Shido, hearing this, turned to his father. "Forget the sleep. Dad, where did you and Mom go last night? It was like a secret escape at 3:00 AM."
Mr. Kamitani didn't smile. He leaned forward, resting his forehead in his hands. He looked very heavy-hearted. "A calamity struck the Amamiya household," he said. "Mrs. Amamiya's only child... her only family... Asuka... she is no longer in this world."
The air in the room turned ice-cold.
"What?" Kento whispered.
"Repeat that?" Shido asked, his grin vanishing. "Asuka? How?"
Mr. Kamitani rubbed his face, his voice trembling. "Last night, between 2:00 and 3:00 AM... Asuka got into an accident and died. That is why we rushed out. We had to be there for them."
Kashima jumped. The words 3:00 AM hit him like a physical blow. In his mind, he saw his own driveway—the damaged car, the cracks, and the dark stain on the bumper. A sharp, piercing headache bloomed behind his eyes. He stood up abruptly, holding his forehead in pain.
"Kashima? Are you okay?" Kento asked, noticing his pale face.
"Where are you going?" Shido added.
"Restroom," Kashima replied in a shaky voice. He didn't wait for an answer and walked out of the room with panicked steps.
Shido watched him go, then turned back to his father, trying to nag to fix the mood. "You know, Dad, we really need to build a bigger bathroom. People like Kashima have bathrooms the size of our whole house. I bet He probably feels trapped in there."
Kento didn't laugh. He just rubbed his eyes, feeling the weight of the news.
A moment later, Hori appeared at the door. She offered a gentle, sad smile. "Breakfast is ready."
Mr. Kamitani stood up, offering a tired but grateful look to the girl. "I'm sorry for troubling you girls with the cooking while we sat here."
Hori shook her head softly. "Don't mention it, Mr. Kamitani. It was no trouble at all."
The walk to the kitchen was quiet. The only sound was the rhythmic thud-thud of their slippers on the polished wood. As they opened the door, a wave of warmth hit them.
The air was thick with the scent of toasted sesame and a steaming pot of miso soup.
Shiyi was a shadow against the bright morning window. The kitchen tap was wide open, and the water crashed against the ceramic sink with a loud, splashing sound. She was scrubbing a plate so hard that the bubbles flew onto her cheeks.
Mr. Kamitani stopped, his eyes widening. "Shiyi? Why are you doing that? Please, put the sponge down."
Shiyi didn't turn. "It's just a few plates, Mr. Kamitani. Besides," she added, her voice high to compete with the rushing water, "if I don't do it, Shido might try to help, and then we'll have to buy a new set of dishes."
Mr. Kamitani let out a hearty laugh, the lines of worry on his face softening. "You have a point there! She knows you too well, Shido."
Hori stood by the fridge, watching Shiyi's fast hands. 'She looks so cool like that,' Hori thought, biting her lip. 'I want to help, but I'm afraid I'll trouble her or worse, break something. Why does she make hard work look like a dance?'
Tamiko was busy setting the table. The ceramic plates made a soft clack-clack sound as she laid them down. "Shiyi, really, I can take over," she whispered.
Shido leaned against the wall and took a deep breath."Look, if I'm stopping Shiyi from working, how could I ever let a delicate flower like you touch a dirty plate, Tamiko?"
Tamiko froze. She was holding a bunch of chopsticks, and they began to shake in her hand. She looked up at Shido, seeing his teasing grin. Her face turned the color red. "D-delicate flower?" she whispered, quickly hiding her face behind her long hair.
Mr. Kamitani sat on his chair with a loud creak. He grabbed the morning newspaper, the dry paper crinkling loudly in the quiet room.
Kento walked over to the sink. The water was still flowing. He reached past Shiyi and turned the silver handle. The splashing stopped instantly, leaving a strange, ringing silence.
"Hey!" Shiyi snapped, turning around.
Kento didn't back away. He reached into the soapy water and grabbed Shiyi's wrist. Her skin was red from the heat and the soap. He lifted her hand, looking at the rough spots on her palm.
"You're a pain," Kento nagged, his voice low. "Your hands are already rough from that part-time job. If you keep this up, you'll have hands like an old construction worker. Just sit down and eat."
Shiyi stared at him. She could feel the warmth of his fingers against her skin. She quickly pulled her hand back, splashing a bit of foam onto Kento's shirt.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Prince!" Shiyi teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She looked at Shido and then back at Mr. Kamitani. "Since both you and Shido have been a useless lump of meat since the day you were born, I figured I should be the one to show some spirit in this house."
Mr. Kamitani threw his head back and laughed. "A lump of meat! That's my sons you're talking about, Shiyi! But you aren't wrong!"
The door opened slowly, and Kashima walked in. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.
Shido's eyes lit up. He suddenly pulled his shoulders in and tucked his hair behind his ear, batting his eyelashes like a drama queen.
"Oh, Kashima!" Shido said in a high, girly voice. "Is your poor little tummy-wummy feeling better? Do you need a soft pillow and a warm tea for your delicate body?"
Kashima's face turned into a mask of pure annoying disgust. He stared at Shido for five long seconds. "You are truly a peculiar brand of idiot, Kirishima."
Shido collapsed into a chair, clutching his heart. "Oh! Such cold words! My maiden heart is shattered!"
"Stop being a freak, Shido," Kento muttered, pulling out a chair for Shiyi.
"Hori," Shido said, turning his attention to the stove. "Tell me you didn't cook this soup. I'd like to live long enough to see my wedding day."
Hori's face turned red with rage. She grabbed a kitchen towel and hit it at his head. "IT'S A FAMILY RECIPE, YOU BRAT! EAT IT AND DIE!"
"Now, now," Mr. Kamitani chuckled, smelling the steam rising from his bowl. "It smells wonderful. I'll eat every drop, Hori. It's a blessing to have such a lively table."
Tamiko placed a bowl in front of him, her hands still shaking slightly. "I hope it tastes okay, Mr. Kamitani."
As they began to eat, the kitchen was filled with the sound of clinking spoons. Hori, Tamiko, and Kashima whispered about what to do with their day off. Kento and Shido were busy arguing with their father about the garage door. Shiyi sat quietly, her eyes drifting to Kento and Mr. Kamitani's conversation
"Dad," Kento said, his spoon hitting the bottom of the bowl. "What time did you actually came home this morning?"
Mr. Kamitani blew on his coffee, the steam fogging up his glasses. "About an hour ago. The sun was just starting to peek through the clouds."
"I see," Kento muttered.
The kitchen was warm and smelled like toasted bread and hot tea. Shido was mid-bite into a thick piece of toast.
"So," he mumbled, bread crumbs falling from his mouth. "Where's Mom? Is she hiding because she didn't want to see my face this morning?"
Suddenly, Shido's face turned a scary purple. His eyes bulged out. A loud, choking 'GHRK!' came from his throat. He dropped his toast and clutched his neck with both hands.
"Shido!" Tamiko screamed. Her chair fell over with a loud crash as she stood up. Tears immediately began to fill her eyes.
"Kento!" Shiyi yelled, jumping up from the sink. Her hands were still dripping with soapy water. "Tap his back, now!"
Mr. Kamitani stood up, his face serious. "Shido! Look at the ceiling! Keep your mouth open!"
Kento rushed over. He stood behind Shido and delivered a massive, open-palmed THWACK to his back. Shido's head snapped forward. Kashima quickly filled a glass of water and slid it across the wooden table.
Shido finally let out a giant gasp, coughing up the bread. He grabbed the water and drank it all at once, his chest moving up and down as he breathed hard.
"Is... is it over?" Shido said breathlessly. He held his chest like a tragic hero in a movie. 'I almost met my maker because of a piece of bread. How embarrassing,' he thought.
He looked at Tamiko and decided to play it up. "Tell Tamiko... that I fought bravely... against that piece of bread."
Shido wiped his mouth and suddenly jumped toward Tamiko. He didn't just lean; he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He started swaying them both from side to side like they were in a dramatic dance.
"Tamiko!" Shido cried, his voice full of fake sadness. "I saw the light! It was cold and dark, but then I remembered your face and I fought my way back!"
He laughed and bumped his shoulder against hers playfully. "You're the reason I'm still here. I'm like a hero returning from war, and you're my prize! Don't I deserve a little comfort?"
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