The room was already alive—low conversation, the faint clink of glasses, the quiet hum of something just beginning.

Across from them, Rin Itoshi didn’t speak at first. His gaze lifted, steady and assessing, lingering just a second longer than necessary before he looked away—as if he’d already formed an opinion he had no intention of sharing.

And then there was Sae Itoshi. Quiet. Observing. His eyes met hers briefly, unreadable, before he gave the slightest tilt of his head—acknowledging her presence without a single word.

The room didn’t grow louder when she entered. It grew sharper.

The missing piece was her.