The heavy silence in the Fujin family’s grand living room was only broken by the occasional creak of the antique wooden furniture. Isamu sat in the center, his sharp gaze fixed on Yumi and Daisuke, who were perched side by side on the plush couch like guilty schoolchildren awaiting a stern lecture. Yumi fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, trying to suppress the unease bubbling in her chest. Daisuke, the visage of indifference, leaned back with his arms crossed, his expression a careful mask of calm disinterest.

“Well,” Isamu finally began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of authority, “care to explain why you thought it was a good idea to investigate someone through illegal means?”

Yumi immediately pointed at Daisuke, her voice defensive, “It was his idea! He’s the hacker, nii-san!”

Daisuke gave an exaggerated sigh, lifting his hands as though to say, Here we go again. “Yumi, I literally told you this was a bad idea from the start. Don’t try to pin this on me.”

Yumi glared at him, her cheeks puffing slightly in frustration. “You could have refused!”
“And risk getting another lecture from you about ‘family unity’ and how we all must band together for love?” Daisuke shot back, deadpan.

Isamu raised a single eyebrow, his expression unamused. “Enough.”

Both siblings quieted immediately, though Yumi still sneaked a glare at Daisuke, mouthing traitor under her breath.

Isamu leaned back in his seat, studying them both with the same scrutiny he reserved for quarterly reports. “Daisuke didn’t tell me anything, Yumi,” he said smoothly. “Do you really think I wouldn’t notice something like this? I’m the CEO of an IT company, remember? I have my ways.”

Yumi froze, her mind racing as she recalled every little detail of her ‘operation.’ Could he have hacked into her messages with Daisuke? Maybe he tracked the searches on their home network?

She felt a shiver run down her spine. How does he always know?
“That doesn’t matter now,” Isamu continued, his voice growing firmer. “What matters is why you thought it was acceptable to dig into Sara’s information like that.”
Yumi squirmed under his piercing gaze, her initial bravado quickly crumbling. “I just… I wanted to know more about her,” she admitted softly.

Isamu tilted his head slightly. “And you thought hacking into personal details was the best way to do that?”
“She’s not just anyone, Isamu!” Yumi exclaimed, leaning forward with her hands clasped together as if pleading her case. “She’s—well, she’s important! To you, at least. And I just wanted to make sure she was… good enough.”
Daisuke let out a low whistle, muttering, “You just threw yourself under the bus.”

“Shut up!” Yumi snapped at him, her cheeks now flushed with embarrassment.

Isamu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yumi, Sara and I aren’t even—” He paused, shaking his head. “You have no right to determine if someone is ‘good enough’ for me. And even if you did, this is not the way to go about it.”

Yumi’s shoulders slumped, her head bowing slightly. “I wasn’t trying to hurt her or you,” she murmured.
“You didn’t think about how invasive this is, did you?” Isamu asked, his tone softening slightly. “How would you feel if someone did the same to you? Dug through your private life without your permission?”

Yumi glanced at Daisuke, who raised an eyebrow as if to say he’s got a point. She frowned, her fingers twisting in her lap.
“I just wanted to make sure she’d fit in,” Yumi admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I mean, you’re so important to me, nii-san. You’ve always taken care of all of us, and I thought maybe it was time someone took care of you. If she’s going to be in your life… I just wanted to be sure.”

For a moment, silence reigned. Isamu looked at his youngest sibling, and something in her expression—a mix of vulnerability and determination—made his stern demeanor falter slightly.

“Yumi,” he said softly, his tone carrying both warmth and exasperation. “I appreciate that you care. Truly, I do. But this isn’t how you show it.”
Yumi blinked up at him, surprised by the gentleness in his voice.

“You don’t protect someone by invading their boundaries,” Isamu continued. “You respect them. Sara is… different. She’s hardworking, honest, and probably wouldn’t appreciate knowing she’s being investigated like a suspect.”

Daisuke snorted.
“Understatement of the year.”

“Daisuke,” Isamu warned, shooting him a sharp look.
The hacker shrugged. “I’m just saying. She’s got a loose mouth, Isamu. If she finds out about this, she’ll probably roast us all alive with that brutal honesty of hers.”
Yumi let out a small giggle at the thought, the tension in the room easing slightly. “She does seem like the type to speak her mind,” she admitted.

“That’s beside the point,” Isamu said firmly, though his lips twitched as if suppressing a smile. “The point is, this isn’t just about Sara. It’s about trust and boundaries. I expect better from both of you.”

Yumi’s eyes shimmered slightly, and she nodded. “I’m sorry, nii-san. I didn’t mean to cross the line.”

Daisuke raised a hand lazily. “I’d apologize, but I’m pretty sure I already did when this whole thing started.”
Yumi elbowed him in the ribs, earning a grunt.

“Good,” Isamu said, standing up. He looked at them both, his expression a mix of authority and affection. “Now, let this be a lesson. No more sneaking around. If you have questions, ask me directly. And Yumi—”
She looked up at him, wide-eyed.
“You don’t need to play matchmaker,” he said gently. “If there’s someone who’s meant to take care of me, I’ll find them in my own time.”

Yumi hesitated, then nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Okay, nii-san. But for the record, I still think she’s great.”
Isamu chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Duly noted.”

Isamu walked away, leaving Yumi and Daisuke alone, the siblings exchanged a glance.
“Well,” Daisuke said, stretching lazily. “That wasn’t so bad.”
Yumi crossed her arms, pouting slightly. “You could’ve backed me up more, you know.”
“And risk getting pulled into another one of your schemes? No thanks.”

Yumi stuck her tongue out at him, and for a moment, the room was filled with the sound of their bickering—proof that despite the reprimand, the bond between cousins remained unshaken.

Isamu’s words lingered even as the laughter subsided. His message was clear: Care and love should never come at the expense of trust and respect.

It was a lesson that resonated deeply with Yumi, who realized that sometimes the best way to protect someone was to simply let them be.