XIV.

Kinomi woke up at five-thirty in the morning, her usual waking up time. She had expected to wake up feeling her body against the cold floor but instead she found herself on a soft, comfortable cushion, she was back at the guest room.

She sat up and stretched as if she was a cat who had a nice nap, and tried to recall what happened last night. A bespectackled blonde boy with a stoic face flashed in her mind and what happened last night finally dawned to her, making her lips purse into a thin line.

His face was stoic and expressionless... no twinge of any emotion surrounding him. She preferred it that way though... she didn't like it when someone pities her. She didn't need their pity.

She tied her hair up in a high ponytail and went to the bathroom to fix herself then went straight downstairs to the kitchen, assuming that she was the only one in the household awake for it was still early but shocked to find someone inside, which was Kina. Her back faced her, already in her pink apron and busy rummaging through the refrigerator.

Kina grabbed the frozen foods and closed the refrigerator, but then stopped short when she saw Kinomi by the door frame. An automatic huge smile spread its way to her lips the moment she saw her.

"Good morning, Kinomi-chan. Did you have a good sleep?" she greeted.

Kinomi bashfully rubbed her arm, looking down. "Um, yes. Thank you for keeping me here, Kina-san..."

Kina stared at her. "Aw, drop the formalities, dear. You're no longer a stranger here." she chuckled as she prepared the kettle.

Seeing her warm and welcoming smile, Kinomi also couldn't withstand the hint of smile forming on her lips. She also couldn't help remember how Kina reflected Kirimi, her own mother, when her father was still alive.

Putting the thought of her mother aside, she slowly walked towards the busy woman, keeping a few distance from her. "Is there anything I could do to help?"

"Of course, um..." Kina looked around the kitchen then back at Kinomi. "Do you know how to make pancakes?"

Kinomi nodded. "Yes, of course. Do you want me to make pancakes?"

On the other hand, Kei just finished prepping himself for morning practice. He was tempted to march to the guest room and check if the girl was still asleep but he suppressed himself. He heaved a deep sigh and slung his bag over his shoulder then went out of his room and downstairs and while doing so, an aromatic smell of something delicious filled his nostrils, making his mouth water. He went straight to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Mom, what's for break--" his sentence was cut midway when he saw the scene in front of him, his mother and the girl who was just broken last night giggling and comfortable with each other - like they are a real mother and daughter. But his attention was centered on Kinomi, with a genuine smile plastered on her face. Seeing her radiant smile for the first time had this weird effect on him, or so that's what he wanted to call.

"Good morning, Kei. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes so just wait by the table, okay?" his mother said.

He realized that he was still in a trance, his mouth ajar in mild shock and so, he nodded and went to the dining area and occupied his seat. He poured himself a glass of water and took a sip, the image of her smiling face couldn't bear his mind to erase.

After a few minutes, his father and older brother arrived, ready to join him for breakfast. Kinomi went out of the kitchen with a plate of pancakes in her left hand and bacon and eggs on her right.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Kinomi-chan! Let me do that." Akiteru said, attempted to stand up to grab the plate from her hands but she stopped him.

"I can handle this, sir." Kinomi insisted. "I mean Akiteru-san..."

Akiteru let out a short laugh. "I guess you're really used to these kinds of things, huh?"

Kinomi blushed. "Y-Yeah."

What the? Did she just blush in front of my brother?

"Thank you for doing this but you don't have to, Kinomi-san." Akito said with a smile.

"This is the only thing I thought as a way of thanking you for taking care of me." Kinomi admitted as she bowed her head in embarrassment.

"Kinomi-chaaan~!" they heard a voice called out from the kitchen.

"Excuse me, I have to go help Kina-san." she bowed once again then left which made the two older males chuckle in amusement.

"She's really adorable, isn't she Dad?" Akiteru said to which his father only nodded in agreement.

Akiteru noticed that his brother was quiet as usual, and so he decided to drag him in the conversation.

"My little brother sure do knows how to pick girls, huh?" Akiteru said with a teasing smile. Kei glared at him in response.

During breakfast, Kei felt weirded out as he watched what Kinomi was acting in front of his family. It feels as if she had returned to her former self, just like how the people from her past described her. She was rather talking, smiling and getting along with them. And the sound of her laugh, it sent a wave of tingles within him.

"Thank you for keeping me in here." Kinomi said. They were by the front door, Kinomi getting ready to leave with a paper bag of food Kina prepared for her. She was timid when she learned that Kina had washed her uniform but was grateful at the same time. "And, um, thank you for the food and uniform." she gestured towards the bag.

"Oh, no problem, Kinomi-chan. You can drop by anytime you'd like." Kina replied with a smile. Kinomi just smiled and bowed as a response.

"Kei, dear, please walk her home."

Kinomi's expression morphed into shock. "Oh, there's no need. He has morning prac--"

"Fine. We're leaving, Mom." Kei cut her off with a nonchalant tone. He turned his gaze to Kinomi and she quickly averted his gaze, refusing to make eye contact. "Let's go, Mikazuki-san."

She nodded and Kei went out ahead. Kinomi took one last glance at Kina and the latter smiled before mouthing an inaudible sentence to her to which Kinomi didn't fail to understand. She blushed furiously then quickly left.

The walk on the way home were a sequence of comforting silence. She liked it that way, though, there was nothing even worth to talk about. She bit her lower lip as she looked at the boy walking side by side with her through her peripheral vision, and she had expected his rather stoic face staring at the road ahead.

Kinomi's feet came into a halt and so did Kei. He turned around to face her. They waited for one of them to break the silence.

"This is where I live." Kinomi stated and Kei glanced at the apartment building in front of them. "Um, so yeah... I guess I can take care of the rest here."

"Yeah," Kei replied. He turned around and walked away, putting on his white headphones. "See you."

Kinomi watched his retreating figure, her vision focused even if he's not present anymore. Her lips curled up into a small smile as what occurred for the past day came into mind.

She never thought that the guy she hated would ever made her lips curl up. With one last glance to the road he took, she also turned around and proceeded to her apartment.