Father and Daughter

The Next Day, Before Leaving

Eto took a moment to fix herself up.

Once again, she put on a more mature-looking outfit—her preferred style.

As she finished getting ready, she glanced at Byakuya and found him just sitting there, waiting for her.

"You could at least make an effort to tidy yourself up a little" she remarked.

"I think I'm fine like this" Byakuya replied.

Eto scrutinized him for a moment and still felt something was missing.

Taking matters into her own hands, she grabbed a comb and ran it through his hair, then adjusted the slightly askew collar of his shirt. "Alright, that's better."

"Mayu, we're heading out for a bit. Be good and stay home, okay?"

As they were about to leave, Byakuya spoke to Mayu.

He wasn't planning to bring her to the Anteiku just yet.

Although the plan had always been to have Anteiku help take care of her, now wasn't the right time.

This meeting between Eto and Yoshimura could go in any direction.

"Okay!" Mayu nodded obediently.

She was well aware that she shouldn't run around outside and cause trouble for her "parents".

She would never do anything to burden them.

On the Way

Eto carried the physical copy of Dear Kafka she had bought earlier, placing it in her bag.

Halfway there, Byakuya turned to her. "Eto, what do you think I should get for senior Yoshimura as a gift?"

He wanted to bring something, but he wasn't sure what to give a ghoul.

For someone like the Kirishimas, a simple bouquet or a small present would suffice.

But Yoshimura was much older…

"You're asking me? How should I know?" Eto said, exasperated. "You humans love giving food and drinks as gifts, but ghouls can't eat that stuff."

"Maybe I should just go with something like a scarf or gloves" Byakuya mused.

"Honestly, I wouldn't even bother. You don't even know if he'll talk to you properly." Eto dismissed the idea.

"Fair point. I'll save it for next time, then."

Byakuya temporarily gave up on the gift idea.

Arriving at the 20th Ward

By now, Byakuya and Eto had reached the 20th Ward.

Even though this wasn't Eto's first time here, it was the first time she came with such a complex mix of emotions.

"Anteiku is just ahead" Byakuya said.

"Yeah," Eto responded, calming herself down.

As they neared the café, Byakuya peered inside through the window first.

He saw Yoshimura chatting and laughing with Koma and Irimi.

Eto would undoubtedly feel bitter about this, but it was unavoidable. A shopkeeper enjoying casual conversation with his employees was perfectly normal.

Byakuya couldn't shield her from seeing what was inside. Some things had to be faced.

And sure enough, when Eto unintentionally caught sight of the scene, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Her expression darkened, and her grip on Dear Kafka unconsciously tightened.

But it wasn't as severe as in the original timeline—where her gaze was full of hatred, and she crumpled the book into a ball before throwing it to the ground.

"Let's go back" she said coldly.

She had lost all desire to see Yoshimura.

The warm and harmonious atmosphere inside Anteiku disgusted her.

Eto still couldn't let go of the fact that her father had personally killed her mother and abandoned her in the 24th Ward.

She had said she didn't care anymore, but seeing him hiding away in a peaceful café, enjoying the company of others, was something she couldn't accept.

Byakuya remained silent.

Even though events were unfolding similarly to the original story, Eto's reaction wasn't as extreme.

Perhaps it was because Byakuya and Mayu were in her life, giving her a sense of balance.

But even so, she still found it unbearable.

Byakuya thought for a moment and decided against trying to persuade her.

Instead, he simply acted.

As Eto urged him to leave, her voice laced with coldness, Byakuya suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

Eto hadn't expected this. Her expression flickered with surprise, her eyes widening slightly as her body instinctively tensed.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to tell you to forgive him or anything like that. I just don't want to see you hurting."

Byakuya's voice was calm.

For once, Eto was speechless.

If it were any other time, she would have already started teasing him.

She momentarily forgot she was standing right outside Anteiku's entrance.

Her initially stiff posture relaxed, and she even leaned into the embrace.

She wasn't the type to break down crying. Not even tears would fall.

But at this moment, she just wanted someone she cared about to comfort her.

This wasn't like their usual playful interactions.

For the first time, Eto felt how warm and steady Byakuya's presence was.

Inside Anteiku

Meanwhile, inside the café, Koma happened to glance toward the entrance.

He was immediately taken aback. "Hey, look! There's a couple hugging outside."

"Oh?"

Irimi turned her head with interest. "Wow, they're really going at it. How sweet~"

At that moment, the entire Anteiku crew—including the Kirishima family, Yomo, and Roma—was present.

However, Roma, unlike the others, wasn't aware of Byakuya and Eto's identities as ghouls.

She only recognized Byakuya as the black-clad investigator she had encountered back in Cochlea.

Her instincts screamed that something was off.

Why was this guy here? And why was he openly hugging someone in front of Anteiku?

Meanwhile, Yoshimura, Yomo, and the Kirishimas had already recognized Byakuya.

Each of them displayed a different reaction on their faces.