Next Target, 400PS!
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"What if someone sees me getting into your car? If rumors start flying around school that we're together, what are we going to do?" Kai's interest was piqued, teasing her with a wide smile.
"Really..."
'Is that an option?' Eriri didn't worry about hiding it. Instead, she experienced a rush of pleasant surprise. Maybe this could be her chance to start dating Kai for real.
However... her tsundere instincts quickly took over.
Eriri caught herself mid-sentence, paused, and turned her head away. "Let them talk. I don't care," she scoffed, pretending not to care at all. Hoping she would admit she was excited was just wishful thinking.
"Ha!" Kai laughed out loud at her classic tsundere act. He let it go and got into the passenger seat.
"Ahem!"
With Kai suddenly so close, Eriri caught his scent and let out a nervous cough. She looked away, her face turning bright red as she avoided his eyes.
"D-Drive!" she ordered the chauffeur, desperately trying to compose herself.
"Right away, Miss!"
The driver had worked for the Sawamura family for years and had watched Eriri grow up. Seeing her act so flustered, he smiled to himself like a proud grandfather. The young miss really was growing up.
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The car ride back was quiet.
Eriri tried to hype herself up and come up with something to say, yet whenever she was about to speak, she froze. Watching Kai stare out the window with his chin in his hand, she suddenly felt defeated.
'What's his deal? Is the scenery outside prettier than me?' He just kept staring out the window, completely ignoring her.
But... as she quietly watched his side, Eriri's racing heart started to calm down. For some reason, she felt a sense of peace.
If only time could stop right now, she thought. At least he was sitting beside her, close enough to reach out and touch.
"Miss! We've arrived!"
Soon, the car stopped in front of the Sawamura estate.
"What? Oh! We're here. Ahem! I know!" Startled by the driver's voice, Eriri blinked in confusion. Once she recognized her own front door, she quickly snapped back to reality.
"Well, don't tell me you were staring at me this whole time and got completely mesmerized!" Kai teased.
"How did you—"
'How did you know?' She almost said it out loud, but when she looked up, she saw Kai's amused expression.
'This jerk.' He had noticed her staring for a while and stayed quiet just to tease her.
"No, I wasn't! I was just—"
Eriri fumbled. "Just looking at the scenery on your side. That's all!" She puffed out her cheeks. "Don't flatter yourself."
Dropping that flimsy excuse, Eriri shoved the door open and bolted out of the car, sprinting straight into the villa. Watching her run away, Kai couldn't help but laugh as he stepped out to follow her.
"Sigh..." Left alone in the front seat, the driver let out a heavy sigh.
That wasn't how someone acted around a boy they liked. The driver just hoped the young miss would realize her feelings soon.
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"MOM!" Stepping through the front door, Eriri called out just like she always did.
But this time, the house was quiet. No one answered.
Eriri froze, worry tightening her face. They had just been through a lot recently. What if her mother had run into another Cursed Spirit?
"Mom! Are you—" Just as she was about to yell again, Kai walked in behind her, gently tapped her shoulder, and pointed toward the living room.
"?" Confused, Eriri followed his finger. Sitting on the sofa just a short distance away, staring blankly at the floor, was Sayuri Sawamura.
Sayuri looked terrible. She sat in silence, staring into space, not even noticing Eriri walk in.
Seeing her mom was safe, Eriri let out a sigh of relief and walked over, curiosity taking over.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Mom??" Getting no reaction, Eriri called out a few more times before Sayuri finally snapped out of it.
"Eriri?" Looking up, Sayuri saw her daughter. Then, her eyes shifted to Kai standing right behind her. The moment she saw Kai, a faint smile finally broke through her grim expression. "Kai-kun. You're here too!"
"Oh, come on!" Seeing her mother play favorites made Eriri roll her eyes. "I walked in first, but you didn't even say hi to me!"
Something seemed strange. Her mom and Kai seemed a bit too comfortable around each other...
"My, my! Did I? Didn't I just say your name first?" Sayuri played innocent, blinking in faux confusion as if she had no idea what her daughter was talking about.
"Not this again!" It was the same old trick as always. Whenever her mom didn't want to answer, she pretended not to understand. Eriri always fell for it and never knew how to respond.
"Anyway!" Eriri let it go. She was more worried about why her mother had been sitting on the couch, lost in thought. It had taken several shouts to get her attention. "Mom, seriously, what's wrong? Why are you sitting here alone in the dark?"
"..." Eriri's question clearly struck a nerve.
Whatever Sayuri remembered made her face go pale. The faint smile she had managed to show disappeared.
Seeing that reaction, Eriri was shocked, and even Kai arched an eyebrow. It looked like Sayuri was really in trouble.
"Mom?" While Kai held his tongue, Eriri couldn't contain her worry and pressed for an answer.
But just then, something happened.
"Is Eriri home?" A sudden voice resounded from the second floor.
"Dad?" Eriri froze when she heard the familiar voice. She looked up, surprised and happy, as Spencer Sawamura walked down the stairs with a big smile.
Eriri grinned, glad to see her dad after so long. She didn't notice that Sayuri's face turned cold as soon as Spencer entered.
"Dad! When did you get back? I thought you weren't supposed to be home for a while!"
Spencer worked overseas most of the time and only came home for a few days each month. He missed his visit last month, which made Eriri miserable. She never expected him to show up like this.
"Well! Something came up, so I decided to head back early!" Spencer answered smoothly, his smile looking perfectly normal.
Sayuri clenched her fists, looking like she was about to lose her temper.
Noticing all of this, Kai quietly stepped behind Sayuri and gently put a hand on her shoulder. He didn't know all the details, but it was clear there were serious problems between her and Spencer. Still, she wasn't alone—she had him.
"..." Feeling Kai's hand on her shoulder, Sayuri shot him a quick sideways glance, meeting his warm, reassuring gaze.
Kai liked to joke, but he never walked away when someone needed help. Sayuri was important to him, and she had always treated him well. He wouldn't let her handle this alone.
The look in Kai's eyes helped ease some of the burden Sayuri felt.
The truth was, Sayuri had stopped loving Spencer a long time ago. Learning he still missed his childhood sweetheart only confirmed it. Divorce wouldn't bother her or change much in her life.
The only thing that made her angry was knowing Eriri would be hurt by all this.
"Dad!" Eriri, still unaware of the stress in the room, moved forward to greet her father.
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