The Fujin ancestral home was bustling with activity, as it often was when the extended family gathered. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the shoji screens, casting golden patterns across the tatami mats. Around the large dining table, Hiroto Fujin sat at the head, exuding his usual stoic demeanor. Despite his silence, his sharp eyes missed nothing, especially the animated chatter of his family.

"I'm telling you," Aunt Keiko said, leaning forward with an excited gleam in her eyes. "Whoever this mystery woman is, she must be something extraordinary to catch Isamu's attention! Look! He must be enjoying his date so much now!"

Indeed, the workaholic Fujin Isamu, the golden child and the apple of everyone's eye, has went out for a date with his little woman.

"Or she's got a trick up her sleeve," Uncle Masaru chuckled, earning a sharp elbow from his wife.
"Masaru, not everything is a conspiracy," Keiko huffed, turning back to the siblings-slash-cousins group. "Anyway, have any of you seen her?"

"Nope," said Daisuke, Isamu's younger brother, popping a piece of mochi into his mouth. "But Aoi-san said she's elegant. Like, 'stepped-out-of-a-magazine' elegant. And that's a direct quote."

"Ehhh?" Yumi, the youngest sibling, perched on the arm of the sofa, her face lighting up with mischief. "So she's probably not someone like you, Dai-chan. Your type is usually...uh...let's just say 'memorable.'"

"Oi!" Daisuke scowled, tossing a cushion at her. "At least I have a type, unlike you! Still stuck in your k-drama phase, huh?"
Megumi, the eldest sister, sighed dramatically, adjusting her reading glasses. "Must you two always bicker? Honestly, I don't know how Isamu tolerates you."

"Isamu's the golden child; he doesn't need to tolerate anyone," Yumi quipped, grinning. "But come on, Megu-nee, aren't you curious? Our brother, who's practically married to his job, suddenly has a woman in his life? It's like spotting a tanuki in Shibuya."

"That's rare," Megumi conceded, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Maybe she's his work partner," suggested Cousin Eiji, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Not likely," Hiroto finally spoke, his deep voice cutting through the chatter. The room went silent for a moment as everyone turned to him. "Aoi, Hiroshi, and even Isamu's assistant have all mentioned her. It's personal. Plus Yaruna, my P.A. was sent to the headquarters to see if she worked there. No news."

"Ohhh," Yumi teased, leaning closer to her father. "You're invested too, aren't you, Oji-san?"

"I'm merely observing," Hiroto said gruffly, though the faintest hint of a smile betrayed his amusement.

"Well, I think she's lovely!" chirped Grandmother Fujin from her corner, where she was knitting a scarf. "She must be, if she's got Isamu smiling. He's always so serious-like his father was at that age."

"Let's hope she's nothing like Uncle's choice of friends," Daisuke muttered under his breath, earning a sharp look from Hiroto.

"I heard that," Hiroto said sternly, but there was no real heat behind his words.

"You know," Yumi piped up again, clearly enjoying herself, "what if she's older? Like, a mature, independent woman?"

"Or younger," Megumi countered. "A bubbly, cheerful type who's the complete opposite of him."
"Or someone who's actually smarter than him," Daisuke added. "You know, to knock him down a peg or two."

"Or," Yumi leaned in conspiratorially, "what if she's not real?"

The room fell silent, and then erupted into laughter.
"Yumi, that's ridiculous!" Aunt Keiko giggled.

"No, think about it!" Yumi insisted, struggling to keep a straight face. "What if he's just messing with us because he knows we're all nosy?"
"Knowing Isamu, that's not impossible. He won't lie," Megumi admitted, chuckling softly.

"But the man was blushing," Eiji pointed out, looking up from his gaming console and raising a finger. "I don't think he's capable of faking that."

"True," Yumi sighed dramatically. "If only he were here, we could interrogate him properly."

"Again!" Eiji snickered.

Hiroto sat quietly, observing the animated discussions still going on among the relatives. Despite his stoic exterior, he felt a sense of hope.
"Whoever she is," he thought, "if she makes Isamu smile, she's already part of this family."

The siblings had drifted into the kitchen, leaving the rest of the family to their speculation. Yumi rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a carton of iced tea, while Daisuke leaned against the counter, scrolling through his phone. Megumi was calmly arranging some matcha cookies on a tray.

"I bet she's an office lady," Daisuke mused aloud, not looking up.
"I'm leaning toward a teacher," Yumi countered, pouring herself a glass.
"She's probably neither," Megumi said with a knowing smile. "Knowing Isamu, she's likely someone completely unexpected."
"Like...a florist?" Yumi guessed.
"Or a martial artist," Daisuke said, snickering.

"Or a secret spy," Yumi added, laughing so hard she nearly spilled her drink.

"You two are hopeless," Megumi said, shaking her head. "But seriously, don't you think it's nice? Seeing him...interested in someone?"

Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying our big brother is actually human?"
"Barely," Yumi quipped, earning a smirk from Megumi, who has sauntered her way to the guestroom.