"Well, now that the conversation is over, let's head back. —Kaya?"
Since the discussion had ended and he had left, I called out to Kaya, suggesting we return, but she didn't respond. I gently shook her shoulder, realizing she was deep in thought, but she quickly replied.
"Oh, sorry, what did you say?"
"I just said we should go back to our room. Kaya, you don't have to worry about anything that man said. If there's anything you want or anything you want to do, I'll make sure it happens for you."
"…Yeah, thank you."
"Leaving already? Why don't you stay and chat with me a bit?"
As I was about to get up, a voice called out from behind. Right, I had forgotten she was still here.
"There's nothing to talk about, is there? Come on, let's go."
"Wait, is that okay?"
"It's fine. She's just bored because she has nothing else to do."
"Well, the recent cases have settled down, so why not indulge me a little? Honestly… Oh, by the way, I was thinking we could have dinner together tonight. What do you think, Kaya?"
"Me? O-Of course, that's fine."
After saying that, Kaya looked at me.
"If Kaya is okay with it, then I have nothing to say. Let's go."
"See you later, then. Bye-bye."
"Hold on. Excuse me."
I took Kaya's hand and we went upstairs, back to our home. I never expected him to show up. It was good that he didn't come just to vent his anger, but I was still worried about Kaya.
"Kaya, are you okay?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Did seeing h—our father upset you? Are you really okay?"
"Oh, yeah. I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me at all, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Actually, I think I had hoped for something like this."
"I see. About earlier, are you sure you're not just going along with it? I know it was hard to decline in that situation, but if you don't want to, you can be honest with me. I'll decline for you."
"No, no, it's really fine. …Besides, there are some things I want to ask."
"Alright, then. I guess I should think about what to make for dinner. But that can wait. So, Kaya, do you want to play the piano together? Or—"
"Actually, I'm a bit tired, so I think I'll take a nap alone."
"I see. You're sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, just wake me up when it's time for dinner, okay?"
With that, Kaya retreated to her room. It was only natural; she had probably been under a lot of emotional stress. To avoid disturbing her, I decided to stay in the living room and manage some investments based on my memories.
As I monitored the trades to ensure there were no significant changes, the intercom suddenly rang. When I checked, it was Shinobu, so I ignored it and stretched. Time had flown by, and I realized I should start preparing dinner. But the intercom rang again. Not wanting to disturb Kaya's sleep, I reluctantly headed to the door.
"Hey, ignoring me isn't very nice, you know?"
"You showed up too early. Why are you here so soon? Dinner isn't ready yet. I'll call you when it's done, so go back home for now."
"I was just worried you might keep Kaya locked up after his visit, so I got anxious. Can't I wait inside until it's ready? I'll even help if you want."
I had considered keeping Kaya at home to protect her from trivial annoyances. But Shinobu could break into the house if she really wanted to, and Kaya didn't seem to want that, so it wasn't the right time.
"Sigh, fine, come in. But don't do anything unnecessary. You can't cook anyway."
"That's rude! I can cook if I put my mind to it."
"Did you forget about the time you turned the kitchen into a bloody mess? I don't need your help."
"Shinobu-san, you're already here?"
Maybe it was because of our argument, but Kaya came out of her room.
"Kaya, I'm sorry. Were we too loud?"
"No, it's fine. Why don't we just let her wait in the living room?"
So, I left Shinobu, who insisted she couldn't sit still without doing something, in the living room, and Kaya and I started cooking together. Kaya's cooking is always delicious, but it seemed to have gotten even better lately. She says she can't match my cooking, but to me, her food tastes better. We chatted while we worked. We decided to make curry tonight. Shinobu prefers it a bit on the sweeter side, so I reluctantly made it a bit sweeter than usual.
"Yum, that was delicious. You two are amazing cooks."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Now that we've finished eating, you should leave."
"Come on, let's talk a bit longer. —I'm curious. How did it feel to see him, your father, after all this time?"
Shinobu's tone suddenly shifted to a serious one, making it clear she was genuinely interested. Although I wanted her to leave, knowing her family situation, I couldn't just dismiss her.
"It didn't affect me much. As long as it doesn't hurt Kaya, I don't care about that man."
"Yeah, that sounds like you. —Kaya, how about you? If you're comfortable, I'd like to hear your thoughts."
I was also curious about how Kaya felt. As we both waited for her to speak, she slowly began to talk.
"At first, I was surprised. Even though a year had passed, I didn't expect him to visit so soon. Did he ask to see us?"
"Yes, he did. He also said that if it wasn't possible, I should convey his message, but he preferred to meet you in person."
"I see. Listening to him, I realized I didn't really know anything about him. When I thought about it, I realized he doesn't remember the past lives. So, if I had heard what he said in the first life—"
"If you had?"
"Maybe there could have been a different path. But that path doesn't exist. It was only by doing things this way, by taking these actions, that I could finally understand him. So, it's pointless to think about other paths. Also, this is something I learned from my sister: whether or not the path you choose is right, you won't know at the time. So, all you can do is work hard to make it the right path. That's all you can do."
"To make it the right path…"
"Yes. From the beginning, we've never been able to change the past. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward, making choices, and working to ensure we can look back and say it was the right path. Meeting my father again has only strengthened that belief."
Kaya seems to have grown stronger than I thought. Unlike before, I could feel her will to live. She's accepted her choices and is determined to live her life based on them.
"I see… Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Kaya, for telling me."
"No problem. Talking it out helped me organize my thoughts too. —Oh, there's something I'd like to ask you two."
"Ask us anything."
"Of course, go ahead."
What could Kaya want to ask us? As I wondered, she took a deep breath and, with resolve, asked her question.
"Are you two… in a relationship?"