The first thing Shina did when she woke up was freeze. Carefully shifting in bed, she let out a sigh of relief and stretched out in relaxation.
"Yeah… I never cease to be amazed by Mom. On top of everything else, she can even heal a spanked backside. And I had to fall asleep on my stomach yesterday."
And it was all that little brat's fault. Sure, she took her anger out on him—so what? He could've said everything to her face. Why go tattling? Yesterday she almost had a falling-out with her best friend because of him. And Kino was basically right, after all. Yes, he's weak, yes, he's poor, yes, he lives on clan territory and gets protection from the clan district for free. So what if half of it isn't even his fault? Factually, it's still true! It pissed her off so much. And the result of the day—getting spanked. At seventeen! Just wonderful.
And her parents even hinted that she should apologize. She! To him! To that weak little snitch! No way. No one said it to her directly, so that meant… informant! How was she even supposed to deal with him after that? No, sure, she might have gone a bit too far—calling him a freeloader was probably unnecessary. And she might've even apologized eventually. But yesterday's burning backside wiped out any such possibility. Though if her parents found out… and they might, now that he'd started complaining. Ugh, then she'd have to do it. But she'd do it in a special way—so he'd understand everything right away, but without being too rude. And then a run! And a sparring match! Today she'd show him what he likes to call "Kuzka's mother." He'd answer for everything. She didn't wake up this early for nothing, after all.
Stretching her whole body, Shina suddenly threw off the blanket and jumped out of bed. The imagined sparring match filled her with energy and anticipation. Shame she couldn't spank him too—that really would be overkill.
The girl went downstairs. From the kitchen came the most wonderful smells. Her mom really was the best. The men of the family—well, not just the men—weren't even thinking of getting up yet, and she was already on her feet and in the kitchen. How did she manage everything? Though she did get her benefits. She was allowed far more than many others. Just the fact that she retained the right to be the sole wife of the clan heir said enough. Yes, her mother was a force of nature—she kept all those men firmly under control.
"And not just the men," Shina thought, touching her backside with a finger. "She healed it, sure, but the talk with her was almost scarier than the one with Grandpa."
After taking a shower and changing into a tracksuit, she went into the kitchen, hoping to grab something tasty. Breakfast was still a long way off.
— Good morning, Mom.
— Morning, Shina. I see you're going for a run, — Kagami greeted her daughter without turning around.
— Yeah, haven't run in a while.
— You could've slept a bit longer.
— I want to invite Sindzi to come with me.
— Is that so? — her mother even turned around at that. — Then let me remind you: first business, then pleasure.
Shina understood this as yet another hint about apologizing.
— I'm going to train, what pleasure?
— I mean sparring, my girl, — said Kagami, turning back to the stove. Stirring one of the pots, she turned again, placing vegetables on the table.
At that moment, Shina was ecstatic—apparently her mom was on her side and had practically given official permission to give Sindzi a proper beating. For that, she'd even apologize properly.
— Okay, Mom, I'll remember!
— And one more thing, Shina—if I see bruises on our neighbor, I'll be upset, — Kagami remarked, twirling a tomato in one hand and a knife in the other. — You don't want your mother to be upset, do you? Blushing for no reason, getting nervous.
Shina shook her head anxiously.
— No, I don't.
— Good. — And brushing a strand of hair aside with the back of her hand, her mother returned to cutting vegetables.
— But Mom, it's sparring—how can there be no bruises? — Shina tried to find a loophole.
— Try.
And her voice was so soft that Shina immediately decided—forget the sparring. It wasn't forever, after all; she could wait a week until her parents calmed down. Or a couple of weeks. Or think of something else entirely.
— What kind of fun is that… — muttered Shina.
But her mother heard.
— Sparring has different purposes, Shina, and as a girl you should know that.
"And what, I'm not a girl now because I don't know?" Shina thought indignantly.
As if sensing something, Kagami raised her head and looked into her eyes.
— What?
— Oh, my daughter, how foolish you become when it comes to Sindzi, — Kagami said, shaking her head. — If only I knew why? — she smirked, watching her daughter's indignant expression.
— I'm going, — grumbled the Genius of the Koyama clan, having failed to grab anything to eat, — time's passing and Sindzi's still asleep.