As soon as we arrived home, Rin was already waiting for us, arms crossed, glaring like a strict parent catching their child sneaking in past curfew.
"Would you explain where you were last night?" she demanded.
I gulped and glanced at Keiko. How were we supposed to explain this? There was no way Rin wouldn't freak out if she found out her mother had spent the night in a love hotel—even if it was with her father… who now looked like a girl her age. I sighed. If I was the one to explain, it would definitely go badly. But when I looked at Keiko, she remained silent too.
"Mom?" Rin turned her sharp gaze toward Keiko.
And then—Keiko, the woman who had been silent until now, suddenly dropped a bomb.
"We stayed at a love hotel."
I choked on my own breath. Keiko! What was the point of staying quiet if you were going to say it THAT bluntly?!
Rin gasped in absolute horror. "WHAT?!" She turned to me in disbelief. "Ryuko—I mean… Dad?! Were you the one who—"
Before she could even finish, Keiko cut her off again. "I was the one who asked for it."
Silence. A long, heavy silence. Rin’s brain had stopped working.
"HOW?! I mean, sure, Dad is still Dad, but Dad is also a GIRL now. And she—he—ugh! They're my age! How could you—?!"
Keiko looked uneasy, unable to answer.
I took a deep breath. "Rin, I know this is shocking for you. Even though I look like this now, your mother and I are still husband and wife. And we still love each other."
Rin glared at me, clearly not liking that answer.
I sighed and continued, "Besides… I'm trying my best to fix our relationship too. That includes you, Rin. I hope you understand that we might do romantic things sometimes…"
Rin took an even deeper breath, trying to calm herself.
Sensing she was about to explode, I quickly added, "I PROMISE we won’t do anything in front of you."
Finally, Rin let out a heavy sigh. After a long pause, she muttered, "Fine. Just promise me—don’t do any flirting or romantic stuff in front of me. I don’t want to see it."
"Thank you, Rin," I said, relieved.
Keiko sighed as well. "Sorry, Rin."
Rin just shook her head and walked back to her room, muttering something about needing brain bleach.
Keiko turned to me, exhaling deeply. "Let's rest. We can’t be late tomorrow."
"Right. I’ll take a shower first."
---
The next morning, we all gathered at Manna's Kitchen at 9 a.m.
"Are all of you here?" Manna asked. She was taking attendance like a strict teacher.
"Ryuko, Aki, Ruka, and Miko. Okay. Yes, Miss," Keiko replied.
"Then let's go." Manna walked ahead to the rental van, and we quickly followed.
I was the last one to get in, and when I saw the seating arrangement, my soul nearly left my body. The only seat left was next to Manna.
I gulped.
"You can sit here, Ryuko," Keiko said, noticing my internal suffering. Maybe my face was just too easy to read. She switched seats with me, sitting next to Manna instead.
I silently thanked my savior and sat next to Aki.
The ride was painfully silent. Not at all what I expected.
I whispered to Aki, "Why is everyone so tense? Is Manna really that scary?"
Aki, without looking up, just nodded stiffly.
Manna, completely unaware of the fear she instilled in us, casually scrolled through her phone.
---
We arrived at the station in ten minutes and took the shinkansen to Osaka, reaching our destination by noon.
"Perfect timing for lunch," Manna announced. "Let’s eat."
"Okay!" we all responded in unison.
She led us to a fancy sushi restaurant. The kind of place where the price list alone could give you a heart attack.
As soon as I saw the menu, I choked.
Aki stared blankly at the floor. I could feel her soul leaving her body.
Ruka leaned toward me and whispered, "I'll just eat a little and buy onigiri at the convenience store later."
Aki whispered too, "Me too."
Unfortunately, Manna heard them.
"I HEARD THAT," she announced loudly.
We all froze like deer in headlights.
She sighed dramatically. "Guys, it's on the company. Just order what you want."
A wave of relief washed over us.
"THANK YOU, BOSS!" we cheered.
We've quickly ordered a few things. But then Manna, with a mischievous grin, added, "On second thought, maybe I should check your evaluations, and the worst one has to pay?"
Instant panic.
Everyone went dead silent.
Our faces turned white.
Then she BURST into laughter. "Hahaha! Oh my god, your faces! I was joking! Hahaha!"
Not a single one of us laughed with her.
Boss. That wasn't funny.
---
We ate, and thankfully, the boss didn’t actually make anyone pay.
As we finished eating, Manna leaned back in her chair, cracking her neck. Then, with a teasing smirk, she turned to me.
"So, Ryuko. Tell me a story from the workplace—I need feedback from someone with a fresh perspective."
Before I could answer, Aki dramatically slammed her hands on the table. "Ah, Miss Manna! Why waste time on Ryuko when I have a much more scandalous topic for you?"
Manna raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? I’m listening."
Aki grinned mischievously. "Ryuko is totally in love with Keiko!"
I choked on my drink, while Keiko, who was sipping her tea, nearly spat it out.
"What the hell, Aki?!" I sputtered, my face instantly heating up.
Manna’s grin widened as she leaned forward. "Ohhh, now this is interesting." She turned to Keiko. "So, Keiko, how does it feel having a lovestruck junior?"
Keiko groaned, rubbing her temple. "There is no 'lovestruck junior.' Aki’s just being ridiculous."
Aki, completely ignoring Keiko’s denial, continued, "You should see how Ryuko looks at her! It’s like those slow-motion scenes in dramas where the background turns pink, and there’s sparkles everywhere—"
Ruka smirked. "And the way she blushes whenever Keiko touches her? Classic rom-com heroine behavior."
Manna chuckled, clearly enjoying this. "Damn, Ryuko. Didn’t think you had it in you."
"EXCUSE ME?! I DO NOT—"
Miko gasped dramatically. "Wait, does that mean you do have a crush on Keiko?"
I felt my soul leave my body. "STOP IT!"
Keiko sighed, shaking her head. "I swear, these guys just love making up stories."
Manna smirked, watching Keiko closely. "You’re not denying it very hard, though."
Keiko rolled her eyes. "That’s because it’s a waste of energy."
Manna laughed. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop—for now." Then, her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Keiko. "By the way, how’s your husband doing? I remember you used to talk about him a lot back in the day."
Keiko visibly tensed for a moment before forcing a small smile. "Ah… he’s still missing now. The police haven't found anything yet."
The table fell silent. Aki, Ruka, and Miko, who had been having a blast teasing me moments ago, looked guilty for their jokes.
"I see," Manna said, leaning back. "That’s rough, Keiko. Sorry for bringing it up."
Keiko waved a hand dismissively. "It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it."
I glanced at her, feeling a pang of guilt. She shot me a quick glare, probably warning me to keep my mouth shut.
Manna clapped her hands, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "Alright, enough gloomy talk. Let’s get moving. We still have a long day ahead of us."
Everyone nodded, and we quickly left the restaurant.
Our next stop? The hotel. And after that chaotic lunch, I had a feeling this trip was going to be exhausting. I sighed deeply. Surviving this company trip is going to be harder than I thought…