The interior of the manor felt like a world apart from the storm outside—vibrant, warm, and deceptively peaceful. Jun didn't see any other staff around; he suspected Haruka had cleared the floor.

  Am I that unsightly? Jun wondered with a touch of self-deprecation.

  He followed Haruka to the second floor. Unlike the cold, cavernous grand hall downstairs, the second floor was smaller and felt "lived-in." A round table sat in the center of the foyer, surrounded by high-backed chairs. Two teacups sat on the table, steam still rising from them.

  Jun guessed this was where Haruka and her aunt spent most of their time. The first floor was for business and "Mochizuki theater," but this was their sanctuary.

  At the end of the foyer, the doors to a stone balcony were wide open. The wind howled through the gap, making the teacups on the tray vibrate with a soft, rhythmic clink.

  "Auntie! Why are you out there? It’s dangerous," Haruka said, her brow furrowing as she looked toward the silhouette on the balcony.

  "Because you don't get to see weather like this every day, Haruka! It’s exhilarating!" A woman turned around and beamed at them. The wind caught her long, thick black hair, whipping it into a dark halo. The hem of her black silk dress billowed, revealing elegant, sculpted legs. Behind her, the black curtain of clouds stood like a fortress wall.

  As for the woman’s face, Jun could only marvel. The Mochizuki gene pool was clearly top-tier.

  "Matsue-kun, you've arrived," she said, her voice melodic even over the wind. Before Jun could respond, a violent gust tore through the room, sending papers flying and causing the silverware to chatter.

  "Auntie!" Haruka snapped. The wind was threatening to blow her aunt’s skirt up. Haruka shot the woman a warning glare, gesturing for her to come inside, before spinning around and physically shoving Jun toward the wall. "DON'T LOOK!"

  Jun immediately faced the wall, putting his hands up to show he was a "good boy" with zero interest in a family scandal.

  "Get in here and close the doors!" Haruka’s tone was much sharper and more lively than it ever was at school.

  "I’m coming, I’m coming! Haruka, stop pulling! This dress wasn't made for sprinting!"

  "Then wear a normal dress! Your strap is falling off!"

  "That’s your fault for yanking on me!" the woman complained, her voice carrying a playful, pouting edge.

  "I wouldn't have to yank if you weren't standing in a hurricane!"

  "I just wanted Haruka’s friend to know she has a young, beautiful aunt. I don't want to embarrass you."

  Jun listened to the bickering, the domestic chaos reminding him of the noisier days at the orphanage.

  So this is what a home feels like, he thought.

  It took five minutes for the two women to compose themselves and invite Jun to sit.

  "Matsue-kun, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Hana Mochizuki, Haruka’s aunt and legal guardian. Thank you for looking after our Haruka at school."

  Hana delivered a perfect, high-society bow. Jun returned it with practiced grace.

  "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Mochizuki. Your niece is an exceptional student; she’s admired by everyone. I’m actually the one who should be thanking you for your family's continued support of the orphanage."

  After that brief, wild glimpse on the balcony, seeing this woman act like a dignified matriarch felt... wrong. Like seeing a lioness try to play a housecat.

  "You can just call me Hana-san," she said as she straightened up, giving him a cheeky wink.

  There it is, Jun thought. The real person.

  "Hana-san?" Haruka sat next to her aunt and pinched the woman’s arm hard. "You will call her Ms. Mochizuki or Ma'am."

  "I don't want to be 'Ma'am'! It sounds so old!" Hana pouted.

  Jun decided to pivot back to his objective. "I came here today to formally thank the family for the funding and the engineering team you sent to the home."

  Weren't you coming here to thank ME? Haruka stared at him. His text on LINE had said something very different.

  Hana’s expression turned business-serious. "There’s no need for formal thanks, Jun. As a major corporation, we have a moral obligation to shoulder social responsibility. It’s simply good business. Director Meiko was a mentor to me when I was younger; I have the utmost respect for her. Please give her my best when you see her next."

  A second later, the "Serious Executive" vanished. She stood up and gave Jun another wink. "Since you’re here, you might as well stay and have some fun. Haruka hasn't had a friend over since middle school—and certainly never a boy."

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  She spun on her heel and headed for the next room.

  Jun sighed internally. Hana seemed like a kind soul, but he was about to disappoint her. He hadn't come here for a playdate. He was here to confront a saboteur.

  First, he needed proof that Haruka was the one behind his job rejections.

  Directly accusing her was the "dumb" move. He needed a strategy.

  "You said in your text that you were coming specifically to see me," Haruka said, crossing her arms and scrutinizing him.

  "I didn't want Hana-san to feel left out," Jun lied smoothly. "I figured since she’s your family, making her feel appreciated would make you happy, too."

  Haruka rolled her eyes, but the ice in her gaze thawed slightly. A maid appeared and set tea in front of them.

  "Don't listen to my aunt," Haruka said, taking a sip of her tea and squinting with satisfaction like a cat in the sun. "Finish your tea, then you can leave whenever you want."

  Jun looked at his cup, then at Haruka’s.

  Why is my tea hot enough to generate its own weather system, while hers looks perfectly drinkable?

  Jun gingerly touched the handle and immediately retracted his hand.

  Message received. I’m not allowed to leave yet.

  Hana returned, carrying a heavy, leather-bound photo album. She sat down and flourished it.

  "Time for Haruka’s childhood photos—my favorite part of the day!"

  "AUNTIE, NO!" Haruka lunged for the book, but having failed to inherit the Mochizuki height, she was easily fended off. She ended up leaning against the balcony doors, watching from a distance as Hana and Jun opened the album.

  Perfect, Jun thought. Divide and conquer. I’ll start with the Aunt.

  Haruka’s personality followed a very specific law of physics: The Magnetic Push-Pull. If you got too close, she’d retreat. If you backed off, she’d crawl back into your space.

  Jun ignored Haruka and focused on the photos, acting as if he were genuinely enthralled by Hana’s commentary. Haruka watched them, her ears burning as she tried to eavesdrop.

  "Here’s Haruka learning basketball. Isn't she precious? So full of energy," Hana said, pointing to a photo of a much smaller Haruka in a jersey.

  Jun nodded. "I didn't know she played. I’m a fan of the game myself."

  Haruka, hearing this, remembered seeing Jun dunk from the second-floor window. She remembered the way Yuka had looked at him on the court.

  "It’s a crude, barbaric sport," she muttered from the doorway. "I have no interest in it."

  "But Haruka, you told me you thought Matsue looked quite handsome while playing!" Hana teased, her eyebrows arching in delight.

  There’s the opening.

  "Is that what you said about me, Mochizuki?" Jun asked, flashing a playful, winning smile at the girl by the door.

  Haruka couldn't lie in front of her aunt. Trapped by the truth and her own pride, she let out a huff of embarrassment and stormed out of the room.

  As the sound of Haruka’s footsteps faded, Jun waited for Hana to stop laughing before he spoke.

  "Hana-san, have you seen this man before?" Jun asked, describing the man from the photo Auntie Tamaki had sent him.

  "Hmm..." Hana’s eyes darted to the side. "Do you need him for something?"

  Confirmation: He’s a Mochizuki employee. Jun pushed further, testing the link.

  "I ran into him while I was working at that music venue," Jun said, his eyes radiating sincerity. "It was crowded, and I took a few scrapes. Haruka asked him to go buy some antiseptic for me. I just wanted to thank him personally."

  "Oh, I see! He’s one of Haruka’s personal runners. I’m not sure where he is right now, but you can ask her yourself when she gets back."

  Guilty. The court of Matsue Jun had reached its verdict.

  "Matsue-kun," Hana said suddenly. She stood up and walked to the edge of the room, looking out at the balcony.

  The storm clouds hadn't broken. Lightning flickered in the distance, followed by a low, guttural roll of thunder.

  "You don't care about Haruka nearly as much as she cares about you, do you?"

  Hana stood with her back to him, her hand pressed against the glass door, staring out into the darkening estate.

  A bolt of lightning struck the center of the lawn, a jagged white scar across the gloom.

  The rain finally broke.

  _______

  The transition from a light drizzle to a total deluge took only a heartbeat. The marble roof of the balcony began to roar under the rhythmic hammering of the rain.

  "What do you mean by that, Hana-san?" Jun asked, his mental guard fully raised. The woman running the Mochizuki empire was not a person to be underestimated.

  "You’re a clever little actor, aren't you?" Hana turned around, leaning her back against the glass door. She hooked one heel against the frame, the black silk of her dress shifting to highlight her silhouette.

  "When Haruka is in the room, you’re the perfect gentleman. You won't call me 'Hana-san' because you don't want to upset her, but the moment she leaves, you’re as sweet as can be. You play the role to perfection."

  She walked to the round table, but she didn't sit. She stood behind her chair, gripping the backrest, leaning forward to peer into his eyes. Her gaze was no longer playful; it was chillingly clinical.

  Jun sat facing the balcony. Hana stood between him and the lightning, her dark hair flowing around her like ink. Behind her, the sky was a chaotic mess of silver light and black clouds.

  She looks like a gothic queen, Jun thought. Is this what Haruka will look like in ten years?

  He didn't blink.

  "I simply want the people around me to be happy," Jun said, dropping the "perfect student" facade. "If people are happy with me, my life has fewer 'vulnerabilities.' You know my background, Hana-san. A boy from an orphanage with no safety net has to choose the path of least resistance. I’m a survivalist."

  It was the first time since leaving the Home that Jun had truly peeled back the mask for someone else.

  "You don't have to see me as an enemy," Hana said, her tone softening slightly. "Relax. I’m not targeting you. Even if you eloped with Haruka tomorrow, it wouldn't change our support for the orphanage."

  Jun felt a massive weight lift from his chest. Thank God.

  "However," Hana added with a sharp, dangerous smile, "I would be quite annoyed. I might have to consider a suitable punishment. Perhaps a few days drifting in Tokyo Bay? Or a week in the manor’s private vault?"

  She tapped her heel against the floor. The "vault" was directly beneath where they were standing. "It’s not so bad down there. It’s full of Haruka’s old childhood things. Fencing foils, baseball bats... riding crops. Things used for... training."

  Jun felt a phantom chill on his skin. I wasn't whipped in my last life, and I’m definitely not starting now.

  "I assure you, Ma'am, I would never do anything to harm your niece," Jun said, leaning back to gain some distance.

  "Call me Hana-san. I prefer it," she said, moving to Haruka’s empty chair and sitting right next to him. "I’m not worried about her body, Jun. I’m worried about her heart."

  She tried to pull the heavy chair closer to him, but it didn't budge.

  "Oh, for heaven’s sake... this thing is heavy. Matsue-kun, give me a hand?"

  The "Queen of the Night" persona shattered. Hana looked like a pouting teenager, her cheeks flushed with exertion.

  Jun stood up, single-handedly hoisted the chair into position, and sat back down. He wasn't going to fall for the act; Hana was an even better performer than he was.

  Hana smoothed her skirt and leaned toward him. Outside, the wind was turning the rain into a horizontal sea of grey.

  "You didn't answer my question. You don't care for Haruka at all, do you?"

  Jun’s brain went into overdrive. He calculated the variables: should he lie and say he cared, or tell the truth and risk her wrath?

  Hana sighed. "You’re doing it right now. Weighing the pros and cons of a simple answer. I can't imagine what your life must have been like to make you this guarded."

  "I’ll be honest then," Jun said. "As you can see, I have a very busy life. I have people to protect and a future to build. Haruka is... complicated. To be perfectly blunt: no, I am not currently 'interested' in her."

  Hana didn't look surprised. She picked up Haruka’s half-empty teacup and took a sip, her movements even more graceful than her niece's.

  "I’m glad you didn't lie to me. If you’d given me some rehearsed romantic answer, I would have assumed you were just a common social climber trying to use her."

  She set the cup down. "This is my only requirement, Jun. Do not play with her heart. If I find out you’re toying with her feelings, you’re finished. I will pull every cent of funding from that orphanage. That is the one thing you care about most, isn't it?"

  Jun wasn't surprised. A CEO’s family always comes before their "charitable obligations."

  "So as long as I don't deceive her, we're good?"

  Hana looked intrigued. "What are you planning?"

  "I find Haruka’s attention to be... a liability," Jun said carefully. "I intend to keep my distance. I don't want her to get the wrong idea."

  "You’re really not interested? She’s a bit strange, I grant you, but she’s quite a catch," Hana said, staring at his face as if searching for a hidden defect.

  "She’s brilliant and beautiful," Jun agreed. "But she’s not for me."

  "Fine." Hana studied him for a long moment. "A Mochizuki girl has her pride. If you reject her, she won't go begging. It won't affect our support for the Home. You have my word."

  I hope so, Jun thought.

  "But tell me," Hana asked, her voice turning curious. "Have you noticed anything... 'unusual' about her lately?"

  "Unusual?" Jun thought for a second. "She has a knack for appearing out of thin air. It’s almost supernatural."

  "Oh?" Hana’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine youth returning to her face.

  Jun gave a vivid description of Haruka’s "ninja-like" ability to teleport behind him at a moment's notice.

  Hana burst out laughing. She reached for her tea, but Jun’s cup was still steaming hot.

  "That’s not what I meant," she said, her laughter dying down into a look of lingering worry. She stood up and paced by the rain-slicked window.

  "I’m worried about her dreams."