped on Kaido.
The white T-shirt.
Then, she looked at Lili.
White dress. Impeccable. Sculptural. Like she was ready for a fashion editorial — and Asuka was the photographer.
A strange pinch tightened in her chest.
No way… They're matching.
No. No, I won't fall for that. Breathe. Coincidence. Just a coincidence.
But her voice still came out heavy:
"KAIDO! Why are you two wearing white? The museum didn't have a dress code."
Kaido froze—just for a second—but long enough to be noticed.
Especially Asuka.
I shouldn't have taken off my jacket.
I shouldn't have taken off my jacket.
I shouldn't have taken off my jacket.
He breathed in, desperately trying to form something remotely decent to say.
"Kaido." Asuka pressed, now with a tone that sounded like she might set the plane on fire.
Kaido stood so fast he almost lost his balance.
"I… I'll go check on Megumi."
But before he could take two steps, Lili grabbed his arm.
"No, you won't," she said, gentle, but so firm there was no space for argument.
She pulled him back into his seat.
Kaido sank down, utterly defeated, avoiding Asuka's eyes as if looking at her would trigger spontaneous combustion.
Then Lili leaned in calmly. She placed her hand over his and intertwined their fingers.
And rested her head on his shoulder — as if that place had always belonged to her.
She finished with a gentle smile, sweet… sweet like a silk-wrapped strike.
"Yes, Asuka," she answered, perfectly at ease. "It's exactly what you think. We're wearing matching outfits."
Asuka's eyes widened.
"Omae…" she growled, low and heavy.
Kaido looked at her.
Guilty.
And still… that idiot was handsome.
Asuka felt herself on the verge of bursting.
Her fingers opened… closed… opened again.
Her brow furrowed, hand pressing between her eyes, eyes closed in a heroic attempt not to explode right there.
"I can't… I can't…" she muttered through her teeth. "I can't deal with this."
She stood up abruptly, crossed the cabin, and slumped down in the seat in front of Megumi.
Arms clutched tightly against her chest, rigid.
THMP.
The impact was small… but enough.
Megumi blinked, still sleepy, and looked at her with worry.
"A-Asuka… are you okay?"
Asuka turned her face toward the window, jaw clenched.
"…I'm fine."
With that sharp answer, Megumi didn't insist.
No one pressed further. The rest of the flight passed quietly.
- - -
The jet began to descend smoothly, the hum of the engines muffled by the comfort of the interior. Through the window, Asuka and Megumi watched the vast property come into view, getting closer, larger, and overwhelming.
Rochefort Residence — gardens trimmed to perfection, monumental fountains, and the imposing towering mansion itself, with turrets and balconies that gave the impression of a European palace.
The plane touched the runway without even a tremor, light as a feather.
When it came to a full stop, a reception was already waiting for them: rows of impeccably aligned butlers, maids holding trays of refreshments, and a small string trio playing softly in the background.
FWEEE!
Kaido let out a low whistle, genuinely impressed.
Megumi was speechless, her hands covering her mouth.
Asuka exhaled sharply, that "I'm not admitting it, but… okay, wow" kind of sigh.
The jet door opened, and a red-carpeted staircase was rolled out.
Lili descended first.
But she didn't simply descend — she glided down the steps with the poised elegance of someone born for the runway.
On the final step, she paused — just for a heartbeat.
Just long enough for the world to take notice.
The chorus rose immediately:
"Bienvenue, Mademoiselle Rochefort!"
Lili lifted her chin proudly, and very — very — pleased. She let the smile bloom, then turned back, waiting for the others.
Kaido followed next. Completely out of his element.
He descended after Lili but couldn't hide the embarrassment as he passed through the elegant battalion of butlers, who looked more like an elegant army ready for action.
Asuka came after him. She tried to maintain a neutral expression, accepting a drink as if none of this impressed her in the slightest.
And then Megumi — descending the stairs utterly mesmerized, so dazzled she didn't even notice the maid's offering refreshments.
Walking through the corridor of attendants, they stopped before a grand staircase leading to the massive gate adorned with gilded ornaments.
And there, waiting for them, stood a blonde woman — elegant, stunning, refined, with a noble poise.
She welcomed them with a warm smile that softly contrasted with all the formality surrounding them.
"Enfin" she said, opening her arms toward Lili.
Lili stepped forward, received a warm hug and a soft kiss on the cheek — then spun gracefully to face the others, her smile sincere, yet tinged with that familiar provocative theatricality.
"It is with great pride that I present… ma chère maman, Anne," Lili announced, lifting her chin as if unveiling a masterpiece.
Anne descended the last steps with impeccable grace, her dress flowing like silk on water.
Her smile was gentle, warm — the kind of smile that makes a whole room breathe easier.
"I am Anne de Rochefort. It's a great pleasure to meet you all," she said with a slight bow of her head.
Her gaze settled on Asuka and Kaido with genuine softness, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
"So… you must be Asuka and Kaido."
Without hesitation, Anne approached Asuka first.
A light kiss on one cheek, then the other.
That elegant French gesture — intimate, refined… yet surprisingly warm.
Asuka blinked, caught between surprise and martial stiffness.
Anne turned to Kaido and repeated the gesture — light, soft, effortlessly graceful.
Kaido scratched the back of his neck, red to the tips of his ears.
Behind them, Lili brought a hand to her forehead.
"Maman… vraiment ?"[1]
Anne simply smiled — sweet, but with the unmistakable shine of a woman long past the age of asking permission for anything.
"Respire un peu, mon ange."[2]
Lili sighed — mostly to hide the blush, not out of any real need for air.
Then Anne turned to Megumi.
"And you must be Megumi," she said softly, approaching with unhurried warmth.
Megumi stood up straight, as if saluting. Her hands locked together, eyes wide, nervous.
"Y-yes! That's me. I mean— I mean— It's a pleasure, Mrs. Rochefort!"
Anne let out a low, gentle laugh — nothing mocking, only welcoming.
"Oh, sweetheart… no 'Mrs.' Here, I'm simply Anne."
And instead of kisses, she simply placed her hands on Megumi's—a gentle, warm, reassuring gesture.
Megumi melted. Then Anne welcomed them:
"Please, all of you, be truly welcome in our home."
. . .
[1] Mom... seriously?
[2] Take a breath, my angel.