๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ
And that girl, Rumina?"
Before Ravihiro could answer, a soft yet confident voice came from behind him.
"His wife."
Ravihiro almost choked on his tea.
His parents froze.
Turning around, they saw Rumina standing in the doorway, arms crossed, smirking.
His mother's mouth dropped open slightly. "๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐?"
Ravihiro gave Rumina a blank stare, but she just winked at him mischievously.
"๐๐๐ฅ," Rumina said casually. "๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฎ, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ช๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐."
Ravihiro's mother narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this true?"
Ravihiro nodded slowly. "Of course." (but whatever made them stop asking questions.)
His father rubbed his temples. "And this Kalki person?"
Before Ravihiro could answer, Haruno walked in.
"๐๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ."
Now his mother looked completely lost. "You have a nephew? But you don't even have siblings!"
Ravihiro took another sip of tea. "It's complicated."
His parents just stared at him, trying to make sense of the ridiculous situation.
His mother finally sighed. "๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐โฆ ๐๐๐๐ฎ'๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ?"
"๐๐๐จ." (Lie.)
"๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช'๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐?"
"๐๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก." (Lie.)
"๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ like stripeson your hands? ๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐๐จ ๐๐ฉ?"
"๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ." (Lie.)
His parents studied him for a long moment.
Finally, his mother sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"I feel like you're lying about everything."
Ravihiro gave her his best innocent expression. "Would I do that?"
His father sighed deeply. "We just wanted to know if you're happy, Ravihiro."
For the first time in the entire conversation, Ravihiro hesitated.
Then he smiled slightly. "I am." (A half-truth, maybe.)
His mother smiled softly. "Thenโฆ welcome home."
As the conversation ended, Ravihiro leaned back in his chair.
๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐.
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ.
For now.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ
The conversation wasn't over. Not even close.
Ravihiro's parents exchanged glances before his father leaned forward again, his expression serious.
"Alright, Ravihiroโฆ If you're really back, we need answers."
Ravihiro sighed inwardly. Here we go again.
His mother fixed him with a sharp gaze. "Where did you go after that lightning strike?"
Ravihiro took a sip of tea, his voice completely calm. "I woke up in a different place." (Not a lie, but definitely not the full truth.)
"What kind of place?"
๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ
The conversation wasn't over. Not even close.
Ravihiro's parents exchanged glances before his father leaned forward again, his expression serious.
"Alright, Ravihiroโฆ If you're really back, we need answers."
Ravihiro sighed inwardly. Here we go again.
His mother fixed him with a sharp gaze. "Where did you go after that lightning strike?"
Ravihiro took a sip of tea, his voice completely calm. "I woke up in a different place." (Not a lie, but definitely not the full truth.)
"What kind of place?"
He set his cup down. "A place where I had to survive." (Again, vague enough to be true.)
His father narrowed his eyes. "Surviveโฆ against what?"
Ravihiro smiled slightly. "Let's just sayโฆ it wasn't a friendly neighborhood."
His parents didn't look satisfied with the answer, but before they could push further, his mother asked, "How did you get back?"
"I walked." (Lie.)
His father raised an eyebrow. "You walked?"
"๐ผ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ."
His mother rubbed her temples. "You're impossible."
Then she glanced at Rumina, who was still smirking. "And youโฆ" She folded her arms. "How did you meet my son?"
Rumina grinned mischievously. "Oh, it's a long, romantic story."
Ravihiro internally groaned.
His mother's eyes lit up. "Romantic, you say?"
"Very." Rumina leaned her head on Ravihiro's shoulder, making him stiffen.
His mother smiled for the first time that morning. "I'd love to hear it."
Before Rumina could start making things up, Ravihiro interrupted. "It's complicated." (Which was true.)
His father asked about kalki.
His father looked just as lost. "Did we have another son we forgot about?"
"๐๐๐." Haruno smirked. "It's just a technicality."
His mother turned back to Ravihiro, rubbing her temples. "What else aren't you telling us?"
Ravihiro smiled. "Lots." (Finally, an honest answer.)
His father sighed heavily. "And what about those rings?"
Ravihiro annoyed by the same question lifted his hand slightly, the rings flickering into existence for a brief second before vanishing.
"๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐." (Not exactly a lieโฆ but definitely not the truth.)
His father shook his head. "You've changed."
Ravihiro finally met his gaze. "Yeah. I have."
There was a long silence.
His mother's voice was quiet. "Are you still our son?"
For the first time since the interrogation began, Ravihiro hesitated.
The silence stretched.
Then he smiled slightly. "Of course."
His parents looked at him carefully, as if trying to recognize the boy they once knew.
๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐.
But they didn't have to know that.
For now.