They walked down the narrow road leading out of the alley, the reflected light from the sea casting a soft golden shimmer across the street.
Kojou carried Satsuki in his right arm — the little girl rested her head on his shoulder, her tiny hand gripping the edge of his jacket as if to declare her claim over him.
With his other hand, he held Mira's, who walked lightly beside him, her calm eyes filled with quiet admiration. Everything on the island felt familiar to her… yet belonged to a completely different time.
To his left walked Tsurara, her steps steady and graceful. Her dark skirt swayed elegantly with every stride as the breeze played with strands of her long silver hair.
Her arms were folded before her chest, her expression carrying that usual rebellious tone — half annoyance, half a silent admission that she felt at ease around him.
"You didn't have to actually break his arm." — she muttered under her breath, her voice more frustrated that she hadn't done it first than truly scolding him.
Kojou replied without looking at her, his tone calm but heavy with an unmistakable weight:
"If you'd seen his face before he touched you… you'd have done it yourself."
Tsurara's steps halted for a split second, her eyebrow lifted before she continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"…Maybe." she whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a quick, sideward motion.
"Papa, I want ice cream! Chocolate and berry flavor!" — Satsuki cried out sweetly.
"Of course, let's get some ice cream," Kojou nodded without hesitation, changing direction toward RR Ice Cream — a famous brand not only on Itogami Island but throughout Japan and several other countries.
"My, you're spoiling her completely." — Tsurara murmured, her voice a mix of sarcasm and faint jealousy as she followed after him.
Mira raised her hand slightly to hide her laughter, speaking softly:
"I admit I wouldn't mind some ice cream either, Otō-sama."
Kojou sighed lightly, though a small smile found its way to his face.
"So, it's a group trip now, huh?"
As they walked along the quiet sidewalk toward the shop, the late sunlight filtered between the buildings, painting the air with warm golden hues.
The people around didn't seem to notice anything odd — just a man carrying a little girl with two strikingly beautiful women walking beside him — but to anyone observing closely, there was something distinct about them… something that couldn't be explained so easily.
Satsuki, who kept swaying happily in her father's arm, waved her small hand excitedly.
"Look! There's the shop! Hurry, Papa, before they run out of berry flavor!"
Mira giggled softly.
"As if the world would end if you didn't get your favorite flavor, right?"
"Hah! That's because you always pick the boring vanilla!" — Satsuki shot back playfully, sticking out her tongue at her sister.
"Now, now…" — Kojou said in a calm tone, patting her head gently — "No wars before the sugar."
Tsurara opened her mouth to say something, but paused when she caught his brief glance toward her.
"What?" — she challenged, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm just wondering what ice cream flavor my rebellious daughter likes," Kojou said with a teasing smile.
Tsurara's lashes fluttered for a second; she shot him a sharp sideways look before turning away, her voice dropping to a barely audible murmur tinged with faint embarrassment.
"Stra…"
"Hmm? I didn't quite hear you," Kojou raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion.
"Straw…"
"What?" — his tone grew deliberately louder, clearly enjoying how her face turned redder by the second.
"Strawberry! I like strawberry with honey, alright?!" — Tsurara blurted out, shooting him an annoyed glare. — "Happy now?"
"Hahaha, as expected of Tsurara-neesama — always falling prey to Otō-sama's teasing," Mira laughed elegantly, covering her mouth with her hand, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
Satsuki burst into laughter too, swinging her legs in the air while still held in her father's arm.
"Haha! Tsurara-neesama likes strawberry! That means you're not always cold!"
Kojou paused briefly at the crossing, that calm expression of his softening into a faint smile — one they rarely saw, but whenever it appeared, it seemed to wrap the world around them in indescribable warmth.
"Looks like we'll need four cups then," he said lightly, glancing at the girls.
"One chocolate-berry for Satsuki, vanilla for Mira, strawberry with honey for Tsurara… and me?"
"You'll take lavender honey as usual, won't you?" — Mira replied confidently, knowing his tastes all too well.
Kojou raised an eyebrow at her, then smiled and slowly shook his head.
"Seems my daughter knows me better than I know myself."
Mira chuckled softly, her laughter gentle as a breeze. "Of course. I wouldn't be your daughter if I didn't learn to observe you well, right?"
At that moment, Satsuki lifted her head from her father's shoulder and said with pure innocence:
"But Papa loves Daifuku more than anything! Even more than ice cream!"
Kojou smiled faintly, looking down at her with a calm, playful tone.
"That's true… Papa does love Daifuku. But now, there's something I love even more."
As he spoke, he gently pinched her cheek and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Right?"
Satsuki's face immediately brightened, her eyes sparkling with childlike joy as she hugged her father tightly.
"Yes, Papa! I love you more than anything!"
Mira smiled tenderly, her fingers brushing his arm as she said in a warm, quiet tone:
"And I… love you more than anything, too."
Tsurara, walking steadily beside them, lifted the edge of her skirt slightly, smiling shyly. Her voice was low but genuine:
"…Me too, Kojou."
A quiet warmth filled Kojou's chest. His smile deepened as he looked at his three daughters around him — each expressing her love in her own unique way.
"Well then, looks like Papa's surrounded by three sources of happiness now…" he said calmly, patting Satsuki's head again, holding Mira's hand a little tighter, while Tsurara followed close behind in silence.
They stepped into the shop; the cool air greeted them with the scent of milk and fresh fruit, and the small bell on the door chimed softly at their arrival.
They stood before the counter, each girl ordering her favorite flavor, while Kojou paid with a gentle smile, savoring the small moment that bound them together — every step, every laugh, every trace of quiet warmth more precious than anything else in the world.
As the sun slowly dipped beyond the horizon, the golden light reflected across their faces. It felt as though time had stopped for just a moment — granting them a fragment of peace and pure affection, a simple, wordless sense of belonging and love surrounding them from every side.
...
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