Welcome Back - Yukinoshita Household

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[-Continuation-]

[Location- Yukinoshita Household]

[Time - 8:25]

…

[-Third Person View-]

In the quiet, orderly room, Yukinoshita Renjiro, head of the Yukinoshita household, sat at his desk, his back straight, his hands holding a stack of documents.

His eyes, sharp and deliberate, scanned through the papers before him, the faint rustling of pages being the only sound that broke the stillness.

In front of him, a large computer monitor flickers softly, its light casting a subtle glow on the sleek surface of the wooden desk.

Everything in the room reflected his meticulous nature, each object was placed with precision, and each detail was attended to.

–creak!

Just then, the door creaked open.

There was no knock, no prior announcement.

The air shifted slightly as a figure entered.

Without rushing, Renjiro lifted his gaze from the paper in his hand.

His eyes moved methodically, first from the edges of the document to the corner of his desk, then slowly up toward the figure who had disturbed the quiet.

It was his wife - Sakura Yukinoshita.

She wore a beautiful Yukata.

Sakura walked into the room with the same grace she always carried, her movements fluid, her presence understated yet undeniable.

She didn't say a word.

Without hesitation, she crossed the room and sat down on a sofa nearby, her expression calm but subtly weighted by the quiet confidence she exuded.

Her eyes briefly scanned the room before resting on her husband, who still sat at his desk, watching her with that same measured calm.

Renjiro placed the papers aside, rising from his chair with unhurried precision.

His movements were as careful as ever, as if time bent around him.

He walked over to the sofa across from his wife, lowering himself into the seat opposite her.

A glass jar stood on a small table between them, with two neatly placed glasses beside it.

Leaning forward slightly, he reached for the jar, his hand steady as he poured water into both glasses, the quiet splash of liquid breaking the lingering silence.

"Welcome back." He murmured, offering her a glass.

"Thank you." Sakura replied, accepting the gesture with understated grace, and leaned back into the sofa.

A moment passed in stillness, broken only by the quiet sound of their first sips. The silence between them was not awkward but familiar, as if it had been carefully cultivated over years of understanding each other's rhythms.

"So." Renjiro began with a deep but calm voice, the weight of his words carefully chosen. His eyes remained on his wife, studying her with quiet curiosity. "How did the event go?"

Sakura's expression didn't immediately change, but there was the faintest shift in her gaze, perhaps a flicker of thought, perhaps a trace of weariness or satisfaction.

She took another sip of water, her fingers delicately holding the glass as her eyes drifted momentarily away from him, contemplating the question before she responded.

"It went as expected." She replied, her voice soft but carrying an air of finality. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Renjiro nodded slightly, his gaze remaining on her for a moment longer before he took another sip of his water.

Sakura's voice broke the quiet between them, calm yet tinged with an edge of curiosity. "It seems our youngest is seeing a boy."

??Renjiro's eyebrows arched slightly, though his expression remained composed.

"Seems... hmm?" His tone was low but deliberate, as if to subtly encourage her suspicions. "You are not sure?"

Sakura took a slow sip from her glass before placing it delicately back on the table.

"I just saw her with a boy, sitting on a bike, when they stopped at a traffic signal." She explained, her voice carefully measured but betraying a faint uncertainty.

"That doesn't say anything." As he considered her words, Renjiro leaned back slightly, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass.

Sakura spoke, her voice held an amused but knowing quality. "Dear, do you think our daughter would allow anyone near her, let alone ride with him, simply because they are friends?"

Renjiro's lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze narrowing slightly at his wife.

"True." He admitted, his tone slightly conceding.

"...?"Sakura's gaze sharpened, honing in on her husband's subtle tells. Years of marriage had taught her to read between the lines of his stoic facade.

"...Um, you seem awfully calm about all of this." Sakura made a point. "You know something that I don't, don't you?" Her eyes locked onto his, a subtle challenge lurking beneath her calm demeanor.

"..." Renjiro didn't immediately respond.

Instead, he took a measured sip of his water, his expression thoughtful.

Then, with a quiet but deliberate 'thud,' he placed his glass back on the table, the sound almost punctuating the moment.

"Well." He began, his voice slow and deliberate, as if weighing his words carefully. "I do know something."

There was a brief pause as he allowed the suspense to linger, his eyes meeting hers steadily.

"...Our daughter, Yukino, has indeed found herself a young man." His voice was calm, assured, as if the confirmation were merely a simple fact of life.

"..." - "..."

The silence that followed was palpable, hanging in the air like a sudden weight.

Sakura's expression barely shifted, but the subtle lift of her eyebrow and the tightening of her grip around the glass were enough to reveal her surprise.

"You are certain?" She finally asked, her voice quiet but laced with a sharper edge, as if she were piecing together the information in real time. "How long have you been privy to this... development?"

Renjiro nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Oh, not long. Just from the beginning."

Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice cutting in. "The beginning?"

"Yesterday." Renjiro replied, his casual tone belying the weight of his words. "The very day she started dating."

Sakura's brows were creased with a slight frown, her expression sharpening. "Dear, I think this is a serious matter. Our daughter's future. So, I hope you stop joking around."

Renjiro sighed softly.

"I assure you, I am being entirely truthful. Yukino has been dating for two days now." He said his voice was entirely serious.

Sakura paused, her gaze locked onto his, the weight of his words sinking in. The silence stretched for a beat before she finally spoke again, her voice low and questioning.

"...And how did you come by this information?" She paused for a second, then added, as if some small doubt gnawed at her."...you aren't spying on her, are you?"

The question hung in the air, half-joking, but with a lingering sense of suspicion.

Sakura certainly didn't believe the possibility of her own words. But she simply wanted to put out the tiny thought, questioning her husband's knowledge.

Maybe he did. Sure, not to the extreme of calling it spying, but something close enough to make her wonder.

She knew Renjiro's love for their daughter was intense and unwavering. Sometimes, that intensity led him down... unconventional paths.

She waited now, her eyes fixed on him, curious to see how he would respond.

Renjiro's expression turned contemplative. "Let's just say I pay attention. And Yukino… well, she is more transparent than she thinks."

Sakura smirked. "That sounds awfully close to what I just suggested."

Renjiro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Come on, it's not like I need to spy. She sends me the occasional text... usually when there's something she wants."

"Typical." She replied, a slight smile on her lips. "She is her father's daughter, after all."

A low chuckle rumbled from Renjiro's chest as he conceded the point with a playful shrug. "I suppose you are right about that."

There was a brief pause, comfortable but reflective, before Renjiro's expression shifted slightly, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice as he asked. "Do you know Ryota?"

Recognition flashed in Sakura's eyes, followed swiftly by exasperation. "Ryota Origoro. Your friend's son, right? The one who's grown up but still roams around irresponsibly, instead of taking over his father's business."

If Hachiman were to overhear this brief but accurate description of Ryota, his best friend, he would probably be laughing on the ground right about now, thoroughly enjoying the blunt critique from his soon-to-be mother-in-law.

Renjiro nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "The very same. It seems Ryota and the boy Yukino is dating are quite good friends."

Sakura's brow arched slightly, her sharp gaze returning to her husband.

"Quite good friends, you say?" Her tone was laced with curiosity and perhaps a bit of suspicion, as if she were piecing together a puzzle.

"Mm-hmm." The confirmation rolled off Renjiro's lips.

"Now, that's not reassuring at all…" Sakura remarked, as she processed the implications.

If Hachiman had known that his character would be judged solely based on his connection to Ryota, he might have thought twice before forging that friendship. But it was probably too late for second thoughts now.

"Let's invite the boy to our house once…" Sakura decided, her tone firm, as she made up her mind to meet this young man who had captured her daughter's interest.

"As it happens." Renjiro interjected smoothly, a slight twinkle in his eye as he leaned back, his arms crossing over his chest. "I already did."

The surprise registered on Sakura's face for just a moment before her expression settled into one of mild annoyance mixed with intrigue.

"You have?"

"Yes." He replied, his tone unbothered.

"And you thought to tell me this just now?" Her voice rose slightly, tinged with a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

Renjiro shrugged lightly, maintaining his calm demeanor. "I figured you might appreciate the... dramatic reveal."

Her lips curved into a small, wry smile, an acknowledgment of his strategic thinking, even if it was tinged with exasperation.

"Very well, then. What can you tell me about this boy? Is he..." She paused, searching for the right words. "...a suitable match for our Yukino?"

Renjiro's expression sobered, his gaze meeting hers with the weight of parental responsibility. "That, my dear, is precisely what we aim to find out, won't we?"

Sakura took a breath, her fingers tapping lightly against the glass in her hand. The quiet rhythm reflected her growing anticipation.

"I suppose we will."

Their eyes met, an understanding passing between them - the quiet resolve of parents looking out for their child, even as they prepared to face the unknown together.

–ring!ring!(:mobile notification)

The moment was shattered by the cheerful trill of Sakura's phone twinkling, displaying a message notification.

With a quick, apologetic glance at her husband, Sakura retrieved the device from her elegant clutch.

Her eyes skimmed the message, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"It seems our meeting with this boy will have to wait." She announced a hint of resignation, coloring her words.

Renjiro's eyebrow curled upward, already suspecting the source of her claim.

"Who is it?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It's Yukino." Sakura explained, her voice softening at the mention of their daughter's name. "She said she will be visiting us... with souvenirs from her field trip to Kyoto."

"Ah." Renjiro murmured, comprehension dawning in his eyes.

He was caught a little off guard. He knew about Yukino's field trip to Kyoto, and he had naturally assumed she would pick up a few mementos along the way.

But in his mind, those souvenirs would have arrived via the impersonal touch of a courier service, as had become their norm.

The idea of a Yukino's personal visit... It surprised him.

His relationship with Yukino had become a delicate dance over the years, each step more hesitant than the last.

He couldn't pinpoint exactly when or why, but somewhere along the way, while she was abroad attending her middle school, their easy conversations morphed awkwardly with each day.

It wasn't that Yukino harboured any dislike towards him - far from it. But there was an invisible barrier between them now, something that hadn't been there before.

Renjiro shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the melancholy thoughts. "That's a let down. I doubt she will visit us after this long with her boyfriend."

Sakura smiled gently, her eyes lingering on her husband for a moment before turning back to her phone. "Right. I suspect this might be her clever way of postponing the inevitable. Maybe to buy themselves more time."

Renjiro nodded slowly, understanding the layers behind his wife's words. "She has always been... strategic."

….

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[To be continued…]

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