The moon had already hang itself on the night sky, and the street lights casting long, bruised shadows across the manicured lawn of the Kageyama household.
The air was cooling rapidly as Seijirou and Haruka crossed the threshold of the front door, the heavy oak swinging shut with a solid, echoing thud.
"We're home," they called out in unison, their voices drifting through the high-ceilinged foyer.
Almost immediately, the rhythmic sound of footsteps approached from the kitchen as Yuko emerged, wiping her hands on her apron, her face lighting up with its usual maternal warmth.
"Welcome home, you two. I was just—" She paused, her eyes widening slightly as they drifted to the figure standing just behind Seijirou's shoulder. "Ara~? Erina-chan? You came with them?"
Erina, leaning slightly on her cane but maintaining the regal posture of a well-bred heiress, offered a soft, graceful bow as a small, polite smile touched her lips.
