As soon as the sun rose, Ren's eyes opened. He turned his head slightly and saw Emi still sleeping beside him, her face relaxed and peaceful. The blanket had slipped during the night, and the front flap of her yukata had come loose. Her soft, fair skin peeked through, and the curve of her cleavage was partly exposed.
Ren's face flushed immediately, and he felt his body react before he could stop it. He turned his gaze away quickly, then reached to pull the blanket up over her chest with care. He then touched the tip of her nose with one finger and muttered quietly, "Still lacking defensiveness in front of a man."
Shaking his head, he got out of bed and headed to wash up first.
Not long after, Emi stirred. She blinked at the empty space beside her and sat up slowly. Realizing the time, she climbed out of bed, headed to the bathroom, and freshened up.
When she stepped into the living and dining room, the smell of breakfast welcomed her. Granny Chiyo greeted her with a warm smile and told her that she had come at just the right time.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Granny Chiyo asked.
Emi nodded, her cheeks warming with a shy smile. "Yes, I did."
Granny Chiyo raised an eyebrow playfully. "Good. So, what are your plans for today?"
Ren, who had just returned from the back, answered, "I still have some work to finish."
Granny Chiyo clicked her tongue and gave him a look. "It's the weekend. You should spend time with your girlfriend. If not, she might run off with another man."
Ren glanced at Emi, and Emi looked down, blushing. Granny Chiyo nodded as if sealing the decision herself. "Go out. Take her on a proper date. You young people need to enjoy yourselves."
After breakfast, Granny Chiyo practically pushed them out the door. Emi stood outside, looking up at Ren a little hesitantly.
"I've never been on a real date before," she admitted. "I don't really know what to do."
Ren smiled softly, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You don't need to know. Just enjoy being with me today."
They strolled through the shopping district together. Ren kept picking clothes for Emi to try, and she grew more flustered with each item. At some point, she raised her voice in gentle protest.
"You've bought me too much already," she said. "I'm not your mannequin."
Ren only replied with another shirt held up in front of her.
After a while, Emi picked out a casual white t-shirt and light jeans and handed them to Ren. "Try this. You always wear black. It's the weekend. You should look like it."
He changed, and when he stepped out, Emi froze. He looked relaxed, handsome, and effortlessly approachable. Even a few women in the store glanced his way with admiration.
"You look great," Emi said, face reddening. "You should wear that for the rest of the day."
Ren raised an eyebrow but did not object.
As they left the store, Emi turned to him. "Let's invite Sora and Daiki for lunch."
"Daiki?" Ren asked with mild surprise.
Emi nodded. "I heard from Sora they've been messaging each other. Did you know that?"
Ren shook his head. "No. Though Daiki mentioned her a few times during casual talk."
"What do you think of Daiki?" Emi asked, watching his face carefully.
Ren shrugged slightly. "He's responsible. Steady. If it's him, I wouldn't worry."
They met Sora and Daiki at a small hotpot restaurant nearby. As the group settled into the booth, the conversation became light and playful. Sora picked vegetables from the tray and sneakily dropped extra tofu into Daiki's bowl, grinning.
"I told you last time you need more protein," she said.
Daiki gave her a half-amused glance. "And I told you I don't like tofu."
"Too bad," Sora said as she passed him the chopsticks. "Eat it."
Ren leaned back in his seat and watched the exchange with mild curiosity. Emi laughed and added more ingredients to the pot.
It wasn't long before Sora's eyes narrowed slightly. She nudged Emi and whispered not so quietly, "So, when were you planning on telling me?"
Emi blinked. "Tell you what?"
"That you and Ren are actually together," Sora said, now looking between the two of them with a smug smile.
Daiki raised his eyebrows. "Wait. Really?"
Ren didn't answer. He simply reached out and took Emi's hand under the table. Emi, already red in the face, gave a small nod.
Sora gave a triumphant grin. "I knew it."
During halfway lunch, the girls headed to the restroom together. As they washed their hands, Sora turned to Emi, her tone quieter.
"Are you really serious about stepping into the Mafia world?" she asked.
Emi met her gaze without hesitation. "I am. I really like him. And the truth is, I've been around this kind of world for years. My father's debts made me deal with men like Takahashi, like Riku. I already know what it's like."
Sora looked concerned. "But this is deeper. More dangerous."
Emi nodded. "I know. But I also know that Ren is different. He doesn't just command fear. He's responsible. He protects people. I feel safe with him. And compared to how I used to live, working nonstop just to keep my father's debt collectors off my back, this is nothing. I've faced worse."
Sora was quiet for a moment. Then she reached for Emi's hand and squeezed it. "Alright. Then I'm with you. Whatever happens, I'm on your side."
Emi smiled, her heart full. "Thank you."
*****
The hotpot bubbled gently at the center of the table as the server placed down a few more plates of meat and vegetables. Sora eagerly reached for the mushrooms while Daiki lifted the lid and began stirring the broth with quiet focus.
"You're taking this very seriously," Sora teased, nudging his elbow with her chopsticks.
Daiki gave her a glance. "Because if I don't, you'll mess up the soup base again."
"That happened once," she said, pouting. "And it wasn't even my fault. That shrimp was shady."
Emi stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with one hand. Ren, sitting beside her, reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered for just a second longer than necessary.
Emi's smile faltered, replaced by a soft blush. She looked down at the broth quickly.
Daiki noticed and grinned. "Wow, look at you two. This is so strange. I never thought I'd live to see Kazama Ren acting like a normal boyfriend."
Ren raised a brow. "And what exactly is a normal boyfriend?"
"Feeding his girlfriend tofu and blushing when she smiles," Sora replied with zero hesitation.
"I did not blush," Ren said calmly.
"You kind of did," Emi whispered beside him, her smile shy but playful.
Ren leaned toward her, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "Then stop smiling like that. It's distracting."
Emi's cheeks turned an even brighter shade of red, and she turned back to the pot as if concentrating very hard on the meat.
Across the table, Sora had placed another piece of tofu into Daiki's bowl, this time without even trying to be sneaky.
"I told you—" Daiki began, but paused when she looked up at him with wide, fake-innocent eyes.
"You'll eat it," she said sweetly.
Daiki sighed and obediently lifted the tofu with his chopsticks and ate it. "You're a tyrant."
"You're welcome," she replied, pouring him tea like she was doing him a favor.
Emi watched the exchange and leaned closer to Ren. "They're cute."
"They're something," Ren said, although the corners of his mouth turned upward.
Later into the meal, as everyone began to slow down, Sora leaned her head against Daiki's shoulder.
"Okay, I admit it," she said. "You actually make good soup."
Daiki looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "That sounded dangerously close to a compliment."
"Don't ruin it."
He chuckled and patted Sora's head. Sora went still for a moment, clearly not expecting the gesture, and her cheeks turned the lightest pink.
Emi nudged Ren softly. "They're actually adorable."
"You're just saying that because they're not teasing us anymore," he murmured. Emi smiled, the warmth in her chest growing as she glanced at him.