It was obvious that Takanashi Junko was extremely nervous.
Within just a few minutes of sitting down, she had already tucked her hair behind her ear three times and lifted her glass four times, taking the tiniest of sips before setting it back down.
Minamoto Senya, however, handled everything with a flawless composure. His tone and demeanor were calm and harmonious, not revealing the slightest hint of the unease or resistance one might expect from a "child" meeting something new.
That alone made Junko breathe a huge sigh of relief. As time passed, her restless heart gradually settled.
During the meal, Senya kept up light conversation while quietly observing the two of them.
And the more he watched, the more he thought—these two actually looked pretty well-matched.
Not to exaggerate, but Minamoto Sanada was an unmistakable ikemen—a man with strong, striking features, the type of rugged handsomeness you'd expect in Japanese fashion magazines.
As for Junko, she was no less impressive. Her skin was pale and smooth, her face small and delicate, her height petite—but her proportions were excellent. Without even trying, she could easily draw the gaze of others.
His father wasn't much of a talker, while Junko, once she had adapted to the situation, could effortlessly spark a topic and liven the atmosphere.
In that sense, their personalities balanced each other out. Not bad at all.
Later, when Senya returned from the restroom, it seemed the two of them had taken the chance to discuss things. As soon as he sat back down, Junko began to share more openly about her background.
The more Senya listened, the more he realized he had misunderstood.
It turned out that Junko's husband had passed away years ago. She wasn't, as he had once assumed, a married woman still bound by her past.
From start to finish, his father's relationship with Takanashi Junko had been proper, legitimate, and well within the bounds of social morality.
For years, she had been raising her children alone, struggling to make ends meet. Romance had been the last thing on her mind—until she met Sanada.
Their first encounter had been simple. Exhausted after work, Junko had gone to the bar where Sanada was working to have a drink and relax. Partway through, some man tried to hit on her.
Sanada noticed her discomfort and, without hesitation, stepped in to defuse the situation.
A small, almost cliché scene of "rescuing the damsel."
But from that moment on, Junko began frequenting the bar. One visit became two, and over time they grew close—friends who could talk about anything.
As months passed, that deep friendship slowly shifted, blossoming into affection, until they finally arrived at this day.
When Junko spoke of her and Sanada's relationship, she did so with complete sincerity. She didn't treat Senya lightly just because he was still a boy in years.
That earned her a great deal of respect in his heart.
All his initial doubts faded away with her open honesty.
At least for now, Senya felt that Junko seemed like a genuinely good person.
He was happy for his father. In fact, aside from the day he scored first in his grade, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen Sanada smiling this happily.
Once the main dishes were cleared, the server brought out dessert.
It was then that Junko, who had just been so composed in her heartfelt explanations, began to look anxious again.
Even though she worried that what she was about to say might be hard for Senya to accept, she still felt it was better to be open. The earlier, the better.
"Senya… there's actually one more thing I haven't told you."
"That's fine, Aunt Junko. Please go ahead."
"Your father probably hasn't mentioned it yet, but… I actually have a daughter."
This didn't surprise Senya. He'd already overheard a phone call outside the master bedroom once, so he had suspected as much.
But the words that followed did shake his composure.
"I have two daughters. My eldest, Takanashi Toka, is a little older than you—she's already in middle school. My youngest, Takanashi Rikka, is the same age as you…"
After dinner, father and son returned home.
Sanada looked at his son, hesitant, but finally asked:"Senya… do you feel uneasy, knowing that Junko has two daughters?"
He looked awkward, turning his head aside as he added:"Don't worry, even if we end up living together, I would never—"
"It's not like that," Senya cut him off quickly. Some feelings were better left unspoken; putting them into words only made things awkward. "I was just surprised at first, that's all. But I don't mean anything else by it. Please make sure to tell Aunt Junko—I like her, and I don't mind that she has two daughters."
"…Really?"
Sanada's eyes softened with relief. He reached out, intending to pat his son's head, but Senya anticipated it and smoothly dodged out of the way.
"I'm fine with it, Dad. But you shouldn't relax just yet. You haven't even met Aunt Junko's daughters, right? There's no telling how they'll feel about you."
Senya's offhand remark instantly made Sanada grimace, the words hitting him like a cold splash of water. He hadn't thought that far.
Of course, he knew not every child was as mature and sensible as his own son.
And Junko's eldest, already in middle school, was right in the middle of adolescence—a time when rebellion was common, if not inevitable.
What if Takanashi Toka resented him? What if she rejected him outright as an outsider suddenly intruding into their lives?
The more he thought, the more uneasy he became. Without another word, he rushed off to call Junko.
Meanwhile, Senya slipped into the bath. Alone, he exhaled deeply, staring up at the droplets of steam clinging to the ceiling.
If nothing unexpected happened, soon he would be living together with the Takanashi family.
Would it go smoothly?
He had thought that blending two households into one would take months. His father still had to win over Junko's daughters. Not to mention settling countless details—
They couldn't all squeeze into this tiny three-room apartment. A new house would be needed.
Then there were family introductions, the wedding ceremony, furnishing and moving—so many things.
But to his surprise, Sanada, usually a man of few words, proved shockingly efficient in action.
By the end of March, just after Senya had returned from visiting Sawamura Eriri's place, he stepped into the house without even removing his shoes when—
From the living room, Sanada and Junko appeared, both wearing glittering diamond rings on their left hands.
And behind them, peeking out shyly from the corner of the wall, were two small heads—watching him closely.