I walked inside the Suzuki Villa, the morning sunlight filtering gently through the large windows. The atmosphere felt warm and lively compared to the heavy tension I had just left behind with Akane.

In the living room, Haruna, Yuko, Kasumi, and Tomiko were already gathered. Tomiko stood out immediately — dressed sharply in a professional black business suit that hugged her mature figure perfectly, complete with light makeup and her hair neatly tied up. She looked every bit the powerful CEO ready to conquer the day.

Haruna noticed me first. She tilted her head with a slightly pouty expression. "Where did you go so early? You even forgot your phone on the table. We were worried when we couldn’t find you."

I smiled casually and scratched the back of my head. "Sorry about that. I just went out for a morning walk. The air felt nice, and I needed to clear my head a little. Didn’t mean to make you guys worry."

Yuko, who was sipping tea on the sofa, looked at me with gentle but observant eyes.

I chuckled and shifted my attention to Tomiko, who was checking some documents in her folder. "Oba-san, are you going to the office today?"

Tomiko looked up and gave me a small, graceful nod. "Yes. I’ve taken too many days off recently, spending time with all of you. It was wonderful, but I can’t leave everything to Hina any longer. She must be exhausted handling the company alone. I need to go back and take charge."

I stepped closer with a sincere smile. "Let me drive you to the office, then. It’s no trouble at all." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Tomiko shook her head politely but firmly. "No, it’s alright. I can go on my own. How can I keep bothering our family’s son-in-law to do such petty things for me?"

There was a slight hesitation in her voice when she said the words "son-in-law." It sounded almost forced, as if she was consciously reminding herself of the proper distance she should keep. Her gaze flickered for just a moment before she looked back down at her documents.

I noticed it clearly. Through Telepathy, I caught a fragment of her inner thoughts:

[Stay professional, Tomiko... He’s Haruna’s fiancé. Don’t get too comfortable...]

I nodded understandingly, keeping my tone warm. "I see. But Oba-san, please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything at all. You know we all have your back — whether it’s work-related or personal. You don’t have to carry everything alone."

Tomiko paused, her expression softening just a little. She gave me a small, elegant smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Thank you, Jack. I appreciate your kindness. Really. But I’ve managed this company for many years. I’ll be fine."

Haruna walked over and lightly bumped my shoulder. "See? Even Oba-san is working hard. You should rest today after your ’morning walk.’ You look like you didn’t sleep much."

Yuko set her teacup down and looked at me with gentle concern. "She’s right. You seem a bit pale. Did you really just go for a walk? Or is something bothering you?"

Kasumi tilted her head curiously. "Yeah, you do look a little off. "

I laughed lightly, trying to deflect. "I’m fine, really. Just didn’t sleep too well last night. I’ll take it easy today."

Tomiko picked up her designer handbag and glanced at the clock. "I should get going now. Traffic will get bad soon." She turned to everyone and gave a graceful bow of her head. "Thank you again for these past few days. It meant a lot to me."

Yuko stood up and hugged her mother gently. "Take care, Oba-san. Don’t overwork yourself."

"I won’t," Tomiko replied, patting Yuko’s back. She then looked at me one last time. "Jack... thank you for offering. But really, focus on taking care of Haruna and the others."

There it was again — that tiny hesitation, that careful distance she was trying to maintain. I simply smiled and nodded. "Drive safely, Oba-san."

Tomiko gave everyone one final look before heading toward the door. As she left, I couldn’t help but think about how complicated her feelings must be right now — trying to balance her growing emotions with her role as Yuko’s mother.

Haruna stretched her arms high above her head with a big yawn, her shirt riding up slightly as she did so. "Well, now that Oba-san is back to work mode, what should we do today? The house feels so empty without her already."

Yuko turned her gentle gaze toward Kasumi, who was sitting elegantly on the sofa. "Oka-san... is there any place you want to go? We can all go out together if you’d like. Maybe shopping, or a nice café, or even a short trip somewhere relaxing?"

Kasumi smiled warmly but waved her hand dismissively, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "You young people should go out and enjoy yourselves. Why are you worrying about this old lady? I’m perfectly fine staying at home. Go have fun. Don’t let me slow you down."

Haruna immediately pouted and rushed over, throwing her arms around Kasumi in a big hug from behind. She squeezed her tightly, rubbing her cheek against her mother’s.

"Oka-san~ You are not old at all! You’re still so beautiful. If people saw you, there would be a huge line outside our house of men wanting to marry you! I’m serious! You look even better than most women in their twenties!"

Kasumi’s cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment. She playfully slapped Haruna’s ass with a quick smack, making Haruna yelp in surprise. "You...! Teasing your own mother like that. How shameless you’ve become!"

Despite scolding her, Kasumi’s voice was full of affection. She gently patted the spot she had slapped. "Your mother doesn’t need anyone else. I’m already happy just spending time with you guys. Having my daughters and son-in-law around me is more than enough. I don’t need some random man coming into my life at this age."

Haruna giggled and refused to let go, still hugging her mother tightly. "But Oka-san, you deserve to be pampered! You’ve worked so hard your whole life. It’s time someone took care of you for a change."

Yuko stood quietly nearby, watching the playful interaction between Haruna and Kasumi. On the surface, she smiled softly, but inside, a heavy wave of guilt washed over her. She knew the truth — her mother had been seriously ill not long ago.

Kasumi had faced death and had been terrified of being left alone. The fear of abandonment still lingered deep in her heart, even if she tried to hide it behind her gentle, cheerful demeanor.

Yuko bit her lower lip, her fingers tightening around the edge of her sleeve. Oka-san always says she’s fine... but I know she’s still scared. She doesn’t want to burden us. That’s why she keeps pushing us to go out without her...

Kasumi noticed Yuko’s slightly distant expression and tilted her head. "Yuko? What’s wrong, dear? You look troubled."