Chapter 1: Meeting the Family ( 1 )
"Haruki! Don't be so tense. We're just meeting my parents," Satomi said with a cheerful smile, giving him a gentle nudge.
"Umm... o-okay..." Haruki stammered, his hands awkwardly resting on his lap.
"They'll be here soon. Just relax, okay? They're not that scary," she laughed, reaching out to smooth the line forming on his forehead.
Haruki nodded, but inside, he felt tightness in his chest.
It wasn't exactly fear — it was something else.
Maybe it was because they were meeting for the first time at a fancy Japanese restaurant, the kind where even breathing too loudly felt wrong.
The air carried a faint smell of tatami mats and nice incense. Outside the private room, he could barely hear the quiet sounds of the staff moving around.
Before Haruki could find a way to explain how he felt, the sliding door creaked open.
He quickly sat up straighter.
A serious-looking man walked in first — his face sharp and cold.
Behind him was a woman... no, a girl ,slim and graceful, with her face mostly hidden behind a pale mask.