Saturday Night – Kael Residence
The long dining table in the heart of the Kael family home was set for three.
Himari Kael, president of Lucent Corporation, sat at the head.
To her left: Mirei Asagiri, president of Asagiri Holdings, draped in a clean-cut formal blouse — stripped of her usual corporate armor, but no less commanding.
To her right: Aeron Kael, quiet, unreadable as ever, his expression somewhere between detached and polite boredom. His dark hair fell slightly over his eyes. His posture, perfect. His presence, quiet.
The air was not tense.
It was deliberate.
And full of unspoken fire.
---
"A Family Dinner"
"I'm surprised you agreed to this," Himari said, cutting into her grilled salmon. "You've never come to one of our dinners, Mirei."
"Because this isn't just a dinner," Mirei replied, coolly. "It's the beginning of something more."
Aeron didn't lift his gaze.
Himari smiled faintly. "That's bold. Even for you."
"I told you what I wanted," Mirei said. "And I'm not one to play around."
> Aeron looked up now — just slightly.
Mirei met his gaze. "I love you."
The words weren't shouted.
They didn't need to be.
Himari set her fork down gently. "You really meant it, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"You're serious about my son."
"I am."
---
"Not Just a Business Deal"
Himari leaned back in her chair, staring at Mirei.
"You've turned down every heir, politician, and celebrity in this gender-bent world. You're feared and admired by women across Japan."
She glanced at Aeron.
"And now you say you're in love with a boy who barely looks at people?"
Mirei smiled. "That's exactly why."
Aeron frowned faintly. "I'm not—"
"Lifeless?" she interrupted softly. "I know. That's why I want to understand you."
Himari's gaze hardened.
"I told you, Mirei. I will protect him. He may not be mine by blood, but I chose to be his mother. And I'll fight the world for him."
"I won't hurt him," Mirei said. "But I will fight for him, too."
---
After Dinner – The Living Room
The three sat quietly. The air had calmed, but the undercurrent remained.
Mirei sipped her tea. "I'll be sponsoring a major event at the school's festival next month."
Aeron raised an eyebrow. "To get more time with me?"
Mirei tilted her head. "You sound like you mind."
He didn't respond.
"Your silence is a challenge," she said quietly. "And I like challenges."
---
Upstairs – Ayaka's Room
Ayaka sat at her desk, staring at her phone. The family group chat was silent, but she had seen the dinner arrangements.
> Mom. Mirei. Aeron.
Not me.
She gripped the edge of her blanket.
"Dinner… with her," she whispered. "Without me."
She remembered the kiss.
The accidental fall. The warmth of his skin. The shock in his eyes. The silence afterward.
And now, Mirei was making her move.
> "I won't let her take him away."
Ayaka stood up, hair falling over her face.
> "He's my stepbrother. But I love him."
Her voice trembled — not from doubt, but from resolve.
Side Story – Yume's Room
Yume sat cross-legged on her bed, messaging Aeron.
> [Yume]: "Did dinner go well?"
She stared at the screen.
No reply.
She placed her phone down gently and sighed.
She wasn't jealous.
Not yet.
But she felt it — that gap growing wider between them.
Back when she used to visit the cake shop every week, he'd smile a little. He'd ask about her schedule. He'd call her by name.
> "Now it's just… 'Morning.' Or nothing."
She rolled onto her side, hugging a pillow.
> "I won't give up, Aeron. I liked you first."