Now about two weeks later after the encounter with the spider-like monster at Chiyo's school, an ordinary afternoon unfolded in Rin's living room.
The apartment was modest and typical of a middle-class family in Tokyo — not large or luxurious, just a comfortable three-bedroom unit on the third floor of a quiet residential building.
The living room had simple beige walls, a worn but clean sofa facing a modest TV stand, and a low wooden coffee table cluttered with game controllers and empty drink cans.
Sunlight filtered through half-drawn curtains, casting warm rectangular patches on the wooden floor.
The kitchen area was small and open to the living space, with basic counters and a rice cooker humming softly. Rin wasn't from a rich family, so the furnishings were practical and second-hand in places.
Money came mostly from the books he anonymously wrote about his monster fights and encounters.
