Chapter 27: The Subtle Shift ( 27 )
Several weeks had gone by since that quiet night. Kyouko and Haruki had returned to their usual way of being—close, but still keeping their boundaries.
That evening, they all sat around the dinner table, enjoying a calm atmosphere.
"It's rare to see you both come home early," Kyouko said, smiling at her husband and daughter.
"We need to rest early," Satoshi replied. "We're going out of town for work."
"Huh? When?" Kyouko's eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Tomorrow," Satomi said, casually picking up a piece of meat and feeding it to Haruki.
"You're just telling me this now?"
"It wasn't planned," Satoshi explained, lifting his glass. "We decided last minute. With so many new projects coming in, we've decided to open a new branch."
Kyouko let out a small sigh but kept smiling. "I see... well, be careful out there."
As dinner was coming to an end, Satoshi put down his chopsticks and faced Haruki.
"By the way, Haruki," he said casually.