14. Mother's Mother

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

With a loud thud, the last piece of furniture was loaded into the van. Everything left behind would be put up for auction in a few months.

 Rio stood in the now-empty living room, a heavy feeling settling in his chest. The house he'd lived in his entire life—gone. Sold off. He wasn't sure how to process it, but deep down, he couldn't shake the thought that his mom was making a mistake.

 "So you're moving away too? Sato and the others in class will be very sad." Hana sighed, absentmindedly curling her hair between her horns.

 She had requested a video call as soon as she heard he was moving out. They'd been talking for nearly an hour, catching up on everything that had happened since she left. All things considered, it had been a pleasant conversation.

 "Please, I doubt Sato even has the comprehension to notice I'm gone. I caught him the other day trying to eat the bubbles he spewed from his nose. When I asked why, he said he wondered if they'd taste like candy."

 Hana giggled—clearly, she wasn't surprised. It was exactly the kind of thing Sato would do. "I miss everyone already, Rio. Do they miss me?"

 "Yeah, everyone was sad when you left. The other girls cried when they heard the news."

 Hana's face crumpled. Rio cursed internally. He spent the next few minutes reassuring her, trying to stop her from tearing up.

 "So, how's your new school treating you? Are the facilities nice?" he asked, shifting focus as he sorted through his bags. He had to make sure all his All Might merchandise fit safely.

 Hana shot him a deadpan look. "I told you, dummy—I'm taking a year off. Mama hired an English tutor. I can't attend classes until I know the language."

 "Oh, who would've thought?" Rio replied in flawless English.

 Hana pouted. Rio just laughed.

 "Wow, that's like the sixth All Might figurine you've packed. You must realllly like All Might."

 At that, Rio bristled like a cat with its tail stepped on. "What do you mean, 'like' All Might? This is reference material! I'm seriously studying my rival, y'know!"

 Hana raised an eyebrow. She clearly wasn't buying that explanation, but Rio didn't bother defending himself. Explaining would only make him look more suspicious—and he, Rio, had nothing to hide.

 "Mmmhaaah... It's already past my bedtime. If Mama sees I'm still up, I'll be in trouble," Hana yawned, rubbing her eyes.

 "I doubt your mother would mind, but I understand. Good night, Hana."

 A quiet "Hmmh." was her only reply before the call ended.

"RIO! WHERE ARE YOU? WE'RE LEAVING!"

 The timing couldn't have been better. The call had ended just in time.

 Rio immediately responded, grabbing his bag and hurrying down the stairs.

 Outside, he found his brother leaning against the car, engrossed in his video game.

 "You know, if you were done, you could've helped me pack," Rio said, annoyance creeping into his voice. He had a lot to carry—if he'd known his brother was free, he would've asked for help.

 Takeru didn't even look up. Instead, he glanced around in mock confusion. "Wait, do you mean me? Are you sure you weren't talking to someone else?"

 Rio sighed. His foolish older brother was at it again.

 Rio's mom strode in, arguing with someone over the phone. She wore a fitted suit jacket over a crisp blouse, paired with a sleek pencil skirt. Her heels clicked against the floor with each step.

 That was unusual. Mom never dressed this formal—not even for work. Rio frowned, taking in her attire. Takeru must have noticed too because he had finally put away his game console.

 "No, I don't want an extension, I'm canceling— Ugh, he hung up on me." Their mother glared at her phone in disbelief.

 Quickly composing herself, she turned to face them. "Have you packed all your bags? If you leave anything behind, we won't be able to get it until next week."

 Rio and Takeru simply nodded. Their mom sighed before stepping into the front seat of the car and fastening her seatbelt.

"Mom, what's Grandma like?" Takeru asked from beside her.

 Rio caught the flicker of annoyance on their mother's face at the word Grandma. A complicated expression cycled through her features—anger, sadness, then resignation.

 "Your grandma is… She's just a really hard person to love sometimes. But she's promised she's better now."

 That wasn't much to go on. Rio could only be certain of one thing: the relationship between their mother and grandmother wasn't smooth.

 The rest of the drive passed in silence, aside from a few stops. It was going to be a long ride—nearly eighteen hours from Sapporo to Tokyo, including the ferry crossing.

By the time Tokyo came into view, it was already the second day of their journey. Everyone was exhausted, but at least they'd made good time. Rio let out a relieved sigh—this long trip was finally coming to an end.

His mom was already on the phone, likely speaking to his grandmother. That was something he'd been anticipating. What was she like? How did she look? More importantly, did she have presents stockpiled for the first seven years of his life? He really liked new things.

 Another hour passed before the van neared their destination. The streets grew quieter, traffic thinning until only the occasional car passed by.

 The houses, however, became more impressive—sprawling estates with pristine gardens, the kind of places that screamed wealth.

 Finally, the car pulled to a stop in front of a massive obsidian-black gate. Security guards patrolled the perimeter, their sharp eyes scanning the area with practiced diligence.

 Rio stared, awestruck. He had no idea his grandmother worked somewhere this fancy. A security guard rang us in while the other attempted to scan the boot of the car but was smacked across the head by his colleague. I wonder why though.

The gate glided open without a sound, revealing a scene straight out of a period novel. A grand marble archway stood at the entrance, its polished surface gleaming under the sunlight. Elegant statues—chiseled from white stone, their features impossibly lifelike—lined the sprawling estate, standing like silent guardians.

 At the center of it all, a towering fountain gushing crystal-clear water, its cascading streams catching the light like scattered diamonds. The entire place screamed of generational wealth. Rio and their beat up van looked completely out of place in this setting; he just hoped the owners wouldn't mind.

Mom drove toward another entrance, leading into an underground parking lot. She knew exactly where to go—suspiciously well.

 A valet stepped forward, offering to take the car, but she politely declined, greeting him by name. And that was all the confirmation Rio needed. There was no denying it now—Mom wasn't middle class!

 After a few moments of tedious parking maneuvers, they finally made their way toward the sprawling behemoth of a house they'd spotted earlier.

Waiting at the doorstep stood a petite older woman—mid-fifties, maybe? The only sign of her age was the bright silver streaks running through her otherwise dark hair. She wore a flowery-patterned blouse and welcomed them with a warm, open-armed smile.

 Without a word, Mom brushed past her. The woman's smile faltered, just for a moment, before she quickly composed herself, shifting her attention to Rio and Takeru.

 The silence that followed was painfully awkward. Their supposed mediator—Mom—had just walked in without a greeting, leaving the three of them standing there, unsure of what to say.

The woman offered a small smile as she crouched to eye level with Rio. "You must be Rio, and you—the very tall one—must be Takeru. I've heard so much about you two from your mother. It's so nice to finally meet you."

 Rio highly doubted that. 'I don't think Mum tells you anything,' he thought, but wisely kept that to himself. No need to upset Present—I mean, Grandma.

 Straightening his back, Rio put on his best adorable-kid act. "Hmmm, my name is Rio, and this is my big brother, Takeru!" he chirped, pitching his voice as sweetly as possible. This was his ultimate technique against older women—a move with a near 100% success rate.

 "Oh, aren't you just precious! Come here, both of you—give Grandma a hug." She stretched out her arms, motioning them closer.

 Takeru awkwardly obliged, his arms barely wrapping around her shoulders. Rio, on the other hand, latched on with enthusiasm. She was rich, smelled nice, and did he mention she was rich?

 With a light laugh, she stepped back. "Come inside, children. No need to stay cooped up on the balcony forever. I'll show you to your rooms—pick whichever one catches your fancy."

At that, Takeru locked eyes with Rio.

 Sure, there were plenty of rooms, but Rio's instincts screamed that his brother was about to call dibs—an outcome he wouldn't accept. Without hesitation, Rio dashed toward one of the open doors, but he was too slow. Takeru was already inside, grinning in victory.

 Their laughter echoed through the hallway, bringing a touch of warmth to the otherwise cold, stately manor.

The woman standing at the entrance watched them with a soft smile. But as they disappeared from sight, that warmth faded from her expression.

 "Sebastian."

 At her call, the most stereotypical English butler ever seemed to materialize from thin air.

 "You called, madam?" Sebastian inquired, bowing gracefully.

 "You've taken their approximate measurements, haven't you?" she asked, her voice calm yet expectant. "Go find Betty. Have her and the girls start on a full wardrobe for them—immediately."

 "As you wish, my lady. I will see to it at once." With a deep bow, Sebastian glided away to carry out her orders.

 She exhaled slowly, hands clasped in front of her. This was her last chance to make things right with Izumi. She could not afford to fail.

 She was Yukina Hayami. And she did not lose.