Upstairs, something else crashed.
Everyone looked at the ceiling.
"What's up there?" Luka asked.
"My room." I stood. "Probably just...stuff falling over. Old building. Happens all the time."
"Want me to check it out?"
"No!" Too fast. Too loud. "I mean, it's fine. I'll handle it after lunch."
Kimiko sipped her tea, her expression unreadable.
"You know," she said conversationally, "when you were little, you used to hide things from me all the time. Under your bed. In your closet. Behind the dresser."
"Okay?"
"You were terrible at it." She set down her cup. "I always knew. I just waited until you were ready to tell me the truth."
The message was clear.
I'm giving you rope. Don't hang yourself with it.
"Noted," I said.
Another crash from upstairs.
Emi looked at me with wide eyes.
