The taxi moves through the city, steady and unremarkable, but the air inside remains tense. Ryoma sits beside his mother in silence, eyes fixed on the passing lights, as if distance alone might dull what just happened.
Minutes stretch. The silence doesn't break on its own; it's carefully lifted as Fumiko finds the need to bring up that issue back to the surface.
"Why didn't you just tell her?" she finally asks, voice calm but thoughtful. "That you've become a brand ambassador for… what was the name again?"
From the driver's seat, Ennosuke glances at them through the mirror, eyebrows lifting. "Eh? Ryoma's got a sponsor already?" he says, half amused. "That true, kid?"
"Yes," Ryoma answers. "Aqualis Labs." He exhales slowly. "We're heading to their gala dinner now. Tonight's the first official unveiling."
Fumiko lets out a quiet breath, something loosening in her chest. "If you'd told her that, I think she would've understood."
