Sunday morning.
The sunlight was already coming through the curtains, but Ren was still sleeping peacefully.
For once, there was no alarm.
No office.
No night shift.
No trading charts.
No responsibilities.
Just sleep.
Ren slowly opened his eyes.
He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.
"…Huh?"
He blinked.
Then he looked at the clock.
7:03 AM.
His face immediately became disappointed.
"…Sunday?"
He sat up.
"Today is Sunday, right?"
Nobody answered.
Ren rubbed his eyes.
"Then why am I awake at seven in the morning?"
He looked genuinely offended.
"I haven't even gotten married."
He pointed at himself.
"I don't have a wife."
He pointed toward the sleeping children.
"…And somehow I have two children."
He fell backward onto the mattress.
"This doesn't make sense."
He pulled the blanket over his head.
"I'll sleep again."
He closed his eyes.
Three seconds later—
He felt someone staring at him.
Ren slowly pulled the blanket down.
On his right—
Aanya was sleeping peacefully.
On his left—
Kaito was awake.
And staring directly at him.
Ren stared back.
Kaito stared harder.
Ren blinked.
Kaito didn't.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
Kaito said nothing.
Ren sat up.
"…Did I steal your blanket?"
"No."
"Did I snore?"
"No."
"Did I say something weird while sleeping?"
"No."
"Then why are you looking at me like I'm a criminal?"
Kaito finally answered.
"Because you're supposed to be awake."
Ren's mouth dropped open.
"…Excuse me?"
"It's already seven."
"It's Sunday!"
"Yes."
"So?"
"You're the father."
Ren stared at him.
"…And?"
"You're supposed to wake up before your children."
Ren slowly pointed at himself.
"Since when?"
Kaito shrugged.
"I don't know."
"Then why are you telling me?"
"Because you're the father."
Ren grabbed his pillow.
"I already regret becoming one."
Kaito looked at him.
"You didn't become one."
Ren froze.
"…What?"
"You were already one."
Ren stared at him for several seconds.
Then he grabbed his chest dramatically.
"That hurt."
Aanya suddenly moved under the blanket.
"Dad…"
Ren immediately lowered his voice.
"Shhh. Go back to sleep."
Aanya opened one eye.
"What are you two doing?"
"Your brother is attacking me."
Kaito immediately corrected him.
"I said nothing."
"You attacked me with your eyes."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It made sense to me."
Aanya rubbed her eyes.
"You two are weird."
Then she went back to sleep.
Ren pointed at Kaito.
"See? Even your sister agrees."
Kaito sighed.
"…We're going shopping today."
Ren paused.
"…Why?"
Kaito looked at him like he was explaining something obvious.
"We don't have enough clothes."
Ren looked around.
Then his eyes widened.
"Oh."
He slapped his forehead.
"Right!"
He jumped out of bed.
"Clothes!"
He started counting on his fingers.
"Clothes, shoes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, sleeping clothes…"
He stopped.
"…What else do children need?"
Kaito answered immediately.
"Everything."
Ren looked at him.
"That wasn't helpful."
"It was accurate."
"…I don't like how smart you are."
Aanya suddenly sat up.
"Shopping?"
Ren looked at her.
"Yes."
Her eyes instantly became wide.
"SHOPPING?!"
"Don't get excited."
"SHOPPING!!!"
She jumped out of bed.
Ren sighed.
"…Why did I say that?"
---
An hour later, the three of them arrived at a large children's store.
Ren walked inside with a shopping list on his phone.
Aanya immediately disappeared toward the toys.
Kaito remained beside Ren.
Ren looked at him.
"Stay close."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to lose you."
"You'll find me."
"How?"
Kaito pointed toward himself.
"I look exactly like the picture."
Ren stared at him.
"…You really are annoying."
Kaito looked offended.
"I'm not."
"You are."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Ren folded his arms.
"You're arguing with your father."
Kaito folded his arms too.
"You started it."
Ren's eyes widened.
"I started it?"
"Yes."
"I asked you to stay close!"
"And I said I would."
"Then why are you arguing?"
"Because you're arguing."
Ren stared at him.
Kaito stared back.
Aanya, meanwhile, was standing several meters away with her doll.
She looked at them.
Then looked at her doll.
Then back at them.
"…Are they fighting?"
The doll obviously didn't answer.
Aanya nodded seriously.
"Yeah. I think they are."
She picked up her doll.
"Well…"
She shrugged.
"…I'll leave them alone."
She began walking around the store.
Meanwhile—
Ren pointed at Kaito.
"Fine. You want to act like an adult?"
"Yes."
"Then act like one."
"Okay."
"Then pick your own clothes."
"Okay."
"And don't complain."
"Okay."
"And don't ask me for anything."
"Okay."
Ren smiled.
"Perfect."
Kaito walked toward the clothes section.
He picked up a shirt.
Then another.
Then another.
Ren watched him.
"…Why are you choosing those?"
"They're comfortable."
"You need something better."
"They're fine."
"You're my son."
"And?"
"I have standards."
Kaito looked at him.
"You were wearing the same shirt three days ago."
Ren froze.
"…That is completely unrelated."
"You also slept in it."
"That is classified information."
Kaito smiled slightly.
Ren immediately pointed at him.
"Don't smile."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"No."
"You're doing it again!"
Kaito finally laughed.
Ren gasped.
"Wait."
He pointed at him dramatically.
"You CAN smile!"
Kaito's expression immediately returned to normal.
"…No."
"YOU JUST DID!"
"I didn't."
"You absolutely did!"
"I didn't."
Ren grabbed his shoulders.
"Do it again!"
"Stop."
"Come on!"
"No."
"Just once!"
"No."
Aanya suddenly appeared between them.
"STOP!"
Both of them froze.
Aanya stood there holding her doll like an exhausted parent who had just discovered two children fighting in the supermarket.
She looked at Ren.
Then at Kaito.
Then back at Ren.
"You two will stop fighting now."
Ren blinked.
"…What?"
Aanya put her hands on her waist.
"We haven't even had breakfast!"
Ren pointed at Kaito.
"He started it."
Kaito immediately pointed at Ren.
"He started it."
Aanya closed her eyes.
She looked exhausted.
"…Both of you are children."
Ren's jaw dropped.
"I am your father!"
Kaito nodded.
"Yes."
Aanya looked at Ren.
"Then act like one."
Ren looked personally betrayed.
"…Did my daughter just scold me?"
Kaito nodded.
"Yes."
Ren looked at him.
"You're enjoying this."
"No."
"You are!"
Aanya sighed.
"Come on."
She grabbed Ren's hand.
Then grabbed Kaito's.
"Breakfast."
Ren looked at her.
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"But we haven't finished shopping."
"Food first."
Kaito nodded.
"She's right."
Ren looked between them.
"…Why does it feel like I've lost control of my own family?"
Aanya pulled both of them toward the entrance.
"Because you don't have control."
Kaito added calmly,
"She has more control than you."
Ren stared at his children.
"…I need a lawyer."
---
They eventually stopped at a small restaurant nearby.
Ren ordered breakfast for everyone.
Aanya sat between the two boys—because apparently she had decided that keeping them separated was now part of her job.
Ren looked at Kaito.
"You know, you shouldn't argue with your father."
Kaito took a bite.
"You shouldn't argue with your son."
Ren stopped.
"…That's different."
"How?"
"Because I'm the adult."
Kaito looked at him.
"Then behave like one."
Aanya covered her face.
"Oh no…"
Ren pointed at Kaito.
"Your attitude is getting worse."
Kaito calmly continued eating.
"You're the one who taught me to speak honestly."
Ren slowly turned toward Aanya.
"Your brother is impossible."
Aanya sighed.
"You both are impossible."
Then she continued eating.
---
After breakfast, they finally went back to shopping.
Clothes.
Shoes.
Toothbrushes.
Toothpaste.
Shampoo.
Soap.
Sleeping clothes.
A small backpack.
And, according to Aanya—
"A VERY IMPORTANT DOLL."
Ren looked at the doll.
"It costs almost as much as the shoes."
Aanya hugged it.
"But it's cute."
Ren stared at her.
Then sighed.
"Fine."
She smiled.
"Thank you, Dad!"
Kaito quietly picked up a small toy.
Ren noticed.
"You want that?"
Kaito immediately put it back.
"No."
Ren picked it up.
"Too late."
"Dad."
"It's yours."
"I said I don't need it."
"I know."
"Then why are you buying it?"
Ren shrugged.
"Because I want to."
Kaito stared at the toy.
Then at Ren.
He hesitated.
"…Okay."
Ren smiled.
"See? That wasn't difficult."
Kaito looked away.
"…Thanks."
"Anytime."
A moment later, Kaito suddenly noticed a small locket hanging on a display.
He looked at it for a second.
Ren noticed his gaze.
"You like that?"
Kaito hesitated.
"…A little."
Ren picked it up.
"Then we'll take it."
Kaito looked surprised.
"You're just buying it?"
"Yeah."
"But why?"
Ren gave him a confused look.
"Because you're my son."
Kaito went quiet.
Ren tilted his head.
"What?"
"…Nothing."
Kaito took the locket.
For a moment, he simply held it.
Then he quietly smiled.
Ren noticed.
He smiled too.
"See?"
Kaito looked up.
"What?"
"You smiled again."
Kaito immediately became expressionless.
"I didn't."
"You did!"
"No."
"I saw it!"
"No."
"Aanya!"
Aanya looked at them from across the store.
"What?"
"Your brother smiled!"
Aanya gasped.
"REALLY?!"
Kaito immediately walked away.
"I hate this family."
Ren laughed.
"See? He definitely smiled!"
Aanya chased after Kaito.
"BROTHER! DO IT AGAIN!"
"Leave me alone."
"Smile!"
"No."
"Smile!"
"No!"
Ren followed them, laughing.
For the first time in a long while—
His shopping trip wasn't boring.
It was exhausting.
It was expensive.
It was chaotic.
And somehow—
He liked it.
---
Later, while leaving the store, Ren suddenly stopped.
He looked at the bags.
Then at Aanya.
Then Kaito.
Then back at the bags.
"…Wait."
Aanya looked up.
"What?"
Ren pulled out his phone.
"There is something we still haven't done."
Kaito asked,
"What?"
"Official registration."
The three of them headed toward the required government office.
After a ridiculous amount of paperwork, questions, signatures, and Ren repeatedly asking why there were so many forms—
He finally reached the final section.
Father's name.
Ren wrote his own name.
Then—
Mother's name.
His pen stopped.
He knew only her surname.
That was all.
No face.
No address.
No clear memory.
Just that surname.
Ren quietly wrote it down.
Then he looked at the two children.
"…At least this much…"
He smiled.
"…I can give you."
The paperwork was finally completed.
When they stepped outside, Aanya immediately grabbed his hand.
Kaito walked beside them.
Ren looked at both children.
"So…"
He raised the documents.
"Officially…"
He paused dramatically.
"…I'm now responsible for you two."
Aanya smiled.
"Of course!"
Kaito nodded.
"Yes."
Ren sighed.
"…I was happier before I knew that."
Aanya hit his arm.
"Dad!"
"Ouch!"
Kaito laughed.
Ren immediately pointed at him.
"YOU LAUGHED AGAIN!"
Kaito stopped.
"…No."
Aanya started laughing too.
And Ren—
Despite himself—
Started laughing with them.
It was just another Sunday.
No mystery.
No strange memories.
No hidden cameras.
Just a father trying to survive a shopping trip with two children.
And, somehow—
That was already difficult enough.