Yuko watched us, her dark eyes softening as she took a deliberate step back, as if physically carving out space for us to breathe. The corners of her lips lifted in a smile—genuine, but tinged with something unreadable.
"Good," she said, her voice carrying the warmth of approval, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. "Because my sister deserves happiness, Jack. And if you're the one who can give it to her..."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication. She paused, her gaze flickering between Haruna and me, her expression shifting from warmth to something far more serious.
The air around us seemed to still, as if the world itself was holding its breath. "Then I'll be the first to welcome you into the family." Her tone was steady, but then it sharpened, like a blade being drawn from its sheath. Her eyes narrowed just slightly, the warmth in them replaced by something colder, more dangerous.
