"Where is Ryuji from? Who's at home? What are his parents like?"

  After settling on the sofa, Yotsuya Touko couldn't help but fire off a series of questions. It almost felt like a mother-in-w interrogating her future son-in-w.

  Miko quickly realized this and blushed, trying to stop her mother before she went any further.

  "Mom, how you ask that? This is Ryuji-kun's first time here!" Miko said, clearly flustered. She was worried that her mother's prying would leave a bad impression on Ryuji. They weren't even a couple yet, and Miko didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

  "I'm sorry, Ryuji-kun! My mom didn't mean anything by it!" Miko apologized, her cheeks still tinged with embarrassment.

  Touko remained silent but thought to herself that her "precious daughter" was being a little too obvious.

  Ryuji, however, just smiled and shook his head. "It's alright, Auntie is just worried about you, that's all."

  Then, with a calm tone, he tinued, "I'm inally from Kyushu. As for my parents… they passed away not too long ago, so I live alone now."

  "Ah…!"

  Both Touko and Miko stared at Ryuji, taken aback by this revetion.

  Miko had no idea about Ryuji's family situation, and she suddenly felt a pang of guilt for not knowing sooner.

  "I'm so sorry!" Touko quickly apologized, realizing that her earlier questions might have brought up painful memories. Tears welled up in her eyes, empathetic to his loss, especially since she had also retly lost her husband and son.

  "It must be hard for you, living all alone like that," Touko said softly, her voice full of sympathy.

  "Ryuji-kun..." Miko murmured, reag out to hold Ryuji's hand. She hadn't expected him to have gohrough so much. She'd seen him act s and fident, but now she wondered if it was all just a front to hide his sadness.

  The g looks from both of them made Ryuji feel a little awkward.

  What are they imagining in their heads right now? he thought to himself, feeling like they were making assumptions about his inional state.

  Clearing his throat, Ryuji decided to shift the mood. "Well, it was tough at first, but life goes on. We all have to live well, including for the ones we've lost. That's how we honor them."

  "You're right," Touko said, her voice a bit stronger. "We o keep living, for Kyousuke and Mamoru's sake too." Kyousuke and Mamoru were her te husband and son.

  Miko nodded vigorously in agreement, her expressioermined. "Yes! We o live well for them too!"

  As the somber atmosphere began to lift, a sudden voice broke the silence.

  "My sister has really found herself a good man!"

  The voice startled Miko, but Touko seemed oblivious to it. Miko didn't even have to turn around to knoas speakingbit was the voices of her father and brother.

  Ryuji, oher hand, wasn't surprised. From the moment he had ehe house, he could seheir presehough they hadn't revealed themselves at first, they had been quietly everything.

  "I was worried you wouldn't be able to mahout us, but seeing you now, I'm relieved. You're living well," Miko's father said. "I've stayed here because I didn't want to leave you."

  "And sister, you've got good taste! You found a great boyfriend!" her brother chimed in.

  Miko trembled. Did she have bad taste before?

  "But now, we leave in peace," her father said, his tone softening.

  Those words hit Miko like a ton of bricks. Are they really leaving?

  Before, she had been scared of their presence, but she had growo it. ing home and seeing her father and brother, even as spirits, had given her fort. Now, knowing they were going to leave pletely... the feeling of loss surged within her once more, and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

  Ryuji noticed the spirits of Miko's father and brinning to glow softly, their expressions peaceful and relieved. It looked like they were about to asd, moving on to the afterlife.

  Is reination really a thing? Ryuji thought to himself. sidering the fact that I reinated here, it wouldn't be that strange for reination to be real too.

  "Don't be too sad, Miko," Touko said gently, misuanding the reason for her daughter's tears. "Ryuji-kun is right here."

  "It's fine," Ryuji replied with a warm smile. "No matter what she's feeling, Miko is cute in any situation."

  "Woo!"

  Miko couldn't hold bay longer. She suddenly rushed into Ryuji's arms, her face buried in his chest as she sobbed untrolbly.

  Touko watched from the side, a bit surprised by her daughter's boldness but also quietly approving. Seeing the way Ryuji forted her daughter, she could tell he was a good person. Someone reliable.

  She felt grateful that Miko had found someone like him.

  "You two rest for now," Touko said, standing up. "I'll go prepare dinner. Ryuji-kun, you'll be staying to eat with us, right?"

  As Touko busied herself i, Ryuji followed Miko into her room. Miko, still a little embarrassed from earlier, k on the floor, trying to pose herself.

  "S-sorry about earlier," she stammered. "I didn't mean to"

  Ryuji chuckled. "It's no big deal. Besides, it felt nice holding you. You smell great, by the way. Thanks for the hospitality!"

  Hearing this, Miko's face turned beet red. She wasn't used to such teasing, and her heart was rag. She knew Ryuji was just joking, but still... it made her feel flustered.

  Sensing she was getting overwhelmed, Ryuji cleared his throat and decided to ge the subject.

  "So, about that strahing in your room. Do you know where exactly it's ing from?"

  Relieved that they were baore serious matters, Miko quickly collected herself and nodded. "Yeah, I think it came from the closet st night."

  Following her dires, Ryuji walked over to the closet.

  Bang!

  When he swung the closet doors open, he was greeted by the sight of a hideous, grotesque creature lurking inside.

  "Yo!" Ryuji casually greeted the entity, raising his hand as if it were an old friend.

  "Yo?!" The creature was startled by Ryuji's nonce.

  But before it could do anything, Ryuji's eyes narrowed, and in the instant, he unleashed his power.

  "Soul Devourer!"

  The creature didn't even have time to scream before it was pletely ed, disappearing into nothingness.