The room was dimly lit, a quiet hum of music playing softly in the background. Kikidori and Ere'ana were alone, enjoying their rare moment of peace. Everything was calm, everything was perfect—or so they thought.
Kikidori, ever the nonchalant one, had his usual relaxed demeanor. He didn't care for the small things, and he especially didn't care for the interruptions that might come their way. He was in a zone, fully focused on Ere'ana, as the two shared a much-needed moment of intimacy after all the chaos that surrounded them daily.
Ere'ana, on the other hand, was a little more aware of their surroundings. She always was. The angel's cautious nature, even in the most private moments, was a stark contrast to Kikidori's laid-back attitude. Her breath hitched as she looked at him, eyes soft and full of affection, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
But before anything could escalate further, there was a loud *creak* at the door.
Kikidori didn't flinch. He didn't even look up. Ere'ana, however, froze for a moment. Her face flushed bright red as she quickly tried to cover herself. She knew who it was.
Yumi.
"Yumi!" Ere'ana gasped, pulling the covers up as quickly as she could. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, and she could feel the awkwardness filling the room like a thick fog. "What are you doing?!"
But Kikidori, with his usual indifference, didn't even bother looking up. He kept his focus on Ere'ana, continuing to hold her close. "Eh, she knows what's up. No need to panic."
Ere'ana, now mortified, looked at Yumi standing awkwardly in the doorway. Yumi had a wide grin on her face, clearly not expecting to stumble upon this scene, but not necessarily shocked either. She'd been around long enough to know what her parents were capable of, though seeing them in this moment was still incredibly uncomfortable.
"Uhhh..." Yumi started, her voice trailing off as she leaned against the doorframe. "I didn't... I didn't expect to see this when I came in."
"Yumi, what do you think you're doing?" Ere'ana tried again, now feeling the heat rise in her face. She really didn't need her daughter walking in on them in this way.
But Kikidori just shrugged, completely unfazed by the situation. "Eh, if you're gonna barge in, at least knock first. I don't have time for this awkwardness," he said casually, still not bothered at all by his daughter standing there while he and Ere'ana were in the middle of... *the act.*
Yumi rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a laugh. She wasn't grossed out—she just found the whole thing hilarious. This was the least awkward thing she'd walked in on in a while, though she wasn't about to let her parents off the hook so easily.
"I don't need to knock," Yumi said nonchalantly. "It's my room, my house, and you two should've known better than to not lock the door. You know I come in here all the time."
Ere'ana was at a loss for words. She had hoped Yumi wasn't going to be this casual about it. She thought her daughter would be more shocked or upset, but no, Yumi was acting like it was no big deal at all. She wasn't even fazed.
"Don't even try to act like this is normal, Yumi," Ere'ana muttered, still flushed with embarrassment. She couldn't believe she was dealing with this.
But Yumi only shrugged, crossing her arms. "I mean, it's not like I'm bothered by it. It's just... you two are like this all the time. So I guess it's whatever."
Kikidori, still not remotely concerned with what was happening, casually stretched his arms and yawned. "See? Yumi's fine with it. Nothing to worry about."
Ere'ana couldn't believe it. She sat up on the bed, pulling the covers tighter around herself. "Kikidori! You don't care? You're just... *so* casual about everything!"
Kikidori gave her a quick glance, his expression still unreadable. "If she was gonna walk in, I wasn't gonna stop. Besides, she knows what happens behind closed doors. Ain't no point in pretending, right?"
Yumi snickered at her dad's response, clearly amused by how indifferent he was to the whole situation. "You two are ridiculous," she muttered, but the smile never left her face.
"Alright, alright," Yumi said, turning to leave. "I'm just gonna go. But next time, maybe lock the door or something? We don't all need to be this close," she added, pointing at herself before walking out of the room.
The door shut behind her with a soft thud, leaving Ere'ana and Kikidori in a surprisingly awkward silence. Ere'ana still couldn't believe that just happened. She buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her burning cheeks.
Kikidori finally looked at her with a smirk. "See? Told you she'd be fine. No need to worry."
"I'm not worried," Ere'ana snapped, though it was hard to hide the embarrassment in her voice. "I just didn't expect that..."
"Yup," Kikidori agreed with a shrug, "Well, that's life. Can't control everything."
Ere'ana sighed, still feeling the awkwardness in the air. "You're impossible," she said with a chuckle, finally letting go of the tension she'd been holding.
Kikidori grinned, pulling her back into his arms. "Hey, we're good. And next time, we'll make sure to lock the door. But for now…" He leaned in, kissing her gently on the forehead. "Let's just enjoy the silence."
Ere'ana, still a little shaken, leaned into him. "Yeah, silence sounds good right now."
But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever get used to how nonchalant Kikidori was about pretty much everything in life. And as for Yumi—well, she'd probably walk in on them again someday. The thought only made Ere'ana sigh in resignation.
The End of Chapter 18