_AFTER A WHILE_
The living room was filled with the steady, cool breeze of the air conditioner. Shido was seated on the main sofa, his head tilted back against the cushion, still wiping the last sweat from his forehead with a towel. He looked completely drained, like a battery at 1%.
In front of him, Hori and Kashima sat next to each other. Hori was leaning forward, her pink eyes tracing the exhausted lines on Shido's face, silently wondering if he had just run a marathon. Kashima, on the other hand, was the picture of leisure. He was sprawled in an armchair, his eyes glued to his phone as his thumb moved systematically.
"Hey, Kirishima," Kashima said without looking up. "What do you wanna eat? I'm ordering."
Shido let out a low laugh of approval. "Something heavy. I need to gain my strength back before my heart actually stops."
Hori turned to Kashima, her expression determined. "I'll pay this time, Kashima. Put your phone away."
"No," Kashima replied instantly, his voice flat.
Hori frowned, crossing her arms. "You always pay! It's annoying. Let me handle it for once."
Kashima finally looked up, a small, arrogant smirk playing on his lips. "My card is already linked to the app, Hori. Besides, watching you try to figure out the tip is too painful. I'll handle the meal. Is a full meal, Kirishima?"
Shido's eyes practically turned into stars. He sat up straight, a grin appearing on his tired face. "A full meal? You mean with the sides? And the extra rice? And the miso soup?"
"Yeah." Kashima confirmed.
"Yes! You're a saint, Kashima!" Shido rejoiced, leaning his back again.
Hori watched him for a second before curiosity got the better of her. "Seriously though, Shido... where did you come from? You look like you've been through a war."
Shido sighed, the exhaustion returning to his eyes. "I went to drop Tamiko off. But when I got there, she and her grandmother were working so hard... I couldn't just leave them. I stayed to help move some heavy stuff."
Hori's eyes lit up with mischief. She leaned in closer, a teasing smile on her face. "Oh? Helping the family already? You're such a devoted 'bodyguard' for Tamiko, aren't you?"
Shido's face went from pale to a bright, flustered red in a second. "Shut up, Hori! I was just being a decent human being! It's called being helpful!"
Kashima, still scrolling, asked casually, "And Ayasaki? Where was she?"
Shido took a long, desperate gulp of juice from a glass on the table. "When we left, she was still at the Amamiyas'. She said she had a shift, and she'd be leaving in about half an hour."
Hori and Kashima nodded, the mention of the Amamiya house bringing a small, quiet shadow over the room.
Suddenly, Shido's face twisted into an expression of pure annoyance. He looked around the room as if he just realized something was missing. "Wait a minute... where is that little moron, Kento?"
"He's not here." Kashima said simply.
Hori blinked. "He went to the same place you just came from, Shido. The Amamiya house."
Shido's anger flared for a second. "That idiot! As soon as he shows his face, I'm going to beat him into the floor for stealing my perfume!" But then, the realization hit him. His voice dropped, losing its heat. "Oh. He went to visit... Asuka's place."
The room went silent for a moment. The air felt colder, and it wasn't because of the AC.
"Did you run into him on your way back?" Kashima asked, finally putting his phone down.
"No," Shido said quietly. "I didn't."
Another beat of silence passed. Then, Shido's eyes suddenly widened. He stood upright, his hands trembling as he gripped the edge of the sofa. The color drained from his face again, and his breathing became shallow and fast.
"Guys... wait. I—I forgot..." Shido stammered, his voice rising in panic. "I have to tell you something. I have to tell you right now!"
Hori reached out, trying to calm him. "Shido, calm down! Take a breath. We're not going anywhere. Just tell us patiently."
Kashima sat up, his blue eyes sharp and focused. "What is it, Kirishima? You're acting like the house is on fire."
Shido opened his mouth to speak, his eyes full of a frantic, desperate urgency—
DING-DONG!
The sound of the doorbell echoed through the living room, sharp and strange.
Everyone froze, their eyes snapping toward the hallway door.
"Is that the food on the door?" Shido asked, his voice shaking.
"No way." Kashima said, checking his phone. "The order hasn't even been dispatched yet."
Hori's grip on the sofa tightened. Her pink eyes were wide with a sudden, genuine fear. "Maybe it really is a burglar this time?"
The three of them looked at each other, the silence of the house suddenly feeling very, very dangerous.
The doorbell rang again, a sharp, impatient sound that made the air in the living room vibrate. Shido gulped, his eyes darting towards the hallway.
"Go check it." Kashima whispered, his voice low and steady. He had his phone out, his thumb stood just a few centimeters above the emergency call button.
"Don't go mad!" Shido grumbled, his voice cracking. "Stop trying to scare me!"
"I'm serious, Shido," Hori whispered, her pink eyes wide as she gripped the sofa cushion. "What if it's really someone dangerous?"
That was the breaking point for Shido's scared nerves. He let out a panicked yelp and ran from the living room, sprinting toward the hallway. "Tamiko! Save me!" he cried, his dramatic side taking over as he ran towards the danger.
"Shido, wait!" Hori called out, chasing after him.
"At least take the bat!" Kashima shouted, finally pocketing his phone and following them at a much more dignified pace.
They reached the hallway, Hori and Kashima both opening their mouths to shout another warning to Shido—but the words died in their throats. They stopped mid-sentence, their eyes wide.
Standing in the entrance, having just stepped inside, were Kento and Mr. Kamitani.
The tension that had been suffocating the house for the last ten minutes vanished instantly, replaced by the comforting sounds of home. Kento was balanced on one leg, kicking off his school shoes, while Mr. Kamitani was hanging his suit jacket on the coat rack.
Mr. Kamitani looked up, noticing the three teenagers huddled in the hallway looking like they had seen a ghost. He offered them a warm, tired smile—the kind of smile a father gives when he's happy to see his house full of life.
"Oh, you guys are still here?" Mr. Kamitani said softly. There was no taunt in his voice, only a genuine, fatherly kindness. "I'm glad. It's a bit too quiet when it's just the three of us."
Shido, who had been ready to scream for his life, leaned against the wall and let out a long, pathetic breath of relief.
Kento looked at them, a mischievous glow in his eyes. He was holding two large grocery bags filled with fresh vegetables and meat. He walked over to Hori, ignoring the chaos, and gave her a bright, tired smile.
"I saw these at the market and thought of you." Kento said, lifting the bags slightly. "Since you stayed late to wait for me, I'm going to cook for you today. Consider it a reward."
Hori blinked, her brain still stuck on 'burglar mode.' She looked at the bags and then at Kento. "Wait... cook? For me? But..."
Shido stepped up beside her, leaning in to whisper with a small smirk. "He's saying he's making dinner, Hori. Try to keep up."
"I knew that!" Hori snapped, her face turning pink as she finally processed the gesture.
Mr. Kamitani laughed, a deep, hearty sound that filled the hallway and made the shadows feel less threatening. He walked over and patted Hori on the shoulder as he passed.
"You'd better be hungry, Hori. When Kento gets into a 'cooking mood,' he usually makes enough to feed an entire neighborhood. We're lucky to have such a bright girl like you around to help us finish it all."
"Hey! What about me?" Shido asked, crossing his arms. "I've been helping people being the grocery guy all day! I'm the one who needs the fuel!"
"You'll just eat it all before Hori can get a bite." Kento teased, nudging Shido with his elbow as they all began to move toward the kitchen.
As they walked, Shido leaned over and whispered to Kento about the 'burglar' scare, and Mr. Kamitani chatted with Kashima about a book he had seen in the study. In that moment, watching them move together—the way they were naturally comfortable towards Mr. Kamitani like he was the sun—it was clear they weren't just Kento's friends. They were his family.
The kitchen lights flickered on, warm and yellow, as the group went inside, their laughter drowning out the rhythmic ticking of the hallway clock.
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