Chapter 104
The girl's steps were small and slow, almost silent, as if she was afraid of making any noise in a room that still felt unfamiliar to her.
"You've come back..." The old woman looked at Yaeko with a confused expression, clearly not expecting her daughter to return this soon.
The old woman's gaze shifted briefly toward me, and the confusion in her eyes was mixed with an unspoken question.
She seemed surprised to see a stranger standing inside her home, yet she maintained a calm demeanor.
Meanwhile, the little girl stood quietly beside the old woman, peeking shyly from behind the folds of her clothing. Her large eyes observed the room with a cautious curiosity.
The old woman's gaze then turned toward me again. There was a clear question in her eyes, a mixture of surprise and natural wariness at finding a stranger standing inside her own home.
Her gaze was sharp, but not hostile—more like the instinct of a mother accustomed to being careful of anyone who approached her family.
"Yes, Mother. I came back after successfully getting a job," Yaeko replied, nodding her head slightly.
Yaeko's tone sounded lighter than before. There was a sense of relief in her voice that she could not hide, as if those simple words were something she had long wanted to say.
Although a trace of tension still lingered on her face, it was clear that this news had lifted a heavy burden from her shoulders.
Yaeko's return today was not just an ordinary homecoming—she brought new hope for her family, something they had likely been waiting for a long time.
"Then who is this man?" the old woman asked.
This time, she looked at me more clearly, her gaze filled with confusion, yet still accompanied by caution.
It was the typical look of a mother who instinctively wanted to ensure that anyone near her family was not a threat. Her attitude was not rude at all, only wary in a very natural way.
"This is my boss. He... came here for a few matters," Yaeko answered slowly. Her sentence paused for a moment, as if she had not yet prepared the right explanation for my presence here.
A hint of confusion appeared on her face, while her fingers moved slightly at her side—a restless gesture that showed her nervousness as she tried to think of a way to explain everything without causing a misunderstanding.
"Hello, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said with a slight smile, trying to keep the atmosphere relaxed so things wouldn't become awkward.
"My name is Kenji Satoshi. I own a shop not far from here, where Yaeko applied for a job. When I learned that she lives quite close to the shop, I decided to come here myself to see where she lives, and to make sure she was telling the truth about the distance." I paused for a moment, letting my reason sound reasonable before continuing.
"If it turned out that Yaeko was lying and her house was actually far away, I planned to provide her with transportation. But since she wasn't lying, it seems I don't need to give her a vehicle." In a light tone, I added, "I apologize if my visit has disturbed you."
"Ah, I see," the old woman said softly.
Her expression slowly changed. Just a few seconds ago, the lines of caution were still clearly visible on her face, but now a warm smile began to appear, softening the faint traces of fatigue that had been there all along.
The old woman's face, which had been full of questions, now became more welcoming. The suspicion in her eyes gradually melted, replaced by a calm and sincere kindness.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Ito Nishimiya," Ito said. Her voice was gentle and warm, the kind of tone belonging to someone who was used to welcoming guests with simple sincerity. There was a natural softness in the way she spoke, making the atmosphere, which had been slightly tense, feel much more comfortable.
Beside Ito, the little girl who was Yaeko's child, Shoko, still stood quietly while tightly holding onto the edge of her grandmother's clothing.
However, now, Shoko's eyes had begun to look at me with a more noticeable sense of curiosity.
Shoko's gaze carried the innocent caution of a small child—silent, wary, yet also filled with genuine curiosity. She peeked slightly from behind her grandmother's side, as if trying to judge whether I was someone safe to approach.
Shoko's small fingers were still gripping the fabric of Ito's clothing firmly, though her hold seemed slightly looser than before.
Even without saying anything, Shoko's silence seemed to speak volumes—about her shy nature, about her small and quiet world, and about the curiosity that was slowly beginning to grow behind her large eyes.
"Are you planning to leave already? Please wait a moment, lunchtime is almost here. How about having lunch here?" Ito said with a gentle smile. Her voice sounded warm and friendly, flowing naturally without any sense of pretense, as if the invitation was the most natural thing to offer to anyone who came.
The tone of her voice was full of sincerity, the kind of warmth that only someone truly accustomed to welcoming guests with an open heart would possess, without prejudice, without distance.
There wasn't even the slightest hint of hesitation on Ito's face, even though I was clearly still a stranger in this house, someone who, by all means, shouldn't yet deserve such warm treatment.
"Is that alright?" I asked, maintaining a faint smile on my face, even though there was still a trace of doubt lingering in my heart.
"Of course. Please, have a seat. Yaeko, take care of our guest. I'll prepare lunch," Ito said in a calm yet firm voice, as if everything had already been decided without the need for further consideration.
After saying that, Ito immediately walked toward the kitchen with slow but steady steps. Her posture was straight, and her movements looked practiced.
The hem of her clothing swayed lightly with each step, the fabric brushing softly as she moved. Not long after, the gentle sounds of kitchen utensils being moved could be heard—a familiar and comforting rhythm.
Ito's presence in the kitchen seemed to instantly bring the small apartment to life, creating an atmosphere that felt warm, simple, yet full of familiarity, as if the place had always been filled with quiet liveliness.
Seeing and hearing everything that had just happened, Yaeko suddenly fell silent. She stood frozen for a moment, her body stiff, as if she hadn't fully processed the sudden shift in the atmosphere, while her expression clearly showed undisguised surprise.
From the look in her eyes, it was evident that Yaeko had never expected her mother to accept my presence so quickly and so easily, without a long series of questions, without any meaningful suspicion.
What initially seemed like it might turn into an awkward conversation had instead become remarkably smooth, almost too smooth for something that had just begun.
Yaeko's gaze shifted between her mother, who was now busy in the kitchen, and me, who was still standing casually in the living room. Her eyes moved slowly, as if trying to make sure that all of this was truly happening.
It was as if Yaeko was trying to understand how a situation that had made her uneasy just moments ago had turned so peaceful within minutes, without conflict, without any real tension.
There was a hint of relief on Yaeko's face, her breathing seemed lighter, yet at the same time, there was still a trace of confusion that hadn't completely disappeared, blending together into an expression that was difficult to describe.
Meanwhile, the little girl who had been standing beside Ito earlier was now still near the entrance. She remained in place, silent, both hands holding onto the sides of her clothing just like before, gently clutching the fabric as if it gave her a sense of security.
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