The warm afternoon sunlight bathed the gazebo and garden in a gentle glow. The spring breeze drifted softly through the air, creating a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere.
Without any of them realizing it, time had passed remarkably quickly.
When Shirayuki glanced at the clock, the short hand was already pointing at four.
Their group presentation was finally complete.
And with that, the activities for the day came to an end.
The five of them returned to the room and began packing up their belongings.
The documents, tablets, and stationery that had previously covered the table were now being put back into their bags.
"Kanzaki-san."
Yuu, who was in the middle of packing up his belongings, suddenly spoke.
"Kanzaki-san, would you like to be driven all the way home, or just to the station?"
Akira lifted her gaze from the bag she was organizing.
"Just to the station."
"Alright."
Yuu nodded lightly.
Saeki approached the five of them.
"Miss Shirayuki, Mr. Mikazuki. Your cars are ready outside."
"Alright. Thank you."
Yuu replied with a polite smile.
Shirayuki simply nodded lightly in response.
"Then, we'll be leaving first."
Yuu looked at the others before giving a casual wave.
"See you."
"See you."
Akira replied briefly.
Ryuusei raised a hand in farewell.
Meanwhile, Aizen merely gave a slight nod.
Akira, Yuu, and Ryuusei left the room first.
Shirayuki was about to follow when Saeki—Aizen's aide—suddenly stopped her.
"Miss Shirayuki."
Yuu, who had not yet walked very far, unconsciously stopped in his tracks.
Saeki then politely handed over a small wooden box.
"This is something entrusted to me by Mr. and Mrs. Tenshou."
Shirayuki looked slightly surprised.
"For me?"
"That's correct."
Saeki nodded.
"We heard that your health has not been very good over the past few weeks."
"Therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Tenshou asked me to give this to you."
Yuu's gaze slowly shifted toward the wooden box.
A special gift?
Meanwhile, Aizen did not seem surprised at all, as if he had already known about it from the very beginning.
After a brief silence, Shirayuki finally accepted the wooden box.
"Please convey my gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Tenshou."
"Of course."
Saeki bowed politely.
Shirayuki then responded with a nod before stepping out of the room.
Aizen and Saeki followed behind her.
Seeing that, Yuu merely glanced briefly at the wooden box now in Shirayuki's hands.
But he said nothing.
As if he saw nothing and heard nothing at all, he resumed walking to catch up with Akira and Ryuusei, who had already gone ahead.
Yuu, Ryuusei, and Akira got into their car first before leaving the Tenshou residence.
Saeki then opened the car door for Shirayuki.
However, just as she was about to get in, Aizen suddenly stopped her.
"You look a little pale today."
Shirayuki unconsciously touched her cheek.
"Is it that noticeable?"
"Yes."
Aizen's answer was short.
"If you're not feeling well, you should have gone home earlier."
Shirayuki unconsciously pouted at his words.
It felt like she was being scolded.
"I'll consider it next time."
Without waiting for Aizen's response, Shirayuki quickly got into the car.
She did not give Aizen any chance to continue his lecture.
From outside, Aizen simply stood there silently watching her behavior.
"..."
Stubborn child.
The Kujo family car slowly left the Tenshou residence.
"You seem to be more attentive to the young lady."
Hearing the comment, Aizen, who had been watching the car until now, finally shifted his gaze toward Saeki.
"Not really."
His answer sounded as calm as usual.
"If she is going to become the Tenshou lady, then she should properly take care of her health."
"Is that so?"
Saeki did not object.
However, his gaze showed that he was not entirely convinced.
Aizen ignored him and started walking back toward the house.
"Besides, her body is simply too weak. If this continues, sooner or later she will only end up causing trouble for herself."
Saeki only gave a faint smile upon hearing that additional explanation.
Somehow, the more Aizen explained, the more it sounded like an excuse.
And that was something that rarely happened.
***
Sunday.
A day when Shirayuki did not want to do anything.
Even going downstairs for breakfast felt troublesome.
After yesterday's group project meeting, her body was truly exhausted.
Because of that, she simply rolled around slowly on her bed before hugging her pillow again.
She had no plans to leave her room anytime soon.
"Miss, it is already eight in the morning."
Aoi's gentle voice could be heard from outside the bedroom door.
"If you keep delaying breakfast, your stomach will hurt later."
Shirayuki pulled her blanket a little higher.
She remained silent for a moment before finally letting out a resigned sigh.
"Bring my breakfast here."
There was silence for a few seconds.
"As you wish, Miss."
Aoi's response came from behind the door.
After that, his footsteps gradually faded away.
Shirayuki buried her face into her pillow once again.
However, a few moments later, she suddenly remembered something.
A small wooden box that Saeki had given her yesterday on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Tenshou.
Because she had been too tired after returning home, she had not even had the chance to open it yet.
"..."
Shirayuki turned over and shifted her gaze toward the bedside table.
The wooden box was still there, exactly where she had placed it last night.
For a moment, curiosity began to chase away her drowsiness.
What exactly had Aizen's parents given her?
Shirayuki got out of bed and walked over to the table where the box had been placed.
Carefully, she opened the lid of the wooden box.
Inside were several tins of herbal tea arranged neatly in elegant packaging.
A gold-framed greeting card was tucked among them.
Shirayuki picked up the card and read its contents.
We heard that your health has not been very good lately. We hope this tea can help you rest more comfortably.
— Kiyoharu & Miyuki Tenshou
"..."
For a moment, Shirayuki fell silent.
She had not expected Mr. and Mrs. Tenshou to pay such close attention to her condition.
They had even sent her a gift simply because they had heard that her health had been declining.
The two of them always seemed kind and considerate as well.
So where exactly had Aizen inherited his personality from?
Was he adopted?
Knock. Knock.
"Miss, I'm coming in."
Aoi's voice came from behind the bedroom door.
"Yes."
Not long after, the door slowly opened.
Aoi entered while pushing a trolley carrying Shirayuki's breakfast.
The aroma of warm food quickly filled the room, making the previously quiet atmosphere feel a little more lively.
"I've brought your breakfast."
On the trolley was a plate of scrambled eggs sprinkled with parsley, a bowl of tofu and shimeji mushroom soup, and a fresh vegetable salad.
As accompaniments, Aoi had also brought a glass of melon juice and a glass of water.
Shirayuki then ate her breakfast slowly, accompanied by Aoi standing beside her.
"Are my brothers at home?"
"Yes."
Aoi nodded lightly.
"As it happens, neither of them has any particular plans today."
"Where are they right now?"
"Master Renji and Master Haruki are exercising in the gym."
Aoi answered politely.
"Does Miss need something from them?"
"If you wish, I can pass along a message."
Shirayuki fell silent for a moment as she poked her scrambled eggs with her fork.
"Not really."
"I was just curious."
Besides, it was fairly rare for both of her brothers to be home on the same day.
"I see."
Aoi nodded in understanding.
However, a few seconds later, she added,
"Even so, I believe they would be very happy to know that you were looking for them."
"..."
Shirayuki could immediately imagine her brothers' reactions.
And for some reason, it sounded a little troublesome.
"Oh right, Aoi."
Shirayuki suddenly remembered the gift she had received yesterday.
"The herbal tea in those tins—please serve it during tea time later."
Aoi's gaze unconsciously shifted toward the wooden box still resting on the table.
"Yes, Miss."
Aoi gave a slight bow.
"I will prepare it for you later."
After making sure that everything Shirayuki needed was available, Aoi once again stood quietly beside her.
Meanwhile, Shirayuki continued eating her breakfast at a leisurely pace.
.
.
.
After growing tired of staying in her room, Shirayuki decided to take a walk in the garden.
Accompanied by Aoi, she followed the garden paths while enjoying the cool spring breeze.
The Kujo family garden was no less beautiful than the Tenshou family's.
Well-maintained flower beds decorated various corners of the garden, while towering trees provided soothing shade.
In the middle of the garden, there was even a gazebo and a small pond that had become Shirayuki's favorite place to relax.
The familiar scenery gradually made her body and mind feel more relaxed.
She then lay down on the swing bench hanging in the gazebo while closing her eyes.
The cool spring breeze gently brushed against her hair and cheeks.
From afar, the faint sound of the pond's flowing water could be heard, blending with the occasional chirping of birds passing by.
A peaceful day.
Shirayuki thought.
And for the first time in a long while, she felt that she did not need to think about anything.
"Heh..."
Shirayuki accidentally let out a small laugh.
It felt like it had been a long time since she had last been able to relax like this.
Without realizing it, the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Today seemed like it would be a pleasant day.
Or at least, that was what she thought.
Unfortunately, the world did not seem to intend to let her enjoy that peace for very long.
From behind her closed eyelids, Shirayuki heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer.
She slowly opened her eyes.
And as expected...
Two very familiar figures were walking toward her.
Renji and Haruki.
Both of them were wearing casual clothes after exercising, each carrying a water bottle in one hand.
The moment she saw them appear together, Shirayuki immediately had a bad feeling.
Her peace and quiet today would probably be coming to an end very soon.
"Yuki!"
And sure enough.
Her instincts were never wrong.