kiyopapa x mamasuzune

Apologies and Unexpected Bonds

The warm afternoon sun filtered through the window, casting soft shadows across Kiyotaka's living room. The quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the space, and for once, everything seemed peaceful in Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's household. Aiko, Saya, and Gojo were busy with their activities—Aiko playing with her toys, Saya quietly reading a book, and Gojo, unsurprisingly, was sitting in a corner, a thick novel in his hands.

Kiyotaka himself was sitting on the couch, occasionally glancing at the children, his expression unreadable as always. Suzune Horikita, meanwhile, had started to spend more time at Kiyotaka's apartment, much to her own surprise. She sat at the dining table, pretending to read a textbook, but her eyes kept drifting to the children.

Though she'd never admit it out loud, she was slowly growing fond of the kids. There was something about them that made her feel... comfortable. Perhaps it was Aiko's infectious energy, Saya's quiet thoughtfulness, or Gojo's striking similarity to Kiyotaka—whatever it was, she felt a growing connection to them.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.

Kiyotaka, sensing the tension in the air, stood up and walked over to open it. As the door swung open, he found Hirata Yousuke and Karuizawa Kei standing outside, both looking a little nervous and awkward. They had come to apologize.

"Kiyotaka," Hirata said, his usual polite tone tinged with guilt. "We're really sorry about yesterday. Sneaking into your apartment like that was wrong, and we shouldn't have done it."

Karuizawa, standing beside him, nodded, though she was clearly embarrassed about the whole situation. "Yeah... I mean, it was supposed to be just a harmless peek, but it got out of hand. We didn't mean to intrude on your privacy."

Kiyotaka glanced at them, his expression calm but hard to read. He knew they meant well, but apologies rarely mattered much to him. Still, before he could say anything, a voice interrupted the tense moment.

"Are they here to play?" Aiko's bright, cheerful voice rang out from behind Kiyotaka. She peeked around him, her wide blue eyes sparkling with curiosity as she looked at Hirata and Karuizawa. "Daddy, are these your friends?"

Kiyotaka didn't bother correcting her, and instead, simply stepped aside to let Hirata and Karuizawa in.

"They came to apologize," Suzune said, walking up beside Kiyotaka. Her sharp eyes softened slightly as she looked at Hirata and Karuizawa. "For yesterday."

Aiko, who had absolutely no concept of the awkwardness of the situation, grinned widely and tugged on Hirata's sleeve. "You should play with us! I bet you're fun! Come on, come on!"

Hirata, ever the kind-hearted person, smiled warmly. "Sure, Aiko. I'd love to play with you."

Meanwhile, Karuizawa was feeling a little out of place. It wasn't like she had ever imagined herself in Kiyotaka's apartment, much less hanging out with his kids. But before she could slip into her usual self-consciousness, Aiko was already dragging her further inside the living room.

"You're playing too!" Aiko declared, her cheeky grin widening as she grabbed Karuizawa's hand. "No excuses!"

Karuizawa shot a glance at Suzune, who merely shrugged as if to say, You're on your own. Hirata, on the other hand, chuckled at Karuizawa's expression and knelt down beside Aiko, clearly more comfortable with the situation.

"Do you have any games you like?" Hirata asked Aiko, his gentle smile putting her at ease.

Aiko's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh! Oh! We have so many! I can show you my dolls, or we can play hide-and-seek, or we can even play pretend!" Her energy was boundless, and she quickly ran to grab her toys from the corner of the room.