"Haruka."
The moment Ryuuki spotted Haruka entering with their son cradled in her arms, his entire face transformed with a warm, genuine smile. He immediately stood up from his seat and walked toward her with the eager energy of a devoted father who couldn't resist being near his child.
Everyone around the dining tables reacted with similarly positive expressions, smiles appearing naturally as they caught sight of the baby. Several Heroes leaned forward or turned in their seats to get a better view of little Ryuuji.
It was admittedly quite strange when they stopped to think about it objectively.
One of their former classmates—someone they'd sat beside in boring lectures and complained about homework with—was now a father. The transformation from high school student to parent seemed impossibly vast, like a lifetime of change compressed into just three years.
