My Scumbag System-Chapter 448: Home Field Disadvantage

I needed to move.

Standing at the window like a condemned man wouldn’t improve my situation.

"Natalia. Outside. Now."

She looked at me, caught the tone, and stood without argument.

We hit the front door just as Kimiko reached the steps.

"Mom." I went in for the hug, playing it casual. "Hey."

She wrapped her arms around me, squeezing tighter than usual.

Then she did something completely unexpected.

She sniffed my neck.

Actually pressed her nose to my throat and inhaled.

I froze.

"You smell like perfume," she murmured against my collar. "Several different kinds, actually."

My brain short-circuited.

"Oh really?" I pulled back, forcing a laugh. "You can smell that?"

Kimiko’s smile widened. "I’m joking, sweetie. You always take things so seriously."

But her eyes weren’t joking.

They scanned my face with the same intensity she’d used when I was twelve and had broken her favorite vase. The look that said she already knew the truth and was just waiting for me to admit it.

Luka saved me by stepping forward, grinning wide enough to split his face.

"There’s my boy!" He grabbed me in a bear hug that made my healing ribs scream. "Looking good! Strong! Like a proper Hunter!"

"Thanks, old man." I hugged him back, ignoring the pain. "You didn’t have to come all the way out here."

"Are you kidding? After what happened at Sector 7?" His expression sobered. "We needed to see you. Make sure you’re really okay."

Kimiko turned to Natalia, who’d been standing perfectly still like she was facing a firing squad.

"Natalia." Kimiko’s voice softened completely. "Come here."

Natalia stepped forward, and Kimiko pulled her into a hug that looked genuinely warm.

"I missed you." Kimiko held her at arm’s length, examining her face. "Are you eating enough? Sleeping? You look tired."

"I’m fine, Kimiko-san." Natalia’s formal politeness activated like armor. "Training has been intense, but I’m managing."

"I’m sure you are." Kimiko’s eyes drifted to Natalia’s neck for half a second.

Right where a fresh hickey sat beneath carefully applied concealer.

My stomach dropped.

But Kimiko just smiled and released her, turning back to me.

"Well? Are you going to invite us in, or do we stand on the porch all afternoon?"

"Right. Yeah. Come in." I stepped aside, gesturing toward the door. "Welcome to Onyx House. Try not to judge us based on the smell."

"What smell?" Luka sniffed the air. "Smells like...cookies?"

"Emi’s baking."

"Emi?" Kimiko’s face lit up. "The sweet girl with the blue hair who came over for dinner that time? She’s here?"

"She’s in the kitchen." I led them inside. "Probably destroying the recipe as we speak."

The common room had been cleaned to an acceptable standard. The furniture was straight. The floor was clear. Most of the weapons had been hidden.

Jaime sat on the couch reading a fitness magazine, fully clothed for once.

Marco and Malachi occupied the corner, playing chess in complete silence.

Juan had vanished entirely, probably asleep somewhere.

Raphael stood by the window, arms crossed, looking surprisingly presentable in clean clothes and combed hair.

"This is nice." Luka surveyed the space with approval. "Homey. Lived-in. Not like those sterile Sentinel dorms."

"We try." I caught Raphael’s eye, and he gave me a subtle nod.

Kimiko walked deeper into the room, her heels clicking on the hardwood.

She paused at the bookshelf, examining the photos pinned to the wall.

Team shots from training. Candid moments from dinners. A particularly good one of all of us after clearing the Arboretum.

Her finger traced the edge of one photo.

Me and Natalia, back to back, weapons raised. Covered in dirt and smiling.

"You look happy here." Kimiko’s voice was soft. "Both of you."

"We are," Natalia said quietly.

Kimiko turned, and her eyes swept the room with the same intensity as before.

She looked at me.

At Natalia standing close to my side.

At the way Natalia’s hand hovered near mine without quite touching.

Then Emi burst through the kitchen doorway carrying a tray of cookies, her face flushed from the oven heat.

"Kimiko-san!" She nearly dropped the tray in her excitement. "You came! I made cookies! They’re chocolate chip! Your favorite, right? Satori mentioned that once and I remembered and I really hope they’re good because I tried a new recipe and—"

"Emi." Kimiko’s smile became real and warm. "Breathe, sweetheart."

Emi sucked in air, her antennae bouncing.

"Hi."

"Hi." Kimiko took a cookie from the tray, biting into it. "These are wonderful."

Emi’s entire face lit up like someone had plugged her into an electrical socket.

"Really? You’re not just saying that?"

"I never lie about baked goods."

"That’s fair." Emi set the tray on the table. "Would you like tea? Coffee? We have both. Celeste made tea. It’s really fancy tea. The kind that costs more than my entire weekly allowance."

"Tea sounds lovely."

Celeste emerged from the kitchen carrying an actual tea service. Silver pot. Matching cups. The works.

She performed a small bow, polite and perfect.

"Mrs. Nakano. It’s an honor."

Kimiko blinked.

"You’re Celeste Vance."

"Yes, ma’am."

"Seraphina’s sister."

"Unfortunately." Celeste poured tea with hands that didn’t shake. "But I’m trying not to hold that against myself."

Luka laughed, the sound booming through the room.

"I like her! She’s funny!" He clapped me on the shoulder hard enough to rattle my teeth. "Good taste, son. President’s sister. That’s networking."

"We’re not—"

"Dating?" Akari appeared beside Celeste, carrying another plate. "No, they’re just survivors of a Black Gate who spent a week trapped in a death dimension together. Very platonic."

Kimiko’s eyes cut to me.

I wanted to murder Akari with my bare hands.

"A week?" Kimiko set down her cup. "The report said seven hours."

"Time dilation." Celeste’s voice remained steady. "What felt like days inside was only hours out here. Standard Black Gate phenomenon."

"I see." Kimiko looked at me again. "And you were alone? Just the two of you?"

"The Gate separated us from the others." I kept my voice level. "We survived. We got out. That’s what matters."

"Hm."

That single sound carried more weight than any interrogation.

Luka, bless him, changed the subject.

"So! Tournament’s coming up, right? Five weeks?" He grabbed three cookies at once. "Big deal. Sentinels have been dominating for years. Think you can take them?"

"We’ll win." Raphael spoke from the window. "They’re soft. We’re not."

"That’s the spirit!" Luka pointed at him. "What’s your name, son?"

"Raphael Vargas, sir."

"Vargas! Good name! Strong name!" Luka crossed the room, extending his hand. "Luka Kuzmina. B-Rank, Aegis Prime. Heard good things about you from Braxton."

Raphael shook, looking surprised. "You know Professor Miller?"

"Known him for fifteen years. Saved my life twice. Best damn Hunter I’ve ever worked with, even if he is a lazy bastard who gambles too much."

Skylar materialized in the doorway, having transformed herself into something approaching societal norms. Faded jeans hugged her curves, paired with an oversized hoodie that somehow enhanced rather than concealed her figure. Her striking indigo hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, the pink streaks creating an almost innocent effect.

The overall impression was jarring—a domesticated version of our resident chaos agent.

"That tracks," she deadpanned, eyeing the room’s dynamics with her usual detached amusement.

"And you are?" Kimiko’s tone carried that particular maternal curiosity that masked assessment.

"Skylar Amane." She remained anchored to the doorway, as though crossing the threshold would constitute some form of surrender. "I mostly stay quiet and watch people make terrible decisions."

"She’s our scout," I interjected, silently appreciating her strategic timing. "And our reality check."

Skylar snagged a cookie with practiced casualness, examining it with the same critical eye she applied to everything. "Someone needs to be." Her gaze flicked to me, loaded with knowing sarcasm. "Since our fearless leader has the self-preservation instincts of a lemming."

Kimiko laughed.

The sound was genuine.

"I like your friends, Satori." She looked around the room again. "They seem...real."

"They are."

"Good." She sat on the couch, and Luka settled beside her, his arm going around her shoulders. "Tell me about the tournament. What do you need to win?"

And just like that, the tension broke.

Luka launched into enthusiastic questions about team composition and strategy. Raphael and Jaime joined the conversation, talking over each other about training regimens and combat drills. Marco added commentary about teamwork and trust.

Emi hovered nearby, offering cookies and tea with the dedication of someone whose love language was feeding people.

Celeste sat across from Kimiko, answering questions about her Aspect with grace and precision.

Akari sprawled on the floor, looking bored but listening to everything.

Natalia returned eventually, her expression neutral as she took the seat beside me.

Her hand found mine under the table.

Squeezed once.

I squeezed back.

Across the room, Kimiko caught the movement.

Her eyes flicked down to our joined hands, then back up to my face.

I didn’t let go.

Neither did Natalia.

Kimiko’s lips curved, just slightly.

Then she looked away, returning her attention to Luka’s story about a Gate run gone sideways.

But I’d seen it.

The recognition.

The acceptance.

The warning.

My mother knew.

She knew everything.

And she was letting it slide.

For now.