Living in the Heart of Tokyo

Just as Yotsuba was about to cling to Yukari and pour out her "longing and suffering" in detail, Kyousuke thought about squeezing in from the side.

But before he could act, Mitsuha stepped over and unceremoniously dragged Yotsuba aside.

"Don't block the entrance. You can cling to her all you want once we're inside."

Under her older sister's sacred and untouchable authority, Yotsuba could only pout in frustration as she held Yukari's hand and obediently walked in.

"Yukino-sensei, it's been a while," Mitsuha greeted with a smile as they changed into indoor slippers at the entrance.

"Yes, it really has been a while," Yukari replied softly, gently patting Yotsuba's head.

Her warm and gentle smile was just the same as when they were in Itomori.

Time seemed to stand still around her—it hadn't added any sense of maturity nor worn down her spirit in the least.

"Come on, Sachiko, Kayo, you two hurry in as well," Kyousuke called, turning around.

The group stepped into the house.

Thankfully, this was a large family mansion—if they'd gathered in Sendagi's tiny bachelor apartment, there wouldn't have been space to even stand.

As he flopped onto the sofa, Kyousuke sighed sincerely, "Man, with this many people, you really do need a big house."

He didn't have to worry about serving the guests.

Mitsuha had already opened the fridge and taken out several bottles of juice, handing them to the three girls who sat politely in a row on the couch.

Holding their juice with both hands, Sachiko and Kayo kept turning their heads, curiously scanning their surroundings.

This house—an absolute mansion by Tokyo standards—made the two girls repeatedly exclaim in wonder.

Kyousuke noticed their itching desire to explore but also saw how they were holding back, being well-mannered. So with a smile, he said:

"Feel free to look around. Anywhere's fine except for the rooms upstairs with nameplates on the doors."

The two girls immediately lit up, though they were still a little reserved.

"Really? We can?" Sachiko asked excitedly.

"There aren't any traps or hidden weapons that'll kill us, right?" Kayo added cautiously.

"…Excuse me?" Kyousuke blinked.

So in their eyes, the home of an alien crime boss is that dangerous, huh?

"I've deactivated all the traps for now," Kyousuke teased with a mischievous grin. "You can explore without fear."

"Are there black-suited men with katanas hiding behind the walls?"

Kayo ran straight to the TV, pressing her ear to the wall while knocking on it. Before Kyousuke could even answer, she gasped loudly.

"Sachiko! It's hollow! There really is a secret space behind here!"

"That's just the storage room," Mitsuha chuckled.

"For laser guns and katanas, right?"

"Well…"

Honestly, Mitsuha wasn't that familiar with what was stored there.

She turned to Kyousuke, but he also looked clueless.

He hadn't set foot in that storage room for ages—it wasn't his responsibility.

"Anyway, definitely no weapons," Kyousuke said, standing up.

"Yukino, where's everyone else?" he asked.

"They're all in the rooms changing," Yukino replied, still sitting on the sofa with Yotsuba clinging tightly to her arm.

"I see." Kyousuke nodded, understanding—they were all probably taking baths.

He didn't bother changing out of his tailored suit for now.

Though it fit perfectly, lounging around in it wasn't exactly comfortable.

But something else was more important—Mitsuha couldn't feel like this wasn't her home.

Even if he didn't know what was in that storage room, she had to.

Taking Mitsuha by the hand, he led her to the door.

As his hand touched the knob, the two young girls scurried behind him and Mitsuha, using them as human shields.

Seriously now… did they really expect some secret weapons vault?

With that thought, Kyousuke twisted the knob and flung open the door.

'Bang!'

Before Mitsuha could even get a good look, the door slammed shut again.

Kyousuke's smile stiffened.

'Which genius put all the blades in here?!'

Thanks to his scanning ability, even a mere 0.1 seconds was enough to see everything inside.

On the wall directly opposite the door stood a rosewood table with a six-tiered sword rack, holding six gleaming katanas arranged neatly.

On both sides of the room were additional racks holding kitchen knives—rows upon rows of them.

Unlike the katanas, which sat safely in their sheaths, the kitchen knives reflected light straight from the living room the instant the door opened, gleaming coldly.

'Does no one here know that kitchen knives rust if you store them like that?'

"What is it, Kyousuke?" Mitsuha asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing. Just remembered this room needs cleaning…" Kyousuke quickly signaled her with his eyes.

He didn't mind Mitsuha knowing—but if those two excitable weirdos saw, tomorrow the school would be filled with wild rumors about Yotsuba's brother-in-law storing a hundred demonic blades that had slain a thousand men.

"Let's go to the garden instead and play with the dog. Momotarou's really cute."

Kyousuke scooped up Momotarou by the scruff of his neck.

The dog, while reluctant inside, instantly put on a cheerful face—the very image of a perfect underling: "As long as the boss is happy, who cares about playing with kids?"

"Aww… okay…" Sachiko sighed in disappointment.

'Click.'

Kyousuke had only taken two steps when he heard the storage room door open behind him.

"Whoa!!!"

"Amazing! As expected of the BOSS's house—these weapons could arm our entire school year!" Kayo shouted in excitement as she darted into the room.

She took a deep breath, as if trying to suck all the moisture out of the air to prevent the blades from rusting.

"Those are kitchen knives! I'm a chef—it's normal to have a lot of knives at home," Kyousuke tried to explain.

"Then what about this one?!" Kayo struggled to lift a long nodachi that was taller than she was.

"That's for cutting tuna. When I get some fresh ones next time, I'll have Yotsuba call you two over to help eat it."

Kyousuke quickly took the blade from her, miming the motion of slicing sashimi.

But with the curved blade, no matter how he held it, it definitely looked like…

"Waaah! Sachiko, we've discovered the BOSS's dark secret! He's going to silence us!"

"What do we do, Kayo?!"

"Yotsuba's big sister is blocking the door—there's no escape! Our only hope is to kneel and beg for mercy!"

Before he could blink, the two girls were already prostrated on the floor like professionals.

Kyousuke was starting to seriously wonder what their family did for a living.

Were they really part of a gang or something? They were way too skilled at this.

"BOSS! Please hand me a blade—I'll offer my pinky to prove my loyalty!" Kayo said solemnly, lifting her head.

"My sakura tree in the yard just got fertilized yesterday—it doesn't need your finger to help color the blossoms. And the floor's cold, so get up already."

"No way! BOSS, you say that now, but the moment I stand, my head will roll!"

"…Kayo, what does your dad do for work?"

"Please spare my family! According to the code of the underworld—!"

Mitsuha sighed and shook her head, walking back to the living room, leaving Kyousuke to handle the two crazy kids.

Back in Itomori, she'd known he was good with children—but she hadn't realized he was still this good.

Mitsuha walked into the living room just in time to hear Yotsuba asking Yukino about her life over the past few years. Quietly, she sat down beside them to listen.

"Yukino-sensei... after you came back to Tokyo, did you ever run into those two people from high school again?" Mitsuha couldn't help but ask.

"Those two?" Yukari blinked in confusion, her large dark eyes full of calm curiosity.

Seeing those gentle eyes, Mitsuha hesitated. She instantly regretted asking so impulsively.

"I mean... the ones who made you leave Tokyo back then."

That girl who falsely accused Yukino of seducing her boyfriend—and the gossiping friends who helped spread the rumors.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Mitsuha stared intently at Yukari's face, ready to apologize at any moment.

She'd thought for sure that with Kyousuke's personality, maybe he had secretly tracked those people down and taught them a harsh lesson.

But then again, knowing how gentle he truly was, he'd never deliberately reopen Yukari's old wounds like she just had.

Mitsuha had asked without thinking—ever since she learned about Yukari's past, she'd despised those people intensely.

She used to be weak herself, but thanks to Kyousuke's influence, she had grown strong.

And because of that strength, she cared very deeply about justice—and grudges.

Yukari's serene eyes, as calm as a midnight lake, rippled just slightly.

But the hand stroking Yotsuba's head never faltered, her touch remaining gentle and steady.

"No, I haven't seen them. After all, this is Tokyo—a city of thirty million people. Anyone and anything can simply vanish in a place like this," Yukari said softly.

It wasn't just that she hadn't seen them.

She'd worried for a while that such memories might cling to her, follow her all the way to Soubu High.

But in the end, she'd been overthinking it.

Leaving a lasting mark in this city was far harder than people imagined.

"I see..." Mitsuha murmured, filing the information away.

She made up her mind to speak to Kyousuke later—have him mobilize his reliable network to dig up those two wretches.

Of course, Yukari wouldn't hear a thing about it.

This wouldn't be 'revenge'—no, it would be simply... giving them the long-overdue karma they deserved.

With interest, for all these years they'd escaped.

"But it's nice, isn't it? All of us gathered here again, just like in Itomori. I'm so happy," Mitsuha said, finally letting herself enjoy the moment.

"Yes... I'm really happy too," Yukari replied, her heart brightening a little as she gazed at Mitsuha's unhidden smile.

Meanwhile, more than ten minutes had passed.

Kyousuke was still outside, giving the two excitable girls—and Momotarou, their dog—a thorough tour of the entire house and garden.

They'd checked out everything three times, including the "Eastern War God" bike that Eriri had gifted him, and the Rocket 33.

The girls had sat on both, squealing with excitement, while also confirming for themselves that no hidden secret rooms existed.

Well... of course there weren't any.

Kyousuke had practically stripped the whole house down when renovating.

"BOSS, why don't you have a secret room? As an alien and yakuza boss, that's supposed to be standard!" Sachiko asked, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Idiot, Sachiko! Of course there's a secret room—we're just not allowed to see it. I bet there's a spaceship hidden under the garden.

At night, the whole lawn will split open to reveal the launchpad beneath!" Kayo said seriously.

Earlier, she had even laid flat on the grass to check, fishing out a koi to make sure it wasn't some robot fish.

But the vision of that weapons-filled storage room was still fresh in her mind—where there were cold weapons, there had to be hot weapons, too!

Kyousuke had already asked around and confirmed that Kayo's father was a regular office worker and her mother a stay-at-home housewife.

In other words—this weird personality of hers was pure natural talent, completely unrelated to family influence.

Truly, these eccentric "antenna" girls were a mysterious species... it was as if they really had picked up alien signals straight into their brains.

But that was fine. Soon enough, Eriri would be back and could probably handle them just fine—or maybe Yukinoshita could lecture them about space technology.

For her, that kind of thing might as well be "common knowledge."

Kyousuke chuckled at the thought.

Thanks to the house's excellent soundproofing, none of the commotion downstairs reached the upper floors.

About five minutes later, Kyousuke finally saw Sakura appear on the second-floor hallway.

"Hey, Kyousuke—you brought your and Mitsuha's kids back, huh?" Sakura greeted him with a wave, raising her hand high like she was on stage at a concert.

If Mitsuha hadn't known Sakura's personality, she might've thought that was a pointed jab at her.

But knowing Sakura as the genuinely open and good-natured person she was, Mitsuha simply smiled and stood up to introduce her sister and her sister's friends.

"Ah? Yotsuba-chan? Hello! I'm Yamauchi Sakura!"

As expected, anyone who heard the name "Yotsuba" and knew Mitsuha instantly became warm and familiar.

Kyousuke had no doubt that if Yotsuba's grandmother ever showed up, Sakura would immediately grab her by the arm and affectionately call her "Granny."

This girl wasn't like Eriri with her strong sense of empathy—Sakura was simply strange in her own way.

Kyousuke recalled the time both their families attended an elderly neighbor's funeral.

Sakura had cried so hard that the deceased's relatives came over to comfort her, thinking she must've been deeply cared for by the old woman.

But the truth was, the old lady had been an odd character—someone who suspiciously glared at anyone passing her yard, terrified they'd snatch one of the roses growing beside her fence.

Could Kyousuke really put up with such a thing? Of course he could.

No matter how busy or tired he was, he made sure to pick a rose every single day and leave it at the old lady's gate—year after year, without missing a day.

Just like his devotion to watching NHK programs, that was simply the kind of man he was: someone with principles.

He believed the old woman surely felt the love of nature in every flower she received.

After all, flowers were the truest form of praise for any woman.

To be that old and still get flowers every day—what a romantic thing.

But thinking back on it now… was Sakura crying so much because she was secretly repenting on his behalf? Probably not.

Knowing Sakura, her simple-mindedness was second only to their own mother's.

"Wow, another pretty big sister!" Sachiko suddenly squealed, squeezing herself between Sakura and Yotsuba's line of sight.

Sakura's appearance seemed to flip some hidden switch—because moments later, the sound of doors opening echoed one after another.

Sachiko and Kayo's eyes grew wider and wider.

The rooms with those fancy nameplates they'd spotted earlier?

One by one, beautiful women were stepping out of them.

Yotsuba's eyes weren't just wide open now—her mouth was hanging so wide she could probably fit two boiled eggs inside.

And as she listened to Hojou-nii casually listing off the names of these big sisters like reading out a menu, Yotsuba's mind was in chaos.

'It's over…' she thought bitterly.

'All because of that dumb sister of mine wasting three years in Nara.'

'Always studying, studying... your husband's already been stolen and you're still studying?!'

'This sister of mine... she's always been slow. Back when I suspected she was dating someone, I clearly gave her too much credit.'

Mitsuha, still curious about the two unfamiliar faces, soon noticed her sister's expression.

Without saying a word, she gently took Yotsuba's hand from Yukino's and began performing the sacred sisterly art of... the warning hand squeeze.

'What's wrong with this idiot sister of mine? What are they teaching you at school anyway? How can just a single glance make you look so rude?!'

'Unbelievable! Instead of keeping your guard up for real enemies—the vixens trying to charm him—you're throwing punches at your own ally?!'

Feeling the pressure in her hand, Yotsuba could hardly believe her sister could be this stupid.

"Hello, Sakura-oneechan! Hello, Eriri-oneechan! Hello, Utaha-oneechan!" Yotsuba broke free from Mitsuha's death grip and stood up, calling out to each of the beautiful women with the sweetest smile possible, acting overly friendly.

Now Mitsuha's expression became... complicated.

She wasn't the only one.

Yukinoshita Yukino gave a strange look as well.

The moment she saw Yukino arrive earlier, Yukino had felt something odd in the air—as if someone strange might appear here at the Ruyi Dorm.

But this?

A young, gorgeous girl whose vibe was hard to pin down—part university student, part something else… something skilled and strangely familiar.

Oh right, that aura… it was the same as Hojou. The calm, sharpened presence earned through years of kendo training.

But that girl wasn't even the weirdest part.

The truly absurd part... was that there were also three middle school girls in uniform standing here!?

This guy… has he finally stepped onto the path of crime?