Umi's composure didn't just crack; it shattered into a million disciplined pieces. She lunged toward the kitchen island, her face a terrifying shade of "Kendo-match crimson," her hand slapping onto the counter with enough force to make the ladles rattle.
"You damn Panda, wait a damn minute!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the ryokan walls. "Did I sing something embarrassing in your world?! Did I?! Answer me!"
Agung didn't even flinch. He slowly turned around, holding a tray of steaming rice bowls, a calm, almost saint-like smirk stretching across his face. He looked at Umi—the stern, traditional, "shamelessness-is-forbidden" Umi—and his eyes crinkled with pure, concentrated mischief.
"Oh, Umi-chan," he said softly, his voice dripping with playful menace. "Embarrassing? That's a subjective word. Some might call it... 'passionate.' Others might call it... 'an absolute departure from your dignified persona.'"
"Agung!" Umi's voice went up an octave.
"Let's just say," Agung continued, leaning in as the other girls crowded closer, sensing blood in the water, "that there is a certain song... a solo, if I recall correctly... where you didn't just sing. You *shouted*. You were practically a rock star."
"A... rock star?" Eli whispered, her jaw dropping.
Agung's smirk widened. "The title was *'Watashitachi wa Mirai no Hana'*. But that's not the one that would make you blush. No, there's another one... *'Wild Stars'*... where you and Eli were acting out quite the... *dramatic* confrontation."
He saw Umi's knees tremble. He knew he had her.
"But the real kicker?" Agung chuckled, reaching for his phone again. "In my world, there is a legendary meme of you. The 'Umi-chan Poker Face.' Whenever you get frustrated or try to hide your feelings, you make this exact expression..."
He didn't even show a photo. He just mimicked it—scrunching his face into a hilariously exaggerated, wide-eyed, grimacing look of pure horror.
"PFFFFT!" Chika exploded, spraying a mouthful of tea.
"THAT'S IT! THAT'S THE FACE!" Nico screamed, pointing at Agung and then at Umi. "She's doing it right now! Look!"
Umi was indeed making the exact face, her features twisted in a mix of shock and "love arrow shoot" levels of mortification.
"I... I would never!" Umi stammered, her voice cracking. "I am a practitioner of the traditional arts! I am a lady of the Sonoda household! I do not... I do not 'rock'!"
"The data on my Android phone says otherwise," Agung hummed, walking past her toward the dining hall with his tray. "But don't worry, Number One. Your secret is safe with me... as long as you finish your breakfast and don't try to 'Arrow' me for the next thirty minutes. I'm a fragile Panda, remember?"
"FRAGILE?!" Umi roared, turning to chase him. "GET BACK HERE! DELETE THAT DATA IMMEDIATELY!"
"Love Arrow... Shoot!" Agung teased over his shoulder, making a heart shape with his free hand.
The dining hall erupted into chaos. The "Deadbeat" mystery had officially transitioned into a full-blown family roast, and for the first time in years, the walls of the Takami Ryokan didn't feel like they were holding secrets—they were holding a home.