Kyouka dragged her feet as she stepped through the door, her whole body still aching from hours inside the dungeon. Her clothes smelled faintly of sweat, blood, and dust, and her expression screamed I'm done with today as always.

After a grueling three-day expedition, the sight of her home felt like a blessing from the goddess.

But then—her nose twitched.

"...Huh?" She froze, sniffing the air again. Something warm and savory wafted toward her nose. Something delicious. "What's… this smell?"

Her tiredness was instantly forgotten as her sharp eyes darted around the house. Usually, they would just bring takeout, stuff themselves with whatever was cheap and filling. Nobody here really cooked. Sure, Ren sometimes made something simple, but that was before all the awakening madness and recently he haven't made anything big.

Kyouka followed the trail of scent like a wild beast, stepping into the kitchen.

And there he was.

Ren stood at the counter, sleeves rolled up, carefully stirring something in a pan. Hiyori was beside him, holding a cutting board with chopped vegetables, handing them over like a dutiful assistant.

Kyouka blinked. Then blinked again.

"...Ren?" Her voice cracked slightly. "What… are you doing?"

Ren didn't even look up. "Cooking."

Hiyori grinned like a fox. "Doesn't it smell amazing, sis?"

Kyouka's mouth opened but no words came out. She just stared, her sharp warrior's face softening into something almost… hungry and internally she started to drool. How long has it been since her last homemade meal? This was definitely something Kyouka had been looking forward to.

Her heart skipped.

At that same moment, the door opened again.

Misa stepped inside, removing her scarf with a sigh. "Ah, what a long day. My shoulders—" She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes narrowed as she caught the scent too. She quickly followed it and entered the kitchen.

"...Oh?" Her eyebrows rose. "This is… unusual."

Ren chuckled. "Yeah. Nothing special, really. I just felt like cooking today." He tapped the spoon against the pan. "From time to time, it's good to have something homemade, right?"

Misa tilted her head. "Homemade, huh? Of course, I would prefer food you cook over any fancy meal, Ren."

Ren wiped his hands and motioned toward the table where covered plates were waiting. "I also ordered dessert. Something good."

"Of course!" Hiyori chimed in, her grin widening. "It's Kyouka's favorite—lava cake."

Kyouka's eyes immediately lit up. "...You didn't."

"Oh, he did." Hiyori smirked at her sister.

Ren laughed. "Alright, alright. Everyone go wash up first. Dinner's almost ready."

A few hours later, the four of them gathered at the dining table. The dishes gleamed under the warm light: roasted chicken with golden skin, steaming noodles in a rich spicy broth, crispy fried vegetables, and pickled ginger to cleanse the palate.

Kyouka sat down, still staring at everything like she couldn't believe her eyes.

"You… made all this?" she asked quietly.

Ren scratched his cheek. "With some help from WeTube, yeah. Just looked up recipes and followed along."

"Still impressive," Misa said softly as she cut into her food. She chewed slowly, savoring each bite with calm elegance. "Mm. Very good."

Kyouka wasted no time, already stuffing her mouth full, glaring at Hiyori whenever the younger girl tried to take too much of the chicken.

"Oi, Hiyori, don't hog it!"

"You're the one hogging it, sis! Don't act like I didn't see you taking three pieces already!"

"Tch—because I need more calories than you!"

"You just want to stuff your face, admit it!"

Ren sighed. "You two still sound like kids."

Misa shook her head but smiled faintly. "It feels… warm. Like a real family meal. We should do this more often."

Ren paused at that. He lowered his chopsticks and glanced at her. "This is the least I can do to show my gratitude to all of you—for taking me in, treating me so kindly, and protecting me. I can't even begin to express how thankful I am."

"I mean it when I say," Misa answered, looking at him kindly. "You've done something thoughtful for all of us. You're not an orphan anymore, Ren. You're family."

The words hit him harder than expected. He smiled back at her. "Yeah… I guess I am."

But deep inside, his thoughts twisted. Family… huh? Should I really think of them that way? It's true I feel love and care for them...but at the end of the day they were women.

His eyes, almost against his will, drifted toward Kyouka. She was chewing loudly, still glaring at Hiyori. Especially her. Will she… one day turn yandere? Would she really threaten my life? All of them could turn into those crazy bitches.

He shivered slightly, but forced himself to laugh and shake it off.

Kyouka caught his glance and raised an eyebrow. "What? Got something to say, Ren?"

Ren quickly waved his hand. "Nothing. Just eat."

After dinner, they all leaned back, full from both the meal and the lava cake. Kyouka looked absolutely satisfied, licking chocolate from her lips, while Hiyori groaned.

"I'm so full I can't move."

"Same," Kyouka admitted.

Misa calmly sipped tea. "Instead of going straight to bed, why don't we play something together? As a family. We haven't done that in a while. It will help our digestion too."

Kyouka's eyes flickered. "...Card games?"

Ren shrugged. "I'm down."

Before he could say more, Hiyori leapt up. "Yes! Poker! I'll get the cards!" She dashed off and came back with a deck in hand, her energy seemingly endless despite her full stomach.

They gathered around the living room table. Hiyori shuffled with a grin. "Okay, prepare yourselves. I'm going to wipe the floor with you guys."

"You wish," Kyouka scoffed. "You're way too easy to read."

"Hah? Says the one with no poker face!"

Misa gave a small smile as she arranged her chips. "Let's just enjoy ourselves."

The game began.

Ren leaned back, watching his hand. Hiyori immediately tried to bluff, but Kyouka slammed her down with a straight.

"Too obvious as always," Kyouka sneered.

Hiyori groaned. "Ughhh, I'll get you next round!"

Misa played steadily, calm as always, occasionally winning pots by quietly slipping through while the sisters fought. Ren noticed the corners of her lips curve upward each time she collected chips—subtle satisfaction.

Round after round went by, laughter and complaints filling the room.

But Ren couldn't help noticing something else.

Kyouka.

No matter how heated the game got, she kept sneaking glances at him. Quick, subtle, but consistent. Her sharp eyes lingered on his face whenever she thought he wasn't looking.

Ren caught her once, twice, three times.

The fourth time, he met her eyes directly.

Kyouka stiffened and looked away instantly, cheeks faintly red.

Ren leaned back in his chair, smirking to himself. His mind, clouded with warmth from the dinner, the laughter, the lava cake, suddenly turned in another direction.

...Fuck it.

He tapped his cards against the table and thought, I'm horny, is this the effect of my increased vitality? I want someone in this house.

His eyes locked on Kyouka again. And who better than her? She was powerful, beautiful… and dangerous. Taking the risk might be worth it. I need every single ally I can get. Meiling is already a threat, but compared to her, Kyouka is far less dangerous—and just as rewarding. So why not?

A dangerous smile tugged at his lips as he decided then and there to tease her.

Ren smirked faintly to himself, sliding his foot forward beneath the table. At first, he brushed lightly against Kyouka's ankle, almost as if by accident.

She flinched a little, glancing at him suspiciously, but it quickly turned into a blush.

"Are you okay, Kyouka?" Ren asked smoothly, though the grin on his lips betrayed his intent.

The game went on—Hiyori whining about another loss, Misa sipping her tea like nothing could faze her. But Ren's focus was elsewhere. Slowly, carefully, he let his foot trail upward, brushing against Kyouka's shin. He was about to pull back, expecting her to jerk away in embarrassment, but this time her expression didn't change at all.

Ren narrowed his eyes. Normally, she'd pull back or blush by now. Instead, Kyouka's face stayed perfectly composed, though her sharp eyes were fixed on her cards.

He pressed further. His foot slid higher, grazing the side of her knee, then inching toward her thigh. He was practically daring her to react, to scowl, to blush, something.

But nothing.

Kyouka's voice came out steady, almost bored. "Raise."

Ren blinked. "...Raise?"

She threw in her chips with that usual cocky confidence. Not even a hint of hesitation. Not even a glance his way.

Hiyori groaned. "Oh come on! Again?!"

"Stop playing like an amateur then," Kyouka shot back coolly, never once twitching at Ren's hidden teasing.

Ren felt a bead of sweat run down his temple. What the hell? She was usually so fiery, so easy to tease. Now, with his foot nearly on her inner thigh, she was… ignoring him?

He pushed a little further, toes brushing lightly against the fabric of her dress, expecting her to give some sort of reaction.

Still nothing.

Ren frowned. This doesn't make sense. Did she not notice? No way. She definitely noticed. So why isn't she reacting…?

He leaned back in his chair, the smug confidence he'd felt earlier now turning into confusion. Something was off.

And then—

Clink.

The chopsticks he had been fiddling with slipped from his hand and clattered onto the floor.

"Oops," Ren muttered, crouching down to pick it up.

The tablecloth draped low, concealing everything beneath. His eyes narrowed as he bent down, lifting the cloth ever so slightly.

And in that instant—

Ren froze.

His pupils shrank. His breath caught in his throat.

What he saw under the table was not what he expected. Not even close.

The blood drained from his face, leaving only shock as the spoon lay forgotten in his hand.

The room above buzzed with chatter—Hiyori boasting about winning the next round, Kyouka mocking her—but Ren wasn't listening.

Because under the table…

Ren's saw something he couldn't believe.