Chika's hand lingered on the edge of the sliding door, her expression uncharacteristically somber. She turned her head slightly, catching the eyes of You and Hanamaru, who were hovering near the back of the group, their faces a mixture of intense curiosity and lingering sadness for their friends.
"Wait," Chika whispered, her voice barely audible but firm. "You-chan, Maru-chan... let's stay out here."
You-chan bit her lip, her hand tightening on the strap of her bag. "But Chika-chan, we've seen what everyone went through. We've seen Mari and Dia..."
"I know," Chika interrupted softly, offering a small, sad smile. "We're all curious. We all want to know how this is even possible. But look at them."
She gestured toward the room, where the u's and Nijigasaki wives were already moving into the space, their auras heavy with years of unspoken words.
"This isn't our story to tell, and it's not our place to be there for the first breath of the truth," Chika continued. "We didn't marry him. We didn't have his children. Even though we care, he needs to face his wives and his choices—or whatever this 'glitch' is—without an audience of bystanders. Let's give them the respect of a closed door."
Hanamaru nodded slowly, her usual "zura" missing as she looked at the floorboards. "You're right, Chika-chi. It's a heavy burden they're carrying inside that room. We should be the ones making sure the tea is ready and the children don't wake up. That's how we can help."
You let out a long breath, her shoulders finally dropping. "Aye, aye, captain. We'll hold the perimeter."
The three girls stepped back into the hallway, pulling the door nearly shut, leaving only a tiny sliver of light. They stood as the silent guardians of the Takami Ryokan, listening to the muffled sounds of fourteen years of history finally coming to a head.
Inside the room, the silence was absolute.
Agung shifted in his sleep, his "infinite stamina" perhaps sensing the shift in the air pressure as fourteen women surrounded his futon. The moonlight hit his "panda-like" features, making him look strangely vulnerable despite the "Creation Magic" he claimed to possess.
Umi stood at the head of the bed, her shadow falling directly over his face. She didn't scream. She didn't wake him with a slap. She simply looked down at the man who was 34 years old, born in Pemalang, and currently dreaming of a world that no longer existed.
"Wake up, Agung," she said, her voice a cool, steady anchor in the dark. "The 'yesterday' you remember is gone. It's time to face the today you created."