Kenta nodded eagerly, momentarily distracted from his pain by the promise of something special, something just for him.
"Mom, Dad, I'm taking Kenta-kun to the back room for a minute!" Emi called out. Her mother glanced over, immediately understanding what Emi intended to do from years of seeing her daughter's compassion in action. She gave a subtle nod, a silent blessing and warning in one—be careful, don't overdo it.
Emi led Kenta and his mother through the kitchen to a small storage room lined with shelves of ingredients in neat, labeled containers. Closing the door behind them, she winked at Kenta. "This is just between us, okay? Think of it as...extra training."
"For what?" Kenta asked, eyes wide with curiosity and a hint of excitement breaking through his pain.
