The next morning, Yumeko woke up to the comforting scent of breakfast wafting through the room. She blinked, stretching out, and found Yasushi standing beside the bed with a warm smile, gently setting a tray down on her lap.
"Don't use your hands yet, let them recover," he said softly, holding up a set of chopsticks. "I'll help." He carefully fed her a spoonful of rice porridge from the bowl, watching her closely.
Yumeko raised an eyebrow, amused. "What a treatment," she grinned. Yasushi laughed and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, his touch lingering just a little longer than necessary.
"Just making sure you're taken care of," he replied, his voice warm and full of affection.
Yumeko's eyes sparkled with mischief. "So, I suppose you already have some plans for today?" she teased, leaning back into the pillows with a sly smile.
Yasushi smiled, "Yeah, we are going to…" but before he could answer, his phone puzzed again. He glanced at the screen, groaning quietly.
"They know I'm off this weekend, still…" he muttered.
To be honest, they have no idea I am spending the weekend with Yumeko. I must make sure this is real before letting them know.
"They can't survive even a day without you," Yumeko chuckled, her voice light with amusement.
"Well, they should get used to it," Yasushi replied, his tone resigned. "I can't always drop everything for their every whim if we…" He paused, meeting her eyes with a soft, serious look.
Yumeko softened, her expression sincere. "I appreciate how much you prioritize me. Really, I do. But I know you're worried about them. You can't change who you are, and I don't want you to. I love how much you care."
"But this weekend is about you…"
"No. It should be about us. And now, you need to see your friends," she said.
Yasushi put down his phone with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"So… are we going back already?" she asked, laughing.
Yasushi's first stop was to pick up Kaito, who, as it turned out, had spent the night at the police station on charges of multiple attempted break-ins and harassment.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Yasushi demanded, frustration mixed with concern in his voice.
"I had to find a way to get to her. I needed to talk to her," Kaito replied, unwavering.
"You know, sometimes patience gets you further than forcing things," Yasushi said with a sigh.
Kaito let out a bitter chuckle. "Oh yeah? And how did staying quiet work out for you? Did Yumeko finally notice you herself by some miracle?"
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Yasushi's face before he turned away. Misinterpreting his reaction, Kaito quickly backtracked. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair…"
Yasushi cut him off with a small smile. "No, you're right. Patience has never been your style. The Kaito I know wouldn't let the police stop him."
Kaito raised an eyebrow, a wild grin spreading across his face.
"Good. Because I already have something in mind."
Their next stop was their old studio. Tatsuya had been begging them to get together, claiming he had new ideas.
When they arrived, they found Tatsuya standing outside, suitcases in hand.
"Yasushi? What are you doing here? I thought you were occupied…"
"You seemed in need, so here we are. Are you going to show us your new song ideas?"
"Oh, well… You see… I changed my mind."
"You changed your mind?" Kaito smirked. "Did you reverse your ideas and now they dissapeared?"
"What?" Tastuya looked at him puzzled. "No. I'm performing them alone. I want to start a solo career," Tatsuya said firmly.
Yasushi and Kaito stood frozen in shock.
After a moment, Yasushi finally smiled. "That's amazing. If you need any help…"
"No," Tatsuya interrupted. "I want to work for it properly, on my own."
Kaito hid his disappointment, quickly changing the subject as he pointed at the suitcases.
"And what's with the luggage? Are you moving in to Granny or what?" he joked.
Just then, Saeko appeared.
"Oh, he's helping me in moving out," she said.
"Moving out?" Kaito echoed.
"So, you finally took my advice and left the family nest?" Yasushi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You could say that."
Tatsuya lifted the suitcases into his minivan. "So, where are we going?"