A faint rustling broke the silence as a middle-aged figure slipped inside the garage, his movements cautious, almost hesitant.
"What are these things?" he muttered to himself, running his fingers over a bass guitar leaning against the wall.
As he rummaged around in the dark, his foot caught on a drum setup. The sudden clatter startled him, and he froze, like an animal caught in a trap. Moments later, the sound of approaching footsteps shattered the silence.
"Who the hell are you?" Tatsuya barked, his voice sharp as he stepped forward. Behind him, the rest of the group closed in, forming a semicircle around the man.
"I could ask you the same thing," the man shot back, trying to stand taller despite his weariness. "What are you doing here?"
"We're not the ones sneaking around!" Kaito retorted, stepping forward now.
"Why don't you explain yourself before we call the cops?" Yasushi added, his tone edged with distrust.
"I don't need to explain myself," the man growled, his voice wavering. "What I do here is none of your business."
"It is, since we're the ones renting this place," Sota said, his tone measured but firm.
The man's expression faltered. His eyes darted to Sota, then to the instruments and equipment scattered around the garage. His lips quivered as if he were trying to speak but couldn't find the words.
"What about Saeko? Did something happen to her?" he blurted out, his voice rising in panic. Without warning, he lunged toward the boys, his movements wild and uncoordinated, as if his desperation had taken over.
Tatsuya reacted instantly, stepping forward and catching the man by his arms. It took barely any effort to hold him back, the older man's strength no match for his.
"Saeko…" he whispered, his voice cracking on the name. His shoulders slumped, and to everyone's shock, tears welled in his eyes.
"She's fine," Sota said carefully, his voice low. "We are renting the garage from Saeko. But you need to explain yourself for her."
Saeko rushed home from work in the middle of the day, her heart pounding as she read Sota's message about an intruder.
She pushed open the front door, kicked off her shoes, and hurried up the stairs. As she reached the top and rounded the corner, the scene made her stop in surprise. They were all sitting at the table, silently drinking tea. All except Sota, who leaned against the counter, his arms crossed in anticipation, with an intense look on his face, a kitchen towel draped over his shoulder.
"You catch an intruder and then serve him tea in my home?" she snapped incredulously.
"He doesn't seem like much of a threat," Tatsuya replied with a shrug. "If he tries anything, I'll take him down in seconds."
"And… well, he seemed to know you," Yasushi added. "Though we couldn't get much more out of him. He hasn't said a word since. Just sulking."
The man sat hunched over, his back to Saeko, a balding, silver-haired figure with a trembling frame.
Saeko blinked, her steps faltering as she moved closer to get a better look. Her breath hitched as recognition struck her. Before she could sway or lose her balance, Sota was already by her side, making sure she wouldn't fall.
"Dad?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Despite the softness of her word, it exploded in the room like a bomb going off. The guys reacted chaotically to the unexpected turn of events. Tatsuya choked on his tea, sputtering loudly; Kaito quite literally toppled out of his chair with a loud thud; Yasushi muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Only Sota stayed still by Saeko's side, steady and unshaken, like a solid pillar in a storm.
„What are you doing here?" She shot at him. "How…? Did you sneak out of prison?" she started, giving a new wave of shock to the guys. Yet it didn't startle them like the one before, but rather made them alert, as if they were ready to take him down if needed.
"I was granted early release for good behaviour," the man replied, his voice shaky but resolute.
Saeko stood frozen for a moment, her surprise clear on her face. She didn't know what to say.
"Look, I know I've screwed up in so many ways as a father. I know you couldn't count on me after your mum died. But I want to make it right. If you'll let me…" he explained, his voice carrying a mix of regret and hope.
Without needing to ask, Yasushi and Tatsuya stepped back, pulling Kaito with them.
Sota glanced at her questioningly, his gaze seeming to ask, 'Do you want me to stay?'
She hadn't even noticed that she had been clutching Sota's arm the whole time, her nails digging into his skin out of nervousness. Yet he endured it without a word.
Startled by the realization, she let go of him.
"We'll be around if needed," he whispered, his presence reassuring, before quietly stepping away to leave them alone.
Meanwhile, in the garage:
"Who would have thought she had such a complicated family situation?" Kaito asked, genuinely in shock. He spun around to look at the others, noticing their judgmental reactions. "Don't look at me like I'm stupid. How the hell was I supposed to know?"
"It wasn't that hard to figure out," Tatsuya pointed out.
"At least you could've warned us," Kaito continued, pointing at Sota. "I've been complaining about her acting all tsundere, and you never told us she had reasons for it."
The guys exchanged glances, clearly thinking Kaito had lost his mind.
"It was obvious she had issues, no one ever doubted that," Yasushi remarked. "But you…?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, it makes so much sense now," Kaito said, his usual grin returning. "So that's why she's been acting so insufferable, like a bitter widow," he added, apparently relieved.
"You fucker." Sota stood up with the pure determination to deck him, but Saeko's laugh stopped him. All the guys turned toward her in surprise, not expecting her to be here. She was leaning against the garage entrance, arms crossed, watching them with an almost amused expression.
"Where's your father? What happened?" Kaito asked eagerly, as if not wanting to miss any exciting news.
"He's already left," Saeko replied. "We'll keep in touch to discuss what comes next."
The guys nodded, not wanting to press further, but Kaito, as usual, had no filter.
"Don't think we'll settle for just this. You owe us more of an explanation," he said.
"That's enough, leave her alone," Sota warned, glaring at Kaito.
Saeko chuckled awkwardly. Something about Kaito's bluntness and honesty broke the ice, and she found it strangely comforting.
„He is right…I do owe you all more of an explanation," Saeko sighed. Her face, though pained, held a quiet determination as she held it together. She glanced at Sota, who met her eyes with an intense, reassuring expression, somehow keeping her grounded and helping her to continue.
"Our mother passed away not long after giving birth to Mitsuko," Saeko began, letting the weight of the words settle. "Well, Dad couldn't handle the sudden burden, so it all fell on me. He was rarely around, and he couldn't be relied on. He started drinking, and that led to some poor decisions…" She paused, swallowing hard. "He just dug us deeper into debt, and eventually, he got tangled up in some shady financial deals and ended up in prison for over two years."
She finished speaking. After a few seconds of silence,
"Wow, you're my hero, you know?" Tatsuya said with an appreciative look.
Saeko gaped at him, unprepared for such a reaction. She was used to receiving pity and condolences, not… admiration?
"Yeah. It's amazing how much good you were able to create and bring out of the situation. You should feel proud," Yasushi added.
"It explains why Mitsuko and Jiro are such cool kids. I mean, being raised by a badass angel like you? They're the luckiest," Sota smiled.
"Come on, guys, stop encouraging her to keep up this nonsense," Kaito cut in, sounding annoyed. "Can't you see how much fun she missed out on?"
"Yeah, but she has friends like us, now," Sota smirked.
"You bet! Get ready to make up for lost time," Kaito grinned.
Saeko felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
Finally, someone who wasn't pitying her, but cherishing her.