Kamishiro Renji stepped out of his master bedroom and into the sprawling, carpeted hallway of the estate's first floor.
As he descended the sweeping, curved grand staircase toward the ground floor, he took a moment to simply appreciate the sheer scale of the wealth he had inherited. A massive crystal chandelier hung suspended above the foyer, catching the early morning sunlight and scattering prisms of light across the polished marble floor below.
The Kamishiro estate wasn't just a house; it was a fully functioning ecosystem, maintained by a dedicated, highly trained staff.
Waiting near the base of the stairs was Tanaka, the family's head butler. The older man stood with impeccable, rigid posture, dressed in a flawless three-piece suit, his graying hair combed neatly back.
Normally, Renji would have simply offered him a polite smiling nod as he walked past, treating them with the respect and manners expected of a wealthy heir.
But the new Renji had spent his previous life working those exact same gruelling service jobs. He knew what it felt like to be treated like an invisible piece of furniture. And more importantly, he was currently riding the high of absolute, overwhelming happiness and confidence.
"Good morning, Tanaka-san," Renji said, his voice rich, warm, and entirely genuine.
Tanaka's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. The young master was always polite, but he never initiated.
"Good morning, Young Master Renji," Tanaka replied, recovering quickly with a deep, respectful bow. "You look like you're in high spirits today. Breakfast is prepared in the main dining room."
(A/N: Would you like me to use "Young Master Renji" or "Renji-wakasama")
Renji nodded and strolled casually down the wide corridor toward the dining room.
As he approached, the incredibly rich, mouth-watering aroma of traditional Japanese cuisine greeted him. He could smell the savoury smoke of perfectly grilled silver cod, the delicate, earthy steam rising from fresh wakame and tofu miso soup, and the sweet hint of rolled tamagoyaki. The family chef was a culinary master, and Renji's stomach gave a loud, appreciative rumble. Though truthfully, with the skills he possessed, Renji knew he could probably cook just as well if he wanted to.
Seated at the long, polished mahogany dining table were his two younger sisters.
The older one was Kamishiro Akari, two years younger than him and already dressed impeccably in her Kosei Academy uniform. She was a textbook cool beauty in the making — sleek, glossy black hair cut in a sharp bob that elegantly framed her slender neck. Tall for her age at 168 centimeters, she had a slender, model-like figure and shared Renji's piercing dark blue eyes, which she usually kept securely hidden behind a practiced mask of cool, aristocratic indifference.
The younger one was Kamishiro Yume, four years younger and still in the middle of her middle school years. She was currently slumped heavily over her ceramic bowl, the complete and total opposite of Akari. A petite little devil at barely 150 centimeters, she wore an oversized, fluffy pajama top that had slipped precariously off one shoulder, revealing smooth, pale skin. Her long black hair was tied in incredibly messy twin-tails, and her big, expressive brown eyes were half-lidded, fighting a losing battle with lingering sleep.
Renji looked at Akari. Her posture was just a little too stiff, her shoulders locked tight.
'She's probably nervous about her High School Debut,' Renji concluded instantly. 'She wants to look perfectly mature, but she's internally panicking about messing up the Kamishiro reputation on day one.'
He shifted his gaze to the younger sister. Yume was practically transmitting her thoughts via a megaphone. She was slumped entirely over the table, deliberately banging her soup spoon against the side of her bowl with a rhythmic, annoying clink, clink, clink. She was puffing her cheeks out in a textbook pout.
'And my dear sleepy sister desperately wants attention,' Renji noted.
Till now, he had been the loving but strictly distant older brother.
But today, Renji felt like choosing a completely different path. He was going to be the warm, attentive brother he now truly wanted to be. After realizing how incredibly precious this family was compared to the freezing emptiness of his past life, he wasn't going to hold back his affection.
So, instead of heading straight to his usual seat at the head of the table, Renji walked quietly behind the chairs and approached Akari from behind.
"Morning, Akari," he said warmly, his deep voice breaking the quiet of the dining room.
Before she could turn around, he reached forward over her shoulders. His hands gently grasped the red uniform ribbon tied at her collar.
"Your ribbon was just a little crooked," he murmured softly. "There… now it looks perfect."
Akari flinched slightly at the unexpected closeness, her cool facade cracking as a faint blush dusted her cheeks from the sudden care. "N-Nii-san…? Uh… thanks."
"I know the first day of school is a big deal," he continued, his tone light and encouraging. "But let me assure you that you're looking beautiful today. If you're going to worry about anything, worry about breaking too many hearts on your first day. I almost feel bad for the boys who'll see you like this."
Akari stopped breathing for a moment, clearly surprised by the open compliment.
"I… I'll try my best," she muttered, quickly looking away in an attempt to hide the small, pleased smile tugging at her lips. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the table, but there was a visible lift in her shoulders.
"Onii-chan!" Yume whined loudly from across the long table, slamming her spoon down with a dramatic, heavy clink. "What about me?! You didn't even say good morning to me!"
Renji turned toward his little sister with an indulgent, affectionate smile. He walked over, reached down, and gently patted her head, letting his fingers thread through her messy twin-tails in a slow, doting motion. The touch was warm, his palm resting lightly on the back of her head for a moment.
"Good morning, Yume," he said gently, his voice soft and teasing. "You're awfully loud for someone who's still half asleep and wearing her pajamas off her shoulder. But you need to eat properly."
He leaned in closer, his thumb reaching out to brush against her soft cheek.
"Look, you even have a bit of rice stuck right here," he chuckled fondly, wiping the tiny speck away.
Yume's big brown eyes fluttered shut, clearly soaking up the physical affection like a contented kitten lying in the sun. Her jealous pout vanished instantly.
"Eat up," Renji added warmly, giving her head one final pat. "If you don't finish your breakfast, you'll stay pint-sized forever."
"I am not pint-sized!" Yume protested weakly, though she was beaming brightly, completely melting under his touch. "Okay! I'll eat it all!"
Renji finally pulled out his own chair and sat down. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the grilled silver cod. The flavour exploded in his mouth — rich, flaky, and perfectly seasoned. He closed his eyes for a brief second, internally comparing it to the stale, rock-hard convenience store bread he used to eat on the subway.
"Tell the chef this is absolutely phenomenal," Renji said out loud, looking toward the doorway where a maid was standing at attention. The maid bowed deeply, looking immensely proud.
He ate a few more bites, thoroughly enjoying the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of his family. A profound sense of satisfaction settled heavily in his chest. After remembering those lonely, agonizing years of his past life, moments like these with his family felt incredibly precious. He was truly, undeniably blessed.
"I need to head out a bit early today to take care of a few things," Renji said casually, setting his chopsticks down and adjusting the crisp cuff of his rolled-up sleeve. He stood up from the table. "Don't be late for your first day at school. I'll see you both tonight."
He turned and walked toward the grand double doors, leaving Akari and Yume behind. Both of them were now giggling softly, cheeks warm, their eyes following his broad back with admiration and affection.
…
The moment the heavy dining room doors clicked shut behind Renji, the room fell into a stunned, heavy silence.
Akari sat entirely dazed at the table, her chopsticks still hovering awkwardly halfway to her mouth. The red ribbon at her neck, the one her brother had just gently fixed, suddenly felt warmer than usual. It nothing like the distant, polite corrections he usually gave.
Yume was the first to break the quiet. She dropped her soup spoon with a loud clatter and spun entirely around in her chair toward her older sister, her big brown eyes sparkling with manic excitement.
"Nee-chan! Did you see that?! Did you feel that?!" Yume squealed. "Onii-chan was completely different today!"
Akari blinked rapidly, desperately trying to regain her usual cool composure, but the faint blush dusting her cheeks absolutely refused to fade. She set her chopsticks down neatly on the ceramic rest and cleared her throat, trying to sound indifferent.
"…He was," Akari admitted quietly. Despite her best efforts, her voice came out significantly softer than she intended. "Nii-san has never been that… attentive in the morning. Usually, he just says a generic 'good morning,' drinks his coffee, and leaves right away. Or he reminds us to fix my uniform from the other side of the room like some kind of daily checklist item."
Yume giggled loudly, kicking her bare legs happily under the table. She leaned forward over her bowl, resting her chin on her hands, her twin-tails bouncing.
"Right?! He actually fixed your ribbon himself! And he said you looked beautiful! Onii-chan never says stuff like that out loud!" Yume gushed, practically vibrating in her seat. "He always acts so… perfect and far away. Like he's playing a role on TV and is scared to get too close to us. But today he was obviously different!"
Akari's fingers unconsciously touched the ribbon again. She tried to play it off with a small shrug, but the happy little smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
"It was… really nice," Akari murmured, glancing down at her half-eaten breakfast. "I was actually really nervous about today. Everyone at Kosei Academy expects the Kamishiro name to mean something flawless, and I kept worrying that I wouldn't look right. But when nii-san said I looked beautiful… it made all the anxiety just vanish. I am feeling really confident now."
Yume nodded vigorously. "Exactly! And did you see how long he patted my head?! Usually, he just gives me one quick, polite pat and tells me to behave myself…"
She hugged her own shoulders dramatically, beaming from ear to ear. "I actually got super jealous at first when he went to you, but then he came straight to me. And he teased me about staying pint-sized! Hehe…"
From his post near the serving sideboard, Tanaka, the distinguished head butler, allowed a small, incredibly rare, and genuinely warm smile to grace his lined face. He stepped forward slightly, respectfully pouring fresh hot tea into Akari's cup.
"If I may be so bold, Akari-ojousama," Tanaka said smoothly, his deep voice carrying a note of grandfatherly approval. "Young Master Renji seems to be in exceptionally high spirits today. I noticed it the moment he descended the stairs. He possesses a new, very warm aura about him this morning."
Akari looked up at the butler and let out a soft, melodic laugh, completely dropping the cool mask for a moment.
"You noticed it too, Tanaka-san?" Akari smiled, glancing back at her younger sister. "You're such a spoiled little devil, Yume. But… I get it. Nii-san has always been incredibly kind, but it always felt like he was holding himself back. Like he was deliberately keeping a wall between us. Today he seemed… completely free, and much warmer."
Yume tilted her head, her brown eyes wide and intensely curious. "Do you think something happened to him? Like, maybe he had a weird dream or something?"
Akari thought for a moment, resting her chin on her hand. Her piercing blue eyes softened with quiet fondness.
"Maybe…" Akari said gently. "Or maybe he's just finally tired of being so distant. You know how he's always been… almost too flawless. Always helping everyone, always smiling perfectly, never causing any trouble. It must be exhausting."
She smiled faintly, a heavy hint of sisterly pride mixing beautifully with her own happiness. "If you ask me, I like this version of him so much better."
Yume bounced in her seat again, nearly knocking over her miso soup bowl in her wild enthusiasm. "Me too! Me too! I want Onii-chan to stay exactly like this forever! I wish he would pat my head every single morning from now on!"
Akari nodded in total agreement, her own smile growing wider. "If he keeps being like this… I honestly wouldn't mind waking up early every single day just to see him before school."
She paused, looking toward the empty doorway where Renji had exited, and added softly, almost entirely to herself, "I hope whatever changed inside him stays. Because I really, really like this nii-san."
Yume clapped her small hands together loudly, her eyes shining with a hint of mischief. "Then let's make absolutely sure he keeps being like this! I'll be extra cute and demand way more headpats when he gets home. And you can act all cool and mature… though you will definitely still secretly blush whenever he compliments you again. Deal?"
Akari let out a genuine, bright laugh. She reached over the table and gently flicked her little sister's forehead.
"You really are a little devil," Akari smirked. "But… yes. Deal."
The two sisters exchanged a highly conspiratorial grin; the grand dining room now filled completely with soft giggles and the lingering, undeniable warmth of their brother's unexpected affection. Outside, the morning sun continued to rise, but inside the Kamishiro estate, something massive and precious had definitively shifted.
The distant Renji was gone. And for the first time in a very long while, the sisters couldn't wait to come home and see exactly what version of their beloved brother would greet them next.