Dinner was curry rice.
Again with the curry?! You've got to be kidding me! I'm gonna puke!
But this was one of the only two dishes Kobayashi Mika could reliably cook—the other being hot pot, which required even less effort.
So for the past six months, Kuroba Akira had lived almost exclusively on curry, hot pot, and the occasional unholy fusion of curry hot pot. At this point, he was pretty sure he had developed a clinical aversion to the stuff.
"So… your surname is Shiginomiya?"
At the dinner table, after Shion finished introducing herself, Mika raised a brow and asked in return.
"Hah! Y-Yes… sss… haah… M-My name is Shi… g-gu… Shiginomiya… sss… Shion desu! Sss… K-Kobayashi-obaasan, haah… just call me Shion, that's fine!"
The strange hissing and exhaling sounds were because she was dying from the spice.
Mika's late husband had been from Hunan—famous for its spicy cuisine—so her curry was a tongue-numbing inferno that far surpassed the upper spice threshold of the average Japanese palate.
"Sorry about that, Shion-chan. It's just that usually only this brat eats my cooking, so I've gotten used to making it spicy. I'll make a milder one next time."
"It's fine… r-really, it's… delicious…"
In truth, she couldn't taste anything anymore. Shion felt like her tongue was swelling. If she didn't pant like a dog, it felt unbearable.
Ugh… and I had to go and show this ugly side of myself in front of Akira…
She'd been ready to ruin her face earlier, yet now here she was worrying about her image. Shion hadn't realized just how much her mindset was already shifting.
Akira, on the other hand, could handle spicy food just fine, but eating heavy curry in the middle of summer killed his appetite. He absentmindedly stirred his food with a spoon as he asked:
"What is it, Kobayashi-obaasan?"
"It's nothing. Just that the surname Shiginomiya is pretty rare. As far as I know, there's only one family in all of Chiyoda with that name…"
She paused there, eyes narrowing with a hint of something unreadable.
"I remember him being a long-time bachelor. This is the first I've heard of him having a daughter this age… and she doesn't look like an illegitimate child, either…"
"Um… Shiginomiya is my current surname. I didn't always go by that. He's… my stepfather."
In Japan, women generally take their husband's surname after marriage, and children's surnames are decided by the couple.
So it made sense—Shion had taken the name after her mother remarried.
So she lives in her stepfather's home now… Must be part of the family conflict.
"I see. So Shiginomiya actually did get married. And to a divorced woman with a child, no less. Huh. Now that's interesting… but also a little troublesome…"
Mika furrowed her brows, closing her eyes in thought, lips pressed together in a hum of contemplation.
Akira could tell she was bothered by the surname. He was just about to ask more about Shion's situation when Mika suddenly opened her eyes and addressed her directly.
"All right. Once you've finished eating, give me your family's phone number."
"Eh?"
"Don't worry, I'm not sending you back. But your parents need to know where you are. Otherwise, this becomes a real pain."
Akira knew full well Mika wasn't the type to stir up drama or gossip. She was the kind who preferred keeping things simple and getting ahead of problems before they exploded.
This was no different.
So when Shion looked at Akira, silently asking what to do, he nodded toward Mika and said:
"Let her handle it. She won't do you wrong."
"…Okay. I'll write it down."
Mika gave a small nod and went to fetch paper and pen.
As Shion started writing down a number, Mika spoke again, almost absently—like she was reminiscing.
"I had a son, you know. But when he got married, he got into a huge fight with my husband. After that, he never came back, not even once. And my husband… he never called him, either."
"In the end, the two of them never saw each other again. My boy did come to the funeral, and I think… he regretted it."
"Father and son. So damned stubborn, the both of them…"
"I'm not saying this to guilt you into going home. I just want you to understand—no matter how much you hate your parents, they'll still worry about you. And no matter how much you want to pretend they don't matter, you'll always care. That's just… the bond of blood."
Shion sat quietly, listening. The burning spice on her tongue had all but faded into numbness.
Parents will worry about their kids… A bond written into their blood…
She believed her stepfather probably would be worried. He was a good man, after all.
But… her mother?
Would she really worry about me…?
She wasn't sure. And she was too afraid to find out.
After dinner, Akira did the dishes while Shion wiped the table. Mika sat in the living room, dialing the number on her landline. She put the call on speaker.
"Moshi moshi, is this Mr. Shiginomiya?"
"Yes, speaking! How did you get this number? Did something happen to Shion?!"
"Calm down. Your daughter's fine. She's staying at my house right now."
"And you are…?"
"I'm Kobayashi Mika."
That was all she said. No other introduction. As if just her name alone was enough.
And somehow… it was.
The voice on the other end didn't even press for details. Apparently, Mika had that much clout. Was she some kind of Face-Fruit user?
"So you're the one who helped Shion?"
"No. She was picked up by a guest staying at my house. He's the same age as her—a broke high school boy."
"Uh…"
Kobayashi-obaasan! Stop talking! Why are you like this?! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!
Akira screamed internally.
Just the tone of the man's voice made it clear—this was a total daughter-con. If he found out his daughter had been "picked up" by a boy her age, wouldn't he come over swinging a katana or something?!
But surprisingly, Mika's name was enough to prevent any outburst.
"If he's staying at your place, then I'm sure he's a trustworthy young man. And with you watching over them, I know my daughter's safe."
Mika looked bored.
In her eyes, any father who wasn't immediately furious about his daughter being near a strange boy couldn't be called a proper father.
Is it because she's a stepdaughter? So he just doesn't care as much?
"Hmph."
Mika snorted and continued.
"I don't know what happened in your family. But your daughter says she doesn't want to come home right now, so she'll be staying here for the time being."
Her tone wasn't one of negotiation—it was a flat declaration.
Take it or leave it. It's already decided.
Kobayashi-obaasan,you're so cool!
Wait… didn't you literally just say earlier you weren't going to take her in?
"…I understand. In that case, I'll transfer money to your account. Please take care of Shion in my stead."
Oho?
Did I hear that right?
Money?!
Akira perked up immediately.
If he could get some startup funds, then he could open up new training routes for Shion.
Shiginomiya-ojiisan… no, Otousan! Please, be generous with that wire transfer!
You wouldn't want your precious daughter to suffer in poverty under my care, would you?