"I know you've got a lot on your mind, but no matter how you feel, I know you want our father to be happy," said Ichigo suddenly, leaning against a nearby wall. "I don't know why he suddenly decided to get married again, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that we support him in his decision to seek new happiness—especially since he hasn't forgotten our mother."
Although Ichigo had blamed himself for their mother's death for a long time, that was in the past. He had managed to move on last year, after Isshin had a private talk with him in the middle of the night, on their way back from visiting her grave.
"I know," nodded Ren. He had no objections to his father's decision—in fact, he was genuinely happy for the old man, who seemed to have found someone new that entered his heart.
But that didn't mean he had abandoned his goal. Reviving Masaki was still the most important thing to him. Even if his parents' relationship could never return to what it once was, the only person who truly mattered to him was Masaki. As for Isshin, Ren loved and respected him—but no one could compare to Masaki.
Although Ren and the others could see that their father was doing this partly for their sake, that wasn't the whole story. It was clear to everyone that there was a genuine warmth in Isshin's eyes whenever he looked at Tsukiko. This wasn't a sudden or impulsive decision—it was one that Isshin had clearly been thinking about for a long time.
"As long as you understand, that's good enough," Ichigo nodded, patting Ren on the shoulder before walking back toward the restaurant to rejoin the family. "Tsukiko-san's daughters have arrived, so make sure you don't act rudely toward them—especially since one of them is someone we already know."
At the mention that he knew one of Tsukiko's daughters, Ichigo couldn't help but sigh. His life had taken some strange turns—first seeing strange monsters, then meeting a girl who granted him the power of a Shinigami, then his twin brother awakening a similar power… and now their father was getting remarried, and the bride just happened to be their teacher's mother.
"Someone we know?" Ren muttered as he recalled Tsukiko's surname. She had been a close friend of the Kurosaki family. "Wait… you mean Tsukiko-san is Hina-sensei's mother?"
Tachibana Hina—that was the name of the young teacher at their school who taught them modern Japanese.
"Yeah, exactly," Ichigo replied, staring straight ahead without turning. "Hina-sensei is Tsukiko-san's eldest daughter, and she came today with her younger sister to have dinner with us. Apparently, their parents split up a while ago after she discovered his affair."
"I see," Ren nodded indifferently. He wasn't particularly interested in Tsukiko's family circumstances, nor did he plan to grow close with them. He was a little surprised that his teacher might become his new stepsister, but it didn't really matter. Judging from the couple's conversation, they didn't seem to have any intention of changing their family names—everyone would keep their current surnames.
_
When they entered the restaurant, it was filled with soft laughter and a warm glow from the carefully placed hanging lights. The scent of rice and tempura filled the air, blending with the sound of Karin scolding Yuzu for adding too much wasabi.
In one corner sat Isshin, wearing a genuinely joyful smile—the kind he only showed when he was truly at peace. Beside him sat Tsukiko, wearing a simple deep-blue kimono that radiated an aura of quiet elegance.
Across from them sat Tachibana Hina. She was more reserved than Ren was used to seeing at school, but she didn't seem nervous—just composed, as though she were observing everything from behind a glass wall, quietly measuring everyone's reactions and keeping her emotions to herself.
Next to her sat a girl their age with short dark blue hair, a pair of ruby-colored eyes, and a slightly expressionless face, as if she wasn't the type to show her feelings easily.
When Ren saw the girl, his expression shifted briefly before returning to normal—it wasn't the right time to show anything.
"Ren-kun, Ichigo-kun, hello!" Hina called out with a cheerful, childlike smile, waving at the twins. After meeting Isshin and seeing for herself that he was a good man who genuinely cared for her mother, she no longer felt the need to hold back her personality—especially now that she was seeing her mischievous twin students.
"Good evening, Hina-sensei," Ren replied politely, sitting down beside Karin and placing a clawed hand on her wrist. "So… I heard someone's been planning to eat my food. Is that true?"
"Ah! I didn't do anything!" Karin yelped, quickly trying to pull her plate away, but Ren gently caught her by the wrist, eyeing her with half-lidded eyes—the kind of look that always came right before he pulled her chair away or stole the last piece of meat.
"A silent confession," Ichigo remarked with a smile as he sat down and began filling his plate with rice. "Ren never leaves his food unguarded, Karin. You knew the risks."
"This isn't fair!" Karin protested, lightly pounding the table. "You were late! The rules apply to you too!"
Yuzu giggled softly, then whispered as she reached for a nearby dish, "I also ate two pieces… but don't tell him."
"I heard that," Ren said simply—but he wasn't angry. A faint smile curved his lips, as if just being around them helped restore some inner balance.
Everyone smiled, the atmosphere warm and pleasant. But only one person—Tachibana Rui, the girl with the blue hair—remained silent, her gaze fixed on Ren. Behind those ruby eyes swirled unspoken thoughts known only to the two of them.
...
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